I've been using Tom's of Maine unscented deoderant for a number of years now. Three reasons: The deoderant contains no aluminum [the latter being a suitable chemical scapegoat for why a physician "electrosurgically destroyed" a skin tag in my armpit years ago]; the product is agreeably unscented [yes, the ilk of corporate behemoth International Flavor & Fragrances [NYSE-listed: IFF] are out to obliterate anything natural from our daily lives]; and Tom's products are sold at WinCo, which means I'm spared the upscale pricing of Whole Foods and the like.
![[Tom's of Maine deoderant]](deoderant.gif)
I'm not sure why I wrote the date 12-29-15 on the bottom of the plastic advance wheel for the push-up applicator. I was probably wondering, How long do these deoderant sticks really last?. Even at WinCo, Tom's deoderant is no special bargain, costing more than four bucks.
When I wrote that date down, I recall I'd been using the deoderant stick for several weeks, and nearer the beginning of December, not the end.
And it might have been in the act of writing that date indelibly, I was priming my frugal mindset, resisting the impulse to use the deoderant extravagantly. After all, compared to my other personal care items, I have no good alternatives.
It might have been going on six months, but I had a frugal insight: When I applied the deoderant, one light stroke up, one down on each armpit was enough. I quickly decided by such an economic strategy, I could wring the most useful life out of my spendy Tom's deoderant stick.
The validity of my light-bulb moment is echoed by the apocryphal slogan some nameless ad executive might have coined: "Lather, rinse, repeat" as a shampoo sales booster. That simple mantra, or its variant “Repeat if necessary,” is found on most shampoo bottles.
As 2016 wore along, I realized I had a chance to finish a year on the same stick of deoderant! Admittedly, as I approach the 365-day mark--a few days away in December--I might be reduced to scrapings of the residual deoderant in the push-up applicator recess, but that's okay. The point being I've showed a fierce resistance to overconsumption.
Sure, some might say, But saving on deoderant, why? What about other people? The short answer is I shower once a day. That fact, plus living in a relatively cool climate, like Portland's, minimizes body odor. It's people who don't bathe regularly that are the unforgettable offenders at large.
I've already bought a replacement stick of Tom's, but this time, I'll use the two-stroke rule from the get-go. Will it go for more than a year?
Image credit: Charlie Dickinson
Read Charlie Dickinson's
story collection [and feel free to share with a friend] The Cat
at Light's End, as an ebook in these downloadable
formats:
.mobi
(Kindle)
.epub (most other readers)
.pdf (for PCs)
Also, a flash fiction, "Ylena Thinks Nyet," is at Cigale Literary Magazine.
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