March 2015 No/Low Buy Thread

Makeuptalk.com forums

Help Support Makeuptalk.com forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
May 29, 2012
Messages
642
Reaction score
557
I thought I would start up a no buy thread for each month from now on, for anyone new who may join, and also for me. Because I was on 100 day no buy, January 1-April 10, but I've decided not to stop at April 10, but to continue indefinitely. I'm just getting started!

For March, I hope to finish up my project of using up all my foil sized samples, and put together a box of spring products (floral scent, pink blush, etc.) to focus on using up next. One thing I always liked in my shopping days was buying new things when the seasons change. Hopefully this time, I can find items for the new season in my existing collection. 

 
This is a great idea! Thank you for doing this! I love your idea of putting together a collection of products for Spring. Such a great idea to celebrate spring!

 
On the first evening of Daylight Savings Time, I finally had the energy to redo my organization. Before, I had all my products sorted by type in different empty boxes from subscriptions. So I had a tower of boxes, along with boxes stacked on a bookshelf. 

I got a large plastic bin, and put all my hair care, face care, and body care deluxe samples in it! I have within the bin:

Large bag of conditioner/hair oil, etc. deluxe samples

Small tin of deluxe sample serums

Birchbox (loaded) of deluxe body lotions and creams, with little organza bag of deluxe hand creams in it too

Birchbox (loaded) of deluxe size masques and scrubs

Boscia Art of Multi Masking Kit

Ipsy bag of deluxe size toners

Ipsy bag of deluxe shower gels

Small makeup bag filled with deluxe size cleansers

Birchbox lid filled with deluxe size moisturizers in tubes, with mesh bag containing deluxe size eye makeup removers on top

Velvet drawstring bag from the Fifty Shades of Grey Blush Set, filled with deluxe eye creams

Finally, a bottom layer at one end of the bin, with deluxe face cream jars and boxes

This does not include my fragrance, makeup, and nail polish minis! 

So this is my next project - using all the samples in this large bin. Have not pulled together spring makeup, nail polish and perfume yet. Maybe I will pick some and add them to my March Glossybox when it arrives, since the theme of the box is lightening one's makeup routine for spring. 

 
I've worked out a new financial plan for my monthly no buy. 

I have a credit card with eight different promotional balances. This card also has balances with interest, and my minimum payments go to that balance first, so the promotional balances will not get paid off unless I make special payments. 

I paid off the two smallest balances (one was a $29 purchase at Nordies - I think for a Chanel polish, and one was an admissions fee for an online school I ended up dropping out of). 

I have three promotional balances expiring June 14, so my goal is to pay them off by May 14. Then I can pay off the three promotional balances expiring July 14. 

The three promotional balances expiring June 14: the first was for Christmas presents, the second was for an Android Netbook, and the third was for my one year Glossybox sub. 

The three promotional balances expiring July 14: one was for Christmas presents, and two were for Makeup Forever Fifty Shades of Grey Makeup Sets. The sets are beautiful, but I paid way over retail because I got them on eBay in December, when they were VIB Rouge exclusive at Sephora. I was not Rouge, and I did not want to wait to get them. So I paid a lot of extra money for them. They are beautiful sets, though. 

After July 14, when these balances are paid, I will focus on a zero percent card expiring in November. After that. I may be able to consolidate my debts. I tried to consolidate earlier in my no buy, but I had too many new cards and promotional cards. You can't put those in a Debt Management Plan. 

Project pan: I am getting there with my goal of using up foils. It takes forever. They are messy and inconvenient and I will be happy to be done with them. 

I am thinking of buying myself a liquid base, because I do not have any. I have a lot of BB cream and tinted sunscreen, so I would not feel I need liquid base, except I have a lot of beautiful expensive primers to use. I know that's weird, having many beautiful primers but no base, but that's how it worked out. I feel it would be a waste to use those lovely items without a base. I was thinking of getting a drugstore base and paying cash for it of course. Do you guys think I should purchase a base? Can you recommend a good budget price one? 

 
Love your plans for paying off those promotional balances! I keep reading about L'oreal True match being a great foundation. I haven't tried it myself but it's been featured as the best drugstore beauty buys.

 
I went to WalMart yesterday and purchased Rimmel Lasting Finish foundation for seven dollars cash. I do not feel this is cheating on my no buy, as I had no foundation at all. The bottle is pretty.

I paid off another deferred interest balance of $170 for Christmas gifts. 

 
On YouTube, I found a project pan going around called: "Finish 17 by the Solstice" (June 21). I thought I would do this project with some deluxe samples. So I picked 17 samples to use - some old, some new, one blah, and a few hoardable (i.e., I would save them forever if I did not put them in a project pan).

1. Orlane Paris B21 Purete Soin Hydro Matifiant - Hoardable - Orlane is one of my favorite brands. 

2. Diptyque Nourishing Cleansing Balm - Super hoardable - I got this sample from Nordies, and I love Diptyque.

3. L'Occitane Almond Body Oil - Hoardable. 

4. Portico White Ginger facial soap. Blah. A leftover hotel sample. 

5. Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater. Hoardable. 

6. L'Artisan Perfumeur vial - la Chasse a Papillons (Chasing Butterflies). Super hoardable. Exquisite. 

7. L'Occitane Immortelle Essential Water. Hoardable - to make up for using the blah face soap. 

8. Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Lift and Firm Day Cream SPF 30 - From GWP I got last summer. 

9. Molton Brown Ylang Ylang Body Lotion.

10. Manna Kadar Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion. Hoardable.  

11. Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream.  

12. Elemental Herbology Facial Glow Radiance Peel.

13. Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum in a tiny tube.

14. Jane Iredale Pure Lash Primer in tiny tube.

15. Jane iredale Black Ice mascara in little tube.

16. Bite Agave Lip Mask in little tube.

17. Glamglow Power Mud Dual Cleanse.

I think this will help me because I have zero percent debts expiring in June and July and I need to stick to project pan/no buy to pay them off during this time.

I can't wait to begin this project - just need to finish up six more samples for my 100 empties in 100 days challenge first!  

 
Finish 17 by Solstice.jpg

 
What a great idea! Sounds like great samples too! So happy for you for being so close to completing your 100 challenge. You got this!

 
There is also a great "Finish 4 by 4th of July" project on YouTube now. It's geared toward large full size/makeup items. I want to do this one next year! 

 
I'm afraid I scrapped my "Finish 7 by the Solstice" project pan. It made me stressed. It made me so nervous to pick out that many things to commit to for a long time. I thought maybe I should have picked something else, etc.; I asked myself did I pick too much, too little?  I like the method I have been using of picking one item in each category I need at a time, then seeing what I want to use next after that is done. 

I'm going to work on my inventory this weekend. I'm going to write it out by hand and write the quantity of each item in pencil. That way I can erase and change them easily when I use something up. I don't feel like bothering with a spreadsheet - I have a hard time locating everything on this Windows 8.1.

Inventory, last sample.jpg

 
Last edited by a moderator:

Latest posts

Back
Top