stupid excesses

[Cehrabehra]

Do you have any ridiculously obsessive purchase habits?

Mine is air freshener. I love the stuff. I buy some almost every time I go to the store - or at least every time I see a new scent LOL I have probably 2 dozen of them and yet I buy more.... they''re cheap but they take up space... it''s ridiculous!! I love how they influence my mood though - I love going around and spraying the house and it just gives me such a lift LOL Different scents do different things and I love them all LOL Clean Linen.... Hawaiian tropics.... I even have ROSE!! And sometimes I spray it around in the dining room and put an old lace table cloth on and I feel like I''m living in an old lady''s house... I''m a total goof LOL

I also buy too much incense... sandalwood and patchouli remind me of the the haight in SF (dad lived there) and of my early childhood living in SF... love lotus and all of it.... coconut reminds me of being single in san jose and dating surfer boys over in santa cruz hehehe....

.... and after reading that perfume thread I''m going to push for some ridiculously expensive perfume for mother''s day hahaha - just gotta get down to saks and pick a few then send the dh down to choose the one he likes best...

Evidently I have a nose thing LOL Anyway, I was trying to shove my two newest bottles of air fluff on the shelf and they were falling off and I started to laugh and had to share my idiotic compulsion.... what''s yours??

 

[kcoursolle]

Green olives! I love them, love em, love em!! I can open a jar and eat half of it before I put it away. I''m seriously zaney about green olives. Fi has to take them away from me sometimes.

 

[Skippy123]

candles, especially pine tree scented ones. I also have bottles and bottles of Bath and Body works Lotion. My husband pointed out in our halll closet that I need to get rid of some. I try not to go into Bath and Body works because there is always buy 3 for $18 or something like that where I end up buying more then I use up

 

[starryeyed]

Socks and underwear. I''m always afraid that I''ll run out, so I tend to hoard. I''m silly.....

 

[Kaleigh]

Conditioner, buy bottles at a time. I am addicted to the Frederick Fekkai instant detangler, it''s hard to find. Another thing I do, is if I find a great pair of pants, I buy 2 pairs. Same thing goes for sweaters, especially cashmere.

 

[Mara]

i think michelle carmen had a similar topic to this about a year or so ago, like what do you have a ton of kinda thing...i think hers was face cream and face stuff.

mine is candles and soaps. i have a TON of them. i love yummy herb and plant and fruit smells so i always buy stuff like verbena or lemongrass candles or soaps, lavendar...today we were in this small cute boutiquey town and i came home with 2 new lemongrass soaps, lol. do i ever use them? no but they smell good. i might have to try to force myself to start using them or greg might just cut me off!

 

[diamondfan]

I have a toilet paper obsession, since it will get used and does not go bad, I always buy it when I am at the store. I could supply a large hotel at this point!

I also have tons of makeup and am always buying more. I literally have hundreds of lipsticks...drawers and cabinets full of stuff I can never possibly use up...

 

[isaku5]

Of course I do and my family is only too glad to keep reminding me. Mine is gorgeous paper table napkins. Every time there is an occasion ( any occasion will do), I buy more. As a result when I open that cupboard, they fall out much to DH''s disgust. Does that stop me from buying more??? Noooo. I just put them in a different spot.

When we are invited to dinner at DD''s or DIL''s place, they use only linen napkins. Showoffs!!!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 1/27/2007 7:08:01 PM
Author: diamondfan
I have a toilet paper obsession, since it will get used and does not go bad, I always buy it when I am at the store. I could supply a large hotel at this point!

I also have tons of makeup and am always buying more. I literally have hundreds of lipsticks...drawers and cabinets full of stuff I can never possibly use up...

I thought my obsession with lotions was funny! Yours it too funny!!! I guess you will never run out and not know what to do. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mara]

DF can you send us some of your TP? i am a TP whore...i freely admit it and we go through like a 10 roll pack almost per week for just 2 of us. i''m insane about using it, it''s such a joke amongst people who know me or have traveled with me or whatever.

anyway....it drives greg nuts because i am always buying it or we are always running out (and i ask him to get more on his way home etc). if we could just get a big TP delivery on a pallet like once a month we''d probably both be happy. he says i should buy stock in the TP company, lol!

 

[KimberlyH]

Mine was athletic socks, but DH put an end to it. I had two drawers full of them, totally mistmatched. He came in one day, threw them all away and replaced them with two 10 packs of the exact same kind of sock except 10 are ankle and 10 are the kind you scrunch, so that I have my choice.

 

[diamondfan]

Mara, I have a cabinet in the room where our toilet is in our master. It has bath stuff in it, and tp. My hubby took out like 30 rolls and stacked them on top of the toilet, and showed me there was still like 30 rolls still in the cabinet!!! He was hysterical. He said we need not ever worry about running out, and could we please not have 5 12 packs in our cabinet?!

I used to do this with catsup and mustard and bbq sauce. We use a lot and I would never be sure when I was at the store if we were low, so instead of calling home and asking my nanny to check I would just buy more. I have a list on the counter and when we are low someone is supposed to write it down, but if my kids use some of the last they never keep track.. but again, it does not really go bad, so I just rotate the bottles and keep on going!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 1/27/2007 7:20:59 PM
Author: Mara
DF can you send us some of your TP? i am a TP whore...i freely admit it and we go through like a 10 roll pack almost per week for just 2 of us. i''m insane about using it, it''s such a joke amongst people who know me or have traveled with me or whatever.

anyway....it drives greg nuts because i am always buying it or we are always running out (and i ask him to get more on his way home etc). if we could just get a big TP delivery on a pallet like once a month we''d probably both be happy. he says i should buy stock in the TP company, lol!

That is what Costco is for

hee heee.

 

[ladykemma]

fabric junkie here - i have a room full. so do all my friends in the sca. i tell people to come to my house before they start a sewing project to see if what they need is here.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Isabel--I laughed b/c this is like my MOm--cupboards full of fancy paper napkins and wax tapers....something for every occasion

LadyK--again like my Mom--who sews/quilts, and knits--has her storeroom full of fabric and yarn. She couldn''t find tinsel for her XMas tree this year for the "supplies"...

Myself, I seem to have an abundance of hand cream...several tubes and jars in every drawer and bedroom, and a never ending supply of Ombre bubble bath.....

cheers--Sharon

 

[ForteKitty]

When I was in high school, it was Barbies. Not the cheapo ones, but the collector ones. Porcelain, designer gowns, you name it... i have HUNDREDS! and now they''re all in boxes in the garage (and taking up half the garage) because i have no place to put them. I should sell it on eBay.

During college, it was shampoo, conditioner, bubble bath, and body lotion. My friends loved to stay over because they can try out my buffet of bath stuff. oh yea, and the big disney snowglobes. I have about 30 of those too. and signed Disney sericels. (i worked at disney part time.. thank goodness for discounts!

Now, i don''t have any habits. it''s so hard not to buy lotions, but i''ve managed. and i don''t step into any stores unless absolutely necessary.

 

[WTNLVR]

I hoard all the soaps and shampoo bottles we get at hotels. I have a drawer overflowing with them. Some of them are from years ago. I almost never use them, but they stay in the drawer. I think I have about 10 shower caps. Can''t remember the last time I ever used one! I really should go through that drawer tomorrow and toss everything. It''s not like shampoo/soap is expensive! I''m laughing now that I actually am thinking about it.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 1/27/2007 9:45:17 PM
Author: WTNLVR
I hoard all the soaps and shampoo bottles we get at hotels. I have a drawer overflowing with them. Some of them are from years ago. I almost never use them, but they stay in the drawer. I think I have about 10 shower caps. Can''t remember the last time I ever used one! I really should go through that drawer tomorrow and toss everything. It''s not like shampoo/soap is expensive! I''m laughing now that I actually am thinking about it.

My hubby does that too, he travels a lot. Have to say I love those little sewing kits he brings back.

I use those. But the shampoo, I never use as I like my own brand... I toss them when he isn''t around. Otherwise we''d have tons of them lying around, ughhh.

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 1/27/2007 9:53:26 PM
Author: Kaleigh

Date: 1/27/2007 9:45:17 PM
Author: WTNLVR
I hoard all the soaps and shampoo bottles we get at hotels. I have a drawer overflowing with them. Some of them are from years ago. I almost never use them, but they stay in the drawer. I think I have about 10 shower caps. Can't remember the last time I ever used one! I really should go through that drawer tomorrow and toss everything. It's not like shampoo/soap is expensive! I'm laughing now that I actually am thinking about it.

My hubby does that too, he travels a lot. Have to say I love those little sewing kits he brings back.

I use those. But the shampoo, I never use as I like my own brand... I toss them when he isn't around. Otherwise we'd have tons of them lying around, ughhh.

Oh my goodness, that reminded me of some friends we use to have. They lived in this big beautiful house and we went out to visit them in another state and i completely forgot my shampoo. It was so funny because they opened up a cabinet with 1000's of tiny shampoo's and conditioners and said pick one. I asked why they had so many shampoos and conditioners and they told me that since they travel they just bring them home and use them. I was shocked because some of those shampoos do not work well with my hair. She was also PROUD that they never buy shampoo.

Kaleigh, I am with you on the sewing kits!!!

Maybe that is why our friends can afford their beautiful house; they saved money on shampoo and conditioner.

Just Kidding.

 

[butterfly 17]

I am obsessed with hand lotions, especially as a nurse I am constantly washing and my hands get really dry and flaky from the soap we use.

I am constantly perusing the drug store for a new one and I think everytime I go in the drug store, I leave with a new one to try.

I don''t have any favorites, I try about anything that looks and smells good.

Everyone at work knows that if they need lotion, just come to me. There are bottles laying around the unit with my name on it that I completely forget I even bought. My locker has at least 10 different bottles of lotion that I can choose from to use for the night.

 

[Mannequin]

I buy way too many bags of Twizzlers.

As a teacher, I have to admit that I have way too many stamps and stickers. I buy self-inking stamps with positive sayings and such for use with the papers my students turn in, and I also buy lots of fun stickers to put on their work too. I have a tri-level Snaplock case FULL of this stuff on my desk at school.

 

[Catmom]

Date: 1/27/2007 8:30:09 PM
Author: ladykemma
fabric junkie here - i have a room full. so do all my friends in the sca. i tell people to come to my house before they start a sewing project to see if what they need is here.

I do too!!!!! Especially Christmas fabric. It got so bad my husband made me quit my fabric-of-the-month club.

And when I have a new quilt project what do I do? Go out and buy more fabric of course!

ETA: Of course I could say my jewelry buying habits are just as bad!

 

[musey]

Concealer--I think "ooh maybe THIS one will be the perfect color!" Of course, all that could be spared by my actually trying the colors in sephora but I have a phobia of there being a bunch of bacteria in the testers...

Oh and also body wash. I have tons of bottles with 3/4 of the stuff still in 'em, 10 or 11 easy. Aveeno, philosophy, DIAL even--but my favorite are the grins&giggles for babies (heehee)... I keep thinking it'll all get used eventually, but now I'm not so sure!

Chapsticks, too! Burts bees, einstein and smith's are my favorites!! I'm the go-to girl for people who have forgotten chapstick, I always have it, there's at least one just sitting in all of my bags!

 

[AGSHF]

Funny excesses. I have a few myself: scented soaps, if I find one I like, I''m liable to buy out the store''s supply because I''m afraid it will be discontinued; then I''m reluctant to use it often because I''m afraid I''ll run out. And then there''s the matching hangers -- when we built our house, I decided to color-coordinate all of our hangers so that our new closets would look neat. Then I thought, I better get enough hangers of each make and color so that if our wardrobes keep expanding, I wouldn''t run out of the matching hangers. I was buying cartloads of hangers daily. I love tailored white cotton shirts -- I shop for them endlessly and cannot resist buying more. I probably have over 40 white cotton shirts, all hanging on matching hangers .

A quick note for those of you with the travel/hotel shampoo collections. I accumulated quite a stash myself when I travelled for business. Whenever I got a large batch, I would donate them to homeless shelters, etc. Just this past Holiday season, a homeless shelter in our community for students listed the need for personal care items, so please donate them rather than throwing them out; they are usually welcome in these facilities.

 

[diamondfan]

I am also the lip balm queen, I have a huge drawer full of them, from the cheapest to the most expensive, sometimes I want more scent and other times I just want really hydrating, no smell, and I carry one with me all the time. I have some favorites from the drug store and from the department stores, but if I get one and it has an odd taste or smell I toss it since I know I won''t use it!

 

[FacetFire]

Dog toys, dog collars, and dog treats for my pups. Everytime I set foot in a petstore, I have to get them something. They have a huge toychest just filled to the brim with toys. And they probably have more collars than I have jewelry...though its a much cheaper habit. Honestly, FI gets on my case about it, so I''ve cut back...a little. Hehe. Can you imagine when we have kids?

 

[Lorelei]

shimmering body lotions.....

 

[ljmorgan]

My latest thing... spices! Ever since I discovered Penzeys spices! I frequent the Cooks Illustrated web forums and all of their serious cooks kept raving about spices. I learned that most spices only keep their good flavor for 6 months (oops, most of mine were 2 years old.) So I placed an order, and now I am addcted! I''ve since places 2 more orders... all in January!

Here''s what I have bought:

Garlic Salt 3.3 oz. jar
Powdered China #1 Ginger .9 oz. jar
Northwoods Fire Seasoning 1.0 oz. jar
Hungarian Sweet Kulonleges Paprika 2.4 oz. jar
Sandwich Sprinkle 1.2 oz. jar
4S Special Seasoned Sea Salt 8.0 oz. jar
Adobo Seasoning 1.2 oz. jar
Allspice Ground 2 oz. jar
Chinese Cassia Cinnamon Ground 1.7 oz. jar
Cumin Ground 2.2 oz. jar
Herbes De Provence .8 oz. jar
Mural of Flavor 1.3 oz. jar
Kosher Style Flake Salt 1 lb. bag
Rosemary Cracked 1.2 oz. jar
Black Pepper Coarse 4 oz. bag
Barbecue Of The Americas 4 oz. bag
Bay Leaf Whole 1/2 oz. bag
Cajun Very Hot Seasoning 2.6 oz. jar
Cayenne Red Pepper Powder 1.0 oz. jar
Garlic Powder Granulated 2.9 oz. jar
Lemon Grass 0.5 oz. jar
Pizza Seasoning 1.2 oz. jar
Sunny Spain Seasoning 1.2 oz. jar
Tandoori Seasoning .9 oz. jar
Oregano Broken Leaf Turkish .5 oz. jar
Garden Salad Seasoning 3.2 oz. jar
Raspberry Enlightenment 9.8 oz. jar

One thing I have to say is I rarely buy spice blends because well... I can do that myself. But some of Penzeys blends are so amazing! The blends taste so professional, their pasta sprinkle tastes like a restaurant blend that is great. The sandwich sprinkle is divine on everything, and can be used to make croutons (fry up cubes of french bread in olive oil, sprinkle with sandwich sprinkle and garlic salt.) The garlic salt is the best I''ve had, as is everything else I''ve tried so far. Marc and I are such spice whores.. we use spices all of the time, and there really IS a difference with the Penzeys spices. We always joke that my mother didn''t know paprika HAD a taste, that it was for color (her old bottle must have been 4-6 years old.) This month I ordered a ton of spices for her too, because I think they''re so wonderful. OK, that''s my plug for the week!

 

[lumpkin]

I can''t pass up an art supply store. I love to be creative and especially if there''s a sale, I''ll buy a bunch of stuff. One year they had Prismacolor pencils on sale and I bought a bunch of those.

Stuff I''ve gotten but never used (but I will SOMEtime): A hand made paper making kit; kid''s face painting kit; professional markers for illustrating; small drafting table, Speedball ink and pens and nibs for calligraphy; all kinds of stuff for scapbooking; card making kits; beads and jewelry findings (I actually do use these a lot -- I make a lot of jewelry); acrylic paints and plaster churches, buildings and things for Christmas decorating; etc. I could go on and on. My dining room table is covered with supplies and I am trying to get them organized. It''s gotten out of hand and it''s a bit overwhelming.

 

[Molly1024]

Lipgloss. It is ridiculous- I''m always on the quest for that perfect shade. The other night my friend counted 10 (ten!) lipglosses in my purse alone. I have a ton more at home- I can''t help it. My mom doesn''t help either; she''ll get a bunch on sale or as a free gift and send them to me. I don''t even use half of them but once in a while I''ll dig out an old one and use it for a couple days. I must have at least 30, but probably more. My DH thinks I''m silly for carting around ten or more at a time, but that''s not my plan! I''ll throw one in there for the night and never take it out. But I always resort to my colorless, tasteless, plain old Rosebud Lip Salve- figures.