How to never run out of the essentials, ever, using Amazon’s Subscribe & Save.
Using Amazon Subscribe & Save to keep your house stocked with essentials
Do you have a big family? I don’t know how I’d do it if there weren’t Amazon Prime + Subscribe & Save. Also, while I might pay a littttle bit more from Amazon, I come out WAY ahead because you know where I don’t go nearly as much anymore?
TARGET.
Target used to be the $200 store for me. Lately, it is just the “Fill your cart and pray” store. Sometimes it is under $200 and sometimes I need a paper bag to breath into because HOLY HANNAH I cannot believe $600 of stuff can fit inside one Target cart.
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Utilizing subscriptions and deliveries helps keep my budget on track, and then I can save my big spends for the bulk food at Costco that we buy in double (cause single bulk isn’t enough with all the kids in this house).
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Big Family Essential Subscribe & Save Items
Check out all of the items that I can't live without in our house. Set them and forget them and save ALL of the money by staying out of the big box stores and keeping unnecessary items out of your cart.
Mechanical Pencils
Never let a kid run out of pencils again. I get 1 of these every month, and stock up. (5 of the 7 kids are school-aged.)
Face Clensing Towelettes
I NEVER remember to buy these at the store, and also, I love this brand. Also good for teenagers who mayyyybe don't take all the time in the world to wash their face? Get 1 per month per person who uses them. If you have teenage GIRLS, I'd get 3 a month. 😉
PAPER TOWELS
I love these ones because they double as napkins too, and can be split into smaller squares so you only use what you need. We get 1 every 2 months and come close to running out, but never actually do.
Dish Scrubber
We do a LOT of dishes here, so I get these delivered so I never have to use a gross dish scrubber longer than I should.
Dish Scrub Refills
Like I hate gross scrubby things. Hate. I use these for about a month and then have to toss. We do LOTS of dishes. Well, THEY do. That's why we have all the kids right? All of the dishwashers! 😉
Floor Cleaner
Pine Sol. Yes. You need it. Or whatever it is you use to clean all of your floors.
LYSOL
Kids are messy. You can totally make your own anti-bacterial mix if you want, but if you have a million kids you don't usually have time for all that. I love this stuff.
Honey Sticks
This is a treat, mostly for me. I love me some tea, especially during the cold months or when I have a cold. Honey sticks keep forever and are perfect in a hot cup. Bonus - the kids love eating these as treats.
A CASE of tomato sauce
We eat a lot of spaghetti here. A lot. If you don't eat as much spaghetti as us you could totally get away with one every 2 or 3 months.
BATTERIES
Kids use so many batteries. So many. So do I. Stock up through the year and never be out of battery power.
Laundry Detergent
So much laundry gets done here. So much. I get two different kinds of detergent, one "Free and Clear" for my sensitive skin kiddos, and one full of scent for the adults of the house who like to smell good.
San Marzano Italian Chopped Tomatoes
Like I said, we eat all the spaghetti. Like once a week I make a GIANT 5-6 quart batch. Sometimes we'll eat it twice a week. We love it. Kids will always eat it, and it is my "go to" dinner for when I just DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO COOK.
Crushed Tomatoes
So, I go a little overboard with the tomatoes. I admit it. It is part of my disaster stockpile plan too. NEVER RUN OUT OF SPAGHETTI INGREDIENTS, okay?? Just don't.
Cat Food
ONE EVERY MONTH ~ We have 2 outdoor kitties that I like to treat with some soft food. Subscribing to it means I never have to remember, cause I definitely will not.
Dry Cat Food
You probably won't need that much, but we also have chickens, and my chickens are obsessed with cat food so they end up on the porch eating not small amounts of the cat food. Why the cats don't object, I don't know, but so far in our barnyard the chickens definitely rule the roost!
Dryer Sheets
You might need to adjust your frequency. We get two different kinds of these for the sensitive skin types.
Fabric Softener Sheets, Free & Gentle
See above. Adjust your frequency accordingly. My kids with eczema do really well with this product + the scent-free detergent.
Free and Gentle Laundry Detergent
Adjust frequency as you need to. We do all the laundry with 7 kids, so if you have less or cleaner kids that don't go through their drawers and throw clean clothes on the floor and in the dirty hamper, you might need less.
Trash Bags
As much as I hate it, we generate a LOT of trash. I don't want to ever buy garbage bags, or see how MUCH garbage bags actually cost, so I <3 my garbage bag subscription in ALL THE WAYS. Also, this brand doesn't rip and tear when you are pulling a VERY overstuffed bag out of the can because NO ONE ELSE wants to take it out so they just keep piling stuff on top of it.
Breath Mints
I love to keep these around for when I travel or go to parties or what-not. My teenage boys also love to carry these around. I'm assuming just so their friends don't smell their breath, and no one better tell me any different.
Toothpaste
I cannot tell you how many times we've run out of toothpaste and had to go digging for dentist samples. Subscribe.
ONCE A MONTH ITEMS
We subscribe to these items once a month.
Every Other Month Items
These are the items I have delivered every other month.
EVERY TWO MONTHS
Every two months these get delivered to my doorstep. Without a thought.
Linda McDonald
Saturday 13th of April 2019
This has inspired me to set up some essentials through Amazon. I would much rather spend my time doing fun things with family than shopping at big stores. Thanks for the tips Nicole!!
Nicole Johnson
Saturday 13th of April 2019
Hey Linda! Thanks so much for stopping by. I LOVE Subscribe and Save! I hope you like it too!