2017 Sabbatical..any joiners

[chromedometone]

I know it is almost March, but this year I decided not only to downsize, but to go a whole year without any new purchases. I have enough blades, be it single edge, double edge or cartridge to last several years, and probably enough soap/creams to last a lifetime. After a small purge, I also still have about 7 brushes to choose from, a Paladin 28, a Thater 2 band 28, my trusty Omega Pro 49, and smaller Omega boar, and a Semogue OC boar and a 610, as well as a Plisson-Type synthetic (which I have not used in at least 2 years). I have already burned through a tub of XPEC and a stick of Speick and am currently working on a puck of Provence Sante Green Tea as well as a tube of Proraso Blue, and finishing off Speick aftershave with Myrsol Emulsion. I shave my head and my face daily, so I can burn through soaps and creams at twice the rate of the average bear. I still have some items I am moving and some more in the closet that will be posted on my next BST thread and am hoping to finish at least 6 soaps and creams by the end of the year. Still having several sticks of Speick, Wilkonson Sword, La Toja, a tub of SMN, two new tubs of L&L, a near new tub of B&M, a tub of Proraso green, a half a tub of Stirling Sharp Dressed Man, a Tub of lathe Le Petit Cypre, another puck of Sante Provence, a tube of Prosar cream, a tube of Proraso Red and tube of Speick cream, not to mention all of the After shaves and balms, I know I have a long way to go. But I am determined to get through this year with no purchase. To boot, I already have about $350 in the PayPal account from sales.

So, I am wondering if anyone else is doing this. I am also interested in feedback from anyone who has completed a sabbatical.

Also, if anyone is interested in an honest opinion about any of the above products, soaps, creams or brushes, let me know. I have no affiliation with any of them, and paid for all of them so I will give you my truthful review. Though I am fairly newly active on this site, I have been wet shaving for several years.

 

[dfoulk]

There are tons of group sabbaticals here, yearly ones, monthly ones, don't buy a soap, don't buy something else, just use one soap, etc. There are lots here if you look for them and want some company during your journey.

I stopped doing the sabbaticals mostly because they make me want everything that I don't have. To the point that I get fixated on something and have to have it. I buy a ton of things in anticipation of the sabbatical (that's the part if fun) but then finding things during the sabbatical, well that part wasn't isn't fun at all. So I keep a list and afterward, I tend to splurge and buy everything I wanted throughout the entire thing. All said and done as it turns out I've spent way more than I would have had I not joined in. I seem to have more control over what I buy if I'm not constantly reminded that I can't buy it.

While I have way more than I need and I don't buy things that often anymore, I'm convinced that the only way I could be successful on a sabbatical here is if I stepped away from the forum completely. This way I wouldn't constantly be reading reviews and reminded of the things I'd like to try. For me, I suspect that it's just a case of wanting what I can't have.

 

[captp]

Here's a link to the current Yearlong Sabbatical.

2017 Shave Purchase Sabbatical , The Year of the Walking Dead

 

[gwsmallwood]

I completed last year's sabbatical, and I'm still on a no-buy for soap. I've been trying aftershaves this year, but I'm not going crazy. I've only purchased a couple. I'm also getting my Slim cerakoted at the moment, and my Fatboy will likely follow. I had my eye on a couple of brushes. I still might pull the trigger on them eventually, but for now I settled with reknotting a couple that I already have.

Otherwise I am trying to enjoy what I have.

 

[Adam18]

Not that it's intentional, but 2017 may very likely be a sabbatical year for me. I have five terrific brushes that I rotate, five creams, seven soaps, three DE razors, and enough blades (Nacet, Voskhod, and Israeli Red Personna) to last me through the year. The only things I'll buy will be after shave (Pinaud and Lucky Tiger) and balm (Nivea and Kiehl's) because I only keep one bottle of each on hand at one time. But ... who knows when the "buying bug" may hit again ?

 

[pbrmhl]

I'm a little over 7/52nds done with my 2017 sabbatical. I've tried month-, quarter- and year-long sabbaticals before, and almost always fail. I believe this is the longest I've gone without any purchases. I have so much stuff, much of it has a coat of dust on it. Whenever I think I "need" something new, I gaze at all the long-neglected items in the same category, and realize I already have virtually new stuff to use (or at least I can't remember what the old stuff is like). I'm feeling pretty good about this one. (Famous last words...)

 

[MntnMan62]

I already flunked the 2017 Year of the Walking Dead Sabbatical. All for a Frankenrazor with an Old Type head on a Fat Tech handle. It was worth it.

 

[KQY61]

Hi,

I am in my fourth straight year of sabbatical. Once I made it thru the first three months, it became pretty easy.

Stan

 

[Bookworm]

Definitely not in, because I have a few more things to get in, and I'm going to be PIFing out some, and selling others. Hopefully some people can get birth year SuperSpeeds out of me

 

[Vespasian]

I'm well into my first-quarter-of-the-year restraint. I'll play the rest of the year by ear, so to speak. I sure son't need anything right now, and that might last, unless something as wonderful as MdC Rose comes along.

 

[Northstonehill]

NO WAY!! - I only started DE a few months ago and I am living it...!!! - Still so many creams and aftershaves to try out - after literally decades of me staying truthful to the same brands...!!

Only things I am done with for now are (maybe) new razors and brushes.

Can't imagine any other new razor than my Feather, and already with a Slim and a Fatboy in the bag there really isn't anything else vintage that I simply must own. Except maybe a Black Beauty. But I kindda like owning only three - they can all see regular use.

Brush-wise I bought 2 EJ's - a 23mm for home use and a small traveller. So all good there too.

 

[BigJ]

Good man! I am on restraint through March (and it is killing me! )