No buying toiletries in June challenge!

xoxo_2

Ladies its that time again! I admit most of this text has been copied from previous thread starters

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 :grouphug: 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! :doh: )

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 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 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 willl always be another deal!

Good luck all for June 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 . 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 just 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 dont be scared !!) oh - and we are nosey!!

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 or you may be sent to the naughty step!
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. From Erma Bombeck who said, 'If I had my life to live over again I would have burned the pink candle sculptured 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)

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 :j 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 2011
2.Bronnie - graduated with honours March 2011

JUNE
Come on ladies :beer:

Good Luck Everyone!

xoxo_2

Joining us again ... or for the first time?

As the posts begin to come in I will update our register - can you please post 'I'm In' in nice big colourful letters or PM me so that nobody gets missed off the list (this thread moves quickly sometimes )

Roll Call June 2011

1. xoxo
2. Mingle
3. Sunshineyday
4. Seasidedreamer
5. Bohemianrose9
6. Hanval
7. Kaz2904
8. Carolyn12
9. Fiasco55
10. Bunnykins
11. Ma-ri-ella
12. Footymadgal
13. Willow92
14. ACCA Girl
15. Absinthe Fairy
16. Adilade
17. Minerva_windsong
18. Poppy_f1
19. Jacks xxx
20. Flirtini
21. Yorkielass
22. Rachel84
23. Willow92
24. Marie2
25. Ali-belle
26. MoneyQueen
27. Sawan82
28. Sonee2405
29. Alton Towers
30. Bev97
31. Lemon Tree
32. Mad_scientist
33. Jo91
34. Lynseydee
35. Sarah*a
36. Annieb30
37. VALM
38. Sofababe
39. Ali-belle
40. Dr_Roberto
41. Phoenix_dragon
42. Pinkfluffybabe
43. Bargainbetty
44. Flutterbyuk25
45. Elfen
46. Asset2004
47. Mcculloch29
48. EssexHebridean
49. Fru-gal
50. Charlie792
51. NGladly2
52. Missykaren
53. Hollylangman37
54. Alanis
55. Rosemary54
56. PudseyDB
57. mazy_m
58. LittleVoice
59. Vivh
60. SJP
61. Savvybunny2009
62. Mrs.butler
63. Scrappie

Mingle

I'm In



........................

sunshineyday

I'm in again.

Thanks for starting the thread this month XOXO. I will have to make more of an effort to keep up this month - failed miserably last month!

seasideDreamer

I'm in should be moving soon, well when we can find a house so really need to be good. Trouble is all the things I'm actually out of keep running out rather than the things I've got stockpiled:(

bohemianrose9

Morning! I'm in again.

One UU this morning for me - S&G Glad Hair Day conditioner. WIBA? Yes, it smells wonderfully fruity and is really light for my fine hair.

hanval

Thanks xoxo for the new thread!

I'm in!

May wasn't that successful with 4 INs & 7 UUs. As we're off on holiday this month I'm hoping for lots of UUs with my travels size products & not many INs (greek olive oil soap excepted, love the stuff )

Kaz2904

I'm in again I will need to buy NV remover one day. I have about 40mls left of the bottle but it's been on the go since....... um forever It's cotton wool pads that make it last so long

Carolyn12

Please, I'm in
For my own good (and the bank balance's...)
End of May has been a disaster. So many INs

Fiasco55

I'm in again for June.

I had a great month in May with 18 UU's and only £1.99 on an IN.

Fingers crossed for another successful month ladies x

bunnykins

I'm in for June too please:j

I need all the help I can get - since I joined this challenge my stash seems to be getting bigger not smaller - even though I'm now using my stuff:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

bunnykins x