The cost of living is rising, bills are increasing and we all need to save the pennies where we can. This is why I headed to bargain store Savers to see how many products I could bag for a tenner.
If you've noticed your food bill has started to increase, or have been pondering whether you need to cut back on your weekly shop, maybe it would be a good idea to see what bargains you can pick up elsewhere. Savers has always been a go-to of mine for toiletries and select cleaning products as you can often bag them at much cheaper prices.
There are common staples that most people have in their cupboards when it comes to toiletries from soap to shampoo to toothpaste. When all is said and done, the basics are all we need to keep clean and feel fresh so I headed down to my local branch to find out just how many items I could bag for £10 - and, yes, I left with change.
I stuck to a few rules. I kept to the basic items, I often looked out for the cheapest but if there was a product I felt I couldn't live without I treated myself to it. Even with these personal shopping laws in place, I managed to walk away with a goodie-bag full of products that should last me for well over a week.
What did I get for my money?
Simple shower gel - £1
Most people like to have a good body wash in their shower, so I opted for Simple as it came in at the bargain price of £1 for a 250ml bottle. There were a few options around the £1 mark, but I went for Simple because it seemed to be one of the most friendly for all skin types, being free of harsh chemicals and perfumes.
A decent size bottle for the money.
Simple twin soap - £1
I think it's fair to say that most people have a bar of soap in their house, whether it be next to the bath tub or by the sink. For similar reasons as before I opted for the Simple brand, and the duo set came in at £1.
When I looked on the shelves it was one of the cheapest options available at the store I visited, so it seemed like the best option to go with, but I also know I've paid around the same price for a pack of four by some supermarket's own brands in the past.
Right Guard Deodorant - £1
A bottle of Right Guard Extreme came in at £1 too. When I had a look around the shelves, this seemed to be the cheapest although a few were the same price.
For a well-known brand it seemed quite a good deal, especially as Sure deodorant was marked up at £1.75 - nearly double the price. In terms of a bargain hygiene product that will keep you feeling fresh, it seems to come in at a decent price.
Listerine Mouthwash - £1
I know what you're thinking, is everything £1? No, not quite, but this 250ml of mouthwash also was. Listerine can be quite expensive, so I thought this was a really good price. It's a notable brand and is likely to last you a while, so I thought it was quite a good buy.
Sensodyne toothpaste - £2
I'll start off by saying that there were cheaper options available when it came to toothpaste. You could have opted for a cheaper brand like Aquafresh to halve the price of this, but I thought it was important to include something a little more expensive.
We all have something that we feel we simply must use - whether it's anti-dandruff shampoo, a certain makeup remover or a cream for sensitive skin. For me, I can't use any other brand of toothpaste because my teeth get super sensitive, so I had to treat myself to the more expensive option when it came to finding something to clean my nashers.
Even so, when I compared the price to the same or similar whitening toothpastes by Sensodyne on the Boots and Superdrug websites, most seem to be over the £3 mark, so I still made a saving.
Alberto Balsam shampoo - £0.95
If you like to use a well-known shampoo brand to wash your hair, it can often set you back a bit. Alberto Balsam is pretty popular and was one of the cheapest options on the shelves. I tend to like coconut shampoo as it smells pretty lush, but sadly they were out of stock.
Instead I picked up the tea tree option, and it set me back 95p. It's a decent sized bottle and it would probably last a good two weeks, if not more, so a well-known brand of shampoo came in under a quid!
Bristows hairspray - £.0.89
I've seen hairspray costing a good £3 when I've picked it up at supermarkets in the past and, let's be honest, if the cheapest options are gone and you're planning on going somewhere special you are going to splurge on it when you're left with limited options.
Having said that, I've used various hairsprays over the years - some by well-known brands, some by supermarket brands and some I've never heard of having taken to the corner shop in a last minute hair-related emergency. The truth is, I've never noticed if some are better than others, I often just opt for what the tin states offers the better "hold".
That's why I picked up Bristows at the bargain price of 89p. Cheap as chips, and the tin looked familiar, which means either my nan or my mam have used it in the past, so I trusted it will do a good job.
Cosmetic pads - 0.69p
As a woman who wears makeup most days, I always have cosmetic pads in my cupboard. They're always on hand to help rid makeup, apply certain products and for lots of other essential beauty needs.
I managed to pick up 100 for only 69p. You can't argue with that, as they'll probably last me at least a month.
Hand sanitiser - £0.69p
None of us go far without a bottle of this anti-bacterial gold in our bags since the coronavirus pandemic began. That's why I thought it was essential to pop a bottle in my shopping basket and at only 0.69p - how can you not?
They're always handy to have in your bag, and you'll be left with plenty of change out of £1.
All in all I spent £9.22, so I came away with a little change. A basket full of nine items for less than a tenner, which I classed as a successful shop, especially when you think that some of the items will last well over a week.
Is it worth shopping around for your day-to-day toiletries to find the cheapest options? Absolutely. After all, if you look after the pennies, the pounds look after themselves.
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