How to Save Money on Razors

Last year, I spent about $50 on razors. And as someone who shaves almost every day, it’s a great feeling to reduce my personal care spending to such a low amount.

And the best part is it didn’t take any drastic changes to my personal care routine. I just stopped spending money on overpriced brands and learned how to extend the life of my razors.

Between online shopping options and increased competition between razor brands, you really don’t have to pay full price for razors again. No matter how often or what body part you’re shaving, you can enjoy cheap razors without sacrificing the quality of your shave.

How to Save Money on Razors

Some tricks to save money on razors and shaving costs involve changing where you shop to find deals. Other hacks involve changing the brands you buy or even how you store and treat your razors.

In conjunction, these money-saving shaving tips can help you trim your annual shaving budget without worsening your shave.

1. Shop Online

One of the simplest ways to save time and money is to shop online. Personal care products like razors aren’t an exception, and numerous online-only razor brands sell quality razors for significantly less than popular brands like Gillette.

All these brands have razor options for around a dollar or less, depending on the number of blades and whether you’re willing to subscribe:

For non-disposable brands, you also need to invest in the handle, which usually only costs a few extra dollars unless you’re buying a premium brand. 

Which one you choose depends on your preference and what you’re looking to save, but note that single-blade razors like the disposable razors you get from Bic result in a less smooth shave. 

For the smoothest shave, go with ShaveMob or Dorco. Solimo is a nice middle ground, and Schick has the most variety, ranging from cheap disposable razors to premium ones.

Subscription services like ShaveMob (or Amazon if you use Subscribe & Save) are best for those who shave regularly and often. And since Bic, Dorco, Schick, and Solimo are available on Amazon, Prime members can get free shipping and as much as 3% cash back by using their Amazon Prime Rewards Visa card.

2. Make Your Razors Last Longer

If you go through your razors too quickly, you’re spending more than you should. Thankfully, there are numerous tricks you can use to extend the life of your razors.

For starters, rinse your razor of excess hair and shaving cream to prevent build-up from hardening on individual blades. To avoid rust, dry it immediately after shaving. Then, store razors upright (to promote drying) in a dry area instead of the shower.

Having a proper pre-shaving ritual can also help your razors last longer by preventing clogs and painful snags and slowing blade dulling.

• Invest in a Trimmer. Trim your hair to a few millimeters before shaving. There are numerous affordable trimmers under $30.
• Try Pre-Shave Products. Use an exfoliating cream to remove dry, dead skin. You can also use a pre-shave oil, which you can get on Amazon for under $15, to help soften hair and prevent razor burn.
• Use Hot Water. Run hot water over the area you’re shaving to help open your pores and soften the hair before putting on pre-shave products, shaving gel, or foam. 

These small shaving routine changes can extend the life of each razor by an extra week or two. That could be an easy $50 to $100 or more in savings per year, depending on how fast you go through razors and how expensive your razors are.

3. Keep Your Razors Sharp and Straight

Sharpening your razors makes them last longer and lets you enjoy a better shave. 

You can find affordable razor blade sharpeners on Amazon for under $10. These sharpeners are similar to whetstones and let you sharpen your razor by running it against the sharpener’s surface.

But you can make it last even longer by keeping the blade edges straight between sharpenings. And all you need is a pair of old jeans. 

Lay the jeans flat on a sturdy surface like a table. Then point your razor away from you and push it down the leg of the jeans a few dozen times, applying moderate pressure as you do. The razor should be going the opposite direction from how you shave (you’re not trying to shave the jeans). 

This technique is called “stropping,” which straightens and removes imperfections from a blade. Watch a video on YouTube for more information.

4. Try a Razor Subscription Service

Numerous razor subscription services have grown rapidly in popularity over the last few years. These services typically offer a starter shaving kit with a razor handle and several cartridges. From there, you choose to have replacement cartridges delivered monthly or even in increments of two, three, or six months.

The advantage of subscription services is that you theoretically save money in the long-run since replacement cartridges are affordable. 

Most razor subscriptions sell starter kits that include a handle, two to four razor cartridges, and even freebies like shaving cream for $10 to $15. Next, you select how often you want razor refills based on how frequently you shave. 

The best razor subscriptions get down to around $1.75 to $2.50 per razor. But these are premium razors that generally have five blades and lubricating strips to provide a comfortable shave, so you’re not getting cheap disposable razors.

Several leading razor subscriptions you can try include:

All these razor subscriptions ship for free, though Flamingo requires you to spend at least $15 to get free shipping. And you can cancel them at any time, so you’re not on the hook for an entire year or more of razor deliveries.

Choosing what’s best for you largely comes down to preference since prices are similar. I’ve tried both Dollar Shave Club and Harry’s in the past and found the shaving quality to be similar, although I liked Harry’s slightly more. 

If you’re serious about getting the best possible shave, you can always try a subscription service for a month or two and then try another one after canceling.

Just know that razor subscriptions aren’t cheaper than going with Amazon brands or disposable razors. But you save time with a subscription, and you’re still getting quality four- or five-blade razors for a lower price than many leading razor brands with the same blade count.

5. Try the Dollar Store

When buying cheap razors, you often get what you pay for. However, if you aren’t picky about the razors you use or only shave occasionally, buying cheap disposable razors from dollar stores like Dollar General and Dollar Tree can save money.

You can find packs of disposable men’s or women’s razors for $1 or less per razor. The quality isn’t as high as name-brand razors like Venus, but you don’t have to shop online or agree to a subscription service.

Also, some dollar stores do carry name brands like Bic, Venus, and Gillette. So there are usually high-quality razor options as well. These razors won’t be $1, but if you find them, it’s worth comparing dollar store prices to big-box retailers and online options. 

6. Buy in Bulk

If you want to save money on razor blades, sometimes, the best solution is to simply buy more of them upfront.

Costco is the perfect example. As of this writing, you can buy a Gillette Mach3 razor with four cartridges for approximately $3.25 per razor cartridge or a 20-count Mach3 refill pack for approximately $1.85 per blade. Unfortunately, Costco isn’t much cheaper for women’s razors.

Walmart is also a solid option for buying razors in bulk, including women’s razors. In fact, you can find wholesale or bulk razor deals with plenty costing well under $1 per cartridge. 

For example, as of this writing, you can buy an eight-count Schick Hydro Silk razor pack for $29.99, or about $3.75 per cartridge. But a smaller two-count pack from Target costs $8.99, or about $4.50 per razor.

You should still comparison-shop between stores like Costco and Walmart and check prices on Amazon before buying. But if you find your favorite razor on sale, you can lock in savings on several months’ worth by buying upfront. 

7. Skip the Frills

Several factors influence how much razors cost. The brand is one consideration, but ultimately, the razor’s technology and features have the greatest impact on how much you spend.

Common razor features to consider when shopping include:

• Blade Number. A higher blade count generally increases price and is widely thought to lead to a better shave. But additional blades increase irritation, and anyone with sensitive skin should stick to two or three blades.
• Disposable Versus Cartridge. Cartridge razors are more expensive but typically higher in quality. They also ultimately cost less over time.
• Pivoting Head. You can also buy razors with pivoting heads, sometimes known as contour razors, that make it easier to shave contoured areas like your neck, chest, and legs. But these are more expensive.
• Trimmers. Some razors have an attached small trimmer for beard shaping or your bikini line. But if you use a trimmer regularly, you can avoid the upcharge by buying an affordable trimmer from Amazon. 

Ultimately, razor features aren’t worth the price if you don’t need them, so you can save by skipping razors with those features. 

8. Switch Brands

Shaving companies want to develop your unwavering brand loyalty. If you’re getting a great price and excellent shave by sticking with the same razor, don’t change. However, it might be worth shopping around if it’s been a while since you’ve compared prices.

Razor subscription services have different sale periods that suddenly make one more affordable than the competition. Additionally, if you find a different brand of in-store razors on sale, the savings could be worth switching. 

As long as you don’t buy in bulk until you’re sure you like them, you have little to lose.

9. Dodge the Pink Tax

Women often have to spend more than men on certain categories, like apparel, mortgages, and personal care products.

This unfair gender-based expense is known as the pink tax, and razors are certainly a prime example of the tax at work. Take Gillette as an example. It manufactures Gillette razors for men and Venus razors for women. 

I found a package of eight Gillette Fusion5 ProGlide men’s razor cartridges for $26 on Amazon, or $3.25 per razor. In comparison, a package of six Gillette Venus Extra Smooth razor cartridges was $26.47 on Amazon, or $4.41 per razor.

In this example, both razors have five blades and are for sensitive skin, so it’s difficult to justify the price discrepancy. Plus, the Fusion5 ProGlide comes with a precision trimmer and pivoting head, whereas the Venus razor doesn’t have these features, so you’re literally paying more for less. 

And Gillette is just one example. Compare your brand of women’s razor to a similar men’s razor the next time you shop, and you’ll likely notice you pay more.

To add insult to injury, some women say men’s razors provide a better-quality shave than women’s razors. If you want to dodge the pink tax and potentially experience a closer shave that lasts longer, try buying a cheaper men’s razor the next time you need a refill.

10. Try a Safety Razor

Safety razors, also known as one-piece razors or butterfly razors, let you manually replace each blade. You can get decent-quality safety razors for $20 to $30, making them more expensive than disposable and cartridge razors.

Despite their upfront cost, safety razors help save money because of how cheap the blades are. Blades are made of a thin yet sharp steel, so there’s less complexity than disposable razors and premium brands. 

Plus, some argue you get a better shave from a safety razor and that it reduces skin irritation and razor bumps since there’s only a single blade applying friction to your skin.

You can find replacement blades on Amazon for as low as $0.07 per blade. Blades typically last a few shaves. However, even if you shave every day and replace your blade after each shave, you would spend less than $50 per year in razor expenses. Plus, you can buy bulk blades.

But note there’s a learning curve for shaving, and it’s easier to cut yourself if you aren’t careful. If you use a safety razor, video tutorials are essential to teach you how to shave properly. Just make sure you look up a tutorial for the specific body part you’re shaving, as there may be different tips when shaving your legs or chest versus your underarms or face.

11. Use Apps to Earn Rebates

Cash-back rewards apps help you save money on groceries, household essentials, and personal care supplies, including razors.

These apps generally work the same way. Once you install an app, most require you to preselect available rebates. After making an eligible purchase, you upload a photo of your receipt for verification. Receipts earn points, which you can redeem for free gift cards, PayPal cash, or even real money. 

You can also use coupon apps to find discounts upfront, and it’s sometimes possible to stack cash-back rewards from a rebate app or cash-back credit card with coupons for even more savings.

Popular apps you can use to earn cash back or find razor coupons include:

Rewards apps won’t make you rich. But if you save $20 per month by taking advantage of various rebates and discounts, that’s $240 per year in savings just for using a few free apps. 

12. Use Shopping Browser Extensions

One of the simplest ways to save money when shopping online is to use shopping browser extensions. These extensions automatically detect if a retail site you’re on has eligible cash-back deals. Some extensions even automatically apply coupon codes at checkout so you snag immediate savings.

They can save you money on everything you buy. But in terms of saving money on razors, several shopping extensions work with popular razor brands and subscription services:

Just make sure you only use one shopping extension at a time when shopping. Enabling several extensions at once can prevent cash-back rewards or coupons from working. 

When shopping, toggle all your extensions off and then toggle individual ones on to see what types of rewards you can earn with each. When you find the best reward, enable that extension and finish shopping.

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Final Word

Considering how many premium options there are and how often you need to replace razors, it isn’t surprising shaving expenses rack up quickly.

Fortunately, online subscriptions, apps, and general razor maintenance go a long way in keeping your shaving ritual more affordable. Plus, you can always leverage store loyalty programs or use apps like Flipp to find in-store sales so you’re saving something whenever you restock on razors.

As long as you use a few tips, you can keep more money in your pocket and still maintain a close, quality shave.