Every beauty babe loves to haul. We all have different budgets and we all have different spending styles – one natural colour or 10 crazy ones from the same range?
I have been embarking on the process of being…yes, frugal. Me? Frugal? I know.
I really do love make up very much and I love seeing new products appear online so I can buy them.
My hauling style is one in every colour. I tend to like expensive make up, but that’s just because I love a product that is extremely high quality in nice packaging.
This last month I’ve been doing my best to cut back on make up spending and other excessive purchases to see what I can do to my finances and by jove – it’s working. What have I been doing?1. Writing down all my expenses!
I bought a little cash book which means I write down every single thing I spend. Once you’ve got more than 5 things on there (including every day boring things like transport and food) it starts to look ridiculous. It actually becomes a challenge to have as few entries as possible.
2. Doing something else other than browsing online shops
I am an online shopper by heart, unfortunately this means that money is just numbers on a screen, not a note in my hand.
By not browsing at all, and instead tackling the many, many projects I have on my plate, I am less tempted and less likely to convince myself I want something.
Once I’ve thought about an item for long enough, like a week, I am usually bored of the idea anyway.
3. Vision Boarding
Linked to point no. 2, creating a vision board for the next 12 months (there are many things I want to do in this time) a board helps keep me focused on the bigger things, so that the one extra eyeliner fades into insignificance.
Now that I’ve started doing this I am finding it quite interesting how controlled I can be….
I wanted to ask you ladies – What is your make up (or any other hobby) spending habit? How do you shop? Do you budget at all or control your finances? Have your financial situation ever changed so that you’ve had to change your spending style?
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t really spend much and tend to buy the odd item off each collection here and there so that saves me a little on the side. On the other hand when a new collection that catches my eye with lots of pretty designs ie. Jill Stuart, I’d normally haul most of the collection and deal with the expenses later.
I don’t think I’m a compulsive buyer but I do enjoy browsing online for new products/collections, I also like to purchase mid to high end products due to the fact that I do believe that they appear better quality and the packaging appeals to me the most.
Having the odd no buy restriction can be frustrating at times… you know what they say. Time to cuddle up to your cat, it eases stress, haha! =P
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Hi Lisa
I have to say I am the same – i do have expensive tastes and I browse online A LOT. Sometimes I can’t say no! At the moment I am not browsing and then looking at what I have already before I purchase! At the moment Esprique catches my eye but it means I want EVERYTHING from the range but I really shouldn’t! Eek.
Come here kitty…..
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My other half changed jobs which meant we both had to cut back…which for me meant less techie gadgets and make up!! Booooo! I now spend a lot more time reseaching and looking at a gazillion swatches before I buy anything now! I also use ebay a lot more than I used to and I’ve got a really useful iPhone app that I use to track my spending!
x
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Hi Ms Wedgie
That’s interesting – I’ve been keeping up to date with spends to on my phone (when I don’t have a pen to hand) also, I think it’s a good thing to be critical (I am not critical enough) with stuff I buy
I will do that now and make sure I REALLY need something before I buy! x
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If we’re just talking makeup I buy three or four high end things at once online, a couple of times a month and travel between Germany and the UK about four times a year, when I’ll buy a ton of the same random high end stuff on each trip. That’s it! Before I was married I would browse my local town every day and buy magazines and clothes as I had no access to the Internet, which is what fuels my desperate desire for high end cosmetics. So I suppose if I needed to stop I’d just have to stop reading beauty blogs!
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Hi EmilyJane
That’s a good point – as you go through different phases in your life (getting married, having kids) I am sure financial priorities change
I might as well enjoy it whilst I am free of big financial burdens! x
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im a big bargain hunter and i really love to stretch my dolla hehe so im quite patient when it comes to buying something that i really want, i can really wait for a sale eg buying a dior e/s palette at 50% off during their warehouse sale, even if the palette is a season old!
well that’s me, i can really wait ^^
xoxo elle
ps: love ur new layout! gives me an earthy forest feel~
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Hi elle
that’s a great idea! I am so impatient that i don’t wait even when I should really! I will do the best in the future to wait for offers and things (but by then I probably don’t care anymore)
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I love all kinds of make-up and I will spend more for items that I like. I am a happy person when I am collecting my make-up items. Make-up is a must have for me.
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I’ve been on a spending ban for almost two months and it’s made me realise that I spend far too much on the same thing namely shower gels. I don’t have a bathroom big enough to house all 30 of them but I want to try loads so now I’m making sure I finish quite a few before buying more.
It’s not easy though, and I do feel your pain but I wish you luck with your new regime.
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Hi Annabella
Cos I’ve been writing spends down…I realise how much I spend on particular things – me, books and online make up hauls. If I had to hand the notes over it would be a lot harder! So I’ve just stopped browsing altogether! x
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Ooooh…my spending can get out of control too easily!! I go through phases of being really good and frugal, and not spending on luxuries at all, and then I’ll just get the shopping bug and go all out!! I can sometimes get obsessed over finding a certain product too, like finding the perfect nude lipstick, and I’ll end up buying about 5 in the same week! Reading blogs also tempts me to buy more than I should, especially if it’s a blog that I trust the opinion of, like yourself!
My other spending obsessions would be beads (I love making jewellery!) and unique jewellery, along with the usual clothes, shoes and bags!
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Hi Jen
I get like that too I get a new obesseion (ie. hot pink lip gloss) and then that’s it, I have to buy 10. Blogs are awful for encouraging I still see things some bloggers wear and think god, I WANT IT! x
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mmm, it seems like that detox you did might have an effect on the detox on your spending habits as well. But I know what you mean…I need a serious detox on my spending and beauty browsing as well.
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Hi Birkie
I was wondering that…if the detox can affect the way I feel and I think it does (spiritually too) and cleansing life of unwanted things
Having said that I did buy a teeny weeny bit of make up today!
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