2020 - THE NO-BUY, LOW-BUY, BUDGET-BUY ACCOUNTABILITY AND SUPPORT THREAD

[ElleElleG]

Hello, hello! Welcome to Year 6 of the No/Low Buy Thread.  

        *Many thanks to all who have participated over the last few years.  While I don't

         post often I do read the notifications sent to my email and I cannot say it enough,

         You all are truly amazing!  Thank you for your dedication and support!!

For reference here's the purpose of this thread (from Thread Originator, @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.

A note from lnum (2016):

Spoiler

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!

Interested in past threads?  Check Here:

Spoiler

Past Threads:

2015 http://community.sephora.com/t5/VIB-ROUGE/2015-The-No-Buy-Low-Buy-Budget-Buy-Accountability-and-Supp...

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

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

2018 https://community.sephora.com/t5/Beauty-Confidential/2018-THE-NO-BUY-LOW-BUY-BUDGET-BUY-ACCOUNTABILI...

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

Challenges to Help You Use Your Stash:

Spoiler

Pan It! 2020 Challenge:https://community.sephora.com/t5/Beauty-Confidential/Pan-It-2020-Challenge/td-p/5095576

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**

[eshoe]

Ha ha ha @danielledanielle @yes I just need to add in a FS item and a bonus ☺️ Love this!!!

[SportyGirly125]

@eshoe Such a cool idea

[eshoe]

Thank you @SportyGirly125, hope it keeps me on track in the New Year.

[ather]

@eshoe  Omg I love this idea! I am definitely going to steal this! How many foils did you add to each bag? I feel like I have so many foils and I may be able to do like 3 years of bags. But this is definitely a great way to get through foils and try new things! I know there’s a ton of new releases that will come out next year but its way better to use what I already have!

[eshoe]

@ather I ended up with 9 in each pouch, enough to try out a couple each week! I thought about adding DS samples but I think I will reserve those for backups in case I run out of my regular products🤷🏻‍♀️ I am excited to try so many of the samples, I just needed to have a plan:) Would love to hear how you decide to conquer your foils!

[ather]

@eshoe  I will let you know! I may need to do some searching for bags to put them all in. I have a huge box of foils so it may be my tomorrow project. I have a separate bin on DS and I actually was thinking the same waiting until I run out of product before even reaching for those. My night eye cream is almost done so I think I can add a few eye cream samples in my bags to get through them too. I was thinking about adding my mask samples but I still have a few full size masks I need to get through before I even think about starting anything that’s not open. I also have a bunch of hair mask foils that I thought would be good to add. Mix it up a bit. It will be fun to open a bag at the beginning of the month and see what I get to try!

[eshoe]

Yes, I think it will be fun to be ‘surprised’ each month, @ather! I don’t think I could hold off on the mask samples too long; I’m always so curious about the scent/texture that I open them up and then figure I need to use them so they don’t expire. 

I have a few additional samples that will be trickling in, even if they arrive after the new year I am going to split them up amongst the bags and treat them as as part of my 2020 inventory. 

Mixing it up will hopefully keep things interesting enough to stay on track. Good luck to you!

[ather]

@eshoe  Ok so I spend some time making up my bags! First I always thought I had too many makeup bags. Today I realized I didn’t have enough. Luckily I save everything so I had some old GWP plastic bags so I used them!! Here are my 12 piles. 

 and here’s my bags!

 I also looked at my DS bin and I may need to start using things sooner then later it’s overflowing!!

 and here is what’s left of my foils I pretty much tried to use as many in my bags as possible. Even if I use half of the bag I will be happy!! 

  and lastly my pup decided that the little area I created would be a great place to sit so I had to include him lol 

 

I really like this idea! I really want to try hard to use up every bag during the month! I also included one foil of shampoo and conditioner because I had sooo many of them. I usually picked those since my skin was a little finicky this year and last year! Thanks again for such an awesome idea!!!

[eshoe]

Ok I am totally over the TOP excited for you, @ather!!! And I felt the same way, like I was overloaded with bags, and then I tried to come up with 12 and it was like...

It would be fun to do this alongside you, hope other might want to join @danielledanielle 😉 

eta extra hugs to your beautiful pup🥰

[danielledanielle]

Maaaaaaaybbbeee I''ll try it 🤔 @eshoe , definitely have enough stuff for a few bags.  Might actually eek out 1-2.*

*running low on brainpower these days

[ather]

@danielledanielle  If you need more I can send some your way!!! 

[danielledanielle]

@ather , you're so thoughtful....I can always re-use bags, it's really just me.   I really do like the idea.  It's just the matter of doing it.

[ather]

@danielledanielle  Yea it took some time. Luckily I had already sorted all my samples sorted out. I did it when covid first started. If you change your mind I can always look for more bags!!! 

[ather]

@itsfi  you should totally join!! 

[itsfi]

Awww, thanks for the tag @ather, and for thinking of me. Very kind of you! I'll be doing some sort of low buy / no buy next year. Over the last 2-3 years, I've been able to whittle down my foil and deluxe samples of non oldies-but-goodies to 27 - with maybe 1 or 2 exceptions, I haven't picked up any foils with my orders unless it is literally something I am certain I'd pick up if I liked it. I'm hoping I can shave off another few foils before the year is over. 🤞 I may join in next year's no-buy / low-buy / budget-buy thread once I firm up the details about how I want to go about it next year. I'm hoping to get through these last remaining foils/DS before the end of the Q1 2021; possibly before the end of January (and I don't want to prolong finishing up for 12 months). But I will most definitely be supporting you as you work your way through your samples. You got this, ather!!! 👊

[ather]

@itsfi  That’s so awesome!! It’s smart not picking up samples of you don’t plan on using them! I actually keep forgetting to add them to my orders lately which is good so I don’t get over loaded again! I may start a no buy low buy next year as well. Maybe. I feel like there’s a lot of good new releases coming up and I don’t know if I can hold up. I’ll stick to using my foils up then I may need to work on my DS they have gotten out of control. 

[itsfi]

@ather, that's awesome that you forget to add samples. Definitely helps, right?!! 

[ather]

@itsfi  Yea they came in handy when I travelled more or we had more company. I would also take them when I went to Cuba and left them for the workers. But no travel and no company lately so they’ve just piled up! 

[faeriegirl]

Awesome idea @eshoe! I’ve got a few more packages coming in, then I’m ready to start for 2021.

[eshoe]

@faeriegirl at the rate mail is moving, they might not make it until the New Year! USPS is just getting crushed this year, I feel for them. What are you planning for 2021? 

[ather]

@eshoe  Oh no is the mail in the US really slow too? It’s brutal in Canada. I had a package I ordered on Nov 26 and it sat in a town 4 hours from me from Dec 3 till yesterday and it ended up on my door yesterday. So crazy!! I have another package that hasn’t moved since Dec 8. All I do is check my tracking like 100 times a day hoping things start moving!!