Brand identification is a powerful marketing tool. If I can make you relate to a particular product, I may have a customer for life. By 2015, the market for men’s grooming products will reach $33.2 billion. Companies like Johnson & Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, and Unilever all have a hand in this growing segment.
In the process of creating brands we love, these businesses have capitalized on directing us to more and more expensive beauty/grooming-related items. Every day, we meet purchasing decisions that require a frugal eye. Here are 3 grooming mistakes I was making for years and how I’m saving hundreds of dollars by changing my brand identification.
1. Buying the first deodorant you know, see
The average price of deodorant costs $4-8 (DailyFinance). Approaching the aisle, and you’ll find these sticks screaming at you with bright labels and translucent containers. Sometimes there are twin packs that advertise a deal. Don’t fall for the first available or the twin pack – these aren’t deals.
Axe sprays have become popular options for adolescents. These powerful coverups double as cheap colognes. Comically, Axe products are advertised to attract women and cover up the bad natural scents, but some natural pheromones are important in the attraction game:
For that reason, excessively masking your natural scent could become a detriment (Lifehacker).
A day without my deodorant is scary – it’s a must. But unlike the movement towards gels, liquid, and spray deodorant, the classic stick is still your most frugal option. Oftentimes, I can find clearance deodorant at Target stores for under $1 per stick.
2. Washing with liquid soap
Demonizing the old soap bar has been a crafted, effortful, and deceitful advertising campaign conducted for years. Companies realized that liquid soap could be sold for more money, used more frequently, and dispensed inefficiently. The combination is a boon to business.
I spent years buying into these wasteful products before I realized this err in thinking. Nowadays, buying bar soap is exceptionally affordable. I purchased 12 bars of Dial for about $3. That’s a steal compared to the $3 bottle of body wash.
Savings: ~$2 per bottle.
3. Shaving with razors
Buying refill blades/cartridges for an inexpensive Gillette razor can cost you over $30. Most everyone knows that these razor refills are a complete rip off, but the solutions can seem circuitous. The simple answer is changing your shave, style.
By opting for a trim versus shave, you’ll be saving your skin and budget. Shaving is incredibly tough to that outer epidermis, and often moisturizers and post-shave creams are advised. This should all be included in the price of shaving.
Instead, use a beard trimmer and select an appropriate length. Most trimmers offer a baseline standard for the popular shadow look. For a $20 trimmer, I have saved literally hundreds of dollars in shaving over the years.
Savings: At least $300.