So, I was in Poundland yesterday afternoon… I was TOTALLY on my way to DIOR (I wasn’t), I just got kinda bundled through the door (I didn’t)…. swept in on an errant wave of pedestrians if you will… (nuh uh).
Anyway… aside from the HIDEOUS Christmas musak that they were blaring at 140db and the one sales assistant that I couldn’t look at because she had a bogey on her cheek… I was kinda impressed!
I’ve decided to economise on some of the essentials in order to free up the cash for some guilt-free luxury purchases.
I need a list. Come on ladies, you’re savvy (if not always frugal), what are the things I can stop hammering my Boots Advantage card with? I know I love collecting the points (I’m at £70 this year *whoop!*)…. but, it’s not really the most economical way to shop is it? I’ve probably overspsent triple that in order to collect those points.
I’m not prepared to compromise on quality, because afterall… we’re talking the essentials here.
I don’t wanna swap my bath smellies for cheapies, ‘cos they’re exactly the kind of things I wanna luxe out on. Same goes for shampoos until I’ve pinned down exactly what irritates my scalp.
But what are the things I could pick up for pennies and not really notice any differences other than to my purse?
Edit: Just to clarify for my one ‘reader’ who got her rocks off on a bit of comment spite this afternoon… I don’t think I’m ‘above’ shopping in Poundaland… I am the pikey queen of discount Maryland cookies. So shut up and get a sense of humour. You’re in luck ‘cos they’re on 2 for 1 next to the Toffifee.
Great post, i agree you can get some fab basics in £1 land. I often buy, polish remover, cotton wool,deoderant hand soap from there.
Yeah!!! My polish remover from Poundland is the bomb… I bought back ups last time I was in there, huge bottles too aren’t they? x
Tonnes of crap!
I buy nearly all of my stuff like this from the poundshop so get ready..
-Nail polish remover
-Cotton wool pads
-Cotton wool balls
-Pore minimiser (only cos this is the only place that sells the one that works..Almay btw)
-Original Source shower gels
-Dove Soap
-Cotton buds
-All bathroom cleaner things i.e. bleach, Mr Muscle etc..
-Toothpaste
-Those smells things you put in rooms, I forget the name
-Bin bags (my one does really strong industrial ones)
-Not really toiletries but little baskets to store makeup in
My aunt loves Almay stuff and is well gutted it’s so hard to get hold of nowadays. I can never find cotton wool pads in mine, only those little balls that leave too much fluff behind.
Ok… I’m reading….
Soap, don’t really use… but handwash I’m totally gonna start getting in there. We pay a fortune for ‘cheap’ bin liners to fit our Brabantia in Sainsburys… right gonna check out the Poundland ones (this isn’t very beauty now LOL).
Great list, thanks R! x
As I understand it you can’t rely on them to stock any particular product. Sometimes they have it. Others they don’t.
I’ve only been in a coupla times. Someone else wanted to go – totally not my idea, OK???? But I don’t know that you can draw up a list and assume they’ll have whatever it is in stock.
Like I say – I WAS MADE TO GO IN *nose getting longer*
Bwuahahahaha, guilty pleasures like browsing through Poundland, 99p shop etc etc make my shopping days. I really feel like I’ve missed out on a gem if I don’t have a quick peek!
Last time I bought a book on Disney exherting it’s mighty corporate power over the small guy… haven’t read it yet… keep meaning to dig in.
My 99p shop is even better ‘cos stock is TOTALLY random. Not so good on the health/beauty things though 🙁
oh my god you have the same boots problem I do- i am at £72 as of yesterday and was explaining to my other half I actually think of it like osme kind of safety net or banked savings! SO i never spend them I just hoard them and in the mean time spend more on my products- oh dear!
xx
hahahaha… I think I’ve finally found what I’m gonna blow ’em on. The Chanel Winter stuff… I swatched today and oooh’ed and ahhh’ed. BUT my nearest Boots Chanel counter is like 30 miles away… will have to make a special trip!
Cotton wool, nail art stuff, chocolate 🙂
I’ve never seen nail art stuff…. oh god, don’t say the C word. (not talking about Cotton Wool!) x
When I go to the dollar store (same thing) I buy cotton pads and cleaning materials—the things I use to wash the house, like Comet (a powdered bleach/soap product for counters and the like), washrags and dishtowels, Awesome! (stain remover for fabrics), and Pine-Sol or some equivalent liquid cleaning agent.
You lot are all very clean!! It’s good not to have to spend loads on the boring stuff though right?
Oddly, went in Poundland for the first time in aaages last weekend and my friend was amazed at what you could get in there. Her and her bf are a bit uppity about anything that doesn’t come from Waitrose but I’m not so fussy! 🙂
What I think a lot of ppl don’t know is that they do plenty of branded stuff – Johnson’s cotton buds are a fab example. They also do Simple shower gels, Carex shower gel – which I love. Hand soap is a good one and also can save a fortune on household cleaning stuff in there! 🙂 xx
I swear it’s improved so much recently… I could have spent a small fortune. And oh my, so many nice yummy unhealthy things too!
Ohhhh, I remember, they had rechargeable batteries in there even! I spend a fortune on those for my camera normally… tempted, just hope it won’t fry it LOL
For body proucts I prefer Savers; it’s owned by Superdrug but even cheaper. Sometimes they have things in the old style of bottles for example but there is always good stuff in there. Also, they have things for under a pound 🙂
The major brands of deoderant just rotate between BOGOF. I’m not fussy but I like to know I’m using a good brand. Buy non-branded painkillers! I have a drawer I use just for “stock” in the bathroom; anything I usually use that is on half price or BOGOF or something I stock up on. I prefer to buy the things I like on offer than have to compromise.
I like Savers for baby things that Leila needs, ours is really small though and doesn’t have a huge amount of stock. Yeah, deodorant is a bit funny ‘cos of the whole white marks thing if you prefer roll-ons.
Great tips, thank you! x
Cotton wool, hand wash, basic shower gel, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, cotton buds…. I often buy shampoo and conditioner from there – my local one often has Neutrogena Deep Clean cleansing shampoo which I love, and I don’t object to buying Pantene with foreign text on it – it’s still Pantene!
Haven’t ventured into any products that actually stay on the skin though – no face creams, body moisturisers or make up.
On another note, I always buy Marmite from there. But I wouldn’t recommend smearing that on your chops (unless it slides off some toast by accident).
I think I read a scare story once about toothpaste from these discounters that came from Eastern Europe and had too much of some substance in them that made them um… kinda poisonous?
I dunno, it does concern me a bit… BUT that’s such a DAILY MAIL type story isn’t it? It’s probably not even true…
I would never buy Marmite. Not from there or anywhere else… LOVE Bovril though 😉 xx
I always get the cheap make-up remover wipes. I use them to clean my dressing table and products when I make a mess and to pre-clean my brushes as I use them.
I also purchased some false lashes…they were ok actually.
XXX
That’s a really good idea… I sometimes reach for one of my branded ones if I’ve spilt pigment or something but generally feel wasteful doing so. I’ll pick a pack up next time I’m in. Also tempted by the falsies… they’d be really good even just for practice wouldn’t they? x
I went in Lidl yesterday and they had cotton wool pads for 59p for 120, and also Simple cleansing wipes for £1.49.
Are the Lidl pads quite smooth? I hate fluffy cotton pads that leave bits on my nails, but get through so many that I’m always on the hunt for good cheap ones x
I used some yesterday to remove my (non glitter) nail polish and they did not fluff as they are sealed on the edges. They’re good for the price, quite soft and smooth although thinner then the Boots Botanics ones I usually use on my face. One side is a plain side and the other a wavy criss-cross textured pattern.
I bought these mostly to use with nail polish remover as I get through more as well.
I found my fave Veet profuct recently in a 99p store. I assume they’ve just discontinued the particular formula (everything I love gets discontinued) because usually the hair removal is in foreign packaging and I avoid it – but this was the same as I bought in boots a couple of months before. Am halfway through the tube now and so far my skin’s not fallen off…so looking like a good find.
Aww G, it’s always the way…. takes us an ages to settle on something that we adore and then the bastards pull it from the shelves.
I remember stocking up on some Johnsons moisturiser from the 99p shop that I fell in love with once it got discontinued. No shit, I bought 20 jars…. Decided I didn’t love it anymore about 5 days later *face palm*
Was using the stuff as body butter just to get rid!
I’m laughing at the thought of skin falling off… well, not in a mean leprosy kinda way.
Poundland is great for some items but I think people get carried away with the fact that everything is only a quid. For example cotton buds (and cotton wool in general actually) – the baby sections in stores are cheaper. A pack of 200 cotton buds sold in Boots (own brand) near the nail polish remover section are £1 but the ones found in the baby section are 50p. I know it’s not much of a difference but it’s exactly the same product!
I am a bargain hunter so here is a bit of a essay!
Poundland is amazing and not just for beauty products.
Good for branded household cleaning products such as Zoflora,Mr Muscle,Flash etc and for things such as cloths, kitchen roll and general kitchen utensils.
Beauty related items can be hit and miss, but they often have chapstick, neutogena, imperial lather,olay and nicky clarke branded goods.
They will sometimes have insane amounts of johnsons products at £1 purely because they were destined for the forgein market and the packaging isn’t in english. Also the best place to pick up toothpaste,tissues and general painkillers and cold medicines.
They £1 faslse lashes are actually not bad, same with cotton pads and the wipes you can find are great for removing swatches. They also do little packs of manicure strips for doing french style nails at home, which are great and just as good as the more expensive ones.
Totally understand about the advantage points – my Mum’s the same. She’s been collecting them since they came out and has about £400 worth – she’s always saying I should get something from Boots for my birthday (just so she can use her card). She should just spend them anyway! xx
I’m totally jealous of your Boots card:P I find that a lot of basics aren’t necessarily cheaper at Poundland. I also find things like Boots own brand toothpaste for sensitive teeth is exactly as effective as Sensodyne (I have v sensitive gums) and on their 3 for 2 offer it’s even cheaper. As for household cleaning products, Sainsbury’s own brand stuff is often just as good as branded and cheaper than a £1. I do like Poundland for the odd bits and bobs – oh and I buy lots of shoelaces from there. Huge pack for only a £1? I’m in! Esp since in this house shoelaces seem to be on a mission to drive us crazy.
I usually just go there to grab junk food. Hello multipack of monster munch!
I saw Riesen in there the other day. Remember them?
Also got a load of CD-Rs
My local poundland is great last time i was there i brought simple face wash and veet wax strips which usually cost me £5 + in Boots.
i buy from poundland they have some pretty funky fake lashes
Hahaha dying @ “bogey on her cheek”
I loooove Poundland and the 99p store. There are so many bargains to be found. My best ever find was a 400pack of kirby grips – score!
ooh and nose strips + veet wax