Priceshopping for Toiletries

Have you ever priceshopped for a tootbrush? Ladies, how about Maxi pads? Yesterday, I visited two stores in search of both items, and left empty handed each time.

Yesterday I went to the corner grocery, Spar, and the corner pharmacy, the name of which escapes me. In the former, a tootbrush cost e4.29 (about $5.65), and sanitary pads were about that much for 16. 16 pads! Some women can go through that in ONE day-- apparently Irish women are very light bleeders, unlike their American sisters, who have hemophiliac attacks once a month. In the latter, prices were worse, and the place smelled like mold. There was also no room in store, and with Evan in his front carrier, swinging his legs around like a monkey in a tree, I thought it best to leave while nothing had been knocked off a shelf and crashed to the ground.

Today I visited our local Big Tesco, about a 25 minute walk from our apartment. There, at UniCare Pharmacy, I was able to buy a giant pack of pads-- 24! For only e2.91. Unfortunately, UniCare must have an in-store policy about not pricing toothbrushes, to disguise the fact that a pint down at the local costs less than an Oral-B. After a bit of foraging, I found one that had a tag, and it was still e3.78.

I find myself wishing for SuperDrug, the cheapy drugstore I shopped at in Glasgow. There I could buy shampoo, conditioner, and four bars of soap for 6.00 lb. So my hair felt like straw and my skin like a saggy elephant's, but hey, I was still clean! Shopping in Dublin makes me want to dred my hair, grow my eyebrows and my mustache, and wash myself with Tesco Value Washing-Up Liquid, which is only 37c for a liter.