May 2014 No/Low Buy: Support, Hugs, Commiseration, and Confessional

[Kristine Walker]

 Next month I will have to do better on no-buy. At last I cancelled Beauty Box 5 before I got charged, so I guess that counts for something

 

[mandithomas89]

Somehow- maybe in your post settings? There's a way to automatically subscribe to forums you post in. I need to jump back on site tutorials soon.  I have 3 weeks off of life, so maybe during then.

I couldn't find anything. I'm giving up on it for now. Thanks though! I appreciate yours and @@meaganola's help.  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[jaylilee]

 Next month I will have to do better on no-buy. At last I cancelled Beauty Box 5 before I got charged, so I guess that counts for something

it certainly is! 

 

[cumber1137]

Day 27 of my no buy and going strong!

 

[Kristine Walker]

@@cumber1137 Congrats!! Any tips you want to share?

 

[mrscollinsbaby7]

Hi ladies! =] I'm new here and I decided to check out this thread through the advice of a nice lady on here and also because I spend $160.00 on beauty products this month and feel pretty bad about it! Any advice for a no-buy beginner? Thanks ladies! =]

 

[chibimorph]

Hi ladies! =] I'm new here and I decided to check out this thread through the advice of a nice lady on here and also because I spend $160.00 on beauty products this month and feel pretty bad about it! Any advice for a no-buy beginner? Thanks ladies! =]

Welcome! Here are some things that I think other people have done... I hope they give you some ideas!

- You can try making an inventory of all of the stuff you own - seeing the numbers might make you realize that you don't need more makeup and going through your collection might remind you of things you might have forgotten. I'm actually re-inventorizing my stuff (by hand) in an attempt to resist certain sales... (not sure if I will completely succeed, but at least I'm stalling).

- The Monday Club (in the No Buy Support Forum) may also be helpful - you basically choose the products you're going to use for a week so that you can rotate through your stuff while actually getting use (one week's worth) out of them.

- You can start thinking of doing a Project Pan based on a time period (for example: focus on using certain products for 3 months to get use out of them) or by product number (for example: choose 10 products that you're going to use up or hit pan on before you let yourself buy more makeup). There's also something called a "Pan That Palette Challenge" where you basically try to hit pan on all of the shades within a palette (most people seem to give themselves a year to do this).

- Make a list of all of your purchases from the past however months with the amount of money spent... this can be depressing, though (so tread with caution).

Good luck!

I know I'm currently struggling on my own low-buy... (I feel really grateful that I'm not doing this for financial reasons, but because I don't want to be wasteful... but still, it's hard /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />  and anytime I talk to my parents they enable me and it's not like I can not call them).

 

[jesemiaud]

My goals and how I did:

My May goals will be:

Keep current subs:

• 2 birchbox (both annual; cancel 1) Yep...cancelled on. Have two annual subs
  
• Julep (probably will skip, though...already have May's box) Fail...purchased the June box
  
• Square Hue (will be cancelling after May's box...it's already been paid for) Suspended delivery, but signed up for Rainbow Honey's $10 box (savings of $10, but still...)
  

I don't think I will get a PopSugar box, but not sure. I don't know if last month was my final box in the prepaid sub I bought or if May's is gifted myself a June box with a $15 off coupon. 

No other purchases. I can ask for items for Mother's Day, but I did get the Full Bloom box from BB (with points, so $0), so I'll probably have one of the kids wrap that up for me. I may have hubby pop in to Lush and get me a couple of things. Made three Sephora orders, but they were all items that I actually needed and I got some great samples. Spent about $80.

I can replace items as needed, but I shouldn't run out of anything.

I bought new running shoes and one workout outfit last month; I'd like to get another couple things for running in May. Bought two outfits for running, but only because I didn't realize that I hadn't cancelled Fabletics and had credits for two outfits on my account. Cancelled (wow...what a hard sell they were).

Go, fight, win! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> All in all, not that successful, lol. Better than in the past, though. Baby steps!

 

[mrscollinsbaby7]

Welcome! Here are some things that I think other people have done... I hope they give you some ideas!

- You can try making an inventory of all of the stuff you own - seeing the numbers might make you realize that you don't need more things and going through your collection might remind you of things you might have forgotten. I'm actually re-inventorizing my stuff (by hand) in an attempt to resist certain sales... (not sure if I will completely succeed, but at least I'm stalling).

- The Monday Club (in the No Buy Support Forum) may also be helpful - you basically choose the products you're going to use for a week so that you can rotate through your stuff while actually getting use (one week's worth) out of them.

- You can start thinking of doing a Project Pan based on a time period (for example: focus on using certain products for 3 months to get use out of them) or by product number (for example: choose 10 products that you're going to use up or hit pan on before you let yourself by more makeup). There's also something called a "Pan That Palette Challenge" where you basically try to hit pan on all of the shades within a palette (most people seem to give themselves a year to do this).

- Make a list of all of your purchases from the past however months with the amount of money spent... this can be depressing, though (so tread with caution).

Good luck!

I know I'm currently struggling on my own low-buy... (I feel really grateful that I'm not doing this for financial reasons, but because I don't want to be wasteful... but still, it's hard /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />  and anytime I talk to my parents they enable me and it's not like I can not call them).

Thank you so much for all of this (very useful) information! =] I will definitely do the inventory list and also try to do the Monday Club =] I love those ideas! This is actually the first month I spent as much as I did and I really have never had an issue with spending on beauty products (clothing is a whole other story) until I joined Ipsy and Birchbox, which was in April. I think that may be why I'm feeling so much guilt too-because I've never spent on beauty products like this before. But it's SO tempting and addicting and so hard to resist good sales!! Or trades!! Lol the trades is what really killed me this month. I probably sent out about 25 trades and at at least $2.32 a pop, that added up quickly lol but I am definitely trying the no/low-buy and hoping for success! 

I will still keep my Ipsy and Birchbox though =] 

Once again, thank you very much for the response and the great advice and tips! =]=]

 

[jaylilee]

Welcome! Here are some things that I think other people have done... I hope they give you some ideas!

- You can try making an inventory of all of the stuff you own - seeing the numbers might make you realize that you don't need more makeup and going through your collection might remind you of things you might have forgotten. I'm actually re-inventorizing my stuff (by hand) in an attempt to resist certain sales... (not sure if I will completely succeed, but at least I'm stalling).

- The Monday Club (in the No Buy Support Forum) may also be helpful - you basically choose the products you're going to use for a week so that you can rotate through your stuff while actually getting use (one week's worth) out of them.

- You can start thinking of doing a Project Pan based on a time period (for example: focus on using certain products for 3 months to get use out of them) or by product number (for example: choose 10 products that you're going to use up or hit pan on before you let yourself buy more makeup). There's also something called a "Pan That Palette Challenge" where you basically try to hit pan on all of the shades within a palette (most people seem to give themselves a year to do this).

- Make a list of all of your purchases from the past however months with the amount of money spent... this can be depressing, though (so tread with caution).

Good luck!

I know I'm currently struggling on my own low-buy... (I feel really grateful that I'm not doing this for financial reasons, but because I don't want to be wasteful... but still, it's hard /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />  and anytime I talk to my parents they enable me and it's not like I can not call them).

I was seeing some of the pan that palette videos on youtube and...panning a whole palette seems so hardcore. like, all my other eyeshadows would miss me, I think. Even though I have so many, I really should focus on doing something similar with my (very old) Naked palette.

since telling myself that no buying makeup until i finish some items (classic project pan) always backfires on me, I am trying the second option you mentioned, which is to give myself certain items I am going to focus on using for a month to see how much progress I can make, while still giving myself the freedom of incorporation other items in conjunction with the ones I chose. Not using them on the daily is not an option, but at least it's only 30 days and they're items I always need, blush eyeliner, powder, concealer, shadow primer, etc.

 

[meaganola]

Honestly, my advice for going full-tilt at a no-buy right put the gate:  Don't.  This is really something you have to work up to with a series of ever-decreasing low-buys.  Otherwise, you haven't built up your purchase resistance muscles, and chances are very high that you will fail and fail *big*, and then you will feel so defeated that you won't even bother attempting to go on a low-buy in the future.

Instead, make a rules list.  You can get x number of items, you have a particular budget, you can get certain specific items, etc.  Put one category of item on a banned list.  If you make it through one month (assuming this is going to be a long-term life change sort of thing) without buying that item, leave it there and add another category.  Right now, my banned items are shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, blush and eyeliner.  I can buy ONE bottle/tube of the first three items when I run completely out.  I've been saying that for about a year.  I have yet to run out.  I'm allowed blush if I don't directly buy it, so subs, swaps, points/code purchases (say, Birchbox or Starlooks), and gifts are okay.  Eyeliner is not allowed unless it shows up in a sub box or as a gift (so no swaps or points/code purchases).  

And if you've never done one of these before, keep your list of rules simple while not outright banning multiple categories.  The more rules you add, the more there are to break, which means you're increasing your chance of giving up.

(But definitely join the Monday Club.  It has really opened my eyes to how much stuff I have versus how much I actually use, and there have been quite a few things that I didn't realize I loved until it was time to switch, and I decided, "Oh, I'll just roll this over to next week."  That's the sign of a keeper/staple item!  Conversely, I can't count the number of times it's only been Wednesday, and I've been ready to burn a particular item because I've realized I hate it.  That's a sign it needs to go no away ASAP no matter how much it cost or how much is left.)

 

[chibimorph]

I was seeing some of the pan that palette videos on youtube and...panning a whole palette seems so hardcore. like, all my other eyeshadows would miss me, I think. Even though I have so many, I really should focus on doing something similar with my (very old) Naked palette.

since telling myself that no buying makeup until i finish some items (classic project pan) always backfires on me, I am trying the second option you mentioned, which is to give myself certain items I am going to focus on using for a month to see how much progress I can make, while still giving myself the freedom of incorporation other items in conjunction with the ones I chose. Not using them on the daily is not an option, but at least it's only 30 days and they're items I always need, blush eyeliner, powder, concealer, shadow primer, etc.

The Youtuber who started it (Amber F) has basically almost cleared out her Naked palette - I was just like :blink:   And she keeps looking for dupes from her collection once she's finished with a Naked palette shade, it's amazing!

My personal "project pan" is really just some things that I'm focused on using - I don't use them solely (which is why I have a lot of repeat stuff in my Monday Club posts/pics). There's basics like foundation, powder, primers, etc that are constant. I have one blush that's already showing pan (my Maybelline Dream Bouncy blush in Fresh Pink), I have decided to use it every other week until half of the pan is showing (and the lower half of the pan will have a thin layer of blush so I can spray it with alcohol and throw it in my "museum" of empties... I'm strange, I know h34r: /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> ).

For eyeshadow, my overall goal is to hit pan (not completely use up) all of the shades in my Maybelline 8 Pan palette in Sunbaked Neutrals. I have already hit pan on 1 shade, and I'm close to hitting pan on another shade. My method is actually to focus on one eyeshadow at a time and not necessarily the whole palette. So, for example, I'm currently focusing on a gold-ish shade. I try to use that shade 2-3 times in a week matched with the rest of my Maybelline 8-pan palette, the other palette that I've chosen for that week, or the indie loose shadow that I've chosen for the week. It's kind of complicated, but at least I'm using and rotating different things so and I'm also not constraining myself. Given how many eyeshadows I have, hitting pan on a shade indicates that I've used it enough and that I've (almost) got/used my money's worth of it, if that makes sense?

@@meaganola I totally agree with you on the list thing! In fact, I've already been pondering my June list... it's still a lot, but I'm hoping to curb my spending so I can reach the point where I don't need to conscientiously low-buy. I've gone crazy these past 2 months - I used to (as in 3-4 months ago) only occasionally buy beauty related things.

 

[jaylilee]

Honestly, my advice for going full-tilt at a no-buy right put the gate:  Don't.  This is really something you have to work up to with a series of ever-decreasing low-buys.  Otherwise, you haven't built up your purchase resistance muscles, and chances are very high that you will fail and fail *big*, and then you will feel so defeated that you won't even bother attempting to go on a low-buy in the future.

Instead, make a rules list.  You can get x number of items, you have a particular budget, you can get certain specific items, etc.  Put one category of item on a banned list.  If you make it through one month (assuming this is going to be a long-term life change sort of thing) without buying that item, leave it there and add another category.  Right now, my banned items are shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, blush and eyeliner.  I can buy ONE bottle/tube of the first three items when I run completely out.  I've been saying that for about a year.  I have yet to run out.  I'm allowed blush if I don't directly buy it, so subs, swaps, points/code purchases (say, Birchbox or Starlooks), and gifts are okay.  Eyeliner is not allowed unless it shows up in a sub box or as a gift (so no swaps or points/code purchases).  

And if you've never done one of these before, keep your list of rules simple while not outright banning multiple categories.  The more rules you add, the more there are to break, which means you're increasing your chance of giving up.

(But definitely join the Monday Club.  It has really opened my eyes to how much stuff I have versus how much I actually use, and there have been quite a few things that I didn't realize I loved until it was time to switch, and I decided, "Oh, I'll just roll this over to next week."  That's the sign of a keeper/staple item!  Conversely, I can't count the number of times it's only been Wednesday, and I've been ready to burn a particular item because I've realized I hate it.  That's a sign it needs to go no away ASAP no matter how much it cost or how much is left.)

THIS!

This is so important. I just did a similar thing. I put my project pan down on paper, but I'm making an "allowed" list, of I run out of things  to replace them with as I finish them. I am also telling myself on a no-buy because life reasons and career choices, but I am also going in with the mentality that it's okay to not hate myself if and when for some reason I slip.

We're human. We have very weak muscles when it comes to resisting purchases. if you go on a no-buy from the get go, chances are you WILL break it at some point. Exercise your compassion muscle as well. Remember that the world won't end, and you can start again tomorrow. Just like Meagan said, it's easier to give yourself incentives to use stuff up than flat out say "NO! NO MOAR!" -- that never works. 

on that note, my crazy list-maker in me found this little notebook I hadn't used for anything (got it for like $4 at target, too cute), and then suddenly it hit me  -- perfect notebook to track my project pan and fitness goals in. it even has heels on the cover! and teal and polka dots. all my favorite things. so here's my pictures of it plus my list:

Notice that while my goal says "finish it by the end of the year" this is a GOAL (something to aim for), not a deadline. So there's the column that reads "if not finished, mark your % left and would you repurchase?"

This is my way of saying, this is a marathon, not a sprint, it's okay if I don't finish it all by the end of the year, but I found a way to keep myself accountable to actually finish these things. In the end, we're a support group but a lot of your commitment will come from holding yourself accountable. 

 

[jaylilee]

The Youtuber who started it (Amber F) has basically almost cleared out her Naked palette - I was just like :blink:   And she keeps looking for dupes from her collection once she's finished with a Naked palette shade, it's amazing!

My personal "project pan" is really just some things that I'm focused on using - I don't use them solely (which is why I have a lot of repeat stuff in my Monday Club posts/pics). There's basics like foundation, powder, primers, etc that are constant. I have one blush that's already showing pan (my Maybelline Dream Bouncy blush in Fresh Pink), I have decided to use it every other week until half of the pan is showing (and the lower half of the pan will have a thin layer of blush so I can spray it with alcohol and throw it in my "museum" of empties... I'm strange, I know h34r: /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> ).

For eyeshadow, my overall goal is to hit pan (not completely use up) all of the shades in my Maybelline 8 Pan palette in Sunbaked Neutrals. I have already hit pan on 1 shade, and I'm close to hitting pan on another shade. My method is actually to focus on one eyeshadow at a time and not necessarily the whole palette. So, for example, I'm currently focusing on a gold-ish shade. I try to use that shade 2-3 times in a week matched with the rest of my Maybelline 8-pan palette, the other palette that I've chosen for that week, or the indie loose shadow that I've chosen for the week. It's kind of complicated, but at least I'm using and rotating different things so and I'm also not constraining myself. Given how many eyeshadows I have, hitting pan on a shade indicates that I've used it enough and that I've (almost) got/used my money's worth of it, if that makes sense?

omg I know. I was torn between being totally impressed and being totally confused at how someone can do that and not go crazy. I think if I manage to make it through 3 pans of shadows first then I will tackle a whole 12.. but baby steps. I think your method is really reasonable. I might mix in a shadow for my crease so then I can have 4 shadows that will give me a variety of looks without having to switch, and focus on those next month.

LOL @ museum of empties. I keep an instagram account just so I can take pictures of my empties (well and other things, like FOTD's) as a record of what I have used up, how big it was, etc, and then just toss the darn things. I hate clutter and keeping a bag of empties around would probably give me anxiety attacks. 

 

[Kristine Walker]

@@jaylilee I love the way you set up your list and that notebook is cute to die for! I think I'll steal your listing idea and start with all my purse makeup.

 

[cumber1137]

@@cumber1137 Congrats!! Any tips you want to share?

Aw, thanks!

I spend a lot of time reading old threads in the no buy forum to psych myself up. The big thing is I'll put stuff in my carts and look at it and then go look at my bank account.

I'm moving to Los Angeles soon and so for every "spend $50 for free shipping" I think about how that could be a tank of gas. So it helps to have a bigger goal in mind that makes an extra mascara seem like a hurdle to something even greater.

Staying active in things like The Monday Club and the makeupaddiction sub-Reddit really helps me alot too. I can live vicariously through others.

 

[jaylilee]

GUYSSSS I am so excited. my mac cremesheen that i thought had like 50% left in it, I held it up to the light today and it really only has like... 10% left xD so 2 weeks, I think, of constant use and I can call it done and replace it with revlon lip butter in raspberry pie, a supa colorful summery color that I think will suit me this summer.

HURRAH for finishing things. I do love mac's cremesheen formula, though, so once I finish my lip butters and glosses, I might switch to those permanently as my gloss of choice (or revlon's, which are nice).

 

[jaylilee]

@@jaylilee I love the way you set up your list and that notebook is cute to die for! I think I'll steal your listing idea and start with all my purse makeup.

absolutely! go for it. I think this would be a good way for someone to not only mark progress, but feel accountable and also celebrate our successes! (or at least, it's a celebration for me when i can check things off of a list).

 

[eastofthesun]

Day 19 of my No Buy. Still no makeup spending. Feeling great! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

That's terrific! Congratulations. Keep it up! Show us how strong you are, it'll inspire us!

So I haven't been as active on here as I would like to be (other than dropping in to whine about my spending habits every once in a while), and I decided it really is time to just buckle down to the no- buy. A bit of a rant ahead:

Spoiler

As the months go by I am starting to feel very unhappy where I am in terms of career goals and what I want to really be doing with my life. My job is a comfortable desk job, and it pays decent, but the stress has been mounting almost to unbearable heights over the last 6-8 months as the company changes faster than we can keep track -- and it is forcing me to look into my options for the future. My boss is fully aware that I am not going to be a "lifer" as my predecessor was (she has been here since the beginning of this company 25 years ago, and is retiring in a month), and he fully encourages my endeavors, knowing that at some point I will have to bid my farewells to the company and perhaps move onto greener, more self employed pastures.

So with that in mind, I am going to be forcing myself off of the makeup bandwagon and really taking a close look at our finances. Things are turning out to where, fingers crossed, I may be able to take the leap into self employment within the year's time if all goes well... but this means that I need to start saving furiously. It's not so much as a question of "if" I should do this now, but that I must. I am in a place in life where I feel I have outgrown my needs and levels of fulfillment here, and it's time I started trying to create a living with the gift that I was given.

So that's where I stand this month. I am fully aware and even prepared for the fact that it's going to be a very rough rest of the year. I am trying my best to enjoy the things I have, the fact that we just moved into a beautiful house, and that is such a huge accomplishment - but house achieved, now I can enjoy it while working towards improving my quality of life and satisfaction with what I do.

I'm going to need all the support I can from you guys......... :unsure2:  cause man this will be tough.

I'm really sorry to hear you're feeling unhappy in your career, I hope that you are able to work yourself into a direction you'll be proud of soon. Best of luck on your no buy, I hope we can all be here to help inspire you and keep you on track. I need to go on a no buy too, BIG TIME!!!!

Success story: I went to sephora to get a 100 point perk for my fairy godchild and saw the sun safety kit. I picked it up and spent some time looking at the contents and started walking to the register. Then I realized 1) I'm on a no buy! 2) I only really want 1 item, and sorta want 2-3 and 3) I felt like I should buy it since it's sold out online and in other stores but that's not a good reason to buy something!

So in the end, I left empty handed but proud!

THAT IS AWESOME! Good for you! I want that kind of willpower!

I kept thinking that I needed to get a new night time moisturizer since I am down to samples, then I realized that I had an almost full bottle of non-SPF moisturizer that I had designated as a daytime moistuerizer.  I tried it out last night as my night time moisturizer, and it worked great, so no need to buy a replacement!

You are doing well! That's kind of awesome. Keep it up!

Day 27 of my no buy and going strong!

WHOOHOOOO!!!!!!

Honestly, my advice for going full-tilt at a no-buy right put the gate:  Don't.  This is really something you have to work up to with a series of ever-decreasing low-buys.  Otherwise, you haven't built up your purchase resistance muscles, and chances are very high that you will fail and fail *big*, and then you will feel so defeated that you won't even bother attempting to go on a low-buy in the future.

Instead, make a rules list.  You can get x number of items, you have a particular budget, you can get certain specific items, etc.  Put one category of item on a banned list.  If you make it through one month (assuming this is going to be a long-term life change sort of thing) without buying that item, leave it there and add another category.  Right now, my banned items are shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, blush and eyeliner.  I can buy ONE bottle/tube of the first three items when I run completely out.  I've been saying that for about a year.  I have yet to run out.  I'm allowed blush if I don't directly buy it, so subs, swaps, points/code purchases (say, Birchbox or Starlooks), and gifts are okay.  Eyeliner is not allowed unless it shows up in a sub box or as a gift (so no swaps or points/code purchases).  

And if you've never done one of these before, keep your list of rules simple while not outright banning multiple categories.  The more rules you add, the more there are to break, which means you're increasing your chance of giving up.

(But definitely join the Monday Club.  It has really opened my eyes to how much stuff I have versus how much I actually use, and there have been quite a few things that I didn't realize I loved until it was time to switch, and I decided, "Oh, I'll just roll this over to next week."  That's the sign of a keeper/staple item!  Conversely, I can't count the number of times it's only been Wednesday, and I've been ready to burn a particular item because I've realized I hate it.  That's a sign it needs to go no away ASAP no matter how much it cost or how much is left.)

I love all these tips, especially the list of banned items. I want to do this tonight! I made myself a real, final, and definitive makeup inventory this weekend. I didn't include hair stuff or skincare, just makeup. But I think it's awesome and it'll really help me!

@@jaylilee I love the way you set up your list and that notebook is cute to die for! I think I'll steal your listing idea and start with all my purse makeup.

I love it too. I am going to steal it as well. Hehheheh!

 

[TooMuchElectric]

I love cheerleader posts like that /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />