2018 - THE NO-BUY, LOW-BUY, BUDGET-BUY ACCOUNTABILITY AND SUPPORT THREAD

[ElleElleG]

*updated 11/25/18*

The 2019 thread is now available here: 

Spoiler

https://community.sephora.com/t5/Beauty-Confidential/2019-THE-NO-BUY-LOW-BUY-BUDGET-BUY-ACCOUNTABILI...#M342753

Hey all!  For the last few years the lovely @lnum has hosted this thread to help us stay motivated on our no-buys and low-buys. In an effort to keep her work alive, here is the 2018 edition.

The purpose of this thread (from lnum):

This thread is a support system for all of us who are trying to maintain a budget and keep our beauty spending limited. Post here when you have a weak moment, post here to hold yourself accountable, post here when you just need someone to talk to, post here when you have advice for all of us, and post here when you make mistakes but also make gains! Many of us post here to keep track of our monthly purchases. Anything you need to say, we are all here for each other. There's no judgement here.

Feel free to share your goals, items that tempt you, missteps (we don't believe in failures), and any successes.  Above all else, encourage and support one another.

Here's the OP from 2017 as well as the link for those interested: 

Spoiler

lnum wrote:

Welcome to Year 3!

My motto for this thread is that I strongly believe, even on a budget, you can have the things you want that make you happy without feeling like you're limiting yourself. 

This thread is a support system for all of us who are trying to maintain a budget and keep our beauty spending limited. Post here when you have a weak moment, post here to hold yourself accountable, post here when you just need someone to talk to, post here when you have advice for all of us, and post here when you make mistakes but also make gains! Many of us post here to keep track of our monthly purchases. Anything you need to say, we are all here for each other. There's no judgement here.

I am so excited to spend another year with you all. If it wasn't for the first two years of this thread, I would never have been able to cut down my beauty spending. My goal for this year is to maintain low spending on beauty, and cut down my clothing purchases. I will be funneling that money into traveling, which is what I have done in the past and it's a great goal that truly motivates me. 

I'm still so proud of everyone for making it through 2015 and 2016, limiting ourselves in the beauty product area in order to improve our lives in other areas. We all did great and here's to another year of learning and saving!

Here is a link to the 2015 thread: http://community.sephora.com/t5/VIB-ROUGE/2015-The-No-Buy-Low-Buy-Budget-Buy-Accountability-and-Supp...

2016 thread: 

http://community.sephora.com/t5/VIB/2016-The-NO-BUY-LOW-BUY-BUDGET-BUY-ACCOUNTABILITY-AND-SUPPORT/td...

 2017 thread: https://community.sephora.com/t5/VIB/2017-THE-NO-BUY-LOW-BUY-BUDGET-BUY-ACCOUNTABILITY-AND-SUPPORT/m...

Interested in Some Challenges to Help You Use Your Stash?  Check Out These Threads:

Spoiler

Pan It! 2018 Challenge: https://community.sephora.com/t5/Beauty-Confidential/Pan-It-2018-Challenge/m-p/3604337#M317498

Use Your Foil Samples Challenge: https://community.sephora.com/t5/Beauty-Confidential/Use-Your-Foil-Samples-Challenge-January-2018/m-...

The Perfume Challenge: https://community.sephora.com/t5/Perfume-Posse/The-Perfume-Challenge/m-p/2633976#M18939

Mask of the Week Challenge: https://community.sephora.com/t5/Skincare-Aware/Mask-of-the-Week-Challenge/m-p/3615125#M44343

**are you participating in a challenge that I failed to mention?  if so please let me know I can link it here**

💜💜💜

[fieldsofclover]

tardis.gif

[MissPuff]

@Susubee Ha! Such an accurate statement, when one ridiculous day feels like a whole week!

[mermaid805]

OMG  Rough Day!!! You've got this though... and sooner than later you'll have some extra cash flow! At least the money went to some great causes- furry friends and extra security! 🙂 

[Susubee]

Thanks. Adulting isn't even remotely fun sometimes. 

[GG84]

Dear February, I mean it. I'm not buying any cosmetics or skincare. I do not anticipate running out of anything except possibly foundation, but we will cross that bridge. Oh and, Dear March...I will not use my no spend February as an excuse to over indulge when you roll around..I see your wheels turnin and I'm onto you!!

[iluvs]

Everything you said, I think I’ve said in my mind on different occasions. I’m gonna do my best to stick with it.

[howconnie]

Great, thinking two months ahead.

[RGbrown]

Jan was mostly a pretty good month for me; I picked up Prism and a few other cheapie items, but not nearly as much as I spent last year. I got more than I needed, but less than I wanted, so I guess I was able to find some sort of balance lol. I used my points and 20% at Ulta, so my actual cash outlay was greatly reduced by those, which really is my main goal. 

I clearly don't have a grip on my nail polish obsession though...Black Dahlia Lucky Bag, Zoya Mystery Bag (which I am still waiting on...grrrr), a few single polishes, a Perfect Formula sampler, and a new stamping plate as well. Oh well...all in all, it was a good month, especially considering I'm scaling back from the "buy all the things" mode that encompassed 2017 for me. 😄

Ebates so far has not given me the option to get a GC, so that check will be deposited and go towards something practical, like car insurance. Sigh 😛

[howconnie]

I’m still weeping cause I missed the Zora Sale. Next year I’m putting Zora on my calendar for Black Friday oops, I’m supposed to be supporting our low buy.

You started out the year balanced that’s good.

[RGbrown]

@howconnie

That deal was epic! I don't recall seeing it before, but I definitely hope it becomes an annual event. Not that I need more polish hahahahahaha 😄

[ElleElleG]

I saw balance and practical, those two words alone sound like progress @RGbrown !  Are there polishes in your collection that would help you pass on buying new polishes?

[RGbrown]

@ElleElleG I'm not sure I understand the phrase "pass on buying new polishes"?

😛

I have been better about checking my collection and limiting purchases to shades I don't have a dupe for. The exception here was the Black Dahlia bag; it was a complete impulse splurge...I've never tried them before, and the fact that they allowed you to give them notes on what you like or don't like made the mystery bag totally worth it IMHO...I wound up with a ton of polishes in colors I like and will put to use for way less than retail. It was an excellent value, which totally made it worth it to me.

And frankly, unless and until new polishes/collections show up at Ulta, I think I have every single color from them that I want...so I'm safe for a bit now 😄 

[Ispend2much6]

@RGbrown  I know that feeling, being "safe for a while." 🙂  Good job; I don't think I was ever there last year.

[Asche]

February goals: buy nothing from Sephora. Or makeup in general. Or clothes. Basically, buy nothing except food (and even then, only in the most dire circumstances).

Exceptions: Nars LE Free Soul highlighting blush because it's LE and I really want it. 😛

[howconnie]

You did really good in January so just one blush in February is great.

[Ispend2much6]

@Asche  I was looking at that; it reminds me of Becca's sparkly blushes.  I like the Lip Cover in Summer Fire.

[txcatx]

I made it through January with only one Sephora purchase for myself, which was the Sephora Favorites Give Me Some New Lip set! I did make some other purchases, but they were all gifts, so they don't really count. No purchases at Ulta, despite numerous promotions.

I really want to go to Morocco in the fall, and I know my beauty spending last year could have funded an entire trip. That's really bad. Unfortunately, whenever I'm on a low-buy or no-buy, I can't spend too much time here!

[MissPuff]

@txcatx oooooh, Morocco sounds like a dream! My first year out of college, my spending habits were a little out of control so I "fined" myself $20 every time I made a superfluous purchase (essentially anything that was food, rent, or work-related). I actually would take a physical $20 bill and put it in a jar. After just a couple of weeks, I stopped making random purchases because I had both run out of money, and was appalled at how many $20s were in my jar! Granted, it would probably be harder now since the invention of online shopping (my nemesis) but I find collecting a physical representation of purchases (even a non-monetary object, like marbles) helps put a visual deterrent to my spending 🙂 

[fieldsofclover]

If I had a Sephora "swear jar" for the last six months it would be a sobering picture, no doubt.

[b3autygrl]

@txcatx The Sephora Give me some nude lip set is the one I have on my wishlist and I'm on a no buy makeup goal as well.  Arggh...!  Have you used it?  What do you think?

[txcatx]

@b3autygrl I got the New Lip set and thought it was a great value mostly because I had been wanting to try the new Marc Jacobs and Fenty lipsticks, and the set had the shades I would have chosen anyway. And, I'm now in love with the formula of that Marc Jacobs liquid lip crayon.