May 2014 No/Low Buy: Support, Hugs, Commiseration, and Confessional

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kawaiisofoxy

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It's about that time, ladies!  

Congrats to everyone who had a successful April, and if you fell off the wagon, come get a fresh new start for May!

I'm having to adjust my goals for this month.  Normally it's Ipsy, Birchbox, a second Birchbox if I can find a 100-point code, and a $25 splurge budget.  I told myself that if I could stick to my guns for a few months (and I have!) I could buy the Allure Summer Box.  The only problem is, I looked a the box contents, and I don't even want it!  But I still want to treat myself.  So, since I was a complete dummy yesterday and got sunburned playing outside with the kids, I decided I'm going to buy the Sephora Sun Safety kit this year.  Don't know if I'm getting the regular or SiJCP one, but I'm adding it to my allowables this month.  Maybe if I have SEVERAL little bottles of SPF stashed about I'll actually apply it, instead of "ugh it's all the way upstairs".

I will reduce my splurge budget a bit though.  So for May, it's Ipsy, two Birchboxes (already paid for, I was able to use a 100 point code on BOTH accounts), a $10 splurge budget, and the Sun Safety kit!  Hopefully researching, ordering, waiting for, and then playing with the sun kit will keep me occupied enough that I'm not tempted to shop!

What are your goals for the month? What do you want to accomplish?

 
I'm trying to decide what my goals are for this month. I cancelled my second Birchbox because I decided to get my julep box, my main birchbox is paid for. I'll keep my ipsy this month and next for extra to put into the midsummer Santa. My mother's birthday is this month plus mother's day so I have to budget for that. It means at least two big family meals. I'm going to try and convince them that we can cook at home instead of going to a restaurant. She doesn't need anything so I'm going to get her some flowers for mother's day and maybe a gift cert for a massage for her birthday. We are have to take the dog to the vet because she is having stomach issues again. My oldest niece found herself a little short this month so I gave her some money. All that being said I think the only thing I'm going to allow myself is the SiJCP Sun safety kit. I have a gift card that will cover it. Hopefully I can stick to it.

 
I am adjusting my budget so that I can save more for our Disney World vacation in September. To do so, I am giving myself very specific rules.

I am allowed to buy the following:

-Either the Hourglass Ambient Light Palette or Guerlain Meteorites

-Hourglass blush in Diffused Heat

I am not allowed to buy anything else and I can't spend over $100 in May, June, July or August on makeup products. (So it looks like I blew my budget on the two items I can buy, hahaha, the cost of beauty.)

I plan on monitoring my overall spending in all categories of my life, I have been budgeting the past couple of days and if I stick to my plan then we will have our vacation paid for by the time we get there.

 
So April was basically terrible. I tend to always put myself on a no buy, fail miserably for a week, then feel awful and do ok the rest of the month. So we're gonna try something different in may.

I'm not going to set myself rules. No budget, no "allowed" and "not allowed" list. The only parameter I'm going to set is that before I make a purchase I need to think: do I really need this? Do I not own anything similar? Do I really need this or am I just buying it because I'm sad/angry/bored? Basically just going to make myself stop and think before I buy things instead of going into the "makeup trance" and spening like crazy. I think I'm like a 4 year old....you tell me I can't have it, I want it more and will find a way to make it happen. So.....I can buy it. I just need to think about it first.

I will say I think this month will be easier since my work schedule is back to Monday-Friday so I don't have 2 weekdays where I'm bored out of my mind. Good luck to everyone this month!!

 
My inner eight-year-old gets not one but *two* superhero movies this month, so I'm going to carve those babies in stone now.  I just hope the Roseway doesn't have it in 3D for the first screening of _Spider-Man 2_ on Saturday.  I can't deal with 3D movies any more, and I really want to see it at that theatre!  They have the best theatre popcorn I have ever had. 

So.  Yeah. _Spider-Man 2_ next weekend.  I had originally planned on staying home all weekend, and then I realized it was opening on Friday, which is grocery shopping night, so I'll go out only for this movie on Saturday.  Clean in the morning, clean afterwards.  Clean on Sunday until I head out to my aunt's. 

Allowed:

  • One GDE order on the 12th.  There are Things being added to the catalog on that day (I think that's when the Matte 2 Feminine collection is being launched!), so I'll just plan around that.  If there is another LE collection, I can get that regardless of when it's released even if that means a second order during the month, but only eyeshadows and lip products, not blushes.
  • One GCC order yet to be determined.  I'm currently leaning towards samples of the entire Big Damn Heroes collection, but I'll need to add at least three more samples to get up to the order minimum, so I might also get Auryn just so I'm not getting partial collections and trying to play catchup on things because I *will* be getting everything eventually.  Or maybe Maleficent polish so I have the appropriate nails for that film when it comes out since I have a friend who wants to see it, and I don't see her nearly as often as I could like unless we do Movie Day.  Or maybe some other collection, especially if they roll out a new as-yet-unannounced collection.  Still trying to decide on that one.  But BDH is pretty much a given for May because I'm planning on a _Firefly_/_Serenity_ marathon Memorial Day weekend.  Yes, my life is indeed just that exciting.
  • Shampoo/conditioner and deodorant if I run out.  I have been saying that for how long on the hair stuff?  A year now?  One of these days, it might actually happen.
  • Subs.  I've gone a little overboard on them lately, but Midsummer Swap is coming, so I'll keep all of them through at least May and start looking at paring down in June.  At least four of them (can't remember all of my subs right now!) are prepaid for several months, so those don't count against me budget-wise!  Yay!  I'll probably skip Julep and Scratch because they both seem to be concentrating on things I don't like (soft feminine cream polish, transparent wraps), so at least there's that.
  • Bats' Day BPAL LEs.  All of them.  Perfume oil, hair gloss, atmosphere spray -- what ever it is, I can get one of each.  I was a fairy (that's the term over on bpal.org for someone who is willing to go to events and do custom purchases of limited edition event-only stuff for people unable to get to those events) at Emerald City Comic Con for someone who is going to Bats' Day, and she offered to return the favor, and I'm planning on taking her up on that offer!
  • If Urban Decay reissues my birthday eyeliner code (it comes up as already used even though I know I didn't use it), I can get a Lovechild lip pencil, and then I will use the code to get a Corrupt pencil.  I want the Ocho Loco 2 set, especially since it's about 40% off now, but DO NOT NEED MORE EYELINER.  Except a nice shimmery brown, since I've been wearing that a lot lately but only have two or three, one of which is close to running out since it's a stila smudgestick that I've been using for about five months, and those things don't have a lot of product in them.
  • Another allowed eyeliner pencil:  Starlooks shimmery brown kohl liner.  This is allowed only if we get another $35 code for the loyalty gift *and* it is not scheduled to be sent out in the Starbox.  As far as Starlooks goes, if we do get another code, my order total can go up to $45, so my out-of-pocket would be $10.
  • -- essence:  I'll give this one another $20 budget.  They haven't been putting out very many things I really want, so chances are slim I'll spend that much, but I'll put it there just in case.
I'm going to have to think a little more about my not-allowed list.  I'm finding it easier to list my allowed items than my not-allowed stuff right now!

I think most of my other plans -- get stuff up on eBay (I need to start socking money away for Rose City Comic Con!), get my bedroom in order for an air conditioner (I have a portable AC unit under my dining room table since I didn't get it -- on clearance! -- until after it had cooled down for the year sufficiently that I didn't have any desire for AC), shovel out all of the assorted bins and boxes in my living room because IKEA has some shelving units that I am coveting -- are all cleaning-related.  I really need to just get more regimented about my errands (which will have the side benefit of cutting down on my shopping for and buying random crap) so I can have more time to do all of the cleaning I keep saying I'm going to do. 

And now, it's time to see what the cats are knocking over/scrambling up/trying to destroy in the bedroom.  Le sigh.

 
So April was basically terrible. I tend to always put myself on a no buy, fail miserably for a week, then feel awful and do ok the rest of the month. So we're gonna try something different in may.

I'm not going to set myself rules. No budget, no "allowed" and "not allowed" list. The only parameter I'm going to set is that before I make a purchase I need to think: do I really need this? Do I not own anything similar? Do I really need this or am I just buying it because I'm sad/angry/bored? Basically just going to make myself stop and think before I buy things instead of going into the "makeup trance" and spening like crazy. I think I'm like a 4 year old....you tell me I can't have it, I want it more and will find a way to make it happen. So.....I can buy it. I just need to think about it first.

I will say I think this month will be easier since my work schedule is back to Monday-Friday so I don't have 2 weekdays where I'm bored out of my mind. Good luck to everyone this month!!
I think this will be my plan for May as well. The first half of April was okay but the second half has been out of control, so I need to try something new.

 
Uhoh.  The Super Colossal Spring Crafty Wonderland sale is on May 10th.  I forgot that I had decided I had to go after missing the holiday sale.  The retail store just isn't the same.  Anyone in the Portland area want to go and do real-life Talk Me Downs?  Maybe I'll take the train just to make myself think, "Do I *really* want to carry this home?"  Unfortunately, Shiro Cosmetics is going to be there, and loose pigment is very tiny and easy to carry, as are pretty much all of the things I would be likely to purchase there.  And I do have to go because indie etsy-type companies!  Want to see all of the goodies live and in-person!

 
I wasn't really on any kind of low buy in April. Despite that it went okay.I got my tax refund and put about half into savings; the other half I used on stuff for my cats that they have sort of needed but I couldn't afford to randomly splurge on (replacement toys for those they've destroyed, cat bed replacements for their old grungy ones, etc) and cooking and baking supplies that I have sort of needed but also couldn't afford to randomly splurge on (basically replacements for all my falling apart pots and super grungy cookie sheets).  I am still waiting on my state refund and will be putting all of that into savings.

In any case I am getting back on the official low buy wagon in May. I actually am aiming for a complete no buy of any non-essentials except for that I need to buy a plane ticket and some more barre classes. So we'll see how it goes.

 
April was most absolutely the fail month of the year so far for me. I splurged, and splurged big. I think I probably spent over $300 bucks on stuff I don't need. It felt like a giant buying frenzy! :( /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

So, this month, I am allowing myself 2 things: 

1. 2 old packaging mac pigments that I found on instagram from somebody.

2. Lorac Pro palette

The lorac pro palette is a maybe. I may or may not get it. The piggies I know I will for sure, if I can afford it on our budget. All of our other pennies are being put into our house, decorating, paying off stuff, and renovating little things here and there. I don't know what went so wrong last month, but I'm determined to make May be better for me. Now that I am getting a little "battle station" set up, it will feel a lot more appealing to get up earlier and play with my current items vs. buying more.  From there on, anything else will be as Meaganola -- on a NEED basis and not a need-because-its-pretty or because I'm on some emotional rollercoaster/lackthereof. 

 
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I spent entirely way too much in April so I'm on a COMPLETE no buy for May.  I have to, grad school's coming up on me and I'll have no money.  My goal is to buy essentials only, and just try to work through some of my stash.  And of course, I'll cope with my no-buy by finding deals for my Summer Fairy :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
I spent too much in April. For May, I'm extending my no buy to EVERYTHING. They only thing I might need are some 2/$5 flip flops from old navy. I also might pick up MUFE aqua brow for my music festival. But that's it.

Last night I re-watched "The Story of Stuff" on youtube as well as "The Story of Cosmetics." They served as a reminder that I'm a total slave to the consumerism way of life. If you haven't watched this video yet, I highly recommend it. It looks into consumerism in America and how wasteful we all are and how buying new STUFF all the time doesn't make us happier. It really helps put the "big picture" into perspective. Plus the fact that it's been a year since I graduated college and I still feel like my student loans have barely budged makes me want to spend less.

(Btw, I really don't like the new site, especially on my phone. It makes it so tedious to get to my subscribed threads and even more tedious to find my last read post. Regardless, I'll try to keep posting on my progress and checking in with everyone.)

 
I'm thinking my May goals over, and I realize they are more cleaning-related than spending. It's just a side benefit that focusing my time on cleaning and sorting through my stash will also mean not going out and buying stuff. This week's goal: The area against the back wall of my living room. I have boxes of random crap stacked against it, and it's time to tackle those. Tonight's goal: clear off the couch. Baby steps, gang. I get discouraged and defeated when I try for bigger projects immediately. It's kind of like a no-buy: Don't start with six months or even a month! Start with a week, and then another week, and then the next thing you know, it actually *has* been six months.

 
I'm thinking my May goals over, and I realize they are more cleaning-related than spending. It's just a side benefit that focusing my time on cleaning and sorting through my stash will also mean not going out and buying stuff. This week's goal: The area against the back wall of my living room. I have boxes of random crap stacked against it, and it's time to tackle those. Tonight's goal: clear off the couch. Baby steps, gang. I get discouraged and defeated when I try for bigger projects immediately. It's kind of like a no-buy: Don't start with six months or even a month! Start with a week, and then another week, and then the next thing you know, it actually *has* been six months.
We have been trying to clean out our storage shed, and the other day I found all my Mary Kay products I had from a couple years ago when I was selling it. I have so many foundations, concealers, lipsticks, bronzers, etc etc etc... I really don't NEED to buy anything for a long time! LOL (But of course, I still will...) 

 
I am offically joining the May low-buy. After a free for all April and summer camps coming up I have to reel it in. Plus an out of town trip to Nashville at the end of the month and a familiy vaca to Lake Michigan in June I just have to get it together.

May:

1. 1 Birchbox

2. Social Bliss  .. but im actually on the fence about this too.

Since I purchased the BB "In Bloom" box free with my BB points. I cancelled my Popsugar (for the 1st time, until I see a fabulous spoiler) .... but since im getting the SB box it kind of breaks even.

 
This is my first time attempting this, but I went completely crazy in April, so now I'm going on a no-buy for May. I've put the hubby on a no-buy as well. I've ordered tons of stuff that isn't here yet (Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette from Hsn, In Bloom box and the balm Nude Tude palette from BB, which was all points, and a Zoya order) so hopefully that will be enough to get me by. Then I have a c-section scheduled for June 3, so I probably won't think about buying stuff much in June anyway.

 
I bought a lot of stuff in April - the first week of spending was anticipated (I wasn't on a no-buy/low-buy yet) and I don't feel guilty for everything I bought since a lot of it was justifiable (I bought a night time moisturizer because I didn't have any, makeup remover wipes, Smashbox primer through Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty in preparation for the summer, Fyrinnae pixie epoxy, and a pair of tweezers). My unnecessary purchases included completing my collection of Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blushes, the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette (which I technically bought in March), and Geek Chic Cosmetics Shadows.

Regardless, it's still a lot of spending in one month.

For May, I'm allowing myself a Shiro Cosmetics purchase and that's it. I don't need anything else cosmetics-wise. I can still buy other things so I'm putting myself on a makeup no-buy and everything else low-buy.

 
I should have mentioned, the only things I'm allowed to buy are clothes for the kids. The oldest needs a whole new summer wardrobe, though I've gotten about half of it already. Also, I'm going to use my Children's Place coupons to get outfits for pictures in June.

 
I'm with all of you. April was TERRIBLE. 
May is my birthday month, so normally I would think it okay to buy things for myself, but I'm really SET on a certain goal amount of spending money for London, and I'm only little more than 1/4 way to my goal. So I really MUST NOT spend any money on anything unnecessary. I calculated how much money I'm putting away each pay check and how long it will take me to get to my goal, and I could reach my goal by the end of May if I really stop spending frivolously. 
I'm sure I will be receiving makeup for my birthday from some, so I really hope that can tide me over. 
It's been my dream to visit London since I was literally 5, in 2001. So I WILL NOT LET MYSELF FAIL. I will have the money to experience all of London! ^_^ /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> I'm actually going to change my budget, because I want to save more now for my trip! 
Let's hope May won't be as bad as April!!

 
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My May goals will be:

Keep current subs:

  • 2 birchbox (both annual; cancel 1)
  • Julep (probably will skip, though...already have May's box)
  • Square Hue (will be cancelling after May's box...it's already been paid for)
I don't think I will get a PopSugar box, but not sure. I don't know if last month was my final box in the prepaid sub I bought or if May's is

No other purchases. I can ask for items for Mother's Day, but I did get the Full Bloom box from BB (with points, so $0), so I'll probably have one of the kids wrap that up for me. I may have hubby pop in to Lush and get me a couple of things.

I can replace items as needed, but I shouldn't run out of anything.

I bought new running shoes and one workout outfit last month; I'd like to get another couple things for running in May.

Go, fight, win! :D /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
ok...

par down to ONE birchbox regardless of point promos -- i went a little nuts and i'm prepaid through May for 2. I hate getting this much stuff

no make up allowed.

hair stuff is OK (lets put a $25 cap on this, accessories included)

if my haircut grows back weird then i can get that fixed 

absolutely no clothes orders. none at all.

i just paid for 21 Day Fix (diet workout thingy through beachbody) and I'm going to have a ton of spare time so I figured I should get my ass in gear and actually work out. no point in buying clothes that *should not fit* in the "they're too big now!" kinda way by next fall.

 

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