What types of things do you, or would you, buy on subscription via Amazon or the like?

We do a huge amount of our household purchases through Amazon. With Prime, shipping is free. Most things can be found cost competitive to local stores, sometimes cheaper. With their Subscription service, you get an additional discount for compiling lists of things to buy on a regular basis. You pick the item and say "send me X of these every Y number of months" and Amazon will send you a monthly shipment with everything you are due for that month. It can work very similar to a Costco or Sam's Club shopping trip, except it's all delivered on a regular basis.

Here are some of the things we currently have on subscription:
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Bounce laundry sheets
Chewing gum
Blue Buffalo Wilderness dog food
Razor blades
Garbage bags
Dishwasher tabs

Some items come every month. Some as rarely as every six months. The more things you have delivered in a particular month, the bigger the discount that accumulates.

I'm constantly looking for more things to add to this list. My wife does most of the shopping, so this makes it simpler for her. Also, if we buy regular household staples ahead of time, we never run out. We have a full basement that is mostly unused, so we have plenty of room for an extra box of paper towels or toilet paper or whatever if need be. Some things aren't available through subscription, the benefit isn't there. Other random things seem to be priced significantly higher (especially heavy/liquid items like laundry detergent or cleaning supplies like Lysol), so those things don't make sense either. But I'd like to pick your brains on what you think might be good ideas for this service?



Does anyone here purchase a lot of their household staples online?

If so, from where?

What items do you buy that way?

What do you perceive to be the advantages or disadvantages?

Any bright ideas for what I could add to my list?

 

I've had to adjust delivery frequencies often on certain items until I get it figured out.

I refuse to shop at Walmart. The last time I bought something at Walmart was 2010 or 2011? My wireless router went out late on a Sat night and it was the only place open on Sun morning where I could get one that was less than 20+ mins away. That was before I could turn my phone into a hotspot in a pinch, so entering Walmart was the lesser evil than going a full day without internet access.

 

I order the protein powder I like from there on subscription.

Everything else you mentioned I largely buy at Costco.

 

Basically, yes. On/about the 23rd of every month I get a delivery. Some items (like dog food) come every month. Other items come every other month, or every third month, or every fourth month, or once every six months. I pick how frequent the deliveries are for each item. At any time prior to shipping I can cancel the subscription, or skip it for one month, or delay it for any number of months that I want.

 

I like the concept, but we have yet to make use of Amazon pantry. I can find everything we need cheaply locally, and it's good exercise for our girls to help with the shopping.

Things I purchase regularly:
Onions
Bell peppers
Eggplant
Squash
Raisin bran
Granola
Oyster crackers
Graham crackers
Veggie straws
Frozen mixed veggies
Frozen broccoli
Sandwich sliced cheese
Grated cheese
Vitamin D milk
Applesauce
Mixed baby greens for salads and smoothies
Apples
Bananas
Clementines
Eggs
Fake meat
Cranberry juice
Canned organic black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans
Coconut milk
Coconut oil
Corn oil
Lemon juice
Lime juice
Bread


(Once a month)
Diapers, wipes
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Soap
Shampoo
Laundry detergent
Fabric softener
Flour
Sugar
Yeast
Cleaning supplies

 

Since moving here, I've become a regular at Walmart. It is the closest store that regularly stocks a decent and reasonably priced selection of vegetarian meat alternatives. I searched high and low at the local stores, and finally gave in. This walmart has a huge selection when it comes to the food I eat, which is typically described as "hippy cardboard" around here. I am shocked that my local Walmart carries the same items that are literally 3x the price at the Whole Foods in the yuppy side of town.

 

I thought of another thing I buy regularly through Amazon, but not by subscription: Japanese face stuff. I use a hyaluronic acid serum from Hada Labo that I buy on Amazon as the Japanese version comes in a larger bottle and is cheaper than the repackaged American version. I also buy Japanese sunscreens from Amazon. Biore makes a great one that I love.

 

For some items it is cheaper. I'd say on average that it is very close to the same, with the exceptions of stuff that is very heavy for the volume it takes to ship. Basically, many liquids are not worth it. Most other items seem to be equal, or a slight savings.

But if the price is the same, isn't that really a savings, since you don't have to spent gas money or time going to the store for them? That's how I see it.

 

I can't get the subscription from Amazon. I just done consume those items enough on a regular basis. Of course, we buy cat litter pretty regularly and it isn't available to get in the subscription model. It's a 40lb bag which I love having delivered to the door since it's a pain in the ass to get from the car to the apartment.