“Clark, do you really use a 10-cent razor and make it last 10 months? I find that impossible to believe.”

That’s the question money expert Clark Howard frequently finds himself being asked wherever he goes.

The answer, by the way, is no. Clark does not use a 10-cent razor.

He typically uses a 17-cent razor and makes it last for an entire year instead!

Read more: Putting Dollar Tree’s $1 razor to the test

More razor subscription services coming on the market

You’ve no doubt heard of Dollar Shave Club and Harry’s, both of which are subscription shave clubs.

Harry’s prices start at $1.87 each for eight blades, while Dollar Shave Club has a variety of plans starting at as little as $1 for two blades (add $2 shipping and handling).

The basic idea is that you order online and then you’re set up on a regular delivery schedule where the razors are mailed to your home.

But one problem with such plans is the inflexible delivery schedule.

Sensing a market opportunity, Gillette has beefed up its online offering with Gillette on Demand. Now you can order blades whenever you need them by text message. No more being locked into a set delivery schedule.

Of course, you still have the option to set yourself up on a regular delivery schedule if you prefer. Either way, Gillette’s subscription prices start at $1 a blade each for eight blades (add $2 shipping and handling).

Now we have another competitor entering the marketplace — and it’s Gillette’s rival Schick.

What Schick is doing is sure to get under Gillette’s skin; they’re selling blades online that are built specifically to fit Gillette handles. And they’re undercutting Gillette on price.

SchickHydro.com prices start at $1.78 per blade (when ordering nine refills for $16) and go up from there. With free shipping included, that makes the Schick replacement cartrides a cheaper option for Gillette customers who want to keep their existing Gillette handset and just use Schick blades!

Follow this method to extend the life of your blades

Clark has long maximized the life of his disposable razors for 10 or even 12 months with one little trick: Blotting the blades dry on a towel after each use.

The reality is that razors degrade more from moisture than from actual cutting, so you’ll get extended performance out of each razor if you can keep the blade dry.

“A few years ago, I was doing an affiliate radio station visit in Greensboro, N.C. and a morning show guy gave me ‘a lifetime supply’ of 10 disposable blades because he thought my whole deal with using a razor for so long was funny,” the consumer champ says.

Maybe the idea of drying your razor to extend its life sounds crazy to you. But if you’re used to using a super-expensive Gillette or Schick and you can stretch it for weeks or even months, we’re talking about real dough you’re saving.

“That money feels better in my wallet than in Gillette’s or Schick’s,” Clark says.

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