Quick way to save $150+ a year 3/1/2014

This is a Post from the man of my dreams about some changes to his daily routine:  Two years ago frustration mounted at the cost of replacing razor cartridges and shaving cream.   I started looking for alternatives to cut costs — after all several blade cartridges a week add up to big bucks and those cans of foamy soap don’t last long.  First came the extreme, something only attempted a time or two before — straight razors.  I went to a barber that would shave the back of my neck with a straight razor after a hair cut and it felt good.  Would it be the same on my face?

Shaving Set

Shaving Set

I started doing research and scoured eBay and antique stores for suitable straight razors.  I bought a few and it was more intimidating than I had imagined.

Straight Razor

Straight Razor

Taking a step back, I bought a safety razor.  This option was more manageable, but I still could not get the hang of it.  So I went back to the cartridge type razors and tried to figure out how to make them last longer.  After a brainstorming with my dad, we decided to try “stropping” the cartridge, like you do with a straight razor and a big leather strap also known as a strop.  This added life to my cartridges!

Safety Razor

Safety Razor

After a while, I wondered if using the back of my arm would work as well as a leather strop, so I tried it.  It worked, my razors went from lasting just over a week to lasting several months! Shocker!

Do you want to double or triple the life of your razor blades? It is so simple:

IMG_8033[1]

Start with the razor positioned like this

IMG_8034[1]

Then start to push in the opposite direction you normally would

IMG_8035[1]

If done right, there should be direction to your arm hair. Can you see how the hair changed direction under the razor? Your razor is burr free.

Here is a little video showing the technique:
MVI_8036

Isn’t that simple? My razors last so much longer now. I would love to hear how this little tip works for you.

The next area to solve was shaving cream.  At $2 to $4 per can, it was getting pricey.  So I went old school and bought a shaving brush and cup.

Shaving brush and Cup

Shaving brush and Cup

My wife bought a shaving bar at Hairfreeclub.com to see how I liked it, I was surprised at how it lathered and what a difference it made in shaving.  The best part was  a year later it was finally too small to use, and I had to get another — not to bad for a $3 bar of soap.

Very used shaving soap

How much did I save?

Those cans cost us about $3 a can and 10 or 12 cans a year  is $3o to $36.
The cartridges  are between $3 and $4 each (depending on if my wife could  find a sale and coupon together).
This year, I used 40 less cartridges and 10 to 12 less cans of shaving cream.  $120 to $160 savings on cartridges alone!  These two small changes in my shaving routine  have easily saved us  at  least $150 this past year.

 

This entry was posted in Small Barn Farm, Uncategorized and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.