Day to day life has a lot of little costs associated with it. From bills to unexpected repairs, sometimes just keeping things afloat can be an expensive undertaking. Another area where we’re constantly having to invest is in perishable items. That is, products that, by design, are meant to be replaced regularly. Finding elegant ways to cut costs and save effort on these products can end up having a big impact on our discretionary funds, not to mention our overall well-being. Below we take a look at three such products, and explore some novel, ultimately simpler ways to ensure we’re able to keep stocked up on them.
Prescription contact lenses
Many services that cater to selling contact lenses feature, at times, a lengthy verification procedure in order to confirm that the lenses you’re shopping for will be compatible with your prescription. While there are certainly circumstances where this type of verification process is beneficial (especially for first time users), for those of us who are experienced contacts wearers, this verification process can be an unwanted hassle. Fortunately, if you’re looking for a way to purchase contacts online without prescription, there are a range of services that cater to this need. Of course, you still require a valid prescription in order to purchase lenses that will work for you, but the process of filling this information out yourself is simple, straight-forward and ultimately cost-effective.
Toilet paper
Toilet paper is a fundamental item on the grocery list which we can never go without. An average household of 2.6 people gets through over 400 rolls of toilet paper a year, which can add up, especially if you’re buying expensive variants in small packets. Doing so also means that you’re having to go out of your way more often to ensure you’re stocked up on this daily essential. But there is a simpler way, and one that stands to have a positive impact on your bank balance as well as the environment. Part of the cost of toilet paper comes from its material basis. Toilet paper gets its soft texture from a blend of hardwood trees and conifers, a costly process that is compounded by the endless demand for trees and the limited supply. Fortunately, there are alternatives to tree paper in the form of bamboo. Bamboo is among the fastest growing plants in the world and can be harvested at a much younger age (3 years vs. 20 years for trees). Sustainable toilet paper companies like Bumboo use bamboo in their toilet rolls and offer their customers the ability to bulk buy boxes of rolls on a subscription model. This translates to you saving money on materials and packaging, as well as freeing the paper up for reading material.
Razors
Razors are by their nature perishable goods, with an average razor blade retaining its sharpness for between 5 to 10 shaves. They are also expensive, especially if you favor multi-blade plastic cartridge razors. Make no mistake, this is big business – the cartridge razor industry is projected to reach a net worth of $22 billion by 2030. While razors are justifiably an essential item for many people, the waste that accompanies the disposable plastic containers is sizable, and also translates to a higher cost for the consumer. This is where companies like the Swedish brand Estrid are hoping to make a difference. Estrid offers high quality and aesthetically pleasing metal razors to their customers on a subscription model that means you’ll never have to think about whether your blade needs replacing. This is particularly useful as people will often use a tarnished blade past its point of obsolescence without knowing, risking razer rash and damage to the hair follicles.
