Unlike food items, personal care products like shampoo, shave gel and body wash don’t really expire.
But it’s not like you want to clear shelves and be a hoarder! So, the best solution is to stockpile every item based on how frequent the deals are, always keeping an eye out for the next deal in order to replenish your stash.
Download the KCL app to find out when to print coupons and stack them with a sale on these popular personal care items:
1. Buy high-quality shampoo and conditioner at Ulta in January and July.
I save up to 70% on brands like Matrix, TIGI, Biolage and more during Ulta’s Jumbo Love Liter Sale in January and July.
I typically buy two liters of shampoo and two liters of conditioner every six months, because it’s enough for my family of four and it gets me through until the next sale.
You don’t need coupons, but plan to shop early, because even though the sale lasts all month, inventory disappears on certain products after a few weeks. Expect to see these prices:
- $12.99 liters: Usually retail for $21.00-31.50 (Save up to 59%)
- $14.99 liters: Usually retail for $20.00-53.00 (Save up to 72%)
- $19.99 liters: Usually retail for $29.95-55.00 (Save up to 64%)
2. Buy drugstore brands like Pantene and L’Oreal when they’re under $2.00 a bottle.
The best place to find a stock-up worthy deal on Pantene, L’Oreal or Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner is at a drugstore like Walgreens or Rite Aid.
Stock-up worthy deals where you can get a bottle for under $2.00 (regularly $4.79), show up about once every couple months.
Figure out how much shampoo and conditioner your family uses and then only buy enough to last six months, but start looking for stock-up deals to replenish your supply after about four months.
Join store rewards progams like Balance Rewards (Walgreens) and wellness+ (Rite Aid) so you can combine points with coupons to save the most money.
3. Stock up on shave gel at CVS when it’s under $1.00.
When it comes to shave gel, you can’t really pay attention to men’s or women’s brands. Instead stock up on whatever you can get at the lowest price.
Sometimes, brands will offer the male and female versions at the same time — for example, the deal might be for both Edge and Skintimate shave gel.
We see stock-up deals where shave gels reach between $1.00-$1.50 each roughly once a month (regularly $3.50 each). Plan to stockpile a three-month supply just in case you don’t see a deal you like every month.
Just like with Walgreens and Rite Aid, plan to join CVS’s loyalty program, ExtraCare, and combine point promotions like “Buy 2, get $5.00 in ExtraBucks” with manufacturer coupons.
4. Calculate cost per shave in order to determine when to stock up on razors.
How many razors you should stockpile depends on many things — how many blades a razor has, whether you’re using disposable or cartridge razors, how often you use them, whether you use them for legs or face — you get the picture.
This is why you should calculate cost per shave and plan to buy when you see anything at $0.04/shave or less for disposable razors and $0.42/shave for cartridge razors. Like this:
Step 1:
Number of shaves per razor (6) x Number of razors in a package = Total shaves
Step 2:
Price ÷ Total shaves = Price per shave
So it looks like this, using a pack of Gillette Sensor 3 disposables as an example:
6 shaves x 8 razors = 48 shaves
$2.99 per package ÷ 48 shaves = $0.06 per shave
Stock-up deals are pretty frequent — a couple of times a month if you’re looking at drugstores and grocery stores.
Buy a six-month supply if you don’t change out your razors very often and a three-month supply if you replace razors frequently.
Find out more about how to never pay full price for razors again.
5. Shop drugstore coupon deals and promotions to stock up on body wash.
Body wash stock-up prices vary based on brand name, but if you’re not picky, you’ll have an opportunity to stock up on body wash a few times a month.
Since deals are so frequent, buy a three-month supply in order to save space in your home, knowing you can find a deal when you need one.
Brands like Suave, Softsoap and Zest reach as low as $0.99 each (regularly $4.99) when you combine coupons with drugstore loyalty programs.
Olay, Dove, Aveeno and Old Spice reach as low as $2.99 each (regularly $6.99).
6. Jump on Target gift card promotions in order to stock up on contact solution.
Between gift card promotions like “Spend $25.00 on Healthcare items and receive a $5.00 gift card” and periodic 20%-off Cartwheel offers on eye care, Target is the place to stock up on contact solution.
Since contact solution deals are rarer, you’ll definitely want to buy six months’ worth when prices reach around 60% off.
For example, about four times a year (roughly once a season), we see solution brands like Renu hit the $2.50 range (regularly $8.59) after Target promotions and coupons.
RELATED: How to Get Things at Target for Free
7. Stock up on deodorant when you can get it for free at drugstores.
Deodorant coupon deals at stock-up prices are so frequent that you can plan to stock up only when you can get it for free at drugstores like CVS.
To get these deals, look for ExtraBucks promotions like “Buy 1, Receive $1.00 in ExtraBucks” that you can combine with manufacturer coupons or Ibotta rebates.
Most common brands you can find for free with coupons are Brut, Sure and Speed Stick (regularly $3.49).
8. Get a Sonicare toothbrush from Kohl’s when you can save at least 60%.
About every other month, Kohl’s offers a deal on Sonicare toothbrushes where you can save at least 60% when you combine a sale with a promo code or two.
If you wait until the week of Black Friday to buy one, you can save closer to 80%, because you can stack mail-in-rebates and coupons with a sale, plus you can usually earn Kohl’s Cash.
9. Buy generic Sonicare replacement heads from Amazon and save 80%.
You can wait for a coupon deal to come around on Sonicare replacement heads, but they’re not as common as actual Sonicare toothbrush deals.
Instead, I recommend you buy Sonifresh replacement heads on Amazon, and pay 80% less than you’d pay for Sonicare replacement heads.
I’ve been using generic toothbrush heads for years, and they work just as well as the real deal, plus you can’t argue with these savings:
- Sonicare replacement heads: $17.33 each
- Generic version: $2.50/each
Best part? This is the price anytime you need to buy them.
Learn about other generics you should be buying on Amazon.
10. Stockpile Covergirl and Maybelline cosmetics when you can make money doing it.
There’s a “moneymaker” deal on Covergirl cosmetics like mascara roughly once a month at Walgreens. (CVS is the place to look for moneymaker deals on Maybelline.)
The strategy is the same at either store — shop when you see a Balance Rewards (or ExtraCare) promotion or a percent-off-regularly-priced-items promotion (these can have different names like “Friends and Family Pass”).
When you use coupons, Ibotta offers, and you qualify for the store promotion, you can hit stock-up prices in your sleep and even make some money doing it.
Since these deals are frequent, stockpile a three-months’ supply of the basics, and add extra colors as you see more deals.
11. Combine manufacturer coupons with rebate offers to build your tampon stockpile.
Opportunities to get stock-up prices on tampon brands like Playtex or Kotex aren’t super frequent, but you should be safe if you stockpile a three-months’ supply, bearing in mind you’ll need to be on constant lookout for more deals to show up.
We see tampons hit $2.00 or less per box (regularly $3.97) about every other month at stores like Walmart, Target or CVS when you have a Kotex coupon or a Playtex coupon and an Ibotta rebate.
12. Buy Bath & Body Works hand soap, lotion and fragrance in January and June.
January and June are Semi-Annual sale months at Bath & Body Works. If you’re not picky on scent, the best discount you can get at Bath & Body Works is at the end of the Semi-Annual sales in January and June. This is when you can save up to 90% on hand soap, lotion and body mists.
Sign up for Bath & Body Works emails to receive monthly coupons for dollar-off savings (like $10 off a $30 purchase), percent-off savings (like 25% off), or a free item with a purchase. Use these during the Semi-Annual sale!
I always buy six-months’ worth of hand soap and lotion, and I make a plan to shop every January and June.
Read more tips to save money shopping at Bath & Body Works.
13. Buy a three-months’ supply of mouthwash at CVS or Walgreens.
Mouthwash brands like Crest, Colgate and ACT reach stock-up-worthy prices roughly once a month at drugstores.
When it comes to mouthwash, you can easily get away with stockpiling a three-months’ supply since deals are fairly frequent.
Aim to spend $1.50-$2.00 per bottle (regularly up to $6.99) using manufacturer coupons and store rewards promotions.
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