No buying unnecessary toiletries in May - Challenge

evilsquid1603

i think with some of the "oh I've blown it!" mentality, we are all at different stages of dealing with it and admitting it. i found it hard to cut down at first but now i can actually see some kind of end in sight, it does make it easier. it also depends on what LBMs we've had like finding a HG and realising we don't want to use inferior products, realising a whole shelf of space is now available for things other than shampoo and just what not spending the money on a stash could have bought us instead.

tbh, i don't completely plan on graduating with some cosmetics. yes, things like foundation, powder and concealer i have holy grails and as you are only supposed to keep mascara for a short time i want to get it down to only having one or two of those things because they do go off if not used, but i don't ever want to graduate from eyeshadows. my eyes are my favourite feature and i love how the right eyeshadows can totally change your face and give you a whole new look. they are also not really going to be going off anytime soon!

my rules for now are:

• do i need it? (as in actually need it, none stashed and current in use on last legs)
• will it fit in the drawers? (this is to control the overall size of it. if it won't, i don't buy.)
• is this the most MSE way to buy? (like others, i don't mind stockpiling if i know i will use it, also with things like Liz Earle orders, if I'm paying £3 postage a pop it makes sense to make the order as big as possible rather than buy one thing add on £3, buy another, another £3 etc)

if i don't need the item, i add:

• will i honestly actually use it? (or use everything in it if I'm buying a set)
• have i researched this buy properly? (as in, have i seen what other makes offer, is this one the best for me overall including price, colour, finish, practicality etc)
• if i don't buy this and put the money towards something i really wanted (a small Dior bag atm ) which of the two would i rather have?

Hermia

amyb wrote: »

I like a small comfort blanket of products. I enjoy cosmetics, smellies and browsing my stash to much to stop buying. But i do now have a few fluid rules i will stick to.

1. I will stockpile my favourite products if they are on offer - if i know i will use them it makes financial sense.
2. I won't buy multiple products i have never tried before just because they are on offer/reduced.
3. I will try to use products up before replacing them (as i am a sucker for new products and want to try everthing ASAP). This is the hardest for me
4. I will try and use/throw away the really old products. If ive had them stashed for over two years and never felt tempted to try them i doubt i ever will.
5. i won't count nail polish - i am more than happt to increase my 250plus collection of bottles. Everyone is allowed a vice!
6. I won't create lists of products/use ups. I can tell that stash is reducing visually and i don't what to make the process a chore.
7. I won't punish myself when i buy new products.
8. Finally I will enjoy every product i have and treat every day like "best".

I really like your list, although I would obviously adapt it for myself. I am going to start again in June as I have lost my way a bit. I had to buy some moisturiser and suncream as I cannot mess around with my skin as I have eczema. That kind of threw me. I suppose I am going to have to devise a plan where I get through my stash, but don't go completely cold turkey.


The problem I have is that I do buy toiletries to reward myself or cheer myself up. I don't drink, smoke or buy fancy coffees and I cannot afford to buy myself bigger things so I suppose I have to find another small treat. When you have had a dreadful day at work it's so easy to just wander into Boots during the lunch hour.

Hermia

mcculloch29 wrote: »

I hope I've got toiletries cracked, but I'm struggling with the clothes thing at the moment, I have to get ruthless and get rid of clothes that I don't wear but have 'just in case'.
But I don't NEED anything at the moment, realistically.... I set myself an annual budget of £100 for clothes in January for the year, and I've spent £56 so far.

I never have problems with clothes as I find it so hard to find clothes to fit so shopping is a chore for me! I could definitely keep my spending within £100 with no problems.

SuiDreams

Some very interesting thoughts from everyone. I must admit my stash isn't as big as a lot of peoples I decided to join here before it got too out of hand. I really think I am improving, despite buying stuff in the last few months my stash did actually reduce in April and May (but unfortunatly increased in my 1st two months of the Challenge Feb and Mar). I have now decided to reward myself with one treat for every month where my outs are greater than my ins.

To be honest I wasn't just buying stuff (which as I've started to use stuff I've found I don't like or don't suit my skin at all) I was being lazy and not really using it either. Since joining this challenge the condition of my skin has really improved. I have started wearing make up more and feel like I look a lot better. Getting rid of some of the foundations I had that didn't really suit me has helped a lot, as now I have a lovely light foundation I'm happier to wear it.

The other thing I have started this month which is to give DH things out of my stash instead of buying things just for him, has really helped why spend more money on moisturiser when I have loads in the stash and he doesn't really care what he uses.

I have decided to keep the monthly Amarya beauty box as its a nice treat and I do like trying new things and I may find some HG items from it. I am going to be good through and resist the temptation of other boxes.

Now I just need to decide what to do with the Nail Varnish Stash for some resaon i bought a few last summer, plus all the ones from Magazine freebies etc. The annoying thing is I don't really paint my Nails I get them done every month as a treat and it will take me many years to get through that lot on my toe nails.

And - very good for sticking to £100 a year on clothes, I don't think I could manage that. I don't spend a huge amount on clothes, but things always seem to need replacing.

Itzybitzy

UU

Lolita Lempika Eau en Parfum, 0.8ml - WBA, lovely lovely smell. Smelt of berries

IN's

Oral B Pro Expert Toothpaste 75ml
Tresemme Split Remedy Leave in Treatment, 10ml x 2
Tresemme Split Remedy Shampoo, 10ml x 2
Tresemme Split Remedy Conditioner, 10ml x 2

emsjune78

Hi All,

Been away from the thread for a couple of days due to a very busy and lovely weekend. I see another interesting discussion has sprung up - wholeheartedly agree with Dolly regarding applying the falling off the challenge bandwagon as having parallels to food/dieting. Writing a month off, with me in any case, would be giving myself carte blanche to totally go off the rails!

I can see though that everyone will have a different approach and I don't think its a one method fits all kind of scenario - as long as you are cutting back spending/blindly purchasing items you don't need/won't use and in some cases can't afford in the long run then you are succeeding in some way. I can see the thinking behind not wanting to actually graduate as such - I too would like the comfort blanket/buffer, and lets be honest sometimes pleasure, of having more than one of most items to 'stash shop' from, although I fully embrace the idea of finding and sticking to HG in some categories. What I wanted to do, and have been achieving, is to stop blindly buying things I didn't need simply because I didn't have a clue what I already had which is a little shocking really, the stash list helps a lot in this respect.

Had quite a bit of movement challenge-wise the last few days - both of the IN and UU/TA/GA variety - I'll start with the IN - all gifts from my Auntie:

S&G Clean on Me 75ml
S&G Righteous Butter 50ml
S&G Flakeaway 50ml
S&G Hand Food 50ml
S&G Glow Lotion 150ml

I must admit I saw the S&G bag and was a little :eek: :rotfl: Not to sound ungrateful! I have been waging a war against this part of my stash of late having seriously OD'd on it and its pretty much under control and down to the products I actually like after some LHJ and some heavy gifting to a friend. Gave all of the above bar the Clean on Me to my sister who never succumbed to the whole S&G hype of a couple of years ago like I did so has no issue with it and will probably enjoy using it.

The shower gel will come in handy at some point being a travel size and I do actually like that although the full 500ml size bottle lasts f-o-r-e-v-e-r as many of you will also know! Glow lotion is fine too but I've already got a bottle of this which is a major LHJ as the type of product you rarely use. The rest I have pretty much come to hate!

Further GA to my Mum were:

Elle Macpherson Soft Shimmer Body Lotion - this was a massive 500ml tub which was very gold and shimmery and therefore not terribly practical to use much - didn't fancy getting it all over the bed linen so must admit not to really giving it a serious go at UU

M & S White Chocolate Body Mousse - was in a very cute little pot but smelt too sickly for my liking

Britannia Hotel Soap

Britannia Hotel Bath & Shower Gel - Really just couldn't bring myself to use these as they were so unappealing - my Dad seems to like his soap etc the cheaper the better so I'm sure he'll do me a favour and use these up!

2 x unbranded bath bombs - not feeling the love with these, boring...

And finally, one actual UU - Cyclax Apricot Face Scrub - in a massive 300ml tub, soo vintage it smelt as though the apricots had been soaked in brandy :rotfl: Still did the job nicely and a complete bargain at only a few quid - WBA

Sorry for such a long post - had lots to catch up on!

dolly84

emsjune78 wrote: »

Elle Macpherson Soft Shimmer Body Lotion - this was a massive 500ml tub which was very gold and shimmery and therefore not terribly practical to use much - didn't fancy getting it all over the bed linen so must admit not to really giving it a serious go at UU

I got a Gok set christmas before last and it had a gold body oil in it, I never used it, I listed it on ebay but no one wanted it. There is never a good time of day to be covered in gold oil. Interestingly the set I got this year had all of the same items minus this oil so maybe they got feedback about this.

kiplingmonkey

Interesting reading all the views on falling off the bandwaggon, starting again etc. I, like many, view toiletries as my treat - however I joined the challenge as they were taking over the house and I have definately cut back - pre challenge I would have bought things because they were a good buy - eg the Decleor TSV - however, this Sat I thought about it - looked at my stash list and thought - 'No I do not need this - I do not need another bottle of iris facial oil I have some already in my stash.' I have also learnt that what comes around goes around with offers so if you miss one, there will be another 'Bonus Time', GWP etc before I know it so I really don't need to do every Clinique, Clarins, Estee Lauder offer that I spot. However, I can't honestly say that given a bad day at work I wouldn't succumb as a treat. I also promised myself 1 TSV a month as a treat when I joined the challenge which I have stuck to - before I would have done nearly every beauty TSV because it was good value and too good an offer to miss.

Anyway, that's my two pennorth worth to the debate. And, have another 2 UUs to declare:

Cowshed cowslip hand cream - this was a magazine freebie last year - - pleasant but not a HG handcream so WNBA. However, this had been a brand that I had been keen to try so glad I did it via a freebie rather than paying full price for it. This has satisfied my curiosity and I don't feel inclined to try anything else in the range.

Bare Minerals big tease mascara - liked this and WBA but have binned it as it has started to go a bit clumpy - still it has been in use for about 4 months so had come to the end of it's useful life anyway. Still have plenty of mascaras left in the stash so no need to replenish any time soon.

tokkiandoliver

I enjoyed reading everyone's opinions. All I have to say to that is that you are all an inspiration for me. I'm not as active anymore on here as I'd like to be (due to my 2 jobs), but just knowing this thread is here and there are other women out there suffering from the same shopping addiction as me, really helps me lol. I know that we all fall (I'm guilty of that), but the whole point is to tame our stash, and I'm really appreciative this thread & challenge exist!

tokkiandoliver

I finally have a UU to report:
Yardley's English Daisy body spray - WBA, I kept this at work and I am so happy that I was able to use it up since it was sitting in my stash box for over a year.