December 2014 Low-Buy/No-Buy: Hugs, Commiseration, Confessional, and Holiday Snacks!

[eastofthesun]

I finally finished my Sephora shopping for the year!

Spoiler

using the $25 off $50 reward card.

No more buying from those jerky magical creatures until my 100-day no-buy is up.

Spoiler

coincidentally right around when Chic Week at Sephora starts.

I'm proud to say I didn't go more than $1 over the amount that qualified me for the coupon I had, and I only got useful, utilitarian things, like deodorant and hair brushes, hahah!

Anyway, my last purchases for the year remain the same as my post above listed. Now I just wait and settle in for the 100-day no-buy!!!!

 

[annatomical]

I purchased nothing on Black Friday sales.  The Bay had an interesting gift with $90+ purchase and I resisted the urge to buy anything though it was tempting.  That said I also stayed away from electronics, clothes, shoes, and everything else for Black Friday.

This month I bought roughly $100 worth of products for myself on the Cyber Monday sale from Bare Escentuals and these items are due to arrive any day - I caved and made only one Cyber Monday purchase and this was it.  I can forgive myself for only spending $100 on Cyber Monday even if it was beauty-related especially since the items I purchased I wanted for some time and I am certain they will be used and used regularly.

I had store credits from Wantable I redeemed all of it then paid less than a buck for a makeup box of product including shipping - this box is due to arrive early next week and I have zero plans to get anything else from Wantable in the foreseeable future - having used the store credits I don't feel as though there is any unfinished business with Wantable.  Also, if I don't like any or all of the products in this box I will simply drop it/them off at a women's shelter - its a win/win scenario.

Since I received a discount code for $15 off a purchase over $50 from Sephora I purchased two items (Perfume and Glam Glow) as Christmas gifts for family - redeemed all my points for three totally decent deluxe samples (including a Debra Lippman polish, Benefit Watts Up, and Smashbox Lip Gloss) - Sephora can keep my last 9 points.  The products purchased are Christmas gifts and the deluxe samples from points are for me.  I don't plan to make any more purchases from Sephora in the foreseeable future.  I would have ignored the $15 discount code  if I didn't have gifts to buy.  Though having redeemed the vast majority of my points I don't feel as though there's any unfinished business with Sephora - definitely a good thing! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Last month I cancelled Lip Factory and will be receiving my last box inside the next week or two.  I will keep what I like and donate the rest because I don't want to have a stash including things I don't like or won't use.  My Ipsy bag definitely excites me still and I am going to keep getting Topbox for the foreseeable future.  Both subs I'm keeping on a go forward basis are inexpensive and I definitely enjoy them.  I see them as a cheaper and easier way to try new things than shopping.  

I can't see myself needing any cosmetics or beauty-related items for at least three to six months - probably longer.  Since my birthday isn't until March - I am going to do my best to curb the urge to shop until my birthday then spend no more than $100 on myself - which may or may not be a beauty-related purchase - if it is beauty-related it will be product I am running low on.  The challenge will be avoiding boxing day sales and sales in January.  That said I need to keep focused on my goals for the big picture - finishing the program I am taking in school in Spring 2015, taking classes to complete a different program in Fall/Winter 2015, then buying myself a bigger house in my desired neighbourhood after which is realistic inside the next six to twelve months if all goes according to plan, and finally I want to get myself a newer vehicle after buy my next house.  Working on the post-secondary education will definitely boost my earning power in the foreseeable future.  I have lived in my current home for too long and I feel as though I have outgrown it.  My vehicle is getting old and I feel as though its time for a change sooner than later.  I am getting an planned pay increase in Fall 2015 so that is when I will begin my search for my next home and I have a very clear idea of what I want so I expect the decision will be relatively easy once I find the right place.  That said the more items I can use, purge, or donate in the interim - the easier my move will be!   /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

None of my big goals are going to come to fruition if I spend my money like an idiot.

 

[saku]

subbing /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[jaylilee]

no purchases so far! well, that's a lie, I placed my orders for my husband's christmas presents, but those had been accounted for a long time ago and the budget had been set in place.

For anything for me, though, not a single purchase! 

 

[eastofthesun]

no purchases so far! well, that's a lie, I placed my orders for my husband's christmas presents, but those had been accounted for a long time ago and the budget had been set in place.

For anything for me, though, not a single purchase! 

Great job, Jaylilee!!

Aside from the last Sephora purchase I made for this year, I haven't made a single purchase for myself this month yet, excluding some food I bought yesterday and some chewing gum I got to help me kick the habit I have of picking at my cuticles.

One thing about those other planned purchases I had for this month:

Spoiler

My VS secret reward card was- surprise of surprises- just for $10. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> In my heart of hearts, I was really hoping I'd hit the $500 jackpot and get to buy myself tons of bras, pjs, and yoga pants! Oh well, I have the card plus a $10 off $30 purchase, so I'm going to the store to either A) Pick out a pair of panties and just pay $0.50 for them, or B) If I can find something I need, like some camisoles, or PJs, that equals about $30, I'll see if I can stack my $10 off $30 coupon with my reward card of $10, to get a $30 item for $10. If not, just the panties.

About my B&BW planned candle purchase, I am not sure about that- I planned to get 4 3-wick candles, with coupons that would make it 4 for the price of 1, but I'm not certain I really should- I mean, it really helps me relax, and I'll be using them during my new Sunday destress spa session, and they help my room not smell like cat food, but right now they just have a bunch of Christmas scents, and I'm not sure..... we'll see how this pans out!

That's all the updates for now! Going strong so far!!!!!

Here are some cute Christmas tree pita snacks for everyone!

 

[subbes]

Super cute!

Today I browsed to Amazon and start loading up the cart with things.  Because I knew that I was on a no-buy for myself, I loaded it up with "just in case" gifts like mugs and gift cards that I could stash in a drawer and pull out when I needed them for a birthday etc.

I caught myself before I checked out.  I was feeling anxious and depressed, and shopping was an attempt at self-soothing and a distraction from my mood.  

Realistically, if ever I need to get someone a gift I will have plenty of warning and time to find just the right thing rather than scrabbling in the Drawer Of Misfit Presents for something generic!

Need to find a better self-soothing technique.  It used to be smoking, but I gave up years ago.  I've heard others recommend self-care like using lotion but there's only so many times I can use hand lotion before I slide right off the keyboard!  Any ideas?

 

[nolongerhere1723]

Super cute!

Today I browsed to Amazon and start loading up the cart with things.  Because I knew that I was on a no-buy for myself, I loaded it up with "just in case" gifts like mugs and gift cards that I could stash in a drawer and pull out when I needed them for a birthday etc.

I caught myself before I checked out.  I was feeling anxious and depressed, and shopping was an attempt at self-soothing and a distraction from my mood.  

Realistically, if ever I need to get someone a gift I will have plenty of warning and time to find just the right thing rather than scrabbling in the Drawer Of Misfit Presents for something generic!

Need to find a better self-soothing technique.  It used to be smoking, but I gave up years ago.  I've heard others recommend self-care like using lotion but there's only so many times I can use hand lotion before I slide right off the keyboard!  Any ideas?

Tea and youtube videos (particularly project pan or destashing ones! Or ones about palettes or products I already have) are my two favorite immediate self-soothing techniques when I am feeling that "buy" urge! Less immediate ones include pampering like you said (baths, masks, etc.), swatching my stash, and exercise (this just helps generally with my mood and anxiety). If all else fails, I just open up my "inventory" spreadsheet and make myself go into a guilt spiral for all I already have...though I would not recommend that approach!

 

[TooMuchElectric]

I love how in the process of typing out a really long comment, I realized how enabler-y my logic is and that a no-buy would be a really really good thing for me.

Receiving things in the mail is so fun, though. Maybe I should just start sending letters to people all the time.

 

[recklesslysober]

Super cute!

Today I browsed to Amazon and start loading up the cart with things. Because I knew that I was on a no-buy for myself, I loaded it up with "just in case" gifts like mugs and gift cards that I could stash in a drawer and pull out when I needed them for a birthday etc.

I caught myself before I checked out. I was feeling anxious and depressed, and shopping was an attempt at self-soothing and a distraction from my mood.

Realistically, if ever I need to get someone a gift I will have plenty of warning and time to find just the right thing rather than scrabbling in the Drawer Of Misfit Presents for something generic!

Need to find a better self-soothing technique. It used to be smoking, but I gave up years ago. I've heard others recommend self-care like using lotion but there's only so many times I can use hand lotion before I slide right off the keyboard! Any ideas?

Not sure if this will help since it's not really a response to the question you asked, but I hope it does!

What has made the biggest difference for me has been dealing with the underlying issues rather than trying to fit in new coping mechanisms. I used to self-soothe with food, then it was clothing, then makeup. It never made it any better, just made me feel guilty.

Now if I get anxious or depressed I actually open myself up to genuinely feeling the emotions rather than covering them up. Then I try to figure out if I can resolve them naturally. Once I know what I'm feeling and why, I can make adjustments. If I'm stressed, I make a list of everything that's bothering me so I can see it all on paper. If there's something I can finish, delegate, or otherwise get off the list I do that. Then I tackle the rest and try to accept that some of the things I can't change. If I'm depressed, I look for ways to address my general well-being: lots of water, fruits and vegetables, sleep, exercise, making sure my apartment is clean and free of clutter, surrounding myself with positive people and trying to have a positive mindset. All of these things have so much more of an impact than we think and even changing one thing at a time can really help bring you out of a slump.

I've definitely noticed a huge change in myself after really facing where my shopping problems come from (usually stress) and trying to fix the underlying issues. It's a total 180 in the past few months.

Now to answer your self-soothing question: I like to do my nails, I take fitness classes (make sure it's something you really enjoy so it doesn't feel like a chore), do yoga, read, watch old favorite shows, play video games, make jewelry (insert creative hobby of your choice), make plans with friends. Meditation is great too or other techniques like writing down the things that you're really happy about to re-direct your focus.

Hope that helped somewhat.. Ps. Congrats on quitting smoking! My partner used to smoke too and that accomplishment cannot be overstated!

 

[subbes]

Two purchases for myself this week, both quasi-allowed:

Spoiler

1:  A tiny low-wattage heater for under my desk.  A necessary item for personal wellbeing: the office is kept chilly, and by lunchtime I can't feel my toes and my feet hurt.

2:  A cellphone case for my work cell.  Allowed because work will reimburse me.

@@recklesslysober thanks for the post.  Interesting that you talk about feeling the emotions:  you know how the cultural indoctrination goes: "everyone should feel good all the time! if you feel any discomfort, there's something wrong with you, but you can buy this $ITEM that will make it all better, right now!"  

It's amazing how ingrained that message is into the media we consume every day.

 

[recklesslysober]

Two purchases for myself this week, both quasi-allowed:

Spoiler

1: A tiny low-wattage heater for under my desk. A necessary item for personal wellbeing: the office is kept chilly, and by lunchtime I can't feel my toes and my feet hurt.

2: A cellphone case for my work cell. Allowed because work will reimburse me.

@@recklesslysober thanks for the post. Interesting that you talk about feeling the emotions: you know how the cultural indoctrination goes: "everyone should feel good all the time! if you feel any discomfort, there's something wrong with you, but you can buy this $ITEM that will make it all better, right now!"

It's amazing how ingrained that message is into the media we consume every day.

Yes! Not only that, but the media makes us feel the discomfort in the first place by portraying unattainable ideals for us to struggle to live up to in all areas of our lives.. and then sells us things that are supposed to magically solve all of our problems. Well, it's not working for anyone except the people making the $ off of our unhealthy coping mechanisms. It's okay to feel sad, or stressed, or uncomfortable.. it's only human. In fact I think it's a good thing to be emotional and I wish it was more acceptable. Social media makes it worse too because we only see people presenting the highlight reel of their lives.

Even just taking 10 minutes a day to sit down and be alone with your thoughts and feelings can make a huge difference in your well-being. As a society we really need to make mental health a priority.

 

[jaylilee]

Mid month and I already feel like ive spent my life savings on christmas gifts... UGHHHHH.

No new makeup for me, still, but all that money has now gone towards buying stuff for others (and i caved and bought a few drawing pencils...)

can the holidays be over?

 

[Margiee]

I suck this month. I need to reign myself in so badly. Just ergh.

 

[Kristine Walker]

 I got one thing for myself this month. I used my $25 PSMH code to order some stationary from Tiny Prints. My total was $24.40, so all I paid was $5.99 shipping cost. It has been years since I bought myself any stationary and I couldn't resist a free set.

 

[slinka]

I've been so good you guys. I made pretend carts on black friday/cyber Monday (I'll be the first to admit I stock up on stuff for myself while getting presents for others...lol) but did not pull the trigger. I just used my sephora gift card they sent me on my sister, but got samples for myself. But that totally doesn't count since y'know...free samples lol. Stay strong during this horrible, horrible season.

 

[jaylilee]

I'm just going to sit here and whine about how I want the holidays to be over because......

Spoiler

I keep receiving emails from ebates about all these sales plus cash back, and bobbi brown has a 20% off everything going on and I want stuff... but can't buy anything.

.

Sigh. 

 

[eastofthesun]

I love how in the process of typing out a really long comment, I realized how enabler-y my logic is and that a no-buy would be a really really good thing for me.

Receiving things in the mail is so fun, though. Maybe I should just start sending letters to people all the time.

I've been enabling myself like crazy lately!!!! Yeah, I love the idea about sending letters!

Not sure if this will help since it's not really a response to the question you asked, but I hope it does!

What has made the biggest difference for me has been dealing with the underlying issues rather than trying to fit in new coping mechanisms. I used to self-soothe with food, then it was clothing, then makeup. It never made it any better, just made me feel guilty.

Now if I get anxious or depressed I actually open myself up to genuinely feeling the emotions rather than covering them up. Then I try to figure out if I can resolve them naturally. Once I know what I'm feeling and why, I can make adjustments. If I'm stressed, I make a list of everything that's bothering me so I can see it all on paper. If there's something I can finish, delegate, or otherwise get off the list I do that. Then I tackle the rest and try to accept that some of the things I can't change. If I'm depressed, I look for ways to address my general well-being: lots of water, fruits and vegetables, sleep, exercise, making sure my apartment is clean and free of clutter, surrounding myself with positive people and trying to have a positive mindset. All of these things have so much more of an impact than we think and even changing one thing at a time can really help bring you out of a slump.

I've definitely noticed a huge change in myself after really facing where my shopping problems come from (usually stress) and trying to fix the underlying issues. It's a total 180 in the past few months.

Now to answer your self-soothing question: I like to do my nails, I take fitness classes (make sure it's something you really enjoy so it doesn't feel like a chore), do yoga, read, watch old favorite shows, play video games, make jewelry (insert creative hobby of your choice), make plans with friends. Meditation is great too or other techniques like writing down the things that you're really happy about to re-direct your focus.

Hope that helped somewhat.. Ps. Congrats on quitting smoking! My partner used to smoke too and that accomplishment cannot be overstated!

You are so wise! I love that you wrote this, and I want to keep coming back to it and reminding myself about it!

Yes! Not only that, but the media makes us feel the discomfort in the first place by portraying unattainable ideals for us to struggle to live up to in all areas of our lives.. and then sells us things that are supposed to magically solve all of our problems. Well, it's not working for anyone except the people making the $ off of our unhealthy coping mechanisms. It's okay to feel sad, or stressed, or uncomfortable.. it's only human. In fact I think it's a good thing to be emotional and I wish it was more acceptable. Social media makes it worse too because we only see people presenting the highlight reel of their lives.

Even just taking 10 minutes a day to sit down and be alone with your thoughts and feelings can make a huge difference in your well-being. As a society we really need to make mental health a priority.

Big time AMEN to the part that I bolded. So right and so good to remember!

I'm just going to sit here and whine about how I want the holidays to be over because......

Spoiler

I keep receiving emails from ebates about all these sales plus cash back, and bobbi brown has a 20% off everything going on and I want stuff... but can't buy anything.

.

Sigh. 

Hey, just think how good you're being and how strong your willpower muscles are getting!

I, on the other hand, I have not been so good. *cries*

Spoiler

When I went to make my planned purchase at VS, I was supposed to only get what my secret reward card was worth. Well, it was only $10. I had a $10 off $30 coupon too, which I was lead to believe could be stacked...So I was picking out a pair of panties .... but then  I saw  a gorgeous bra that I had been kind of wanting... and it was on sale from $72 to $39, and with my $10 off card plus my stacked $10 off $30 coupon, I could get it for $19. So I looked for my size, but they didn't have it, but that didn't stop me. Oh no, I grabbed a ton of sizes close to it and decided to try them on. The one that fit me the best? 32D. I'm normally a 34B, so I was so stoked to fit into a D. So I enabled myself to get it because it was awesome, on sale, and a D!!!!

But I still didn't stop there. Oh no, I found a pair of matching panties and had to get those, and also I found a pair of leopard print panties that perfectly match another VS bra I have, so I had to get those too. I found out at checkout that the coupons couldn't be stacked, but I separated my orders. My total spending at VS: $42 instead of $0.50. How awful is that?

And so I told myself I would just have to either return the bra and panties or not allow myself the planned purchase at Bath and Body Works. However, I didn't return the bra, and not only that I also did buy candles at the B&BW sale. So I spent $22 at B&BW.

So that's for my planned purchases. But guess what! It doesn't stop there. OH NO, see the pattern? I don't stop. I am out of control. So I found out that if you got a reward card from Sephora, you could use it online and you could use it again at a Sephora inside JCP. So, since I got my last order, it had an eye cream sample in it that I started trying, and loved. Then, I decided I shouldn't waste the coupon since I'm about to go on a no buy, so I bought the freaking eye cream at SiJCP to use my code again. I'm terrible!!! It was a $72 eyecream that I got $20 off of, so spent $52. *cries* It wasn't great, but I still got 27% off, so that's good if I were going to need to buy an eyecream during my 100-day no-buy, which I was.

So, don't feel bad. I just went $94 over my budget, and I still haven't finished Christmas shopping for other people. <_< :soap:

 

[katielp]

I got an email from Sephora that I'm $36 away from making vib. This is the first time since the program started that I won't make it. I'm so happy that I have no desire to just buy something to get there like I did in previous years. New goal? Be even further away from making it next year!! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[Jenn10]

I got an email from Sephora that I'm $36 away from making vib. This is the first time since the program started that I won't make it. I'm so happy that I have no desire to just buy something to get there like I did in previous years. New goal? Be even further away from making it next year!! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

That is super awesome accomplishment! You should have a celebration dance  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I had a hiccup after I posted here that I will be on low-buy in December, 

Spoiler

I bought Too Faced semi-sweet chocolate bar palette

, but other than that, I have been good-- I am not restricting myself and bf eating out too much, we love food and our motivation for keeping up with workouts seem to be food. I have just been conscious about how often it happens, and if I do have time for cooking myself, I do it telling myself I would eat takeout "next time".

I am focusing on some skin care body care products I want to use up before the new years eve-- I only have products I like at this moment, and I am reminding myself of how enjoyable use up tasks are when you only buy things you love-- it sounds like no brainer, but I think it's important to remember how I feel right now and just keep in mind in future when I am considering purchase.

Hope everyone is going strong! 

 

[TooMuchElectric]

Someone mentioned on another thread that they had to stop reading the no/low buy threads because everyone's exceptions or "I'm not allowed to spend except on this specific upcoming sale" were too enabling.

It was a bit of a wake-up call for me. I know I use enabler logic to justify my purchases, and I'm going to make an effort to stop. Or at the very least, to put it in the enabler thread where it belongs. Talking about specific hauls is not helpful for me, and it's possibly harmful for others in the forum. I know people are really good about using spoiler tags, but please consider your phrasing. Something like "I found an exceptionally good sale on an item I've been saving for" is less enabling than "I used my $20 off Sephora VIB code to buy Naked 8 and I don't even feel bad because it's amazing" (I use that example because the sale is over now and girl, seriously, you do not need that many different neutral palettes). Let's help each other here.