Comments on: How to subscribe to toilet paper

By: Gee No

Gee No — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:41:13 +0000

I like the idea if not the prices. Prices seem a bit high to me. In my area state and local sales taxes add an extra 9% to anything I buy at the store so any time I can buy something online with free shipping at a great price, I’m all over it. Yes, my state does ask me to pay a 4% “consumer’s use tax” on items bought out of state which I calculate on my yearly income taxes. Still saves me 5% the local municipalities gouge me at the local stores. If I thought any form of taxes [state, local, federal, sales] were ever put to their best use, I wouldn’t mind forking out the money. Tremendous amount of waste at all levels. To those municipalities who are losing out on the opportunity to waste more of my tax dollars? I say, “deal”!

By: James

James — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:36:13 +0000

Got a question about the environmental impact of shipping the items.

If you think less gas is used by buying stuff from your local store, how does the stuff appear in your local store.

Magical fairy transport?

By: Eric

Eric — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 02:18:44 +0000

The environmental concern here is actually laughable. Around the world, people drink contaminated water, burn dung for heat, etc. China and India are doing nothing to curb greenhouse emissions and do not intend change that. Yet, people here are concerned about the harm shipping a package might do to the environment. If you are that concerned, do something major – help the third world instead of feeling sanctimonious because you helped the world by not ordering online. Amazing.

By: mike

mike — Sat, 24 May 2008 11:28:43 +0000

we do for diapers and baby wipes. easy – pretty steady pace of consumption – plus it was cheaper in the end. show up on the from door and up to the closet. suppose when we get potty trained we can move up to toilet paper

By: Anne

Anne — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:27:10 +0000

I currently use Subscribe & Save, and was delighted to see an article about it.

My two cents is this: compare the size/quantity of the items to what you can get in your local stores, and then decide if it’s worth it. You’re not committing to getting everything you ever use that’s non-perishable, you’re just letting the service help you with a few items!

There are some products that, in the big city I live in, are totally overpriced in the stores I can get to anyway. So Amazon’s S&S – with the additional 10-15% off for subscribing (& FREE shipping) – is generally cheaper, or about the same. This isn’t true of all items, certainly. But if you’re like me and don’t have a car and have to hike whatever you purchase a mile to your apartment, you appreciate saving the time and trips.

As for the packaging and shipping – pretty sure the mailman comes each day whether or not I get a package from Amazon… and you can use the boxes for storage, shipping items to friends, etc.

It’s not a perfect system, but I’m grateful it’s available.

By: Sentient Meat

Sentient Meat — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:40:46 +0000

I do my best to avoid any subscription services of any kind. Cell phone and eMusic, no real choice there. But most other things – I’ll just be less aware that I’m spending the money. I’m going to hit the store anyway for perishables. So why not get my TP or coffee then? And psychologically I feel the sting of buying more, so maybe I’ll spend less elsewhere.

By: lisbet

lisbet — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:05:49 +0000

Hm, I was intrigued (really inconvenient to get to a decent grocery store at my end of the city), but they don’t have my cleaning products yet- the Mrs Meyer’s wipes I use, for example. Or, they stock them but only sell them in large quantities and unfortunately I live in a very small apartment with no storage. I would have nowhere to put 24 bottles of cleaning spray or 48 rolls of TP.

I’ll have to wait until they add more items/ smaller packs.

By: Katharine

Katharine — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:00:17 +0000

Just a follow up…I subscribed to eight items, and promptly received eight boxes. Is there any way to have them ship the items together? The good news-I will never run out of Q-tips again!

By: Kim

Kim — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:05:51 +0000

The value of subscribe and save/amazon grocery varies depending on the product. We set up a subscription for powerbars, which works out to be cheaper than purchasing them individually or by the box at local stores (warehouse stores never carry the specific type/flavor of powerbars we like), even factoring in sale prices. I’ve also found that premium tea is typically cheaper on amazon than the same brand would cost direct from the manufacturer or at specialty stores.

By: Shelly

Shelly — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:53:37 +0000

I share a house with 6 people in downtown San Francisco. We run out of toilet paper or paper towels on an almost weekly basis, and end up paying really high prices at local stores to replace them. This is going to be great for us.

By: PJ Doland

PJ Doland — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:49:38 +0000

Doing this also helps curb the impulse purchases you might otherwise make when buying these items in a local brick and mortar store.

By: Celeste

Celeste — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:47:53 +0000

The subscription fee would buy an awful lot of groceries. But mainly, I am away from home for a long day and the packages would be sitting outdoors waiting for me to arrive home; I don’t have a covered porch. I don’t want to have to worry about my stuff getting damaged in the weather. Theft is not likely considering my location. Having the packages held for pickup completely defeats the purpose of not going out shopping for them.

I’m sure it’s a boon to somebody (mostly somebody who is at home and who has mobility/scheduling issues) but I could not make this viable for my situation.

By: pj

pj — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 01:14:38 +0000

I don’t get this. The prices are really high and the quantity means that you would have to store tons of stuff. Seems to me this is exactly not what unclutterer is all about.

By: Sandy

Sandy — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:12:13 +0000

I have had several subscribe and save items with amazon and am down to one now that I’ll cancel soon too. It seemed like a good idea at the time but I inadvertantly ordered 120 cups of Rice Krispies and they arrived in two large boxes. I live alone and storing the things took up most of my kitchen cabinets. I’m only half way through them and am getting really sick of Rice Krispies. It wasn’t until I got them that I realized how wasteful they really were. I do have bowls. The other subscribe and save item was something I couldn’t find in the store anymore. And now it is unavailable. So unless you really need something and can’t find it in the store, it really is better to buy what you need as you need it.

By: Words Within

Words Within — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 13:00:39 +0000

I agree with most everyone’s comments.

This is an environmental issue as well as a cost issue. I shop at a deep discount store in my neighborhood and some of thee prices are almost TRIPLE what they charge.

No thanks – as much as I hate shopping, I’ll do it to save the money anyday.

By: Jude

Jude — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 02:42:32 +0000

I’ve been using Amazon groceries since it started. I don’t subscribe, though. There are many items I simply can’t find in my small town in rural Colorado. There’s an organic grocery store 60 miles away, and they charge much more than Amazon. I inherited a big house, so I have plenty of room to store everything. I’m also agoraphobic. For me, Amazon groceries, used selectively, is a wonderful thing.

By: winkleperi

winkleperi — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 01:09:25 +0000

This post sounds like an advertising ploy to me; the writer’s language isn’t remotely similar to other posts I’ve read on unclutterer. What gives? This is so environmentally hazardous that I am speechless. All of that packaging is a complete waste, and what clutter! And supporting Amazon over local businesses? I’m pretty shocked at this post.

By: Katharine

Katharine — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:49:26 +0000

This is great for me at this point in my life. With two small kids, time is more important than money. With a large house that I’ve been clearing out, I have plenty of room in storage areas to keep the bulk. Some of the prices are unreasonable, but for some of the items I usually run out of at inopportune times, the prices are comparable to local prices. I agree that cereal (who pays $4.50 for Cheerios!?!?!)and many other items are too high to even consider buying, due maybe to our lower cost of living here. Also, they don’t yet have many of the brands we use in the subscribe option. This is something I started using today after reading the article, and will watch to see if they offer more brands, or cut prices.

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:28:53 +0000

Ewwww… What about the environmental impact…. Go green… Global Warming… Would you like some wine with that?

Who the hell cares!? Get over yourselves, you are subscribing (like my use of subscribing?) to the biggest scam ever known to man. Global Warming is not real. Get over it. Step giving everyone extra money just to get green. That saying makes me sick! Green. Good lord people are you all gulible!?

By: Recovering Food Waster

Recovering Food Waster — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 15:40:03 +0000

I can beat their prices handily by shopping sales at my grocery store(the most I ever pay for a box of cereal is $2, and it’s usually more like $1) And since, at least at this point in life, I seem to have more time than money, I’m not going to use Amazon for groceries.