No Buying Toiletries in October Challenge

EssexHebridean

Thanks to RoshyDoshy for preparing last months thread, a lot of which will be familiar in this first post....! Lets hope that with Christmas coming and us all needing to watch the pennies at this time of year we can have another successful month to come! GOOD LUCK!

Well, believe it or not, it's soon the 1st October so here we go with the NEW THREAD!! :j


This fab challenge was set up in January 2010 by katie clampet

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 reducing our stashes and unnecessary/excessive spending.

Come and join us for the month of October. The more the merrier!!

Regulars ignore this, but I thought a quick resume might be helpful for newbies;

Why not add the challenge to your sig 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 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'll always be another deal!

Good luck all for October and remember to keep popping in for inspiration and support, and to report your UU's and IN's.


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

Good Luck Girlies :j

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!
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!

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

lynseydee

Could HG be added to the list? I quite often see it but not sure what it means.

EssexHebridean

lynseydee wrote: »

Could HG be added to the list? I quite often see it but not sure what it means.

Done - now lets hope that my guess on what it stood for is correct!

Bronnie

lynseydee wrote: »

Could HG be added to the list? I quite often see it but not sure what it means.

Me neither!!

Thanks essexhebridean for the new thread. Count me in again!

hoobydoobydoo

Hello everyone

I'm definitely "in" this month, although I have nowhere near as much stuff as some people to use up, I hadn't realised just how many different places around the house I had stuff stashed! Hopefully I can get some of my "good" stuff used up in time for Christmas, when I confidently expect to receive some more!

Best wishes
Hooby

sunshineyday

Evening lovely ladies,

I'm back in for another month again, still have bucketloads of stuff to use up.

Thanks Essexhebridean for starting the new thread :T

Keep up the pampering girlies, xx

sofababe

I'm in again. The stash drawer is getting down quite nicely though I probably have enough perfume to last several years

sonee2405

Hi
Please can I join again , I left in july to have my baby and have now got even more products and makeup to use up.
I also have a baby box full of baby toiletries which are unsuitable for my little boy.
I have managed to use up a few items which I will list tomorrow.

trudij

awwww congrats sonee2405 !!!

Im still in - hopefully will be re-examining my stash to see whats left to get used....

good luck everyone !!

Mags30

This challenge is going to be difficult this month with the Boots Christmas catalogue due any day now, loads of other great value Christmas sets and the magazine freebies....temptation will be everywhere soon.

scubaangel

I'm in again, and at some point this month I really will do a stash inventory!