Have you saved money by switching to wet shaving?

[Rei]

now that I've settled on my general routine, the initial investment is going to pay off - especially if I sell off some of my gear

I agree that having to try different items ends up costing lots of money, but luckily, the high priced items can be resold. There are the collectors that keep everything that they buy, but I'm not one of those. I have a merkur HD, tubs of creams, and a brush that doesn't get used anymore. My wife keeps finding 'great smelling creams' to bring home, and I don't know how to tell her that my face likes soaps, so I have some creams that I don't use.

I primarily use a Feather DE, Dork blades, a synthetic brush and a puck of williams. I have the other 'better' stuff, but for some reason my face likes the cheap stuff.

Regardless, as long as I don't keep the stuff that I don't use 'for my collection', I save money.

 

[ratcheer]

Wet shaving has cost me a small fortune. But, I now enjoy shaving instead of hating it. I suppose this is a lose-win situation.

Tim

 

[77DX]

The wife's in too, so we've laid out a little cash in the last few months on stuff for the both of us. We've two nice but fairly inexpensive brushes, half a dozen moderately prices creams and soaps, three DE razors, and a hundred or so blades. But we're not buying $4.00 cartridges for her Triple-Trac or bags of Bics anymore.

I'm gonna say it's a wash. But that's mostly because I'm afraid of really doing the math.

 

[SlyGI]

I haven't saved money yet, but I plan too. I'm the type of guy that will try everything, then pair my stuff/equipment down to a few staples. At that point, I'll save money.

 

[Tricknology]

Short-term, no. Oh Lordy, no. Long-term, yes. (hopefully)

 

[shadowblade]

As long as you don't spend a ton of money on fancy creams/soaps, I think it does save quite a bit of money.

 

[OldSaw]

I guess I'm one of the few that has saved money. I could never get a week out any cartridge except the Schick FX Diamond, which is no longer available. I have not bought any blades in about a year and could probably go another year or two before needing more.

I just opened a puck of AOS Sandlewood shave soap that my wife bought for me last April. Except for creams, which I occasionally play with, I use up a soap before moving on. My last one was a C&E Sienna which I opened around last Nov/Dec.

Most of my shaving budget goes to soaps and creams. I only have one brush for daily use. My old brush that I bought around 1990 is now my travel brush and the one before that I keep at my cottage.

Resistance may be futile in the beginning. However, if you want to enjoy this hobby for the next 20+ years as I have already done over the past 20+ years, you must learn to control the impulses or run the risk of suddenly chucking it all when you or your spouse, if married, finally decide enough is enough.

 

[Mainecanefan]

I'm going to try and restrain myself from going hogwild on supplies for wetshaving, but we'll see how that goes in the long run. I figure that I was spending $60-$80 per year in blades and another $20 in shaving cream before I made the switch. My investment so far- $25 ($30 with shipping) for a Merkur razor, $5 for blades, $10 for Proraso Green(which will last a hell of a lot longer than canned goo) and $6 for a cheap brush (I will upgrade soon). I'll be ahead of the game in the long run even with the occasional expenditure. Looks like my next expenditure will be the sample pack from west coast shaving. How can I miss out on that?

 

[loueedacat]

Not everyone has AD. I'm definitely ahead of the game compared even to Sensor cartridges. Three razors, all from family; better brush as a Xmas present; been through the sample pack, found the one I liked, and bought it in bulk; one soap at a time. Probably have spent what I would have spent on cartridges in the last six months, but I'm set for consumables for the next year.

I applaud you.

If I buy nothing for five or six years I'll break even and have a lot of cream and soap left over. Anyone care to take odds?

 

[norman931]

I've spent quite a bit, but have settled down some. One brush, a few DEs, soaps, and aftershaves. For DEs, all I really need are Techs and Red Tips. The straight razor bugs are still biting, though. I have about 2 dozen straight razors. As I get proficient at honing them, I will bring that number down to maybe 7.

 

[thirdeye]

Not a chance...
I went to the bank last week to secure a loan, they suggested I put up my razors as collateral....

 

[ravkesef]

Not saving money, but I'm having a blast.

I suppose I could enjoy some economy of scale if I shaved 8 or 10 times day.

 

[thunderball]

I've gone a little overboard and I haven't even started wetshaving yet (my Merkur arrives next week). Once I got a few sampler packs it's been a slippery, lathery, downhill slope! As long as I keep telling the wife that anything that arrives in the mail is actually 'free' I think I can get away with it.

 

[PHormality]

I used the lower monthly cost as an excuse for bigger 1 time costs. I haven't gone overboard on creams or soaps...still on my first, its been a month or two and I've barely made a dent in it. I did buy a $120 scuttle, but 100 blades were only $17..that would be 5 cartrages.

I don't see myself going overboard, so while I'm slightly in the red now, I will be saving money by the end of the year without a doubt


Although, before I didn't shave at all...just trimmed so that didn't cost me a dime. In that respect it will cost me more money..but not more then a Fusion would

 

[ouch]

Right. If I save any more money with this thing of ours, I'll have to wear a barrel around my waist.

 

[Mojo88]

For me I would guess break even, when you consider I would spend over 150.00 on a good electric every few years. It also has given my wife and I something to do on cold weekends, we go to the local antique stores and once in a while I find something. I now have about 16 razors that I have purchased and kept. I like the fact that I can find something over 50 years old, take it home clean it up and in most cases have a functional piece of history. Also, I have found some duplicates of razors and sold them on E-Bay. That narrowed the gap,as far as funds coming in and going out, it allows me to buy what I want and not go into our personal finances.

 

[KenS]

I'm spending far more now. Before, it was a full beard for three or so years. Before that it was Edge gell and Sensor Excell refills at Costco for several years.

 

[greychamp]

If I shave with aerosol shaving goop for the rest of my life, I will probably spend less money than I have spent on my Plisson #16 HMW, my Rooney 3/2 finest and my Simpson T3 and that's not counting the money I've spent on high-end triple-milled shaving soaps. Is it worth it? You bet!!

 

[sultis]

Maybe once I get past my RAD I will, but for the time being I'm in the hole
But the pleasure of wet shaving and the enjoyment of the razors, etc. is well worth it
My kids can always sell my collection

 

[OldSaw]

When shaving is a chore and you hate it, any amount of money is too much. Once it becomes a hobby and you enjoy it the expense is worth it.

However, I still advise using caution with ADs. Especially if your learning curve is long. The extra spending may steer you away. If you have the money to spare, searching for the perfect brush can be fun, just don't let the acquisition obsession derail the fun.