New Year resolution: LOW BUY

Yeah, it’s a bit late for New Year resolutions, but I couldn’t find time to post it earlier. I’m planning to start a low-buy. I’ve had similar projects before (Project 10 Pans) that were semi-successful – I did spend some products (you can see that some are missing in my Stash inventory), but I didn’t managed to curb my spending (the disadvantage of being a beauty blogger and a make-up addict:).

After contemplating how, I’ve devised a project which, I hope, has the greatest chance to succeed.

I have started to implement it at the beginning of the year – I was broke from Christmas so I didn’t have much chance (or means) to shop.

First I have created the following rules:

— 1. I’ll limit myself to maximally one high-end and two drugstore items per month. Of course, if I don’t buy anything one month, the items may be transferred to the next month.

— 2. One high end item is worth 3 lower-end drugstore items (Essence, Catrice, Eveline, Oriflame) or two mid-end items (Revlon, Bourjois, L’Oreal, Inglot, Illamasqua) – so instead of buying one high-end item, I can get more drugstore.

— 3. Two lower-end drugstore items are worth one mid-end item.

— 4. The items which may be excluded are essentials such as mascara or a foundation, which may be bought after I have spent the only one I have.

— 5. Any palette which contains eyeshadow and/or lipstick will be counted as buying two items.

— 6. Skincare and body care are also included in the project

— 7. L’Occitane travel size products are counted as one low-end item. Full sized shower gel is counted as one mid-range item. Full sized body creams and skincare are counted as one high-end item.

— 8. Fragrances are excluded (for now).

— 9. Products that I do not hoard (such as shampoo) are excluded from the rules.

— 10. Guerlain LE quads (the ones I’m missing) are also excluded.

This means that every month I can maximally buy 5 lower-end drugstore items.

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However, I have realized that, while the rules aren’t too bad, they allow me too much leeway, and there is a great chance that I’ll cheat. So, it was time to find something else.

Then it dawned upon me: instead of limiting the products, why don’t I limit the money I’m allowed to spend?

I’ve rushed to assign myself a make-up budget for the whole year. The worst problem was to decide how much money to put in. To get the precise amount, I have written down all of my current lemmings and the amount I got was to become my budget for the whole year.

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So, in the 2012 I’m allowed to spend 5 000 kunas (around $840 or 660 euros) on cosmetics (it includes make-up, skincare, nail polishes, body-care, brushes, fragrance…). I’m allowed to increase the amount only if I get a real job, and not the part-time I currently have.

From the budget I have excepted the products such as nail-polish remover, cotton; drugstore body sunscreen, shampoo, deodorants. Everything else goes on the list (I’ll post a print screen once, so that you can see how it looks like).

Another thing I have done is to assign myself new products to spend:

Make-up:

Sisley Phyto Ombre Eclat in Vanilla, Dune and Sorbet

Chane Rouge Coco Chance

Guerlain Rouge G Gaby

Benefit Full Finish Lipstick Lady’s Choice

Estee Lauder Lash Primer+

Dior Waterproof Kohl Noir Trinidad

Guerlain Kiss Kiss Gloss Ambre Precieuse

Benefit High Beam

Benefit Benetint

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Skincare:

Nivea 5in1 Cleanser samples (10*2ml)

Sisley Crème Reparatrice (2*4ml)

Sisley Tropical Resins Complex 4ml

Collistar Serum

Oriflame Diamond Cellular Serum

Sisley Neck Cream

Sisley Floral Mask

Sisley Eye Contour Mask

L’Occitane Hair Mask

Sisley Shampoo

L’Occitane Shea Butter Body Cream (20ml)

Sisley Immediate Radiant Lift

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Sisley Instant Perfect

Clarins Instant Light Complexion Perfector

Avene Ystheal

Sisley Tinted Moisturizer #1

Sisley Body Exfoliator (10ml)

Essence Blotting Papers

L’Occitane Shea Butter Shower Cream

L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil

L’Occitane Pivoine Flora Shower Gel

L’Occitane Pivoine Flora Body Milk

Avene Body Oil

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I’ve started spending these products form 1st January, so some of them are almost finished. I have also made a dent in my make-up budget – 2 nailpolishes, a foundation and a perfume.

I really hope that I’ll manage to strictly stick to this plan (and that I won’t spend all the money in the budget:)

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Do you have any no-buy/low buy plans?

♥

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