March 2014 No/Low-Buy! Support, Advice, and Free Hugs

Makeuptalk.com forums

Help Support Makeuptalk.com forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

kawaiisofoxy

Indie Ingenue
Joined
Nov 10, 2012
Messages
5,126
Reaction score
2,596
It's getting to be about that time, ladies!  What are your goals for this month?  What do you hope that March 2014 will bring into your life?

My goals:

-Continue subs, Ipsy and Birchbox.  

-Get to 1000 points on Ipsy in March, order point perk to come in April for my LAST (gasp!) Ipsy.  My makeup overload has hit critical mass, and I need to cancel.  I figure giving myself a few months to mourn the loss will help me deal when I cancel after receiving my April bag.  

-At that point, I can sign up for a second Birchbox, because I have been running through my skincare stash like crazy.  I've also done very well with getting through my perfume stash.  Hopefully I can get my profiles different enough to avoid dup boxes, but similar enough to me that I enjoy the contents of both.

-Stick to my $25 splurge budget.  Also, my splurge budget should NOT be spent on makeup.  (Exception - if the money spent comes with a nice makeup GWP - gift with purchase - who am I to say no?)

I went $12 over my splurge budget this past month, so I'm definitely trying to stay on track for March.  Good luck to all of us!

 
I did very well in February!

-I kept Ipsy because I have afraid-of-missing-out syndrome.

-I had already prepaid $36 for my 3-month Glossybox sub that ends this month.

-And.... I didn't buy any other makeup! I keep going into CVS wanting to buy Wet n Wild's Reserve Your Cabana, but I don't need it so I keep resisting.

For March, or before February ends, I MUST acquire the new WnW Walking the Red Carpet palette. I am obsessed with the colors but I can't find it around me. I don't have a car so I'm kind of limited in the stores I go to! I'm hoping my mom can take me when she's in town this weekend. 
icon_redface.gif


 
yay! free hugs! I'm actually going to post my goals and hold myself accountable this month. -cancel both my birchboxes after this month. -I can buy stuff from bb, but only using my points. -currently there is nothing on my wish list, but if I apply to SEVEN jobs that I legitimately have a shot at interviewing for, then I can get something from my wish list at then end of the month. -makeup buying has gotten better, but on sale nail polish is getting me! -fast food and coffees is another place I struggle greatly. so I'm getting cash out every week, and thats all I can spend on extras like nail polish and going out/going out to eat. -no even entering bath and body works. it doesn't matter that I haven't gotten to smell the latest scents. I'll smell, then buy and I don't need anymore! I have enough soaps and sprays for at least a year! I think that's all for now. I don't have a ton of money coming in (yay grad school and part time job!) and that greatly helps curb my spending. I'm trying to reduce and declutter so when I move hopefully back to the east coast in may, it will be easier!

 
I crashed and burned in February. So I'm going to try to get back in the the swing. No real set plans other than I don't need anything. I am going to allow myself to go to Ulta and redeem my rewards certificate. But only the rewards certificate.

 
My goal for March is to not buy a makeup or beauty item unless it's a limited edition release that I'll kick myself for not getting later on. Baby steps, haha.

 
Oh gosh. Ok so after a half successful January, February was a complete disaster. Like bad. So my rules for March: NOTHING. No beauty products or makeup. None. Zero. There is nothing I could possibly need or run out of in the next month. Nothing . On the plus side, I think I've convinced my husband to join me. His vice (ahem...hoard) is video games. Part of my issue is he'll spend money on video games and I think "well why am I saving money then?" And then I go ham at sephora. So no makeup for me (or skin care. Or lotion. Or candles. Or hair products). No video games for him. We are each allowed one lunch out a week, and we'll go out for dinner once a week. And no casino! We tend to go to the casino and gamble when we're bored and this is clearly not a good investment of funds lol. I think we both want to see how much money we end up with when we don't spend it on dumb stuff. I am holding faith we can both keep it up!

 
The beginning of February sucked. The rest of February has been pretty good. My goals for March are pretty straight forward: NO-BUY!

I mentioned earlier that we're in the process of buying a house and if all goes well (fingers crossed) we should know for sure by mid-March if we have the house under our belts or not. 

The one other goal though is to reduce the amount of time I eat out, or get coffee. I mean, Last half of January and First half of February I was at a coffee shop at least 3-4 times a week... at $5-$6 a cup of deliciousness, that is anywhere between $12-20, a week.... not counting any snacks from the breakfast bar. I can easily say I probably spent about $100 just in caffeine and snacks. then all the lunches I didn't get to take to work so ended up having to order something. It's kind of scary!

So now my hope is to find other things I can make at home for substitute without compromising taste. 

 
I'm hitting the point where I need to stay out of stores not to avoid buying things but just because there are other things I can spend my time on. I'm not finding things I want, whether online or in physical stores. I had a Birchbox discount code and $50 in gift cards and points, and all I ended up getting was a power pack for my phone and some tea, and I still have twenty bucks in points. For March, I'm leaning towards no makeup at all except the Glamour Doll Eyes spring collection (jellybean colors!), $35-ish from Starlooks (code! Whoo!), and stuff at ECCC at the end of the month. Oh, and whatever Geek Chic Cosmetics releases. I think they have something (or several somethings) new coming out. Maybe a small (cotton pads) Sephora order if they have good point perks for March. I've got a more-detailed plan at home, so I'll have to post that tonight!

 
I'm in but less wholeheartedly than I was in Dec, Jan, and Feb. I have gotten my spending to a manageable point and kind of just want to hover there and not worry as much about it for a month.  If it explodes in my face, I will need to buckle the heck down again for April.

 
Am I the only one who gets inspired by seeing pictures of half empty products on instagram? lol. I sit there and look at them and daydream of the day when mine will get used up.

 
I love seeing half-empty products on Instagram, but I love seeing half-empty products in my own bathroom even more!  I have a shower gel that's about 75% done, a moisturizer sample that's about 80% gone, and a sample sized spray of UD's B6 Prep Spray that has about 1 use left.  I'm hoping to add at least the spray to my February "used up" list!  I just added a vial of Armani Code perfume that I finished today! 

(Sorry if I sound way over-enthused, but I'm proud to have a decent list of used up/thrown away items for February.  That, combined with my low-buy and bringing in fewer products, I'm finally starting to make an ever-so-slight dent in my stash!)

 
Quote: Originally Posted by magicalmom /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  I love seeing half-empty products on Instagram, but I love seeing half-empty products in my own bathroom even more!  I have a shower gel that's about 75% done, a moisturizer sample that's about 80% gone, and a sample sized spray of UD's B6 Prep Spray that has about 1 use left.  I'm hoping to add at least the spray to my February "used up" list!  I just added a vial of Armani Code perfume that I finished today! 

(Sorry if I sound way over-enthused, but I'm proud to have a decent list of used up/thrown away items for February.  That, combined with my low-buy and bringing in fewer products, I'm finally starting to make an ever-so-slight dent in my stash!)
I think making a dent in things is the BEST thing ever! and definitely the point of this forum anyway so no shame in being over enthused! haha. 

I have several i have used up but have been too lazy to photograph and add to my finished list.... >_> what world do we live in that we get so excited to photograph basically trash? hah!

I will do that tonight, me thinks. 

 
I failed so horribly in Feb that I am not even going to post about it in the Confessions forum. In March I plan to go on a strict no buy excluding my Ipsy (I paid for the year in advance), Nailette, and Scratch subs.

 
So February was a mixed bag for me.  I did well literally up until Valentine's Day, when my husband and I ventured into Rite Aid to get some vday candy together and I ran into some polishes I was looking for.  $17 bucks later, and my first mishap of the month happened.  Later in the month I found the LE color tattoos but I had coupons and the damage was only $4 bucks or so.  Then I fell for the Sephora code on Monday.........sigh.  

There are positives though! I have definitely thought alot more about what it is I need or am lacking in my collection, as opposed to just hauling whatever I feel like (which is usually lippies and blushes for me).  So this month, I will put myself on almost no buy, b/c my birthday is coming up in April and I want to be able to get myself some stuff and not feel overly guilty about it.  The key things for me will be to ignore promo codes at Sephora as much as possible, and to stick more to this thread and not so much the sales ones. 

 
Quote: Originally Posted by latinafeminista /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  So February was a mixed bag for me.  I did well literally up until Valentine's Day, when my husband and I ventured into Rite Aid to get some vday candy together and I ran into some polishes I was looking for.  $17 bucks later, and my first mishap of the month happened.  Later in the month I found the LE color tattoos but I had coupons and the damage was only $4 bucks or so.  Then I fell for the Sephora code on Monday.........sigh.  

There are positives though! I have definitely thought alot more about what it is I need or am lacking in my collection, as opposed to just hauling whatever I feel like (which is usually lippies and blushes for me).  So this month, I will put myself on almost no buy, b/c my birthday is coming up in April and I want to be able to get myself some stuff and not feel overly guilty about it.  The key things for me will be to ignore promo codes at Sephora as much as possible, and to stick more to this thread and not so much the sales ones. 
I was lemming for the LE color tattoos but...I already get so little use of the ones I DO have, that I'd feel guilty getting them. Some of the colors are gorgeous, though. 

 
Quote: Originally Posted by jaylilee /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  I was lemming for the LE color tattoos but...I already get so little use of the ones I DO have, that I'd feel guilty getting them. Some of the colors are gorgeous, though. 
Yeah I hear you on that, except that I didn't have any nude colors so I thought this was a good addition to my collection.  They've been performing really well thus far so I don't feel too bad about that purchase

 
Quote: Originally Posted by latinafeminista /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Yeah I hear you on that, except that I didn't have any nude colors so I thought this was a good addition to my collection.  They've been performing really well thus far so I don't feel too bad about that purchase
I'm the total opposite... most of my shadows are neutral or nude lol! 

 
Quote: Originally Posted by jaylilee /img/forum/go_quote.gif  
I think making a dent in things is the BEST thing ever! and definitely the point of this forum anyway so no shame in being over enthused! haha. 

I have several i have used up but have been too lazy to photograph and add to my finished list.... >_> what world do we live in that we get so excited to photograph basically trash? hah!

I will do that tonight, me thinks. 


I saved and photographed my beauty empties one month... but then realized I was contributing to my own anxiety by keeping a bag of trash around!  Now I keep a running list of empties in my iPhone's notepad so I can throw the items out right away, but still see my growing "pile" anytime!  I know a lot of the ladies here do a great job of photographing empties, but it just made me crazy!

 
Hey I have been lurking for a while, my name is Gaby. I find the people on this board amazing. I have a no buy of make up and no more subscriptions except for ipsy. My husband and I are moving soon and he is going to college on the GI Bill. So we are looking to cut down on expenses. So just wanted to say hi.

 
Hi, Gaby and welcome! Good luck in keeping to your no-buy for this month and for cutting expenses while your hubby is in college! Let us know if you need any support or advice, we're always here to help! :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

Latest posts

Back
Top