Saving Money With DollarShaveClub.com: An Every Day Guy's Review

A few months ago, I saw a video posted on Facebook for DollarShaveClub.com. It was hilarious and very quickly became one of my favorite viral videos! If you follow any of my other previous posts, you know that a favorite past time of mine is saving money with little to no effort. After watching the video I actually started thinking that shaving is actually pretty darn expensive! I had previously used a fancy electric razor, but the cleaning cartridges became almost as expensive as regular razors, not to mention the need to replace the razor heads annually! I also tried disposable razors only to find that they felt cheap and always wound up cutting myself. I swear, the amount of money I spent on band-aids probably would have paid for the real razor cartridges! So there I was using a Gillette Mach 3 razor on a daily basis watching the shave club commercial. I figured I had nothing to lose so I would give it a try!

So I went to the website in late March, only to discover that since the video went viral, I wasn't the only one trying out the shave club! All new member's orders were back logged until May! At that point I almost forgot the whole thing.. Let me get this straight, you want me to add my credit card info to a website for monthly recurring billing and not receive anything in return until May? The site mentioned that I wouldn't be billed until they were actually shipped so I went ahead with the process. I had a bit of a stockpile of the Mach 3 blades to use up anyway, so I I guess the timing was appropriate to eliminate any wasted grooming products.

When signing up, I had three choices: "The Humble Twin", "The 4X", and "The Executive". Technically the "dollar" in dollar shave club is for the twin. It's not really a dollar though.. It's $1 plus shipping and handling. This is what I actually first started out with many years ago and is comparable to a Gillette Sensor Excel blade. I actually selected the 4X, as it was comparable to the Mach 3, or even closer the Schick Quattro blade system. It is currently only $6.00 monthly, but shipping is included. This seemed like the best option for me. The last option of Executive just seemed a bit too much for my shaving needs. 6 blades seemed like a bit of overkill and reminded me of the old Mad TV sketch of the "Mach 15" razor blade.. It too comes with free shipping, but at $9.0 monthly just didn't see the point. Each of the three varieties comes with a different number of blades monthly because we all know that a twin blade shave glade will wear out quicker than a 6 blade cartridge.

As time went by, I almost forgot about signing up, and when I came home from the hospital with my newborn baby boy, I had a four day beard going that I needed to shave off. Being on my last razor cartridge, I was fortunate that the very next day my welcome kit came in the mail! I had to chuckle, because it almost seemed like my boss had sped up the process (She told me I had to shave before loving up on all that new baby soft skin of the little one). I received a razor handle and 4 blades along with a little welcome note that explains when I should expect my shipment every month. The handle seems like a nice solid weight, and has a nice rubbery grip to prevent slipping and provided great control while shaving. As promised, the blade went through my stubble like a hot knife through butter! After a few quick swipes, I had a few trouble spots that I needed to go over again, but I normally would have anyway with my previous razor system. Overall it was an incredibly smooth shave and would recommend the club to someone looking to save a bit of money. Only time will tell how they stack up in the long run as far as longevity goes, but I think I'll be able to even stretch these. The back of the 4X blade is wide and open and makes rinsing a breeze, a problem with my previous blade system.

Yes these pictures are actually of me, before and after my shave. There are a few pros and cons that I'll summarize below, but overall I would recommend the dollarshaveclub.com setup to anyone! Now I have one less thing to worry about at the grocery store and it will honestly save me a bundle when compared to the name brands. The quality seems on par with the name brands, and the added weight of the handle gives a bit of confidence while shaving.

• The Razors Are Not Sealed Upon Arrival, You Just Receive A Plastic Rack Of Them. Not Sure If This Is A Big Deal Or Not
• The Razor Blades Don't Seem To Be Compatible WIth Other Shave Systems
• If You Lose Your Handle You Have To Order Another - Unknown If There Is A Fee For It.
• If You Run Out, You Have To Wait Until The Next Shipment
• Requires A Credit Card, But You Can Use A PrePaid Card If Necessary

• Very Inexpensive When Comparing To Name Brand Razors
• Free Razor Handle Upon Start Up
• Convenient Monthly Restocking
• You Can Change Types Every Month If You Would Like
• No Monthly Commitment
• Quality Seems Very Good
• They Offer A Referral Program To Earn Rewards