sstevo19
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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:
Quick links
Essential Money | Who & Where are you? | Work & Benefits | Household and travel | Shopping & Freebies | About MSE | The MoneySavers Arms | Covid-19 & Coronavirus Support
Replies
Back in again for June. Many of these are carried forward from May with a couple of additions.
My PP list:
Nuxe night cream
Beauty Pie Retinol Night Cream
Beauty Pie Retinol Serum
Burts Bees Lip Balm
Chanel Body lotion
Aveda Cherry Almond Shampoo
Stratia Liquid Gold Moisturiser
Eve Lom Cleanser
Ren Evercalm Cleanser
Lanolips Hand Creme
Tata Harper Face Oil
My Summer list:
Beauty Pie Retinol Hand Cream
My project plan list
1. clarins hydraquench moisture mask - carried over from may
2. Moo goo evening primrose oil - carried over from may
3. bioderma micelluar water
4. crabtree and evelyn body lotion
5. Estee Lauder Bronzer
7. Mitchem roll on deodourant
I used up loads in may so I think that there will be less used up this month. As long as I keep wearing make up daily- I will be making progress.
Philosophy Melon Daquiri Shower Gel 100ml
Body moisturiser
Hair conditioner/hair masks
Foot cream
Nail polish
Hair serum/oil
Makeup (except maybe foundation)
Perfume
Bubble Bath
(as yet nothing from the above list purchased)
Shampoo bar - almost running out of these so will visit Yorkshire Soap Co shop when they reopen.
Cleanser - have purchased a balm from Blushberry Botanicals
Facial Oil - have one in use and one back up
Curl cream - bought a can of hair mousse to try
Deodorant - have purchased a natural handmade one from Blushberry Botanicals
Hand cream - will be buying ingredients to make my own
Fashion on the Ration 28/66
Fashion on the Ration 28/66
12k savings 2021 £ 1,127.68 /£15000 # 25
Mortgage deposit £6,385 / £20,000 target
Target date to buy: June 2022
Countdown: 16 months @£ 850
Fees etc £453.83 / £5000 target
Debt : £1,037.35 Credit Card
SPC Member 046
£2. Challenge member 55
I've only ever had one and whilst I liked it I didn't think it was worth the price tag, the Rimmel and L'oreal ones are just as good. In fact if I remember I had an Avon lipstick which was almost identical to the MAC one and just as good. The single eyeshadows are nice enough but again they are so hyped and other brands are way better imo.
Fashion on the Ration 28/66
I used uo a exfoliant with aloe vera.
Dermalogica PreCleanse 30ml
La Roche Posay Lipikar Surgras Lipid Enriched Cleansing Bar 150g
Soltan Protect & Moisturise Active Suncare Stick SPF30 5g
Soltan Protect & Moisturise Lotion SPF50+ 200ml
Soltan Protect & Moisturise Spray SPF50+ 50ml
One UU already:
La Roche Posay Hydreane Legere Moisturiser 40ml - WDBA and have done. My HG moisturiser. Love how light it is but I'm hesitant to try different moisturisers because these seems to be the only one that doesn't break me out.
PP June
Inecto Naturals Super Moisturising Coconut Conditioner
Original Source Shower Gel - Sweet apple and almond
Elemis superfood facial wash
Green People Fruitful Nights Night Cream
7 by Summer
1. Plantur 39 Conditioner - UU
2. Yorkshire Soap Co Botanicals soap - UU
3. Superdrug suncream pouch - UU
4. LUSH Snowflake Body Lotion - need to make a point of using this more
5. Phytema Active Lotion against hair loss - think I am roughly halfway through this which I am pleased with, would love to get out of my collection by end of summer.
6. The Ordinary 100% Plant Derived Hemi-Squaline had to TA
7. Mroobest anti-hair loss Shampoo - will prob finish in June
#11 3-6 month Emergency Fund - £6,000.00/£6,000.00