Repurchase Intervals Save Money

by BL Schultz

February 26, 2022

Consider repurchase intervals to save money. Stretching the time between purchases translates into lower spending. The longer the repurchase interval stretches the less excess needs to be stored. Or maybe you’d like to live with less. For example, my under-the-sink bathroom cabinet feels stuffed. I’m following The Money Skinny™ Project Use It Up Tips. Slowly reducing what I own. But more analysis is needed as to how I got here. And why this keeps happening. Recall The Money Skinny™ mission is to save you time and money. Let’s review Repurchase Intervals to save money and space.

Tips to Stretch Repurchase Intervals

Stop buying back-ups.
Understand how long products last.
Substitute lower cost options.
Stop all purchasing of items in the category.
Set a goal for what completion looks like. Are all products consolidated in one location? Under sink less messy? You decide.

Repurchase Intervals Background

I know it takes me five months to use up a face wash. How? I write the first use date on the container. Plus, I pay attention. My two favorite face washes are Juice Beauty Stem Cellular and It Cosmetics Confidence in a Cleanser. Both are pricey, even waiting for a sale. For something that quickly goes down the drain. I wash my face twice per day. Morning and night. Only using enough product to get the job done. Not pumping like a maniac. It takes what it takes. It costs what it costs. About $60 per year for my face.

Repurchase Intervals Substitutions

I plan to wash my face two times per day into infinity and beyond. The volume of product used won’t change. However, substituting a lower cost product will delay re-buying the pricey fabs above. Let’s throw a Walmart Equate Beauty Foaming Cleanser into the rotation. Costs about $3 for 6.7 ounces. What about Dollar Tree’s Oil-Free Face Wash? For a buck. Not luxury products but they get the job done. Substituting lower cost products into the rotation delays repurchasing the luxury fabs. Instead of five months of use, maybe six or seven. Do I feel deprived? Nope. It’s not like I’m drinking coffee from the bottom of the bean. I am deciding not to care. It’s in the NBG (No Big Deal) category.

Tracking Empties with Project Use It Up

I’m following The Money Skinny™ Project Use It Up Tips. Slowly reducing what I own. I know how long face wash takes to use up due to writing the opening date on the container. Plus I take a picture of quarterly empties to track that inventory. A little excessive? Perhaps. But this helps to understand product longevity and keep just enough on hand. Let the store shelves keep the rest. I can pluck a fresh one from a store just-in-time to replace an empty instead of a backup product purchased months ago that’s been moldering in a closet.

Repurchase Intervals Advice

Note the bottle of perfume in the empties picture. That was years in the making. In the meantime, my favorite CHANEL CHANCE Eau de Parfum lingered while working through lesser options. Why torture myself with second choice? It’s a reminder of how long products like perfume last. Also, the fallacy of reserving products for a special occasion which may never happen. Dividing products into weekday versus weekend can also help to work through the not favorites.

More Repurchase Intervals Advice

Note the Banilla Co Cleansing Balm in the skincare picture below. My favorite makeup removing product is Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm. Why did I stop using the Clinique brand? It’s too darn pricey. I tried the Pond’s Cold Cream Cleanser as a lower cost alternative. Terrible. Not water soluble. Created a greasy mess that had to be tissued off. I want a product that rinses off, not one that generates more trash. The Banilla Co Balm is comparable to the Clinique product but is less than half the price. Knowing how long products last and drilling down on the price per ounce helps to save money.