August 3rd began my product probation period and it ended Aug. 31st at 12:00am.Here is a list of the items that I would have purchased had I not been on probation.
Bare Naturale mascara $6.99 on sale at CVS
Fiberwig (mascara) $22
Aveda Damage Remedy treatment (even though I already have one at home I like to stock up) 16.oz $68.00
Sally Hansen nail polish (on sale ) 2.99 I probably would have gotten two.
OPI by sephora nail polish $9
Sephora instant manicure nail strips $10 (2 packs so really $20)
New Givenchy mascara $27
Tarte 4 day lash stain ( just saw this the other day..I think I will get this one though) $18
Peter Roth Lashes to Die For, it is supposed to make your lashes thicker and more luxurious. However, the BGG post on these potions made me feel great about not making this purchase. I no longer want this item. $125
MAC three of the mattene lipsticks and one lipglass from Cult of Cherry collection $57.50
A boat load of things from She Scent it (this is hair stuff totaling over $200 it was about $250 before tax, I couldn’t tell you the tax because I had it in my shopping cart but never made the purchase.)
Rosemary oil $10.00
This really tiny Revlon lip quad for $8.00
Total saved by not spending a dime 627.47
Now that probation is over I am honestly looking at my list with new eyes and the main things that I will get are below:
She Scent It order has been refined so I will only spend roughly $130
MAC – 1 Mattene lipstick Bing since that was the one I liked the most. Also I will wait until I can pick it up in person or until I get an online offer for free shipping. $14.50
Sephora by OPI polish maybe 1 polish $9
I think I really want that new Tarte eye product $18 but something that will remain on my eyes for 4 days scares me so I may not get it but let’s add it in anyway.
1 Revlon makeup product becuase I get $3.00 off at CVS but I wont get that $8.00 product mentioned above, I will set my limit at $5.00 after the discount.
Rosemary oil $10.00
New total 186.50
The difference between my first list and the revised list is… drum roll please, 440.97.
I kid you not, there were many more products on my " I need this list", but I think you get the general ideal from the list above.
I had a problem with buying what I did not need but I would like to think that I have taken huge leaps in overcoming the urge to splurge. I would much rather see that money in savings than to see it leave my wallet. Oh and I mentioned in a previous post that I was also cutting back on my food intake which basically translated to no more eating out or buying junk food and what do you think happened? Well I found myself wanting to spend money on something, anything then somehow finding the will to say NO. I was really surprised at myself because believe it or not I am actually a saver but this little process helped me to appreciate how much more I could have been saving over the years if I had cut out unnecessary items. When I went through my product areas in my house I found items still in its original wrapping, never opened. How sad is that?
What I learned
I learned that I can make due with what I have, especially if what I have has never been opened. Yes, probation forced me to open some of the products I had never used before. I also learned that I purchase products on a whim without thinking about what I could be saving if I don’t buy something I really don’t need.
I also learned the importance of moderation, there is no need to buy the store just the necessary items with a few splurges sprinkled in every now and then. And I thought about the power of coupons, how much one can save just by clipping a few coupons is amazing.
Shortly after the MAC Cult of Cherry launch I received an email offering free shipping on any purchase made on that day. This was such an eye opener because I realized that if I had not been on probation I would have made my MAC purchase online, paying for shipping when just a little while after I could have eliminated shipping costs. I know shipping may seem like a small thing but it all adds up. What is the urgency why would I have to get the Cult of Cherry items as soon as they launched? The answer is I didnt have to purchase MAC items immediately, my lips were not going anywhere and the same goes for the MAC line. After seeing the collection in person I realized that Bing is the only color I really wanted but if I had made the online purchase after the line launched I am certain I would have bought several more items.
Originally, when I started this process I thought it would be a cute little experiment, one that would also give me an opportunity to catch up on my posts, but it became much more than that. I will continue on this path by making better product related purchases, making sure that I have full control over my money and not allow the products to control my cash flow.
What do you spend your extra money on? Do you need to cut back on your spending? If so what is your plan? Any of you thinking of starting some form of probation?
12 comments:
aaaw!! that is such a beautiful testimony!!
do you mind creating a page on the group and posting this entry!
with probation, i put the extra on savings
Good for you! I have placed myself in a cash only plan for makeup and beauty related products. That really helps in keeping track of purchases. And I have limited the number of items in my stash (five lipsticks instead of 80, 1 mascara. I really like instead of 15 I hate). That allows me to get stuff I really like. I also check blogs and websites for reviews before buying. That has saved lots of money and killed many lemmings.
this is an awesome story. i am on an altered probation which i am going to continue but feed my junkie side with the power of coupons and rebates :)
this story is excellent. did you actually physically save all that money you would have spent?
what if you do that every month.
take care and i look forward to more good reviews.
i am so happy for you learning a lesson and saving all that $$$!!!!! i know i'm guilty of spendin when i shouldnt. i buy mainly clothes and beauty products. sometimes i pick up accessories but nothing i REALLY need. taking a page out of your book, i plan to place myself on probation. i have to finish all the products in my product bin. i have to put forth that extra effort to make my not-so- favorite purchases work for me. the food thing has to change too because i wanna lose 20 lbs over the next month or so.
Very goooood! I'm glad that probation was really able to work for you. I'm going all the way until November. $50/month. I, too have been doing very goooood.
Aw. I have a tear in my eye. I dub thee a Beauty Frugalista! Power to the frugal and fab@
I'm always happy to hear of a happy outcome and see others save money in the process!
I may be going on a product probabation as well. Although I've never been a product junkie in this last month I have spent way too much on makeup and hair supplies. I think I'll have to take a page from your book.
fab post! i'm so happy for you. i def spend a lot of money on too many beauty products, but the drugstore is the devil... that and target.
You did a great job!
WOW! What an eye opener! I like how you kept track of the things you would have bought.
Target is my crack. So I when I go on probation, I'll ban myself from going into one of their stores for up to three months.
Congrats. How awesome do you feel right now. I have been doing a lot of cutting back myself. Once you can see the results it is very powerful!
@Amina- Im respondign to this late but I had already posted it to the group page :-)
@Jasmine LOL thanks for the Fiberwig info..
@TamTam that is really good. You seem to have a really smart system together. I too have been looking at reviews before making more purchases.
@Just me I am totally with you I don't mind a coupon at all. Yes, that is the money I actually saved, in fact it was really more because I didnt complete the list of spending that I would have done. I honestly didnt realize I was spending THAT much, I knew it was a good amount but this really made me check myself.
@Antithesis I am proud of you and I am watching that weight ticker on your blog...great job.
@B yay B, dare I say we are reformed junkies???? lol
@Frugalista thanks so much...
@Kamina at least you have not been doing this months in a row, but you are right to nip this in the bud early on.
@Yummy and might I add the Sephora is also the devil and online shopping i mean really open 24 hours..gee whiz..lol
@TM thanks so much
@PBW I have to say I agree with you on the whole Target thing..lol
@CC I do feel great and I have been keeping my spending in check.
YAY
thanks everyone
PJD
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