Beauty

[just bee]

On 2/4/2014 willdob3 said:

Good Morning, ComPactors!

Is it Friday yet??? lol... Gonna be a long week...

Bee, that was very good advice from KonaKat. I hope this passes quickly.

I agree. There's not a lot I can control here, but what I can control should make a difference. I just need to look at the situation as another door opening instead of one slamming shut in my face.

But it has put me in limbo and I'm back to the mindset where I'm hesitant to toss or donate because I may need these things after all. My current security is threatened. The future is a question mark.

The one thing I do know is that I'm still on no-buy. I don't see a time in which I'll ever feel like I can go out and be frivolous again. I see a frugal future. And really that's not a bad thing. I just miss the feeling of never having to tell myself that I can't do or can't have.

I'm in sit/stay mode.

The only place where I see I have power is in the food sector. That's why I'm going to that other thread. I can control what I buy, what I eat. I'm not scrimping or cutting corners when it comes to nutrition. Can I go without new toiletries, clothes, jewelry, decor, or entertainment, trips, restaurants, electronics, toys? Absolutely. But I'm not sacrificing my pantry.

[KonaKat]

Bee--I try to look at food as being fuel. Does that bag of chips, etc. provide essential nutrition? If not, then it can be put on the "do not buy" list. It is amazing how much can be saved by eliminating items that do not provide essential nutrition.

I bet if we were on a desert island but had all our stash, clothing, etc. at hand, then we would have no problem surviving without buying. Could we exist with just one outfit a day for the week? Do we have to have on hand enough clothing that we can go without laundry for weeks?

There as a time people pinched their cheeks to provide a little color; then buying blush, etc. developed. Now, buying cosmetics, etc. is like buying cereal; there is so much to choose from that it is hard to make a decision and often we keep buying in hopes of finding the right one but is it much different from the prior one?

[Oshare-girl]

On 2/4/2014 KonaKat said:

Bee--I try to look at food as being fuel. Does that bag of chips, etc. provide essential nutrition? If not, then it can be put on the "do not buy" list. It is amazing how much can be saved by eliminating items that do not provide essential nutrition.

I bet if we were on a desert island but had all our stash, clothing, etc. at hand, then we would have no problem surviving without buying. Could we exist with just one outfit a day for the week? Do we have to have on hand enough clothing that we can go without laundry for weeks?

There as a time people pinched their cheeks to provide a little color; then buying blush, etc. developed. Now, buying cosmetics, etc. is like buying cereal; there is so much to choose from that it is hard to make a decision and often we keep buying in hopes of finding the right one but is it much different from the prior one?

You are so right! I find myself longing for the "little house on the prairie" days when life was simpler and when people were stressed, it meant there was a real problem happening. I'm getting tired of our affluenza. I want to pinch myself on the cheeks instead of staring at 20 blushes. One by one I will get to the simpler days I long for.

[Oshare-girl]

I'm also irritated by my stash because everything ends up looking the same on my face. I realize now that I was searching for the perfect fill in the blank, when I already had it. For me, it's about accepting that what I have is enough. There is no magic fill in the blank. I have noticed that there are a lot of Youtubers doing project pans or makeup I want to finish videos. Could it be that the ComPact had spread beyond our forum? Or maybe everyone is hitting their saturation points. Interesting times.

[just bee]

On 2/4/2014 KonaKat said:

Bee--I try to look at food as being fuel. Does that bag of chips, etc. provide essential nutrition? If not, then it can be put on the "do not buy" list. It is amazing how much can be saved by eliminating items that do not provide essential nutrition.

I don't fret about the food thing -- Better-half, the dog, and I eat well. We don't eat out, we do cook.

This is a helpful site:

http://www.whfoods.com/

The items on this list pretty much sum up what we keep in the house.

http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php

[just bee]

On 2/4/2014 Oshare-girl said: You are so right! I find myself longing for the "little house on the prairie" days when life was simpler and when people were stressed, it meant there was a real problem happening. I'm getting tired of our affluenza. I want to pinch myself on the cheeks instead of staring at 20 blushes. One by one I will get to the simpler days I long for.

I myself am a little too fond of plumbing and electricity, so I'm not quite ready to give it up. But it is interesting how much we can do without.

[just bee]

On 2/4/2014 Oshare-girl said: Could it be that the ComPact had spread beyond our forum? Or maybe everyone is hitting their saturation points. Interesting times.

True, there seems to be a recurring theme out there. Maybe it's the economy, maybe it's age -- who knows?

I maintain we have too many choices, too many options, too much information. And not necessarily the right information.

Interesting times, indeed.

[KonaKat]

I don't think any of us really long for the good old days where outside toilets were the norm and people had to lug water from an outside well, or take clothes to the stream to wash....or dip ourselves in the stream for a bath. I think what we are talking about is just eliminating much of the excess which will help us use what we have in a more comfortable, efficient and cost effective manner.

[lunamarz_31]

I just read an inspirational story on Yahoo:

A man quit his 6-figure job, gave away most of his possessions, and simplified his life. As a result, he ended up being a happier person.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-millennial-quit-6-figure-205835000.html

Proof that the best things in life aren't things. I admire that thought...I am hoping to apply more of that principle into different areas my own life.

When I think about it, stuff doesn't bring us joy and happiness. It's the people (or pets) we surround ourselves with, getting new experience in life, just living life. No longer will I be tied down to material possessions...they are just "stuff".

ETA: I wonder if he had been secretly following ComPact all these years...his mantra resonates with ComPact

[rnmom]

Oshare-girl-that is so funny that you wrote about the Little House on the Prairie. I've often watched that myself and commented to my husband about how it would be nice to go back to those simpler days too. Especially with the kids, the one episode when they were so happy to get a tin cup and a peppermint stick for Christmas, and my kids are drooling over all the latest gadgets and games that cost a fortune.

While I still want to keep electricity and my indoor plumbing, I too, often long for the simpler days, like when I was a kid. There just wasn't such a push to have more, more, more. And while we always wanted the latest toys etc, we were happy with what he had. No cell phones, computers, riding lawn mowers, microwaves, Blue Rays, the list goes on and on, and we were happy. Life was nice back then.

I for one am definitely hitting my saturation point. I need to find a cleanser and a moisturizer that won't irritate my skin, because everything I have seems to bothering me lately and I just don't want to buy anything. I probably will, just so that my face feels better, but I don't want to. I just don't feel like buying anything right now. I'm glad, I don't know how long it will last, so I'll just play it by ear.