Resolution realness - saving money likely made your resolution list this year.
Is low waste living more expensive? I get this question sooo often and it totally depends on the non-low waste products you are comparing price to. Quality, organic ingredients, lack of toxins, all come into play with the cost of the product, and yes those products will be more than the Compliment’s version of cleaning products at your local grocery store. But your dollars are going towards Canadian families, plus they are eliminating toxins from your family’s life. So these are both super important!
Before I get too much into the weeds on this, I am going to highlight a couple of swaps that undoubtedly, unconditionally WILL save you money, while saving the planet - now how ‘bout that!
Safety razors
First of all - getting a safety razor should be no brainer because it’s just so much better for the planet! Not mention, it’s such a better shave. So much closer, plus the blade doesn’t get clogged up, and you can kiss razor burn goodbye for good. Plus, they're pretty right?
Yet another benefit to add to the list, is that it saves you cash - like a ton of it! The blades we sell in the shop cost $0.70 per blade, and they are a double-sided shave, so I get at least a month out of each blade. Let’s just say you are to use a blade a month, vs. a disposable cartridge a month (like a disposable Venus razor cartridge). Cartridges average at about 5 bucks a pop from the research I have done. Over a ten year span that will cost you $600. Over the same 10 years, a safety razor will cost you $84! Who doesn’t want an extra $516 in their pocket? It turns out, the disposable cartridges are 86% more expensive.
Yes the razor itself is an investment upfront - but we are in it for the long haul, and that’s when it really pays off.
Also worth noting - you will be in the money in your 14th month of using a safety razor, which will go by in a flash.
Swedish Sponge cloths
These are our number one seller in the shop, and for a good reason! They are highly absorbent, great for chores, spills, or doing dishes. Wash them on the top shelf of your dishwasher or in the washing machine. Once they start to look too dingey or start to get a little holey, pop them in the compost bin. They cost $6.25 and replace 17 rolls of paper towel because you can use them, and use them, and use them, up to 300 times. And you can get them in great patterns:
Let’s do the math real quick. The average roll of Bounty will cost you $3. $3 x 17 rolls that the cloth replaces = $51 - $6.25 cost of the sponge cloth means a total savings of $44.75
Low waste, compostable, and way cheaper - such an easy swap!
Shampoo bars
Our Unwrapped Life shampoo bars are definitely one of my all-time fave low waste swaps. Your hair gets so clean - and I mean soooo clean. Plus they are really sudsy, smell fantastic, plastic-free, and the company originated in Calgary. So many boxes checked right off the bat.
If you keep your bar dry and happy it replaces up to three 16oz bottles of shampoo - so these little superhero bars save you money AS WELL! They come in many different scents, for different hair types, and are a great addition to your shower shelf along with your razor and bar of soap:
I took a look at some regular Shoppers Drugmart shampoos (loreal, John Freida, live clean) and it looks like the average price of a 16 oz (473 ml) bottle of shampoo would be about $18 (noting that most bottles sold at Shoppers are much smaller than 16 ounces). Three 16 ounce bottles could run you about $54, vs. the shampoo bars cost of $17.95. Saving you a total of $36.05 with each bar purchased! Another win for your wallet.
It’s Resolution Season
and for many us, they involve saving money. So I thought this blog post might be the perfect thing to keep you on track with those resolutions. Maybe you also resolved to move towards low waste living? Or make some small transitions? Maybe you resolved to make healthier choices? Bonus points if you resolved to support Canadian biz. But, I’m assuming one of those is on the list (at least I hope so!), and if that’s the case, what the heck are you waiting for?! Small changes, big savings, plus big benefits in all of these products.
If you're looking to swap and save here are the links to the products we featured in this post:
https://withoutco.com/products/safety-razor?_pos=1&_sid=c4e8e76b4&_ss=r
https://withoutco.com/search?q=shampoo+bar
https://withoutco.com/products/swedish-sponge-cloths?_pos=1&_sid=22f238090&_ss=r
Happy swapping, saving and shopping!
- Michelle