No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries August 2018 31 July 2018 at 3:06PM edited 30 November -1 at 1:00AM in Health & Beauty MoneySaving 154 replies 15.6K views

sstevo19

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 catherine/kate 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 can 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 February 2018 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
September 2017
October 2017
November 2017
December 2017
January 2018
February 2018
March 2018
April 2018
May 2018
June 2018
July 2018

pinkfluffybabe

Thanks for the thread sstevo. I'm in for August, I'll be back later with a PP list.

Tolteca87

Back especially as I seem to have added more foundation to the stash.

pinkfluffybabe

PP list for August:

[STRIKE]Tata Harper Cleanser[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Aveda Rosemary mint conditioner[/STRIKE]
Aveda Botanicals eye cream
[STRIKE]Ren moisturiser[/STRIKE]
E45 body lotion
[STRIKE]Ren rose shower gel[/STRIKE]
Odylique shampoo
[STRIKE]Living Proof Prime[/STRIKE]
Burts Bees honey lip balm

VALM

Thanks for new thread Steven. PP List this month:-

Flora Mare eyecream carried over
Boots Extracts Vanilla body wash
Derma Vie night cream
ESSIE Spa scrub
Ath and Body Works Vetiver handwash
L’Occitane eye make up remover
Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen for face
Lush Cupcake Mask
E45 body cream
Murad toner

maddiemay

Thank you for the new thread sstevo:D

My list for August
30ml Clinique Moisture Surge tinted moisturiser spf15
30ml Pestle & Mortar Superstar Retinol Night Oil
200ml Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil
Bobbi Brown Bone eye shadow
Clinique mascara GWP size
300ml Elemis Quiet Mind bath elixir
250ml System Professional Colour Save shampoo
15ml Hylamide for Eyes
41gm Mitchum AP/Deo stick
15ml Clarins Gentle Refiner

I have looked at my "No Buy" list and the only thing that I can justify this month is a "pamper shower gel", Korres or Balance Me perhaps:D

sstevo19

My PP list for August:

Cerave Hydrating Cleanser 236ml
Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel 40ml
Superdrug Vitamin E Moisture Boost Serum 50ml
Superdrug Simply Pure Hydrating Night Serum 50ml
SVR Sun Secure Hydrating Milk SPF50+ 100ml
The Body Shop Vitamin E Aqua Boost Essence Lotion 160ml


I'm trying to use up products I don't like or don't get along with.

asset2004

Thanks for the new thread.
July passed me by but I did manage to get rid of a few items, a couple of gift sets as raffle prizes, a shower gel (a decanted bubble bath into a shower pump bottle so can't remember the brand) and some handcream.
No INS so that is progress although I do feel that I am barely treading water with the amount of toiletries I have.

lynseydee

VALM wrote: »

Thought I was seeing double then as 5 items the same as me. x

Strange that it's a mixture of yours and
pinkfluffybabe's!

catherinekate

VALM wrote: »

Thought I was seeing double then as 5 items the same as me. x

Might be a spambot, I've seen a couple of posts from new users which just repeat bits of conversations like that one. Will report it. (Sorry annapharm if you are not spam!)

Thanks for the new thread, Stevo. I'm in for August. I have an ambitious PP list and a couple of tubes I'm about to cut open.

Had a great July, only one very necessary IN, and 33 OUTs (inc 11 GA, 9TA).

Currently have no back-up shower gel or facial cleanser. I have tons of soap so may try this instead of the shower gel, though our shower is a wet sort of place and soap does tend to go gungy quite quickly.

And one fabulous UU already for August:
MUA Mosaic Blusher in English Rose. This cost me £1 and took 9 months to use up. It was fine, nothing special. I have 12 more blushers so no need to replace!

pinkfluffybabe

First UU of August

Tata Harper Cleanser. WNBA. It's a good cleanser but out of my price range.