96.2025

Declutter time, part 4!

Knowing I had a couple full-size hair products arriving this week, and that I wanted a better idea of the random samples I had stashed away, I went through my hair product hoard.

I ended up decluttering approximately (I lost count near the end as I kept finding random ones) 35 items! Mostly deluxe sample size, although a few foils mixed in, and at least one full-size product that was ancient and if I hadn't used it the past decade, I never would.

Also resorted the shampoo/conditioner samples. I used to like saving those for travel, but I'm not doing that much these days, and if I'm going for an extended period of time, I'd rather take something I like in a larger bottle. So I will be working on going through those this year, likely in the week before I get my hair done (which is still an important cost for me, especially as I am in the interviewing phase and want to look as presentable as possible), since if it does something terrible, it will be fixed soon.

I also have a random collection of product that sounded nice, but I wasn't sure if I would ever actually use. I don't blow dry my hair very often (but maybe I will start doing it once again depending on the new job I get?). I'm still not sure I understand the Olaplex system but I have quite a few samples and want to check it out sometime. But if I don't use anything from that hair product bag by next year, I will toss all those out. That is also the same idea for the shampoo/conditioner samples. Now that I have a better idea of what I have, it's easier for me to know if it's been touched by next year.

January 2026 will be quite the reckoning for the sample products, since this is my year of "use it or lose it." If I haven't used up a sample or at least attempted to use a full-size product, then it doesn't need to keep space in my life.

But because of the financial uncertainty, I'm not willing to toss anything I might reasonably use until I'm quite definitely sure it's not something I will use.

My goal is to declutter obvious things, and try to organize the hoard so I know for the future what I love and what I haven't touched in a year.

I'm also trying to contain myself from bringing in new things. I'm really proud that I skipped a GWP on this order that is arriving this week. Yes, I got the bonus points, but there was also a 17-piece GWP I could have added on. But I didn't, because I realized I wouldn't use those products, they would just take up space, and I'd end up throwing them out in a couple of years. So the No Buy muscles are getting stronger, even when buying things.