2024 - THE NO-BUY, LOW-BUY, BUDGET-BUY ACCOUNTABILITY AND SUPPORT THREAD

[ElleElleG]

New Year,  New Thread, cheers to Year 10 of the  of the No/Low Buy Thread 🥂🥂

This thread was initially created by the amazing @lnum and this is how she described the purpose of this challenge: 

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.

Some 2016 insights from lnum:

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

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

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

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...

2020 https://community.sephora.com/t5/Beauty-Confidential/2020-THE-NO-BUY-LOW-BUY-BUDGET-BUY-ACCOUNTABILI...

2021 https://community.sephora.com/t5/Beauty-Confidential/2021-THE-NO-BUY-LOW-BUY-BUDGET-BUY-ACCOUNTABILI...

2022/2023 https://community.sephora.com/t5/Beauty-Confidential/2022-amp-2023-THE-NO-BUY-LOW-BUY-BUDGET-BUY-ACC...

Other Challenges/Threads that May Help You/Your Spending Goals

Spoiler

Pan It! - 2024 Challenge
Capsule Makeup Collection Challenge
What are you wearing today Pt2
Love At First Sample!!! 🥰
Makeup Challenge of the Week 2021/2022/2023/2024

*Feel free to PM me if there are additional challenges that should be added*

[faeriegirl]

That is a great plan @anaaii !

[faeriegirl]

Every year I have failed miserably at a low/ no buy. This year I am going to try something different. I want to start with limiting myself to 1 beauty purchase a week and eventually get to 1 per month. Hopefully it will help with impulse buying if I have a limit. Right now I’m very well stocked on haircare, skincare, makeup, and body so I shouldn’t have to restock anything until the fall sale.

[ather]

@faeriegirl  Stay strong!! 💪 

[danielledanielle]

I'm with you in solidarity, @faeriegirl .  Like I wanna sample things, but have to remind myself I've done enough damage.

[faeriegirl]

Yes! Ive done way too much damage @danielledanielle. Hopefully the new plan works🤞🏻

[lmaster]

Today officially is the first day of my NO BUY!!!  🤣🎉🙌 Allegedly..... I'm going to try to stay strong until June 

[danielledanielle]

You got this chica @lmaster 

[lmaster]

It's only Saturday 😔 @danielledanielle I've already fought the urge, but I'm Fighting 🤣🙌

[faeriegirl]

You can do it!  Stay strong @lmaster !💪 

[lmaster]

Thank you!! So far at good!! Fighting the urge 🙌 @faeriegirl 

[CorgiMommy]

@lmaster you can do it, good luck 

[lmaster]

Thank you!! @CorgiMommy 

[itsfi]

4.15.2024 - Last Day of Sephora Savings Sale 🛍

4.16.2024 - First Day of No/Low Buy 😬 

I picked up a few more things during the Sephora sale than I had originally planned and will be aiming to distract myself from too many future purchases by shopping my stash. 

Here we go!

[faeriegirl]

Good luck @itsfi !

[CorgiMommy]

@itsfi me too , trying to remind myself that I have everything I need at this time.

[danielledanielle]

I definitely need to be in here @ElleElleG .  I saw your tag and went, ahhh 🫣🫣🫣. I've literally said, ok "this will be my last hurrah" about five times, and was very much like I should be in this thread Jan 1st.    Of course, I talked myself out of that, because I was like..."who am I kidding?  I like buying stuff and I deserve it.". That (of course) didn't help and upped the stress.  I'm a third into reorganizing my entire stash and it's a massive reckoning.  I have dropped items from my cart ahead of the sale so I think I'm mentally prepared and started a "lipstick purgatory."

No specific plan yet, but that's okay and props to those that do. ( @itsfi , you're always inspo!!)  I've been making pivots so frequently now IRL that not having a full on plan seems foreign to me.  It just is likely more realistic to me to try a low buy.  I didn't have a successful low buy last time I tried it because I was using a monthly budget.  If I do reattempt, it might look more like a limit... Like a life bar counte in a video game. Only 3 purchases a month, or something like that.

ETA: The Trade Thread 2024 ,I kinda want to use this, but I'm always reticent about mailing stuff... Like the cost of postage and fear of stuff being smashed.  Maybe incorporate it in @ElleElleG ?  I have some items I want to rehome vs tossing.

[lmaster]

Oh that's huge! @danielledanielle great mindset, but girl you do deserve it! You grew a sweet baby inside of you, you deserve everything you have! (Not trying to enable)

I'm proud of you for recognizing, that's the hardest part, for me, I just hate to waste stuff, especially skincare.

I only have one face 🤣 I still cave though, then I'll do really good for awhile then cave a lil more. We're here for you!!!

P.S. I would love to see what you declutter 😉

[danielledanielle]

Hee hee! @lmaster , you can only enable me if I enable myself, so no worries.  That's really kind of you to say so, so thank you.

So far, decluttering was things past their prime, AHHH..... I should've taken pics but I think it was easier to just toss and not think about it.  I am trying to remember...some skincare, a few Fenty stunnas, dried out Fenty fly pencils (so 😡), a bunch of pinky nude lips that never worked for me, old primers.  I think the hardest was my Naked 2 palette.  I think I did one look with it a year ago, wasn't thrilled, but couldn't consciously toss it until later 2023.  I'm still like... Maybe I should've kept it 🤣

Oh, the best was a fingertip eyeliner from Sephora that I wish they still made.  It was still inky black, but I don't know how old it is, so I tossed it, but that thing was cool.

Ok, for the sixth time... Tomorrow is the last hurrah! (?) 🙌🏽🤷🏽‍♀️🤞🏽🤞🏽

[itsfi]

@danielledanielle, the ability to pivot is an extremely powerful skill when it comes to real life, including beauty purchases. 

lol, my plans and approaches to low buy / no buys have come from many, many, many failed attempts missteps over the years. 😥 Try enough hats and I’m bound to find something that works, right?! Or, works decently most of the time. 😆 

[danielledanielle]

Missteps are a part of success, tho @itsfi 

[itsfi]

Very true @danielledanielle