2025 - THE NO-BUY, LOW-BUY, BUDGET-BUY ACCOUNTABILITY AND SUPPORT THREAD

[ElleElleG]

WELCOME TO YEAR 11 OF THE NO-BUY/LOW-BUY THREAD HAS ARRIVED

There's been quite a buzz around starting no/low-buys for 2025. I'm excited about the growing interest and hope this thread can help everyone achieve their respective goals.

The original threads were created by @lnum , here's 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.

Additional insights from @lnum (circa 2016, Challenge Year 3):

Spoiler

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 Other Challenges/Threads that may help your no/low-buy goals? Check here:

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*

Curious about past threads? Links to all 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...

2024 https://community.sephora.com/t5/Beauty-Confidential/2024-THE-NO-BUY-LOW-BUY-BUDGET-BUY-ACCOUNTABILI...

I'll share my personal goals in a follow up post.

[jaaayp]

Thanks for the tag @ElleElleG !!! I'll definitely be participating this year again!

I honestly felt like I didn't buy much in 2024 but somehow I'm still a Rouge for 2025. No complaints, just surprised...?

What worked best for me last year and my #1 rule this year: do not buy if I already have multiples

See a new powder release? Let's go check how many powders I have in stock. See a new blush release? Let's see if there are colors that I don't have already. New skincare? Check how many of that specific category do I already have.

Best of luck everyone, wishing you the best! 😘

[Titian06]

Best wishes, @jaaayp ! 😘

[faeriegirl]

Good luck this year @jaaayp!

[peculiarzmakeup]

Congrats! And that rule is fantastic! I feel like it’s very mindful and concise to where it pops up at a helpful time in the mind! It’s so cool to see what has personally worked for everyone and inspiring too! @jaaayp 

[Samtian]

@ElleElleG I actually did pretty good last year...ish. I didn't get past VIB. I do think we need the new Pan Project thread listed, not 2024 🙂 

This year I plan to keep my shopping to gifts, and probably not crack VIB this year, I have so much inentory as is! I might splurge and get the KILIAN Paris Blue Moon Ginger Dash 1.7 oz / 50 mL eau de parfum spray Or I might be smart and order a sample of it first haha. 

[peculiarzmakeup]

Congrats that’s amazing! I love utilizing what i have and also samples. I have to be less shy about asking though haha. I think samples and having time to assess other things are so helpful. That is spectactular! @Samtian 

[Samtian]

@peculiarzmakeup They definitely are, thank you!

[CynthieLu]

👏 Congratulations on a successfull low buy year last year @Samtian that's huge!! Do you have any advice you could give us or tips you've figured out? Asking for a friend..lol. 

[Samtian]

@CynthieLu ...uh have your financial irresponsibility's catch up to you, and become financially responsible for like 600 cats lol. 😂 Which I don't recommend my methods. 

[CynthieLu]

Aaah necessity is a very powerful motivational tool. @Samtian

[itsfi]

@Samtian, I feel like "I have so much inventory as is" sums up my stash. I want to take it from being an over the top stash to a collection, a working collection. I have been working through my 2025 pan it! products and using the time to confirm they are in fact what I want to use (or for some items, what I will put to use). A part of me is wondering if we should take guesses on when I hit pan on one of the YSL quad - hahaha! But then I think if I do that I'll probably end up taking 5 years just to hit pan on one of those. I don't know how you and others like @ElleElleG do it with rotating eyehadow palettes. Super impressive and inspiring.

I'll be ready when the thread goes up - I'm not the Punxsutawney Phil when it comes to these things, but I've a feeling a new thread for this year pan it! challenge will be up soon-ish. By the way, this year, I'll be taking a page from you and other BIC panners and tracking some pan product by weight. 

Wow, you did great in 2024 with your spending. 🙌 Congrats! 

[Samtian]

@itsfi Thank you. The spending wasn't much my choice haha I definitely would have spent more if I had it. But I really need to be realistic this year. 

I can't wait to see what you do! Yeah rotating doesn't get much pan but it gets things used. 

[itsfi]

lol, sometimes it works out better when the choice is made for us @Samtian. There's been a couple of products I've swapped in and out a couple of times already and I just need to stick to the decision to have them in my project pan. 

[Samtian]

@itsfi You can always switch every other month too. Yeah it's way easier if the decision is made for you lol. 

[lnum]

Thanks for keeping this going @ElleElleG . This year I’m extending my low buy to pretty much everything (especially clothing, I was not good with avoiding clothing purchases last year) as I plan to save up for a lot of other goals I would like to accomplish. I am saving up for a big trip in a few years (hopefully Galapagos) and moving into a new apartment in the next year or two as well! 

[peculiarzmakeup]

These are such amazing goals! It’s awesome to have things on a vision board! I feel it’s so helpful to know those specific meaningful things that your saving for i feel like that will help alot. Great job! @lnum 

[CynthieLu]

With wonderful goals like this in your mind @lnum I think you'll do really well. Good luck this year!! 💚

[itsfi]

AAhhhh, those are two spectacular goals @lnum - great incentive to keep spending to a minimum. I 100% agree with a low buy across the board. Now, I just need to be more consistent with that throughout the year.

[Samtian]

@lnum That will be an amazing trip!

[blackkitty2014]

This year I would like to do the following;

1) No buy on base products (primers, foundation and powder). Normally I was doing good in this department but last year I went a bit Gaga by buying new products or backup of favorite. I would like to get back on track. No buys until I used up whatever I have

2) Low buy on lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes; wait couple days or weeks before making any purchase. I ran out of space and face to wear them 🤣😂

3) Be mindful on spending. So so much waste