Off the Urban Grid

Bathroom Tip: Make Use of What You Have

How many cakes of soap, bottles of perfume or cologne, bath fizzes and containers of lotion do you own? Until you organize them and arrange like items together, you probably have no idea what luxurious fragrances and body cleansers are waiting to be used in the cabinet. Consumerism is what drives our society, and families often buy more of the products they already have or they buy in bulk. In both cases, you can end up with too much.

Toiletries can add up quickly without you realizing, and if you like to switch and use different products, you probably have a bunch of half empty jars and bottles. The unfortunate thing is that these items do have an expiration date, so it’s in your best interest to finish using these products before purchasing more. If you don’t care for a product, give it to a family member or friend who doesn’t mind receiving a half used container of lotion.

Making due with the lotions, soaps and perfumes already on your bathroom cart can save you money too. By going to the store blind, you’re probably going to buy items you don’t need or multiples of the same items.

So how can you efficiently make use of what you have? Well, it definitely helps to organize your products. Arrange all of the lotions and perfumes or colognes on a bathroom cart or put them in baskets under the sink. Not only will this display the products nicely, but it will give you easy access to items you need to focus on using. It’s also a great idea to stock your guest bathroom with some of your excess toiletries, because guests will enjoy using your luxurious hand lotions and body soaps.

Although bathroom toiletries do add up quickly, you can apply this “using what you have” to everything in your household (e.g. clothing, food, laundry supplies, etc.). Making due with what you have reduces your waste and those unnecessary shopping trips.

Tags: consumerism, reduce your shopping, sustainable consumerism