Save Money by Using Less than Suggested Amounts

Here's an easy money saving tip:

Use less than the suggested/recommended amounts of consumer products.

For instance, here are a few products that in my experience do just as good of a job when you use less than what the package recommends you use:

• Shampoo
• Laundry detergent
• Toothpaste
• Dishwasher soap

Maybe it's just a cleaning thing. Possibly it's that cleaners are better nowadays and less can do more. Is that true?

I used to work for a major consumer products company and a simple way they increased usage of detergents and liquid fabric softener that wasn't readily noticeable to the consumer was to increase the size of the cap on the top of the container. A "use" was "one capful," so when the cap got just a bit bigger, consumers used just a bit more. And as a result, the product was used up faster, resulting in a quicker need to buy more.

Are there any other products you've used that seem to require less than the recommended amount to do the job?

Comments

[Chris]

Shampoo! I love how they put "repeat" on the bottle and suddenly people started washing their hair twice.

[Lin]

Dryer sheets (if you use them) I always cut them in half, and they work just as well (and go twice as far)

[jason]

funny you mention that, i was thinking about this recently. i bought one of those Dial "foam" hand-soap refills (i have the dispenser already). there's a sticker on the refill that says something to the effect of "ONLY for use in Dial foam soap dispensers!".

Well, with one pump of the hand soap dispenser you get about 4x as much soap as you need to wash your hands, so of course they're going to want you to only use their dispenser... after that point I made a conscious decision to only use the amount actually needed to wash my hands, and I noticed one fill in my soap dispenser would last for months (vs a few weeks if I used it the way they want you to)

[Minimum Wage impersonator]

People who only make minimum wage cannot afford to use all these expensive cleaners. My and four friends of mine who are all college graduates haven't bathed in approximately 3 years.

It seems that I'm unemployable at non minimum wage jobs. Why?

[beloml]

On a related note, I read a book on advertising that said that the "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz" campaign for Alka-Seltzer was merely a means of getting consumers to use two tablets instead of one.

[Chris]

Some cleaners I make at home with vinegar/water/lemon juice/oil extract, etc in generic spray containers. Cheaper than shelf products, very affordable, even for college students.

[Lynn]

How about food?

No, seriously. I've been trying to lose weight for about five years now. Most recently I've learned that it doesn't take nearly as much food as I thought to get rid of hunger -- maybe about half as much as I previously thought. If my stomach has stopped growling after I eat a small portion (slowly) then I wait about 20 minutes before I decide if I'm still hungry.

Drinking lots of water with my meal also helps.

[Lord]

Don't try this with generic products. Frequently you have to use more just for the same result.

[Mike B.]

When we bought a High Efficiency Front load washer 5 years ago they told us that it would require less laundry detergent, so I use less. But I find it funny that Tide has a special HE detergent that costs more and the amount they recommend using is the same! What a scam.

[WhatWorksForUs]

Baby wipes are an excellent example (they are so over-sized) to be used in half amounts to go further!

[Baz L]

I don't get the dryer sheet thing. You get a box of 160 for about 2 bucks. I personally think that the longer you keep them, the more "stale" they get.

The laundry detergent doesn't really do it for me. I guess I just get more wear out of my clothes, so I usually need a lil' bit more.
--
Baz L
Day In The Life of Baz

[SkyeBlue]

(Baby wipes are an excellent example (they are so over-sized) to be used in half amounts to go further!)

Baby wipes, baby shampoo, baby food and of course formula! Things we never knew we needed until the companies that manufacture them told us so!

[james]

I've often suspected that manufacturers do that to ensure you use more of their products. Besides getting more repeat sales, if you use more than what is necessary, usually it will shine better, smell better, be entra clean etc. I usually use LESS than what is recommended. Off course it depends & I sort of make a mental note of say how much is required to clean a load of clothes.

Even when it comes to changing engine oil, I'll stretched it 10-15% more than the recommended mileage.

[MoneyChangesThings]

I use less of everything of this type - and the results are the same. Less dishwasher powder, for example, and always the lightest setting - works fine. This is an important ecological concept - resource conservation. The less product you use, the less energy is wasted in its manufacture, packaging, and transport. So you're not only contributing to your personal bottom line, but the planet's as well.
Always buy products with the least packaging. It is also more resource efficient to buy the biggest size (just one cap, for example, in a double size bottle equals one less cap produced), provided you can use up the product.

[Clever Dude]

Dang, when I suggested people use a little less shaving cream, they seemed insulted! I realized that I always wash a chunk of lotion down the sink after applying it each time, so I suggested to only use what you need. I guess it's all in the presentation

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