Conscious Spending Introduction

 The beginning: Money and Identity

My hope is to have a more minimal makeup and skincare collection by the end of 2022, but definitely by the end of 2023. I don't need as many things as I actually own, especially as I sort out my gender identity and how I move through the world. 

Surprise! I'm genderfluid. And that affects things. Sometimes that means I present very feminine, and sometimes I'm quite masculine. Or both! Or in between! 

I want to have the tools to present how I'd like on any given day. In that case, makeup and skincare are tools to help in that presentation - just as clothing, hair, and tattoos are tools to the same end.

I do like most of what I own, but I do fall prey to marketing. I placed a larger order at the end of July, almost completely motivated by Ulta's marketing of SPEND A BUNCH OF MONEY AND WE'LL SEND YOU FREE SHIT. Except it's not free, it costed $65 + shipping + other products.

Point being, I want to be more conscious of what I have, what I bring into my life, and what I spend my time and mental energy considering. I have more lipsticks and eyeshadows than I could use before they expire, for example. And similar goes for yarn, homewares, stationary... the list goes on.

I'm hoping, as well, to eventually spend less money and mental energy on physical goods, and more on experiences, friends, and things outside of myself. I'd like to buy a house at some point. I'd like to retire. I'd like to be able to afford kids. And I can't do that if I'm spending so much on material things.

The Middle: The Goals

So, my goals for my Conscious Spending Project are as follows:

Firstly (obviously), to downsize what I have. I don't necessarily want to overhaul everything I own, but I do want to be more conscious of the things I own so I can eventually not be conscious of the things I own. I don't want to think about "do I have a moisturizer with Vitamin C?" or "what color of eyeshadow should I be wearing today?" I want to have a consistent routine, where everything fits together.

I think it's a blend of KonMari and minimalism. With the impression I have of minimalism, I wouldn't be "allowed" to have more than one highlighter or eyeshadow palette. I only have one highlighter because I don't wear a ton of highlighter, but the single pan I own (Becca Amethyst) sparks joy. I wear eyeshadow frequently, and (so far) most of the eyeshadow I have sparks joy. 

Second goal: I want to save money, or at least be more aware of where it goes. 

To be frank, I am an independent contractor. I have half a dozen jobs which, cobbled together, almost makes it to a full-time income. My income fluctuates from month to month, and season to season. My income is slightly slower now in August, because many of my jobs are based around the academic year. In March, I'll hardly be able to sleep because I'll be doing so many different things. My income doesn't have a super consistent turnaround, either - one job took six weeks to pay me, while another is very consistent at the end of the month. I need to be aware of what I'm spending.

In terms of costs, there are some consistencies - my hair is pretty short, and so I go to get my hair cut consistently every 2 months or so. That's a recurring expense. But I currently bring in more lipsticks than I use up. I don't want to spend that much on lipsticks. I want to have several that spark joy, but not like... an arsenal that sparks joy.

Final goal: I want to be aware of my world. That goes beyond makeup and books and blogging and working a bunch of jobs. I want to be more in tune with my friends. I want to figure out what stressors lead me to spending money, or bingeing on YouTube, or not engaging with myself and my own feelings. (Yes, I do have check-ins with a therapist).

The Final Part: The Methods

So, in order to be more conscious in my spending, I will take the following steps:

1. Gentle no-buy until the end of 2022: Only buy makeup, skincare, clothing, and yarn (and yarn-adjacent things) as gifts OR if I have specifically run out of something. I can't buy another red lipstick until I've run out of all my other red lipsticks. 

2. Decluttering in moderation: If I really just cannot stand an item, I can declutter it. I will designate a running list of fails as to the reasons for the decluttering. "I want an excuse to buy this other lipstick/ bag/ skein/ etc" does not count as "I can't stand it." Especially if the function is basically the same. I can't declutter my last red lipstick just so I can buy a new red lipstick. And, if I were to declutter all of my red lipsticks in one go, I can't hop out to Sephora and grab a new, different lipstick - I would have to evaluate why I decluttered all of them. Perhaps it turns out red isn't my color, for example.

3. Set aside a little bit each paycheck for re-buy: but that fluctuates depending on what I need. I probably won't need anything for August, for example.

So, comment your thoughts down below!