January 1 2015, 100 Day No Buy Challenge

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Thank you Kristine!

I have been waiting for a New Year No Buy to follow and this one is genius. I will follow Kristine's five part plan exactly.

I think this is genius because:

100 days is long enough to do some good, but not so long as to cause burnout

When we finish it will be spring and all will be new, and we will have a great time to celebrate

Using nice products daily and keeping current beauty subs will allow us some positive rewards

I think this project will help me because:

1. I have a LOT of consumer debt. I have been out of control charging the last few months. I charged the Estee Lauder Holiday Blockbuster, and then Black Friday/Cyber Monday at Sephora. That triggered major Sephora bingeing continuing into the Merry Minis Advent promotion. I spent $350 at Sephora since Black Friday - enough to make me a VIB - and I never shopped there before. And it was all put on charge cards.

2. I hoard and hoard and never use nice things. In fact, I never use any of my skin care and makeup, and have no beauty routine. All I do is shower (I will use my scented shower gels anyway), wash my hair twice a week, and brush teeth and use deodorant. But I continue to buy and hoard. I grew up feeling so ugly and I wanted so badly to find a nice beauty routine for myself and know how to look good. So I began searching and trying things. Along the way the shopping became an end in itself and I lost sight of the original goal. I guess I gave up on it but the shopping habit remained and got worse and worse.

3. I never can enjoy beauty subs. I will sub and unsub and look for other subs, always trying to find the perfect one. Birchbox people emailed me a few times to ask why I sub, unsub, then sub again within a short period of time! During Black Friday I subbed to Glossybox for a year. Jan Birchbox is paid for, and I just joined Ipsy waitlist. I may unsub from Birchbox during this time as they have a lot of promotions to trigger buying - though my Dec box is beautiful. I think this no buy can actually help me stick to and benefit from nice subs instead of compulsively sub hopping! I kind of want the Mugler Addict sub this year too. After Jan 1 I can keep what subs I have at that time but no new ones.

Additional ideas:

I have not used the nice new things I bought recently. I will wait to Jan 1 to begin using them. I will use old stuff these last two weeks.

My birthday is between Christmas and New Year so that is good timing for a "last fling."

Sephora has a "Beauty Bag' that lets one see one's purchases laid out with photos. That is a good reference.

I will set up all my new stuff as pretty as possible and clean my room for Jan 1. My room will be like a store.

I need to use perfume at home just to enjoy it. I am not allowed to wear any at work. But I hoard it anyway.

Come soon, New Years Eve!

 
 Another thing has been circling my brain, similar to not using my nice things. I've spent my life so far waiting for "some day".

 Some day, when I've lost xx pounds I'm going to __ (fill in the blank)

 Some day, when I can fit in size x , I'm going to ___

  Some day, when I am finally pretty, I will be ___

Some day, when I have loads of money, I'm going to ___

  Oh the years I have wasted worrying over such shallow, petty things!  Don't live your life waiting for some day.

 Some day is now!

 
EdithS2 said:
I think this is genius because:

100 days is long enough to do some good, but not so long as to cause burnout

When we finish it will be spring and all will be new, and we will have a great time to celebrate

Using nice products daily and keeping current beauty subs will allow us some positive rewards

Come soon, New Years Eve!
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I agree- I think you're right about 100 days being short enough to be doable, but also long enough to give us a good challenge and to do some good in our finances.

Also, I'm finding myself wishing January 1 was here too! Hahaha!

Kristine Walker said:
 Another thing has been circling my brain, similar to not using my nice things. I've spent my life so far waiting for "some day".

 Some day, when I've lost xx pounds I'm going to __ (fill in the blank)

 Some day, when I can fit in size x , I'm going to ___

  Some day, when I am finally pretty, I will be ___

Some day, when I have loads of money, I'm going to ___

  Oh the years I have wasted worrying over such shallow, petty things!  Don't live your life waiting for some day.

 Some day is now!
Click to expand...
I'm so guilty of waiting for someday. Really, really bad. In the words of Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Someday never comes." It's always going to be 'today', when you think about it.

 
I totally want to join this! For me, it's not that I don't use my products. I wear a full face everyday and use all sorts of skin care products and perfume, and I always do my nails. It's just that I have so much stuff, and I'm the only one using it! I just love trying new things, and I have a hard time passing something up when I find a good deal, and it's something I want and need. I'm kind of a coupon hunter, so I tend to find a lot of good deals, thus leading to a lot of products. I just would like fewer things.

 
That being said, I do think I'm pretty good at keeping frivolous spending to a minimum besides beauty products. I rarely go out to eat, I don't eat junk food, I don't visit drink places like Starbucks, I'm not big on items for the home, I rarely purchase new clothing, etc. So here are my rules:
 
1) Continue to do well on non-beauty-related frivolous spending.
 
2) Absolutely no beauty related spending. I have so many backups I will not need backups of anything, so that's not an excuse. This includes: makeup, skincare, haircare and nail polish. I don't care much about nail polish or haircare. I'm most in danger from makeup and a good skincare deal!
 
3) My no-spend will last 100 days or until Sephora's Chic Week.
 
4) I do have a year long subscription to Ipsy that was a gift to me that I will continue to receive. I'm never tempted to actually purchase any of the products but if I am for some reason I will resist!
 
I realized that telling myself I'm just going to dive into a no-buy is a lot like telling yourself not to procrastinate during your senior year. So, I thought I would break it into baby steps and deadlines:

  1. After Christmas- Inventory all makeup items and create a goal number of items to have in my collection
  2. List out my HG and staple items so I cannot justify purchasing other things. 
  3. Specifically single out item types I would like to find my favorite of and be done with (ex: moisturizer, dry shampoo) and keep track of what I've used and what I like the most. 
  4. Unsubscribe from most if not all of my mailing lists
  5. Create makeup looks for myself for different occasions, this might help out when I start to struggle with not buying products
  6. Build a wish list of everything I want to buy and their costs. Seeing the money add up will deter me from purchasing, and if I still want a specific product in April then I can go ahead and buy it. 
The list might update, but that's all for now. Also, if anyone wants to be support buddies, that might help a lot.

 
I am in except I will be doing a low-buy instead of a no-buy. I feel like if I tell myself it's a no-buy and I break down and buy something, I will just give up. Or I will last 100 days and then buy a bunch of stuff on day 101. Neither is a very good outcome. Instead, my goals are to:

-Limit my purchases. Don't buy something just to buy something, or just because it's a "good deal."

-Think before I buy- Do I really need it? Do I really want it? Do I have something like it already? Will it work with my current makeup?

-Focus on what I already have. Let's be real, I have more than enough lippies, eyeliners and samples to last me for a lifetime. Rediscover old favorites or use what I have in new ways.

-Create an actual budget. For the most part, I buy what I want and if I think I'm spending too much, I take a break. I need to create a budget and keep track of exactly what I'm spending. And most importantly, stick to it.

-Create goals to use up what I have. Go through my samples and makeup and focus on specific items and work on using them up (especially for eyeliner- I really don't need that many).

I have spent way too much money recently (vacation and Christmas) so I really need to take a step back. This is a great way to do that!

 
greendaisy said:
I realized that telling myself I'm just going to dive into a no-buy is a lot like telling yourself not to procrastinate during your senior year. So, I thought I would break it into baby steps and deadlines:

  1. After Christmas- Inventory all makeup items and create a goal number of items to have in my collection
  2. List out my HG and staple items so I cannot justify purchasing other things. 
  3. Specifically single out item types I would like to find my favorite of and be done with (ex: moisturizer, dry shampoo) and keep track of what I've used and what I like the most. 
  4. Unsubscribe from most if not all of my mailing lists
  5. Create makeup looks for myself for different occasions, this might help out when I start to struggle with not buying products
  6. Build a wish list of everything I want to buy and their costs. Seeing the money add up will deter me from purchasing, and if I still want a specific product in April then I can go ahead and buy it. 
The list might update, but that's all for now. Also, if anyone wants to be support buddies, that might help a lot.
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Girl, every single one of your ideas is ON POINT! Very smart lady, you are!!!!

I want to copy off you, hahaha! I think I'll definitely be doing lots of what you listed out.

I think this 100-day no-buy is going to be really important to all of us because we all have the same start and end date, we're all going through this together, and if we keep it up, we'll realize just how much stuff we NEED or WANT we actually get sick of down the line. I'm excited for all of us!

I just want to remind everyone that we have 11 days left before our no-buy begins. Let's make sure we're all ready!

 
I'm pledging. I just went away for a week on vacation and when I returned yesterday many of my BF/CM orders had arrived along with subscription boxes. It was a little like Christmas but I was also very relieved most places aren't printing the amount you spent on those invoices. The number of boxes was insanity and so many products!

Here are my personal rules for 100+ days. I plan to begin today because I know if I set it for some future date then I'm going to go a little consumer crazy in advance which would be very bad. Mine is going to be more general low-buy and not strictly cosmetics. I'll end with the same Sephora Chic Week though.

  1. Existing subscriptions can stay but if I get a lousy box then I cancel. (Particularly important for Fancy boxes.) Any subscriptions prompting for monthly cancellations must be cancelled unless I cannot do without it. (I'm pretty good about that already.)
     
  2. I'm allowed to purchase cleansers, moisturizers, eye creams if I run out and don't have any in my stash that cooperate with my skin. (My skin is finicky.) If I discover nothing cooperates then I must purge those other items from my stash. 
     
  3. In the same line with makeup I am allowed to purchase a tinted moisturizer, a setting powder, and a mineral foundation if I run out. (Again, skin is awfully finicky so I don't have many options.) 
     
  4. If I lose the only two brow products I own then I can repurchase them. This is unlikely since I don't generally lose stuff. 
     
  5. Absolutely no purchasing any other makeup products or tools, including mascara, eye liners, eye shadow primers, eye shadows (I have 4 brand new palettes sitting on my dresser now), all sorts of lip products, etc. 
     
  6. No purchasing any new hair products (I should have enough to last me) other than hair spray (which may run out).
     
  7. NO GENERAL PURCHASES! There are no items I must have (barring exceptions below). 

EXCEPTIONS:

  1. Travel situations (e.g., if I fly somewhere and realize I forgot mascara then I can buy a good drugstore option). Only applies to key items.
     
  2. Summer clothes, which are something I desperately need. I'll make an effort to budget for this. 
     
  3. A new suitcase; since the spinners on mine are almost shot. This depends on if I travel a long distance before the 100+ days is up. 
     
  4. Personal care stuff like soap, body wash, deodorant, etc. after I have either exhausted or purged what is in my stash. 
     
  5. If I return an item then I am allowed to buy a replacement. (E.g., if I realize my Luna isn't working for me I can exchange it for a different variation or similar product. No hoarding the money and spending it on more eyeshadow though!) 
     
  6. Any products required to treat medical issues (like eczema or a really bad acne flare up), assuming I don't already own something appropriate.
     
  7. Any intimates (like bras/underwear/tights/camis/socks) but only if I purge at least one product for each I buy. 
     
  8. Any household items that break and I have no other option than replacing them. 
     
  9. Gifts for others.
     
  10. Food, household supplies, etc. However, I'm going to try to be more proactive about this and buy what I know I'll be using and make an effort to use produce before it goes bad. 
     
  11. Swaps are fine in the sense that I only spend money on packaging & shipping.
Some strategies (apologies for this long post):

  • Keep track of all cosmetics in my spreadsheet. I started it to keep track of expiration dates but I think I'll go through and update it to include every product. This way I know when/if I used an item. I'll check the spreadsheet once I use up an item so I can make a more educated "this is a good replacement" decision than just rummaging through drawers. 
     
  • UNSUBSCRIBE FROM ALL PROMOTIONAL EMAILS AND BLOGS! This is huge; even if I have them sent to another folder I'll still track them down and start wanting to buy something. And the blogs, particularly for a subscription box lover, just kill my budget. Only exception is Tatcha since I promised my mom I would watch it for her but this one is low risk for me. 
     
  • Organize my makeup better so I can actually see what I have available for use. This is really difficult for me because I don't have a lot of space and I prefer these items to be tucked into drawers. I may end up clearing out a much larger dresser drawer so I can make everything more visible. 
     
  • I'm allowed one splurge a month which I'll track; this can be a cosmetics order or any other type of splurge including one-off subscription boxes (special editions or anything really easy to cancel like Fancy or Wantable). I know if I tell myself outright that I can't buy anything for 100+ days then I'm going to give up out of sheer frustration at telling myself "no". (Tricky to explain but maybe you all understand?) On the other hand, if I allow it then chances are I might not even take the opportunity. 
Those are my commitments! Scary but I'm excited to quit this shopping habit.

 
 I am so happy to see how many have pledged to do this! I'm getting more and more excited and counting the days until we start.

  I want to use my 100 days to see how many dupes of high-ends I have in my drugstore stash. I also want to see how many of the same colors of lipsticks I have, so I can get it through my skull that since I own 21 mid-tone pink lipsticks, I surely do not need more of that color , for example.

  Some one had made the suggestion of celebrating every  ten days, and I love that idea. So thinking of it as ten sets of ten days I believe will be easier mentally.

  I need to be more diligent about the Monday Club, my stash needs the frequent rotation so it gets used, and shopping my own stash is actually fun!

 
Kristine Walker said:
 I need to be more diligent about the Monday Club, my stash needs the frequent rotation so it gets used, and shopping my own stash is actually fun!
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I've never done the Monday Club but just looked it up and it's a great idea. I was previously doing something I called 18/7 where I chose 18 makeup items I could use each week. (Not counting brushes & tools.) I loved shopping my stash each week. I learned a lot from the experience as well (including which products were just not any good and had to be discarded). I don't think I would repeat it because even the regular rotation of items still left so many products untouched. I am thinking of setting up my dresser so I have a small drawer with "weekly picks" and then the rest is in a larger drawer. That way everything is accessible and can be used whenever but my morning routine is also simplified as I don't have to hunt down my favorite lip gloss. 

Edit for typo!

 
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I've been loving the break from thinking about beauty products. I kind of got overwhelmed with everything. Lately I've been moving my purchasing towards smaller brands who use more natural ingredients and are cruelty free. That really limits where I can shop.. I can't go out to the drugstore and pick up any item anymore. Same with Sephora. I've been doing most of my shopping online so I tend to be more cautious because I can't return things as easily and the shipping costs are often higher. More planning and narrowing down my list means that I tend to buy only what I'm almost certain I'll love. My last two orders like that had a 100% success rate with choosing colors and formulas that worked for me! I know this approach isn't for everyone, but picking a few brands to stick with and base my stash on has helped me limit both my purchasing and my hoarding of products.

So excited to start this challenge! I had to pick up a few staples but I would have run out of them by the end of the month anyway. I've also been enjoying focusing on other things rather than makeup shopping. I've been doing a ton of reading again and I'm trying to get back into making jewelry and knitting as hobbies. It's so refreshing and it really makes you realize how much time (both in terms of time spent browsing or shopping and time spent working for the money to make purchases) that makeup and beauty can suck out of your life. This challenge is about more than a No Buy for me, it's about becoming a more interesting, joyful person. :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
I'm joining in!! I've been meaning to do something like this for a while and I'm excited that so many people are doing this together!

My rules

1) make inventory of all products

2) no purchases except when I run out (I'm estimating eye makeup remover, toothpaste, hair spray, and mousse. That really should be all I need)

3) I'm allowed birchbox and the occasional sample society and popsugar must have box.

4) make a budget for all categories of my spending. I really want to increase my savings

 
After getting up at 3am to see the new Sephora Merry Mini Deluxe sample of the day (as has been my bad habit all month), and placing an order, I decided to have a 10 day trial run of the challenge! I will practice the new behavior during the next 10 days, but if I shop during this time all will not be lost, as I am in practice mode.

I picked out 10 items from my stash to focus on during this practice 10 day period, Dec 22-31.

Yves Rocher Blackberry Holiday Shower Gel

Yves Rocher Blackberry Holiday Shimmer Powder

Bath and Body Works Twisted Peppermint Shower Gel

Bath and Body Works Twisted Peppermint Body Lotion

December Glossybox (Nuxe mask, lipstick, Ciate Tree Trinket Polish, hand scrub, leave in conditioner) - counts as 5 items

MakeUp Forever Birthday Set from Sephora - counts as 1 item

I can use whatever else I want - these are just things I want to focus on during this period.

Will see how that goes!

 

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