This post was not sponsored by Amazon or Brandless, but if you make a purchase by clicking any of the below links I can make a small commission. Amazon prices are subject to change.
One of my goals this year is to have a healthier relationship with money. This means being thankful that I have money to pay bills, live in DC, and get things we need and want. It also means being more mindful about spending. Gone are the day where I want to get myself random treats from BaubleBar every time I get paid, for example. I’d rather look at what I really want, think carefully about it, and decide if I truly need it.
One area where I’ve become extremely spending-conscious is our supplies for our home. I toggle between Brandless and Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program. I’ve actually become quite the nerd about this. I’ll sit there with a calculator and figure out where the best value is. As much as I love Brandless, I’ve actually found that some of the better deals come from Amazon.
When you use Subscribe & Save, you get 5%-15% off the price of the items, depending on how many items you’re getting that month. You can choose the frequency of how often you get your items, from 1-6 months. (This comes in handy for my mascara, so I can toss the old as soon as I get the new every 3 months!)
Pretty much all of our cleaning supplies at this point come from Amazon. I’ve done the work to find the best values for household items, and I wanted to share part of my shopping list. (I say “part of” because some of my picks are not based on value, but personal preference. I happen to really like lavender scented trash bags, for example.)
Kendall really loves the Brandless Green Tea & Aloe Body Wash. At $3 a bottle for 10fl oz, that comes out to $.30 a fl oz. Meanwhile, Amazon now has their own brand, Solimo, which offers an Everyday Moisture Body Wash with Colloidal Oatmeal. It comes in a pack of 4 at 18 fl oz each. I’m paying $14.44 every four months, coming out to $.20 per fl oz. We’re going to try it out, and if we don’t love it, we’ll switch back to Brandless. Incidentally, Brandless is now offering a subscription service! So if we do have to switch back, I won’t have to remember to order the body wash.
Compare to Aveeno Skin Relief Fragrance-Free Body Wash with Oat $.26 per fl oz
After the experience of my Method liquid laundry detergent leaking, I decided to switch to pods. I don’t like using powder pods in our machines because they don’t always seem to break up correctly. At first, all I could find was All Free and Clear and I actually missed having some scent for our laundry, even when using scented dryer sheets. I’m excited to try Solimo Laundry Detergent Pacs at $.13 a pod.
Compare to Tide Pods $.21 per pod
I actually got this tip from Morgan Stewart via her mom on twitter, but we have our dish soap in a hand soap pump by our sink and make sure to use a hand-safe product. I actually love Brandless Balsamic Greens & Grapefruit Dish Soap, but we’re going to try out ECOS Dishmate Dish Liquid at $.12 per fl oz.
Compare to Dawn Ultra Dishwashing Liquid Dish Soap $.15 per fl oz
One thing Kendall has kind of put his foot down about is using Lysol Disinfecting Wipes vs. … any other wipes. My opinion is that if he has an opinion, I’m going to respect that. One thing we both agreed on though is that a multipurpose cleaner makes the most sense for our little apartment. The one I chose is eco-friendly, too! At $.08 per fl oz, it’s a total bargain and where we saved the most.
Compare to Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner $.23 per fl oz
This next tip I got from my mom. She has a little canister on her counter for her dish pods and I love that! I was really sad when they discontinued what we were using, but the Solimo Dishwasher Detergent Pacs have a solid rating and come out to $.12 a pod.
Compare to Cascade ActionPacs Dishwasher Detergent $.14 per pod
Although these numbers might seem small, they add up! I am proud to have found some great deals.
HOWEVER- Now that I know Brandless has a subscription service, I may switch back after trying some of the new Amazon stuff (the dish soap, body wash, and multi-purpose cleaner.)
Brandless wins out over Amazon in their customer service (I can text them when I have an idea or suggestion!) and the fact that they as have an impact nationally towards a goal to end hunger. They’ve donated over 3,000,ooo meals!
I also can’t speak to Amazon’s brand, Solimo, about how or where their products are made, whereas Brandless subscribes to a “just what matters” philosophy:
The “Just What Matters” philosophy also means we prioritize offering products that match people’s values, preferences, and at times, requirements — whether it be organic, Fair Trade, gluten-free, or vegan food; tree-free paper, non-toxic cleaning supplies, or cruelty-free and clean personal care products free of over 400 questionable ingredients.
How you chose to stock your home is obviously totally up to you, but there are certainly places where you can cut down your budget if you’re will to shop around and compare prices!
Check out what I'm loving right now on Amazon!
