2016 Challenge Update | November & December

Hey Everyone,

It’s that time again to give you an update on my challenge and yeah… FAIL….Damn it! I got sucked into the Holiday deals and I just couldn’t contain myself, Oops! I decided to add December’s update here as well since I already bought makeup this month anyway so I figured I would make this my last update of the year.

In total, I passed 4 times out of the 8 months, meaning I bought makeup 8 months out of the year, now I’m not saying I spend hundreds of dollars each month on makeup, some months was just $20 and I did get some pretty awesome deals but it made me realize how much I do spend on makeup in general. However, I did manage to stay away from the Target dollar spot / Bulleye’s playground, The Dollar Tree, Online shopping (clothing wise) and home essentials, so it wasn’t all that bad or a complete fail on the whole challenge.

Next year, I will try to control my makeup buying habit a little better, now that I have all this new makeup to play with why would I need more!? Said no woman ever. Thank You.

 

xox

2016 Challenge Update | August

Hey Everyone,

let’s get right to it, I FAILED. I bought an Urban Decay eyeshadow palette and I am not sad about it. How could I be, they were having a half price sale, who could say no to that? And now that we’re half way through the month of September, I would love to say that I should pass with flying colors, but Too Faced just came out with their new Holiday collection and the temptation is hard to resist. Help.

 

xox

2016 Challenge Update | July

Hey Everyone,

here is the monthly update for my 2016 challenge and i’m happy so say that I PASSED as I predicted.

However August might be a whole different story, stay tuned.

xox

2016 Challenge Update | January

Hey Everyone,

Just like I promised here is the monthly update on my 2016 Goal/Challenge and the verdict is;

FAIL!

But to be honest and fair, I only started the challenge after I realized my personal shopping habits needed to get in check. It’s only been 2 weeks of the actual challenge and I manage to not spend the rest of my personal allowance which is a pretty big deal for me. No need for applause 😉

I’m hopeful for February, but it’s only the beginning of the month, so I‘ll try not to get too ahead of myself.

 

xox

My 2016 Goal | The Save More Get More Challenge

Hey Everyone,

I’m going to have to level with you guys, I hate admitting this, but I have an impulse buying problem. Whether it’s candy at the convenience store, makeup at Ulta or miscellaneous items at the Dollar Tree or Bullseye’s Playground at Target, formally known as the 1,2,3 Dollar Spot. I just can’t seem to just say “No” or tell myself “You don’t need this!” when it comes to shopping sometimes but seriously in my defense have you seen Too Faced Makeup packaging and the recently cute new added Valentine items at Bullseye’s playground at Target? Yeah, it’s hard to say no sometimes.

Granted, they are not large sums of money when I do make an impulse buy, but I do make them often enough that they add up pretty quickly. Plus I find myself with things in my home that I don’t need or use and they’re just taking up space. After doing numerous decluttering jobs and putting our monthly finances in check a few months ago, thanks to Mint.com, I realized how often I make small purchases on my monthly allowance for things I don’t need. It’s funny how I can be so good and attentive in one area of our family finances, but just be a complete mess and waste it when it comes to my own personal monthly allowance. I mean, why do I feel the need to buy things that are essentially just junk anyway? We live in country where it’s all about consumerism, BUY, BUY, BUY and always having the latest new gadgets or designer duds. This makes me sad because shouldn’t life be more than just about stuff?

Something came over me once I saw this and I decided to make a change, a possible very hard change for a chronic impulse buyer like myself but a change for the better I’m sure.

 

Here are the categories I currently have Impulse buying issues with,

• Makeup 
• Bullseye’s Play Ground at Target / Dollar Tree 
• Online Shopping 
• Convenience Store Snacks 
• Home Essentials * (Even though it’s not part of my monthly allowance, I’m adding it as a part of my saving goal for the year.)

Here is how I am going to save money on the following categories;

Makeup:  Since I’m currently subscribed to Birchbox & Ipsy at $10 a month each, they can both provide me with the makeup and skin care sample products I need for the year. Any other makeup products must only be purchased with a gift card or Free Product Coupon.

Bullseye’s Play Ground at Target / Dollar Tree:  AVOID AT ALL COST!  Ok, let’s be honest here, I probably won’t, BUT I will minimize the shopping hauls from these stores. I may not have as many shopping Haul video’s on my Youtube Channel this year. Sorry guys.

Online Shopping:  This is mostly clothing and I’m currently doing ok in this department, I don’t seem to do it frequently or over indulge when I buy online. As of last year I decided that if I want to make any online purchase, I MUST find a discount code.

Convenient Store Snacks:  AVOID THE CONVENIENT STORE AT ALL COST! Snacks must only be bought during the grocery task or provided as a Freebie.

Home Essentials: Items including Toilet Paper, Paper Towels, Cleaning products, Pet Food and Personal Care items such as deodorant, shampoo and body wash must be procured for Free before purchasing. If a purchase has to be made, a coupon must be used towards the item(s).

 

I want to make it clear that this challenge is not about me not spending any money, I’ll be honest here, money will be spent, I am human after all. This Goal/Challenge is more about getting my impulse buying in check and really making a conscience effort into what i’m buying.

 

Every month I will provide an update on my progress, whether I have failed that month or succeeded in the above categories. For January, I know I have already failed, hence why I started my Save More Get More Challenge. Impulse buying has been a struggle of mine since I was a teenager and I know i’m not alone in this issue. So by doing this challenge, I hope I can prove to myself and maybe others that having the need to always buy something or to have the latest item(s) won’t seem as important.

 

This will be an interesting experience,… Wish Me Luck.

 

xox