January 2014 - No/Low-Buy Thread

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jaylilee

Obsessed with colored powder
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Well, we have a single day left of 2013 at this point! So time for a new thread. Since we're starting our the year with a clean slate, let's get off all on the best foot forward. For all those recently joining, check out the following:

The Monday Club for weekly consistency in using our products.

No buy/low-buy for 2014 - what're your goals?! it's great to post them.

Taking Inventory - Before going on a low-buy or a no-buy, check in with your stash and find out how much you have to use up.

The Official Use it Up Thread 

And because we all need support, here's this thread! I am going in with simple but concise goals. 2013 was great for grounding me back to reality and realizing I don't need so much stuff! I went a little hog-wild in 2011 and 2012. So 2014 is about simplicity for me and consistently using things up. No waste from this girl.

Welcome guys! 

 
Oooh I love the helpful links!  

I really should be going for a total no-buy this month, but when I tell myself that, my need to buy stuff goes into overdrive, so I'm just going to have some strict rules and my usual $25 limit.

-NO makeup, except what I get from Ipsy and/or Birchbox

-Only replacement skincare (and the only thing I'll possibly run out of is exfoliator, but there's gotta be something in my samples stash!)

- Only buy nail polishes in colors I don't have (a Tardis blue, an orange creme - hubby is a huge Bengals fan, and since they actually made the playoffs this year, I might celebrate with some tiger nails - and of course, any Indie that catches my eye, because I'm just beginning that collection!)

And I'll use the Monday Club to rotate through palettes and other makeup, and this thread for people to talk me down from buying stuff!

Happy New Year, everyone!  May all your low-buy goals be met!

 
I'm definitely signing on for 2014. I went through my stash and put aside a whole bunch of makeup that's close to it's expiration dates. So I'm doing a yearlong no-buy. I'm only allowing myself to purchase replacements.

 
Quote: Originally Posted by jaylilee /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Since we're starting our the year with a clean slate, let's get off all on the best foot forward.
I love your inspirational post! All the collective links and ways to follow through with our goals is really encouraging. Thanks!
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I'm getting ready to .... figure out my financial goals for this year, including this month (tomorrow? AHHHH!!!). I've been reading everyone's resolutions and I am getting some good ideas, but still finding it so hard to come up with my own.
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But it is definitely a good feeling to be reminded that this is a totally clean slate!

I just need to work out what I know I can stick to. I'm scared to limit myself too much, but I'm also scared to let myself have too much freedom. It's hard to figure out how to strike a balance. I don't have willpower.

I want to say I need to go on a NO BUY for this month, which should be easy since I just bought a bunch of stuff the last two or three months, and it's my Birthday month so I'll be getting some little goodies here and there... but... eek! I just don't know! I don't know if I can do it. But I'll try! So, to start off my January goal is:

NO BUY for January, 2014 (excepting replacements of necessities).
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Best of willpower, WE CAN DO IT!!!! WE WILL DO IT!

 
I'm going on a low buy this month and I'll probably go on a no buy for the following month up until April (when I can reassess everything again).

For January, I am definitely adding things on my list of what I need to finish by April.  So far, I've managed to finish about 7-10 things and those items are the neglected ones.
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Also for this month, I just want to keep my beauty cabinets organized and less cluttered.  I really do need to narrow things down and use what I do have.

With that said, I know we can all reach our goals for January!!!
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Yay - glad for this thread!

Going to go on a general no/low buy! I am allowing Birchbox and Ipsy but I'm pretty sure I'll end up cancelling Ipsy after this month. 

I have a few gift cards from Christmas that I can use to satisfy any shopping. Other than that, I'm going to try to use up products- maybe save my empties or try the Monday Club! Absolutely no more makeup for me! Also really trying to be frugal and buy only necessities

 
I'm going on a low buy for a while. I really need to save up for an Alex 9 drawer, and buying random drugstore makeup all the time is not helping me. I don't have specific guidelines, but NO high end makeup until I have the Alex in my room. As for drugstore, preferably only if it's on sale or I have a really great coupon/deal. I should be getting a Youtube paycheck at the end of January/start of February, so that will be almost enough to buy the Alex. After I get the nine drawer, I might get some makeup products, but I'm also hoping that by the end of the year I will have saved enough to buy a Clarisonic Mia2. 

 
I, too, am starting my new year with a no/low buy. My house has been battling the flu, so to keep myself seperated from the infected ones, I decided to clean out/organize my makeup stash. I have way too much stuff. Stuff I don't even use. I started a second job/part time a few months ago, and the girl who trained me shares a love of makeup! We talked about makeup for the entire shift! Problem is, she's on a very fixed income and has a small child, so she told me she never has the money to go get any new makeup for herself. I passed my "hoard" on to her! It felt so much better than "I'll hang on to it to try to trade it" -- her face was priceless! I love sharing! I think I'm going to try to do that regularly!

I've stocked up on wipes and essentials, so coupling that with the major bunch of makeup the mister got me for christmas - I have no desire to buy anything! I hope this feeling sticks around for a longgggggg time.

 
I did a thorough inventory count of my makeup items and nail polish (did not count skincare because...scary) to start myself honest this year and.... omg you guys. 381 items. 381! and out of those 169 are eyeshadows! 

...I might start wearing my eyeshadows as decorational jewelry or something lolllll! god. So ashamed. and here I was thinking if I got use out of some of them enough to hit pan I could purchase another palette. NOPE! definitely not. Need to use up at least 10 before I consider buying a single one. 

 
I'm on a no buy this month (and February and March).  There's not even a remote possibility that I'll run out of anything, so discipline/willpower will be the key factor here.  I've got tons of new stuff purchased in the last few months to review for my blog, so I'm good to go there.  I've also got Birchbox, Eco Emi, and Le Metier de Beaute subscriptions to satisfy that "package in the mail" fix.

2013 was rampant consumerism for me, 2014 is going to be about moderation in all things :)

 
Quote: Originally Posted by lioness90 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Happy New Year everyone! I'm excited to start my year long low-buy 
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Happy new year!!!
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I'm excited I found this forum when I did. Doing things such as this is much better when done with supportive friends who're also doing it. 

 
I'm allowing my Birchbox and it's due to run out at the end of the month (or maybe feb?) I *think* I'll renew but part of me feels like I should take that $110 and spend it on something else and not more samples that'll just sit around til they're swapped! I'm going to aim for no more make up this month or skincare. I definitely don't need it! If a purchase craving strikes, I *do* have gift cards but the name of the game is to not buy anything and resist the urge! I definitely do not need anything on the make up, skin care, or hygene fronts!

 
Quote: Originally Posted by jaylilee /img/forum/go_quote.gif Happy new year!!!
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I'm excited I found this forum when I did. Doing things such as this is much better when done with supportive friends who're also doing it. 
Same here! Last year (I can't believe I'm saying that already!), I went almost thirty days without buying anything so I'm confident that I can do this.

 
I'm on a no buy for this month and a low buy for the year.

The rules:

-pick the top item from my wishlist each month and buy that

-repurchases are also allowed

-once I'm off the waitlist for ipsy I'll be getting that each month

HOWEVER if the NARS final cut collection comes out in January I'll probably buy a blush from that. 
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Quote: Originally Posted by Jen283 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  I'm on a no buy for this month and a low buy for the year.

The rules:

-pick the top item from my wishlist each month and buy that

-repurchases are also allowed

-once I'm off the waitlist for ipsy I'll be getting that each month

HOWEVER if the NARS final cut collection comes out in January I'll probably buy a blush from that. 
icon_smile.gif

I was looking at those blushes -- they look gorgeous! My thing is though, I am trying to stay away from limited edition items. I hate the idea of falling in love with an item, using it up, and not being able to replace it. 

 
Hey everyone, I hope so far your January low buy/no buy goals are going well!

I already had temptation to get a blush for my new Unii palette, but I know I have others I can just depot and use.... so I'm going strong there. Nothing else really has my eye at the moment, luckily, since I totally binged out on buying things last month!

I'm on the Ipsy waitlist, but I'm considering cancelling that and joining the Petit Vour vegan beauty box, it's $15 a month instead of $10 a month, but it fits into my new year's resolution to start being cruelty-free with my beauty routine. We'll see! I don't think there's a waitlist, so I could start getting boxes in February.

But then, I haven't sorted out my financial goals for 2014 yet....

But I'm about to go check out my Fidelity account and see about buying a Roth IRA for 2013 before the deadline runs out....

And I thought this was cute, this should be the Low Buy/No Buy board smiley mascot:

daz.gif


Good luck, everyone! Only 30 more days to go after this evening!

And remember, don't shop online past 8 pm at night. Studies show you are bound to spend more that late at night.

 
Quote: Originally Posted by jaylilee /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  I did a thorough inventory count of my makeup items and nail polish (did not count skincare because...scary) to start myself honest this year and.... omg you guys. 381 items. 381! and out of those 169 are eyeshadows! 

...I might start wearing my eyeshadows as decorational jewelry or something lolllll! god. So ashamed. and here I was thinking if I got use out of some of them enough to hit pan I could purchase another palette. NOPE! definitely not. Need to use up at least 10 before I consider buying a single one. 
Yes, this makes so much sense to me.  I am currently building a stash but I need to USE some of the new things I have gotten before I buy MORE!!!

 
Quote: Originally Posted by kristinhaase /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Yes, this makes so much sense to me.  I am currently building a stash but I need to USE some of the new things I have gotten before I buy MORE!!!
Indeed! I think when I started I just got everything that was new and shiny...if I could start all over again, I think I would try and build a collection of quality items that I would use consistently and were well suited to my skin tpne/preferences, rather than the new hyped up item. I fell into that trap :( /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> so now my goal is to tone the stash WAY the heck down so I CAN concentrate on fewer but better items of high quality, that I can and will use consistently. 

edit: I decided to go have fun and shop my stash a bit (trying to calm the lemmings for some pretty colors i saw on the mac site)...came up with a new eye look! excuse my redness-ridden non made up face and my dark circles/crazy eyebrows. This is strictly about the color combination. I might rock this the next two days to work. I always fail to have fun during the weekends and that might be contributing to my getting stuck in ruts :( /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> the pictures aren't great because they were taken with my phone...





Colors are inglot 395, inglot 154, mac antiqued and elf baked eyeshadow in bark. I forgot how lovely elfs baked shadows are. Bark is the only one I have. I think once I am off my low-buy, I will be securing a few more colors.

What do you guys think?

 
Quote: Originally Posted by eastofthesun /img/forum/go_quote.gif
<snip> I want to say I need to go on a NO BUY for this month, which should be easy since I just bought a bunch of stuff the last two or three months, and it's my Birthday month so I'll be getting some little goodies here and there... but... eek! I just don't know! I don't know if I can do it. But I'll try! So, to start off my January goal is:

NO BUY for January, 2014 (excepting replacements of necessities).
eusa_naughty.gif
ditsch.gif


Best of willpower, WE CAN DO IT!!!! WE WILL DO IT!
January babies!  Yay!  But I don't receive any presents, so any goodies I get are things I get from companies.  I received email from Kiehl's the other day with a coupon for a free lip balm, so I'll buy some hand salve (this seems to be the hand cream of the year -- or at least this winter -- for me.  I've tried several different ones over the past few weeks, and this one works the best for me when I'm at work and need something that soaks in quickly and doesn't get all over my paperwork) and get my free lip balm.  If I get a code for a free eyeliner from Urban Decay, I will order the Naked 3 double-ended eyeliner (I picked up the N3 palette last month with the $20 discount at Sephora, and I'm saving its first use for my birthday, so it would be nice to have the liner to go with it for that day) and get an as-yet-undetermined single-color liner (there are many on my lust list!) as my free one.  If I don't get that code, I'll get the N3 liner from Sephora and get their birthday goodie.  If I *do* get the code and the liner from UD, then I'll probably get some shower gel caps (I have a trip in March that I'm actually going to need these for) and cotton pads (because I go through a tube a month or so and will need more anyway) in order to get the Sephora birthday gift so I don't have to deal with arguing about regular-vs-Rouge (I may not *want* the eyeliner, but I'm not going to skip it if it's on offer!) in a store.  Oh, and I can buy the Aquarius nail wraps set from Scratch once it comes out.  I consider this to be a birthday thing (I think it's probably going to be released on my birthday), so it's going into this paragraph.  I don't use mascara, so I'll probably skip the Ulta CK mascara freebie.

And for non-birthday things, I am trying for a low-buy.  A no-buy would be ideal and appropriate, but realistically, I know that's not going to work for me.  No shower gel, no shampoo, no conditioner, no eyeliner except as already listed above, no nail polish (except *maybe* a Rainbow Honey order for my birthday.  I'm not looking at that site until then, though!).  The first three are no problem since I've been doing that since something like July anyway, but the eyeliner and polish will be very difficult.  My always-exception:  essence trend edition, $20 limit.  I do need to order something from Birchbox in order to use some soon-to-expire points, but I'm holding out until I see what's in the January box for the purpose of free shipping (if they send out stila, I can get a blue ribbon smudge stick to replace the one I just had to toss due to a cracked cap rendering it dried out and unusable).  And GDE sample jars:  They're supposed to be releasing some new colors on the 20th, so I can get (at least some of) those *if* they are (a) not mattes and ( B) available in sample jar sizes.  I know at least a couple are not mattes since I received sample baggies in my December OTM, but I don't know whether they're going to be available in sample jars.  If not, I can get four sample jars of colors on my to-buy list (I'm going to take things slower with those jars this year than I did last year, so I'll be trying to limit myself to four sample jars a month, but I'm still working towards a complete collection of everything available in sample jar form because it will drive me crazy to stop at this point).  I have over 1300 points at Sephora, so if a good point perk comes along, I can place a small-dollar order for some of the standard items I can always use more of (specifically, nail buffers, cotton pads, shower caps.  So annoying:  They only seem to have orange blossom available as shower caps, and it's one of my favorite scents!).

(I can buy essentials -- toothpaste, deodorant, etc. -- on an as-needed basis, but that's a standard thing, and I'm not really going to need anything except toothbrushes this month, and I'll be picking those as well as toilet paper up in a few weeks when I tag along with my aunt on one of her Costco runs unless Target has a big multi-pack of toothbrushes on clearance before our trip.  They sometimes do that this time of year.  Yes, I buy toothbrushes and toilet paper in bulk.  Deodorant, too.  I probably have a year's supply of Secret Outlast in the powder scent thanks to Costco!)

Oh, and loose pigments, which are such an obsession at the moment that they get their own section:  Geek Chic Cosmetics are supposed to be releasing a new collection shortly, so depending on what that collection is, I can get either that *or* one of the other collections on my to-buy list.  That list:  Witchcraft and Wizardry, Auryn, Superneutrals, Strange Aeons, Win or Die, or Big Damn Heroes.  When it comes to GCC, I only allow myself complete collections and only in fandoms I follow, so (for example) since I have never read or watched anything Tolkien, the Fellowship is out of the question.  I had initially decided that I would get one collection a month from them this year, but then the Reckoning came along, and they cut a huge chunk of their catalog, which meant most of the collections I was going to get are now gone, which is probably for the best considering how much of a collector I am with this sort of thing!  They may have a featured collection of the month (read:  discounted), but unless it's on my list of collections-to-buy, I can't get it -- unless Netflix has the entire series on instant streaming *and* I am done with my rewatch of _The X-Files_.  Then I will take it as A Sign that I need to watch that series!  But I'm only in the third season, so it's probably going to be a couple of months before I'm done with the rewatch.  So.  Yeah.  Universe, do what you will.

Subs:  I can get the longest Glamour Doll Eyes sub I can get my hands on.  I can keep my secondary Birchbox for January, and then I have to cancel as soon as I review that box and send a $10 gift card over to my primary account (an annual sub, and when that expires -- at the end of February, if I recall correctly -- I can go ahead and let it auto-renew).  Other than those two, I've pared things down already (PopSugar went bye-bye after December's box), so I'm not going to put anything else on the chopping block.  I will probably skip Julep just because I've been skipping for the past few months out of disinterest in what they have been offering lately, but I'm not canceling completely because they do have good collections every once in a while (and I have a lot of points to use).  Whoops, changed my mind slightly:  I am on the phone canceling my MoviePass right this very minute (I loved it, but I haven't had time to go to a movie -- except for a couple in theatres not in their system -- in a few months, so I need to not have it any more), so there's another $35 not hitting my credit card (my credit union canceled and replaced my debit card several months ago due to a law enforcement fraud alert, so I switched all of my subs over to my credit card.  And I just received another notice from the credit union informing me that they're canceling and replacing that replacement debit card due to another law enforcement fraud alert!  I know this second cancellation is almost definitely due to Target, but I still don't know what that first one was from).

Birthday money or gift cards:  Go directly into my [insert city here] Comic Con wallet (I made one out of skull print duct tape for this specific purpose).  The first con of the year is Emerald City, in Seattle (read:  I will need to also cover hotel, gas, and parking, not to mention things from shops I miss from my years living up there) at the end of March, and then there's Rose City Comic Con in Portland in September (local to me, so I don't have to pay for hotel or more than about a gallon of gas if that much, but I'll probably still shell out for parking even though i have a bus pass because those are long days, I'll want to buy lots of heavy stuff, and parking is relatively cheap in that area).  I want to focus on indie books at cons so I can buy them directly from the people who wrote/drew them.  They mean a little bit whole lot more to me when I can do that, especially if they sign and draw something in the book.  I'm already stalking the guest page to see whose books I need to wait to buy until the con!  While I might not be able to spend a Target/Safeway/Trader Joe's gift card directly at the con, I *can* use it to buy snacks and supplies for it.  And I have a credit at amazon thanks in part to my change jar and in part to a gift card, and that will also be used for supplies for the con.  I love having new goodies -- notebooks, pens, water bottle -- every time I embark on a new adventure, and cons are adventures, so there you go. 

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab:  I actually cut *way* back on my orders last year.  I even stopped getting decants.  I've been turning to my old favorites and wearing them more consistently instead of bouncing from scent to scent.  Instead of wearing a different Yule every day between Halloween and Christmas like I usually do, I wore Noche Buena 2010 almost every day.  I still have no clue how I did that.  I only got two Halloweenies this year (which are going to be set aside to age until next Halloweenie season) instead of many, and I'm thinking about two Yules (also to be set aside to age until next Yule season) and a single note this time around.  And another BPAL resolution:  Start putting my decanting leftovers up on eBay, probably five at a time, since I have *dozens* of them, and trying to sell them on bpal.org hasn't been working out very well lately (read: at all).  Money from these sales (or anything else I put up on eBay.  I have a lot of random crap I could probably sell there if I ever bothered to list it!) can go for more BPAL, the con fund, or towards my credit card bill, but *not* towards more makeup.

Other things that I will actually be making a concerted effort to buy, although these are overall for-the-year things:  Jeans (I need two more pair, and, yeah, I mean *need* them.  I drag my feet on buying pants until I absolutely have to, which means I'm down to two wearable pair, and I need four!), black pants for the office (same as with jeans, although I have four wearable pair.  Six would be a better number), shoes for work (these are also delay-and-postpone-purchase things, in part because I try to buy shoes that last a long time, which translates to not-cheap, but I also have hard-to-fit feet, so it takes me ages to find shoes that fit comfortably.  I think I can get away with just getting one new pair, although two would be even better), and comics/graphic novels from writers/artists who will *not* be at the aforementioned cons.  I've been saying I'll get certain titles "next month" for two years now.  It's been going on for so long that I've lost my list a few times!  But 2013 was The Year of the Makeup Collection.  2014 is going to be The Year of the Comics Collection.  I'll probably start with _Locke & Key_.  Or maybe _Powers_.

(I do have an LBB open because the _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ poster was available again.  I have A Thing for everything Alice, so as far as I'm concerned, I'm just interested in this bag for that print.  I kicked myself for ages when I debated it for so long the first time around that it sold out, so when it showed up again, I pounced on it immediately.  Anything else is something that just happens to be in the box with it.  I'm really hoping to trade this iPhone case away, though, since I don't have a 5 and do not plan on getting one any time soon.  My 4s works perfectly fine.)

 
I desperately need to turn my shopping and forum time to my apartment.  It's a wreck.  And I just have too much *stuff*.  *And* I'm supposed to be getting a new fridge shortly, but "shortly" could mean "in two weeks" or "in two months," so I need to get *that* disaster cleaned out so I'm ready when my landlord lets me know it's time for delivery.

 

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