October 2014 No/Low Buy: Hugs, Commiseration, and Confessional

[annatomical]

I'm sorry going through your stash was depressing for you. But it sounds like you're motivated and have an awesome plan, so it was for the best. I think your plan is awesome.

And I want to say I have the same problem- I have lots of makeup, but I hardly ever wear it. Why do I keep buying it? I just don't understand!!!! I also want to put together a little kit to keep at work so I can apply it when I get here on days I'm rushing to get out the door!

Thank you very much for your kind words!  I am glad that you like my plan.  To me it seems realistic like something I can really adhere to and it will definitely be interesting to see what happens in the coming months especially after a full year has gone by.  

I am proud to say I have a little kit at work now.  Its kind of a work in progress - I don't know if I have all the right stuff in it right now though its mostly lip gloss AND I can change it up any time! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Also, I want to share a few things I want to keep in mind for myself:

1. Using an entire tube of lipstick has seldom happened in the course of my life.  If I don't use the tube and it has expired - I need to toss it then forgive myself.  Rancid lipstick isn't cool.

2.  Keep makeup pencils nice and sharp --- 'cause I can!  I have lots so I don't need to try to conserve it - besides makeup pencils harden over time and render themselves useless.

3.  If I use a tube of lipgloss full-time I can actually succeed in using an entire tube in about a month if I wear it all the time at work.  Keep in mind i work four days per week.  Wearing lip gloss is going to be my other full-time job!  Perhaps I will wear one shade in the morning and another in the afternoon?  We'll see!   Also, lip gloss will be worn on weekends also.  I'm thinking I could go thru 2-3 tubes per month.  

4.  This is a 12 month plan.  After a year has passed - I need to reassess my situation and evaluate what is the best way to proceed.  

5.  I can't emphasize enough - no more mascara!

Good luck!!! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[tulosai]

Alright so I am still doing really really well.   I  haven't eaten out and I have made no makeup purchases.  In fact, I think they only purchases I've made have been food from the grocery store... and soda (also from grocery store though).  I should really give up soda one month and see what I can save that way.

I am going to allow myself to buy one Memebox before October 22 because I have 18 points and 5 expire on that day.  I am leaning toward the footcare box since I don't have many foot products and I would DEFINITELY use them.

 

[JuliaGhostx3]

Okay. So I'm at a point in my life where I have too many books to fit on my bookshelf. This is partially because the top of my bookshelf is dedicated to tea cups and tea pots, next shelf is dedicated to my teas, and then next shelf is ALLLLL of my Harry Potter books, then I have books and more books and no more shelves for books so I have the books shoved into every little open crevice I can jam them into on my bookshelf. I could either drink up more of my least favourite teas and put books there, or get a bigger bookshelf with room for more books. (Sorry if this sounds ramble-y, I'm getting to the no-buy part.) 
I have all of these teas I love and teas I love less. I am trying to drink up the teas I love less. and I have a LOT of different varieties of tea. But I have an urge to buy more teas that I'm not sure I will like?? 
-I have so many lotions. I'm pretty sure I post this EVERY month in the no/low buy section. I don't even know how these lotions keep multiplying?! Seriously, I detest applying lotion so much. I rarely use it. I don't even buy it. Why do I have 5 things of lotion?! Gah!!!! 
-I don't take baths!!!!! Why do I have bath bombs from Lush?!!?! 
-I have way too many tarts from Yankee Candle. I don't regret my tealights, I use those for my teapot warmer. But Maybe instead of stockpiling tarts during semi-annuals, I should just buy one or two when I want them!! I have like, 15. From last year. I hardly burn them. I don't regret my larger candles in jars. I love Man Town. But these tarts are killing me. I don't use them, and I have to force myself to. I'm not stock piling these anymore, ugh. 
-I absolutely love lipsticks and don't regret any of mine lipsticks. I don't regret my Nyx soft matte lip cream in Transylvania. But the lip glosses I have. Where do these come from?! Why do I buy them? I don't like lip glosses at all. Sometimes I do. But most of the time? No. No, no, no. I bought a Benefit six piece mini starter set. It had a Dandelion? gloss in it. It's meh. It had a mini bene tint in it. Meh. Mini Dandelion blush. Meh. I don't know why I bought it. Or why I keep getting lip glosses. 

I used to love the Murad Clarifying Cleanser. 
I used to love the Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel. 

Then I stopped using any cleansers for a while, just water, and my bumps actually went away. 
My night routine didn't feel right without a cleanser, so I started using Murad again. Bumps came back. Tried Mario again. Bumps. Stopped using them, and now Cerave Hydrating Cleanser is treating me right. But what do I do now with the other two cleansers? One is half full and one is 3/4 full. 

I read this thing once about how 'wealthy' people are a lot of the time more frugal than 'rich' people. In the way that a lot of 'rich' people spend all of their money and show it off. 'Wealthy' people are smart with their money and don't make stupid purchases. I want the wealthy state of mind. I'm still young but I want to be wealthy some day. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I really need to change my lifestyle habits. Julia, stop buying lip glosses or any gift sets that contain lip glosses, because YOU HATE THEM!!! 

Julia, do not stock up on YC tarts because you won't burn any for a year!!!!! START USING YOURS!!! 

IF ANY ONE OFFERS YOU LOTION, SAY NO. Sure it's free, but it's still wasting space!!!!!!!
Life is too short to drink shitty tea, so either finish the ones you're not too in love with or give them to someone that likes them!!! I need to drink Lemon Soleil because I love it! Not Pumpkin Spice Tea that I'm not in love with!

I want the wealthy state of mind, and I want my purchases to be smart. I want to purchase things I will actually love and use. I love lipsticks, and I have a lot. I use all of them (just not at the same time.)  So I think buying a new one once in a while if I absolutely love it is okay!! 
(Emphasis on ONCE IN A WHILE, please.)

This is a weird, long, rambly post but it's 2 A.M and I had coffee. 

My FOREVER LOW BUY KIND OF rules are as follows:

Do I love it absolutely need it have nothing like it? It's okay to get. 
Is it something I hate and feel it's a chore to use like lotion, lip gloss? NO NON NO 
Do I have so many of them that I'll never use and it just wastes precious space? NO NO NO
I want to save my money!!! 

But Julia, Butterfly Pea Tea steeps blue and turns purple with honey. And $7 wasn't a bad price. 
Yeah, well, if it tastes like crap I'm going to force you to enjoy every last penny of it!!!! Because I'm not wasting $7 here! 

-NO MORE TEA. ELIMINATE ALL UNFAVOURITES, AND THEN MAYBE I WILL ALLOW MYSELF TO PURCHASE CZAR ALEXANDER FROM CHADO TEA.

-USE UP EVERY SINGLE DAMN LOTION AND SHOWER GEL AND THEN NEVER PURCHASE OR RECEIVE ANOTHER AGAIN FOR LIFE. (I'm a bar soap girl, and okay with buying multiple bars at once to not have to buy any for a while. But I have enough to last me months, so, I don't need any at the moment.) 

-NEVER STEP FOOT INTO LUSH AGAIN, I HATE BATHS, AND I FIND THE REST OF THEIR PRODUCTS OVERPRICED FOR SOMETHING I CAN MAKE AT HOME. (I make pretty bad ass bath bombs DIY at home. (As gifts for people, since I hate baths.)) 

-NO TARTS. NO CANDLES. I HAVE MAN TOWN ALREADY. AND MAHOGANY TEAKWOOD. 

I am so sorry for yelling now and I will stop.

-I feel like two of my blushes are similar in colour, so I need to use one up asap!!
And no buying blush because they last too long! Ages!

-The products I am disappointed with I better use up or give to a new home, because I don't want stuff I'm not happy with in my life!!!

-Avoid any and all makeup sections. I have enough eyeshadows, eyeliners, and (unopened,deluxe)mascaras for days. I will, however, let myself get the Nyx soft matte lip cream in Copenhagen if I ever see it in CVS. Because that colour is beautiful and I am yearning for it. I know I won't regret it. 

-If something is absolutely unique and I can't get it anywhere else and I must need it, I won't deny myself the experience. But I better like it!!!

-Achieve peace with the products I do have. 

The last one sounds weird, but, well, how do I explain it?

Alien by Thierry Mugler is my favourite perfume. I wanted it for years. I would never buy it for myself because it's so expensive. 
I would buy other less expensive perfumes. I have a lot of perfumes. I love all of them, but I could have NOT purchased a couple of them and with that money, bought Alien. I used my perfumes sparingly and rotated them around before to save precious juice.
In July I finally bought Alien. 
And now I constantly use it. More than any other perfume. I should have just gotten it in the beginning. I still want more perfumes. I love perfumes. But it surprises me how myself as a person changed.

I would think that hey, I love Alien so much and it's so expensive, I should use it sparingly while I use the others. But that's not what happened. I love it so much that I can't stop using it at all. And that makes me re-think EVERYTHING I own! It makes me feel like I don't really LOVE all of the stuff I've been purchasing! I feel that if I did truly love all of my purchases, I would feel so inclined to constantly use them, as I am with Alien. It completely changes the way I think. 

I can't let myself buy anything. I need to be obsessively drawn to it for a while before I let myself. [Copenhagen.] 
I need to find myself obsessed with the product to know I made the right decision.

This isn't just for October; I need to make this lifestyle change happen. I'm a broke college student living with her mother. I need to save all of my money, and I need my purchases to count.
Even when I get a career; I don't want to be wasteful. I want to know that I have enough money in the bank to buy whatever I want whenever, but never actually make those random splurge purchases. 

Low Buy For Life. 

I applaud any courageous soldier who read this in its entirety and I give you a round of applause. 
I am so, so sorry for this really long post.

 

[3Babydolls]

Life is too short to drink shitty teas!

HA! I think that applies to all of our "stuff." Next time I'm decluttering I'm going to say that to myself. Life IS too short to drink shitty teas. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[3Babydolls]

Had a "moment" last night. Was on nordstrom (why?!) looking at the MAC limited edition playland lipsticks which are still available. One in particular I really want. I kept thinking, what if they are gone by the time my no-buy is over? surely limited edition product must be ok to grab because otherwide you'll miss them....right?? right???  I turned off the computer entirely and decided if it's stil avail in 3 month it's mine but if not then it's not meant to be. sniff sniff.

 

[eastofthesun]

 I want the wealthy state of mind. I'm still young but I want to be wealthy some day. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I really need to change my lifestyle habits.

I want the wealthy state of mind, and I want my purchases to be smart. I want to purchase things I will actually love and use.

-The products I am disappointed with I better use up or give to a new home, because I don't want stuff I'm not happy with in my life!!!

-Achieve peace with the products I do have. 

Alien by Thierry Mugler is my favourite perfume. I wanted it for years. I would never buy it for myself because it's so expensive. 

I would buy other less expensive perfumes.

In July I finally bought Alien. 

And now I constantly use it. More than any other perfume. I should have just gotten it in the beginning.

I love it so much that I can't stop using it at all. And that makes me re-think EVERYTHING I own! It makes me feel like I don't really LOVE all of the stuff I've been purchasing! I feel that if I did truly love all of my purchases, I would feel so inclined to constantly use them, as I am with Alien. It completely changes the way I think. 

I can't let myself buy anything. I need to be obsessively drawn to it for a while before I let myself. I need to find myself obsessed with the product to know I made the right decision.

This isn't just for October; I need to make this lifestyle change happen.

Low Buy For Life. 

I love everything you wrote, and have quoted all the parts that really hit home for me. I especially love the Alien story- I have the same problem, I'm forever purchasing other things that are cheap, but if I just saved up I could get what I really love. And I should use what I really love!

HA! I think that applies to all of our "stuff." Next time I'm decluttering I'm going to say that to myself. Life IS too short to drink shitty teas. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Yes, I loved that part! Hahaha, I wanted to quote it too... .it's way better than all the other 'life is too short' sayings. Hehehe!

 

[eastofthesun]

Had a "moment" last night. Was on nordstrom (why?!) looking at the MAC limited edition playland lipsticks which are still available. One in particular I really want. I kept thinking, what if they are gone by the time my no-buy is over? surely limited edition product must be ok to grab because otherwide you'll miss them....right?? right???  I turned off the computer entirely and decided if it's stil avail in 3 month it's mine but if not then it's not meant to be. sniff sniff.

I am so proud of you!!!!! That is awesome!

 

[3Babydolls]

....Annnnddd....didn't even make it til noon before I had ANOTHER moment. I am a serious junkie. I was just taking a shower with a BBW shower gel I am using up. I thought wow this is a great Fall scent for me, I love it! I need a body mist in this scent for Fall!  I even went and put a few of them in my virtual cart. I then went to my BBW cabinet...yes I have one of those :blush:  ...and looked at all my fragrances. 2 bottles of another scent I declared my fav for Fall last year were in there staring at me. So there it is. I must use those up FIRST. Then, in January I will add it to my birthday list.  Man this stuff is SO HARD, but so empowering.

(also found 2 bottles of half empty scents that smell off. Forgot they were in there so tossing them!)

 

[DragonChick]

....Annnnddd....didn't even make it til noon before I had ANOTHER moment. I am a serious junkie. I was just taking a shower with a BBW shower gel I am using up. I thought wow this is a great Fall scent for me, I love it! I need a body mist in this scent for Fall!  I even went and put a few of them in my virtual cart. I then went to my BBW cabinet...yes I have one of those :blush:  ...and looked at all my fragrances. 2 bottles of another scent I declared my fav for Fall last year were in there staring at me. So there it is. I must use those up FIRST. Then, in January I will add it to my birthday list.  Man this stuff is SO HARD, but so empowering.

It feels good to know that you're getting caught up in the moment and can recognise that and can catch yourself before falling down that rabbit hole again.

 

[saku]

i love reading all your stories! i've been doing quite well too. i've only spent $6 this month apart from groceries. i returned the running shoes i bought online and decided to just continue using my current ones (which work perfectly fine, but just not stylish as i'd like), but who cares - they're for running! bf and i had a take out only once this month so far, and for only $20. so doing fine! i've finally started a 'philippines fund' for our vacation is less than 2 months. flight tickets to the country, and to the specific island/s we want to visit have been paid for, but i'm hoping that we can bring at least $2000 in cash so we can splurge when we get there and not worry about being all stingy with money. everything's cheap there (especially GREAT food!), and $2000 will go a long way! i can do this! 

holiday stuff is getting less and less appealing - although there are just some things i feel like i should buy, just for the sake of collecting it? but idk, as long as i can use my $125 credit at ulta, it should be fine i think. just no out of pocket expense anymore. i have some birchbox points (around $30 right now i think) that i can use and that's allowed too, as well as some $4 credit at drugstore.com which i'll use for some shaving cream (i have shoprunner so free shipping). i'll spread out all these store credits so that i won't feel like i'm punishing myself - i'm still shopping, just not spending any physical money, and also doing it in moderation. this sounds like a good plan for me.

like most (all?) of us here, i'm well-stocked with everything. i need to focus all my energy on my phd research anyway, and the upcoming travel.

 

[Margiee]

Day 10 and I'm still going strong! I don't really have the time to put into make up right now so my craving is lessened. No point in buying something I won't use.

 

[Oshare-girl]

JuliaGhostx3, I applaud you for reaching this stage at a young age so you can make the lifestyle change. I wish I did it earlier instead of over purchasing in my 20s and 30s. Once I started working full time and making money, I felt like I could buy whatever I wanted. I work hard for my money, right? But exactly, I worked hard and should spend it wisely. On stuff I really love, not on crap. I was trying to find out who I was. What my style was. And I wasted a lot of money on that. Now that I'm older and wiser, I know who I am and what I like. I also know that I am willing to pay full price for what I love. If I'm only buying it because it's on sale, it's a waste. Makeup collecting is a fascinating look at the human psyche. We don't know each other here but we have very similar experiences & thoughts. Fascinating!

 

[page5]

@@JuliaGhostx3  loved your rambly post! You inspired me to toss some red tea my kids gave me for xmas last year that I hate! It tastes awful and is taking up valuable space in my cupboard!

 

[kawaiiwoofs]

ending up spending some money on halloween make up - but wasn't as bad as i imagined? 

 

[bnicole]

Soooo, I told you guys I was looking to buy my own place, right? Well, I'd found the perfect condo that was in my ideal neighborhood, even came with the furniture (which just happened to be my style). So, I made an offer, seller accepted, all good. A few days ago, I found out from my realtor that every lender she's tried won't finance any of the condos in that building because of some issue with the Homeowner's Association. So I have to start from square one. Bummer.

The next day, my mother tells me that she and my father are moving into their new house on the 30th. It typically takes 30 days to close, so even if I found a place today, I still wouldn't be out in time. So now I don't know where I'm going to live.

I'm stressed. I spent $17 on drinks at the bar with my girlfriends.

No beauty purchases, though. So there's something!

 

[dancersmum]

So far so good this month- was away on business - its a 4 hour flight for me to the nearest Sephora.  On my last day - I was left right outside one....haven't been inside one since February....managed NOT to go in but I was sorely tempted!

I didn't need anything so I walked away.  

I've made it through the first 1/3 of the month with zero purchases so far and I've been really good about brown bagging my lunches when I'm not traveling so I'm happy with my progress.  I arranged a few swaps which meant that I got to exchange product that I didn't need for product that I want (for xmas and birthday gifts).

I general - this year the one thing I was looking for in terms of holiday sets isn't out or potentially isn't going to be released - I am not going to buy something in place of it so I've decided unless its something I really really really think I will constantly use its not for me.

 

[CurlyTails]

I've pretty much been sticking to my plan so far. But I've had an honest talk with myself about controlling my spending habits for the long run. For me the thrill is making the purchase and then watching the shipping to wait for the package to arrive. That's it. The package will then inevitably sit for weeks until I get into cleanup mode.

I also need to make a plan for holiday gift buying.

 

[recklesslysober]

This month so far I've spent just over $17 on mineral makeup samples and had one dinner out with a friend. Not too bad. My ideal goal for non-essential spending was $0 and I've been working towards that but I'm not going to be too harsh on myself if I'm not perfect. I haven't bought any other meals out, no clothes, etc. I've been bringing snacks from home to classes and cooking healthier meals. I've even cut a lot of processed/prepared food from my groceries. It's been a good couple of weeks.

@@JuliaGhostx3 I feel the same way.. I'm really over spending money on things that end up just sitting there. I got rid of a lot of stuff last year that didn't work on me while I was still figuring out my style and preferences but I went overboard this year on the things I do like. I don't want to get rid of anything at this point because I still like it all but it's just overwhelming in terms of volume. My main goal has just been to stop the flow of things coming into the house. I really have to make myself stop and think before I buy something.. I want to get down to just my favorite things of each category and really. cherish them.

 

[JuliaGhostx3]

@@3Babydolls I'm glad you liked that quote! xD Also, in regard to your MAC post, omg. I know how you feel. They now have a collection of a specific movie I enjoy, and I was so tempted to get one of the lippys. But then I remembered I have a lot of other reds, and the LE one wasn't amazing. Also, Bath & Body Works really has a way of invading homes, and I don't think any of us really know how! 

I love everything you wrote, and have quoted all the parts that really hit home for me. I especially love the Alien story- I have the same problem, I'm forever purchasing other things that are cheap, but if I just saved up I could get what I really love. And I should use what I really love!

Yes, I loved that part! Hahaha, I wanted to quote it too... .it's way better than all the other 'life is too short' sayings. Hehehe!

@@eastofthesun I'm sure it's a really common problem, you know? It's like... I'm 18 and should have my license, but I find it heart wrenching to drop $500 at once on driver's ed, so I haven't been able to get my license because I don't know how to drive. That's exactly how it is with buying anything. It's so cringeworthy to pay more for something (Even we know we REALLY REALLY want it!) Luckily, I found a place near me that charges $40 per class rather than $500 up front haha. And that makes it sound so much more reasonable, and I may actually start soon now. I guess sometimes it's a good thing. (But not with products and stuff that we put on the back burner.)

JuliaGhostx3, I applaud you for reaching this stage at a young age so you can make the lifestyle change. I wish I did it earlier instead of over purchasing in my 20s and 30s. Once I started working full time and making money, I felt like I could buy whatever I wanted. I work hard for my money, right? But exactly, I worked hard and should spend it wisely. On stuff I really love, not on crap. I was trying to find out who I was. What my style was. And I wasted a lot of money on that. Now that I'm older and wiser, I know who I am and what I like. I also know that I am willing to pay full price for what I love. If I'm only buying it because it's on sale, it's a waste. Makeup collecting is a fascinating look at the human psyche. We don't know each other here but we have very similar experiences & thoughts. Fascinating!

Thank you for responding! I agree, I love this forum so much. I've never felt so comfortable opening up to people I don't really know, but I'm okay with it here, because we're all kind of similar! (Well, I mean we all love makeup here!) And the no-buy support forums are really my favourites. I really don't post all that much, but I'm always reading these forums, and everyone is so supportive of helping each other achieve their goals. I love it. 

@@JuliaGhostx3  loved your rambly post! You inspired me to toss some red tea my kids gave me for xmas last year that I hate! It tastes awful and is taking up valuable space in my cupboard!

Amen to that! I appreciate it when people buy or give me tea since they know I enjoy it, but I feel like I end up giving away more of it than I drink, and I feel bad. But I mean, tea is hard to gift to people unless they already know you love it. It's so personal, too. 

ending up spending some money on halloween make up - but wasn't as bad as i imagined? 

Halloween is one of my all-time favourite holidays, ever, so this time of the year is so hard. I'm sure it's not too bad! I'm sure you'll get plenty of use out of your purchases. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

This month so far I've spent just over $17 on mineral makeup samples and had one dinner out with a friend. Not too bad. My ideal goal for non-essential spending was $0 and I've been working towards that but I'm not going to be too harsh on myself if I'm not perfect. I haven't bought any other meals out, no clothes, etc. I've been bringing snacks from home to classes and cooking healthier meals. I've even cut a lot of processed/prepared food from my groceries. It's been a good couple of weeks.

@@JuliaGhostx3 I feel the same way.. I'm really over spending money on things that end up just sitting there. I got rid of a lot of stuff last year that didn't work on me while I was still figuring out my style and preferences but I went overboard this year on the things I do like. I don't want to get rid of anything at this point because I still like it all but it's just overwhelming in terms of volume. My main goal has just been to stop the flow of things coming into the house. I really have to make myself stop and think before I buy something.. I want to get down to just my favorite things of each category and really. cherish them.

Yes! I agree with the not wanting to get rid of things. Like the lotions I mentioned. I really want to force myself to use them. I agree, it is so overwhelming. I do the whole purge thing a lot, and give things to family and stuff. I don't mind doing that, I enjoy it, but at the same time, I feel it's important to feel a sense of accomplishment from finishing something. That's why I always read empties posts on MUT. xD I envy those long lists of used up products! Reminds me to start using things up! 

 

[dellebelli]

If I'm only buying it because it's on sale, it's a waste.

It's so important to love everything we buy! I've gotten much better at that with clothes over time, but I'm so new to makeup that I want everything for no good reason at all. I'm constantly coming close to breaking my no-buy by window-shopping online...and filling my cart...and having to tell myself the reasons that I'm *not* pushing that Buy button. And nearly every time, the reason I want to buy it is that it's on sale, not that I'm so in love with the product itself! The things that *aren't* on sale, I'm more likely to tell myself I have to wait and buy later, even though I might really love to have them now. So I'm slowly adding to the list of things I actually need and going to take my time in choosing and buying them. And for now, I don't *need* any makeup at all! Ten days in, this is getting a lot easier, and I know it'll keep getting better =)

Y'all are the best.