What worked for me in my yearlong No Buy

 

I waited to post about this just to make sure I would go the distance. The longest I've ever gone without shopping is 54 days & when I'd crossed more than double that number I knew something fundamental had changed in me. 

Start with why

Why do you want less stuff? Because it's visually more appealing. Because you are sick of tracking expiration dates. You have no clue what you have in your stash. All of the above & more. This is the most important step. And definitely the backbone on which your No Buy rests. It's also helpful to make a list and go through them once everyday (more if temptation strikes)

Put all your stuff in one place 

UI was doing the classic hoarder thing where apart from my dedicated skincare drawer, I had a small pile in my bathroom, an extra drawer in my kid's bedroom & some more stuff at my mom's house. It doesn't seem like much until I put everything in one place. It was staggering to see how much I had accumulated.

Use your stuff 

Make a schedule. I've been using up so much after I made a dedicated beauty routine. I'm not talking about your regular skincare routine but all the extras like facials, manis, pedis etc. I actually look forward to these tiny oasis of me-time /selfcare + it's so relaxing. 

Watch / read about other people's No Buys 

It helps to feel like you are not alone + you can definitely pick up a few tips from people who have done multiple years of No Buy(I'm in awe!) 

Make a wishlist 

Sure you have more than enough products right now but there will come a time when a newly launched product will call out to you. I have saved all haul videos from my favourite youtubers (the FOMO is real you guys) until I can watch them without breaking my No Buy. Several products have made it to my wishlist but I don't feel the need to buy them immediately. 

Stop tracking your empties 

I've been diligently tracking my empties since 2015 but it didn't really matter since I never stopped buying new products. Like you can out eat any exercise regime, you can out buy any empties project. In the process of accumulating more empties I was mindlessly using products, even things that did not work for me. Even products that broke me out like crazy. I stopped, took a step back and only used products that I liked or ones that worked for me. I still have a pile of empties with me but they are not as many as I used to finish up back in the day. 

Have a goal

For me the goal in skincare is to have only 2 products in every category. I know it might seem excessive to some people but you have no idea how big of a deal this is for me. Makeup is slightly more tricky since there are products that I only use a couple of times in a year (like a berry lipstick for fall/winter) but I love having these in my stash. For now I'm sticking to fitting all my makeup in 1 drawer(I'm managing, just about) Nothing like playing a little makeup tetris eh? 

Almost 6 months down. I hope I can continue like this. Fingers crossed. 

Announcement - No Buy Year

 

Starting a No Buy Year because the amount of stuff I have is truly embarrassing. Once upon a time all the makeup I owned fit comfortably in a single pouch. I only had one of each item (definitely not multiples like now) & some products like primers & highlighters just didn't exist. The same could be said for my skincare pouch too. Only a few items & all of them in use currently. Now I am using products I bought a whole year back because that is the amount of backlog I have. I am sick & tired of maintaining an elaborate excel sheet with detailed info. It's almost like a race against time where I'm constantly trying to finish products before they expire. And as a result of so much stuff I have to let go of products that I'm truly excited to try & continue using what I was excited about say, a year back.

Makeup & skincare along with clothes are my problem areas. I don't over-buy anything else. In the past year I've not stepped out of the house & hence not shopped. In fact I only had 2 new pieces of clothing in the whole of last year & both of them were gifts. I'm mortified to admit that I still have brand new clothes that I've not even worn in my closet. After the year that's been 2020 I've come to realise that I don't need so much stuff. I can live comfortably on way less. Less stress, less maintenance & less time spent cleaning all of this. It seemed difficult at the start but as time went on I actually didn't miss shopping for clothes at all. I want to replicate the same thing for makeup and skincare as well. 

June was my birthday month and I have gone a wee bit overboard with my shopping. Friends and family know that I love makeup & skincare and those generally form the bulk of my gifts. I'm not depriving myself of anything, just trying to use up things before they go bad. God only knows what possessed me to "save" makeup for a special occasion! And all that time the makeup sat on my vanity & died a quiet death. 

I've gone through several No Buys over the years but I feel I've had the wrong approach. I used to think it was like a short term diet where you deprive yourself & then go on an all out binge session. This is more like a lifestyle change. You use your things & only buy when you are about to run out(radical, I know) Baby steps ( don't judge me) 

As with everything else, let's start with the rules

1. I can only buy replacements of products when I'm down to my last bottle of said item. Now since I routinely buy bulk-sized products last bottle obviously doesn't mean last 1 litre bottle. It means when I'm down to the last 100 ml for shampoos, lotions, cleansing milks etc. It means even tinier bottles for nail polish removers etc

2. Schedule in an at home facial every fortnight so I can actually use the products I bought anticipating some quality me time. Also I shop less when I'm more relaxed & not holding tension on my face especially my jawline. The same goes for other grooming I do at home - manicures, pedicures, facial and body hair removal. Pencil them in so you actually prioritise them.

3. Declutter everything expired, what you don't like, what doesn't work for you or shades that you are less than thrilled about. I did this & pared down my lipsticks from 80 to 30. I feel so much lighter as does my makeup drawer.

4. Practice my makeup every chance I get. Not only will I finally make a dent in the mountain of products I'm holding on to, it will also improve my makeup game.

5. Watch & read content from others who have successfully done No Buys. Nothing like some motivation. I've saved No Buy related content by Whitney Hedrick & Personal Philosophy Project channels. 

This is not a rule as such but since I will have a lot of free time that was previously spent shopping, it does make sense to plan how I will utilise it. I plan to restart learning French & the keyboard. I have finished a couple of levels in both but just gave up midway. Wish me luck!