Just about crossed this challenge off, I know there were plenty of others that held out too. Looking forward to November
Good work man!
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October is over in the central time zone, and while Ich bin traurig I wasn’t able to make it through, it was a good exercise!
Glad others got some good out of it too 
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I lost in the evening of the last day. 
This heavy OC Pikachu (& Charmander) ended that night and lacked any bids, so I won it for the starting bid of 0.99 USD (6.15 USD including taxes/shipping). 
Apparently, the seller does have this negative feedback, though:
So maybe I’ll get a refund eventually and I’d technically still have made it.
Who am I kidding though, I lost. 
Now that it’s November:
I just bought this one (a non-TCG Seviper card).
And I will also pay for two items I reserved back in early September, when I lacked the funds.
Because of these two reserved items, I might continue with a “No Barely Buy” November, ngl..]
EDIT: Nvm, I underestimated my automatic payments. I’ll pay for these in early December. And I’ll defintely do a “Barely Buy” November (and December).. 
Greetz,
Quuador
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Haters will say this is fake
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Made it through No Buy October and didn’t feel any urge to really buy cards at that time. I also did not buy a single Pokemon card in September so it were two months for me without buying.
While it helped that I had some really stressful weeks at work and therefore did not have a lot of time anyway, I also enjoyed the community aspect of it, knowing that there are others who are trying to do the same.
It made me also realize to really write down my collecting goals (both when it comes to Pokemon cards and Retro Video Games) and I used the time to create spreadsheets with the ones I am still missing. This should make it easier to really focus on my goals in the future and not get distracted by any noise or anything else.
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I partly made it since i didn’t make any online purchases regarding pokemon, i did make few purchases for a total of <15€ in a card expo i visited and i did pick up my preorder of mega evolution boosters but nevertheless i feel like the online purchases are the bread and butter of what needs to be reconsidered every now and then
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Finished the challenge with no issues. Thanks @Will for getting the fire lit and it was fun to see that spread and many people get onboard with it.
2 personal observations about myself.
Conscious collecting:
I realized that having a solid collection goal does not ensure that I am not mindlessly collecting. I collect Japanese promos and considering the goal is big enough, it means that I can have the same tendencies of wasteful collecting, even within the confines of my collection goals, as someone who does not have a collection goal. I spend the month just trying to really organize my binders and look at all the doubles I may have had over my collecting journey.
Having a goal did not mean I was more conscious of my purchases. Also, sometimes fomo creeps in even if you want to admit it or not. “Is my collection worth it, if it does not even have the Poncho Pikachu?” , “Did I make a mistake by not grading my cards and going a binder only collection?” and many more… This makes me sometimes want to overcompensate for what I do not have, compared to what I have.
Complaining:
Mid way through the challenge I wanted to make an update post on how hard I am still finding things. But I was not. I realized, at that moment, complaining about abstaining from buying hobby stuff, just for a month is probably the most narcissistic thing I could ever indulge in. Something also happened in my personal life which made me realize that I do not have any problems in my life if I am complaining about Pokemon. It is a shame that I could not realize this by myself. I am privileged enough and should grateful that I have a great life.
Something along these lines:
So, less complaining (if not none), more awareness and gratitude. That is my takeaway.
Cheers!
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Yessir!
Always good to self reflect. Not many people do that!
Hope all is well.
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Made it through October pretty easily.
Its college app season so that kept me very occupied throughout the entirety of october. When apps got stressful it was always enjoyable to shitpost in the discord or listen to some pokemon rambling
This month has made me realize how wasteful I was in the hobby. I would spend every dollar I made at work on pokemon cards. In the back of my mind I always knew that i was able to spend recklessly because I currently have no other responsibilities, and that this spending habit could become a serious problem once I get older.
This october definitely got me out of those reckless spending habits 
.
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Made it through “No Buy October” and “Sober October” concurrently. Pretty boring month.
In a nutshell not buying Pokemon cards was easy for me. Not drinking alcohol? Not so much.
We all have our vices. Taking time off can shed light on the things one needs to work on.
Time to work.
See ya again next year!
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