Let’s share our wholesale secrets

[Inna22]

I still have not figured out best place to buy toilet paper, paper towels, trash liners and pillow cases. And I just hunt for sales for hair conditioner, laundry detergent etc. They seem to be cheaper at Target or Walgreens on sale than any wholesale place I found. 

Here is is what I found so far:

-pillows: target $3.77

- sheets: Salvation Army. But not pillow cases. 

- bought two huge cases of shower gel at right aid on line. Luckily I have a place to store it all

- towels: ikea. Con: not fluffy. Pro: faster and easier to wash. Costco: same price but fluffy. They take over laundry machine for half a day though. 

-wash cloth: target. $4 for a set of 8, variety of cute colors, free shipping with target card

Please share your tips!

[Pete28]

TP gotta be Costco ? Goodwill is great for furniture, as is Craigslist.

I would pay money to not go to ikea. I just can't take the slog.

[Inna22]

I have been ordering IKEA on line. $9 to ship and I wait till I need a lot of stuff. Which does not happen to often. But would go in person in any time for the meetballs if the nearest weren’t an hour away

[Mark116]

We get the toiletry items either at Trader Joes, their brand, shampoo/soap/conditioner, etc. is inexpensive, good and eco friendly, or Marshall's we get The Body Shop and Crabtree & Evelyn stuff at 50% or more discount.  Also do towels from Ikea, they're not fluffy but they wear really well.  Sheets we get at Target or Big Lots or Marshalls.

[Lizzie]

Interesting post @Inna22, thanks for starting this. 

Where do others get their items from?

[Huma0]

@Inna22

I think you are right in that sometimes those wholesale deals are not such great deals.

I love finding a bargain. I live near a Lidl. Don't know if you have those? It's a cheap supermarket and every week they also have random non-food stuff. I have bought some quite decent 100% cotton bedlinens there very cheaply. I also get large bottles of quite decent showergel, shampoo, conditioner, hand soap etc. and it saves me a fortune on cleaning and laundry products. Wilko, if you have it, is also good for a lot of that stuff.

TK Maxx/Homesense are my best friends  (I think you have slightly different names for them in the US). You can find some really gorgeous stuff there for much less than in other stores and even less when they sometimes discount those things further.

I would much rather shop there than Ikea because it is actually better value. I bought some nice enough water decanters and glasses from Ikea which chipped straight away. In Homesense I found some beautiful, high quality ones for much less than the Ikea price. The bedline I liked in Ikea cost more than Designer's Guild stuff at TK Maxx.The exception is if you want really basic crockery, e.g. plain plates, bowls, coffee mugs, because those are REALLY cheap in Ikea and still attractive.

I don't know if you use voucher sites, but I got some bargains (a third of the retail price) on super thick mattress protectors on Wowcher. My guests now rave about how comfy the beds are. You can also find good quality towel bales on these sites. I paid around £15 for a decent quality 9-piece set.

I have also bought towels, sheets etc. from sellers on Amazon but have found that the quality is not the same. Amazon can be good for bulk buying energy efficient lightbulbs though and hardware stuff, fixtures and fittings. I got some AMAZING bargains on there for the accessories for a new bathroom, and I mean I paid no more than 20-25% retail price for really nice things. It's also attractive for the amount of choice and the fast and free delivery if you're a prime member.

[Quincy]

@Huma0, Tkmaxx (also known as Tjmaxx in the US) is also my place to go usually. I totally agree with you here :-). 

[Inna22]

@Huma0

thank you for all the details! Those two are called Homegoods and TJ Maxx here. I wonder why the slight name change? I love both but it is bargain hunting so I cannot reliably go there if I need something replaced right away or need several of the same exact thing

[Huma0]

@Inna22

Yes that's very true. You don't always find what you are looking for (I have been trying to find another pretty chalkboard there for ages with no luck). When you do see something, you have to grab it there and then as it won't necessarily be there next time.

I guess I justify my shopping there as 'advance planning'. I did not need to buy another carafe and glasses set straight away, but I know the Ikea ones aren't going to last that long. They are so thin. The set in TK Maxx was great quality and £10 for the carafe, two water glasses and two wine glasses. I couldn't resist. It's now there as a back up.

[John1080]

@Inna22, great topic! 

~TP - Sam's. 

~Bedding - Sheets at Target, mattress covers, duvets, duvet covers at Ikea.

~Shower essentials- My partner orders from Amazon I believe. 

~Towels - We've gotten them everywhere from Amazon to target and Walmart. 

We buy a lot of things like laundry detergent, oils, spices, etc at our local discount grocery store, which has wonderful 'health' or 'premium' selections from much more expensive stores. 

[Emily487]

@Inna22

Walmart, with all of its cons, is a great place for mid range sheets (Better Homes and Gardens 400 ct) that wash really well, can be easily mix and matched in an emergency, and can be purchased quickly online. 

I use The Dollar Tree for food items and dishes but that's just because it is two blocks from my house and I don't really like to drive. I limit myself to maybe $3 worth of brand name goodies for each guest. 

[Mary282]

Bed Bath and Beyond had these "Dri Soft" towels that dry very quickly. I agree about those Costco towels. I only give them to guests staying longer.  I also found some quick-dry towels from JC Penney, but one of them ripped after about a year. 

I found sheets at a local thrift because a hotel used to donate sheets to them. But, they no longer have any. 

I buy some shampoo & other toiletries at both, Aldi and Marshalls. You can get a 32 oz bottle of upscale shampoo for a decent price at Marshalls. I buy toothbrushes and makeup remover wipes (because I don't want guests ruin my pillowcases with makeup) to  at the Dollar Star.

I buy k-cups at Big Lots and Amazon. 

So far, I've been using my deceased mother's old furniture. I haven't taken the leap to buy new furniture that doesn't take up so much space as my mother's old stuff. I like the idea of $9 shipping for Ikea furniture. (Guests have no regard and hardly use coasters, etc.) Thank you for the suggestion. I will update you when I start shopping for new furniture.

[Cathie19]

For Australian hosts, Spotlight has always worked well for my bed linen and towelling. I buy during sales or manager specials and get good quality for a reasonable price. I just buy large shampoo, conditioner, shower gels from the local supermarkets when on sale. Same for washing powder and cleaning products. Buy in bulk when on sale. 

I’ve looked at bulk purchases online, but for my location, the freight or postage can often become prohibitive making the purchase cost not competitive.

Wishing you all good luck with your searches....

[Candice99]

Im Candice from BARE by Bauer. We are an Australian natural body and skin care brand which sells biodegradable toothbrushes and cotton buds. We currently ship across the world (excluding USA & Canada).

We would love to offer Airbnb hosts wholesale pricing for these 2 items to help make for an even more plesent and eco friendly stay for visitors.

- Biodegradable toothbrushes - made from non-GMO cornstarch, with soft nylon 6 bristles infused with charcoal for added oral health care, packaged in a cardboard box. Some advantages of our cornstarch handles, over bamboo handles, are:

1. Our cornstarch handle has a smooth feel to it, even when wet - We have found people do not like the feel of wet bamboo brushes in their hands.
2. Our cornstarch handle wont go smelly like bamboo does – It is a common complaint when people have been traveling and don’t let their brush air out after use that the brush can smell. Our handle is not porous like bamboo.

https://www.barebybauer.com.au/products/toothbrush-biodegradable

- Biodegradable cotton buds – made from bamboo stick instead of plastic. The buds are made of soft cotton. Packaged in cardboard box - https://www.barebybauer.com.au/products/cotton-buds-biodegradable

Please feel free to reach out to us if you wish to purchase these from us, to help make your Airbnb an even more plesent and eco friendly stay for visitors 🙂

Please reach out to us on our website, or via social media @BAREbyBauer to recieve the discount code and details.

[Kevin797]

If you have an LLC or are incorporated Wayfair offers business to business discounted rates as well as free design services and such they normally charge customers for. Ive found it very helpful and it's delivered to my door