No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries March 2023
VALM
Forumite 5.6K Posts
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
Also,
why not reward your efforts by banking and recycling your use ups/throw
aways with Boots scan2recycle points at participating Boots stores:
Recycle at Boots - Get rewarded for recycling - Boots
Alternatively, simply drop them off at Maybelline Recycling points: www.maybelline.co.uk . Unfortunately, you won't be rewarded for the latter but the earth will thank you :-)
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!
Back for the No Buying Toiletries challenge. I pledge to only buy when I run out of a product that is not already in my stash no matter what wonderful emails land in in my Inbox or threads I read on MSE re: glitches!
SPC Member 046
£2. Challenge member 55
SPC Member 046
£2. Challenge member 55
3
Latest MSE News and Guides
Replies
SPC Member 046
£2. Challenge member 55
Nail polish
Hair serum/oil
Makeup (except possibly foundation and mascara) - concealer purchased in January
Perfume (was gifted one in March)
Shampoo bar
Curl cream - mousse bought February
Fashion on the Ration 28/66
Fashion on the Ration 28/66
In February I used up 27 products, totalling £193.86 and had 12 INs totalling £102.73 (and all were replacements)
And already in March I've got a couple of UU's to report:
Skin & Me Purifying Cleanser mini - didn't really like this but it did the job. Have replaced with a deluxe mini of Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
Biossance Copper Peptide Plumping Serum mini - I actually really liked this and felt that it did make a difference to my skin. It's expensive though so have gone back to my Vichy Mineral 89 serum.
Don't really have a PP list for the month but I think I might be able to make a bit of progress on reducing the stash down anyway. Currently sitting here with a hair mask on while I have a day WFH without any calls and think I'll be having a nice bath this evening to continue the pampering theme!
My PP list for 2023- picked 23 for 23, so 5 down already!
OSWLC 2023 Q1: 0/10
Throw away
OSWLC 2023 Q1: 0/10
Fashion on the Ration 28/66
SPC Member 046
£2. Challenge member 55
March PP List (more everyday stuff):
Medik8 Calmwise Serum
The Ordinary Niacinimide and Zinc
Ren Rose Shower Gel
Ren Rose Body Lotion
Aveda Nutriplenish Shampoo
Aveda Nutriplenish Conditioner
Aveda Nutriplenish leave-in Conditioner
Laura Mercier Handcream
Cerave Hydrating Cleanser
Odylique Conditioner
Spring List (more long-haul stuff):
The Inkey List PHA Toner
Espa Lip Balm
Chanel Coco Noir Perfume
Burts Bees Cherry Lipbalm
Phillip Kingsley Elasticiser
Living Proof Healthy Dry Shampoo
Drunk Elephant Juju Cleanser
Drunk Elephant Pekee Cleanser
Jo Malone English Pear and Freesia
Laura Mercier Handcream
I've ordered a "free" Hyaluronic face mask (only paid shipping) and placed a free Boots order with points. Have ordered ELF lipstick in colour Limitless which looks a good dupe for my beloved and much missed Bare Minerals Gen Nude lipstick in the colour Love and the ELF fruit acid toner to see how it compares to the M&S one.
SPC Member 046
£2. Challenge member 55