No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries March 2020
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 dolly84 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 this month 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!
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:
Comments
-
Thanks for the new thread sstevo, I'm in.March PP List
Moroccan Oil Light 200ml (b/f from February)
Vaseline Rosy Lips
Beautannia Bloomsbury Body Lotion 100ml x2
Gillette Shaving Gel (small can)
Epiderm Moisturing Cream 500gNuxe Reve de Miel Lip BalmBeautannia Bloomsbury Shower Gel 500ml (b/f from February)Finish 7 by Spring list.
1.Garnier Oil Free BB Cream 40ml
2. Bare Minerals Mineral Veil
3. Benefit Champagne Pink Eyeshadow
4. Mini Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in Taupe
5. The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Tint
6. Revlon Lip Butter - Raspberry Pie
7. Lanolips Rose Lip Balm
Will not need to buy in 2020
Shower gel
Body moisturiser
Hair conditioner/hair masks
Foot cream
Nail polish
Hair serum/oil
Makeup (except maybe foundation)
Perfume
Bubble Bath
May need to buy in 2020
Shampoo bar
Cleanser - have one in use and two back ups
Facial Oil - have one in use and one back up
Curl cream - have one in use and one backup
Deodorant - will be good for quite a while
Hand cream - will be buying ingredients to make my own
Debt Free and now a saver, conscious consumer, low waste lifestyler
Fashion on the Ration 28/669 -
Yesterday I got rid of a couple of things. The first was the last little bit of the Garnier BB cream I was using, the formula of this is really lovely (the oil free one) but it was going really orange on me, maybe I have had it too long. I was mixing it with a Max Factor Facefinity foundation which was the totally wrong colour, way too light, the remains of that have gone too. I am going back to my Max Factor foundation in Warm Almond and I have one other foundation in the stash.I also got rid of a GWP Clinique palette with a shimmery cream eyeshadow and a shimmery bronze and a pink blush, the eyeshadows weren't good and the blush had no pigment just glitter. There is no point putting these things on my face just to use them up.No ins at all in February and none needed for March.Debt Free and now a saver, conscious consumer, low waste lifestyler
Fashion on the Ration 28/669 -
March PPAesop hydrator sample (from Feb)Scrub love coffee scrub (from Feb)Noughty wave hello conditioner (from Feb)Nuxe luxurious body cream
Boucleme intensive mositure treatment
Kiehl's lavender scrub sample
Kiehl's midnight recovery oil 2ml
Kiehls creamy eye treatment 1.5ml
Rituals body cream 5ml
Lancome teint idile ultra wear 1ml
Glamazonstick highlighting crayon
Kiko long lasting eyeshadow stick - white
212 VIP rose 1.5ml
Lots of samples to use up, I usually forget about/ignore them.Will need to buy powder, deodorant, toner.9 -
March PP list:
- Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Shine Deep Treatment
- Garnier Oil Beauty Oil-infused Restoring Lotion
- Cold Pressed Olive Oil Ultra Deep Cleansing Masque
- Nivea Cleansing Wipes
- No7 Beautiful Skin Eye Make-up Remover
- Sure Cotton Dry Anti-perspirant
- Carex Aloe Vera Hand Gel
- No7 StayPerfect Superlight Foundation in Calico
Finish 7 by Spring:
- No7 Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser
- No7 Soft & Soothed Gentle Toner
- No7 Beautiful Skin Radiant Exfoliator
- L’Oreal Hydra Genius Aloe Water
- Chocolate Masque
- Cucumber Anti-stress Peel-off Masque
- Champneys Citrus Blush Shower Gel
I am hoping to finish the top three items in my PP list either today or tomorrow, which will be a good start to the month.
Am intending to update my list of toiletries so I can see how I’m doing so far.
Am also planning to try out my Sensationail gel nail varnish stuff this month so I can start using some of my varnishes and related products (had intended to do this last month but didn’t get around to it).
I am not intending to buy any toiletries this month.
10 -
Hi
This is my first update in March
UU
Waitose Pure Day Beauty Cream
Alidi Deodorant
Benefit Mattfying Pure Pirmer
Body Shop Satsuma Body Butter
Waitrose Baby Bottom Butter Cream
Weleda Almond Oil
Body Shop Satsuma Body Spray Mist
IN
Shea Butter Soap x 2
Liz Earle Body Cleanse and Polish x 2
Total = 105
It will be my birthday on Friday so will getting lots of toiletries so no chance of my stash going down. But this will be only be for this month!!
9 -
Thank for the new thread sstevo, am back in for March.
My PP list:
Laura Mercier Pistachio Body Cream
Keihl's ultimate hand cream lavender
Nuxe night cream
Beauty Pie Retinol Night Cream
Beauty Pie Retinol Serum
Burts Bees Lip Balm
Aveda Cherry Almond Conditioner
Caudalie Eye Cream
Aromatherapy Associates Intensive Face Oil
My 7 for Spring list:
Soaper Duper Tuberose Shower Gel
Soaper Duper Coconut Shower Gel
Odylique gentle herb shampoo
Drunk Elephant Slaai Cleanser
Umberto Giannini 60 second smooth pre-shampoo
Aveda volume tonic
Beauty Pie Retinol Hand Cream
Not buying unnecessary toiletries 2024 14/53 UU, 11 IN6 -
My PP list for March:
La Roche Posay Lipikar Surgras Lipid Enriched Cleansing Bar 150g
EOS Cucumber Hand Lotion 44ml
Lush 9 to 5 Cleanser 95g
Soap and Glory Sunshield Superfluid SPF50+ 30ml
Lush Handy Gurugu 100g
7 -
Two UUs already:
Oral B Satin Tape 25m - WDBA and will do. Cheap and effective.
Maui Moisture Agave Hair Mask 340g - WDBA and will do in the future. Helps moisturise my hair after doing my roots or if it's a bit dry. Debating on rebuying this atm or getting another tub of the TIGI Colour Goddess Mask which I love.
7 -
shed35 said:
It will be my birthday on Friday so will getting lots of toiletries so no chance of my stash going down. But this will be only be for this month!!
In:
Live colour schwartzkorpf hair dye in preparation for my big day.
UUs:
Superdrug anti-ageing face mask, WNBA, going to use up face masks and scrubs and switch to chemical exfoliation.
Lidl cotton wool pad - HG
Oral b satin tape - HG
9 -
UU Palmers Coconut Oil hair treatment - I got 4 uses out of this, which I am pleased with as I think it was about £1.50. I have to say it works well on ends but really dried out my scalp so WNBA more likely to try something more gentle and actually vegan
Debt Free since December 2017#11 3-6 month Emergency Fund - £3,207.08/£6,000.005
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