2019 No Buy

If you follow me on Instagram or if we're Facebook friends, you'll know I started a No Buy on May 30 that goes through Halloween.  This post is going to lay out my rules and exceptions for the No Buy.

The whole reason I started a No Buy was because I was getting more enjoyment out of buying things than I was at using my things.  I would buy a new makeup product, or dress, or cup (you see where I'm going here) and I would use it until the novelty wore off then I'd go buy something else.  Wash, Rinse, Repeat.  Not only did I blow through my entire savings account at Ulta (I'm serious. We won't talk about it), but up until the past couple of weeks I wasn't even wearing makeup consistently.  I am going to miss the endorphin rush of buying new things, don't get me wrong, but I'm trying to bulk up my savings account and teach myself to use what I have and enjoy what I have already spent my hard earned money on.

This is not going to be easy.  This is not a casual decision I've made.  I need this.  There's no two ways about it and I finally bit the bullet and started.  I budgeted my last paycheck down to the absolute nickel and stashed a nice bit into my savings account to start bulking it back up.  I drive a bug.  They're expensive when they break!!

So, onto my guidelines for this No Buy.

Cannot Buy:

• Makeup*
• Clothes*
• Coffee
• Vending Machine Pop
• Snacks At Work
• Non-essentials
• Beauty Products*

*I can repurchase items that ran out or wore out during the no buy UNLESS I have a substitution at my disposal. For example, I can purchase mascara, BLACK eyeliner, skin care, makeup wipes, and BLACK tennis shoes.

Can Buy:

• Groceries (including snacks FOR work)
• Gas
• Gum as needed (this is an essential for me but I tend to buy it in bulk)
• Essential makeup without a backup
• Anything necessary, up to my own discretion.

I have one more exception to this no-buy, which might not even be technically an exception as it wore out (well, the dog ate it).  Every October, It Cosmetics releases a pink foundation brush for Breast Cancer Awareness month.  The dog got his paws on my last one, and I am making that one exception that I can buy because it was my FAVORITE brush and I used it all the time.  It was money well spent.

I am 3 days in, and I have already made a list in my phone of things I wanted to buy but didn't fall into the guidelines of my no-buy so I skipped on.  I want to keep track of how much money I am going to be saving not spending my money on nonsense (hellllllo iced coffees...those bad boys add up!!). So far I have saved $52.03. Not even kidding, out of all of those purchases I wouldn't have thought twice about, 5 were iced coffees, 3 were snacks at sheetz, and 1 was a kitchen scale.  I ALREADY HAVE A KITCHEN SCALE.

Fingers crossed about this, guys. I made the budget, I filled the cash envelopes, and I am developing the support system on instagram.  This is my last form of accountability, and I have faith in myself that I can achieve this.  155 days of not buying nonsense.

Does this inspire you to start your own no buy? Leave your comments down below!!

xoxo,

Rachel