2019 - THE NO-BUY, LOW-BUY, BUDGET-BUY ACCOUNTABILITY AND SUPPORT THREAD

[ElleElleG]

updated 12/31/19* The 2020 Thread is here 2020 - THE NO-BUY, LOW-BUY, BUDGET-BUY ACCOUNTABILITY AND SUPPORT THREAD

Hey all!  Welcome to Year 5 of the No/Low Buy thread 😲. 

Since 2019 is LITERALLY around the corner so I figured it was time to get this thread started.  The 2018 thread can be located here: https://community.sephora.com/t5/Beauty-Confidential/2018-THE-NO-BUY-LOW-BUY-BUDGET-BUY-ACCOUNTABILI...

For reference here's 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.

The 2017 OP and link:

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...

Challenges to Help You Use Your Stash:

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**

[newcarlee]

Happy to share from my experiences, @Guessgal.  Can’t tell you how much I used to “save” by buying things I didn’t really need or even like a lot.  But I saved money!! 😊🙄

[divaknits]

Omg how I need this thread. I have a hard time because I adore the ladies and gent who work in my SJCP. They know me so well that they don’t put my purchases in a bag because they know I’m not sneaking in past my fiancé and daughter. 😄 I’m working part time now and need to pay bills so although I need a no-buy I’m going to be realistic and say a low-buy. I’ve been away from the store for several days now and it’s been hard. *sigh*

[ShortErica]

@divaknits I know you love your lippies. Would it be good to set a goal such as you can only add X many lippies or $X worth of lippies each month? It's a work in progress and this board is so supportive!

[divaknits]

I didn’t get off to a great start. I’ve already crumbled. The worst of it has come within the past three days. The bad thing is that I don’t want to take anything back. I love it all. The only good thing about this I that I don’t have any room left for anything else in my two train cases and I refuse to buy another one or dedicate extra space to my makeup. So here I go again. I get married in five days. Some people stress eat. I stress makeup shop. 

[tastelikewater]

In hindsight, I didn’t set the most achievable goals for myself. A no-buy on lippies? What on earth was I thinking 😄 To be fair, I have no regrets about my purchase. I picked up two of the new Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip, and I’m absolutely obsessed with them. I went through my collection and threw out some lipsticks I haven’t been wearing, so at least I’m sticking to my “one in, one out” strategy. 

I also said no new eyeshadow palettes until I panned some of what I already have, and I missed that goal on a technicality. I need to de-pot two of my palettes to keep the shades I want and trash the ones I’ve panned or definitely won’t use, but I don’t own an empty palette or a de-potting tool. In the meantime, I’d picked up a $100 Rouge reward and decided to treat myself to the ND Gold palette...again, no regrets whatsoever! 

I’m holding strong to my other goals, and my spending is definitely down from this time last year. When I do this again in the future, I’ll need to remember to stick to realistic goals!

[newcarlee]

I feel reducing spend is a process, @tastelikewater and you’re doing a great job! As long as no regrets about slipping on stretch goals and making progress, it’s a job well-done.  

[ShortErica]

I think it's part of a process @tastelikewater - we shoot for the moon and then have to adjust to what's realistic for us. As long as it's not hurting your budget/causing you to go into debt I think a few misses is a-okay. Especially when they are products you are going to love. Seriously you're getting tons of use at of those lippies and palette and I'm sure you wear them outside of posting on BIC. Congrats on spending less and sticking with some of your goals!

[tastelikewater]

@ShortErica I appreciate the validation! 

[ShortErica]

You're welcome @tastelikewater! Got to comment on something useful vs. the spam posts I can't seem to avoid.

[christyrc]

Happy Valentine’s Day, friends. True to my word, I’ve gone 15 days w/o any beauty purchases. My low-buy is all about refraining from non-staples purchases and only purchasing staples when I run out (or very close to running out) i.e.no backups! I have had the Farmacy Green Screen in my cart for about 5 days now. It’s a legit staple, but I’m waiting for the right Beauty Offer to come along, lol.

[sparklekai]

so we're about 6 weeks into the year and i'm starting to get the itch.   the reality is i NEED nothing!  but wants...i want something!  

i've spent out $56 so far this year...all on skin care but yet still nothing i actually needed.  my purchases are things i will use and i did get thing on sale...and it was my birthday.  so basically i can justify with the best of them but the reality is  i have too much.  my logical brain knows this.  my hoarder brain wants more.  

i think i'm going to make a list of things i would like to try but i need to get down to a certain number of items in that category before i actually purchase anything.  

[ShortErica]

@sparklekai  - I'd suggest either a product inventory spreadsheet or a product calendar.

The product inventory spreadsheet would help you see the amount you have and imagine how long it takes to use. We don't want products expiring!

The calendar can help keep you excited about makeup/skincare but instead of *new* being the shiny, it's your own stash that you can look forward to.

Keep posting if you need motivation. We all have our temptations but you can do it!

[newcarlee]

Thanks for the great ideas, @ShortErica: inventory spreadsheet and product calendar. I’ve just gone to pull out my shashes and look through them when I have an urge to buy and that’s helped but I haven’t gone to catalog exactly what I have or plan on when I will use the products.  

I think that both ideas will help control purchases and also aid in using up what I’ve got!  Especially all the mini sizes, DS and foils from sub boxes - can’t remember what I have.  Good news is I’ve cancelled / stopped buying the subscription boxes.  

[ShortErica]

Hope it helps @newcarlee. I have columns for minis and deluxe samples vs. full size so I can find products to use up quickly. Good job cancelling. It will probably take a while to use up what you have. Let us know your opinions as you go through products.

[sparklekai]

@ShortErica  i actually have an inventory (a slightly obsessive inventory 😛 ) and that is mainly whats kept me from pulling the trigger!  but i still want!

[ShortErica]

I love it @sparklekai! You could try the product calendar. I track usage so I know when I will need a new product but also because I try to incorporate new skincare gradually sometimes I add something in when I have lots of product still to use in case it doesn't work. For those products I want to try, I write out when I want to use them so I look forward to something new.

[cianni]

@sparklekai I feel you!! I found what helped me avoid purchasing is reorganizing all my stuff. I took everything out of my skincare and makeup drawers, and sorted them in a different way so I was looking at things I hadn’t seen in a while! For skincare, I had previously sorted them by type of product, but now I’ve moved them into organizers based on whether they’re part of an AM or PM routine, and separated all masks. For makeup, they used to be organized by subcategories (lipgloss, lipstick, liners, etc), but now I go by color family. I have a drawer of palettes and every week I move the front/top one to the back and try to cycle out so it always looks fresh and new 😂

[sparklekai]

@cianni i think i may try this!  something to freshen it up a bit!

[KNC24]

So I’m not doing well at all. I’ve been buying brushes like I’m a professional mua. I’ve turned to beautylish for my brush needs because I want natural hair brushes. I’ve bought the Sonia g pro face and eye sets. Got a Chikuhodo holiday set. Bought the Wayne Goss synthetics set. I got the Sephora pro rose gold set. And if Wayne’s eye set was in stock would have bought that too. And lastly I’m going to the Hakuhodo store this weekend. 😬😬😬. I have beauty bakerie’s set in my cart too. I plan on buying the viseart liaison palette and the new new steel(Letto) palette ( spelling is probably off lol). Oh I forgot I found several natural hair Tom Ford brushes at neiman marcus that are on their way.

[lnum]

Maybe think about how you separate need from want? Are you able to accomplish all the techniques you use on a regular basis with the brushes you have now? Is adding more brushes really a necessity or something that can wait for a special occasion as a way to treat yourself? 

[KNC24]

@lnum it’s all want. I’m new to natural hair brushes so I went kinda crazy with it. Plus I like how brushes never expire. I feel like if I get good tools it well give me good results as my technical skills improve