I recently went on a mass declutter and actually took out my drawers and got rid of more makeup that I imagined to get rid of. During the process, I found myself quite eager to get rid of the products. I assumed I would be uncomfortable and sad from it but guess not. It was about time to declutter anyway. As a small beauty influencer, I still do receive quite a bit of PR and that quickly can accumulate a lot of space. So what I did for myself was, I kept products that were new aside so I can pass it forward to family and friends. I threw away old, expired makeup because no one wants to use that! Some products were only used once, which sucks!

What I learned from this declutter:

(For influencers) – Do not accept PR that you do not care for.
Do not purchase products that are not something I would use for the long-term – a lot of my purchases were for short-term use and that’s extremely wasteful.
Just because products with pretty packaging are pretty to look, doesn’t mean you need it.
If you already own that shade or a similar shade, do not get it. No one would notice the difference.
If there’s a sale, doesn’t mean you should buy anything from that sale. There’s always going to be a sale. Use up what you have first then considered buying more later.
Just because someone owns something nice, doesn’t mean you need to go out and purchase it. You are an adult now, understand and remember that you have priorities and bills to pay.

What I should be asking myself before I make any beauty purchase:

How many uses can I get out of this?
How long is the shelf life on this and does it make sense to own it now or later?
Will room temperature changes affect the product or not?
Am I allergic or sensitive to any of the ingredients listed?
Is this the correct shade for me? Have I swatched it at the store/read the colour description carefully?
How much product do I have left for my _____? example: foundation, lipstick and etc.
Is it a necessity or a want? Can it wait?

For those of you who are social media on a regular daily basis or with friends who are shopaholics, I know how hard it can be at times to not give in but just remember that if it does not spark joy or something you will use for the long term for yourself, why buy it? I’m always on social media because it’s part of what I do. I sometimes fall into the trap of buying things I don’t need because I saw it on my feed. I follow a big mix of different beauty accounts; some are drugstore, affordable beauty and some are boujee/high-end accounts. The high-end ones always get me because either the packaging looks great or it’s super popular on social media where you would see it at least once a day.

I hope you found this helpful in some shape or form, I thought I might shed some light on a topic that people do not normally talk about.

I’m pretty sure many of you find this amusing that I’m making a post like this but I figured it would be something helpful and hopefully gives some of you motivation to save money. I’m one of those girls who loves retail therapy and I will spend for the most stupidest reasons. Two examples I do at-least once a week is: 1) I don’t like what I’m having for lunch and I want fresh, hot food so I will order out. 2) I am sad/stressed/upset and I need to buy something to cheer myself up. Do these examples apply to you or you can relate? Let a girl know.

I think what is important is to not restrict ourselves because that will create more resistance and temptation later on. There should be a focus on an objective of some sort, whether it’s a handbag you wanted for so long, a property, vacation or etc. You should start off with an objective and it should be something you are passionate about, not something you want for temporary because we tend to lose track of the goal if it is.

Tip #1: Have a piggy bank

I always put my loose change, 5 dollar bills and lucky pocket money in my piggy bank. I got my piggy bank last year and he’s become very heavy now. I was tempted to open him up quite a handful of times but I quickly stopped myself because my objective is to fill him so full, that I can no longer put anything more in him then I will open him up and cash him at the bank. You will notice a significant difference how much a piggy bank can change your saving game. Cashing in hundreds, maybe even thousands of bucks?! How rewarding does that sound?

Tip #2: Skip out on buying coffee and make your own coffee at home

Wake up earlier in the morning and prepare yourself some coffee. Buying coffee every morning before work does add up. Think about it…

Let’s say you get 1 large cup of coffee every morning on a weekday…
$5 x 5 days = $25
For 1 month (30 days length) without weekends:
$5 x 22 days = $110
For 1 year (365 days length) without weekends:
$5 x 283 = $1415
That’s A LOT of money!

Currently minimum wage in Ontario is $14-$15
$14 x 80 work hours = $1120
$15 x 80 work hours = $1200
^ These are BEFORE deductions. Usually when you hit the 1k mark, you get deducted about 200 dollars per pay cheque.

We don’t realize the damage we are doing to our wallets when we buy little things here and there. I am an avid coffee drinker, I feel a significant difference in my overall behavior and awareness with and without it. I am gradually teaching myself to build tolerance to live without coffee. Some days I will give in and buy but I came from buying coffee every single day to drinking coffee maybe.. once or a twice a week?

Tip #3: Have a budget

Again, going back to what I said about restricting yourself. Never restrict yourself but make sure to budget your money out wisely.
Here is an example:
Say you make 3K a month and live away from your parents…
You spend (every month)…

$200 on groceries
$60 on phone bill
$80 for utilities
$50 internet bill
$150 for bus fare/gas
$200 on misc lunch/dinner occasions
$1200 for rent

What you have left…
$1060

Varying how big your objective is and how close you want to get to close to it. The remaining money you have left per month, you should at-least try to save 50%-60% of it. Have a Tax-Free Saving Account and just continuously save each month and you will start to notice the numbers growing bigger and bigger.

That is all for today, friends.
If you’re interested in more tips, please feel free to reach out to me and let me know you’re interested in these kinds of posts.