Alternatives for basic toiletries?

x_raphael_xx

Spoonie_Turtle said:

x_raphael_xx said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

If you were happy with Alberto Balsam (how much is it now?  From the sound of your opening post it was as if it were £££) then supermarket own-brand should be fine.  I don't know if they're any cheaper though. 

Savers is quite good for cheaper toiletries, also £shops.

Don't fall for any hype about products that are mainly/only available via social media, that stuff is at best overpriced and at worst downright dangerous.

Lol no not £££, but every penny saved ya know...bf came home with £2 stuff.

How odd, I've never seen them that expensive!  I hope you can find something suitably budget-friendly.

After chatting with bf it seems he 'couldn't see the £1 stuff' (ie, didn't bother looking)

His argument is "everything is more expensive now" & "it will take me twice as long to shop around". Which I don't dispute, but it doesn't make sense not to look for alternatives. If it means a bi-weekly walk to the local savers to stock up, but it will save us half off, then thats all for the good. No point wasting money.

As MovingForwards said they rarely use conditioner, I trialed omitting it from my hair was last night (used a lot less shampoo than I normally do too) and surprisingly my hair still feels okay this morning. Not as soft as normal, but not as dry as I was expecting.
I have been trying to take better care of my curls lately (dabbing not rubbing with a towel, and not using a hairdryer etc) and I plait my hair for bed so it doesn't get tangled and frizzy. So maybe this has all been helping too.

I need to keep working on the bf, he does the shopping trips as he has the car, and sainsbugs is on his route home so he defaults there.

Pollycat

x_raphael_xx said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

x_raphael_xx said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

If you were happy with Alberto Balsam (how much is it now?  From the sound of your opening post it was as if it were £££) then supermarket own-brand should be fine.  I don't know if they're any cheaper though. 

Savers is quite good for cheaper toiletries, also £shops.

Don't fall for any hype about products that are mainly/only available via social media, that stuff is at best overpriced and at worst downright dangerous.

Lol no not £££, but every penny saved ya know...bf came home with £2 stuff.

How odd, I've never seen them that expensive!  I hope you can find something suitably budget-friendly.

After chatting with bf it seems he 'couldn't see the £1 stuff' (ie, didn't bother looking)

His argument is "everything is more expensive now" & "it will take me twice as long to shop around". Which I don't dispute, but it doesn't make sense not to look for alternatives. If it means a bi-weekly walk to the local savers to stock up, but it will save us half off, then thats all for the good. No point wasting money.

As MovingForwards said they rarely use conditioner, I trialed omitting it from my hair was last night (used a lot less shampoo than I normally do too) and surprisingly my hair still feels okay this morning. Not as soft as normal, but not as dry as I was expecting.
I have been trying to take better care of my curls lately (dabbing not rubbing with a towel, and not using a hairdryer etc) and I plait my hair for bed so it doesn't get tangled and frizzy. So maybe this has all been helping too.

I need to keep working on the bf, he does the shopping trips as he has the car, and sainsbugs is on his route home so he defaults there.

How far away are other supermarkets?
I buy Aldi volume shampoo & conditioner at 89p for 250ml.
They have lots of alternatives, even cheaper per litre for larger bottles.

Can't you do the shopping if he's not prepared to look for cheaper alternatives, even in the store he uses?

In addition to the stores I listed on page 1, there's also Wilko & Superdrug.
I check out prices online where I can before going shopping.

x_raphael_xx

Pollycat said:

Can't you do the shopping if he's not prepared to look for cheaper alternatives, even in the store he uses?

He has the car as his job is a 30 min commute, the closest supermarket is a 45 mins walk for me. And I have a lot of animal chores to do when I finish work. He's usually finished work, gone shopping and gotten home by the time I've done my 'rounds'.
I live opposite work so there isn't anything on my walk home.

Mnoee

I've had good results with alter/native conditioner bars, if you wanted to give them a go again. If you roll one around on wet hands, you can see the white creamy stuff coming off - but I usually just rub them directly onto my hair. I didn't get on with their shampoo though - it left my hair feeling sticky and full of product no matter how little I used. I prefer them to Lush conditioner bars which didn't seem to lather at all, but they're the only thing I have to compare them to. 

They're about £6 per bar, so maybe not cheaper than Alberto Balsam - depends on how long each lasts you.

I'm happy enough with the Tesco essentials mouthwash for the odd occasions I use it - 45p for 500ml, it's alcohol free, minty but not overpowering.

I use Dove soap for bodywash, a bar lasts a really really long time! I find some soaps to leave me feeling too dry, but it's not a problem with Dove.

As a practical solution to the shopping problem - is click and collect available at the Sainsburys he uses? Then you can pick the shopping, he can collect and pack away. Even if its an occasional thing when you're stocking up on specifics! 

x_raphael_xx

Mnoee said:

I use Dove soap for bodywash, a bar lasts a really really long time! I find some soaps to leave me feeling too dry, but it's not a problem with Dove.

As a practical solution to the shopping problem - is click and collect available at the Sainsburys he uses? Then you can pick the shopping, he can collect and pack away. Even if its an occasional thing when you're stocking up on specifics! 

I haven't used soap in a while as it drys out my skin, I may give Dove a try. I mainly use shower gel as a lather for shaving.

Click and collect is a great idea! If the 'shopping' has already been done he may be more inclined to take a longer route home if he's just got to pick up the shopping. And he'll probably be glad of the break from the responsibility.

Floss

I use Dove bars for washing - on a flannel for my face & in a sisal soap-saver bag for the rest of me. I only have shower stuff if it is gifted (trying not to buy plastic bottles).

Shampoo is either a Faith in Nature bar or Head & Shoulders in a refillable aluminium pump bottle. No conditioner as my hair is quite fine & doesn't need it. By the way, conditioner shouldn't lather!

Longwalker

Some things are not worth skimping on 

I have very very very sensitive teeth and they got so bad recently I was having to drink using a straw. It wasnt until I was at the hygienist last week and even being numbed to the hilt she couldn't use the suction thingy without me going through the roof, that we realised I had changed my sensodyne to an own brand - saving of £3. Back to the sensodyne and I can now eat and drink normally but I now buy it in Savers or home bargains rather then picking it up in Tesco 

Believe it or not its not the soap thats drying to the skin, its the water. As an older lady my skin is very dry and Ive just my showers back from 7+ a week to 4 and its made a huge difference, Im not scratching all day. I use soap, olive oil if I can get it at a good price but usually one with aloe vera 

Roll on deodorants are more economical then aerosol , I just blast under the arms with hairdryer to dry it if Im running late

Mnoee

Floss said:

By the way, conditioner shouldn't lather!

Lather isn't really the right word - it's never foamy, but with Lush bar conditioners I can't see or feel much of anything in my hands/hair which makes using it difficult. Alter/native I can see and feel. 

MovingForwards

Sainsbury's
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/SearchResults/Alberto balsam /category:826787/sort:

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/SearchResults/womens deodorant/category:12465/sort:price

Perhaps you should do a click and collect for your things.

Also consider leave in conditioner and not washing your hair so frequently. You can use conditioner to shave with.

I've previously used baby products as I've very dry skin. The shampoo was better than any of the medicated ones (branded not budget as they didn't work anywhere near as good), but then I switched to the ginger one by the body shop and haven't looked back; I picked the 30ml bottle to try originally.

I've used faith in nature, dove, body shop, baby soap for shaving my legs and showering, but now stick to olive gel for showers and olive soap my face. 

While it is 'indulgent' I decided I've had enough experimenting and the latest BS order will last me for at least 6 months.

Emmia

Longwalker said:

Some things are not worth skimping on 

I have very very very sensitive teeth and they got so bad recently I was having to drink using a straw. It wasnt until I was at the hygienist last week and even being numbed to the hilt she couldn't use the suction thingy without me going through the roof, that we realised I had changed my sensodyne to an own brand - saving of £3. Back to the sensodyne and I can now eat and drink normally but I now buy it in Savers or home bargains rather then picking it up in Tesco 

Believe it or not its not the soap thats drying to the skin, its the water. As an older lady my skin is very dry and Ive just my showers back from 7+ a week to 4 and its made a huge difference, Im not scratching all day. I use soap, olive oil if I can get it at a good price but usually one with aloe vera 

Roll on deodorants are more economical then aerosol , I just blast under the arms with hairdryer to dry it if Im running late

I find solid stick deodorants even more economical, and not "wet" like roll ons - sure, and dove both do one for £1 - £2 usually, and lasts me 5-6 months.

Don't buy the mitchum version with bamboo powder - whilst it is lovely, it's £4+ a go and the container is only 1/3 product