December 2013 - No/Low Buy Thread

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

Ooh yeah I used to be frustrated about buying blush cause I couldn't figure out the shades. Now I love them!

Okay guys. I've been doing REALLY well. I didn't buy any non-necessities (well, including things like base and topcoat) in all of December. And now I am staying away from the Trader Joe's scrub trio, the Pacifica body butter trio, the Bath and Body Works sale AND the Lush sale! You guys! I didn't think I could do it! But I'm doing it! I am only allowed to replenish night cream this month, and concealer, powder and eye cream next month.

Also! I used up two full nail polishes and am at the last few drops of three more!
What amazing accomplishments! So proud of you! :D /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
I just bought the Joy to the Girls after going into ulta and swatching. I got it HSN with a coupon. I did not buy from Lush and I'm pretty happy! I need to sell the Alice and Olivia a Tutu Starbucks tumblers I came across today and bought. I'm hopeful! That'll make up for the Joy to the Girls.

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

I agree with this. Definitely go to a Nordstrom or other higher end and up department store for your fitting. VS told me I am a 40 DDD...when I was 15. I was a 36B at the time. I am not joking

I do not know what city you're in but if your city has one there may be a great specialty lingerie store or bra-specific store. There's a really good one I love in DC, FWIW!
 

I just got told after a 65 pound weight loss that I am a 32 D. At my fattest I was a 36D to 36 DD depending on the bra style. I found another girl to measure me and this time was more accurate. 36 A!

 
Quote: Originally Posted by 19ten20 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I just got told after a 65 pound weight loss that I am a 32 D. At my fattest I was a 36D to 36 DD depending on the bra style. I found another girl to measure me and this time was more accurate. 36 A!
wowza congrats on the 65lb weight loss!! that's huge! I have about as much to lose and so not excited about going to the gym so often, but i'm trying to take it one day at a time.

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

  Anyway, I am vowing to not buy anything else until after this month. I will definitely be getting some giftcards and such anyway, so there is really no reason for me to be spending my money. And, getting a bit personal, this is part of a larger plan. My husband and I always seem to get to financial issues towards the end of the year. Another thing I have been working on is eating/cooking at home as much as possible. I think we actually went this whole last week and definitely this whole weekend without eating out/getting takeout/getting fast food. I know that probably sounds like normal stuff to a lot of people, but for us that is a big accomplishment and since I do all of the cooking, it is a pretty big deal for me because it also means I felt good enough health-wise to cook all week too.
YES! This was a goal my bf and I have been trying to work on since forever and have failed numerous times.  At first, we (or actually I) have tried making meals with large portions and it gets tiresome.  I think it's because I dislike cooking and it's so much more convenient to get buy food.

As far as my no buy progress goes, I've failed and bought 4 nail polishes. With that being said, I have finished about 5 things recently and I continue to add more things to my list of what I should finish by the end of each month with daily and very consistent usage.  I think my  main goal of a no-buy is to just finish some older stuff and to declutter.  I've learned a lot when I was really strict on my no-buy that I'm so much more pickier on what I do buy.  For instance, my bf asked what else I had wanted at a MAC store aside from a brush I originally came to get and I would have been tempted to add more things to buy BUT everything just started to look the same to me.  I just recall having to look at some of my MAC stuff that I want to finish and it's so overwhelming.

 
I found a great way to stick to a low buy--get sick.  I was too sick to order from Lush or go to the store yesterday.  I mentioned to my mom and MIL that they were having their annual sale, and they both wanted to go, so I gave strict instructions of what I wanted, and cash for them to purchase with.  They came back with one thing I wanted (everything else was sold out, and one thing (soap) that I'll use, but hadn't chosen, mostly just to get the BOGO.  I have very successfully stayed on a low buy all month.  Looks like everyone else is also doing well.  Hooray!

 
Sooooo knock on wood, but it's officially the 28th where I am and I have not purchased ANY nail polish ALL month. I literally cannot remember the last time this happened.

 
Quote: Originally Posted by tulosai /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Sooooo knock on wood, but it's officially the 28th where I am and I have not purchased ANY nail polish ALL month. I literally cannot remember the last time this happened.


Yay!! Well done
icon_lol.gif


 
Quote: Originally Posted by tulosai /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Sooooo knock on wood, but it's officially the 28th where I am and I have not purchased ANY nail polish ALL month. I literally cannot remember the last time this happened.
knock on wood, knock on wood, knock on wood! 3 more days to go. you can do it! 

 
I went off the OK list and bought a few things from the CVS clearance - spent about $5 out of pocket. I regret buying the nail polish I got - it was a glittery Milani and all the glitter sunk to the bottom... I also got Sally Hansen nail strips and they took me an hour to figure out how to use them then they immediately lifted off. It was a sign

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

I went off the OK list and bought a few things from the CVS clearance - spent about $5 out of pocket. I regret buying the nail polish I got - it was a glittery Milani and all the glitter sunk to the bottom... I also got Sally Hansen nail strips and they took me an hour to figure out how to use them then they immediately lifted off.

It was a sign
Can you return them for instore credit or are clearance items non returnable?

It's December 28th and I have managed to only spend the $20 I mentioned before on essentials. nothing more. Granted, I spent like $300 on presents for other people, but that I had been planning for since basically this summer, and otherwise I've stayed true to my goals. Woop woop! Also, now I get to start planning my low-buy for 2014 which I have decided to make into a very selective low-buy, and my first (and second) purchase of the year will be a few hakuhodo brushes. I think I have already "learned" enough about makeup and its application that I feel now is a good time to actually invest in good tools. I'll be keeping any makeup related items for when there are sales, since I already have a bunch to go through, and until then, keep on using up what I already have.

 
DUDES!!!!!!!!! I posted earlier that I had finished two nail polishes in November. Now........I have finished FIVE more!!!!! They are all full-size as well! Three colors, two glitters and a basecoat. YAY!!!!!!!

 
So I caught an awful cold this weekend and I tried to do some online shopping via my phone. Thank goodness I was too delirious to figure out sleek and Anika's websites to actually make an purchase.

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

So I caught an awful cold this weekend and I tried to do some online shopping via my phone. Thank goodness I was too delirious to figure out sleek and Anika's websites to actually make an purchase.
I hope you get well soon! 

 
I hope you get well soon! 
Click to expand...
Thank you!! On a different note - I just cancelled Ipsy, it was only contributing to my problem of stuff I use once or twice and then never again.
 
Quote: Originally Posted by katielp /img/forum/go_quote.gif


Thank you!!

On a different note - I just cancelled Ipsy, it was only contributing to my problem of stuff I use once or twice and then never again.

Aww, congrats! That's a good idea. I actually have been on the waitlist for about 2 months now, and I'm trying to decide between just cancelling (since I'm sure most of the products I receive I won't use, and I'm trying to do cruelty-free products from now on) and keeping it until I get one month just to see.....

But I may just cancel it too.... what should I do? I guess I know the answer, but somehow can't seem to pass up the cheap thrill of it. There is a vegan beauty box, but it's much more expensive, and I just can't bring myself to subscribe.

On another note, I did not do well for my no buy in December.

First of all, I purchased the UD N3 palette with $15 off, but then I sold it on ebay and made my money back plus some.

Then at Big Lots I got myself a natural nail brush and a Sephora by OPI nail polish in 'Dear Diary'.

Then I purchased a Unii palette (with Christmas money) because it was on sale for $24. Got it for $28 total, including shipping.

Then, to fill my Unii palette to my dream specifications, I had to purchase a smaller pan of bronzer, a powder highlight, and some powder eyebrow cakes because I broke my Amy Head one that I was trying to depot. :( /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> (So, that's $5 for the bronzer, $20 for a palette which has eyeshadows and a powder highlight, including a matte dark shadow I can use for powder eyeliner), $6 for the eyebrow powder. 

Then to get free shipping with that stuff to fill my palette, I added some makeup remover and shea butter, which added $8 and $15, respectively.

At least I sold my green trench coat on Ebay for $25... not much, but every little bit helps.

Then, I purchased my Paula's Choice skincare system for $135 because I'm running out of  my current skincare items, and I'm going cruelty-free for the new year.

Then, I needed to get an eyelash curler, and had a coupon of 10% off and free shipping, plus a free sample at dermstore.com, so I got my Japonesque professional eyelash curler for $12.52 shipped.

So, basically....... I'm broke from all that plus the holidays (gifts, special food items, shipping for said gifts, gas money for visits, postage for cards).

Now ..... I'm going to really work to be as frugal as possible. It's just so hard. What is wrong with  me? Goddddddogggit!!! I need help. I used to be so frugal, what happened?

It's as if once you start letting yourself buy things for yourself, it gets easier and more fun and then you just go off the deep end. I need to find another way to spend my time.

Help!

I'm going to try to list a couple of makeup products for trade/sell here. Any tips in particular on doing that?

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

DUDES!!!!!!!!!

I posted earlier that I had finished two nail polishes in November. Now........I have finished FIVE more!!!!! They are all full-size as well! Three colors, two glitters and a basecoat. YAY!!!!!!!
Good job!!! I need to work on finishing up some polishes but that was a lot easier when I had a lot less!
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Woop woop! way to go @saycrackagain! Going out with a bang this year :D /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> 

Can you guys believe the year's only got a day left?! ugh my year went by too fast.

On that note, I went ahead and created January's thread, so we can all smoothly migrate there after tomorrow :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Not sure if anyone else will be on considering the celebrations, but I certainly will be getting the fizzy out with my hubby! 

https://www.makeuptalk.com/t/140018/january-2014-no-low-buy-thread

 

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