I was going to use the word “hoarder,” but it felt too serious for a lighthearted SQ. I decided to rephrase. As I discovered, various characteristics are attributed to this small furry creature and meanings of that comparison range widely (including quite cheesy pickup lines). I’m using it in a fun and lighthearted way to describe someone who keeps more than they need but isn’t truly excessive but in a sense of resourcefulness and foresight.
Saturday Question #241:
Are You A Squirrel?
First, let’s talk about perfumes. And to clarify further, we are not talking about the number of different perfumes in our collections (it is a collection after all). But what about different sizes, different concentrations, multiple “vintages” and backup bottles? Do you keep samples and decants even after you’ve gotten a bottle of that perfume? Do you have EdT, EdP and extrait of your favorite perfumes and then maybe a hair mist or a body lotion? If yes, do you wear all of these?
Switching the focus from perfumes, do you have a tendency to stash away acorns supplies for future use? Do you buy multiple items in advance when you get a good deal? Or do you live in the moment going by what you need now?
My Answer
Guilty. For perfumes I love, I want to have them in all possible versions and forms – sometimes even multiple bottles of the same size – and it’s tough for me to let go of a sample or decant, even if I already have a lifetime supply of that perfume. What if I need a smaller size to take with me? It’s irrational: not only can I always make myself a decant for traveling if I need to, but I also have no issues making a sample or a small decant from my bottle for someone else. But that first sample/decant that came before the bottle… Oh, and usually I wear only one of the versions I have – but I still want to have the rest. Just in case. Luckily, it’s just a handful of perfumes that make me feel this way.
With non-perfume stuff, I am awful: since I don’t like change, if something works for me – be it household items, supplies, beauty products or even clothes – I want to be able to use it… always. So, if there is a chance something will become unavailable, or if I find a good deal or a bulk purchase at a better per-unit price, my knee-jerk reaction is to buy and squirrel it away. I think I was always inclined to be over-prepared, but COVID has exacerbated it – not so much in terms of fearing unavailability, but rather to avoid being dependent on the external world or having to venture into it unless absolutely necessary.
This year “Black Friday month” is especially hard for me. I don’t think I’ve ever planned to or bought a big-ticket item during that traditional American pastime, so for years, I thought I was immune to it. But for the last 3 weeks, I’ve been bombarded with deals for the most mundane items – skincare, hair care, tea, socks, vitamins, cleaning supplies, etc., etc. And then, some non-recurring items are offered at a much better price than I saw them since I started watching them planning to buy eventually (for example, wine glasses I wanted to buy for a while). I can’t buy everything, even if it’s something I will use up (and eventually buy more): both my budget and storage space have limits I must respect. But psychologically, it bothers me that in six months, I might have to spend extra money on something I could have bought cheaper today – even if it’s just a $3-$5 difference.
How about you?
Undina's Looking Glass 
Oh my goodness – you are my twin! I can relate to everything you say, even to the effect that Covid lockdowns had on my need to buy spares of spares (not just of perfume but food items like tins of tomatoes). I have a fear of running out of things or of them going up in price, and I tell myself I am saving money when buying items when on special offer. I too have always sought every product in the range of perfumes I love (have you got the Ta’if hair mist??!!). All the cupboards are stuffed ……….
Squirrel Nutkin
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Hi twin! :)
I missed Ta’if Hair Mist: I wasn’t following closely even my favorite brands because of no-buy.
What “excuses” my approach (I mean, with non-perfume items): I do not waste what I buy (it doesn’t spoil) and, at the same time, I do not use it more just because I have more. So, I probably do save some money.
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Funny to read this, as I’m putting order in my own chaos.
I can relate to almost everything you and jilliecat have said, and Covid made it worse lol. I bought quite a few Annick Goutal fragrance once that line seemed to leave North America. And if I see something I consider wonderful on a discount site I’ll buy it, so I have a small stash of nice things for an emergency birthday/I appreciate you sort of occasion. The changes in the Serge Lutens line also sent me into over drive, so I have three bottles each of A La Nuit, Daim Blond, and Fille en Aiguilles. I’ve only used half a bottle of each in six years :) I bought a few Frederic Malle for the same reason-in case of reformulation, plus I found them at discount sites, plus their prices are not even aspirational for me-I just cannot pay 650$ CDN plus 15% tax for a bottle of something.
I live in a place where there’s not much to buy, so if I get to the city I tend to buy a lot-but it’s stuff I would have bought anyway, like nice cooking ingredients.
I’m definitely a squirrel :)
Slightly off topic: I picked up Christmas wreaths and greenery yesterday, and my truck smells so good. There’s a definite citrus aspect to some greenery.
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Yesterday at Costco, I spent a couple of minutes next to the container with wreaths – just smelling the air. I need to get some real branches (in addition to my beautiful but artificial tree) – just for the scent.
Most of the deals I find these days are online: I rarely go anywhere but grocery stores these days, and my weekly set of produce/products are usually not of the kind that would keep.
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I’m not really a squirrel in terms of perfume, I have a lot but not backups or other versions. I do keep decants but that’s mostly laziness, every now and then I pull everything out of my closet and try to purge that kind of thing. I do have backups of some skin care, purchased when it was on sale since I knew I will eventually use it. In the rest of my life I struggle to move things out that I’m no longer using, but working on it. Just yesterday I sold a couple of purses on a local FB group that have been gathering dust for years. And filled multiple bags of clothes for donation. Baby steps, I guess!
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My steps are even smaller! I slowed down with buying stuff (that I don’t really need), but I’m still having a hard time parting with what I have. Working on it.
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I guess I’m only part squirrel. I have every single sample I’ve ever purchased, or was given free of charge. I have them tucked away in ziplock bags, labeled alphabetically. Each of the samples are listed in a spreadsheet I keep on my computer for easy access and reference. If someone mentions a perfume in passing, or on one of my blog posts I’ve forgotten about, I check my spreadsheet to see if I have a sample. I started this practice because I was always sent free samples from Lucky Scent when I placed an order. Months later, I would place an order for a sample they sent me previously, simply because I forgot about having it already. Not only does the spreadsheet save time, but it also saves me money. I also try to use up samples when traveling. They’re easy to tuck away in your bag.
The only perfume bottles I have squirreled away are thing that are being discontinued that I couldn’t live without. There are very few of those.
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I’m almost like you with samples: I rarely part with them, and they all are cataloged in my database (including all occasions of testing). For a while, I considered it a library of what I previously tested. Now I think it doesn’t make much sense because I rarely (if ever) change my mind, so I don’t want to spend more time on testing them again. And especially since most of perfumes were probably reformulated compared to what I have in those samples.
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I have found that a few samples I revisited, within a reasonable amount of time, I changed my mind about in the end. Sometimes I think you need to revisit perfumes, giving yourself the opportunity to change your mind. Most of them, like yourself, I felt the same way I did initially about them. Why do I still have them? Good question.
When my blog PER FUMUS was first launched in 2009 on Blogger, I had a similar type of post to your SQ. It was called “Flac’s Fragen.” I would pose a question, and whoever guessed the question correctly received three free samples. This was a great way for me to liquidate my excessive sample collection. Perhaps it’s time for me to reinstate this practice.
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Sounds like a good idea.
My issue with offloading old samples is that many of them are tiny (I prefer it this way to wasting even more perfumes since I don’t wear perfumes I don’t get into my collection beyond testing), AND I would need to re-try them to make sure they didn’t go off – not to send someone a spoiled sample. I don’t want to test them again :) But I should try to move along some of the newer ones before they have the same fate as my 10+ years old “rejects.”
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I am a bit of a squirrel when it comes to some perfumed items and some household items. I just bought another container of the collagen supplement I like since it was 35% off for Black Friday. I don’t need it right now, but I’m not passing that up! I also buy things like canned tuna or my favorite gluten free bread in bulk when there is a good deal. I grew up 30 minutes from the nearest store of any kind so I’m always conscious of ‘being prepared’ for any situation. My husband laughs at me since we now live within 5 minutes of 3 different grocery stores, but old habits are hard to break!
I have backups for a couple of perfumes, but I forced myself to sell most of my backup bottles last year as I’m not getting any younger and if I’m not using much of a fragrance regularly then I don’t need a backup. I now only have backup bottles for McQueen’s My Queen since it is hard to find. I have a couple of fragrances with matching body lotions, Hermes Jour and Nicolai’s Fig Tea, but that is all. I have 3 Ormonde Jayne candles, but they don’t match any OJ scents that I own. I’m working on my squirrel tendencies with my fashion dolls. I’m proud of myself that I resisted buying any of the dolls from the recent Integrity Toys convention. They are nice, but I definitely do not need any more little plastic beings now.
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I don’t keep samples, though, unless it’s something I’m planning on possibly buying. Extra samples are sold on eBay or gifted to someone who might like them.
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Before Covid, we were buying groceries exactly for a week, and I never had anything in my freezer. During Covid we easily went two weeks on one grocery “run” (and no deliveries!). These days, since my MIL lives with us, we went back to once a week shopping trips, but now I know what will keep, what I can get a better result from if bought in bulk.
Not counting my absolute favorites (less than 10, I think), I don’t have backup bottles. But if I did, I wouldn’t be able to let them go :)
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Hi fellow squirrellers!
I have back ups of the older 50ml SLs, multiple varients of vintage Poison, Opium, Cristalle EdT & Diorella.
Covid saw me laying down stores of dried & tinned goods. Some of which we are still working our way through!
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We were trying to “rotate” Covid supplies opening older cans and boxes once we bought the next set. I need to revisit a couple of cupboards to make sure nothing gets spoiled.
Even though I have most of SL bottles that I wanted to, I regret not getting a couple of “maybe”s and backups when they started moving to the newest packaging. I don’t need them, but I wish I had them :)
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You already know my answer so I won’t repeat it. For perfumes, I’ve stopped buying back-ups and back-ups of back-ups; the only exception is if I see a different colored bottle of No.19. For health & beauty aids, I buy when the price is right although no more of the ones that get me a “free” beauty bag. As for shelf-stable groceries, the sky is the limit esp. if I know I can use it. Also, if I rarely go to a store I like (Trader Joe’s for example), I tend to stock up.
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If Chanel reissues No 5 in the red bottle, I’ll buy it in a heartbeat – even though I don’t like that perfume. And I’m still hopeful they would eventually do a green bottle for No 19!
GWPs are a bane for me! I swear they sometimes seem more appealing than actual products! :)
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Having been a rabid squirrel years I’m now focused on decumulation. Selling purses and perfumes is my goal for this winter. I’m not getting any younger and have almost completely lost interest in perfume.
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It is a little sad. But maybe, if you cull your collection, you’ll enjoy it more.
Do you have any new(er) hobbies that occupy your time these days?
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I am mostly reading and studying at the moment, so most of my purchases are books lately.
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For the most part, I’m an anti-squirrel, because clutter is my nemesis. However, I do like a good Black Friday deal or similar for things I know I’ll use. I’m just about out of certain skincare products I like so I’ll be looking for deals on those.
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”Black Friday” beauty offers in the last couple of years were great. I started even planning some recurring purchases around this time. The problem is: I find A LOT of good deals on the way. I must stay strong!
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Good luck!
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i only have a few backup bottles, because…discontinuation, reformulation etc. But there are just four of them, L Air de Rien, Aromatics Elixir, Theo Fennel Scent and funnily Agent Provocateur.
but we tend to buy lost of nonperishable food and could easily survive some months without buying something except vegetables
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When there were just two of us (and Rusty), we could have probably survived for 5-6 weeks (but I would have suffered without fruit and dairy). With the third adult in the household who can’t really plan for longer than a week (and limited by the size of the fridge), we returned to once a week shopping routine. But I still like having a lot of supplies.
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Yes, squirrel, hoarder, addicted to the purchase.
There are probably a few hundred bottles that could go but I’m crazy.
Portia xx
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It is fine – as long as you enjoy your collection (and can find things when you want to).
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Some days finding things is a drama but I love the collection
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I’m nowhere near the squirrel you seem to be in any sphere, haha, although I’m a demon at stocking up on kitchen roll.
Funnily enough Squirrel is my nickname, and I even have a Gmail account called “declutteringsquirrel”. ;)
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