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How do you stay within your beauty budget during the holidays?
Saving up throughout the year knowing that more money is going to be spent in the last part of the year!
— Christine
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I really start to critique the products launched during the holidays. I, like most, am a sucker for cute packaging, but as more and more reviews are released about a product, I try to judge if the quality is really there. Or, those cute little sets for eyes, or lips (Sephora has a lot of these), I might love one or two products, but I would really be saving money if I just bought the full sized (and then I wouldn’t have to deal with a bunch of minis I don’t love).
It’s a time of year when waiting before purchasing (to be sure that you really want something, rather than making an impulse purchase as soon as you see something that gets you excited) works really well: by the time I’ve thought about it and I’m ready to buy, a lot of LE stuff is already sold out. Problem solved, lol!
This year I really haven’t done such a great job of doing this! Not sure whether it was that so many LE offerings came out at such a record-breaking earlier time or that there have been some exceptionally wonderful rare gems this year or what? In previous years, I’ve stayed within my self-imposed bounds, so next year I will figure that into the plan, that yes, stuff may begin arriving at lightspeed come early September….or worse, late August!
I always allow myself to spend more money during the holidays, as that’s when the brands usually put out their best LE items, value sets, trial kits, discounts/promos, Black Friday deals, etc. If need to, I’ll spend less on clothes, and fortunately, the current fashions haven’t been all that appealing to me, so it’s been easier than expected
Normally, I specifically budget more for the end of the year. When medical stuff threw a wrench in the works that made it harder, but I have a strict budget overall and now I’m on better insurance (YAAY OBAMACARE!!!) so things like a Neurologist costs $25 an appointment, so that meant this season a bunch of my budget I expected to spend on medical was free for other things, so I lucked out in that respect, otherwise it would have been slim pickings this year.
I also keep an eye on brands and stores to see which tend to have sales often or online promo codes or other offers and which don’t ever budge their prices. I tend to put the sales one into two categories, 1) ones with sales/etc that happen at specific times (ex: The Body Shop), and 2) ones with sales that just pop up and either you snap the items up or not (ex: Hautelook). I keep a mental/phone tally of items I want to get, and budget for that expected sales, with a smaller budget for the flash sales. I then have a third budget for items whose price I know won’t change and save up for those.
I also tend to prioritize limited edition things, though I am pretty choose-y with those as I know if I love them I can’t go buy another when I use it up.
Honestly, I have no budget. I simply peruse all the holiday releases and choose which one I’m more interested in. I buy what I like.
Like Momo, I don’t have a budget and can get whatever I want whenever I want. That doesn’t mean; however, that I’m foolish. I don’t have to have everything that is new and pretty nor do I give in to impulse buying just because a sale is going on. Buying lots of stuff just because it is on sale is false economy, GWPs are seldom worth having to buy extra items just to meet the qualifying purchase amount, and many of the special sets that are so ubiquitous this time of year contain items that I’d never use and would certainly never buy if sold separately. So, I guess my approach is more about my shopping attitude rather than in any specific savings plan. If there is something I really want, I buy it, but in general, I’d rather spend my money on other people and various charities this time of year.
I am the same way. I have no budget throughout the entire year actually and I have no husband/boyfriend or kids so if I want to buy something beauty related I have no one I have to justify it to anyways. So far this holiday season I haven’t really bought that much and during the VIB Rouge sale I actually only bought stuff that I needed not stuff I wanted to try out.
Yup! That’s my story, as well.
“…no husband/boyfriend or kids so if I want to buy something beauty related I have no one I have to justify it to…”
Living that “3M” lifestyle: it’s just Me, my Money, and my Makeup. Lol
Although I have the freedom to buy whatever I want, I don’t go crazy with my spending; especially over seasonal/holiday releases. I tend to buy one or two items from only one brand’s launch. That’s it. This holiday, I only bought from MAC. I’m completely content until Spring 2016 makeup items hit the online and in-store shelves.
I think this fits me too. “Budgeting” sounds like a lot of meticulous pre-planning, tracking expenses, and possibly involving spreadsheets–all of which I don’t do. I’m aware I spend more throughout the holidays so I try to restrain myself throughout the year. I try to be smart and as minimalist as I can despite my hoarding tendencies. I have several alllergies and sensitivities that already limit my options and keeps me wary about buying things just to experiment or play around with (don’t want to wreak havoc on my skin). I try to re-stock during sales. I also keep in mind what Christine once said about having a very well-edited beauty collection and what Marie Kondo says about whether possessions spark joy so I think through my wishlist items and purchases carefully: How often will I use this item? If used rarely, how well does it fit the intended occasion? How likely is it going to sit in my drawer and be forgotten about? Will I use it up before it expires? Am I sensitive to any ingredients? Does the item suit me? I also try to remember to return items if I find that they don’t work.
Budgeting can be difficult but I find that avoiding the shops is one of the few ways that I can curb my spending. Saying that, I haven’t bought anything makeup related recently at all due to my love of music overtaking my love of makeup. So I have spent money on music but nowhere near the amount I would have spent on makeup. Woohoo! 😛
I don’t really have a holiday game plan or anything. I just try to shop smart.
Not really. It’s time to spend the money I’ve been saving for this special season.
I don’t LOL! Well, I usually try but this year has been a really good one for holiday collections and palettes. I want almost everything and for some reason my brain can’t get a grip on process of elimination right now lol. It’s just all bad!
What’s a beauty budget? I was going to say I don’t spend that much money in general but…I hit VIB Rouge this year so guess that’s not true. I only buy holiday sets if they’re worth it and have good ratings and I know I’d use them. I am getting pickier, plus I have many great palettes that I don’t get to use that much so why add more. I did buy Laura Mercier’s Holiday Palette that Macy’s had (Sephora didn’t) and I LOVE IT. It looks like the Eye Artist one but has their holiday packaging (that animal print) and the colors are different, golds and bronzes along the top, plums along the bottom. A lot of my Sephora splurge over the VIB sale was actually skin care. I just don’t buy whatever looks cute, I make sure I will use it.
I tend to try to get all the LE stuff out of the way early. So, I’ll lag off a bit as I’m gift buying. But, I have a “Christmas account” through my credit union. Its awesome. Pretax $ that I don’t even miss!
I usually limit myself to only a few items, and then wait until after Christmas to buy some goodies. I want a few more items , then I am done until my birthday in February. It is slightly scary that I am thisclose to hitting vibrouge this year.
I don’t!! With so much temptation around, I just tend to buy whatever takes my fancy (once I’ve read your reviews of course, Christine!)
Researching what I’ll want and when it comes out. Reading/watching lots of reviews. I try to be really objective about what will be good quality, and what I’ll actually use. For non-LE stuff, not running out and buying things right away. A cooling off period is always a good idea, IMO. It cuts down on the impulse buys.
I do the same thing, but with skin care!
It’s tough for me because they seem to always put out more stuff at the holidays that has neutral to cool undertones in shades I’d actually wear. I just get what I can then if I can afford it. I should probably save up. I’d have loved this years Ballz but other years have been just ok so I wasn’t expecting something that epic!
Budget? What is this thing you call “budget”?
I focus on what I have. I haven’t bought anything so far this year by simply going in to my stash and swatching and realizing how many fabulous products I already have. ♥ Elle
By just buying the products that I really love (eg Urban Decay’s Spectrum palette) and the ratings are excellent.
Sometimes I really have to ask myself: Do I need this?
I don’t usually go for holiday sets mainly because there are lots of products that I can’t or won’t use – pink lipsticks in mini sets or half the eye shadows that are dupes of neutrals that I already have.
I haven’t been very good at that so far. I think because I’m just getting back into makeup this year everything seems so exciting to me. Plus, it always costs more when you have to pad out your basics in addition to your extras. At least that’s what I tell myself, lol. But after November, I’m going to try a new thing: only buy things in person, with rare exceptions (things that are only available online, get good reviews, that I don’t have dupes for, etc). For the last few years I’ve lived in very rural areas, but I recently moved to a city where they have makeup stores around so I can go in and swatch products. I think it’ll make for less impulse buying and more awareness of what the product is in reality, rather than what advertisers make something out to be.
Budget? I don’t really budget myself when it comes to beauty purchases. I buy what I like… but I am a picky shopper! An item has to be unique in the market (imho), reasonably different enough from other things I already have in my kit/ collection, and be of solid quality. I don’t really follow the hype put out there on venues like YouTube, for example. Once in a blue moon a YouTuber will recommend something in a “favorites”-style video that I’ll get intrigued by… but even then, I purchase nothing until I’ve done my research on a product. So, no real budget.. but no real impulse buys, either.
I am terrible with money but not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination. Budgets are very difficult for me. I do not have credit cards though.
I some times have trouble staying on budget if there is a product that
really interests me .
1. I have a monthly budget and if I don’t use it that month it just rolls over. This has worked out really well this year.
2. I budget extra for October through December and allow for splurging for Holiday releases.
3. To keep me from feeling overwhelmed and frenzied, I only watch for and buy certain brands, and from that only certain products from that brand (i.e. from Guerlain I only buy Meteorites, from NARS I only buy Audacious Lipsticks, from Sephora I only buy eyeliners, etc. ) so that helps me keep it organized. Sticking to my tried and true HGs lets me enjoy the pageantry of it all while waiting for my brands to pop up here and there, and I don’t feel any (or at least not as much) pressure to buy with all the releases from so many brands.
I usually start by taking stock on what I actually need. Usually this removes a lot of wishlist items.
Then I cull down my wishlist into value, size, and availability. Been gravitating towards smaller sizes, lately. It’s also nice to not pay a lot for those smaller sizes.
Limited edition and specials get higher priority, as they are likely to sell out quickly.
Then, if I consider something be popular. If it isn’t, it might go on sale later, after the holiday season.
I don’t
Errmm I don’t. I should but I am weak.
I don’t have a set beauty budget but i’m very conscious of my expenditure on cosmetics. I read as many reviews as i can on makeup or skincare that i want to buy and let things on my wishlist sit for about 2-3weeks before i try it on in-store. So far, this has worked the best on my one makeup vice: lipsticks. As much as i love and appreciate beauty bloggers providing lip and skin swatches, after buying Lolita from KVD blind and it not really working out, i’ve been more careful about purchasing lipsticks since everyone’s colourings are obviously different and the camera does lie.
I have to put things into perspective about how much use I would actually get from it and if I have any alternatives in my collection. I try not to even think of real dupes, but more of general alternatives (for a nude eye, for a travel palette, for a smokey purple look, etc).
I’m trying to downsize so I haven’t purchased anything so far but the Gwen Stefani palette is calling my name big-time!! And I checked my stash and I need to combine practically all my palettes to come up with something that isn’t even a proper equivalent so we’ll see if I cave!
I look ahead for product launches during the holiday season and if that fails then I just use my reserve stash for unexpected. I can’t plan for everything but I can be proactive about the present. lol
What is this “budget” of which you speak?
It’s kind of odd but I haven’t purchased much this holiday season! So no budgeting. Nailed it!
How do I do what?
Two words: I Don’t!!! So wish I could say I have more willpower to set a budget and stick to it, but if Mikey likes it, it’s coming home with him (er me). Lol.