No Buying Unneccesary Toiletries May 2016
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WeAreGhosts
Posts: 3,100 Forumite
Here we go again for another month (and year)! As usual this initial post has been shamelessly copied from the many previous months. A big thank you to Gemzie121 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
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
0
Comments
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I'm going to try and use up some travel size products this month, as I don't travel often enough to use them for their original purpose and they seem to breed in my cupboard!
Will organise a PP list later ...
Have a lovely month everyone :money: :beer: :j0 -
@WeAreGhosts - I'm doing the same with travel size products. I actually enjoy using them up as they don't take as long so it makes me feel a sense of achievement. After the travel size ones, I then move on to the larger bottles with the least amount of product left.
My aim this month is to use up a bit more from my PP list (which I've added new products to) plus hopefully a few surprise use ups. I also want to avoid temptation as much as possible and be pickier with the clearance shelves. I have a limited income so I don't need to stockpile as much as I do and it'd be much better to save that money to put towards going out and doing things. I think I'm a 'comfort shopper', like being a comfort eater haha.
Oh and I want to use up one or two makeup products. My mascara is currently running out so I hope to use it up and start the new one I've bought. I'm also going to stick to the same tinted moisturiser in the hope of using it up (it's only 50ml so that might actually be possible).No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries 2019 Total UU since 2016 - 396 | Total February UU - 10 -
PP list for May
ARU Borage Cream 30ml
Baylis & Harding Sweet Mandarin and Grapefruit Bath Soak Salts 250g
Beyonce Heat Rush Body Lotion 75ml
Boots Vitamin E Night Cream 50ml
Burt's Bees Honey & Grapeseed Hand Cream 20g
Creightons Mango & Papaya Balance Bath & Shower 500ml
Clean & Clear Blackhead Clearing Cleanser 200ml
Givenchy Amarige Mariage Eau de Parfum 1ml sample (x5)
Herbal Essences Clearly Naked Volume Conditioner 400ml
Lush The Comforter Shower Cream 100g
Montagne Jeunesse Candyfloss Scrub Face Mask 15g
Nip+Fab Yoga Blend Hand Cream 50ml
Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturiser 10ml sample
S&G Heel Genius 50ml
S&G The Daily Smooth Body Butter 50ml
S&G Sugar Crush Body Buttercream 50ml
Ted Baker Cate Eau de Toilette 50ml
Zoella Creamy Madly Dreamy Body Lotion 100ml
Some of the stuff is stubbornly almost used up but not quite but I will definitely be able to use it up in the month. There's a few samples there which are great easy use ups. Good luck everyone for May.
No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries 2019 Total UU since 2016 - 396 | Total February UU - 10 -
Going to aim for 8 UU for May.
Good luck everyone!Not buying unnecessary toiletries 2024 14/53 UU, 11 IN0 -
Thanks for the new thread WeAreGhosts!
I'm in again for May. No particular aim except to do better than April! 0 -
Thankyou for the new thread weareghosts may already :eek:
Pp list:
[STRIKE]1. Avon advance techniques colour protection shampoo[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]2. Pantene nature fusion oil replacement intensive hair mask[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]3. Dove sweet cream & peony body wash 250ml[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]4. Bomb cosmetics free spirit soap [/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]5. Lacura fresh pink deodorant spray[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]6. Wilko White lily & sweet peony roll on deodorant [/STRIKE]
7. No.7 completely quenched body lotion 200ml
[STRIKE]8. TBS Argan oil body butter 50ml[/STRIKE]
9. Burts bees honey & grapeseed hand cream 20ml
[STRIKE]10. Asda cotton blossom roll on deodorant (work bag)[/STRIKE]
11. Sensodyne toothpaste
[STRIKE]12. Superdrug pro whitening mouthwash[/STRIKE]
13. Medicated talcum powder
14. Elemis apricot facial toner 50ml
[STRIKE]15. Sensual grey eau de toilette 10ml [/STRIKE]
16. Bath & body works honey & almond body scrub
[STRIKE]17. Bath & body works Chicago wild berry pocketbac[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]18. Charlie black mini body spray [/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]19. Clearasil blemish + marks wash mask[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]20. TBS Moringa hand cream 30ml[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]21. Lush sweetie pie shower jelly 100g[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]22. Malin + goetz lip moisturiser 5ml[/STRIKE]
23. TBS Shea lip butter
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!0 -
Here's my PP for the month:
Elizabeth
Long-term No Buys: print books, make-up, art/craft items
Lost 8 of the 20lbs I need to shed:D0 -
Thank you WeAreGhosts for starting the new thread for May:D
I too have been trying to use travel sizes and the smaller volume gift sets, some have been here for ages and I don't want them to go off. I have kept a good selection of empty pots, bottles and spritzer bottles so that I can decant into them for any few night away trips once the stash has gone, but I have learned from experience always to decant into like for like, i.e. shampoo, face cream etc as over the years have made a few boo boos:eek: it takes ages to wash my hair with body lotion, a distinct lack of suds. :rotfl:
Don't expect a great May as I need to pack enough of everything for the whole month, which may mean leaving several in use items at home and taking new full sizes with me.
Hopefully back at some stage with a PP list.The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time. (Abraham Lincoln)0 -
Thanks for starting us off WeAreGhosts. I'm in of course.
My lists for May:
Finish 7 by Summer
1. [STRIKE]Bobbi Brown Chocolate Eyeliner[/STRIKE]
2. Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara
3. Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer
4. Revlon Lip Butter - Pink Truffle
5. Clinique Lip Gloss in Kissy Fit
6. Max Factor Cream Blush in Soft Pink
7. Soap & Glory It's about prime
My PP list for April:
1. Vaseline Hand Cream
2. Body Shop Vanilla Brulee Bath Jelly
3. Treacle Moon Cinnamon Nights Shower Gel 500ml
4. Body Shop Ginger Sparkle Shower Gel 250ml
5. Lancome Hydrating Toner - mini
6. Ole Henriksen Youth Activating Oil 15ml
7. Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish - full size
8. Clinique Take The Day Off - mini
9. Elemis Frangipani Oil - full size
10. Crabtree & Evelyn Goatmilk Body Lotion 250mlDebt Free and now a saver, conscious consumer, low waste lifestyler
Fashion on the Ration 28/660 -
My monthly makeup basket for May:
Elemis Pro Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm/Benefit Porefessional
Max Factor Facefinity 3 in 1 Foundation
Benefit Boing Concealer – this is in the Big Beautiful Eyes palette/Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer
Clinique Airbrush Concealer – for undereyes
No7 Crème Touch Powder/Revlon Photoready Powder
Benefit Dandelion
Seventeen Eyebrow Pencil/Maybelline Brow Drama
S&G It’s about prime/Smashbox Photofinish primer (eyes)
Bobbi Brown mini palette with Bone, Taupe and Caviar eyeshadows and Pale Pink Blush
Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero/Corrupt (double ended one)
Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara/Teeez Desert Metals Mascara
Revlon Lip Butter Pink Truffle/Clinique Lipgloss in Kissy FitDebt Free and now a saver, conscious consumer, low waste lifestyler
Fashion on the Ration 28/660
This discussion has been closed.
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