Paper products

[la79al]

This summer my mom, siblings, kids and I are all spending a week at the beach. Since mom is already paying for the condo, I want to get all the paper products and stuff we need for the week (plates, towels, toilet paper, laundry detergent, etc). Is there a cheaper way to do this than coupons out of the Sunday paper and watching grocery store ads?

 

[MSSANDRA]

If you have a Sams or BJ's or Costco, they will be much cheaper and higher quality products.

 

[midwestdee]

If you have Aldi's in your area - that is where you will want to pick up those item. You can't beat their prices and I have been satisfied with them.

 

[okeydokey]

If you have a Sams or BJ's or Costco, they will be much cheaper and higher quality products.

This is where we get all that stuff. Sometimes it hurts spending $10 on plastic cups, but you get so many, they last a long, long time.

 

[NVDisMom]

Its only a week, how much do you honestly think you will use? Plus, shouldn't the condo come with things like toilet paper? We camp every summer, usually 4 day trips at a time. Before each trip I stop off at the dollar store and get paper plates, tin foil, cups, and paper towels. Maybe two of each to get you through 7 days? I can see Costco if you were spending a month there, but not a week. A small dollar store thing of laundry detergent would probably suffice too. You are on vacation. How much laundry do you realistically think you will do while there? Swim suits and towels should be hung to dry in between uses and can be laundered when you get home.ETA_I missed the siblings part! Oops. How many people are we talking about here? That would factor into my decision on Costco or not. So would the question of whether or not they will be bringing some too.

 

[swilshire]

You are on vacation. How much laundry do you realistically think you will do while there? Swim suits and towels should be hung to dry in between uses and can be laundered when you get home.

I take a full or nearly full jug of detergent for a week's stay with only 4 or 5 of us. You have towels every day (most of the family prefers not to reuse their bath towels) in addition to the clothing. I hate coming home with dirty laundry, so I do at least a load of clothes every day. The most we have when we get home is a small bag from the last day. We also save a lot of space in the van because we don't pack many clothes.

Sheila

 

[la79al]

Its only a week, how much do you honestly think you will use? Plus, shouldn't the condo come with things like toilet paper? We camp every summer, usually 4 day trips at a time. Before each trip I stop off at the dollar store and get paper plates, tin foil, cups, and paper towels. Maybe two of each to get you through 7 days? I can see Costco if you were spending a month there, but not a week. A small dollar store thing of laundry detergent would probably suffice too. You are on vacation. How much laundry do you realistically think you will do while there? Swim suits and towels should be hung to dry in between uses and can be laundered when you get home.ETA_I missed the siblings part! Oops. How many people are we talking about here? That would factor into my decision on Costco or not. So would the question of whether or not they will be bringing some too.

There will be about 12 of us at any given time, with one being an infant and one being a preschooler. I am not counting on anyone else to bring any of these things. I am also not counting on any of it being supplied.

 

[mrodgers]

I take a full or nearly full jug of detergent for a week's stay with only 4 or 5 of us. You have towels every day (most of the family prefers not to reuse their bath towels) in addition to the clothing. I hate coming home with dirty laundry, so I do at least a load of clothes every day. The most we have when we get home is a small bag from the last day. We also save a lot of space in the van because we don't pack many clothes.

Sheila

That's insane, we don't do a load a day, nor use a jug of detergent for a week normally and we have 2 girls.

When we're on vacation, we are on vacation. No cooking or laundry. It's not vacation if you are doing the same things you normally do...

 

[mom0299]

Watch the internet for free samples of laundry detergent. I stock up on those all year round and take them on our beach and cruise vacations. I usually do one or two loads in a week for four of us.
There may be free samples for other things you need too. Keep the coupons you find and save them to use when you see a sale.
When we rent a beach house it is always stocked with dishes. If you have a dishwasher or don't mind washing dishes this would be cheaper than taking all paper products.

 

[robinb]

This summer my mom, siblings, kids and I are all spending a week at the beach. Since mom is already paying for the condo, I want to get all the paper products and stuff we need for the week (plates, towels, toilet paper, laundry detergent, etc). Is there a cheaper way to do this than coupons out of the Sunday paper and watching grocery store ads?

That sounds like a great vacation! Have your mom check on what is supplied for you. I would expect, at the very least, dishes, pots & pans, utensils and cutlery. Unless you are planning a LOT of picnics and outdoor BBQ's, I don't think you'll need a lot of that kind of thing.

 

[hambirg]

Do you have a dollar store near by? I was in Dollar Tree the other day and I forgot how much of these things they carry. Since it's only for a week I think I would stock up there. . .it would be cheaper and if you end up not liking the product, no biggie.

 

[AndreaDM]

I wouldn't buy too much until you get there. A lot of people leave stuff like that behind in rentals. We had a beach house this summer and I took a roll of foil, there were at least 6 rolls already there, seems like everyone else had the same idea! TP and paper towels you can never have too many of, but I wouldn't stock up on a lot of other stuff. O, and we used those Purex all in one sheets there too, no heavy, leaky detergent to lug with us. Ahhhh, now I want to be at the beach!!

O, and I'm one who LOVES to cook at the beach house! We buy things we usually don't have and the adults gather in the kitchen or deck with drinks. It's way more relaxing for us than to get all the kids cleaned up, dressed, drive somewhere for dinner, wait, eat, drive back to the house. This way everyone stays in their swimsuit or whatever, very laid back.

 

[shoney]

With 12, I would go to costco for the plates and cups. You will probably use a lot.

When we go to a timeshare in the Berkshires, I bring .....
a few extra diswasher tabs
those laundry sheets
disposable glad wear in various sizes
rolls of paper towels (they double as napkins)
aluminum foil
package of plastic bowls (don't need as many of them as you do plates)
gallon size ziploc bags
some tall kitchen garbage bags

One note, in many of the rental places we have been to...they don't have bbq utensils...so we bring a set of those as well.