This is One Thing, a column with tips on how to live.
No one told me how much of my adult life would be spent opening a cabinet and realizing I’m out of paper towels or toilet paper. Ditto for shampoo. I am well acquainted with the frustration of reaching for the bottle in the shower and realizing that I already added water to it a few days ago to try to make it last longer.
This, objectively, isn’t a big deal. We run out of things; we’re responsible for replenishing those things. But when a day is full of hundreds of small decisions and thoughts—from what to make for dinner to how to apologize about that work meeting you accidentally double-booked—the stress of realizing you’re out of one home good or another can really be the thing that throws you over the edge.
Introducing: product subscriptions. Automatic repeat orders of things I use all the time have honestly changed my life, and I say that in a totally serious way. For toilet paper, I get a big box every few months sent to me from Who Gives a Crap. The frequency is adjustable, and I get an email a few days before it’s time for my next shipment. I can skip one easily if I don’t need more toilet paper yet. It feels silly to say how much stress this has taken out of my life.
Many companies directly offer this service for their products, and you can set it up for a wide variety of items on Amazon. Other things that I have automatic repeat orders set up for: Swiffer Wet Jet pads, Liquid I.V., coffee beans, magnesium gummies, shampoo and conditioner, and assorted cleaning supplies. It feels like magic when these items show up just when I need them. You typically don’t have to lock into a subscription for a set amount of time; it’s very flexible. Often, you can get some kind of discount (usually between 5 percent and 20 percent) for setting it up too.
Make your life easier. Set up some repeat orders. Life is messy, but at least you won’t run out of toilet paper this way.
