April 2014 No/Low-Buy Support, Advice, Free Hugs, and Commiseration

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Hmm... what about electronics, like a tablet or e-reader or something? Otherwise, can you do some sort of mini-vacation/surprise weekend getaway? Or get tickets to a show, or some sort of activity that's on his bucket list (skydiving or something like that)? I don't know what kind of shirts he's collecting (dress vs. t-shirts) but if he has to dress up regularly, maybe cuff links or tie clips? 
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Yup! I agree with this! My boyfriend and I kind ran out of the "stuff to give each other" list. So for our birthdays we took a trip! Totally worth it.
 
I will be joining the low-buy this month. I have been going a little too crazy with my makeup spending and really need to have more self control :( /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> I won't be quitting cold turkey, but I am setting a budget for myself. I am giving myself $10 per week on makeup/beauty related purchases so $40 for the whole month. There are many things I want but nothing I need. If there is a really, really good deal on something I've been wanting desperately then I can break my budget but only once! Purchases with gift cards are okay. Here's to a great and successful low-buy April!! :D /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> 

 
Ok, I have to join and stick with this thread!

Last month I set a budget of $35 and went way over (so over I'm embarrassed to admit!) during ulta's 21 days of beauty- the GWPs were so good! Except now that I have them in my hands, they're smaller and not as exciting as I was expecting. In my defense, some of it was stuff we needed for our house- face wash, body wash, cotton balls, some I had been planning on buying, and some I will use to replace stuff I plan on giving to my sister when she returns from the peace corps. Ok, I'm rationalizing a bit so obviously it was not all necessary purchases. Hence why I am on this thread!

For April, I am allowing myself:

1. Chic Week haul at Sephora for no more than $100 before discount. Right now the only thing I really want is an hourglass ambient powder, so I may n ot spend the full $100

2. Jo Malone perfume for my wedding. I will only buy it this week if Jo Malone at Saks invites me to their bridal event, otherwise I will wait until closer to the wedding (August) to buy

3. Shipping for the circular swap box

That's it! Hopefully I do better this month than last

 
i spent way way way too much in march. ~$300 on brushes, and even more $$$ at sephora+ulta. BUT, i also sold $1,098 on eBay this month (which i would say translates to ~$700-$800 in my bank account) so not a very miserable fail, but i definitely could have done better. here are my goals for april:

- i already spent way too much at sephora chic week, so i'm banned from more chic week shopping.

- $5 a week budget. if i didn't spend my $5 for that week, it'll carry over to the next week.

- no gift card shopping either.

just no more buying. i can do this. i just have to think about how much i've spent already in march. i did so well in february, but when i started 'treating' myself for doing well, i succumbed to my usual habits again. it is indeed a slippery slope!

 
April - Low Buy Month!!

-Just Paid Of  Both of My Credit Cards @ 5,000$ Each, so I cannot touch them!!! It has to be all debit/cash purchases only!!!

- March - spent about 600$ on new sub boxes, and 15 Memebox's combined.

- April - Ill just buy a New Memebox That I admire.

Technically I already paid for 5 sub boxes in March for April boxes... So until May :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I'll try and keep it under 300$ this month. Hopefully to stay under 200$ though, ughhh its hard

 
Ack! Shorthanded at work for the forseeable future due to illness = much overtime and the desire for retail therapy. But I need to stick to the plan just because I have way too much stuff to be able to justify more! Time to start planning and saving for Rose City Comic Con in September! It will be much cheaper than ECCC for multiple reasons, but focusing on saving up for it will help keep me from buying crap I end up not even using. Maybe I'll buy some shoes that will work for the spring and summer for the office. I've been meaning to buy some for the past two or three springs. I am not a shoe spree-shopper.

 
A technique I have been using to fill the shopping void (I don't know which is more addicting the shopping or the using of the make up) is that I have been emailing companies that I am interested in and requesting samples. Check out the thread, What companies have you gotten samples from? I have gotten many positive responses and it keeps me from buying things, mostly, usually, ok I'm doing better anyway :p /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
Quote: Originally Posted by Luxx /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  April - Low Buy Month!!

-Just Paid Of  Both of My Credit Cards @ 5,000$ Each, so I cannot touch them!!! It has to be all debit/cash purchases only!!!

- March - spent about 600$ on new sub boxes, and 15 Memebox's combined.

- April - Ill just buy a New Memebox That I admire.

Technically I already paid for 5 sub boxes in March for April boxes... So until May :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I'll try and keep it under 300$ this month. Hopefully to stay under 200$ though, ughhh its hard
Way to go on the cards!!! getting cc's paid off is a huge undertaking. 

 
My low-buy goals for April: 1. I can keep my Birchbox sub. I already cancelled ipsy and I think that May is the month I prepaid for the Julep box, so that should be my only sub purchase for the month. 2. I can make a small GDE order. 3. For Sephora's Chic Week I can spend up to $75.00 out of pocket. I've been working on my list for awhile and my plan is to stock up on anything I'll need for the next few months because I think I'll have to cut way back on spending for the summer. 4. I can buy replacement items. I don't foresee any replacements that would not be encompassed in my Sephora order. 5. I can make a Birchbox order using points and up to $10.00 out of pocket. 6. I will allow myself one "oh, that's a good deal" purchase which would not be included in the above. We can do this everyone!

 
Ok it's been one day. But I already resisted! Hubby needed some face stuff that I get for him at sephora, and I resisted ALL OTHER PRETTIES and just got his stupid face serum!! Proud of myself, one day at a time, right?

 
Quote: Originally Posted by BSquared /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Ok it's been one day. But I already resisted! Hubby needed some face stuff that I get for him at sephora, and I resisted ALL OTHER PRETTIES and just got his stupid face serum!! Proud of myself, one day at a time, right?
congrats! yes, one day at a time!

we're one day in, and i'm already contemplating more koyudo brushes.... i'm hooked!

 
Well, I'm a dunce! I guess I never cancelled my 2nd ipsy subscription, so I'm getting 2 bags and I don't even want the 1st one.  Tooooo much stuff!  I can probably sell the whole thing though.  So far I've stayed strong and not re-subbed to Birchbox.  I have mostly stayed out of thread and so far that is working.  I did buy stuff from Julep already this month but I don't really consider that cheating because my polishes get a lot of love.  This month is more about spring cleaning than the money! I just want to be neat and organized and not overflowing with things.

Now I have to focus on getting through this Sephora sale and stupid 20% off Ulta coupon....that will be the real test of me.

My goals for the month are to:

1.  Use up everything that is single use/has only a few uses left to cut down on total products that are taking up all my space!

2.  Set up swaps/sales for all my unwanteds.  Donate whatever is left that has been on my swap list for more than a few months!

3.  Do not subscribe to anything!

4.  Cancel the 2nd ipsy and cash out points for the 1st one as soon as they add something decent.

5.  Cancel Glitter Guilty if this month is not super amazing.  Last month was a dud and really, for $16 I could just be hitting up indie sales every so often. 

6.  The only beauty purchases I'm okay-ing this month are Benefit Fakeup (will be less than $20) and getting my hair done (will be like $150).

 
Quote: Originally Posted by trustlust /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  April No-Buy Guidelines

  • Subs (Birchbox x 3, ipsy, Beauty Box 5) - Allowed to keep. Will cancel one of my Birchbox's after this month and use it for promo-use only. Unless I use 3 of my ipsy products, it gets cancelled as well. Fortune Cookie Soap box is already paid, so I'm good on that.
  • If I run out of 'staple item', I can re-purchase to replace it.
  • Two 'oops' buys - cash only at 50$ each!
  • If I'm not out of a staple item, but they run a seriously stupid good deal on it, I can buy it, but I have to take away an 'oops' purchase.
  • Things I know I have to replace - body wash, face wash, & e-liquid oil for my vaporizer.
  • 50$ shipping budget for swaps.
  • Can only eat out once a week.
  • Completely 100% off limits(except for swaps) - hair dye(*sigh* is grunge back in?), clothes, shoes, perfume, lotion, blush, lip products
  • I can only buy my sweet puppy one toy. :( /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />
  • I cannot replace something until ALL samples of any brand of that item that I have are used up.
Updated to add more rules. *sigh* My boyfriend is not nice. lol. 

 
Quote: Originally Posted by BSquared /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Ok it's been one day. But I already resisted! Hubby needed some face stuff that I get for him at sephora, and I resisted ALL OTHER PRETTIES and just got his stupid face serum!! Proud of myself, one day at a time, right?
Good job on resisting!!!

I went to Ulta and Sephora last night to test out a few things I'm considering getting during Chic Week. I am glad I did, because I ruled out getting some eyeliner, and I figured out which blush color would be best for me, and also, I kind of discovered a foundation that I think will be right for me! And.... well... I didn't buy anything, but looking and not buying was kind of hard! I guess testing products out and knowing one day you will allow yourself to get them is kind of a fun way to resist.... although, hopefully it's not too tempting!

 
Quote: Originally Posted by BSquared /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Ok it's been one day. But I already resisted! Hubby needed some face stuff that I get for him at sephora, and I resisted ALL OTHER PRETTIES and just got his stupid face serum!! Proud of myself, one day at a time, right?
lol @ "his stupid face serum."

I know I say that when I need to get something for el hub and feel a little resentment for a second because I don't get a new shiny...which is a whole 'nother issue on its own. I think it's hilarious, though.

Way to go!

 
ulta has tarte's park ave princess bronzer today for $14 (full size).

Must...resist... 

 
Quote: Originally Posted by CurlyTails /img/forum/go_quote.gif


I'm also guilty of too many treats for the pets!
I may buy her more pretties than I do for myself... that's pretty bad. lol.

 
Agghh, so much pretty nail polish calling my name, and we're just 3 days into April. I haven't succumbed yet, though! I keep finding myself shopping, and then manage to talk myself out of making a purchase by saying, "Well, I have another polish that's close to that... and this other polish is a similar color, just a different finish, but it's not different enough to justify purchasing..." 

I was semi-bad yesterday and used an Amazon gift card to purchase a new nail stamping plate set, but at least it was a gift card and is a set that I've been considering for over a month. On the plus side, I already met my first goal for April and put my tax refund into my retirement account!

 

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