This 2024 no buy year made me realize

I cannot come and tell you guys what I'm going to do. I have to do it and then come tell you guys what I've experienced or what the results are. That's just how my life works. I've always noticed that I cannot broadcast all my moves beforehand, like for a long, long, long time. So yes, I get keep a lot. And if the thing ends up working, or if I just want to come back and tell you guys, it failed is not what I envisioned it to be. Then I could go ahead and tell y'all my, you know, my experience, but I say all of that to say, I tried to do the no buy, no buy challenge or lifestyle for the year of 2024, I thought about doing the, you know, the startup, the initial video at the beginning of 2024, but I just never got around to doing it. And also I already know, like, if I put this out there, then it's almost as though I'm accountable, keeping myself accountable. And there are some things I want to be accountable for it, but some things it's just let life, life, you feel me, let it live. So here are my updates or here is what my experience was. And this is what I've learned. Hey y'all, it's your girl, Rolanda and welcome back. Okay. So the way this challenge went for me was I have two categories, low buys and no buys. So reflecting on my 2024, the main reason I did this challenge for myself was because not because I have a spending problem because ever since I moved to Dubai, I really diminished the amount of stuff I bring into my home. And I've spoken about this many times in previous videos. I feel like I was just at a point in my life. I just turned 31 in 2024 where I don't need excessive amount of things. I did really, really analyze my makeup buys to the point where I even analyzed to where I am buying my makeup from all in all I already came into 2024 knowing that I wanted to not purchase so many makeup items, it takes me forever to go through makeup products. So yeah, I know what I like. I am doing my best to actually pan the products or to put it as an empty. So yeah, makeup for me this year, I did a very good job. I think I did probably like two purchases when I say purchase, like overall purchases when it comes to makeup this year, but other than that, it's not as though I am all up in Sephora here or in the mall here trying to purchase makeup or online, even trying to import makeup because it's not that serious to me. I don't know about you guys, but I love finishing my products. I feel so accomplished. I feel like my money is not being wasted and it just. Allows me to have a clear mind. It means I have less products in my stash, less clutter. So makeup wise, I did a very good job. I wanted it to be a no-buy honestly, but it was in a low buy category at the end. Honestly, my stash is nowhere near it once was, and I absolutely love that. Next home decor. I wanted home decor to be a no-buy and I did a good job. It was a no-buy and January is my fourth year here in Dubai. So I don't feel as though I need anything to revamp. I'm not the type of person that every season, every year I need to buy new furniture, buy new this, buy new that. Absolutely not. The only time I was, the only reason I was buying furniture and decor more often when I was in Atlanta is because I actually moved different places. You know, different apartment vibes gives you different inspiration, get different feels, so that's literally why I purchased new items, but other than that, I'm the type of person, like, unless that style is out of style for me or unless I, you know, I mature up or, you know, you want something different, then I will do a whole new vamp revamp, but nah, I'm sitting at a place where I know myself. I know my style as for right now. So I don't need to purchase anything. Um, the only thing is I still have yet to put any pictures or art in these, uh, frames that I have in my room and it's been four years. Eventually I get to it, but it's literally not necessary. It's, it's, it doesn't bother me, you know, I forget that they don't have anything in them, honestly. Yeah. I didn't buy anything from my home, which is good. Next designer, anything that was supposed to be a no buy. I'm about to say no buy. That's supposed to be a no buy for me. And I accomplished that. I did not buy anything designer wise. Honestly, my thoughts on buying designer nowadays is, is I don't even know if it's on the fence. Cause honestly, I just like good quality and it's not about the name. It, to me, it has never been about the name brand for anything that I purchased. I just love quality. Oh, I hate cheap things. Like there are some things you can buy that that are inexpensive and it's totally fine. But when it comes to things that you are using on a regular, whether it's purses or whether it's like jewelry, whether it's, um, furniture, I, whether it's kitchen gadgets, like I love good quality, well-made good material items. That's just like my, uh, and items at last. Like that's just my Achilles Achilles. I don't know what it's called. That's just my thing. I just love good quality for the designer thing at one point. Yes. I will have to admit designer items, luxury brands. They had the quality. They had it in the bag because on the regular stores and stuff, they did not carry that. You know, it was just different. But nowadays where quality wear is, it's just, it's not the same. So does it make sense to continuously purchase something that you know, that is not well-made and will break and does break and just feel cheap and just look cheap, it just doesn't make any sense. So I feel like I'm tapped out when it comes to buying designer, anything. I don't know. I feel like I'm tapped out a good 70%. So all I said, all of that to say, um, for the past, I want to say I have a purchase designer for the past, like three years anyways, so, because I feel like a lot of things that are being pushed out, a lot of collections are pure gimmicks, so I, I don't even care to, to be honest, next up is new clothes for 2024. Did I purchase, did I purchase any new clothes? Uh, I don't think so. If I did, it was less than five items, but honestly, I don't think I purchased any new clothes and that was on purpose as well. My lifestyle now, I don't have to purchase new stuff in order to show like for the past year, how many times have I posted on Instagram? How many times have I posted on YouTube? You feel me? It's not like you guys see my clothes all the time anyway. So I am able to just reuse freely without, you know, having any, any thoughts in the back of my mind, like, Oh, how am I going to pair this differently from the last time I wore it? Or I need something new to put on. Like, I'm so glad I'm out of that little phase because I'm not posting or I'm not wearing, or I'm not buying to show you guys anything. I'm literally buying for myself and my wardrobe and not try to do this pairing and do all of that for new clothes, 2024, I did not purchase any. Like I said, I cannot, I cannot think of. And a lot of the times I still have some stuff at my mom's house that I haven't worn in years because I've been here. So if I think of something, I'll be like, Oh, can you go find this? Or, or see if I have this, or let me see. I literally shot my own stash from abroad. You feel me? So I'm not in need of any clothes, but coming towards the end of 2024, the main reason I have not been purchasing or buying new clothes is because. I just got a new sewing machine. I have another hobby. I'm a hobbyist. I have plenty of hobbies. So even if I'm not online from, you know, doing videos and doing all of that, I'm busy with hobbies, with my business, you know, with living life offline, I am starting to sew now, which is interesting. It has been an interesting journey. So if anything, I'm more into making my own garments instead of just keep on going and buying new ones and, you know, wearing them once and then like tossing them or donate or whatever, or just let it sit there. Um, I rather just slowly carry my own wardrobe handmade. I don't know if I, what is it? How do they say put my foot in my mouth? Bit my own bullet. I don't know, but I thought sewing was going to be very, uh, relaxing. And so I thought it was going to be a relaxing hobby. But it's kind of stressful. So all in all, it's going to be more of a slow process. I'm not showing us sewing with me, sewing videos, none of that. If anything, I'll just show you guys the finished product. If I feel like it, you know, when I take my pictures and all maybe videos, but I'm not doing a whole adding this sewing as an hobby to my content creating, because I don't want that to be that at all. Yeah. So the main reason for, I want to say the first three quarters of 2024 for me not to buy any clothes it's because I honestly don't need it. So it was definitely a no buy. Cause I feel like I didn't buy anything. Next no buy or low buy of 2024 was no body lotion. So if you guys didn't know early last year, I did announce that I was doing body butters and what my moisture body butter ball, I think that's what it was called. And listen, even though I'm not selling it at right now, but I use them every single day and I absolutely love it. So I still have a lotion that I purchased. I want to say like two, I'm going to go live two or three years ago or since I've moved here that I still have here. So I literally have been loving my butter balls and that is literally what I've been using the entire time to where I have to put a pause on that because those are not going to expire right now. Cause I make them fresh, but so I need a dip into the lotion. I do have, because I am literally trying to diminish my clutter, diminish anything that is just sitting, any products that are just sitting. I want to use it all up instead of just have them go bad because products do expire. Yeah. So 2024, I did not buy any lotion. We're almost done. Next are nail products. No products to me was a low buy. It wasn't even going to be on this list to be honest, because, um, 2024, I was definitely curating my nail station to where there are a lot of things that I still wanted to be staples in my station where I didn't have them. So it wasn't going to be a no buy or low buy, but to be honest, I did a good job. I'm at the stage to where once I hop into a hobby or hop into something that I'm doing myself, DIYing, um, I'm not overpurchasing in the beginning. I know we can definitely have that excitement, that overwhelming feeling where you just need every single thing related to that hobby, but I'm not there anymore because I don't want to create clutter for any part of my life. So I slowly bring things in, um, over time to see what I really want or what my, um, not expertise, but what my preference within that hobby is. So for example, if I wanted to start acrylic or if I want to start gel, you know, I'm not going to go in and buy acrylic and gel and all of everything together when that's not what I want to do, you know, so I can slowly bring things in as I go. So 2024, I wanted to slowly figure out what my stance will be in the nail space. And really, I love it where I am now. I am a gel girly or a dip powder girl where both of them, they soak off. Yeah. And I know what colors I don't want to get, what colors I do want to wear and stuff like that. So I already know myself to where I don't have to go and over purchase because I'm getting into a new field and that's almost the same way when it comes to the sewing. I don't want to go and do this big haul of fabrics when I'm not going to wear any of those patterns, you know, or buy a whole bunch of patterns when I'm not going to make any of those patterns. So it's a slow process. So like I said, nail products was definitely a low buy. Desserts was a low buy for me. I feel like in the previous years, I, because I wasn't really into baking and cooking on all that, I would always buy my desserts, but definitely 2024 was the year I learned to make a lot of great, really, really, really good desserts. If y'all don't know me, like I love, I'm a, I love desserts. Like I have a really bad sweet tooth. I love dessert. I love my sugar, unfortunately. But I have found enjoyment in cooking or baking these desserts from home and really seeing how much sugar are in each dessert and able to curate and put exactly how much I want or don't want to make it how sweet or, you know, how fatty, whatever. So dessert was a low buy for me as into purchasing dessert, you know, from stores and stuff like that. And it was more about me honing into creating, um, these, these delicious delights myself within my own home. And the last category, of course, y'all already know I had to come with the hair. Hair products for me in 2024 was a low buy because I went into the whole Ayurvedic side towards the last quarter of 2024. Um, I've always really shopped since I've been here. I've always really shopped my hair products on sale when, you know, the States have, you know, Sally or like, uh, who else? Like, I don't think I've purchased from Ulta like that, but mainly Sally, or if I see a good deal on Walmart or Target's website, then I will purchase my hair products when needed over there. And then just have them shipped here because a lot of the ones that I like, especially that now they're coming trickling it into UAE, but, um, really 2022, 2023, there weren't that many products readily available at the price that I want them because you know, they have import fees, you had, then the person has to make their profit and all of that. So it was quite more expensive for me to get the ones that I like here, then to just purchase it and then just pay for my own shipping, you feel me? So I have gotten into Ayurvedic at the end of 2024. And of course, hair talk is going to be his own separate video because girl, the hair has been flourishing 2024. So 2024 was definitely a, it was a low buy because I really listened to my hair this year. I really analyze my hair and now I know how the weather is. I know how my hair reacts now being that I live in a desert. When I was in Atlanta, when I was in Florida, it was way more moisture in the air than here. And yeah, here's dryer is hotter. So it took me some time to really figure out what's best for my hair, what I need to do, so I've definitely slowed down in purchasing conventional, what's conventual, conventional, conventional, conventional, yeah. Conventional products. I think that's how you say it. There are some products that I do not purchase anymore. Like I said, it's going to be, it's on separate video and I'm happy to be honest. I'm so glad. And it's going to continue on into 2025 when it comes to hair stuff. If you guys are interested in hearing more about my hair, stay tuned for future videos. All right, y'all. So that is all that is on my list of my low buy, no buy challenge of 2024, my outlook, what I've learned, what have I learned throughout the entire process? I feel like a lot of things I've already known. Um, like I said, this challenge wasn't really about me being a shopaholic and me trying to control that. It wasn't that at all. It was really about now that I know I'm not a shopaholic now that I know I don't buy junk now that I know I don't fall into FOMO. I really don't get FOMO to where I got to go get it now. If it's bestselling, here's a tip. Here's a tip that I feel like a lot of people don't realize. If it's a bestselling product, if it's a hot product, you do not need to go get it now. The brand is not going to discontinue it. You know why? Because it's their best selling. It will always be there is, is their cash cow is what's going to make them money. So you can wait until whatever you have in your stash is done before you go purchase the new one. It's okay. It's not going to run out. Trust me. That will be a dumb brand for them to cease to produce something that makes the money that generates them a lot of income. So just relax, sit back and relax. And over time you will probably realize you never even wanted to get it or bad reviews will come out or like all the sponsor reviews will die out and all the regular people who bought it are like, yes, I relax. Take your time. What else did I learn in my low buy, no buy challenge? It was just really for me to, um, to curate my life even more or curate my items even more, you know, get into the details of Wellanda, why are you purchasing this? Or Wellanda, uh, did you like this in the past for you to re up or for you to have a backup, you know, or Wellanda, this company changed their formula. Do you think you really want to go down that route and try another formula or can you just wait a while? Because low buys are really about waiting, right? A product come out. Of course we all hype, we all want it, but if you give it a good three months, six months, you probably don't even want it anymore. That's a low buy or that's a no buy. Depends. So, yeah, I think that was all. I'll see you guys in the next video.