Operation: Use it up

I may or may not have minor tendencies toward hoarding collecting things. Most particularly, samples. Some of the samples I’ve amassed include shampoo and conditioner, body wash, deodorant, lotion, makeup and perfume. I have good intentions to use them when I travel but somehow forget to use them when I actually do travel. Or I don’t want to be stuck out of town and get a rash or have some kind of reaction to a new product.

In addition to not using samples, I love to use new stuff. So if I get a new shampoo, conditioner or body wash, I’ll open it up and start using it before I’ve used up the 1/4 full bottle already in the shower. And lets not talk about new mascara. Without getting up and physically counting, I’d guess I’ve got at least 7 mascaras open and currently being used in rotation. (Ok, because I love you and was curious, here is my collection.)

But this year, I’ve been challenging myself to use stuff up before I open a new bottle or buy something new. And now that we’ve decided to move to a new apartment, this challenge seems even more timely. So how have I been doing so far?

I have used:

• 3 sample body washes
• one sample shampoo and conditioner packet
• the last of a body scrub that has been taking up space in the shower for almost a year
• the last of a bottle of t-gel shampoo

I’m getting close to finishing:

• two bottles of shampoo
• a bottle of conditioner
• a bottle of face scrub
• a couple of perfume samples

I tossed:

• a half bottle of mens body wash that Taylor hated to use

I intend to give away:

• a bottle of body wash I got for free, but hate the way it smells
• two unopened deodorants that I got on sale, also don’t like the way they smell

I’m not even making any progress/I still have a problem with the makeup.

• I haven’t bought anything new in a couple of weeks, but it’ll take a long time for the stash to go down. I even have a few things that are new and unopened.
• I have more than 5 mostly used powder compacts that I could toss, but probably have a couple of days of use in each of them.
• I’m mostly ok with my makeup levels, because I know other people who have more (names will not be used here to protect the innocent)
• It’s no secret to people who know me in real life that my lip product collection is very impressive and I can’t think of any way to reduce it (nor am I really interested in reducing it). Here is sample collected from a 1 minute sweep of my purse and apartment…

So yes, that is 20 items. And NO it doesn’t include at least 5 more unopened products and the 4 products that sit on my desk at work. I have a few next to my bed, a couple in my purse, some on the coffee table, a few more with my makeup stash, a few on my desk…there are plenty of places to keep my lip product inventory.

Want a recommendation on what to buy?

• Lip Balm: Burt’s Bees regular Beeswax Lip Balm. Don’t buy any of the honey or pomegranate crap. Trust me.
• Lip Gloss: Sephora Collection Super Shimmer Lip Gloss

Ok, so where was I before I got distracted by the lip products.

Ah yes…

The challenge also applies to the kitchen cabinets, fridge and freezer. So far we’re doing pretty respectably. We have bought a few things here and there, but they are things that get used up quickly (ground turkey, chicken). In the next few weeks, so we don’t have to move so much food, we’ll eat the most of the vegetables (large bag of broccoli, snap peas, zucchini, yellow squash) and meat (chicken, tilapia, trout, shrimp) and the other  miscellaneous items (black bean burgers, fruit, frozen lasagna, chili).

I’ve also tossed a few things from the pantry that were out of date by more than a year. Or two. Or (embarrassingly) three.

It does feel good to use what we’ve got, and definitely saves on the grocery bills.

Anyone out there have some of my same tendencies?? Have you embraced them (makeup! lip balm!) or tried to be more aware and use things up?

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