November 2014 No/Low buy Support Thread (and cookies!)

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jaylilee

Obsessed with colored powder
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Didn't see a thread made and wow did we wait, so we're starting one! I know there's a holiday planning thread, but holidays only happen once or twice for a day or two... a month is a month!

Plans for november: 

spend no monies on ANYTHING. I am on a no-buy until the end of the year, and in a way have been on some form of no-buy/low-buy this whole year up until now. I have spent far, far, far less in 2014 than I did in 2013, so that is a giant accomplishment for me (think 200-300 dollars combined across all months versus the near 2k in 2013). So November is aimed at closing out the year strong and keeping with a no-buy.

What are you guys doing for Nov?? 

also, *hands out cookies* 

 
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Count me in! I have three rules this month:

1. I can keep all existing subs.

2. I can purchase true replacements.

3. I can buy holiday gifts for others.

That's it! This will be a tough month for sure but I feel good about my plan. I've been successfully doing this plan since about mid-October and I think I've shaked off a lot of my old impulses.

 
I'm in again as well! I only bought some samples of mineral makeup and a lipstick last month which is a huge improvement for me.

I'm just going to do a low buy because I want to get a couple of things during the Sephora sale, but I'm going to try to keep it to a minimum. Also trying to keep all non-essential spending to a minimum.

 
I actually saw an untouched essence trend edition display last night and DID NOT BUY ANYTHING!  My goal is to buy nothing beauty-oriented in a store this month.  Indies only.  Maybe Birchbox stuff, but only with points.  I can get some MAC lipstick if I can find some I want and/or if any is on my Santee's wishlist (and maybe eyeshadow and/or lipglass for her, depending on what turns out to be my MAC store's policy and what's on her list), but that's really only because I have empties to turn in (once I unearth them) and get some for free.  I can still keep my subs because they help me keep my sanity, and I have spots in indie subs that I am *not* willing to give up since they're almost impossible to get into.  I just *really* hope my Santee is as interested in indies as I am!

(Oh, wait, store exception:  Eye shadow brushes.  Fortunately, the kind of eyeshadow brush I tend to buy in multiples is a $1 e.l.f. brush.) 

(Another store exception:  Sephora, but only if they have good point perks or an awesome GWP bag.  I have a feeling that might happen in the next week or two since it seems like they tend to do one after the VIP codes end and before Black Friday to try to drum up business between those events.  I have a credit with them that I can only use online, though, and I've been waiting for something awesome for months, so who knows whether I'll actually get to order anything.  I desperately want the Give Me More Lip set, but I don't want to spend the money right now!  A good code would make a difference.)

(I'm still spending money, but I'm spending it on shelving once I can get my neighbor to go to IKEA with me since I can't carry them on my own because HEAVY and STAIRS.  *Massive* cleaning and organization project in progress over here.  I'm hoping to be able to sell cds and dvds -- maybe some clothes, once I get to my closet, since I literally haven't touched any of that stuff in a few years since I haven't been able to get to the closet, so I clearly don't need any of it -- to cover this expense!)

ETA:  Aaaand there's the Sephora GWP code for Rouge early access.  And I'm not sure I actually want any of them except for the bag itself!  Time to add just the bag to Elfster!

 
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i have to get clinique skincare replacements...but i shouldn't just yet! i busted out all my samples and grouped them into moisturizers, serum, night cream, etc etc...and i'm planning to use these first. hope i don't breakout! lol

doing a no-buy on beauty products this month - except the $15 sephora gift card i already have, and birchbox points. i'm already rouge/platinum so i wouldn't need to spend anymore. (i'm spending a lot of gifts and things i'm bringing home. it's only 5 weeks til my flight! soooooo excited, and that's all i can think about now.)

 
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I'll join because I NEED to go on a full no-buy. I spent way too much money last month, so this month will be dedicated to shopping my stash, trying to use up more products, and paying down some of the debt I have from buying way too much stuff. Here are my goals for this month:

  • Buy nothing beauty related. I don't need anything else makeup-wise and I'm 100% sure that I have a replacement for nearly everything in my stash. No beauty or makeup stuff. None.
  • Work on my sample drawer. My sample drawer was pretty empty a few months ago, but it's filled up again. I keep saving stuff, telling myself that it'll be useful if I go on a vacation, but I don't see any vacations in the near future and even if I do go on one, I never remember to bring anything. I'd like to work through a substantial chunk of my drawer. 
 
I followed along with you guys last month and decided to jump in this time! I definitely need to go on a major low-buy. Allowed items are:

- Gifts! My main goal for the low-buy is to have more money to spend on these.

- Replacements, though I have so many backups I doubt I'll need many, if any.

- One Memebox or Memebox value set, but only if I really, really want it and have enough review points saved up to make a serious dent. 

- Barnes and Noble Criterion sale. I look forward to it all year and hold off on buying my beloved Criterions until it happens. Since there's a particularly expensive box set I have my eye on this time, I think this needs to be the only Black Friday treat I do for myself, which is going to be mega hard. All the expensive little indie sellers I love seem to have some sort of super enticing deal going for Black Friday, and I rarely escape unscathed. The end of this month is going to be difficult, so I'm glad to have found a support group to help me through it this year.

Ugh, I also really really want to try one of the Japanese snack sub boxes, but maybe that money should be saved toward, I don't know, the actual trip to Japan that I've been wanting to take for years. The desire for immediate gratification has had its grip on me for too long to save for anything meaningful.

 
November!  I am so proud of the progress I've made this year.  It's gone from pretty much completely out of control to "haven't bought anything for two months straight".  Part of it is due to a lot of physical/emotional exhaustion due to *life* right now, but organizing my stash, giving away makeup and then realizing how much I STILL HAVE has been a huge eye-opener. For this month, I'll try to maintain my current low-buy while contemplating my plan for 2015.

Allowed Purchases for Nov:

- ONE Birchbox.  I can cancel and resub that box with a 100-point code if I find a good one, but unless $10 drops from the sky and falls on my head, I cannot get a second box, even with a 100-point code.

- My NM VC.  I LOOOOOOVE the theme this month (True Blood! Yeeks!), and I've decided to give my entire October set (Walking Dead themed.  Loved the colors, but hate zombies, and I can purchase similar colors or *probably* find them already in my collection!) to someone I know from MUT who has been desperately wanting that collection.

- I can spend up to $25 at indie companies for an exchange I'm participating in.  I *cannot* purchase anything for myself (so no "one for me, one for her" stuff!), but if I happen to fall in love with an extra sample/GWP, I can keep it, as long as I throw in something brand-new from my stash.

- I can spend up to $10 in e.l.f. brushes for myself.  Brushes are the one thing I'm lacking, and while I know I should invest in a good set, the e.l.f. ones work perfectly fine for my needs. I can spend an additional $10 in brushes for my giftee.  (I have to go see if she even needs any, but if she does, it'll be a good little extra item(s) for the gift!)

Tentative throughts/plan for 2015:

- USE. WHAT. I. HAVE.  I've been a bit down lately, so either haven't worn makeup or I've been stuck in a rut with what I'm using, so I think I'll make a goal to post in the Monday Club at *least* every 2 weeks to make sure I'm rotating what I use.  

- INDIES!  I think *every* beauty purchase next year, whether makeup, bath stuff, perfume, or hair stuff, MUST be from indie companies.  It's really made me feel better about purchasing items when I know I'm supporting a small business.  BUT, I have to make sure whatever I buy is either something entirely unique to my collection *or* is purchased after I run out of an item entirely (i.e. no buying 15 different scented hair oil sprays.  I can buy 1 or 2, then no more til I get through an entire one)

- Birchbox.  Still my fave sub, but starting in January, I need to make a chart that contains what I get, what I actually use, what I give/throw away, *just* to be sure it's still worth me subscribing.  I had a bunch of points saved up and ended up spending them on household stuff, no makeup/beauty items whatsoever.  There is nothing in the BB store that I *need*, so I can't justify keeping it for the points either.  

- Be more mindful of spending in general.  I tend to lose track of small purchases, and I'd like 2015 to be more about spending money on experiences/events, rather than *stuff* that just turns into clutter.

- Be nice to myself if I mess up.  It's not the end of the world!

That's what I have for now!

 
Not sure what my low buy goals will be this month because I have some replacements to buy and a few other things I have had my eye on for the VIB sale.  

I also still need to buy new boots.

I'm trying to resist the Sephora GWP bags since they would just add more items to my stash.  

I did not use my Ulta coupon and it expires in a few hours.  

 
 Sadly, I went wild the last two weeks of October :( /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> . So I'm geetting back on the horse that threw me, and really committing myself to total no-buy for November.

November Goals

1. Keep my subs

2. Can only buy beauty type stuff for my lady in Secret Santa

3. For groceries : only milk, eggs, bread, fresh produce, and catfood as needed, I need to use up what we have on hand and in freezer

4. Shop my stash!

5. Wear makeup every day whether I am going anywhere or just staying home.

6. Count my  Blessings daily.

 
Last month wasn't too terrible for me. I definitely rationalized myself into a deal Bark Box had, and used a gift card I had for Sephora to get a limited edition palette. But on the whole that is pretty decent for me. I've continued to work through my stash and only bought the Memeboxes I had already decided to allow myself to.

For November:

- Black Friday deals are going to kill my self control, but I'm going to make it! I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping and I'm waiting to finish up during those sales but my goal is to only buy gifts. Crossing my fingers that goes well!

- My one splurge on myself will continue to be my search for the perfect foundation. I have been buying and returning what doesn't work, and that's what I'll continue to do. If the associates at my local MAC and Sephora weren't so anti-sample I wouldn't be wasting so much product, but there's only so much I can do about that I guess.

- I'm going to continue culling my nail polish horde. I'm already feeling better about some of the ones I have thrown out, but I know there are more that need to go.

- My one sub box splurge I will allow myself is if the Blush Beauty Box ends up being amazing, but I have to love at least 2/3 of the products in order to justify it. Otherwise I will just have my Birch Boxes, whatever Memeboxes I have slated to arrive this month, a free Love With Food box, and the first of the Bark Box deal. Sounds like a lot, but I'm comfortable with it as long as I don't add any more.

- Regarding Memebox, once again I will always let myself buy the Global and Mask boxes, but nothing else. Too much stuff coming to me/already in my stash for any other boxes to be reasonable purchases.

 
Hey guys! I'm so excited, but also really nervous for these next two months. 

Black Friday has never in my life pressured me, so I know I don't have to worry about that at all. Plus, I've never liked Sephora's Black Friday deals, so I've never bought something I didn't want just because of the deals. xD 

But I'm nervous, because there are a few gift sets from Sephora that I really want.

And Apparently I need to spend $120 to renew VIB for 2015.... (I know this is a terrible way to think!!!!!! VIB really doesn't do anything special for me, regular BI would probably be just as good. I think. ) 

I know I should hold out on any purchases because I might get them as gifts from people for Christmas or something. And I know I'm definitely going to end up with gift cards.  

There is one thing from Sephora that I actually need to get, so I'm going to force myself to wait until November 6, so I can use my 20% off VIB gift on it.

I'm putting this in a spoiler so I don't tempt anyone.

One of the things I really want is the Caudalie Divine Oil gift set! I've wanted the Divine Oil for the past two years, and I've still never allowed myself to get it. But I don't think I really NEED it because I have this lotion to use up still. 

Another thing is the 5 piece set of L'Occitane Hand Creams. This is justifiable to me because my hands get EXTREMELY chapped and dry, painfully so, over the winter seasons, and regular lotions don't cut it. These ones get really good reviews from what I've seen. And it's a better deal than buying one individual hand cream. 

And then there's the Ouidad Expert Curl Kit. I've wanted this for a while, as well, because I have wavy hair and it's really hard for me to do it without it getting frizzy and puffy, and I feel that the set would help my hair be tamed and wavy. 

Can you guys convince me on why I should NOT get any of these right now?? PLEASE AND THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I'm still working through many of my products, and would basically like to stick to the same mind-set as October. I wish I never looked at the value sets! 

So for November I will continue:

-Using up all lotions. 
-Burning all tarts. (I find it a chore to burn a tart, even though it takes 1 minute to set up... I really don't know why.)
-Drink a pot of tea each day
-Do all of my school work
-Make lunch instead of buying. (I still have $24 on my College ID card, so I'll save that for days I don't have time to/forget to prepare lunch.) 
-No impulse purchases. In fact, no going out to the mall or stores or anything at all. (It's way easier for me to not spend money by not going to problem areas!) If I want to socialise, I live near the beach and a park, so I'll just invite a friend over and walk around in the nice chilly weather. And then cook together because I'm not eating out. 
 

If I can think of any more things, I'll edit this. 

 
The only makeup and nail polish I should be buying for the rest of the year is for my secret santee. I cancelled birchbox after only one box because I just wasn't that interested. The only sub box I have left is Love with Food, and I'm probably going to be cancelling that after the November box. I may need some new clothes, but I'm going to put that off as long as possible. I have to pay for my wife's next semester of school soon and 6-months of car insurance, so I'm going to be fairly cash-poor for the next few months anyway. 

 
October was a rousing success! However, I am about one million times more apprehensive about November.   I want to take advantage of the holiday deals and then be satisfied for awhile again.  I feel like I am allowed a few things on my wishlist after being so good.   But I want to get all of the bang for my buck so I have to be thoughtful and plan and find things I will actually use.  

This month I also want to focus on burning candles.  Which isn't beauty but is something in my life I have been accumulating without using up.

I also want to focus on my project pan items, I feel like I am making some progress but not tons.   For things that aren't project pan I need to remember to shop my stash and love what I have.  Make up should be fun, and I feel like last month it was for me!

I need to remember that you all are here for me and willing to talk me down from uselessly throwing money around.  I feel like I say this every month, but thank you for being awesome and supportive and sharing your stories on here!  

 
Well,for this month. I have a few things I want to do mostly beauty related so I'll start with that.

-Stick with my project pan. I've been doing good proud of myself. I don't wear makeup on days I don't work/go-out. I don't see the point in me being at home in my room watching movies with a full face of makeup on. 

-Hopefully use up my one BB cream in my project pan and a lipgloss and my gel eyeliner.

-Buy the things I need for the two swaps I'm doing and not buy anything for myself.

My reason being because I do plan to buy myself one of the Too Faced palettes on Black Friday probably Natural at night or Cat Eyes I plan to buy them both before the end of the year but not at once.

- I also need to pick up a few Christmas gifts so I don't want my spending crazy. 

- I want to use more of my candles up over this next two months. I've got a small collection and I'd like to have only candles that I completely enjoy some just aren't.

-Finish paying off my two credit cards. I'm so close to having them all payed off. I've got about 150 all together to pay off, I'm very proud of staying on top of that.

I know BF comes around it might be hard for me to resist but I think I'll be more controlled than usual since I have most of my money all managed out. Plus, I plan to go on a little shopping trip before the year is over. I plan to go on a 1 YEAR no-buy starting January 1. So, I'm letting myself get stuff that's been on my wishlist for a while. I know if I don't let myself, I will break the no-buy 'project use it up' sooner than it started. haha. 

 
I've decided to add another goal: join in Amber F's 6 by X-Mas challenge and try to make some serious headway there. I don't think I'm going to throw any makeup products into the pile, but we'll see. I was looking through my stash today and the things that are taking up the most room are the bath and body products that I have, so I'd like to focus on those. Once I've decided what my 6 items are, I'll be back to share!

 
Before the end of the calendar year I have to pay taxes, car insurance, and house insurance.  Before the end of the school year I have to pay the balance of my tuition.  Rather than spending money on silly things I don't really need - I need to focus and be more responsible.  

I attempted to do a low-buy October and outlined a plan.  That plan worked well in some ways and not-so-well in others.  All things considered I still see October as a win because I feel like I made progress by organizing my stash and putting a plan together.  That said I think I am always going to have a somewhat generous beauty stash.  I would feel better if my beauty product stash is roughly one third to one half as big as it is today.  

Last Month's Activity - Summary:

  • What I did well was focused on using more of the products I already have.  This included using brushes I have though I never used them.
  • Also, I opened pristine products - giving new things I already own a try.  
  • I wore more makeup more often.  Looking good feels good.

[*]Rather than buying someone flowers (or similarly kind gesture) who really deserved it - I gave her some unopened items (a nail polish, lipstick, and lip gloss) wrapped in a pretty bag from my stash and it went over remarkably well.  I managed to make my stash slightly smaller and didn't spend money out of pocket.
[*]What didn't work out is that I spent more money than I really should have on beauty items than I should have in October and that wasn't ok.  Even though I wanted to be strong I was tempted then I caved.  

Lessons learned:  

  1. Adopt a new mantra:  "Online 'shopping' leads to online 'spending.'"
  2. Keep the stash organized so everything is easy to see and easy to find.  This will make it so I don't buy a replacement for an item because its lost or missing.
  3. If the opportunity presents itself - "gift" pristine/unused items from the beauty stash - of course when its appropriate.
  4. Keeping a mini-stash at work is causing me to use more of the products that I have - especially lip products and hand cream - I consider this a win.
  5. I don't need anymore makeup brushes.  It would be best for me to wait at least a year before buying any more brushes.
  6. I put a desk drawer organizer in my bathroom vanity drawer to keep small odds and ends organized and this worked out very well.
  7. Visit this forum more often.  It helps!
  8. Tossing expired items and open items I didn't like felt good afterwards.
  9. Donating pristine items I don't intend to use to a women's shelter felt good afterwards.

Beauty subs:

  • In August I cancelled Lip Monthly - definitely don't miss it.  Odds are I won't sign up again. My experience can be summed up with one word:  "headache."

[*]In September I cancelled Beauty Box 5 - definitely don't miss it.  
  • No regrets since they started charging more to ship to Canada - it was barely worth the price before it went up for Canadian folks.  
  • BB5 is charging more money yet they aren't even providing a tracking # - is a tracking# really too much to ask?

[*]I will be getting one more Luxe Box in December and I don't plan to sign up for the sub - though I may purchase a seasonal box if there is a really good one at some point in the future and if it falls within my budget.  Topbox also has nice seasonal boxes - allowed only when they fall within my budget.
[*]I'm starting to feel like I'm over Lip Factory so its probably time to cancel and join again if I get the urge at some point in the future - next summer perhaps?  
  • That said Lip Factory distributed one of the ugliest cosmetics bags I have ever seen (donating it to a women's shelter) and a lip product from a different brand that I do not wish to receive ever again - bad experiences with quality control.  
  • All things considered - I have enough lip products - so this continuing with this sub does't seem like its making good use of my hard-earned cash.  

[*]I'm not ready to cancel my Ipsy and/or Topbox subs - especially Topbox.  
  • This seems reasonable because I enjoy both subs and they are among the least expensive beauty subs.  I love to try out new products - this is one of the cheapest & easiest ways to do just that!!!


Moving forward:

  • Using my stash I will take care of a bit of Christmas shopping by giving away pristine items as gifts.  - why not?!
  • I need to forgive myself for buying more items than I probably should have last month and chalk it up as a learning experience making sure to avoid similar behaviour in the future.  Though I need to be honest with myself, remind myself that I have a significant set of responsibilities, and make an effort to be more careful/conscious with my spending.  
  • I will continue to focus on using the items I already have.  It would be an extra-special kind of stupid if I had to toss unopened items which were rancid or expired.
  • I am going to make a mini-stash for my purse and my school bag.
  • Even though I have lots of makeup - I also have a lot of skin care and bath/shower samples so I want to focus on using these items to free up a bit of space in my tiny house!
  • Spend more time studying or completing school work and less time online shopping.
  • Continue to keep track of empty containers as a sign of progress.
  • Avoid the temptation of holiday palettes, collections, etc. and focus on using what I already have!  There are still unused makeup products from last year's holidays - I shall focus on using these items rather than acquiring more.
 

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