100 Day Challenge Take 2

Raychee

I had a nice long chat with my OH about why I was being 'tight' with money, last night.

Anyways, while I was doing my pub job, he came in clutching a 'Heat' magazine for me! Obviously, the conversation where I said I wasn't allowed to buy a magazine, but he was... sank in! I was quite chuffed, and have spent a happy hour trawling through the gossip. I've decided that not having it for a few weeks makes it more exciting when I do! When this challenge ends, I think I may allow myself to buy one once a month.

As my pub quiz team member says - it's not trash, it's your HOMEWORK!!!

As for toiletries, I'm not particularly fussy, but make up is increasingly coming from the Clarins range (esp. beauty flash balm, foundation and blusher) My Mascara MUST be Rimmel. Apart from that, I buy what I like, and very VERY rarely!

utopiah

Hi all
Have been doing really well with this challenge I haven't bought any newspaper Instead been reading local paper online. Also haven't bought any cheese for myself which has been the hardest thing for me I know its not saving me a fortune but its certainly helped in me losing a few pounds around my hips LOL. Fell off the wagon though today with the clothes thing though, my daughter wanted to look in the charity shops for a book or a dvd, I came out having spent £4.00 on a skirt. Bought it without thinking about this challenge but as it is only £4 spent not feeling to guilty about it. I dread to think what I might have spent if I hadn't been doing this challenge. Will try harder for the remaining 69 days.

Lucycat

Ah, bless you all for playing!

I'm loving the lists - keep seeing the same names come up time & again and think it's probably a good thing that I never got into super expensive bath stuff! The other thing I never get excited about is hair stuff (of any variety, cleaning or styling), I have a tin of Tigi Shine Head stuff on the go (but one of those can last *years!*) and that's pretty much it - just stock up with what's on offer for styling & stick to my shampoo bars from Lush otherwise - although will know to steer clear of the Ojon in future, thanks for the warning Sarah!:rotfl:

Now, somebody tell me all about Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, which I am madly curious about but have so far always managed to resist. My friend *raves* about it, and the 'special muslins'. Are they really special - I have muslins a-go-go and am a bit skeptical - and is the cleanser itself any better/different than Ultrabland?

fedupandskint Use the fab nail varnish and enjoy it - these little wobbles make us human & remind us how much we're saving by sticking to the challenge in the first place. For me it's about getting back to buying these things as a rare treat rather than something I buy without thinking. And that Olay moisturiser really is the best for my skin - I've been through Clarins, Clinique and goodness knows what else at big ££ a pot, but the tube for £14.99 (and nearly always on offer, half-price, etc.) is the one that suits me best. Close runner-up is actually an Aldi one in a pot for 1.99, but I only use that on dry skin days as it's a bit heavy for everyday. :rotfl:

Tracey.32 & SarahNeedle1872 Thanks for the encouragement, I'm doing okay I think but haven't had any tough tests yet (apart from being on the phone - I always step outside for a faaaag when I'm on the phoooone - or rather I always did!) You're both Liz Earle C&P fans then - spill the beans! What makes it such a cult product?

poorandindenial Someone else with a passion for Fig things! My OH had the most fabulous Spanish Fig & Ginger bath stuff from a chic-y boutique a couple of years ago & I've been desperately seeking it again ever since. Don't blame you for stocking up on bits while you're in the US, it's so much cheaper - I'll be getting OH to buy a year's supply of toothpaste when he goes out in March, priced it up online and the shipping would have cost twice as much as the toothpaste, which is just crazy. I love Sephora too - have always been slightly gutted that you can buy through them on Amazon.com but they won't ship to us out here - it's all a bit 'now let's have a look at what you would have won'! Sorry, random Bullseye reference - oh well, it is a Saturday teatime!

northern.lights It is the ultra-Gloop! It smells a bit peculiar but is brilliant stuff & will get everything off (including waterproof) & if you were so inclined you could even put a bit more on afterwards as a moisturiser (I do when my skins tired out and dry.) It doesn't sting or make your eyes water if you're heavy-handed with it & it'll double as a lip-balm. And I know I mentioned before, but it is the bees knees at getting face-paint off with - and because it's so gentle I know I can slather it on. I use it with hot water and a flannel rather than cotton wool (things can get a bit fluffy!) Try it & report back. Ooh no, now I'm enabling! Ok, another tack - ask one of the lovely staff in Lush for a sample in a pot to try at home. See, a no spend solution! :rotfl:
The tingle is why I looove the Blistex/Blisteeze so - I'll use Carmex in a pinch but Blistex is best, and cheap too! Makes up for the big spends on lovely Mac bits...:p

Raychee - I was a Clarins girl at one point too but seem to have drifted - everything suited me for ages and then I got what I think was an 'off' tube of handcream - it smelled dreadful & had a very weird consistency, and I think that put me off the whole lot, once I started to think of shelf-life, etc. I used to love their Gentle Exfoliator, the only one I'd ever used that made me look better than when I started, i.e. actually did slough off the dry skin but didn't leave my skin all red & irritated. Now I use (do I admit this on a public forum??) Boots Botanics Men's Scrub for Oily Skin - and here's the best bit - with Willowbark For Softening Stubble!

Now I don't know what that must say about me, but it's the best one I've ever used & is normally on offer - oh, and my stubble has never been softer... :rotfl:

Good grief, I'll have filled a page all by myself at this rate! Right, that's all from me, keep the lists coming & hope everyone is having a wonderful & wobble-free weekend! :T:T:T

xxbabyxflutterbyxx

Well so far so good, i havent bought any of my "not allowed" items at all, i am going shopping on tuesday and will stick to it. i am also decluttering my wardrobe tomorrow with the hubby so i will see what there is in there to use up, i know theres alot of hair styling products at least lol.

Sorry if im not allowed to post this link but it is a link to my onlune debt diary if anyone wants to have a look and pick me apart!

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1451045

thanks kel

SarahNeedle1872

Not sure about the 'special muslins' Lucy, because I sometimes just use a flannel or mix it with an exfoliator for a quick scrub
I just like C&P because it doesn't dry my combination skin. I used to use the Clinique 3 Step but I found it really dried my skin and actually make my spots worse. But any creamier or milky cleansers I've tried have left my skin still feeling dirty. C&P is the middle ground, and it seems to have calmed my spots and evened out my skin tone. And with the non-alcoholic toner and light but rich moisturiser, it suits my skin perfectly.

Sx

fedupandskint

I used the Clinique 3 step when I was 19 and it triggered off facial eczema which I had never had before in my life. I have never returned to Clinique in the many years since then.

I'm not too sure what the difference is between Lush Ultrabland and L E C+P; I've used both over the years and C+P is probably less gloopy, nice fragrance, leave skin feeling refreshed and does clean my combination skin nicely. Lush is nice too. Which one would leave you feeling less tempted....?

poorandindenial

Phew - well I spectacularly fell off the wagon yesterday!!!! I have been feeling a bit pants for a while about how aged all my clothes look and I have been feeling down about looking so far out of date, so I went and updated my wardrobe. Now the stuff from Topshop and H&M I could have almost justified even through this challenge, but the Large bag of sales items from Jaeger?????

Anyhow, I guess that is me out (if it hadn't been such a spectacular fall from grace I would probably feel better about staying but this was fairly huge) but I actually don't feel bad about it, I actually feel good about the fact that I DECIDED to go and do it and now don't feel that I HAVE to go and do it some more (believe me this is a far cry from where I was this time last year) and that is in no small part as a result of this thread and all you lovely people.

So I am still going to keep on avoiding buying my things that I have listed but I am going to give myself a break and chill for a bit.

Good luck everyone for the rest of the 100 days.

Lucycat

Don't feel you have to go just because you've fallen off the wagon, if everyone did that there'd only be about three heroic souls left on the thread!

We're only human, we wobble, we fall, we dust ourselves off, Cleanse & Polish, reapply lippy & clamber back up again... :rotfl:

poorandindenial

LOL - cheers Lucy

When I say spectacularly I really mean spectacularly - I got

Topshop:
4 vest tops
2 rings
1 hair slide

H&M:
2 jumpers
2 blouses

Jaeger:
2 pairs of trousers
1 jacket
1 blouse

Actually doesn't look too bad written down (but was well over £300 - none on credit card though which is a bit of a silver lining )

Lucycat

The thing is, if you need it you need it and I completely understand about the ancient clothes making you feel down - I'm the same at the mo but am digging my heels in and not buying anything until I've shifted some weight, if that doesn't give me an incentive then nothing will!

As I've said before, for me this challenge is about getting things back to 'treat' status, rather than buying automatically - I don't want to think that I can never buy a mascara again, but realistically the fact that I've got at least eight brand new and sealed in my stash should have given me pause for thought before now...:o

Stick around - I hear there's strength in numbers!