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It Cleans My Hands… and Cleans Out My Wallet

January 23, 2013 By Lena

Is there a product you use every day… multiple times per day… and have ever stopped to ask yourself, why??

Such is the case with Bath & Body Works Antibacterial Hand Soap. Before B&BW made their way north of the border, it was considered a luxury to own their sweetly-scented soaps. In fact, a trip to Niagara Falls, NY just wasn’t complete without stocking up on Kitchen Lemon, Sea Island Cotton and Sweet Pea Antibacterial Hand Soaps. At $3.75 per bottle, they were slightly more than the SoftSoap varieties found at Wal-Mart (okay, a lot more – often, SoftSoap could be purchased for $2.29) but I reckoned that my home was somehow homier with the addition of designer hand soap. Plus, B&BW frequently offered promotions, such as 5 soaps for $15, making it even more bang for my cross-border buck.

That was before Bath & Body Works expanded into Canada. And began charging $5.50 per soap. Huh.

The size hadn’t changed – still 236 ml – not even a cupful.

The quality of the product was still the same.

Even the scents were mostly carbon copies of one another – Sea Island Cotton was reinvented into Aqua Blossom which smelled curiously like Dancing Waters but was actually just a fabric softener-type scent repurposed into hand soap.

And those frequently offered promotions? Now we were offered a whopping 4 soaps for $20… increasing the cost per unit by $2 over the “5 soaps for $15” deals of yesteryear.

Why the HELL am I paying so much for soap?

First of all, kudos to Bath & Body Works who coined the term “Antibacterial Hand Soap”. The word antibacterial preys on North American’s fear of germs and bacteria, hence, anything antibacterial is preferable over a product that is not, correct? The fact is, ALL soaps are antibacterial, even when the manufacturer chooses not to include the catchword in their product name. The very definition of soap is a product used to remove dirt and bacteria, so adding “Antibacterial” before your name is akin to creating new and improved “Snot Catching Tissues”, “Ink Dispersing Pens” or “Hydrating Water”.

Second, I get that Bath & Body Works hand soaps smell delicious – and often include fragrances that can’t be duplicated. Trust me, I’ve been using the brand for over 8 years! But the scent is experienced for exactly 14 seconds while lathering and has a lingering threshold of about 6 minutes after you dry your hands. Could this be replaced by a more economical product? Would my life be any less complete if substituted Method’s Juicy Pear Hand Soap ($3.29) or Dial’s Pomegranate & Tangerine ($2.79)? Or… and here’s where really being smart comes in… couldn’t I simply purchase a huge 1L refill container of a drugstore variety for about $5.00?

Finally, what could I be buying if I forego $5.50 hand soap? Let’s break it down. For argument’s sake, let’s say that I purchase the soaps on promo – 4 for $20, or $5 per soap.

I have five soap stations in my home – master bathroom, main bathroom, two powder rooms and kitchen. The kitchen and main bathroom soaps are replaced most frequently – on average, once per month. The other rooms are replaced once every two months or so.

Hence, my annual Bath & Body Works expenditure is:

Kitchen and Main Bathroom: $120
Master Bathroom and Powder Rooms: $90

So, $210.00 on hand soap. Does anybody want to smack me? If I simply refilled each of the empty plastic containers I already have with SoftSoap’s 1.65L refill soap, my annual expenditure would be… $30.00. Net difference: $180.00

Okay, friends – what should I buy with the extra $180 I’ll have this year? Because guess what, Bath & Body Works – You just don’t work for me anymore.

Is there a product that you overspend on, or have overspent on in the past? Do tell!

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: Bath & Body Works, expensive hand soap, household budgeting, random rant

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Debbie Bashford

    January 23, 2013 at 10:37 am

    I like soft soap for the dispenser and Cucumber and Melon Dove bar soap, anti-bacterial soap of any kind is a total waste of money IMO

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 6:56 am

      I really like Cucumber and Melon Dove too – thanks for the reminder!

  2. Candi

    January 23, 2013 at 11:05 am

    I go with whatever smells the best and is cheapest.. I look for either orange scented products or something in apple.

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 6:57 am

      I’m a big fan of citrus scented soap – my favourite!

  3. Jen

    January 23, 2013 at 11:16 am

    I’m cheap on the soap, but spend too much on hand creams!

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 6:57 am

      Ah, I’ve got a couple of L’Occitane hand creams that I’m sure I can live without too :)

  4. nicolthepickle

    January 23, 2013 at 11:20 am

    At least it wasn’t Starbucks.
    If you like using nice soaps I suggest checking out local markets, or etsy shops. The prices would be comparable, and you’d be supporting a small business. There used to be this lovey soap at the Farmer’s Market that I worked at called Pampered Damsel. I still dream of it.

    I think you should spend the extra $180 on a big blinged out cocktail ring. I always spend my “extra” money on flashy things.

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 6:59 am

      Love your idea of checking out local markets! Unfortunately, many of the handmade markets in Toronto are overrun with “Artisans” who charge $11 for a bar of soap. While I love supporting the local economy, there’s a line I draw between “homemade” and “gouging their prices”!

  5. Ella Pretty Blog

    January 23, 2013 at 11:56 am

    I’m SO bad…I use fancy hand soaps in my bathroom and Softsoap refills elsewhere in the house LOL!

    I’m actually not a fan of a lot of B&BW scents – I prefer the luxury hand soaps from Winners – they usually cost around $5-7 a bottle – they are HUGE – and have the most gorgeous scents (my current one is Ginger Flower & Patchouli).

    Hubby has sensitive skin so he actually prefers the moisturizing Softsoap refills – and the kids use SO much soap with each pump – using anything else for them would be a waste!

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:00 am

      That’s not bad, that’s ingenious! Give the illusion of designer soap, but stick the kids with the drugstore stuff :) And yes, Winners soaps are divine. I just bought draw liners in the most beautiful lavender scent – on clearance for $5! Hope the fragrance isn’t stale for sitting on the shelf for so long…

  6. Lisa H

    January 23, 2013 at 12:50 pm

    I have more eyeshadows than I could possibly use up in my life – but Im addicted! To fund that obsession Im cheap on hand washing I guess.

    I have a few of those foaming dispensers where you can add just a few Tablespoons of liquid soap and fill with water. No way to over do it that way. And my ‘dirty’ little secret is I dont believe in using antibacterial products everyday so I use odds and ends of shower gels and shampoos to fill the containers!

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:01 am

      I think I need to invest in a few foaming dispensers (or just use leftover Bath and Body Works ones) and do this trick. My little guy always has a hard time lathering up and I think the foam would do the trick :)

  7. Lee Pearson

    January 23, 2013 at 3:18 pm

    Wow, it really puts in perspective when you add it up on an annual basis! I think everyone has overspent on something. For me, I overspend on makeup, especially on eyeshadows. I have bought eyeshadows in the sixty dollar range and sometimes after getting home find out that I just don’t like them. I feel sometimes the less expensive eyeshadows last longer, stay on longer and are a quarter of the price. I’ve learned to really think about my purchases before handing out money. I still overspend sometimes, but I tell you, it feels so good when I walk away with a bargain. Great post….made me think about where else I can reduce costs.

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:03 am

      Hmmm… eyeshadows seems to be a popular guilty pleasure! I think it’s important to know where we spend money, and ask ourselves if it can be spent better somewhere else. To me, a Danier purse is money spent well – better than hand soap by far!

  8. Soozle

    January 23, 2013 at 6:15 pm

    HOly crap! I am also a B&BW fanatic. I never actually realized how pricy it WAS! I’ve actually used a Pinterest trick of adding about an inch of body wash to an empty FOAM B&BW container, add water to the top and slowly mix (turn bottle upside down and upside a few times to mix solutions)… IT will come out as foam just like the B&BW solutions – but costs a fraction of the price.

    I used to be a smoker – one of the things that helped me quit was realizing how much money was going ‘up in smoke’ (ha ha)

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:04 am

      LOVE that you used a Pinterest trick to help stretch your dollar with hand soap, and LOVE even more that you quit smoking! Congratulations!

  9. Michelle Chow

    January 23, 2013 at 9:50 pm

    Happy Monday, Lena. I tend to overspend on cosmetics especially when they have the gift with purchase promotions. Usually buying more expensive brands such as Lancome, Dior or Channel. Though I have not bought these items in the past few years or so. But I definitely did overspend in the past.

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:05 am

      Hi Michelle! Ah, gift with purchase! Sweetens the “deal” every time… until I figured out that I never used the free stuff!

  10. Jannette

    January 23, 2013 at 10:29 pm

    You’ll appreciate this… Nail polish! I buy entirely too much, it started out in high school as a way to buy a little something without spending too much,
    But I justify it to myself since 99% of the time i do my own manicure and pedicure at home at a fraction of the cost.

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:07 am

      Hahaha I do appreciate that! I used to live near a Revlon outlet store that sold nail polish for $1 a bottle. At one point I swear I had over 50 bottles!! Now I don’t wear it as often but I can appreciate your addiction!

      • Lena

        January 27, 2013 at 7:07 am

        Okay, I’m totally going to go paint my nails RIGHT NOW.

  11. Renuka Sethi

    January 23, 2013 at 10:55 pm

    Wow, interesting read! Didn’t realize it could add up to so much.

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:32 am

      It can, and it does :)

  12. Nicole W.

    January 23, 2013 at 11:17 pm

    I thought “antibacterial” hand soaps were bad? Ahhh, I’m so confused! I’ll stick with my regular old bar of soap in my bathroom :) (Although I do treat myself to Jergens’s vanilla soap once in a while – smells so nice!)

    Crazy how much soap has cost you though! I’m trying to think of what I have/do overspend on… the only thing that I can really think of is food maybe, in that there are probably a lot of things that I could buy in bulk, but instead keep buying many small amounts/packages!

    • Nicole W.

      January 23, 2013 at 11:20 pm

      Oops – meant SoftSoap, not Jergen’s! :)

      • Lena

        January 27, 2013 at 7:33 am

        I think a few companies jumped on the Anti-Bacterial band wagon years ago and were using ingredients that could clean a car’s oil tank. So they got a bad rap. Used in moderation from a trusted brand, they’re fine! But again, soap is soap – no need to add the word Anti-Bacterial in front of it!

  13. Teresa M.

    January 24, 2013 at 1:57 am

    I am picky about handsoap. I usually buy the Life Brand when it is on sale but I love the special ones with lemon grass…Sara bought me a big Body Shop Basket for Christmas and in it were 2 hand wash containers. The Cocoa Butter is in the kitchen and the Satsuma is in the bathroom. The cheaper ones that I hadn’t finished with are underneath the sink waiting until the new ones are empty. I love handsoaps and have been taken in by the lemon grass and at $12 a bottle…you are right…enough is enough!! Excellent article, Lena…thank you!

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:35 am

      YW Teresa! Lemon grass soap at $12 a bottle – I must stop you now!! You could buy 3 equally delicious Method soaps for that :)

  14. Doris Calvert

    January 24, 2013 at 2:43 am

    I actually like the Method hand soap but I love the Body Shop shop which is also pricey but one thing with the Body Shop I learned is you can buy a huge container and I am not in front of it but I believe 950ml or more and it does not cost that much more than the medium size and the body shop will refill them taking off the price of the container and a discount, I have not done it for a few years because everyone buys me body shop so not sure if they still do it but saves a lot of money.

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:37 am

      You’re bringing back memories Doris – I used to work at The Body Shop and refilled many a bottle! Great tip!

  15. Victoria Ess

    January 24, 2013 at 8:28 am

    Haha I don’t want to think about this question!! Lotion comes to mind, because of your post. I’m a sucker for BBW constant ‘sales’ on lotion (3 for $10 anyone?) even though I’m still paying way more per mL compared to a big bottle of drugstore brand lotion.

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:38 am

      Ah, the BBW 3 for $10. I think at one point I had twelve lotions under my counter because of that deal! Time to tighten the belt!

  16. RogersSarahM

    January 24, 2013 at 8:47 am

    Wow, Lena. When you break it down like this, it makes me appalled I spend so much on soap.

    I guess the bigger problem at our house is we only have two soap stations: The Kitchen and the bathroom. With only two of us in the house, the soap takes a little longer to use through. So when I splurge and go on a buying binge at B&B, I usually get stocked for a couple of years. Sounds great, but when I keep buying and we have eight bottles of unopened soap, the finace gets a little peeved. :)

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:41 am

      Hahaha I think we all have a stock pile! The question is, with even two soap stations at your home, how much could you save if you switched to a drugstore brand? If it’s over $50, I say switch and treat yourself to something you’ve been eyeing!

  17. becky

    January 24, 2013 at 11:40 am

    I use the Bath and Body Works soap. However we live very close to the boarder and have a mailbox over there so I order it online from the US site. They cost me 6 for 20. Or a couple times a year I stock up when they are onsale for 7 for 20. They also usually have a 20% off my order coupon or some other sort of discount I take advantage of. So my soap only costs me 2.66 each. Not bad at all :) We also only have the one bathroom and kitchen to so we don’t go through a lot of them.

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:43 am

      Becky, you have the best of both worlds! US prices and using the 20% coupons. At $2.66 per bottle, I fully endorse your B&BW purchases!

  18. mimsie

    January 24, 2013 at 3:35 pm

    I do love Kitchen Lemon–don’t know if I can give it up. I do make it last longer by just squeezing out a tiny bit at a time.

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:44 am

      I love my kichen lemon too :) If I had to continue purchasing one soap, it would be that one!

  19. Mandy

    January 24, 2013 at 10:19 pm

    Wow I had no idea they charged $5.50 for a bottle!! I have gotten a couple as gifts and LOVED the smells but would never pay that myself for regular use. Something like hand soap I just like something that doesn’t dry out my hands and has a decent fresh smell. As for over spending..I’m a pretty frugal person so I tend to go for the cheaper stuff but I do make sure I get a good brand of face cleansers and moisturizers but I think that is totally worth it..and I’m not buying the crazy expensive stuff but a good brand that works for my skin

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:52 am

      I think Bath & Body Works is best when gifted :) Great that you know what to spend money on!

  20. Jenny

    January 24, 2013 at 11:05 pm

    I splurge on their candles from time to time but I can never justify their lotions or their soaps… even if they do smell magnificent! Hehe. Any soap will do for me as long as they do their job so I typically just buy the refill to refill.. needless to say, my soap container is really ugly and old.

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:53 am

      Haha Jenny never mind the ugly and old… I love your attitude! As long as they do their job is right!

  21. Angie

    January 25, 2013 at 9:28 am

    I love this posting – I have used B&BW soap for years as well (every time we were in the US I would bring it back for myself, family and friends – the days when we didn’t have any in Canada or they wouldn’t ship to Canada). I have always been hassled about it by my husband – it’s soap he says – why do we need so spend so much?? He does understand my need for these lovely seasonal soaps though and despite his hassling understands I take joy in my soap! :) I do admit that lately I have started buying refill packs of other soap and refill the bath and body work containers with it!

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:54 am

      Ah Angie, you totally understand me! I do take joy in my soap, but lately I’ve discovered that drugstore refills are just the way to go.

  22. Jennifer Abbott

    January 25, 2013 at 5:47 pm

    I will try to save money on certain things like my grocery bill but will spend money on a good perfume only once a year though.

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:55 am

      I like that you limit yourself to things you really love. Good for you!

  23. NT

    January 25, 2013 at 9:51 pm

    I still love BBW handsoaps. I also like Method and I’ve bought LifeBrand many times too, so it all averages out.
    I think I overspend on clothes for the kids. When you can’t put anymore laundry away into their drawers, that might be a sign that they have too much.

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:56 am

      Yes, that is a clear indication! I can’t resist a good kid’s clothing sale either!

  24. Cori

    January 26, 2013 at 12:27 pm

    Thanks for putting this in perspective!

    • Lena

      January 27, 2013 at 7:56 am

      My pleasure, Cori!

  25. Suzie M

    January 30, 2013 at 2:39 pm

    it is so easy to get into a habit & never think twice about what things really cost
    I am loyal to a few brands but am always checking the prices

    • Lena

      February 5, 2013 at 7:59 pm

      Good for you Suzie! It’s important to have a handle on what you spend, and where!

  26. InezbyDesign

    February 1, 2013 at 11:08 am

    We have never used “pump” soaps much in our home. My sweet heart does not like them…dirty bars are so much better?? Anyway…I agree they are very expensive for what you get. I wonder now with all the green and crunchy mamas out there, if there is an easy refill with DIY soaps??

    • Lena

      February 5, 2013 at 8:02 pm

      Hahaha love this: “dirty bars are so much better??” And I think there’s absolutely a DIY refill, just have to find it!

  27. angie smith

    February 3, 2013 at 3:39 pm

    bath & body works has amazing sales though and the receipts always have a $10 off $30 purchase on the bottom for the next visit if you complete the short survey. we’re obsessed…

    • Lena

      February 5, 2013 at 8:05 pm

      That’s how they got me for 7 years, Angie!!! :)

  28. Lidia Imbrogno

    February 6, 2013 at 9:47 am

    I use the B&BW bottle and refill it with the soap from Wal-Mart! hehe

    • Lena

      February 6, 2013 at 5:44 pm

      Now that’s sneaky… and smart!

  29. jan

    February 11, 2013 at 3:02 pm

    I purposely do not purchase anything that states ‘antibacterial’, and also refill a bottle that takes 1/2 water to foam the soap.

    • Lena

      February 13, 2013 at 9:50 am

      Good thinking Jan! So much more economical that way!

  30. Jillian Christine

    February 16, 2013 at 11:11 am

    I love Bath & Body Works! It’s hard to walk out of that store without at least 3 bottles of hand soap!

    • Lena

      February 17, 2013 at 10:46 am

      I know!! They all smell so delicious!

  31. Anne Taylor

    June 9, 2013 at 11:28 am

    Its quite eye opening when you break down the cost like that. I’m a super duper cheapie, so we usually buy what’s on sale at the time we need it. As for lotion, well we either use olive oil or coconut oil!

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Toronto Blogger, Social Media Strategist for Listen to Lena Inc. Television & Radio Personality, Columnist and Speaker. Family Travel Expert. Star Wars Fanatic. Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion. Read More…

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