No Buying Toiletries in March Challenge

Lemon_Tree

2 UU's for me last night;
Sanctuary Warming Charcoal Face Mask - WNBA, i think it was in a set given to me about 5 years ago so obviously i don't use face masks, little bits did warm up but not much which i guess is cos it was so old.
Johnsons Baby talc - WBA, but not yet.
Just subtotalled my talc and despite my thinking i don't have a problem with stashing it because i easily use a tub that size in a month i do have 7 tubs of various stuff so that's at least 6 months supply.

PrincessPlaty

After going through everything that I have here I really think I need to join

Will be back with my list later! :rotfl:

Lemon_Tree

oh forgot to say on an earlier conversation - my sister and her family do geocaching and they love it. They've got a metal frog which is making it's way around the world, started in USA, they're next decision is where to place it back in the system so that it can travel a bit further.

Becky_2

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Celebrate - you do indeed sound like you desperately need to break out of the cycle of behaviour you've fallen into. I'm afraid I have to say that your sister in particular sounds like a really ungrateful person. You're buying stuff for her to save her money and yet the main reaction she has to it is to complain you haven't got her enough?! It sounds to me (please don;t take this wrongly) as though you are craving approval from both your Sister & your Mum, but it also sounds like they are simply not the sort of people to give this approval to you, but they will just expect more, and more, and MORE! Next time your sister says something along the lines of "I wish I had xxx fragrance" why not respond that, you'll make a note that she likes it and pop it on the list as a possible christmas/birthday present? Ditto if she comments that you could have got her "X" while you were out, how about offering to keep your eyes out and let her know when there is next an offer on the product that she might like to take advantage of?

Excellent advice from Kaz and Jacks as well as others - don't have a lot to add but.....could you add up the total approximate amount you have spent over the past - let's say since late December as otherwise it's including christmas present spending which would be unfair - and see what the total is? Then multiply how much you will spend in the course of a year if you carry on as you are....the figure will scare the life out of you by the sounds of it! QUOTE]

Celebrate, I must admit that I thought along the same lines as EssexHebridean's comments above. Family and friends should be grateful and not expect someone to buy them things. Just because they are earning less is not an excuse. That's the only reason that I have done so well with this challenge. Working on a temporary contract on a fairly low wage I simply cannot afford to buy toiletries and if I do, I cannot afford other things but I wouldn't expect other people to buy me things and if they did I would feel quite embarrassed (not sure if I could tell them though). Luckily I don't know anyone who does this for me but if I did I would consider distance myself from that person. For me, what I want from other people are the free things in life such as listening, sharing, laughing etc. and not money. Being given things from friend that they have bought and tried and don't like is different of course, since I would happily do the same for them.

I put aside £1 for every item that I use up, I now have £21 in my pot, this will go towards a treat. My previous pot money went towards a 2 hour beauty treatment which felt extra special because I had already saved up for it. Celebrate, perhaps you could do something similar. Rather than buying things for your sister, could you put the money that you would have spent on her in a pot and save up for something special for yourself. Just an idea.

Hope you find a way to resolve it all in a way that suits you. These are just my thoughts that you may not agree with at all. Please let us know how you get on.

Becky_2

Another UU to report, Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel. Initially I loved this product but soon realised that a gel cleanser is not for me, it doesn't make my face feel clean. I am now using Decleor aroma cleanse and this cleanser is so much better.

EssexHebridean

Lemon_Tree wrote: »

2 UU's for me last night;
Sanctuary Warming Charcoal Face Mask - WNBA, i think it was in a set given to me about 5 years ago so obviously i don't use face masks, little bits did warm up but not much which i guess is cos it was so old.
Johnsons Baby talc - WBA, but not yet.
Just subtotalled my talc and despite my thinking i don't have a problem with stashing it because i easily use a tub that size in a month i do have 7 tubs of various stuff so that's at least 6 months supply.

Yes, those charcoal masks usually get really warm so it probably was the age of it. I really like them, and sometimes manage to find one of the stalls on our local market (we live just a few miles from the North Weald airfield which has a mahoosive market on a saturday) selling them or the rosemary ones for 5 sachets for £2 or 3 for £1 - I stock up when I see them but nobody has had them for a while.

Becky_2 wrote: »

Celebrate, I must admit that I thought along the same lines as EssexHebridean's comments above. Family and friends should be grateful and not expect someone to buy them things. Just because they are earning less is not an excuse. That's the only reason that I have done so well with this challenge. Working on a temporary contract on a fairly low wage I simply cannot afford to buy toiletries and if I do, I cannot afford other things but I wouldn't expect other people to buy me things and if they did I would feel quite embarrassed (not sure if I could tell them though). Luckily I don't know anyone who does this for me but if I did I would consider distance myself from that person. For me, what I want from other people are the free things in life such as listening, sharing, laughing etc. and not money. Being given things from friend that they have bought and tried and don't like is different of course, since I would happily do the same for them.

I put aside £1 for every item that I use up, I now have £21 in my pot, this will go towards a treat. My previous pot money went towards a 2 hour beauty treatment which felt extra special because I had already saved up for it. Celebrate, perhaps you could do something similar. Rather than buying things for your sister, could you put the money that you would have spent on her in a pot and save up for something special for yourself. Just an idea.

Hope you find a way to resolve it all in a way that suits you. These are just my thoughts that you may not agree with at all. Please let us know how you get on.

Becky something in your post really resonated with me. When I first joined the challenge at the beginning, I was in a well paid job, affording to buy stuff wasn't in real terms a problem and I know I was lucky to be in that situation. Since then my circumstances have changed dramatically - and faced with a two-thirds drop in income, and still wanting to maintain our mortgage overpayment, I have been truly grateful for a) my stash, and b) the insight that this thread has given me in terms of the products I really like and feel are worth paying "that little bit extra" for. However, one thing which jumps out at me stems from the Glamour magazines that so many of us have ended up on the naughty-step as a result of this week - the four little items I bought feel like SUCH complete treats, and I value those little £2 items so much more highly than I would have done a year ago. Because I now have so little money to spare for myself, buying the odd "small" thing like that is now a treat, whereas a year ago it would simply have been an incidental purchase.

Jacks_xxx

Becky_2 wrote: »

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Celebrate - you do indeed sound like you desperately need to break out of the cycle of behaviour you've fallen into. I'm afraid I have to say that your sister in particular sounds like a really ungrateful person. You're buying stuff for her to save her money and yet the main reaction she has to it is to complain you haven't got her enough?! It sounds to me (please don;t take this wrongly) as though you are craving approval from both your Sister & your Mum, but it also sounds like they are simply not the sort of people to give this approval to you, but they will just expect more, and more, and MORE! Next time your sister says something along the lines of "I wish I had xxx fragrance" why not respond that, you'll make a note that she likes it and pop it on the list as a possible christmas/birthday present? Ditto if she comments that you could have got her "X" while you were out, how about offering to keep your eyes out and let her know when there is next an offer on the product that she might like to take advantage of?

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Excellent advice from Kaz and Jacks as well as others - don't have a lot to add but.....could you add up the total approximate amount you have spent over the past - let's say since late December as otherwise it's including christmas present spending which would be unfair - and see what the total is? Then multiply how much you will spend in the course of a year if you carry on as you are....the figure will scare the life out of you by the sounds of it! QUOTE]

Celebrate, I must admit that I thought along the same lines as EssexHebridean's comments above. Family and friends should be grateful and not expect someone to buy them things. Just because they are earning less is not an excuse. That's the only reason that I have done so well with this challenge. Working on a temporary contract on a fairly low wage I simply cannot afford to buy toiletries and if I do, I cannot afford other things but I wouldn't expect other people to buy me things and if they did I would feel quite embarrassed (not sure if I could tell them though). Luckily I don't know anyone who does this for me but if I did I would consider distance myself from that person. For me, what I want from other people are the free things in life such as listening, sharing, laughing etc. and not money. Being given things from friend that they have bought and tried and don't like is different of course, since I would happily do the same for them.

I put aside £1 for every item that I use up, I now have £21 in my pot, this will go towards a treat. My previous pot money went towards a 2 hour beauty treatment which felt extra special because I had already saved up for it. Celebrate, perhaps you could do something similar. Rather than buying things for your sister, could you put the money that you would have spent on her in a pot and save up for something special for yourself. Just an idea.

Hope you find a way to resolve it all in a way that suits you. These are just my thoughts that you may not agree with at all. Please let us know how you get on.

Excellent advice my lovely. :T Having read a bit more Celebrate I agree that you've got yourself into some patterns of behaviour with your family that don't make you happy.

For me I sometimes think bargain hunting is a way of giving myself a win and achieving something when life isn't always going well, and I feel as if I need "a win". Do you think ther's an element of that for you?

I think what struck a chord with me was that it's all about getting as many as possible for a bargain price and not about enjoying using them.

Keep posting chick.

hollylangman37

Becky_2 wrote: »

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Celebrate - you do indeed sound like you desperately need to break out of the cycle of behaviour you've fallen into. I'm afraid I have to say that your sister in particular sounds like a really ungrateful person. You're buying stuff for her to save her money and yet the main reaction she has to it is to complain you haven't got her enough?! It sounds to me (please don;t take this wrongly) as though you are craving approval from both your Sister & your Mum, but it also sounds like they are simply not the sort of people to give this approval to you, but they will just expect more, and more, and MORE! Next time your sister says something along the lines of "I wish I had xxx fragrance" why not respond that, you'll make a note that she likes it and pop it on the list as a possible christmas/birthday present? Ditto if she comments that you could have got her "X" while you were out, how about offering to keep your eyes out and let her know when there is next an offer on the product that she might like to take advantage of?

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Hmm I agree with you, it's difficult, Celebrate because it is your family and obviously you don't want to fall out with them over this. I personally only buy stuff for my family if I know it's something they use and it is reduced heavily.
We all know on here that offers like 3 for 2 happen all the time and the thing is your sister should really be buying her own essentials like sanitary products, it shouldn't be up to you to supply her. I don't want this to be took the wrong way but it sounds like she blatently can't be bothered to go and get stuff herself, and this is putting pressure upon you.
It might take a while but what you really need to do is go through your stash and write down everything you have, what needs to be used up. If there are products that you have opened and don't like, pass them onto a friend. I know that you say perfume is your thing but do you have multiples and could you ebay them? It's easier than you think, and with the money from that you could save up and have a family day out.

ma-ri-ella

:cool:

Dr_Roberto wrote: »

:A no in's
UU: lush fairy dust shower gel - smells amazing , got it in a xmas gift box
WIBA - Yeah this is my second tube!
OOOOOH ALMOST FORGOT ONE IN!! but i din't buy it was a early birthday gift!
Paris Hilton - Fairy dust perfume - smells amazing my new favourite and my friend who bought it new I only had 4 perfumes in my stash :P

ooooh the lush fairy stuff sounds nice,as does the perfume.not that i can buy any perfumes for a really long time:cool:.
i know what u mean about it taking up loads of space part of me just wants it gone!! its good tho in a way cause when i get on to new products i can shop from the stash as there is plenty to pick from!
3 uus to report
2x £1shop hairdyes this seems to work fine,have emailed the company to find out if anything is tested on animals.
1xcocois hair cream i hate the smell of this stuff but its great for getting rid of psoriasis
thats 10 uu altogether from march-dont think i will have much more this month apart from maybe a couple of bodylotions that are lasting for ever and ever.keep strong everyone my total from 17th jan is-85 items!!:T(includes a couple of samples and 2 outs)i would never have done this if i hadnt been doing the challenge.

mcculloch29

I'm of the opinion that half this thread must have done counselling courses at some stage, some fantastic advice for Celebrate there. It may not be easy to put in to action but it's bang along the right lines.

I'm busily snipping my way down my tube of Olay Total Effects sunless tanner moisturiser, which has been cut open. I've been using it for five days now and reckon I have at least a week's worth still to go.
I've clingfilmed the open end of the tube - cut off the crimped end - to keep the contents clean (and to stop them from going brown!)

My Next Lime, Cinnamon and Ginger Body Butter (which is actually a cream in a tube and not particularly thick) is spluttering like fury and is next for the scissors.

I like citrussy scents and with no knowledge of the Cowshed range, I was really happy to see that I had picked a citrus scent in Grumpy Cow with the Marie Claire magazine (it was impossible to read the label without appearing to look like Mr Magoo, squinting through the cellophane!)