Better Product/Better for the Environment

A few weeks ago, I read an article about disposable razors and how much waste they generate. I had been using them forever because they were cheap, and never really thought about the waste. "Hmm...isn't real-life frugality about saving the environment AND saving money?" I asked myself. Well, yes it is!! So, I switched to a system where you only toss the blade, and I feel much more environmentally-friendly. In addition to generating less waste, the blades actually last for more than just one shave.

If any of you are interested, I'm now using the Venus Divine by Gillette. The cartridges are not terribly cheap, but I do make sure to only buy them when they are on sale and/or I have a coupon. While doing some web research for this post, I came across a host of articles on the topic. Just go out and type "disposable razor landfill" into Bing! or Google and you'll see what I mean. One of the most interesting articles I found was this one, which tells you how to sharpen your razor blades on the leg of your jeans. I am so gonna try this one, but maybe I will use an old pair of jeans that I don't care much about. I'm also thinking that it would be best to do this with regular denim, not stretch denim like most women's jeans are made of.

A Simple Trick!

I recently found a great way to wring the last little bit of cream or lotion out of a container, and it was so simple, I don't know why I never did it before! Normally for things like toothpaste or foot cream that come in tubes, I use these little gadgets that slip over the crimped end of the tube, and you gradually slide it down and it helps move the product down into the dispenser end (sorry, no photos, but I hope you know what I mean). Well, I had one tube of foot cream that was too wide to slide into the opening of the slide-thingy, so when I got to the point that I couldn't squeeze any out on my own, I cut the tube in half and used a small rubber spatula to scoop out all the remaining cream and put it in a little Tupperware midget container. I must have used that extra cream for about 2 weeks.

Like I said, really simple, but it had never occured to me to cut the tube open before. I'll do that every time from now on. It won't save enough money to cover the braces my youngest son will need this year, but like I have said many times before (and will say again), every little bit helps!

Would You Pay $10/Bottle?

Would you pay $10/bottle for shampoo and conditioner for your teenage boys?

If you had asked me that question 2 weeks ago, I would have laughed in your face and said, "I don't even spend that much on my shampoo and conditioner!" However, my answer now is, "Yes, absolutely!"

I was in AquaQuip (our local swimming pool supply store) the other day, doing an errand for my oldest son who is a lifeguard and in charge of pool maintenance, and I noticed some bottles of TriSwim shampoo and conditioner on the checkout counter. It caught my eye because both my sons are competitive swimmers and are in the pool multiple times a week all year long. My 13-year-old especially seems to have hair that just sucks up the chlorine. It was really getting awful, no matter how often he washed it (with cheap shampoo that I pick up on sale for $1 or less), it looked dirty, and always felt like straw. The barber would cringe every time I brought him for a haircut. So, based on the salesgirl's glowing recommendation, I bought it and had my son start to use it.

After just one wash, his hair looked like hair again! After a little more than a week, his hair is now shiny, soft, and totally manageable, instead of brittle, out of control, and reeking of chlorine. The shampoo and conditioner are both touted as being able to neutralize the chlorine, and I am now a believer.

So, the frugal moral of this story is that a product that works and fills a true need is worth the price. All the cheap shampoo in the world couldn't do for my son's hair what TriSwim has done.