Leta
Lovin' The Homestead
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- May 19, 2011
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I started couponing earlier this year, and have realized very significant savings. However, my fantasy is to not have to shop for non-food items, like, ever again, and to just order everything online and have it delivered to my door. Especially since couponing almost always involves a pretty significant amount of driving, and many of us here live in rural and/or remote areas, I was thinking of this thread being a place where we can discuss cost effective mail order options, as a way to save time shopping and money in gas. Sadly, I have not found alice.com, soap.com, or drugstore.com to be cost effective.
Razors: Dollar Shave Club
These are Gillette Sensor-type cartridges, but they are marketed under the "Ninja" brand name and manufactured by Schick. You get the handle and 125 cartridges for $30, postage paid, so 25c per cartridge, versus $2.50 (retail) per cartridge for Mach3, ProGlide, or Venus.
Another good way to go is to get on eBay and buy an old fashioned DE safety razor. The going rate is about $10. DE razor blades can also be had on eBay. They cost about 10c per blade.
Towels and Robes: Cotton Age
I like the waffle weave stuff, because it dries FAST. This is the type of fabric used throughout much of Europe where dryers are uncommon. I have moved our household to all waffle weave or floursack towels, in white, because they clean up nicely, are very absorbent, and dry in a wink. Next I need to get all white sheets, but that's looking to be $$$ unless someone knows of a great source.
Toothbrushes and Floss: American Dental
Despite the repeated insistence among couponing communities that you need never pay for toothbrushes again, I have not found this to be true. Even with coupons, I typically spend 25c-50c per toothbrush. That's a heckuva lot better than $3, don't get me wrong, but still is not free. We go thru 20 toothbrushes per year (5 people x 4 brushes/yr = 20), more if someone's been sick. I also like having extras around for visitors. So the package of 72 toothbrushes is about a 3 year supply for us, and, at 37c per brush, is like getting the after-coupon price without buying coupons online/buying the paper or any driving around.
Their deals on floss aren't quite as good, but still nothing to sneeze at. Each small floss costs about a quarter. Now, I have been making money on floss at WalMart- $1 off 1 Reach Floss, regular Reach Floss everyday price at WalMart is 88c, so I've been making 12c per floss. But I have to buy the coupons (typically $3 for 10 on eBay) and drive 30 miles round trip to go to Wallworld, which costs me about $4 in gas. So $3 for Qs + $4 in gas = $7 - $1.20 in coupon overage = $5.80 out of pocket. The true price of my "free" Reach floss is about 58c/package, versus 25c/package at American Dental. (Yes, I know that's assuming I make a special trip to WM, which I try not to do, and I do combine errands, but my point is that there is an invisible "gas tax" for most brick-and-mortar shopping.)
I make tooth powder, so I don't buy toothpaste. Also, if you use one of those Reach Action Flossers, STOP BUYING REFILLS and get one of these instead.
That's all I got. I'd love to hear where others order from.
Razors: Dollar Shave Club
These are Gillette Sensor-type cartridges, but they are marketed under the "Ninja" brand name and manufactured by Schick. You get the handle and 125 cartridges for $30, postage paid, so 25c per cartridge, versus $2.50 (retail) per cartridge for Mach3, ProGlide, or Venus.
Another good way to go is to get on eBay and buy an old fashioned DE safety razor. The going rate is about $10. DE razor blades can also be had on eBay. They cost about 10c per blade.
Towels and Robes: Cotton Age
I like the waffle weave stuff, because it dries FAST. This is the type of fabric used throughout much of Europe where dryers are uncommon. I have moved our household to all waffle weave or floursack towels, in white, because they clean up nicely, are very absorbent, and dry in a wink. Next I need to get all white sheets, but that's looking to be $$$ unless someone knows of a great source.
Toothbrushes and Floss: American Dental
Despite the repeated insistence among couponing communities that you need never pay for toothbrushes again, I have not found this to be true. Even with coupons, I typically spend 25c-50c per toothbrush. That's a heckuva lot better than $3, don't get me wrong, but still is not free. We go thru 20 toothbrushes per year (5 people x 4 brushes/yr = 20), more if someone's been sick. I also like having extras around for visitors. So the package of 72 toothbrushes is about a 3 year supply for us, and, at 37c per brush, is like getting the after-coupon price without buying coupons online/buying the paper or any driving around.
Their deals on floss aren't quite as good, but still nothing to sneeze at. Each small floss costs about a quarter. Now, I have been making money on floss at WalMart- $1 off 1 Reach Floss, regular Reach Floss everyday price at WalMart is 88c, so I've been making 12c per floss. But I have to buy the coupons (typically $3 for 10 on eBay) and drive 30 miles round trip to go to Wallworld, which costs me about $4 in gas. So $3 for Qs + $4 in gas = $7 - $1.20 in coupon overage = $5.80 out of pocket. The true price of my "free" Reach floss is about 58c/package, versus 25c/package at American Dental. (Yes, I know that's assuming I make a special trip to WM, which I try not to do, and I do combine errands, but my point is that there is an invisible "gas tax" for most brick-and-mortar shopping.)
I make tooth powder, so I don't buy toothpaste. Also, if you use one of those Reach Action Flossers, STOP BUYING REFILLS and get one of these instead.
That's all I got. I'd love to hear where others order from.
