No Buying Toiletries in December Challenge

footymadgal
footymadgal Posts: 569 Forumite
edited 30 November 2010 at 10:17PM in Health & beauty MoneySaving
Most of this post has been shamelessly copied!
Thanks to Kaz2904 for preparing last month's thread, a lot of which will be familiar in this first post....! Most of us have found November difficult with the temptation that has awaited us while Christmas shopping and there's still more than 3 weeks to go, not to forget January sales looming! So, let's make a real effort to save our pennies in the run up to Christmas!

Tomorrow is 1st December and so here is the LAST THREAD OF 2010!! :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 December. No need to wait until the New Year - now is as good a time as any to turn over a new leaf. The more the merrier!!

Regulars ignore this, but a quick resume is always 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 December 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 :santa2: Please introduce yourselves so we can welcome you properly!

Good Luck Girlies :j and :xmassign:

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! :p
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 any more we can add to the list so newbies won't be intimidated by our jargon!
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Comments

  • Jacks_xxx
    Jacks_xxx Posts: 3,874 Forumite
    Count me in again chick, but I need to finish up on the other thread before I can post the state of play on this one.
    Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. Einstein
  • Bronnie
    Bronnie Posts: 4,165
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Meee toooo! :j
    Hoping ( and scheming!) that all the things that come into my stash this Christmas will be "wants".


    Thanks for the new thread footymadgal!
  • I'm definitely in for December. This challenge has made such a difference to my toiletry spending habits. I had been planning to take advantage of one of the Boots Xmas Shopping Evening events for the extra points but the ones in November weren't held on dates which were convenient for me. So, that's £50 that's stayed in my bank account! I need a new electric toothbrush though and the one I want is on offer in Boots. If a special 1000 points weekend arises this month, I may succumb but most of the £50 will be spent on the toothbrush and not too much on toiletries. Otherwise, at the moment I can't think of any toiletries that I shall need to buy this month. With Xmas so close and the possibility that I may get some toiletries as presents, I feel confident that I will be able to resist the urge to add to the stash this month. Good luck to you all.
  • Oooh lovely new thread - thanks footmadgal:T
    I'm back in again this month and keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be good and resist temptation this month (:rotfl:)
  • freyasmum
    freyasmum Posts: 20,597
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Post First Anniversary
    Forumite
    I've been plodding along, finishing things and not adding :A

    The only thing added this month (not including pressies here) will be the FCUK bag when it comes on OOTW hyper_fast.gif


    OMG, I'm so excited! :D
  • BBTHREE
    BBTHREE Posts: 687 Forumite
    edited 30 November 2010 at 11:40PM
    Hi All

    I dont post often of these monthly no spend threads but on the 31st Dec it has been a whole year since I took the plunge, saw the light, and stopped filling Boots tills. (as per my sig)

    I admit I openly intend to fall off the wagon during December as I will be buying (or rather hubby will be buying me :D) the Soap and Glory OOTW as I love Soap and Glory and I have persevered with almost a year of using up all my half used nasties with an occasional Soap and Glory treat at the weekend (from last years hatbox)

    I am tider, my bathroom and bedroom are seriously decluttered, and now I am literally out of everything.

    I reckon in the whole of 2010 I have spent about £40 on products which as I previously could have spent in a week, and it is something I am really proud of. :j
    Aims for 2014
    Drink a glass of water a day, Empty handbag at least once a week, Continue "not putting things off" and tackle things head on, Treasure people around me, Stay healthy and well away from hospitals, Continue to declutter/decorate house slowly and not get stressed because I can't do everything at once. :D
  • mineallmine
    mineallmine Posts: 3,053
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Thanks footy!

    Stocktake needed for:
    - Make up. The stuff seems to be breeding like rabbits.
    :) Declutter 300 things in December challenge, 9/300. Clear the living room. Re-organize storage
    :cool2: Cherryprint: "More stuff = more stuff to tidy up!"
    Less things. Less stuff. More life.
    :heart: Fab thread: Long daily walks
  • lostinrates
    lostinrates Posts: 55,283
    I've been Money Tipped!
    Forumite
    I am in. My stash is not nearly so horrific as it was when I started but toiletry and cosmetic spends are so much better thought out than they were before these threadsAs well as UU and continuing to be strict about purchases I'm making it a mission this month to return to using more of the stuff I have, body butters hand creams etc....they are bought for a reason and need to be prioritised in my day.
  • BBTHREE wrote: »
    Hi All


    I reckon in the whole of 2010 I have spent about £40 on products which as I previously could have spent in a week, and it is something I am really proud of. :j


    wow, you are right to be really proud of this, well done :T:T:T
  • Mags30
    Mags30 Posts: 1,792 Forumite
    BBTHREE wrote: »
    Hi All

    I dont post often of these monthly no spend threads but on the 31st Dec it has been a whole year since I took the plunge, saw the light, and stopped filling Boots tills. (as per my sig)

    I admit I openly intend to fall off the wagon during December as I will be buying (or rather hubby will be buying me :D) the Soap and Glory OOTW as I love Soap and Glory and I have persevered with almost a year of using up all my half used nasties with an occasional Soap and Glory treat at the weekend (from last years hatbox)

    I am tider, my bathroom and bedroom are seriously decluttered, and now I am literally out of everything.

    I reckon in the whole of 2010 I have spent about £40 on products which as I previously could have spent in a week, and it is something I am really proud of. :j

    WOW I would love to be writing a post like that. Well done:T
    Total debt 11/1/2011 €5350.65
    Total debt 12/12/12 €3222.31
    CrazyClothesChallenge 2013 #006 €34.08/€500
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