As we bid farewell to 2023, it’s time once again to recap and share the outcomes of my annual “Using More, Spending Less Challenge”. This reflective post may not align perfectly with what I initially envisioned, but I kindly ask for your patience as I navigate through this.
In striving for some consistency, I’ve chosen to use the same format as last year’s report. However, I’ve made a few tweaks here and there to better reflect the current reality, as some aspects have become less pertinent over time.
This post is largely centered around the numbers – the tangible results of my challenge. However, it’s crucial to remember that this is all in the spirit of lighthearted fun and personal growth. So, it shouldn’t be taken too seriously or used as a rigid metric for success or failure.
I haven’t conducted an exhaustive analysis of every single detail; instead, I’ve focused on providing a general overview of my progress and achievements in the challenge. The insights shared here should be viewed as points of reference or food for thought rather than definitive guides for decision-making.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into the results of the “Using More, Spending Less Challenge” for 2023. Whether you’re just curious, seeking inspiration, or considering embarking on a similar journey yourself, I hope this post offers some value and insight.
The figures for 2023 bear a striking resemblance to those of 2022. Admittedly, my spending did increase slightly in 2023, and I added more products to my collection while finishing fewer items both in terms of quantity and value. However, these changes were not drastic, and I largely maintained my average.
A significant factor contributing to the increase in purchases was my growing fondness for Bath and Body Works. But an even more influential cause was my trip to London. Owing to the Brexit restrictions that now limit my ability to order certain products from abroad, I felt compelled to seize the opportunity and stock up during my visit.
Naturally, while navigating the city, I stumbled upon a few retailers previously unknown to me. So, yes, I confess to picking up some additional items that weren’t originally on my shopping list. While these unplanned purchases contributed to my slightly higher spending, they also enriched my experience and broadened my beauty horizons.
Just a quick note: when tallying up purchases, Advent Calendars and Beauty Boxes have been considered as single items.
Here you have the summary. Now let’s have a closer look at some other numbers.
The pie chart above, highlighted in a darker shade of purple, illustrates the quantity of products I bought in 2023 that I actually utilized. The number appears relatively low as I’ve been consciously trying to resist the urge to use new purchases until I’ve exhausted older ones — of which I admittedly have more than necessary.
I’m striving to work my way through these older items, either using them up or discarding them if required. This process is gradual and might seem slow, but it’s part of my journey towards mindful consumption.
Moreover, the allure of newly acquired products can sometimes be irresistible, especially when they’re fresh releases on the market. It’s tempting to test them out and share my thoughts and reviews, even though it goes against my plan to use up older items first. I confess I haven’t been entirely successful in this regard.
However, most of the 2023 purchases I did manage to finish were largely seasonal scents from Bath and Body Works or products I opened during my London trip. For instance, I started using some right after buying them because the travel-sized items I had brought with me ran out sooner than expected.
In actual numbers now, I used up 30 products purchased in 2023 from the 234 that I purchased.
In this additional pie chart, the darker purple segment represents my spending at Bath and Body Works. Interestingly, I spent slightly less compared to what I expended in 2023. This isn’t because I bought fewer items — quite the contrary. It seems I’ve become more astute with my shopping, capitalizing on some of the best deals available.
To put it in concrete terms, my expenditure at Bath and Body Works in 2023 was £244.65. The figure is surprisingly low — so low that I can’t shake off the feeling that I might have overlooked something. However, after checking and double-checking, I haven’t found any missing expenses. It appears I’ve just managed to shop smarter!
Now, let’s take a look at the final pie chart. I’ve tweaked this one slightly from the previous version to add a bit more variety and prevent it from being a monotonous breakdown of my purchases from a single store.
Unlike last year, when I mentioned shopping at iHerb, in 2023, my interactions with the retailer were significantly less frequent. And even when I did shop there, my purchases were not beauty-related but rather centered around laundry detergent.
I have a favorite refillable laundry detergent that I frequently purchase from iHerb. It has a pleasant, soft scent that I adore, but that’s a tangent for another time. For now, let’s focus on the beauty purchases.
Continuing from where I left off, the darker purple area in the chart represents the expenditure on my Asian beauty product purchases. This encompasses not only traditional Asian brands but also Asian-American brands like Tatcha, a Japanese-American brand, and Glow Recipe, a Korean-American brand.
However, these brands constitute just a small fraction of my total purchases. The bulk of my spending is primarily on products from South Korean brands.
My favorite place to shop for K-Beauty in 2023 was YesStyle. You can shop at YesStyle and take advantage of their many discounts and such, plus you can get an additional discount that works on top of everything else with my code BLUSHSUEDE24.
The emphasis on Asian beauty product expenditure, is quite pertinent. This is due to a significant rise in my purchases of primarily Japanese and Korean beauty products, which has inversely affected my spending on Western beauty items.
Not only do I perceive these Asian beauty products as superior, but they also tend to be more affordable. This dual advantage has directed my preference and spending towards them, thereby reflecting in the chart.
And here you have it – the summary of my spending challenger for the whole of 2023.
Reflecting on all of this, it’s clear that I still have a significant amount of work ahead in mastering my spending habits. A key action point would be to concentrate on consuming more of the products I already own and doing so consistently, something I’ve been neglecting in recent months due to feeling consistently drained for nearly half a year.
On a positive note, I’ve managed to stabilize my spending around the £2500 mark. This is a considerable achievement, as it represents roughly a 75% reduction from my peak spending of over £10000.
How did you do in 2023?
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