32 things we need but always forget to buy
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Depending on what kind of buyer you are, you might have a well-stocked kitchen pantry with Costco-sized refills of the things you, your roommates, or your family typically need month to month.
If you’re like the rest of us, though, you know all too well what it’s like to realize you’re out of paper towels only after the spill or shampoo while in the shower.
For whatever reason — an appreciation of suspense, a distaste for routine, or an unwillingness to part with more money than we absolutely need to — an overwhelming amount of us don’t buy the things we habitually need in advance.
Some of us simply can’t afford to buy more than we absolutely need, and end up missing out on savings in the long term. And some of us don’t have the space to buy everything in bulk. But if you’re going to need new razor cartridges, shaving cream, Advil, or laundry detergent on a semi-frequent basis, it makes sense for peace of mind, convenience, and your savings to take those re-ups off your monthly plate.
You’ve got enough unpredictable things to adapt to in life, why not take care of the chores you can already anticipate? Why, from a logistical standpoint, would you use your mental energy on the same things month to month, year to year?
Shopping ahead means you can do it at leisure, or even pick things up on sale if you want to be hyper-efficient.
Things like razor replacements are also much cheaper when you buy them online rather than in a store (which are notoriously priced by location). In fact, services like Amazon’s Subscribe & Save actually reward you for thinking ahead. You can save a couple dollars on an item's already cheap online price just by setting up recurring shipments of things you already know you'll need. Plus, it saves you a trip to the store.
For me, the irrational concern is always: But what if I want something different? In that case, though, it’s really easy to cancel.
Just buy them now. Buy the batteries, the paper towels, the hand soap replacement, the bottle opener, and the bobby pins. Throw them in your cart and stop wasting your time and save yourself the unnecessary anxiety. Otherwise, you might wind up walking around trying to recount that mental list of things you need until you forget or you learn to live around it. Do away with the suspense and see a Stephen King movie with the money you save, instead.
Chances are you might read through here and realize you’re actually out of one of these right now:
Razors
Situation: You're halfway through your shower when you realize you needed a new razor blade some time at the beginning of last week.
Gillette Venus Embrace Women's Razor Blade Refills, 4 Count, Women's Razors, $16.69 for one-time purchase and $15.86 on Subscribe & Save
Gillette Fusion Manual Men’s Razor Blade Refills, 12 Count, Men's Razors, $33.97
Sign up for Dollar Shave Club here, starting at $3 a month.
Laundry detergent
You've finally got the time to throw in a much-needed load of laundry, but first you'll need to make a trek to the store for a single item first. Prolong activities you like rather than make a chore longer than it needs to be.
Tide PODS Laundry Detergent Pacs, 81 count, $19.19 for one-time purchase and $18.23 for Subscribe & Save
Paper towels
Somehow you never know you're out until you open the cupboard up to the last roll. Somehow you never go buy more until after the last leaf has been used.
Bounty Select-a-Size Paper Towels, 12 Count, $23.99
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