How The Frugal Law Student Saves On Shaving

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People are willing to fork over tons of money for a good shave. First, they’ll buy the latest 5 blade razor. A cartridge of four blades will set you back about $10. Yikes! Then, you have to get the shaving cream that was specially made for the 5 bladed razor. Cost-$5. You’re looking at spending between $15-$20 just on shaving every 6 weeks. Well, my friends. There is another way.

The razor. The first thing I did to start saving money on shaving was dump the Mach 3s, and pick up an old fashion Gillette safety razor. I found mine at an antique store in Vermont this summer. Ask your Grandpa if he still has his old safety razor and maybe he’ll let you borrow it. If you can’t find a used one, you can still buy one new. You can buy a new Merkur Classic on Amazon for about $30.

Once you make this upfront investment, your shave will be cheaper. Safety blades cost about $.40 each. I go to Albertson’s and buy a 10 pack for about $4. Each blade lasts about 10 days if you shave every day. In addition to saving money, you’re reducing the amount of waste you produce. It’s frugal and environmentally friendly.

One caveat on shaving with the safety razor. When you first start out, you’ll probably slice the hell out of your face. Shaving with an old fashion razor requires more skill than today’s modern 5 edged contraptions. Some dude who’s a old school style shaving aficionado has put together a series of videos on how to shave with a safety razor. Here are the videos:

Shaving cream. I use Barbasol shaving cream. A can of it costs $.99 and lasts for weeks. I figure if it was good enough for my Grandpa, it’s good enough for me. To make the lathering experience more enjoyable, I apply it with a boar brush. Not only does using a brush make you feel manly, it also does a better job in getting the cream under your whiskers for better shaving. Note to ladies: My wife has started to use my Barbaosl shaving cream to shave her legs. Her report was that it gave her the best shave she’s ever had. So, you too can skip the gel and go with the old $.99 can.

I’ve been shaving like this for the past two months. I’m happy to report that I’ve been having the best shaves of my life. Holy cow! I’m smoother than a baby’s behind! The shaves are so close that I can often skip a day and still look clean shaven. Besides saving money, shaving the old fashion way makes me feel like a bad ass. It’s nice to take part in a morning ritual that bad asses like my grandpa, John F. Kennedy, and Teddy Roosevelt took part in.

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9 Comments

1. Julia on 27.08.2007 at 06:41 (Reply)

   Tee hee, I had to giggle when I read this post. Very amusing, and informative at the same time.

2. Mike on 27.08.2007 at 09:24 (Reply)

   Having literally pulled my old safety razor out of the recesses of the medicine cabinet yesterday because I was protesting the cost of the 5-blade razor that I’ve been using for the last couple of years, I find this post timely.

   However, I would add the caveat that shaving with an old fashioned safety razor (1 blade) will yield different results for those who are used to using more than that one blade.

   Having shaved early in the morning, I was a bit startled to notice around noon yesterday that I had “missed a few spots.” It is really easy to do that with a safety razor. People who decide to use them have to take the time to acquire the skill of shaving with one blade. For me, it was easier (and worth my time, if not my self consciousness) to just switch back over to my 5 blade.

3. zap on 27.08.2007 at 09:59 (Reply)

   Just a note that there is a spelling mistake in “Not only does using a brush make you fell manly” where fell should be feel.

4. Mike on 27.08.2007 at 10:14 (Reply)

   You could just be manly by not shaving, it’s even better than feeling manly.

   If on does have to shave, I think that a bar of shaving soap or glycerin based soap can be as effective as cream or gel. If people do use the gels they need to realize they should use much, much less of the stuff than they typically do. It’s a different beast than cream and you shouldn’t use as much. If someone likes the gels, they can still be frugal about them by using a very small amount- it works better and clogs up the razor less than if you are globbing the gel on as though it were shaving cream.

5. Lise on 27.08.2007 at 19:35 (Reply)

   Bah, really manly men shave with a straight razor

   Just kidding I just learn to shave with ye modern three-blade razor (was using electric for many years) and I think that’s about as much as I can take. Tho, being female, I have a lot more to shave.

   Maybe I can convince my boy to make the switch…

6. Extended Warranties, Envelope Cash Video, And Alcoholism: Money Blogs Roundup on 30.08.2007 at 19:53

   […] How The Frugal Law Student Saves On Shaving by Brett @ Frugal Law Student. This is what I was talking about when I wrote this post: I Don’t Need A Microchip For Shaving. Brett’s post reminds me of old days - it was a norm to use safety razors for shaving (around the place where I lived when I was young). […]

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   […] It’s never too early to start shaving your baby. The Frugal Law Student shows you how to save money with the right razor and accessories. […]

8. Emily on 31.08.2007 at 10:51 (Reply)

   I’m a bit late on the take here, but for women? Baby oil is the best. thing. ever. A cheap bottle lasts much, much longer because you need so little. Not to mention, it keeps legs moisturized, thus eliminating my need for lotion. Since it also sticks to your legs, even shaving in the shower isn’t a problem for me anymore–cream rinses off too fast, but the oil lubricates and gives me an impeccable shave.

   Works great for me.

9. Andrew Flusche on 02.09.2007 at 19:17 (Reply)

   Brett,

   This is a terrific post! I’ve been shaving the classic way for several months now, and I love it.

   The idea of finding a used safety razor is great. I remember coming across my grandfather’s many years ago, and now I wish I had kept it. Live and learn.

   I’d suggest trying shaving soap, instead of cream in a can. A $3 cake of soap lasts me forever, and it’s fun to whip up a big lather in the morning.

   Although, Emily’s baby oil suggestion reminded me that a lot of people use oil to shave their face as well. There are lots of shaving oils to pick from.

   Andrew

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