Question

Does anyone buy their household items for the year so they dont have to budget for it throughout the year? If so how do you know how much to buy?  

Answer 1

I came across someone selling multiple bottles of shampoo and conditioner. I bought 32 bottles that was 4 yr ago and still haven't ran out

Comments

@byebye4217 aren’t you worried about them expiring  especially if they were already expired when you bought them as many hair products are

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@posehn nope, never even crossed my mind. it's shampoo, what is the concern? . I hardly ever think about expiration dates on anything

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@posehn everything has to have an expiration date just to follow laws. But that doesn’t mean they actually expire. I have toothpaste purchased from 3 years ago and it still works just fine. Same with the shampoo and conditioner I bought 3 years ago and am currently using. Shampoo and conditioner don’t really expire unless you’re like 20 years down the road.  

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I'm Bed Era (before expiration dates) we looked, felt, smelled and at time tasted it. Expiration dates are a manufacturer ploy to get you to throw away and buy new. A win win for them and a loss for us and the environment.  

Answer 2

I've wondered this myself!  

Answer 3

I don’t buy for the year but i do try to buy in bulk when it’s on sale. I also see which is cheaper between where i normally buy and the dollar tree

Answer 4

I buy for the year, or as close to it as I can get! It’s just me and the hubby so I guesstimate what we need based on our habits. For example. if you do 4 loads of laundry per week, just multiply that by 52 weeks and you’ll need 208 loads worth of laundry detergent. I usually stock up when Costco has their sale and when target has their sale in January.  

Answer 5

My old job only paid us during the school year, so I spent two months with no income. It became a process of needing my tax return to cover us in the summer and to stock up on things like toiletries, dish soap, other cleaners, etc. Mostly I started on prior to when I really needed to stock up by seeing how much we went through in one month. I won't need to stress as much about it this year since I'll get paid year round, but I think I may keep up on my stockpile. It's nice not to have to worry about buying extras and if you keep an eye out you can add to your stock pile when a good sale hits. But two stipulations, you need to have room for it, or for things like toilet paper or cat litter, I had a cash fund specifically for it that way I was only buying one package at Sams at a time as needed, but it was fully funded. (But dollar tree is awesome for things like hairspray, toothpaste, dish soap, etc. )

Answer 6

I budget monthly. $100, Sometimes it’s not enough. ‍♀️

Answer 7

I have a family of 6, so I don’t think I have the room to stock up for a full year. I do quarterly/semiannual for toilet paper, shampoo/conditioner, etc. I usually spend $200-300 buying only bulk, and it does save a bunch. For instance, I never buy shampoo/conditioner in less than 40 oz bottles with pumps. ‍♀️ Works for me!  

Answer 8

Family of 4 here. I try to do the bulk of my shopping twice a year. We go through a large 32 roll pack of toilet paper about once a month. I go through a bottle of body wash, tooth paste, bag of laundry detergent pods, box of baby wipes about once a month. Shampoo lasts forever at my house because I try and only wash my hair a couple times a week since its helping it grow faster.  

Comments

Then i stock up bleach, dish sponges, magic erasers, pretty much everything else from the Dollar Tree. I store it all in my basement cabinets so we are always stocked up

Answer 9

Couponing is always a great route. I have a stockpile and haven’t had to buy any household stuff for more than a two years

Comments

@belostok415 I second couponing ! I haven’t bought laundry detergent or bath products in over two years. Stock up when it’s free !  

Answer 10

Before I went on maternity leave I did this. My daughter is now 16 months and I didn’t have to buy diapers until she was 10 months, I still have about 6 months of baby wipes, I just had to buy toothpaste and body wash a couple months ago, and I still have some shampoo and conditioner left. I was couponing and scanning for deals. I really need to do it again cause having to start adding this stuff back into our budget sucks. It just takes a lot of your time.  

Answer 11

Kind of. I buy toilet paper from Who Gives A Crap and it lasts 6 months. I buy bar shampoo and bar soap off amazon and that also lasts 6 months. We get the Costco dawn dish soap and laundry detergent. I haven’t tracked but it definitely lasts 6-12 months for both. We’re also very mindful of how much of each product we use in consumption which in turn keeps costs down

Comments

@cockayne2888 what kind of bar shampoo and bar soap do you buy from Amazon? Thanks

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@treasure Crate 61 Dry Skin Soap 6-Pack Box. . 15 Pack Balsa Wood Sheets, . https://www. amazon. com/dp/B00KGGH0UQ. Although the recent bars of the shampoo are a lot smaller than when I bought them in the summer so I might be searching for a new company
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CMHLQGP

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@cockayne2888 thanks! Where do you buy your toilet paper?  

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@treasure I mentioned it in my original comment. It’s recycled toilet paper and paper towels and they come wrapped in paper not plastic. Who Gives A Crap might not be cheaper but it’s bulk and fits my values.  

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@cockayne2888 is it on Amazon too?  

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@treasure no

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@cockayne2888 ok thanks

Answer 12

The easiest way to figure it out is when you buy something say a big shampoo - mark the shampoo with the date you bought it. When it runs out, you have the date you bought it . just see how many days/weeks/ months it lasted. Same with laundry soap, dish tabs, foil, plastic wrap, trash bags etc.  

Comments

@hunter I mark every single thing I buy! It drives my roommate crazy  

Answer 13

I buy toilet paper for the year (Charmin forever roll - I love my giant rolls of toilet paper ), we also buy hand soap for the year - but otherwise we just try to grab other items we need when they are on sale.  

Answer 14

I buy in bulk when possible but I don’t stock for a year.  

Answer 15

I think in this day and age of consumerism there is ALWAYS a deal on. I don’t bulk buy, I just buy as and when I need it. I don’t like to hoard/store stuff either. I change my shampoo quite often so if I was to bulk buy then It would be a waste.  

Answer 16

I buy based on cycles. for example often times shampoo goes on sale one the every 3 months. when it does go on sale. my stock up price is less than $2 per bottle. I buy 5-6 that lasts our family of 4 until the next sale

Answer 17

I mean it’s just me and my daughter and a 24 roll of toilet paper will last us at least 8 months ‍♀️

Answer 18

I will buy up when a Target has a sale with like a gift card. I’ve also thought about buying from people who coupon and then sale the items on Facebook marketplace

Answer 19

I watch the Costco sales and if something goes on sale I buy two or three.  

Answer 20

That’s a no for me.  

Answer 21

This sounds impossible to me for the smaller items (shampoo, body wash, etc)- but that's because we buy specific stuff. My kids each have a special B&BW smell as do my fiance and I. Same for my shampoo because it's only sold in smaller bottles. however I always buy diapers and wipes by the year at tax time. And I basically guess on sizes and exchange as needed.  

Answer 22

I buy a lot of that at Sams and it happens to last me at least 6 months to a year. Otherwise I would just buy as I need.  

Answer 23

Bulk from Sams. Lasts almost 5 months (family of 3)

Answer 24

I buy bulk when theres a sale. it lasts a year

Answer 25

I literally wouldn’t have space for it. We really need to cut back on paper towels. And we go through a 24 pack of toilet paper in 2 weeks. So I would need 26 packs. not gonna happen.  

Comments

@ahoy98 yes. Def cut back on that! We’re a family of 7-8 and we use one roll every two weeks. We buy two 15 packs for the year and they roll over. I keep hand towels out. I have a bunch. They get thrown in the wash everyday.  

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@schlenger paper towels we can certainly cut back on. Unfortunately, I have Crohn’s so cutting back on TP isn’t realistic  

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@ahoy98 we go through soooo much toilet paper. It makes me sick. But I’m not going to be the potty police so I gave up worrying about it years ago. We buy a huge pack at bjs and it’s one month worth. So I buy 12 of them. My ex husband used to yell everyday about it. It’s one of those things I don’t chose to spend life worrying about.  

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@ahoy98 I also have a chronic illness that makes tp non optional and there was a discussion in another group about using a bidet because they’re more *cough* *cough* gentle on the nether regions. I just ordered mine off Amazon and they are way more affordable than I thought. I’m probably gonna to use tp to pat dry but it will certainly cut down on the amount I use.  

Answer 26

I am trying to get out of buying things in bulk now that we are empty nesters. Especially things with an expiration date. I do buy TP from Sam's and it lasts us 2-3 months.  

Answer 27

Bulk from Sams. You could track your use for 3 months then figure out how much you’d need monthly from that.  

Answer 28

We do. Not on purpose really or so we don’t have to budget. I just hate running out of anything.  

Answer 29

Yes. I have a “master list” of the items I buy for my family with the amounts we use for the year. Toilet paper. Detergent. Trash bags. Shampoo. Everything in the house. Every January I go to bjs and buy everything for the year. It makes life so much easier. Not worrying about running out of something.  

Comments

@schlenger great idea

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@adele2 Leigh McFo laundry room. The biggest thing are toilet / paper towels. There stacked. Then I have a shelving unit stacked with everything else. It doesn’t take up as much space as one would think.  

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@schlenger How large is your family and about how much would you say you spend? I’m very interested in this idea!  

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@asaph127 7-8 people (my daughter is in college now so not fully supported) Roughly 2000 a year. I save 40 a week all year and then go in January But I’m talking everything. Shampoo conditioners body wash detergents dryer sheets dish soap toothpaste trash bags foil baggies paper plates my boys hair gel Cleaning supplies baby wipes Advil tampons Literally you name it it’s on my list. In December I go through my list at the store and correct prices (inflation happens) so I know what my total will be. I take a Saturday. Grab a flat bed cart. And go to town. Lol

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Good idea  

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@schlenger That is incredible! I spent $40 last week on household crap and we’re only a family of 3-4 (one not fully supported too)! I would kill for a list like this! #GOALS!  

Answer 30

This is a goal of mine, but space would be an issue for us. I stock up on certain things with coupons and get them free or close to free which is toothbrushes, toothpaste, and deodorant.  

Answer 31

I buy 1-2 packs of toilet paper and paper towels, 3-4 jugs of laundry detergent, 2-3 boxes of trash bags, and 3-4 containers of dish detergent from Sam’s. However I do a rotation of these and only buy when they’re on sale. Our household envelope is $50 a month and this also includes diapers and wipes when needed.  

Answer 32

For a few things, however space is difficult. We are a family of 4 in 450sq ft! We utilize our tall ceilings and store stuff on the rafters! Bulk box of paper towels (try to use real towels anyways), Clorox wipes, TP, bleach, dawn soap and laundry detergent are some staples we rarely have to purchase now.  

Answer 33

Great idea!  

Answer 34

I was thinking about doing this!  

Answer 35

We buy the large packs of toilet paper from Costco, and the large pack of Viva paper towels from target when on sale. It lasts us about 2 months (house of 2) or longer. The shampoo/conditioner we use lasts MONTHS. So really we don't buy stuff very often unless it's body wash/toothpaste and even then we don't power through it very quickly.  

Answer 36

We go to Costco and buy in bulk and it lasts us a long time.  

Answer 37

Brilliant! I have never thought of doing this!  

Answer 38

I sort of do when I can. I prefer to buy in bulk and make it last as long as possible. I also like to track when I open new packages and then keep track of how long they last so I can estimate better for the next year/purchase. It's an estimation at best, but the longer you do it, the better idea you have.  

Answer 39

This is my goal!  

Answer 40

It doesn’t matter whether or not you buy something throughout the year or all at once in bulk its the same financial cost, right? Am I missing something? Other than the potential bulk buy savings? If you spend 200$ on TP for the Year don’t you still have to budget for that throughout the year as a sf for the next year? I’m confused

Comments

@hadji yes it’s ultimately a sinking Fund. Yes it saves a few bucks buying bulk. Helps if you can stack coupons when you shop. For me. It’s not taking 4-6 kids into a store every week. #sanity ‍♀️

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@schlenger ohhhhhhh yess! Gotcha haha

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@hadji not necessarily. If I wait for Scott 27 packs to go on sale on amazon like they always do and then they do the buy $50 save $10 I usually save $7-8 a pack on top of the extra $10 and I save my amazon gift cards I earned for stuff like this.  

Answer 41

I coupon so it’s pretty easy for me. Last year I had an accident and was basically an on the couch shut in for 3 months and still couldn’t go around shopping 2/3 more months after that (so about 6 months without having to shop for things like shampoo, toothpaste, detergent, feminine products etc). My mother and brother had to stay with me and my son that whole time. Thank goodness for my stock pile, food shopping was the only thing I had to have my brother go out and do. Oh and I still have a small stockpile left over and I spend about $5-$10 biweekly replenishing

Answer 42

I stock pile my bathroom and personal items (i live with 2 roommates) when I have money. I need to save some for it as it’s running low lol. I spend probably like $100. Shampoo and conditioner I use an expensive one so I just get the giant ones when it’s on sale at Ulta.  

Answer 43

I love costco. I buy many of our big household items there like toilet paper, paper towels, detergent, dish soap, garbage bags

Answer 44

Buy at Sams club. Lasts a couple months. toilet paper , paper towels, Kleenex, cleaning supplies

Comments

And trash bags

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@allowance I bought trash bags, fabric softener sheets, and dish soap last July at sams and it’s still going strong. Hooray for bulk!  

Answer 45

I would do this with certain things except paper towels. I go through too many. I have two toddlers

Comments

@mutinous Jackson I’ve started ripping up old towels and shirts for rags. My paper towel use has gone down significantly!  

Answer 46

When I was pregnant 4 years ago, every time I saw trash bags on sale. I bought a box, not realizing we had extra boxes already. We just pulled out the last roll of trash bags. I haven’t bought trash bags in 4 years.  I’m just going to blame it on pregnancy brain.  

Comments

But we buy most things from Costco and that last us a few months.  

Answer 47

I do. When I used to coupon I had almost 4 years of tp, body wash, laundry soap, diapers, wipes, shampoo/conditioner, dish soap, bar soap and other stuff. We’re a family of 9 and my 2 grandparents I would send a care package of their favorite things every couple months. Now I buy a years worth of tp, dr bronners almond honey soap, dish soap and laundry soap every tax time. It’s an automatic. I spend more during the year on it if I don’t. I also do the same thing with my kids homeschooling online, sams club membership, prime and our other subs. Tax money we get back is money we didn’t have to begin with so I use it to take care of expenses we would have throughout the year. If we didn’t have kids or other credits we’re receiving we would only be getting around $400 back in taxes. So we got as close to 0 as possible. I’d rather not owe.  

Answer 48

If you can properly track for a month what you normally use paper product and laundry wise it’s absolutely doable. I’ve now just started replenishing my stock of laundry stuff. Didn’t have to for almost a year and a half but it’s something you have to sit down and figure out because every household is different

Answer 49

Not yearly but certain items go on sale about the same time throughout the year. If you'll take the time to research the sales you'll find that stores have the same sales every 6 weeks or so. Prepare in advance of the sales. Order coupons online for items your family uses. Use those coupons at the exact same time the sales are on. I get a lot of things free or just paying tax. Try it out. You'll see for yourself.  

Answer 50

I live in a small apartment. I couldn't do that.  

Answer 51

I have no room to store that much stuff.