June 2014 No/Low-Buy Thread - Hugs, commiseration and confessional

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jaylilee

Obsessed with colored powder
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Hello to a new month!

Let's start out with listing our goals. 

 
I think I am going to do some inventory on my makeup and skin care and get it all accessible so I can use it!! I will probably do that Saturday evening when I have the apt alone to myself! :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> I found an app that I can put all my inventory in, so that will be good...

As for a low-buy... I feel like I am already always on a low-buy and will be until hubs gets out of school later this year! So, I am not sure if I even need to make a list! LOL

 
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signing up this month since I am graduating from college and moving. even though it is hard because it is also my birthday month.

My goal this month is, buy less stuff online. maybe okay to go into store to actually try stuff and decide.

 
 My goal for June is to buy only tissue paper and ribbon to wrap gifts for my FGC in Midsummer Dream swap. Thankfully I've already bought all of her gifts, just waiting for the last Sephora order to get here tomorrow.

  Between my subs and the Circular swap I'll have plenty of new pretties to play with. Wish me luck!

 
I did really well in May! I just bought a couple of drugstore lippies and mufe aqua brow for my music festival. It helped that I was spending most of my money on said festival!

For June I want to keep up the low buy. Ipsy is allowed, and maybe a couple of work outfits.

I'm moving out of my parents house in July, and so I'll be spending quite a bit on bedroom furniture. I'm trying to purchase everything from ikea so that it isn't too bad.

 
We're almost half-way through the year. Let's make June count!

So starting with me, I started out May really, really bad...but a few-ish days in realized I needed to become more serious. Bonus point, I haven't done any shopping since then, but the bad part was how much I spent! So this June, I am planning on continuing to select a few items each month that I can concentrate on and try to use as much of by the end of the month (this is actually really enjoyable for me!) as well as incorporate items from my stash. 

 
May was a total bust for me, unfortunately! I went a little overboard with the Alluring Aquatic collection from MAC and while I love everything I got, it was a more than I needed. I'm planning on picking up one or two things from the Osbourne collection that's coming out and once I do that, I'm done for June - nothing else for me. I'm also resisting the urge to resubscribe to Ipsy - I just keep reminding myself that most of the stuff I get in those subscription bags and boxes winds up being donated to the local women's shelter or passed on to friends.

Good luck ladies! Let's make June an awesome month. :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
I read this thread all the time.  I love how supportive and creative everyone is on here!  I have been thinking of trying a low(or maybe no) buy in June because with Mother's day and my b-day in May I over-bought all month it seems.

I can't even begin to think about my goals for June yet though because I just filled my online Sephora cart just to get the new promo code.  I don't even need what comes in the promo!  It's just so tempting. I haven't ordered yet.  But it is still May...  

 
Thanks for starting this! I did my May self-assessment over on that board, and while it didn't go horribly, it definitely could have been better!

I'm technically on a replacement-only makeup/skincare/etc. low buy (excepting a few non-problematic categories) through November. Well, last month, I did well on my restricted categories, buying replacements only, but I went crazy on the stuff not on my no-buy list! Totally defeating the purpose. Also, originally I was just doing this because I had too much STUFF, but now, I want to do it for financial reasons as well--my fiancee and I decided to buy a home this summer, as opposed to our original plan of waiting to buy until next summer! So while we are in decent shape for the down payment/mortgage, we are going to have a lot of furniture to buy this fall! So I want to save for that. 

So that brings me to...doing a full no-buy in June. My birthday month is July, so I know I'll want to splurge then, so I think doing a full no-buy (INCLUDING my previously non-restricted categories) will be important. This means no make up, no replacement skin care purchases (I don't anticipate getting through my samples, and even if I do...too bad! It will have to wait until July 1), no clothes, no candles, no NOTHING. 

There are only two exceptions for the month:

1) My prepaid Birchbox

2) A pair of black flats because my current ones are destroyed and this has been on my allowed list since April! I just can't seem to find a pair I like. 

Additional rules:

  • Minimal eating out, since that got bad last month. I'm going to call it 2 meals a week. 
  • I'm traveling a fair amount next month (both for work and pleasure), so I need to keep the airport snacks and random coffee purchases down. 
Other monthly goals:

  • Finish taking my inventory. I'm through my skincare and hair products, but I need to do makeup and body products still. 
  • Sell the sample boxes (that I already have packed up) on eBay.
  • Make the returns I need to make so that I can get the cash back in my pocket!
  • Participate in Monday Club every week. I had been previously trying to hit pan on products (and focusing on a few eye shadows), but I really missed rotating products...so pan will have to wait!
  • Continue doing my Project 333 for clothes. I know this is a makeup forum so I won't get too much into that here, but I'd be interested in starting a board about this if anyone else does Project 333! 
  • Work on my list for my birthday haul. :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> I think that will be fun when I am feeling the urge to splurge...I can read reviews and whatnot to decide what to treat myself to next month! 
 
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I've been rocking it at my no/low buy. At first it was really hard to not buy anything but now if I even THINK about buying more makeup, I feel guilty & quickly put things down. Now I'm thinking of going through my stuff & selling some items. Like really- am I EVER going to use all of it? Probably not. I just cancelled Ipsy, and don't have Birchbox anymore. Memebox is my only allowance since I have points to use. Also I'm allowing myself funds to buy my FGC her gifts!! But I've done well with that so far too & have used coupons, shopped my stash.

 
I've done so well with not going out and buying stuff, and walking away from online carts, that I am allowing myself a second Birchbox this month! I had carts filled at beauty.com, beauty brands, amazon, alnost bought a June PopSugar AND a Summer FabFitFun, etc, etc, and I closed them ALL! I am just too well-stocked. Still, I love trying samples, and I managed to get some fun lippies in my Birchboxes last month, so I'll gamble again!

For June:

-Two Birchboxes

-One Ipsy

- My usual $25 splurge budget - should be used mainly to pick up extras for my Fairy Godchild (Midsummer exchange)

Things that have helped me not buy:

-Qualifying for (and receiving) an Influenster VoxBox

-getting a Kiss Badge prize from MONTHS ago!

-PinchMe samples

-Most of all, the Midsummer Fairy Exchange (our summer secret santa) has helped so much!!! Just knowing that somewhere out there someone is shopping for me makes me happy!

 
After having a spend heavy May, I've decided to have a low-buy June, with my only spending being my Ipsy and Birchbox subs.  I have plenty of makeup and skincare items to play with, so I'm going to shop my stash.

 
I'm going to try to cut back drastically. My plans are to:

--cancel Julep. I could skip but I'm just over it, really. I have 150+ polishes and can buy any colors I "need" for less than 20 bucks a month.

--not buy ANYTHING unless I find a legit good deal on one of my wish list items (not a list for an exchange, just a list I keep for myself).

--spend less than $100 total on beauty stuff--including skin and hair.

We have a lot of home improvements on the to-do list this summer, so I have to be good with my frivolous spending.

 
For June, I am allowed:

Two Birchboxes - prepaid 

Rainbow Honey - $10

and one $25 Sephora order if there is a killer code

I don't need anything since the times I did shop in May, I pretty much bought stuff that was needed (no makeup!).

Hopefully, I can do it!

 
May was a bad month for me. Although it was my first ever makeup/beauty purchase heavy month, I still felt so guilty. I started Ipsy and Birchbox in April and since then I have become OBSESSED with beauty and makeup products lol but for June, I am limiting myself to only my Birchbox and Ipsy. I will also give myself a $25.00 spending limit for the entire month. I am also addicted to clothing shopping, but in my defense, I do get some killer deals lol I recently went shopping with my husband and kids and I bought 3 pairs of jeans, 2 shirts and a jacket all for $30.00! Sometimes it's just SO HARD to pass up really good deals =[ Lol but I have to learn and fight the temptation! So I am also putting myself on a no-buy for clothing. Wish me luck ladies and thank you so much for all of the support and advice! =] Good luck to you all as well! 

 
I'm ready for June! I really do believe that the key to a no/low buy is building up those resistance muscles.

I am going to keep on my replacement only plan for makeup and skincare. I did pretty well last month, and I can keep it up this month. Other rules:

- I can keep Birchbox. For Julep, I can take the Modern Beauty box if I really love it. Otherwise I have to skip. I have 2 nearly full Julep color caddies with Julep polishes alone, so it's time to cut back on polish.

- Because I have been doing a good job of buying replacements only and using things up, my sample stash is practically non-existent, so I have allowed myself to resubscribe to ipsy (or rather, join the waitlist).

- No hypothetical craft purchases. I am throwing two showers this summer/fall and have been buying tons of supplies. If there is an actual item I need I can purchase with a coupon or sale.

- I need to be better about cooking at home and not going out to eat.

- I can purchase gifts for my summer swap buddy, but no hypothetical gift purchases before the assignments are made.

Good luck to everyone this month!

 
I was doing okay (I managed to skip Alluring Aquatics altogether - and usually pretty packaging gets me. This morning, it took me ever fibre of my being not to buy Golden bronzer - but really, I have so much untouched bronzer that I'm disgusted by it all. Anywho!) until I got the UO Beauty 20% off email (I got a lot for the amount I spent, but still!) and plans to buy ONLY the Pedro Lourenco quad turned into a order with a  mini of Naked pigment and one of the Proenza lipsticks to get free shipping. But I am back on the wagon!

-- I am allowed 'staples' in Boston. My shade in Bobbi Brown isn't carried here and I'm almost done my bottle of Skin foundation, so I'm allowed a backup. Likewise, if they have the Duo set of Touche Éclat at Duty Free, I'm allowed that.

- No mascara. I have 3 open right now, and two deluxe size samples of They're Real. No more bronzer either.

- I am allowing myself two items from the Sharon & Kelly O collection total - the brow duo & the Sharon quad. I'm a sucker for neutral shadows and I've wanted Soba and Brun for awhile; and the quad just looks gorgeous.

- Only other makeup haul is allowed during a Murale or Shoppers Drug Mart or Bonus Redemption period. If I want something bad enough, I'll budget my points for that.

 
Allowed:

  • Two GDE orders.  One at the beginning of the month consisting of four samples jars so I can get the GWP right off the bat and use it for the whole month and then another one at the end of the month when the Deadly Hollywood collection is released.
  • One GCC order.  I think I had decided my June order would be samples of the Auryn collection if they don't release a new collection (and if they do, then the new collection).  I will need to add a couple of additional samples or a lipstick/gloss to make the order minimum, but I'll make that decision a little later in the month.  They released the _Hannibal_ collection on the first Saturday of May.  It would be fantastic if they started releasing a new collection every month!
  • Shower gel/shampoo/conditioner if I run out of my current supply.  ONE bottle/tube of whatever has to be replenished.
  • If Black Phoenix Trading Post ever gets Scherezade hair gloss up for sale (I think Ted is waiting for the bpal forum to get back online, and, well, it's not back up yet, and it's been over a week now :( /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> ), at least one bottle!  This is a mega splurge, but it will be worth it.
  • Gifts for my Midsummer and Summerswap people!  I'm having to wait until June to order for the former because I'm going to get something that isn't quite available yet, and I can't do anything about the latter until we get our assignments anyway.
  • $20 essence trend edition budget.
  • Starlooks order totaling between $35 and $42.  I have a loyalty code coming, and your order has to be at least $35 in order to use it (the code is $35, and you can't order less than that amount).  $42 just seems like a good upper limit to me.  

Banned: 

  • Eyeliner.  I can't even swap or use points for this.  Exceptions:  Gifts and sub boxes.  This is in effect probably until the end of the year.  I *might* make an exception for a sparkly brown Starlooks kohl liner because I'm really curious about those.  Probably not, though, because I just got the UD Ocho Loco 2 set a couple of weeks ago!
  • Blush.  Exceptions:  Gifts and sub boxes.  I *might* also allow one cream blush with my Starlooks loyalty code.
  • Eye primer.  I have no clue why, but I keep wanting to buy more when I already have a full-sized UD Primer Potion in Sin, a travel-sized UD Anti-Aging Primer Potion, a deluxe sample of NARS primer, I-don't-know-how-many-other-samples, *and* several Maybelline Color Tattoos that are great primers (well, okay, I only have one open right now, but it's still a great primer!  And I do have, uh, six others -- all various LEs from the holiday, spring, and summer collections -- still sealed).  Oh, and GDE Foil Me.  I almost forgot about that.  NO EYE PRIMER.  Gah.

Really, I should just put everything on the banned list, but I need things to look forward to, and my pigment orders are those things right now. 

ETA:  Whoops, forgot subs!  Short version:  I'll cancel one of my Birchboxes after June reviews, and I need to check the other monthly one to see how close it is to a $10 increment (my primary account is annual, so that's sticking around).  Everything else is sticking around through at least two more months (June and July) unless I get cranky and decide to purge things (not likely since I'm doing Midsummer and Summerswap, and these are good ways to build up the stash).  (At least a few of my subs are prepaid for at least a couple more months, so that helps a *lot*!)

 
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My goal for June: I'll only be buying makeup / beauty if it's for my summer swap. Otherwise, I'm taking a month off. It'll be tough. And I might keep birchbox. I just purchased the $5 box, so I might keep it for one more. I haven't decided yet. But that'll be it! And then, no more until July!

 
May went pretty well for me--no slip-ups after the soap incident.  I've also been unofficially playing along with the Monday club, and have been using items I don't normally use, lipsticks especially.  

For June, I'm going to try a complete no-buy.  I'm moving in July, need to save all the money I can, am underemployed, and don't need anything.  I'm going to shop my stash like crazy.

 

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