You're going to buy Q-Tips online?

I have a very particular approach to Drugstore.com that I'd like to share with you because it has helped me justify buying things like Q-Tips online.

First off, I don't just buy one or two items whenever I feel like it because, with tax and shipping, it's cheaper in the long run to just buy my drugstore stuff at a brick and mortar.

I like to reserve Drugstore.com for things that are difficult for me to find locally (such as certain Desert Essence Organics products and Curl Friends products). I keep a running tab (usually just mentally) of things I know I'm going to need but can't buy in town, and when I have enough of those stored up, I then go to the sale section of the website and look for any ongoing sales where I may be able to take advantage of further savings on other things I know I'm going to use in the future.

In other words, I buy hard-to-find items on drugstore.com, but then at the last minute I hunt for sales on the website and buy other essential items at a reduced cost.

The whole goal here is to hit the $49 mark (which qualifies you for free shipping) and NOT buy one single thing that is frivolous. I take great pleasure in knowing that in each and every Drugstore.com order I place, it only contains things that I love and use and need. If I saved money by not having to drive miles and miles to find it here in my city, or if I saved money because it was on sale and cheaper to buy online than at my local drugstore, I still saved money and that's the bottom line.

That said, there's a boatload of BOGO 1/2 off (buy one, get one for 1/2 off) sales on makeup right now on drugstore.com:

Revlon BOGO 1/2 off
Wet n Wild BOGO 1/2 off
Maybelline BOGO 1/2 off
L'Oreal BOGO 1/2 off
Covergirl BOGO 1/2 off
Max Factor BOGO 1/2 off

All of these makeup deals are good through May 8, so that gives you plenty of time to plot an order that makes sense for you.

PS: Don't forget that Drugstore.com can be a good place to get things like replacement heads for your electric toothbrush, laundry detergent, batteries, Tide To Go sticks, Claritin, etc. Just watch for their sales and instant coupons.