No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries - March 2017

sstevo19
sstevo19 Posts: 1,491
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edited 28 February 2017 at 7:16PM in Health & beauty MoneySaving
Here we go again for another month. As usual this initial post has been shamelessly copied from the many previous months. A big thank you to Deleted_User for starting us off last month.

Welcome all newbies and regulars to this very friendly and chatty thread where we give lots of lovely tips on how to use up your stash and lots of support and encouragement if you need them.

Keep up the pampering and keep down the spending: let’s make the naughty step an empty and lonely place this month (rather than one so long that it can be seen from space)! Will this be the month when the "usual suspects" rein it in a bit? Let's see..... (but I doubt it!)

Remember - those products do nothing for you while they are stashed in drawers, boxes and cupboards!

We are eternally grateful to Katie Clampet who set up this fab challenge in January 2010. Here's her original challenge post:

"No buying any new toiletries, cosmetics, perfume etc... until I have used up ALL the ones I already have. I got a huge amount of (really nice) stuff for Christmas but I am going to resist the urge to browse Boots, Asda, Superdrug etc, and pop another tub of cream, face scrub, shampoo or conditioner into my basket. I reckon the stuff I have will last me until possibly June. I have decided that the money I save I will put into my special holiday account. Anyone else?"

Lots of us have taken part in the challenge over the past few months (and some of us even years!!) and are making great progress in reducing our stashes and unnecessary/excessive spending.

Regulars ignore this, but a quick resume is always helpful for newbies:

Why not add the challenge to your signature as a reminder?

How about taking a bit of time to do a stock-take and see if there are any gaps in your stash that you might need to spend on this month? Some of us set a budget for the month for essential purchases or to help with withdrawal symptoms, others like to go cold-turkey!! Other ideas which some people find useful: Listing everything out so you can cross things off as used to increase the sense of achievement, and putting a sum of money in a pot each time you use up an item to save for something you really want, or simply to assist in making future essential purchases "cash neutral".

Remember the challenge is about making the most of your money, enjoying your products, finding which products really suit you best and are worth buying, giving yourself a well-deserved pampering and breaking the habit of buying for the sake of buying. In money-saving tradition, it should also be about making your products l-a-s-t as long as possible (although the temptation of using an unloved shower gel extravagantly to finish it off is sometimes too much to bear!).

Brand new products (or opened perfume) sell well on eBay.

Unsuitable products can be repurposed and used for other jobs (shower gel/shampoo as handwash etc).

Some items can be returned to certain stores for exchange (for essential items or gifts!!) without a receipt.

Unwanted items can be recycled as gifts or for gift hampers (saving the money you'd have spent on gifts).

Unsuitable items can be donated to charity or a local women's refuge as mentioned earlier

It helps to avoid the places where temptation lurks for you; be it QVC, Boots, Body Shop, email newsletter, the supermarket toiletries aisles, Grabbit board, online toiletries browsing, seductive department store beauty counter offers etc. Remember retailers are making offers and promotions all the time, so there will always be another deal! Honest!

Good luck all for March and indeed the coming months, and remember to keep your stash lists updated, keep popping in for inspiration and support and to report your UU's and IN's, especially any sales bargains - we want a nosy!

Welcome to all newbies - the more the merrier. Please introduce yourselves so we can welcome you properly!

Oh - and anyone thinking "OMG my stash is FAR bigger than all of theirs, I cant possibly join" - believe you me, we have been doing this challenge for well over a year some of us - you wont scare us, and I can almost guarantee that someone somewhere will have had more and survived.... we are very supportive (and protective - so don't be scared!!) oh - and did we mention that are nosy??!!


Useful abbreviations and jargon!

WBA - Will Buy Again
UU - Use Ups
IN - Self explanatory - stuff you've gained into your stash - warning: lines may be given out for unnecessary purchases or you may be sent to the naughty step!
NBI - A non-bought item such as a present, gift with purchase or free sample
WNBA - Will Not Buy Again!
Glitch - when a shop/online store make a pricing mistake so you end up paying less or even get freebies!
PYN(M/T/W/Th/F/Sa/Su) DELETE AS APPROPRIATE! - Paint Your Nails Monday/Tuesday...... it allows everyone to try and finish those dastardly nail varnishes with group support! You can never be too groomed for this thread. Also see PY(T)N... - for toenails!
Splutterer - the stage where an item is nearing the end of it's life and spluttering - also the most annoying and seemingly never ending stage!
GWP - Gift With Purchase - a sample or mini sized item
HG - Holy Grail - this is the product you would go back for time and time again, it does the job brilliantly, and is either economical, or so fantastic price becomes no object!
NPI - Near Purchasing Incident (OMG we all have those!)
LHJ - Long Haul Job - for those products - love 'em or hate 'em - that never seem to end no matter how often you use them
PRCP - Pink Rose Candle Philosophy inspired by Erma Bombeck who said: 'If I had my life to live over again I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose that melted in storage'. Don't keep things 'for best' or 'for a special occasion'. That day never arrives. Give the best to yourself now and enjoy it. (Thanks to McCulloch29 for introducing this thought provoking sentiment to us)
GA - for an out that was given away to charity, as a present, or "just because" rather than binned or UU
TA - for an out that was thrown away due to going off (generally as it has been lurking at the back of a stash since time immemorial) or for any other reason such as a broken container or spillage
PP - Project Pan: a list of specific items targeted to be used up

If anyone can think of any more we can add to the list so newbies won't be intimidated by our jargon!


Graduates

Here is a list of our lovely,fragrant ladies who have polished and pampered their way through their products and managed to get their toiletries stash under control. Ladies - congratulations, you are an inspiration to the rest of us, xx . Thanks also to InaPickle who suggested we start the Graduate list. To join the list of graduates let us know by posting that you are graduating in big colourful letters, that way the OP can easily spot you and add you to the list, or better still - PM the OP as the thread can move really quickly! You may also wish to add how many products you have used up during the challenge. Good luck ladies! xx

1. mineallmine - graduated with honours March
2. Bronnie - graduated with honours March 2011
3. lostinrates - graduated with honours around June 2010
4. Ruby_Eskimo - graduated with honours June 2012
5. Seaside dreamer - graduated with honours October 2012
6. InaPickle - graduated with honours September 2014


Previous threads

In case you need to refer back to a previous stash list or product review, here are links to past challenge threads. Click on the date to take you straight to it:


January 2012
February 2012
March 2012
April 2012
May 2012
June 2012
July 2012
August 2012
September 2012
October 2012
November 2012
December 2012
January 2013
February 2013
March 2013
April 2013
May 2013
June 2013
July 2013
August 2013
September 2013
October 2013
November 2013
December 2013
January 2014
February 2014
March 2014
April 2014
May 2014
June 2014
July 2014
August 2014
September 2014
October 2014
November 2014
December 2014
January 2015
February 2015
March 2015
April 2015
May 2015
June 2015
July 2015
August 2015
September 2015
October 2015
November 2015
December 2015
January 2016
February 2016
March 2016
April 2016
May 2016
June 2016
July 2016
August 2016
September 2016
October 2016
November 2016
December 2016
January 2017
February 2017
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Comments

  • Gemzie121
    Gemzie121 Posts: 668
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    edited 23 March 2017 at 1:45AM
    Count me in again!

    PP List for March:

    1. Lush butterball shower cream 250g
    [STRIKE]2. Lush santas belly shower jelly 100g[/STRIKE]
    3. Lush snowcake shower gel 250g
    4. Lush snow fairy shower gel 100g
    5. Lush honey i washed the kids soap sample
    6. Lush maypole soap sample
    [STRIKE]7. Lush miranda soap sample[/STRIKE]
    8. Lush baked alaska soap sample
    [STRIKE]9. Herbal essences nourish me butter shampoo 400ml
    10. Herbal essences nourish me butter conditioner 400ml[/STRIKE]
    [STRIKE]11. Pantene oil replacement hair mask[/STRIKE]
    [STRIKE]12. Lidl cien madame glamour roll on deodorant[/STRIKE]
    13. Superdrug sensitive spray deodorant
    [STRIKE]14. Sensodyne toothpaste[/STRIKE]
    [STRIKE]15. Medex minty fresh mouthwash[/STRIKE]
    16. Rose & co sugared violet hand cream 30ml
    17. Lush pink peppermint foot lotion 225g
    18. Lush vanillary solid perfume sample
    19. Lush ocean salt face & body scrub 240g
    20. TBS glazed apple body scrub 75ml
    [STRIKE]21. Avon be serene eau de toilette 30ml[/STRIKE]
    22. Lush popcorn lip scrub
    23. Simple foaming face cleanser
    24. Clearasil facial cleansing pads
    25. Lush turkish delight shower smoothie
    26. Lush d'fluff shaving smoothie
    27. TBS chocomania body butter 200ml
    28. Lush breath of god solid perfume sample
    29. Johnsons rehydrating night cream normal skin 50ml


    Added a few more as i got way laid earlier whilst writing pp list. Need to find a new body butter too as i uu mine yesterday. Will dig another out and add to pp list.
    No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries 2015/2016/2017/2018

    UUs for 2016: 513 In's: 447 UUs for 2017: 207 Ins: 161
    UUs for 2018: In's:
    Self Confessed Lush Addict!
  • In again for March, this seems to be the only way that makes me consciously limit my spending in this area and to make me think what is a need vs a want. I still have nice things to treat me from my stash without needing to buy more.

    PP List for March

    Superdrug pro vit E Classic shampoo 400ml (Feb PP)
    Superdrug Exfoliating face mask (Jan's PP)
    Aussie leave in conditioner (Feb PP)
    Bar of plain baby soap
    Nivea Crème 50ml (relic found in bottom of draw)
    Nivea Q10 face cream
    Lush Father Christmas Bath Bomb
    Original Source Mint & Tea Tree Showergel
    :pDesperately Determined to Destroy the Debts one at a time.. and Seriously Save for the Spectacular future.:p
  • Thanks for starting us off sstevo. I'm IN for March
    Debt free and busy treating myself:)

    No more toiletries/make up until I've used what I've got stashed since Jan 2011, graduated October 2012. Restocked Dec 13..damn those sales
  • VALM
    VALM Posts: 5,819
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
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    Thanks for the new thread sstevo. My PPlist for this month is:-

    LUSH Prince
    LUSH Lemony Flutter
    OPI Nail Envy full size
    OPI Pink nail envy mini
    Yorkshire Soap Company soap
    Rituals foaming shower gel
    Tony & Guy mousse
    Percy and Reed Wonder Balm
    Fresh Sugar Rose lip balm
    Nuxe facial oil

    I have other items that will be UUed soon too:-
    Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish
    ASDA cotton wool pads
    Kind Natured shampoo
    Garnier Mcellar wipes
    L'Occitane Shea hand cream
    Soap and Glory Righteous Butter

    I am also going to make a conscious effort to burn more candles this month. Have been burning some in the last couple of days that I've been home and today UUed a large Yankee Candle called Sparkling Snow. Lovely fragrance that I would repurchase.
    Back for the No Buying Toiletries challenge. I pledge to only buy when I run out of a product that is not already in my stash no matter what wonderful emails land in in my Inbox or threads I read on MSE re: glitches!

    SPC Member 046
    £2. Challenge member 55
  • sstevo19
    sstevo19 Posts: 1,491
    First Anniversary First Post I've been Money Tipped!
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    Here's my PP list for the month:

    The Body Shop Vanilla Chai Body Gel-lotion 250ml
    Avon Planet Spa Thai Lotus Flower Bath Elixir 125ml
    Nivea Nourishing Hand Care 75ml
    Aquafresh Complete Care Mouthwash 500ml
    Avon Naturals Sugar Plum Spritz 100ml

    I'm going to try and finish this products this month, as well as using other products up as well. I want to finish at least one hand cream this month. I have a hand cream problem, I have too many :rotfl:
  • pinkfluffybabe
    pinkfluffybabe Posts: 2,983
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    edited 23 March 2017 at 9:39PM
    Thanks for the thread sstevo19.

    My PP list for March:

    [STRIKE]L'occitane honey shower gel[/STRIKE]
    [STRIKE]Living Proof volume shampoo[/STRIKE]
    Ren face wash
    Sjal toner
    Dr Organic eye gel
    [STRIKE]Elemental herbology day creme[/STRIKE]
    Chanel Coco Noir perfume
    Kiehl's Grapefruit hand creme
    Alpha H liquid gold
    Nuxe lip balm
    Not buying unnecessary toiletries 2024 9/53 UU, 3 IN
  • mcculloch29
    mcculloch29 Posts: 4,972
    Rampant Recycler
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    Thanks for the start off Sstevo. Will have to formulate a PP list for this month.
    I've had my (final for now?) Burt's Bees NBI arrive, a 50ml handcream for very dry skin.
    Erma Bombeck, American writer: "If I had my life to live over again... I would have burned the pink candle, sculptured like a rose, that melted in storage." Don't keep things 'for best' - that day never comes. Use them and enjoy them now.
  • sstevo19
    sstevo19 Posts: 1,491
    First Anniversary First Post I've been Money Tipped!
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    Yey, my first UU for the month:

    Lush Snow Fairy shower gel 100g WMBA. I liked this, I don't normally like Snow Fairy, but if someone bought me it or if it was part of a gift set someone gives me, I'd use it again. I'm always amazed how long the little 100g bottles lasts, it last nearly a whole month.
  • dolly84
    dolly84 Posts: 5,851
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    edited 21 March 2017 at 10:59AM
    Thanks for the new thread sstevo.

    My PP list:

    Avon Chocolate Orange Bubble Bath 1L
    [STRIKE]Charles Worthington Hair Mask[/STRIKE]
    [STRIKE]Avon Little Red Dress EDP 15ml[/STRIKE]
    E[STRIKE]stee Lauder Beautiful EDP 15ml[/STRIKE]
    Bare Minerals Brightening Face Primer
    [STRIKE]Vaseline Aloe Body Lotion 400ml[/STRIKE]
    St Ives Apricot Face Scrub
    [STRIKE]Liz Earle IBST[/STRIKE]
    Decleor Essential Cleanser 1L
    [STRIKE]Elemis PCMC 30ml[/STRIKE]
    Debt Free and now a saver, conscious consumer, low waste lifestyler


    Fashion on the Ration 28/66
  • dolly84
    dolly84 Posts: 5,851
    First Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic First Post
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    My finish 5 by Spring list:

    1. [STRIKE]Soap & Glory Gloss Stick in Plum Jam[/STRIKE]
    2.[STRIKE] Witch Concealer stick[/STRIKE]
    3. Benefit Dandelion Blush
    4. No7 Crème Touch Powder in Candlelight
    5.[STRIKE] Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Rosegold[/STRIKE]

    Not long to go with these items now, as soon as March 20th is here I will call them done. There is barely any powder left now and the blush is taking a lot of work to get enough on my brush.
    Debt Free and now a saver, conscious consumer, low waste lifestyler


    Fashion on the Ration 28/66
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