Tricks to budget makeup and skincare obsession?
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free skin care · Mon Jul 30, 2007 7:33 am

So here's my dilemma... My DH has left the job/career he was at for 8 years to go in a new direction. As anyone who's done this will tell you, it's not an easy thing. You don't have the right kind of experience, no one will give you a job. You don't get a job, you can't get the experience. It's hard. So now he's working 2 crappy jobs to make ends meet.

Meanwhile, I'm still craving a little fix once in a while.

So what are your budgeting tips? I really need to learn to keep it in control (at least until he gets that 6 figure salary... ha, ha!)

free skin care · Mon Jul 30, 2007 8:05 am

I always make a wish list and allow myself to put anything on it I want, then I reorganize it by what I want the most. I start doing research (reviews, pricing, etc.) on my biggest lemmings, this usually confirms my want or squashes it. I also try to get samples of what ever it is, this helps me make up my mind to take the plunge or not. MUA is a good place to swap for stuff so your not out any money except shipping, I have only had one bad experience there but tons of good ones. The main thing for me is to never impulse buy, and when I finally do purchase I do it from nordstrom or somewhere else that has a great return policy in case it doesn't work out.

Have you considered getting a PT job for the time being? Like one or two days a week, that way you don't have to feel guilty about your little splurges!

free skin care · Mon Jul 30, 2007 8:50 am

vonstella wrote:

MUA is a good place to swap for stuff so your not out any money except shipping, I have only had one bad experience there but tons of good ones.

Have you considered getting a PT job for the time being? Like one or two days a week, that way you don't have to feel guilty about your little splurges!

Thanks, vonstella!

Would you mind telling me a little bit more on the MUA swap? I've been a member for a while but have never tried swaping...

As for the PT job, not possible. I work full-time and go to school part-time. As it is, I make about twice as much as my DH with his 2 jobs and the reason I'm going to school is so that I can get an even better job, so I think that's an investment of my time that'll turn out to be worth it in the long run...

free skin care · Mon Jul 30, 2007 8:58 am

gottaHAVEitALL wrote:

Would you mind telling me a little bit more on the MUA swap? I've been a member for a while but have never tried swapping...

Its pretty easy, you just put your stuff up for swap in the swapping section. You find stuff on other peoples lists that you want and send them a PM. They will look over your list and let you know what they are willing to swap for, you only agree if you think its fair. Swap addys and your good to go. Just be sure to check their tokens before swapping to see what kind of experiences others have had with them.

gottaHAVEitALL wrote:

As for the PT job, not possible. I work full-time and go to school part-time. As it is, I make about twice as much as my DH with his 2 jobs and the reason I'm going to school is so that I can get an even better job, so I think that's an investment of my time that'll turn out to be worth it in the long run...

Agreed!

free skin care · Mon Jul 30, 2007 11:47 am

Vonstella, your list is a really good idea. I've done a similar type of list for myself, but I'm not as thorough as you (even though I do obsessively research a lot of things) - I do the list and then reorganize contents thing, but I still wind up impulse buying some stuff. Especially if it's something new and I get impatient about the reviews coming out! But for the most part I find that if I stick to EDS/online stuff, I'm more inclined to research stuff anyway. My biggest danger is that I'll often buy unnecessary stuff to bulk up an order so it qualifies for free shipping, which isn't REALLY saving money most of the time. I'd just rather spend it on product than shipping, ya know? But I think I splurge unnecessarily in that way, so I have to remember that sometimes good old-fashioned in-person purchases have their merits.

free skin care · Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:01 pm

Haha! Let me tell you, I used to be the Queen of impulse/use once and shove into a closet or drawer consumer. I refuse to even think about how much money I wasted on really expensive things that I just tossed, I'll throw up if I do the math! Cool

It wasnt until I had my son that I had to reprioritize my spending. I still impulse buy but limit myself to in store purchases and they have to be under 15$, even with all that I only do it once a month so it wont get out of control like before. I also think that becoming more savvy to beauty companies BS and reading labels has helped me become more wise with my spending. I still allow indulgences from time to time but now Im better at stopping and asking myself, "do I really NEED this"? When I first started doing this I wouldnt even go into Sephora, thats how horrible my will power was, I KNEW Id walk out with 100's of dollars worth of stuff I didnt need and wouldnt use!

free skin care · Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:16 pm

I guess I'm thankful that I'm so picky - it limits me with what I'm even willing to try, haha, so it's good for that!

I just spent all weekend shopping like CRAZY when I visited an old friend in Portland, which is laden with adorable trendy boutiques. I spent way more than I'd imagined, but I kept joking that I was glad for my, ahem, womanly posterior - my unfortunately jiggly thighs did me a favor by not fitting into any pants or skirts, because it limited how much stuff I could blow my money on. Smile

Silver linings, I'm determined to find 'em!

free skin care · Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:20 pm

I was talking strictly skincare, clothing...er, thats another story! Embarassed

Ive been cursed with expensive taste (not for labels but quality). DO NOT let me go free in a premium denim boutique, for some reason I can ALWAYS justify spending 250$ on a pair of jeans! Razz

free skin care · Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:43 pm

Yeah, I've always had the expensive taste gene too - my mom joked that she could line up ten seemingly identical black tee-shirts, and I would inevitably pick the most expensive one in the lineup, haha. Luckily, I also have a very good eye/nose/stubborn personality for sales and clearances, so I tend to find good deals on my expensive stuff. But now denim, that's another detail - my body is so hard to fit that I would gladly snap up multiple pricy pairs if I could ever find ones that fit me!

free skin care · Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:01 pm

I really could buy it all if I let myself, but Now I make a list of things I REALLY need, and things I'm running out of soon. Then my second list are things I want to try. I buy one thing at a time. I'm also try to use up all my cosmetics before buying more (hard to do). So far I think I'm saving money.
I have to be thrifty now because we're planning a new kitchen $$$. Shock

free skin care · Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:12 pm

gHiA,
Long term strategies for the back burner, exploiting your internet access:

Here on EDS, watch out for Bozo-Product threads, a la "what will you definitely NOT be repurchasing?", because some of the posts may cure you of your curiosity over or quiet your lemming(ing?) for certain products.

Here and on other fora, start to learn about what actives do what, so that you will develop a healthily dismissive attitude toward products that don't have adequate levels of them, or lack the actives that interest you.

After ^this has started to take effect, visit the DIY section, even if old threads. Perhaps make a purchase oif the smartskincare DIY guide.

Make a new commitment to at least TRY not to purchase a new thing until you have used up one you already have.

As for makeup -- remember that less is more and you probably already have what you need and it's good enough for now. Once in a while splurge on something new, especially if it promises practical convenience, like a really lasting mascara or lip stain...

^my $0.02 offering, anyway...

free skin care · Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:27 pm

Ok, here's my 2 cents Smile

If you have money to burn, then go ahead, splurge and buy the Chanel, Dior, NARS, Becca, etc. makeup, but I can honestly say that I've found some of the drugstore eyeshadows, blush, lipstick...to be as good as, or sometimes even better than the high end cosmetics at a fraction of the price. If you ignore the hype and pretty packaging (except for NARS...what's with those ugly black rubbery compacts?!) of high-end cosmetics, you'll find the quality is comparable to d/s items. I have Dior, Chanel and other h/e eyeshadows, and the ones I reach for the most are NYX($3)and a sample of some mineral e/s!

Same with hair products. You don't need to spend alot of $$$ to have beautiful looking hair. As someone else mentioned above, the DIY section has some great tips for getting & keeping your hair healthy with inexpensive products that you probably already have in your own kitchen!

If you have a chance, check out MUA Product Reviews for Best Values. These are reviews for mostly inexpensive products that work! hth Smile

free skin care · Wed Aug 01, 2007 7:17 pm

If you have a chance, check out MUA Product Reviews for Best Values. These are reviews for mostly inexpensive products that work! hth

Quote

I agree. I found some good products to try from this list. I am currently in between jobs so I need to be careful. But if I can pick up an eye shadow quad for under $10.00 (some under $5.00!) and feel like I have new treat.

I also agree with making a list. I will write things down and very often things once researched don't seem that appealing. OR I will finally purchase an item that has been on my list for a while and it was worth the wait. I also like to buy from department stores and I will not hesitate to return items if necessary.

free skin care · Thu Aug 02, 2007 12:16 am

Hi gottaHaveItAll! I understand the situation you are in having gone through it myself, so I hope your husband finds a job in his new field soon! Like others here, I am also a big supporter of lists so that I can prioritize the items I want the most. At least fifty percent of the time, the item I was yearning for isn't as hot as I thought it was going to be once I tried a sample of it. This is why I am a huge fan of sampling high-end creams, serums, foundations and powders, as I've discovered this can really save me a lot of money should the product be unsatisfactory. If I am unable to source an official sample of a product on my list, I will ensure my favorite department store carries the item I want then visit said store with several 1/4-1/2 oz empty makeup pots and request samples. I've never had a problem doing this and think it's a great (and economic) way to know if an expensive product really works for me.

Another thing I do is keep an eye on the HSN for products I want to try (such as the Lauren Hutton Face Disk, Cellex-C, etc), then order the items I'd like using the easy-pay system which allows my payments to be spread out across several months. This really eases the impact of a purchase on your credit card!

Lastly, I always look for deals at Winners (which is run by the same company that owns Marshalls & TJ Maxx). I have scored many fantastic deals on high-end perfumes, body washes & scrubs, bath salts, shampoos and so on. Everything I've found there has been at least 60% cheaper compared to any other stores in my area that carry the exact same products.

HTH... wave

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