I had a milestone birthday this week, in the aftermath of a huge snowstorm. I spent the first day in my 60's stuck inside the house. CR managed to get out for a physical therapy appointment and brought home a gas station Little Debbie cake for a mini celebration. We will have a better observation of the date when there isn't a foot of snow out our door!
Turning 60 might be a daunting thought to younger women. Honestly, I've never been intimidated by the idea of aging, possibly because I watched the generations of women before me, in my family, do it so well. I also have followed in their footsteps when it comes to caring more about my health than trying to measure up to society's beauty standards (minus my teen years in the '80's, a topic for a different post!) Although I don't put much stock ($) in products made just to enhance my appearance, I do try to buy quality items for my family's health and to get the best bang for my buck in that area.
Here are my
5 Tips to Save Money in the Health and Beauty Section
1. Know how much of an item you need for a year's worth of consumption.
Just like food, some health and beauty items contain ingredients that go rancid. Stocking up on them seems like a good idea until you open one and find it has gone bad. That investment has now turned into a loss. I like to start purchasing every new product in a subscription-based program (Amazon Prime, for example) so I get the reduced rate while I'm figuring out how much I really use in a year.
2. Keep track of the cost of each product in a list or cell phone notepad.
Comparison shopping gets trickier every day. The stores have found a way to list their items in ways that make it hard to actually compare, without doing some calculator gymnastics. One of their sneaky tricks is to change the unit of measurement types. They hope we won't take the time to figure out the difference between the cost per ounce on one product versus the cost per pound on another. Different quantities in similar products can also throw you off. (Just because the package size is similar, that doesn't mean they contain the same amount of product.) This is especially true if you're shopping in person. Nobody wants to be THAT shopper who hogs the aisle while doing ALL THE MATH. By taking the time before you shop to note the price in different units, you can make an informed decision.
3. Buy in bulk.
Once you've had an item on subscription long enough to know how much you need, start watching for opportunities to stock up on it. For example, if you know you take 1 vitamin per day, you need 365 for the year. Look online and in warehouse clubs (Sam's, Costco, ...) for bigger bottles and multi-packs. Just check the expiration date on those things that can go bad. If you have the willpower to not buy things you don't need, rewards apps (Fetch, Ibotta, ...) are also good ways to find deals. I use my rewards points to buy Amazon gift cards that pay for the lower-priced items available there.
4. Take advantage of seasonal prices.
Have you ever noticed the huge center aisle full of sunscreen in the summertime? What do they do with all of it once beach season is over? It gets relegated to one tiny section of a shelf. Hit that aisle near the end of the season, check the expiration dates, and pick up exactly how much you used that summer. What about all those gift boxes of soap, toothpaste/brushes, and shaving kits at Christmastime? Start checking out the clearance aisles right after the holiday and stock up on the scents you love. The end of winter might be the best time to get lotions and lip butters. Usually, a month or two after something goes out of season, you can get a really good deal on it at a store that specializes in close-outs (Ollies, Big Lots, ...)
5. Dedicate a space in your home for extras
You really don't save money if you have to buy something twice because you forgot where you put the first one. On top of that, there is a real risk of "savings burnout" if things are piling up in a way that feels disorganized or messy. If you have a place to put all the extras of an item so you know exactly where to find the replacement when you empty it, you will be more likely to continue trying to be frugal with your supplies.
Bonus Tip
6. Make your own
While I was trying to avoid cabin fever this week, I whipped up some coconut oil.
Wintertime equals dry skin here. Coconut oil is great to use after a shower to help my skin seal in the moisture and not dry out. I also like to apply a tiny bit to my hair when it's damp. Whipping the oil helps to keep it from being hard to scoop out. I use coconut oil year-round. For my summer skin routine, check out this post.
