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

[mandithomas89]

I have been going crazy with the spending the past month and I think I am in major need of a no-buy. I've never really done this, but I feel like writing it down will help keep me accountable.

I just have a few things I really want first: the Sephora Sun Safety Kit, the Allure Summer Beauty Box (if I can manage to snag one Tuesday), and maybe gifting myself a couple Bergdorfs Glossyboxes using ebates in the next few days (because $15 minus the $2.75 I'll get back on 5/15... that's really not a bad deal.) With the exception of a really fantastic IpsyMe deal (because I've never done one and I'm super jealous I missed out on the Pacifica one) I won't buy any other makeup or beauty things other than that. My existing subs (Popsugar, BB, Ipsy, Graze, etc) are allowed but no additional purchases. Quite frankly, I should have enough packages coming to tide me over.

My boyfriend and I have a trip to NJ for the Skate & Surf Festival planned in a couple weeks... so that whole trip (I still have one more SW one-way flight, festival tickets and the hotel to book) can be exempt from the no-buy. No eating out until then and the trip will be the only exception. No buying groceries until I use up what I have. (I have more than what I need to stick to the semi-paleo low calorie diet I've been sucking at following for the last couple weeks.) Obviously, gas money will be allowed since I commute 60-90 minutes several days a week. Plus random essential things... like I really need ziploc bags and I keep forgetting to buy them.

This no-buy will last throughout the month of May + until I lose 20 lbs + until I have my credit cards paid down to less than $500. 

edited for spelling

 

[kawaiisofoxy]

Hmmm, I kind-of broke my low-buy yesterday, but it was for clothes. I dropped our puppy off yesterday to be neutered (it went really well, he's curled up next to me now after getting his morning pain pill), and decided to just "drop in" to the Kohls down the street, as I had a $10 off $30 coupon good for this weekend only. I found (in clearance) a pair of Elle jeans for $5, a Simply Vera Wang dress for $7, a cardigan for $12, and a Legends of Chima shirt (for my kid, I swear!) for $6, so i had the subtotal right at $30. With tax/coupon it was $22. So I'm going to count this as a win! And I need to expand my professional wardrobe for job hunting.

(Also, I love that they tell you how much you saved at Kohls. The checkout clerk was like "your total is $22, and you saved $149." The lady behind me literally gasped. As I was walking away, the clerk said "did you find everything you need? And the lady replied "yeah, but I didn't do as well as HER!" Muahahaha... Stick with me, I find all the good clearance!)

 

[kawaiiwoofs]

Ugh. Jeans will forever suck. I bought a pair of Supreme Curve Levi's which fit really well but tend to move around after a while of wear. So I picked up a pair of the Gap Skinny Curvy. They fit fine in the butt/thighs/legs but are SO impossibly small in the waist. It's total muffin city up In here. I feel silly for breaking my low-buy for these. I guess they can be my "intermediate" jeans as I lose weight but seriously.... I just wanna have a good pair of jeans and stop spending money.

In beauty news, went to the mall and didn't even go in to Sephora!

 

[meaganola]

How to do spoilers:  We no longer have the spoiler button (it might be on the schedule to bring back, but there are other more pressing issues to hammer out first.  I would rather get a better mobile site than the spoiler button!), so you just type [ s p o i l e r ] without the spaces to start your spoiler box and [ / s p o i l e r ] without the spaces to close the box.  So:

[ s p o i l e r ]

Yay, my GCC order was just This Is My Design samples and Malefic nail polish, on clearance (because they're discontinuing it) and something I had planned on getting in my Big Damn Heroes order because a friend wants to see _Maleficent_ when it comes out, and I *must* have the appropriate polish for that!

[ / s p o i l e r ]

becomes

Spoiler

Yay, my GCC order was just This Is My Design samples and Malefic nail polish, on clearance (because they're discontinuing it) and something I had planned on getting in my Big Damn Heroes order because a friend wants to see _Maleficent_ when it comes out, and I *must* have the appropriate polish for that!

This has always been how you have to do this on mobile, so I very quickly memorized how to do it because I'm usually on my phone except in the evening during the week and mornings and evenings on weekends.

 

[tulosai]

Actually there is a spoiler button at least for me.  You go to the button next to 'font' (it is to the left, blueish, and square) and click.  It opens a box that says Special BBCode. There is a drop down bar that says 'please select' and 'spoiler' is in there

 

[sstich79]

I haven't quite been able to convince myself to join the May no-buy, but I think I am going to have to get on board in June. I quit smoking about a month ago, and I made makeup items my "rewards" for not smoking... but then I just sort of replaced one addiction with another. And it doesn't help that I'm pretty new to Ipsy and the world of makeup beyond the same face I'd been doing for a decade! So many pretties to try! I've got a list of a few more "rewards" that I'm still going to allow myself, but then I've got to put a cap on this crap.

 

[mandithomas89]

I haven't quite been able to convince myself to join the May no-buy, but I think I am going to have to get on board in June. I quit smoking about a month ago, and I made makeup items my "rewards" for not smoking... but then I just sort of replaced one addiction with another. And it doesn't help that I'm pretty new to Ipsy and the world of makeup beyond the same face I'd been doing for a decade! So many pretties to try! I've got a list of a few more "rewards" that I'm still going to allow myself, but then I've got to put a cap on this crap.

Congrats on quitting smoking! I'd say that totally merits new makeup.  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[meaganola]

Hooray for disappointment and pain keeping spending in check!  I had been planning on getting one of every BPAL Bats' Day oil before the list of scent notes came out, but it was released a few days ago, and *every single one* has one note or another I can't wear because it's a headache trigger.  That's more than two hundred bucks I has set aside for it that I won't be spending.  I can now shift some of that money over to Crafty Wonderland next weekend and not have to jiggle my budget around in order to be able to afford it sooner rather than later!

 

[chibimorph]

Hooray for disappointment and pain keeping spending in check!  I had been planning on getting one of every BPAL Bats' Day oil before the list of scent notes came out, but it was released a few days ago, and *every single one* has one note or another I can't wear because it's a headache trigger.  That's more than two hundred bucks I has set aside for it that I won't be spending.  I can now shift some of that money over to Crafty Wonderland next weekend and not have to jiggle my budget around in order to be able to afford it sooner rather than later!

 Oooh... are you going to get one of Shiro's pressed palettes at Crafty Wonderland?

So... I ran out of my morning face wash today and took advantage of the $5 off $20 beauty items at Target. I bought a face wash, Pond's Cold Cream cleanser as a makeup remover (I currently use wipes and I feel like that can be kind of abrasive, especially around the eyes), and a daytime moisturizer with SPF30 (I currently use one with SPF15, which won't be enough for the summer). My total ended up being $16.54 with free shipping (I have a Target card). I have small sizes/samples of face wash that I can use until my order arrives.

Then... I got a 2x points offer from Ulta and ended up buying:

Spoiler

Real Techniques Sponge ($5.99)

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush ($8.99)

Real Techniques Blush Brush ($4.50)

Urban Decay Shadow Lockdown Primer Potion Duo ($20)

I'm okay with the brushes, but the UDPP duo (even though it's two full sizes for $20!) wasn't necessary because I have a few unopened eye primers in my stash... I think I have a problem with hoarding eyeshadow primers and eyeshadow.

I'm ambivalent about my Ulta order... I could/should have waited. But I have a friend who was talking about how great the Beauty Blender is and so I wanted to try out the Real Techniques sponge first. Will try not to buy anything else this month :wacko:

 

[MIKAGlam]

oh, I almost caved. I dragged the boy toy into Target and went to the Sonia Kashuk aisle, but their selection was so pathetic that I ended up with nothing. They didn't even have an elf section. I think the fact that he looked miserable and kept making fun of the makeup models I was put off from buying anything. He really helps me control my spending... However, I did manage to find a dvd set of the Sherlock Holmes Adventures (The  black and white version) for $5! I can NEVER say no to anything that has to do with Sherlock Holmes! (you can kind of see him chilling out in my avatar...he's my right hand man who happens to be on the left /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> )

 

[meaganola]

Probably no Shiro pressed palette for me unless they're amazing colors unavailable as pigment.  I much prefer loose shadows.  I have some fantastic palettes that just sit there in favor of pigments.  I'm really eyeing their tinted lip balms after getting a sample of one in my innocent+twisted alchemy subscription this month!  That line is based on Myazaki's work, but I'm not a fan, so at least I don't feel compelled to buy every single one of those. Just three of them.  And probably a Nic Cage lip gloss.  I'm tempted by the Red Wedding lip gloss because it's the *Red Wedding*, but it's also red lip gloss, and I don't really think I need to repeat my feelings on *that*.

 

[3Babydolls]

Well, I screwed up. It's only May 4 and already I got sucked into the CVS trap. :blush:  Bought 3 Neutrogena items on promotion. My pore refining facial cleanser, retinol night serum, and my favorite sunscreen. (Surely I will use all of these up, but I did not NEED to buy them right now) I Got back $10 from the promotion, and went back and spent it of course. Couldn't resist the Freeman sea minerals mask I have been eyeing. Hope it's good. Oh well, back to square one. :wacko:

Hope everyone is doing better today! Going to go back and read all your updates...

 

[chibimorph]

Probably no Shiro pressed palette for me unless they're amazing colors unavailable as pigment.  I much prefer loose shadows.  I have some fantastic palettes that just sit there in favor of pigments.  I'm really eyeing their tinted lip balms after getting a sample of one in my innocent+twisted alchemy subscription this month!  That line is based on Myazaki's work, but I'm not a fan, so at least I don't feel compelled to buy every single one of those. Just three of them.  And probably a Nic Cage lip gloss.  I'm tempted by the Red Wedding lip gloss because it's the *Red Wedding*, but it's also red lip gloss, and I don't really think I need to repeat my feelings on *that*.

I love Miyazaki stuff! I was really tempted to get the whole lip balm set during their sale... but I told myself to wait until Cyber Monday because the line is pretty new and unlikely to go away soon.

 

[mama2358]

Well, I screwed up. It's only May 4 and already I got sucked into the CVS trap. :blush:  Bought 3 Neutrogena items on promotion. My pore refining facial cleanser, retinol night serum, and my favorite sunscreen. (Surely I will use all of these up, but I did not NEED to buy them right now) I Got back $10 from the promotion, and went back and spent it of course. Couldn't resist the Freeman sea minerals mask I have been eyeing. Hope it's good. Oh well, back to square one. :wacko:

Hope everyone is doing better today! Going to go back and read all your updates...

I went into CVS yesterday and managed not to get anything other than the medicine I went in for, however, they didn't have enough to fill the prescription, so I have to go back during the week. Hopefully I can stay strong twice. I had bought that Freeman sea minerals mask when there was the Ipsy code and I love it. I bought a ton of different masks and that was my favorite. It smells very nice, I love the blue color, and my skin felt good after using.

 

[jaylilee]

So I have curved my spending needs this month by focusing on getting my little "girl area" all nice and prettified. I'm almost there. Here's a pic of the vanity so far (reflected on the giant mirror that was installed above it) prior to mirror installation.  Rambling plus picture in the spoiler tag so it doesn't get too long:

Spoiler

I LOVE how the whole room (master bedroom) is coming along. We still need bed stands and a bed headboard, but after that it really will be boiled down to the finishing touches in the room: a rug for under the vanity (to avoid my ruining the carpet with chair marks and accidentally dropping things, which I do often), pictures on the walls, perhaps sconces to the sides of the mirror if I can figure out how to hide the wires... I will probably put nice metal handles + legs on the drawers from that ikea unit to glam it up a bit. The top of the vanity will need tempered glass or some such to also avoid scratches and ugliness in the future. Our curtains will have to be trimmed at the bottom because they're way too long and our black-out shades I will probably mess with (gold or silver stripes???? They're a blah beige right now, but if i paint a design on them I feel like they'll look a lot more fashionable). 

I'm trying to tackle this house one room at a time, starting with, of course, the master bedroom. After that it'll be the sitting room, the dining area, the kitchen, and the basement after that. Some rooms need some serious remodeling, like the master bathroom, which will need to have all of its tile pulled (walls and floors) and redone entirely, other rooms are better well off. At some point the wet bar/entertainment room will be turned into office + 4th bedroom, since we will rarely use a bar but we'll certainly need the bedroom space if and once we have children. 

Laundry room also needs some serious work. It's an unfinished room, and so will need walls put in, tile on the floor, shelving, a folding area (I'm considering getting chrome washer + drier that are front loaders, so as to be able to set the folding area above kind of like in this blog:

http://www.ramblingrenovators.ca/2012/11/laundry-room-reveal-pt-1.html

Especially because, if the wet bar area gets turned into a bedroom, I would like the adjacent room to feel also "liveable." There's a 3/4 bathroom off of the laundry room that is finished, hardwood floors and all, so the laundry room is the only one that's like... nope.. no walls. look at all my naked entrains running along my ceiling.

Sigh. so much work. 

Anyways, all those plans require quite a ton of $$$$$$$, which puts the makeup spending into perspective and makes it easier for me to say "nope, I don't need that shiny new eyeshadow right now."

 

[cumber1137]

I went under the budget I had set myself for the Shiro sale... and am now kind of regretting not getting more. But! I told myself that I can buy the Miyazaki tints and other stuff (I hope Plausible Walrus will still be around) during the Cyber Monday sale, which is Dec 1 this year and my birthday month (assuming Shiro has a Cyber Monday sale...)

I've also talked myself out of getting a new foundation. I found bareMinerals minis (1 original and 1 matte) from a kit I got from Ulta and I think the color will work. The new bareMinerals foundation has also been getting poor reviews, so if I really do need a darker shade I'll wait until June to do anything about it. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I believe she has her Color of the Month clear out in July so you'll want to pick up Walrus then and anything that came out since last July. So Butts, which was the July color and onward.

 

[chelsealady]

So I sorta slipped up today because I convinced myself that all of my foundations and bb creams are to light for me.

 

[chibimorph]

I believe she has her Color of the Month clear out in July so you'll want to pick up Walrus then and anything that came out since last July. So Butts, which was the July color and onward.

Thanks! For the CotMs I'm looking at I Tried, Doge, and Plausible Walrus so I'll think about it then! Hopefully my longing for them will die out, though   (maybe...)

So I sorta slipped up today because I convinced myself that all of my foundations and bb creams are to light for me.

I almost did this... hopefully I'll be able to hold it out until the summer when I'll actually know for sure if I need a darker foundation ^_^ /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[saku]

joining in!

i really haven't been lusting on any beauty product lately, but have been buying a bunch of home stuff, and lately baking stuff! 

but at least, i got me a free pair of keds at dsw a few days ago! i just threw away a pair of vans that i wear all the time. the poor things have plenty of holes in them and the soles are down to the nub. i didn't throw it right away, but one day i was thinking about wearing them, but didn't do so because i was afraid they'll bust out while i'm walking...so i thought it's time... i've been reserving some DSW dollar off's and saved them all up for a sneakers purchase. went to dsw to get a pair of socks for $10 and keds for $40, and only paid $10! super win!!!!

i just spent $200 online on baking supplies this weekend, so i have to stop. i baked so much this weekend too. i made some brown sugar cookies yesterday, and made corn bread today. both turned out great!

 

[LuxVonFerre]

Definetly joining in!

I'm doing a low buy for the rest of the year because I'm starting to run out of room in my makeup storage, and I'm not buying any more storage. My rules are:

1. Replacements are allowed.

2. I'm allowing myself to keep my E.L.F. Beautt Bundle Subscription.

3. I'm allowing myself 3 purchases off my wishlist quarterly.

4. No more backups unless it comes in my Beauty Bundles.