No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries September 2017

pinkfluffybabe

Here we go again for another month. As usual this initial post has been shamelessly copied from the many previous months. A big thank you to sstevo19 for starting us off last month.

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 support and encouragement 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)! Will this be the month when the "usual suspects" rein it in a bit? Let's see..... (but I doubt it!)

Remember - those products do nothing for you while they are stashed in drawers, boxes and cupboards!

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 some of us even years!!) 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 signature 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 extravagantly to finish it off is sometimes too much to bear!).

Brand new products (or opened perfume) sell well on eBay.

Unsuitable products can be repurposed and 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 or a local women's refuge as mentioned earlier

It helps to avoid the places where temptation lurks for you; be it QVC, Boots, Body Shop, email newsletter, 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 will always be another deal! Honest!

Good luck all for June and indeed the coming months, and remember to keep your stash lists updated, keep popping in for inspiration and support and to report your UU's and IN's, especially any sales bargains - we want a nosy!

Welcome to all newbies - the more the merrier. Please introduce yourselves so we can welcome you properly! Do de-lurk if you are lurking, this is one of the friendliest threads on MSE.

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 well 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 don't be scared!!) oh - and did we mention that are nosy??!!

Useful abbreviations and jargon!

WBA - Will 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!
NBI - A non-bought item such as a present, gift with purchase or free sample
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 inspired by Erma Bombeck who said: 'If I had my life to live over again I would have burned the pink candle sculpted 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)
GA - for an out that was given away to charity, as a present, or "just because" rather than binned or UU
TA - for an out that was thrown away due to going off (generally as it has been lurking at the back of a stash since time immemorial) or for any other reason such as a broken container or spillage
PP - Project Pan: a list of specific items targeted to be used up

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, 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
2. Bronnie - graduated with honours March 2011
3. lostinrates - graduated with honours around June 2010
4. Ruby_Eskimo - graduated with honours June 2012
5. Seaside dreamer - graduated with honours October 2012
6. InaPickle - graduated with honours September 2014
7. Fiasco55 - graduated with honours May 2017

Previous threads

In case you need to refer back to a previous stash list or product review, here are links to past challenge threads. Click on the date to take you straight to it:

January 2012
February 2012
March 2012
April 2012
May 2012
June 2012
July 2012
August 2012
September 2012
October 2012
November 2012
December 2012
January 2013
February 2013
March 2013
April 2013
May 2013
June 2013
July 2013
August 2013
September 2013
October 2013
November 2013
December 2013
January 2014
February 2014
March 2014
April 2014
May 2014
June 2014
July 2014
August 2014
September 2014
October 2014
November 2014
December 2014
January 2015
February 2015
March 2015
April 2015
May 2015
June 2015
July 2015
August 2015
September 2015
October 2015
November 2015
December 2015
January 2016
February 2016
March 2016
April 2016
May 2016
June 2016
July 2016
August 2016
September 2016
October 2016
November 2016
December 2016
January 2017
February 2017
March 2017
April 2017
May 2017
June 2017
July 2017
August 2017

pinkfluffybabe

Want to get my PP list started for a more successful September

Sjal toner
Trilogy moisturiser
[STRIKE]Yes to blueberries shower gel[/STRIKE]
Living proof prime
Living proof volume spray
Chanel Noir perfume
Nuxe body oil
Keihl's grapefruit hand creme
Laura Mercier body lotion
Aromatherapy associates bath oil
Alpha H eye gel
Burts Bees honey lip balm

I've got three INs coming, but in fairness I'm low on shampoo, cleanser and moisturiser now.

sstevo19

Thank you pinkfluffybabe for starting us off for September!

My PP list for September is going to be

The Body Shop Aloe Calming Cream Cleanser
The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Butter - This is nearing the end so should be finished in the first week or so
Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm
Lush Rose Jam shower gel - This is so big and never ending

Decluttering

Could I join please? I don't think I've ever done this challenge before but in the last year I've had the pleasure of staying in some fairly fancy hotels and I've recently became very aware of just how many shampoo and conditioner bottles I've swiped during these trips! I think I've easily got enough shampoo to keep me going for a month and I think my conditioner stash could take me through to December if I stop trying to pile most of the bottle onto my head.

I'm scared to do a stocktake of all the other items I could be using up this month, but if I'm feeling brave I'll make one up. The only thing I envision myself needing to buy is deodorant, I've been making do with talcum powder but I'm not convinced it's working that well!

pinkfluffybabe

Decluttering wrote: »

Could I join please? I don't think I've ever done this challenge before but in the last year I've had the pleasure of staying in some fairly fancy hotels and I've recently became very aware of just how many shampoo and conditioner bottles I've swiped during these trips! I think I've easily got enough shampoo to keep me going for a month and I think my conditioner stash could take me through to December if I stop trying to pile most of the bottle onto my head.

I'm scared to do a stocktake of all the other items I could be using up this month, but if I'm feeling brave I'll make one up. The only thing I envision myself needing to buy is deodorant, I've been making do with talcum powder but I'm not convinced it's working that well!

Welcome :j

I've go an excel spreadsheet of my items, such is my stashing of products! It's well worth stocktaking as it can stop you from making any further purchases/freebies if you know you have X times shampoos or whatever at home!

Good luck!

Decluttering

pinkfluffybabe wrote: »

Welcome :j

I've go an excel spreadsheet of my items, such is my stashing of products! It's well worth stocktaking as it can stop you from making any further purchases/freebies if you know you have X times shampoos or whatever at home!

Good luck!

Thank you

I have to admit, I've been a little bit cheeky recently! Before I discovered my own mountain of toiletries, I was chipping away at the long forgotten half empty shampoo bottles in the bathroom cupboard. I like to think it's a victimless crime since the true owners seem to have forgotten they ever existed. They can always have some of my shampoo if they really miss it :rotfl:

I'm awfully good at creating spreadsheets but awfully bad at updating them, I think it'll have to be an old fashioned pen and paper list!

dolly84

Thanks for the new thread pinkfluffybabe.

Welcome Decluttering.

I had an in but it was yesterday so doesn't count. I am half way through my bottle of gradual tan so I got a 400ml bottle of Garnier Summer Body in Superdrug and also used £1 in points so not a big spend at all.

My PP list for September

Sanctuary Body Souffle
Nuxe Huile Prodigeuse (sp?)
Champneys Bath Float
L'oreal Shampoo
L'oreal Conditioner
Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Moisturiser
Elemis PCMC
Avon Skin Scent Bergamot & Lemon
Le Soft Solid Perfume
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Orange & Mint

This month sees the end of my 5 by Autumn challenge too.

sunny_money

Welcome Decluttering! Trust us, a stocktake on an Excel spreadsheet is worth it!

asset2004

sunny_money wrote: »

Welcome Decluttering! Trust us, a stocktake on an Excel spreadsheet is worth it!

hmm I don't want to face up to a stock take but I do know not to buy any more as there's always another glitch round the corner.
I have 2 INs from last month, yesterday in fact, but only got round to posting now.
Both free to test so ok I suppose. Baby wipes and facial tanning spray. Not so sure about the spray but will give it a go!

maddiemay

Thank you pinkfluffybabe, count me in again:o

Welcome Decluttering, this is a great place to hang out:D

I need to update my lists so hopefully will pop back and post a new one for September.

sunny_money

UU
Super Facialist - vitamin C brighten dark circles eye cream - 15ml - WNBA
Chapstick original lip balm - WNBA

INs
Palmers cocoa lip balm
Simple wipes x2 (oops didn't need these at all yet, impulse buy £2 at boots, triple points on skincare)