On June 25th I decided to join the No Buy July challenge and started right then. With No Buy July, you still buy groceries etc. Although, it is a great time to use up all the stuff in your cupboards too, lots of new foods come out in July. You just don’t buy all the extra stuff we spend on. Take inventory of what you have and what you need and get your spending priorities in order.
I was doing so well. I avoided the BECCA Champagne Pop release, I looked but did not touch when someone shared a store with Essence products abroad, the only thing I had bought other than groceries is a Starbucks tea latte, and the gift card I used was free so it doesn’t count! That is, until Shoppers Drug Mart sent me my personalized Optimum coupons for the week.
At bonus redemption, you need 475 Optimum points for $1 spent at the highest level, I usually go with 500 in my head to make deals easier to work out. So I get around $5 back on any Rimmel face colour, $7 on Rimmel lipstick and $6 on Essie. That would make them so cheap. Thankfully, my regular Optimum offer for the week needed me to spend $75. So I resisted once again. But they got me, they reeled me in with an offer for 8000 Optimum points when you spend $40. Coupled with the items above and Rimmel on sale at 25% off, who can say no?
- Rimmel Stay Blushed in Peach Flush $4.29 (and $5 in Optimum points!)
- Rimmel Moisture Renew in Notting Hill Nude $4.49 (and $7 in Optimum points)
- Essie Coat Couture $8.99 (and $6 in Optimum points)
- Essence double ended sharpener $2.49
- Avene travel kit $13.50 – $5 coupon sent to their mailing list
- Rimmel Wonderlash with Argan Oil in Waterproof Black $7.49
On top of the item bonus points, I got my 8000 Optimum points for spending $40 too, a total of 17,310 points worth $36.44 at the upcoming bonus Optimum redemption. I paid $5 for all of this after points – who can say no to that?
They did have some clearance Essie I could have picked up for “free” with my points coupon, but I wanted that colour. I could have bought groceries for the other three items, but by then, I was done. I wanted to try Rimmel’s Wonderlash and it was on sale. I had a coupon for the Avene kit. If you were not aware, you can use coupons (not ones for free items or any Shoppers Drug Mart coupons) and still get your Optimum points.
Now, I have lots of points, the cosmetics woman told me what will go on clearance and I know there is a redemption this weekend. If that was not enough, I got home to find these sitting in my mailbox.
Not content with reeling me in by email, they want to reinforce it with some old school mailed coupons too? It is like a big flashing neon sign saying buy all of the makeup. I am doomed, and No Buy July is officially over for me just a week into the month! Expect swatches of these at some point!