Buying things in doubles (twos). [Archive]

Mrs-M

8-6-11, 12:33pm

Now here's one that intrigued me. In fact it intrigued me to the point of starting this thread. (I thought it would be interesting to hear from other SL folks in respect to this).

Yesterday, while out shopping, I picked up DH his shaving foam/cream he asked for, but instead of grabbing just one for him, I picked up two. (He doesn't like running out so always gets two when he buys it).

OK, so I started thinking about what areas of my life buying in twos applied. Here's what I found. Salt is one, toilet paper another (I always buy two packs at a time), HP Sauce is another, and olive oil is yet another. (Always in twos to avoid running out).

So how about you? What things do you purchase in twos when buying?

herbgeek

8-6-11, 2:37pm

I hate running out of things, so I usually buy /more/ than 2 of things I regularly use, for things that don't spoil. There are a few things I buy 2 at a time: toothpaste, coffee bean packages are 2 that come to mind. I also will buy the next thing before the first thing gets to half way used, such as a bottle of oil. I seem to buy tissues 3 at a time, don't know why its 3, and not 2 or 4.

IshbelRobertson

8-6-11, 5:14pm

I usually buy two of items when they are on special offer. At the mo in the UK, there are loads of 'get three for the price of two' - which drives my husband mad - he hates having to store 2 spares of things! For instance, today, my local supermarket had a deal on dishwasher liquid tabs -three for two - so I bought them!

Mrs M - glad to see that HP sauce is popular outwith the UK!

goldensmom

8-6-11, 5:26pm

I'm trying to think of something that I don't buy in twos, threes or more. Since I retired and my income was cut in less than half, if something is on sale (non-perishable, of course) I buy multiples regularly. Sometimes the sales slip buy me. Recently we ran out of toothpaste and had to buy some at the regular price - slapped myself for not watching the sales close enough.

Tiam

8-6-11, 9:07pm

reader99

8-6-11, 9:16pm

Just about everything, if I would use up both before expiry. I like to have the one I'm using plus another on hand for almost everything. Big Lots has such good prices on some things I use, that I buy 5-6 sometimes, to save having to go out of my way to shop there soon.

Bronxboy

8-7-11, 7:59am

If I find a clothing item that looks good and fits well, I'll sometimes buy two at the same time in different colors (especially shirts).

Float On

8-7-11, 9:03am

Black V-neck T-shirts. I probably have 6 right now, but I always buy 2 at a time because I hate it when they fade a bit.
Pretty much any grocery shopping I will buy 2 of canned or frozen items. Which is an improvement for me because I use to always buy 4 and ended up with 'pantry overkill'.
Laundry detergent, bathroom items (like toothpaste, floss, deoderant, shampoos).
I always buy a multi-pack of TP and papertowels (can't get the dh to quit using papertowels).
I quit buying cleaning items every time I'd have a coupon and FINALLY after 4 years am down to what is currently being used to dust,clean, etc). I will never overbuy that stuff again.
I'm also working down the pantry and hope to get a better grasp of only buying what we'll really eat each week. Stuffed pantry to the point of things falling out is not good for my mental well-being.

Mrs-M

8-7-11, 11:16pm

Love your doubles (twos) lists guys!

Ishbel. Yeah, pork roast dinners (in our house) just wouldn't be the same without a bottle (or two) of trusty HP! Psst. If you promise to keep it a secret, I'll tell you a little something. (DH would cry like a baby if there was no HP in the house on pork roast night).

Courtesy of just finishing up washing tonight's supper dishes, I'm adding liquid dish soap to my doubles list. (Two bottles under the sink)! None bottles were how many I had before I went shopping on Friday.

Mrs-M

12-6-12, 1:48pm

Bump!

Really loved this thread, and although it failed to take off, I'm resurrecting it again, in hopes of inspiring a few more members to post about!

JaneV2.0

12-6-12, 2:34pm

Shoes. I often buy two pairs in different colors. It's not unusual for me to buy multiples of anything.

treehugger

12-6-12, 2:39pm

Shoes.

I always buy two shoes at a time, too. Socks, too, now that I think about it. ;)

Kara

JaneV2.0

12-6-12, 2:49pm

I saw that coming. http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/artists/just_cuz/JC-mitt.gif

Mrs-M

12-6-12, 2:51pm

You're not going to take that, are you, Jane? :)

treehugger

12-6-12, 2:52pm

I saw that coming. http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/artists/just_cuz/JC-mitt.gif

Yeah, there was pretty much no way I could let something like that go. Blame my upbringing!

Kara

Gregg

12-6-12, 2:57pm

Anything food. We have a large pantry so I'm a stocker-upper. Things we use often always have at least one in the cupboard and one in the pantry. As soon as the rotation happens the back up immediately goes on my grocery list. It makes me crazy to run out of things.

Mrs-M

12-6-12, 3:11pm

Me, too, Gregg! Particularly important things such as HP Sauce, honey, Worcestershire Sauce (Lea & Perrins), and heaven forbid if the kids run out of ketchup, Mrs-M, is on the poop-list!

catherine

12-6-12, 3:15pm

Mrs M - glad to see that HP sauce is popular outwith the UK!

Hey, HP is not just for Canadians and Scots! My pantry always has at least a bottle and a back-up!

bae

12-6-12, 3:15pm

- athletic/hiking/walking shoes - if I find a pair I really like, I immediately buy a second pair to set aside for when the first pair dies. My feet are hard to fit, and a comfortable shoe is like gold.

- polo shirts - when I find a brand/size that I like, that holds up to wear, I buy 2 shirts of each color I like.

- cargo shorts - same deal as shirts

- handguns or rifles meant for utilitarian purposes - I usually get two of a model if it is one I plan on actually using a lot. If it is a firearm for a more limited purpose, such as collecting, experimenting with, hunting particular game, using for very specific target events, one will suffice.

- coffee - why buy one pound of beans, when it is just as easy to buy two, and hide one in the freezer so that the Coffee Sucking Weasels don't go through all your coffee when you aren't looking?

- canned foods - I almost always buy a duplicate can to go in the longer-term pantry. We have a small in-kitchen pantry, and a larger pantry in an adjacent space. When I find myself dipping into the larger pantry, I know it is time to restock. Keeps grocery trips to a minimum.

- Mora knives. They are so inexpensive that I always order extra, as shipping charges are almost as much as these inexpensive knives, so spreading the charges over multiple knives is the way to go. They make excellent gifts.

goldensmom

12-6-12, 3:21pm

I buy multiples of most things if on sale. Groceries and paper products mostly but speaking of shoes, pairs of shoes that is, I never knew anyone who bought more than one pair of shoes at a time until I met my husband who wears 14EEEE so when he finds shoes in that size he buys several pairs. Same with jeans, with a 36" inseam he buys multiples when he finds them. Is it pair or pairs?

bunnys

12-6-12, 3:26pm

I rarely buy two of one item of clothing in different colors. When I do, I usually regret it and take one of them back. There's just too many clothing choices out there for me to buy the same style in different colors.

Food--pretty much everything. I only go to Trader Joe's about 1x per 2 months so I will frequently buy multiples of several of their items. Their soy creamer is by far the best on the market and so I buy 8-10 pints of that every time I go. But also multiples of frozen spinach and convenience foods and their hot chipolte salsa I buy like 5 of those and red pepper/eggplant spread.

At the HFS I go to for one item frequently the only thing I want they are out of so I've started calling ahead to see if they have it in and when they do I go buy 8-12 pkg of their frozen chik'n patties.

Generally, most of the food I eat is the same thing over and over again so I usually buy more than one of most items when I am stocking up. However I don't buy something like multiple containers of olive oil bc I buy in in like 1/2 gallon or more (it's big) and that lasts awhile. I NEVER buy more than one salt at a time bc it takes me about 3 years to go through one container.

Mrs-M

12-6-12, 3:28pm

Bae. What I'd give to have a secondary pantry! I'd keep bulkier things, along with doubles and extras in the secondary pantry, and treat it like my own personal store, and just like you do, look at replacing stuff as I dipped in.

14EEEE, Goldensmom!? That isn't a shoe/boot size, it's a ski size! LOL! If it's any comfort to you, I use both "pair" and "pairs". :)

Mrs-M

12-6-12, 3:31pm

Bunnys. My mouth is watering now after reading about the chipotle sauce! Another double I just thought of, Tabasco!

bunnys

12-6-12, 3:38pm

OMG, their Hot Chipolte Salsa is amazing. I don't know if they have TJ's in Canada but if they do, you should try it (along with the red [bell] pepper/eggplant spread [also phenomenal.])

Mrs-M

12-6-12, 3:42pm

I meant to type, Chipotle Salsa. OK, thanks for the insight scoop, Bunnys! Although we don't have a TJ's, I'll be keeping my eyes open for the salsa and spread!

Mighty Frugal

12-6-12, 5:23pm

Add me to the HP sauce fan group (although my former English boyfriend said in England nobody called it 'HP sauce' but rather 'brown sauce' and they would squirt a squirt of brown sauce and a squirt of ketchup and call it 'mud and blood' haha. I love having homemade bread with Friollani cheese and dip it in HP (or grilled cheese-mmm)

I buy doubles or triples of anything on sale! Always have tons of tp around (don't want to run out of that!)

But if it is not on sale I don't buy double of anything (I'm always hopeful the next time I buy it it will be on sale!)

IshbelRobertson

12-6-12, 5:35pm

catherine

12-6-12, 5:39pm

On the east coast of Scotland, when buying a fish n chip supper, the server will say 'Want salt n soss wi' that?' Soss (brown sauce) is thinned with lots of malt vinegar and sprinkled liberally, and topped with an even more liberal shake of coarse grained salt! Interestingly, on the west coast, they just add vinegar and salt.

As we say. 'Ye cannae whack it'!

Here in the US, some places will have fish 'n chips on the menu, but my family knows that if you ask for malt vinegar and they look at you funny, it's time to order something else :)

Gregg

12-6-12, 5:55pm

Heinz now has HP Sauce in reduced calorie, fruity, BBQ, steak sauce and blended with Guiness. Who knew?

Bunnys...oh yea, TJ's red pepper and egg plant spread. YUMMMMM.

IshbelRobertson

12-7-12, 5:22am

The new HP varieties were introduced by the company who bought the brand, after they moved production to The Netherlands (sob, sob!)

Rogar

12-7-12, 8:04am

Another shoe guy. If I find a pair that fits well, I'll get another. It has ended up that I have sort of a cumbersome accumulation of shoes since I have shoes for different season and purposes, and am glad to hear it might not be just me.

For most other things, it's just ones. Sometimes the grocery stores have a sale price of two for $XX, but with still give the sale price if you buy just one. I usually get just one but have wondered how many people fall for the promotion. If there is a really good price on some grocery item, I will stock up.

Mrs-M

12-7-12, 8:06am

Most interesting, Mighty Frugal and Ishbel. Some day I will visit the UK.

LOL, Catherine. Us, too! No malt vinegar, no fish 'n chips.

Gregg. The fruity sauce is good!

Oh, yeah, Rogar, the sales gimmicks behind grocery buys!

leslieann

12-7-12, 8:20am

I will buy more than one when I find a particular item of clothing that really, really works for me. Most often it has been trousers because I am short and hard to fit. I can't usually bring myself to buy two pairs of shoes even though I probably should because finding shoes is also difficult. But the ones I buy are expensive and last a long, long time, so a second pair might get me to the end of my life and maybe that's not really what I'll want then!

When my tea bags go on sale in the huge box, I'll buy two boxes. That saves ten bucks, well worth taking up the pantry space. Those are King Kole teabags, by the way, a maritime specialty, apparently. My relatives in Maine fight over them and would like me to start a smuggling service.

we have a very tiny house so I don't usually stock up too much. Canned tomatoes on sale, yes, and tuna. I am a little spoiled by living in town, and I can run out to get whatever I need unless it is Sunday morning (we still have closed stores on Sunday mornings and all day on holidays....a little old fashioned here but I love it).

Mrs-M

12-7-12, 8:51am

Oh, Leslieann, I love the sounds of the old-fashioned store hours scheduling in your area! Reminds me of my childhood, when everything fell silent on Sunday morning, other than the church bells. The air seemed cleaner and more fresher, and there was an unusual calm that blanketed the neighbourhood. Sunday, was a day of rest.

Blackdog Lin

12-7-12, 10:26am

Clothing, never. Cosmetic items, ditto, 'cause I know I'm going to change my mind on them, and end up wasting the extra. I've wasted more money on cosmetics over the years.....finding a product that I just LOVE, then deciding 8 months later, bleh, this really isn't any different than the old item I was using.

But non-perishable pantry items: always. We don't like deciding on a menu and being out of a staple that we usually have on hand. When items are on sale we stock up, cases even, in the rationale that we are never paying full price for them. And we always keep the grocery list posted on the fridge, so that when we're getting low on something, it can go on the list and we don't risk running out.

But I'm lucky in that we have a storeroom with a whole wall of shelving that we use for an extra "pantry". Makes storing and rotating easy.

Mrs-M

12-7-12, 3:54pm

Re: clothing, I'm the same, Blackdog, Lin. I find that I shop for clothing so little, that I like to keep it fresh and new when the time comes.

catherine

12-7-12, 4:00pm

Speaking of HP, I've just been driving around high and low to find Bisto. Hope I have enough for tonight's dinner! Next time I'll buy two!

Mrs-M

12-7-12, 4:03pm

I've never heard of Bisto, before, Catherine. Enlighten me, please. :)

P.S. Licking chops as I wait in anticipation for your reply, as to the possibility of something new and good!

IshbelRobertson

12-7-12, 4:07pm

Nope, bisto is an ingredient too far for me, Catherine! I always make my gravy from scratch.

Mrs-M

12-7-12, 4:10pm

Nope, bisto is an ingredient too far for me, Catherine! I always make my gravy from scratch.OHH- OOHHHH... am I picking up on the fact that a member on the boards is cheating when it comes to making gravy? http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/smileys/wagfinger1-smiley.gif?1292867695

catherine

12-7-12, 4:13pm

Nope, bisto is an ingredient too far for me, Catherine! I always make my gravy from scratch.

It has always been a pantry staple in my Scottish MIL's pantry, but certainly REAL gravy from scratch would be superior. However, I'm making my MIL's mince tonight, and she always used Bisto. It's probably the British version of Franco-American gravy--but it's comfort food to DH, and even to good ol' American me. MIL always said that she never would cook with more than 5 ingredients (she was NOT an enthusiastic cook, but a good basic one), so she economized with Bisto I'm sure.

http://www.ukgoods.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/b/i/bisto-gravy-powder_1.jpg

Mrs-M

12-7-12, 4:24pm

catherine

12-7-12, 4:33pm

http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/smileys/oh-smiley.gif?1292867648

And she dashes my hopes just like that... http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/smileys/giggle2-smiley.gif?1292867603

Catherine. Do you make your own homemade gravy usually?

Well, to be honest, since I'm mostly vegetarian, I'm not making much gravy, but DH always makes gravy from scratch. However, comfort food is comfort food. You have to make a few allowances in that department! The sins of the mother....

Mrs-M

12-7-12, 4:36pm

http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/smileys/teehee1-smiley.gif?1292867687 I can't argue with that, Catherine.

IshbelRobertson

12-7-12, 5:05pm

I use home made beef stock and a good glug of red wine to make my mince and tatties, but the other, vital ingredient used by my Mum and Granny before me is a hefty glug of Worcester sauce!

catherine

12-7-12, 6:39pm

I use home made beef stock and a good glug of red wine to make my mince and tatties, but the other, vital ingredient used by my Mum and Granny before me is a hefty glug of Worcester sauce!

Both the red wine and the Worcester sauce are great ideas!

Jilly

12-7-12, 9:08pm

Had to research HP sauce.

Twosies: Dish soap, pineapple slices canned in juice (often dinner with a bag of popcorn), and cat kibble, although I just bought four bags of that along with a couple of buckets of litter so that I will not have to haul that stuff when winter weather finally arrives.

Mrs-M

12-8-12, 9:41am

Yummy, Ishbel! Does that ever sound tasty!

OK, Ishbel, bring me up to speed. Is it "Worcestershire", or Worcester"? The name on the bottle of Lea & Perrins in our house reads, "Worcestershire".

Jilly. Pineapple slices are a favourite in our house! Toast, along with pineapple slices (with juice) for a light breakfast, wow!

Miss Cellane

12-8-12, 10:24am

This has been an interesting thread. I've realized that I almost never buy two of anything.

Part of it is that I live alone. It takes me months to use up one bottle of dishwashing soap. My last bottle of clothes detergent lasted 11.5 months. I just buy one new bottle/jar/box when I start to use the one I have in storage.

The other part is that I have a small apartment. There's not a lot of empty space to store lots of multiples.

That said, if non-perishables go on sale at the supermarket and they are something that I use a lot, I stock up. But I'll buy 4 or 6 of the item, not just 2. I try to buy enough to last until the item goes on sale again.

If I find underwear or bras that fit really well, I'll buy multiples, because I have a hard time finding ones I like, and they always seem to discontinue the ones I like within a month of my discovering them.

So I'm comfortable with buying 4 or 6 or 8 eight of something. But I almost never buy 2 of something. Odd, that.

Mrs-M

12-8-12, 10:57am

Miss Cellane. Add me to the list of those who have a hard time finding proper fitting panties/bras! When it comes to panties, I usually buy multiples of those when I find comfy-fitting ones (that fit), and bras, because they last me a good stretch, I usually don't get too overly carried away with buying many at once.

I never gave much thought to purchases in multiple form, but I do that, too, especially when it's something we use a lot of, like whole canned tomatoes and pasta!

IshbelRobertson

12-8-12, 1:12pm

It!sWorcestershire, but most people leave off the shire! And i'm sure you know that Woooster not wore sest er shire?!!

Tradd

12-8-12, 1:16pm

I often buy things in twos - bread or bagels (one goes in the freezer), oj if it's on sale, cereal, etc. I often will pick up an extra item of something if there's a sale, such as baking supplies around the winter holidays or condiments with the summer holidays. I don't have a lot of storage room, so I don't have that much extra.

Mrs-M

12-8-12, 1:48pm

I actually didn't, Ishbel. In fact, I"m having a quiet laugh to myself right now over "Worcestershire", because we've had some interesting pronunciation events around the supper table Re:, and no one seemed to know how to pronunciate it correctly, not that any of us knew the correct pronunciation anyway! LMAO!

We were also thrown-off by the ending, "shire". Didn't know if it was pronounced as "sure", or "shire" (hard e). Now I know! Wooster, I would have NEVER guessed it!

Tradd. Me, too!

IshbelRobertson

12-8-12, 2:02pm

It's usually pronounced Sheer, but that's an Englishism, in Scotland, however it's usually shy er - except when it's sheer!

Mrs-M

12-8-12, 2:05pm

I'm working at retaining what I'm learning here, in hopes of being able to use it one day! A little more tutoring from yourself, Ishbel, and I should be well on my way! :)

ApatheticNoMore

12-8-12, 2:28pm

I seldom buy anything in twos, unless it's something I went out of my way for - then I stock up: if it's just something sold at the store, it will be there next week. Sometimes canned beans, soups, I buy those in twos, especially if on sale, why not? Stock up on kitchen sponges at Target (definitely don't go to Target every week). Ocassionally stock up on some ground beef or lamb if on sale (even then my stocking up is limited as my freezer space is limited, but buy more than I plan to use that week, often have them split it into several 3rd or 1/2 pound or so servings - because that about the limit I eat for a day or two of meat). I usually buy several bananas or potatoes or sweet potatoes, carrots :)