What I Bought Monday #2 - Everything I bought on Amazon this week!

Jefferson (age 14) takes care of our pool. We pay him 40% what we would pay the pool guy ($10 a week Kid Labor vs. $110 per month Pool Guy). Our pool is cleaner and both parents and son are richer!

Every month or so Jefferson makes me a list of the various pool potions he needs and we head to Leslie’s pool supply. The guys at Leslie’s are super helpful, and they always talk pool with Jefferson like he’s a man, not a kid (he started this job when he was 12). One problem: Leslie’s is super expensive, even with sales and coupons.

Amazon, on the other hand, is cheap! Plus, the Amazon reviews help Jefferson determine whether each product is the one he needs.

Here’s my total shopping list from Amazon this week (pool supplies, vitamins/supplements, and Reeboks):

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Pool Supplies

Pool Conditioner

The cheapest you can get this at Leslie’s is $34 per gallon. Amazon has it for $19 per gallon! (I started with a 2-gallon purchase that worked out to $21 a gallon. As long as it works fine, I’ll buy 4 gallons of this pool conditioner next time to get the cheapest price.) Bonus: no sales tax on this item on Amazon!

$37.12 per gallon after tax at Leslie’s

vs.

$21 per gallon NO TAX on Amazon

equals

43% off for my purchase this week, and I can get it for 50% off if I buy the 4-gallon pack next time, no sale or coupon needed!

Soda Ash

Cheapest Soda Ash at Leslie’s:

$1.44 per pound (65-lb)

This Soda Ash on Amazon:

$1.50 per pound (20-lb)

I overpaid on this item…or did I? Again, no sales tax on this item on Amazon!

After sales tax, I’d pay $1.57 per pound at Leslies, so I save 10% ordering at Amazon instead. Plus, I get 5% cash back on Amazon with my Amazon credit card, or save 19% or more buying Amazon gift cards at my grocery store with my Amex Blue Cash Preferred card and Fry’s Fuel Points.

Vitamins

This chewable probiotic is supposed to eliminate morning breath, as well as keep your gums and teeth healthy. I’m actually shocked that it’s working after just 5 days—on everyone in the family! (At least it is working on the morning breath problem, I don’t know about the teeth and gums yet!) We use the tip we found in the comments to bite each tablet in half, and put one half in each cheek at bedtime. (The kids let the tablets dissolve in their cheeks while they read in bed, then chew them up so they don’t choke in their sleep!)

They taste mildly minty.

Vitamin K2 MK7

I thought we’d switch up to this Vitamin K2 MK7 this month to see if a different type and brand makes a difference. Weirdly, the last K2 MK7 was clear, so I’m trusting this new one more already (it is dark orange). I’m looking for one of the visible results the right K2 supplement will provide: less tartar/plaque on the inside of my bottom teeth. If that stops or slows down, I’ll know the other K2 benefits (heart health, gum health, etc.) should be working too.

Great Lakes Collagen (Gelatin)

KC and I put this grass fed gelatin (non GMO) in our coffee every morning. (We drink black coffee and there is no taste, but I can’t use the collagen along with any fat like MCT oil or butter because fat brings out the “meaty” taste. Ew.)

I thought I’d cheap out last month and skip ordering this, but after a week without the collagen, my back started aching. I don’t have back problems, but I’m not getting any younger. I suspect the collagen is holding me together, haha! After re-starting the collagen (2 Tbsp a day), all back pain went away in 4 days and hasn’t returned.

For the Puppy

Our 75-pound puppy Scout is a chewing machine. We found these XL elk antlers on Amazon and while $30 seems crazy expensive for a dog bone, they last for months and I don’t waste money on “tough” toys that he chews through in less than 3 minutes. *We throw the elk antler away when he gnaws it down to about 6 inches.

Shoes for Jefferson

I cannot overstate how much I love buying shoes on Amazon! There are always great deals, and I always make sure the shoes offer free returns. I’ve read that Amazon has freaked out on some people for doing too many returns, but I guess since I buy so much other stuff, my returns don’t count for much of my total orders.

These are the lightweight Reeboks Jefferson chose from the 2 pairs we ordered (select your size to see if they’re on sale):