No buying unnecessary toiletries in October
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kiplingmonkey
Posts: 385 Forumite
AND 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 ruby-eskimo 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 locked 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 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 sig as a reminder?
We have a "Swaps Group" on Facebook when you can swap good condition items with other like-minded addicts. PM Sarah*a or xoxo or Trudij for more info on joining.
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 extravagently to finish it off is sometimes too much to bear!)
Brand new products (or opened perfume) sell well on ebay
Unsuitable products can be 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 as mentioned earlier.
It helps to avoid the places where temptation lurks for you; be it QVC, Boots, Bodyshop, 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 willl always be another deal!*
*Honest!
Good luck all for October
and indeed the rest of the year, and remember to keep popping in for inspiration and support, and to report your UU's and IN's.
Especially any sales bargains - we want a nosy and to keep your stash lists updated
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 dont be scared !!) oh - and we are nosey!!|
Useful abbreviations!
WIBA? - Will I 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!
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. From Erma Bombeck who said, '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' 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 rather than binned or UU, to charity, as a present, or "just because!".
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.
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 erm, me () 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 2011
2.Bronnie - graduated with honours March 2011
3. lostinrates - graduated with honours around June 2010
4. Ruby_Eskimo - graduated with honours Jun 2012
5. Seaside dreamer - graduated with honours Oct 2012
Previous threads:
In case you need to refer back to a previous stash list or product review - here are the links for the past few months challenge threads:
March: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3823189
February:
January: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3702779
December: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3643977
November: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3583027
October: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3520791
September: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3457221
August: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3392750
July: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3330436
June: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3264270
May: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3201982
June: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3991985
July: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=4046033
August 2012: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4100267
September 2012: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4152789
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 locked 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 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 sig as a reminder?
We have a "Swaps Group" on Facebook when you can swap good condition items with other like-minded addicts. PM Sarah*a or xoxo or Trudij for more info on joining.
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 extravagently to finish it off is sometimes too much to bear!)
Brand new products (or opened perfume) sell well on ebay
Unsuitable products can be 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 as mentioned earlier.
It helps to avoid the places where temptation lurks for you; be it QVC, Boots, Bodyshop, 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 willl always be another deal!*
*Honest!
Good luck all for October
and indeed the rest of the year, and remember to keep popping in for inspiration and support, and to report your UU's and IN's.Especially any sales bargains - we want a nosy and to keep your stash lists updated
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 dont be scared !!) oh - and we are nosey!!|
Useful abbreviations!
WIBA? - Will I 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!
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. From Erma Bombeck who said, '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' 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 rather than binned or UU, to charity, as a present, or "just because!".
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.
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 erm, me () 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 2011
2.Bronnie - graduated with honours March 2011
3. lostinrates - graduated with honours around June 2010
4. Ruby_Eskimo - graduated with honours Jun 2012
5. Seaside dreamer - graduated with honours Oct 2012
Previous threads:
In case you need to refer back to a previous stash list or product review - here are the links for the past few months challenge threads:
March: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3823189
February:
January: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3702779
December: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3643977
November: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3583027
October: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3520791
September: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3457221
August: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3392750
July: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3330436
June: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3264270
May: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3201982
June: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=3991985
July: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=4046033
August 2012: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4100267
September 2012: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4152789
0
Comments
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Thanks for the new thread Kipling!
Hoping I can last with no INs until the 6th, I'll have managed my first 1 month no buy apart from Amarya! (I'm not counting freebies, be silly to turn down a free gift if ones offered!)0 -
Thanks for starting October thread kiplingmonkey. I had a bit of a nail lacquer fest in September. Am aiming in October to just replace my Elemis cleanser and exfoliator and my LE toner and moisturiser. Of all those products though I do have some cleanser in the stash that I could use as a "filler" and a small sized Elemis toner to use. It's been a very long time since I did not have any back up moisturiser so a yay on that front I suppose.
I think it's unlikely that I will buy any TSVs this month.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 550 -
Thanks for the new thread KiplingMonkey. These threads are really keeping me on track at the moment. I have reduced my spending and increased my usage of the products I already own. I will be away for a week to Spain this month so may have a little duty free purchase. Other than that I hope to have another no spend month.VSP member #250
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Thank you from me too Kiplingmonkey, I wish the months would not fly by so quickly.
Feeling a bit tired, cold and sluggish today (did loads yesterday) so watching lots on Q, so tempted by Leighton's TSV, but have islolated 2 colours that I would like (Starlet and Take a Bow) and will pick those up as and when I can find a good price somewhere. Def. not buying from Elemis, I am stocked with the essentials for the next 6 months or so.
Nails today:- Nails Inc Basil Street topped with Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure, neutral but pretty. Toes need doing (bare for hospital) think something rather BRIGHT is required.The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time. (Abraham Lincoln)0 -
Thanks again, Kiplingmonkey.
This should be a no ins (apart from freebies month) for me. However, I said that about September and then went and bought the 50p Palmolive shower milk from Wilko.
I would put good money on the same products being in Poundland/Poundworld but not at 2 for 1.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.0 -
Thank you kiplingmonkey for starting us off this month!
I am going to Paris for a couple of days later in the month and will have a planned splurge, but apart from that I am going to aim for no other INs this month. I am going to need your help people!
ps. I opened a new bottle of shower gel today - Yardley English Rose - it's lovely! Very fragrant!
Xxx0 -
I had some unnecessary (and expensive!) INs in September so aiming for nothing in October! I don't need anything and my mum is coming to visit on the first weekend in November so I'll be saving my money for that. 0
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Going to do my best not to buy anything, although if I see any good freebies with magazines I may give in to temptation.
My Dermalogia cleanser is spluttering. I have other cleansers but my skin has been a lot better lately. Not sure whether it is down to the cleanser or not though as my skin does seem to randomly get better sometimes. I will see what happens when I change cleansers and if there is a marked change for the worse then I may buy another Dermalogica starter kit. I bought the original one 2 years ago on a Groupon offer and they have changed the formulation of a lot of their products so even if this cleanser is a miracle worker it's replacement might not be!3 stone down, 3 more to go0 -
Thank you from me too Kiplingmonkey, I wish the months would not fly by so quickly.
Feeling a bit tired, cold and sluggish today (did loads yesterday) so watching lots on Q, so tempted by Leighton's TSV, but have islolated 2 colours that I would like (Starlet and Take a Bow) and will pick those up as and when I can find a good price somewhere. Def. not buying from Elemis, I am stocked with the essentials for the next 6 months or so.
Nails today:- Nails Inc Basil Street topped with Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure, neutral but pretty. Toes need doing (bare for hospital) think something rather BRIGHT is required.
HI maddiemay, I've just come back upstairs to repaint my fingers and toes too. Haven't done my feet since my holidays purely because I had a glitter polish on and removing it is so difficult. Have decided not to be lazy today and get them done. Am planning to wear OPI Berlin There Done That (a much nicer taupe than Take a Bow IMHO) on my fingers and OPI Germanicure by OPI on my toes. The LD TSV did nothing for me thankfully considering the amount of lacquer I bought this month.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 550 -
I've had an offer accepted on a little house so I'm going for a spend free month.
My Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24Hr SPF15 Foundation ran out rather suddenly on Wednesday so I had to buy a new bottle of that but I used Boots points so that was pretty MSE!0
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