Some are not worth buying 12 times a year. Garbage bag. battery. tape. I always forget what I need until it’s too late, and I desperately pay the full amount. Correction? Please purchase once. When they’re cheap. And hide them in places you will not forget.
This is something I stock up once a year and I barely think about it until the next transaction rolls around. It’s not appealing. But it works.
Garbage bag
Garbage bags are boring, but oddly expensive. If you’re buying a 20 pack at a grocery store for $7, it’s fleece.
Like Amazon’s house brand Solimo and Presto! Always run solid promotions throughout the year. I grabbed a box for a 90 count for under $12 last year’s Prime Day, but haven’t opened my second roll yet.
Set up Amazon Price alerts at keepa.com About $10 for a 90 pack. If it soaks underneath, grab it. Store it under the sink in your garage anywhere. You forget it until you feel like a genius a few months later.
Pro Tip: Create a “Buy Every Year” reminder list
Do you know what actually changed my life in the stupidest way possible? I said, “I’m bored and buy some crap,” and set a reminder for one call a year.
Garbage bags, batteries, tape, hair dryer sheet. I always forget until it’s too late. Two packs of scotch tape are enraged for $7.
Now I got a reminder in August, do one angry Amazon session and don’t think about it again until next year. That’s not clever, it’s just that I admit that I’m finally forgotten and lazy.
Ziploc bag
Ziploc bags are not sold frequently, But the season to return to school It’s a sweet spot.
The multi-sized combo pack gets a big markdown as the store knows the parents are packing lunch again. I put snack bags, sandwich bags and freezer gallons all in one box. If you’ve ever packed snacks for a road trip and noticed you haven’t gotten out of the bag, this is for you.
Pro Tips: Know the right month to buy
Late July to early September It’s a window. Stack sales at Target or Walgreens with digital coupons and gift card promotions. Or go to Sam or Costco and grab a cheap 4-in-1 pack.
spices
Buying spices from a regular grocery store is like donating to Whole Foods. I’m paying $6 for 2 tablespoons of garlic powder.
But if you reach Aldi or International Grocery Store Once a year, all staples such as cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano can be prepared in dollars. I get a big bag for $1.29 all year round.
Transfer them to an old spice jar with labels and toss the rest in the freezer to keep them fresh. They last much longer than you think.
Pro Tip: Hack your subscription and save system
Amazon Subscribe & Save It’s a scam unless you use it like a petty criminal. Add things, receive discounts, Then cancel immediately And I don’t feel guilty at all. I do this all the time with a dishwasher pod and poop bag.
Amazon sells and receives 15% off. And the automatic delivery of hair dryer sheets that will be released in May will not appear like a sad surprise party.
See: 26 household staples and foods that go against expiration date
Drying sheet
Unless you do eight washes a day, a huge box of dryer sheets can easily last for a year.
Costco Kirkland Brand Box It runs about $10 on 250 or more sheets in the size of a cereal box. Forget what the inside of the laundry aisle looks like.
Check out Costco’s monthly coupon book for occasional $2-3 promotions. 1 box = 1 year. end.
battery
You don’t need a battery until you really need it, like when your child’s toy starts screaming in slow motion or when the smoke detector starts chirping at 3am.
But they are at 11 months of the year highs.
Your moment is Black Friday. When is that Costco and Amazon Throw a giant brick of battery with name brands at half price.
Buy 40 count packs of AA and AAA around Thanksgiving. Store in a shoebox in an unforgettable place. It will be set up until the next holiday meltdown.
Pro Tip: Label your stash
There is a garbage bag. I forgot that I bought it six months ago and thrust it into the back of the vacuum and that one humidifier. So I started labeling everything like I was screaming at Future-Me. “Extra razor. Don’t blame it, dummy.”
Otherwise, I will absolutely rebel and then I am not mad at anyone other than me.
See: 13 Frugal Life Tips You’ve probably never thought of
Razor refill
Buying a 4-pack razor cartridge on a random Tuesday will ruin your day. Bulk packs are in motion, but only sell a few times a year.
Amazon is quietly discounted Every few months Costco You may drop 14 packs at a real decent price.
Know your favorite razor, look at the price, and if it drops below $2 per cartridge, it will hit you. Trying off-brands like Dorco or buying in-store brand refills will make them even cheaper.
toothbrush
Dentists say they change toothbrushes every three months. Most people are six, perhaps nine years old, perhaps longer, before they appear to have been caught up in a fight with garbage disposal. Grab 10 packs once a year and actually replace them on your schedule.
Target and Amazon Both are sold several times a year in Oral-B and Colgate multipacks. Place a stash in the bathroom and spin it like a normal adult.
Pro Tips: Group By with Friends, Split Everything
Don’t sleep with the “Let’s get in together” strategy. Some of these bulk packs are so big that it’s ridiculous to buy them alone.
Don’t need 40 AA batteries unless you plan to live a blackout and Christmas morning at the same time.
But when I text the Buddy and split the pack? Suddenly it’s a transaction. And I feel like a responsible adult despite literally venmoing someone with a box of half a poop bags.
Tape (packaging, scotch, duct)
If you need tape in December, you know the pain. All the rolls are half-baked, the dispenser is cracked, and in some way you can pay the full price of a $7 2 pack.
When you’re not in a hurry, refill all kinds of tapes (shipping, ducts, gift wraps).
target Put scotch tape in the school supplies section in July and August, Amazon Perform bulk discounts during your vacation.
If you buy a 6 pack, you won’t need to do it again until next year’s gift wrap panic.
See: “Backward List” Hack to Stop Impulse Purchase
Shampoo and conditioner (salon size)
If you already know what will help your hair, get a huge bottle and it’s all over. Ulta’s Jumbo Love Event In January and July, salon brand prices fell to $15 for liter bottles, and lasts forever.
Buy one set, add a pump if it doesn’t come with one set, and enjoy six months without thinking about shampoo again. Bonus: No more buying sad bottles left on the shelves at CVS.
Pet waste bag
If you own a dog and you still buy a poop bag once a month, you’re making it wrong.
Amazon sells 900 count packs It lasts for a year, even for dogs who behave like vending machines.
Pro Tips: Subscribe and save
Look for subscribe and retain transactions or price drops for under $15. Throw the entire brick in the closet and forget about it until next summer.
Mash the wrap and foil
Two things you don’t think about until they leave and you wrap the leftovers in grief.
Foil and plastic wrap rarely gets worse Warehouse Club Version It’s twice the size Half price.
Pro Tip: Kirkland is a Bomb
Costco’s Kirkland branded foils are sturdy and huge. One box makes the fridge a long-lasting. I laugh every time I see someone who buys it once and pays $6 for a grocery store roll.
light bulb
Buy one at a time with traps. It was an LED bulb last year, so grab the multi-pack while on sale.
They get a deep discount every few months, especially at Home Depot and Amazon.
Get a big 8 pack of daylight LEDs when you drop to $1 per bulb. Keep the extras somewhere. Because there’s nothing worse than not remembering where you need them and hid them.
toilet paper
You won’t notice how quickly your family burns toilet paper until you reach the last sad roll and someone starts screaming from the toilet.
Buying it in a small pack is a lost game. Costco and Sam’s It is a location in stock and Target performs solid bulk transactions several times a year.
Pro Tip: Think about it on a roll per dollar
Aim for more than 30 rolls under $20. A bonus if you get your gift card back. Store it in your linen closet or garage shelves and forget until you feel self-righteous as grocery prices spike.
Dishwasher tab
These little guys are mean and expensive and in some way they are not sold in grocery stores.
The trick is to buy a pack of 90-120 counts from Amazon or Costco If it’s under $0.18 per tab. There’s no need to do the desperate “rinse and hope” routine again.
Pro Tip: Don’t Buy Gel
Stick to the finish or cascade powder style tabs. They should be better clean and don’t leave any dishes smelling like strange fake lemons.
Ask your readers: What items would you add to my list? I’m sure you can think of one or two, please let me know.
By Kyle James
I started Shopping com in 2000, but became a consumer expert and advocated writing about out-of-box ways to save money at stores such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, Costco. I’ve been talking about my savings tips on Fox News, Good Morning America and the NY Times. (learn more)
Source: Rather-Be-Shopping Blog | Shopping Hacks, Return Policies and Coupons – www.rather-be-shopping.com
