Unexpected Discounts After the Purchase Date

When I started being more selective in my makeup purchases, I decided that waiting for expected sales was going to be the easiest way for me to stop most impulse purchases. Over time, I realized that I was no longer buying items impulsively but rather after long reflections; even when the expected Sephora sales came around I was barely buying anything and often skipping the sales entirely.

New products were still being released constantly, but nothing really caught my eye. Enter Subculture. I waited  at least a week before buying it. I knew that Anastasia eyeshadow palettes were often highly sought after and that a discount on that particular palette was unlikely. Oh, how little did I know.

So when Petite Heat became the new palette I again waited. I had "learned my lesson" with Subculture and this time waited even longer to purchase Petite Heat. When Sephora had an unexpected percent off sale a few weeks later I decided it was finally time to buy Petite Heat. But of course what happened at Black Friday that year? Petite Heat was half off somewhere and even still continues to be randomly discounted throughout the year. I knew that Urban Decay palettes were likely to be discounted, but that was usually the limited edition releases. not items that had been added to the permanent line.

It's hard not to feel disappointed that I didn't get the huge discounts others did. I have to remind myself that I got something I really wanted, not just because it was on sale. After all, if you wouldn't purchase something full price, should you really purchase it on sale? I feel like that was a big mantra in r/makeuprehab last year.

It's easy to get caught up in what you missed out on. For me as a budget shopper, something that's been ingrained in me since childhood, missing a significant sale is huge. But it shouldn't matter so much to me. I didn't know those sales were coming. I practiced patience and waited to see if maybe it would happen, and that's all I can ask. I didn't make these purchases impulsively.

If I had waited to purchase Petite Heat I would have saved maybe $10, but then I wouldn't have been able to play with and explore the palette at the time of year when I did. I don't think that saving that money would have been worth it, but in the back of my mind I can't help but think about how much more significant 50% off is over 10% off. It's so easy to focus on the numbers behind it rather than just appreciating the item for what it is. And that's something I'm actively working on this year.