Toothpaste usually does not get mentioned in the same sentence as investment strategy unless somebody is trying to survive a warehouse-store checkout line. But billionaire Mark Cuban once argued that grabbing everyday essentials at steep discounts can deliver better returns than many traditional investments.
“It’s so hard to make a return on regular investments that you’re better off, when you see a sale,” Cuban said in a Vanity Fair video segment from 2017. “You’re better off buying two years worth of toothpaste when it’s on 50% discount. That’s an immediate return on your money.”
The Cost Plus Drugs co-founder mixed old-school budgeting habits with investing advice during the segment, urging consumers to think differently about savings, spending and everyday purchases.
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“When they’re on a huge sale on Amazon, buy them, because chances are, their prices are gonna go up, but that’s a real savings that you get to put in your pocket,” Cuban said.
The Bathroom Cabinet Inflation Effect
Cuban’s toothpaste strategy sounds less ridiculous once inflation enters the conversation. While the sharpest price spikes from 2022 and 2023 have cooled, personal-care products have continued climbing steadily.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, products in the “hair, dental, shaving, and miscellaneous personal care products” category rose 3.2% during the 12 months that ended March. Over roughly the past two years, cumulative increases in the category have generally landed between 4% and 7%.
That broader category includes products like toothpaste, toothbrushes and shaving cream. In some cities during 2023, toothpaste prices reportedly jumped from $2.71 per tube to $3.92 year over year.
Meanwhile, companies including Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) and Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) warned investors about tariff-related cost pressures and higher manufacturing expenses during 2025.
Consumers may not celebrate toothpaste inflation the way Wall Street reacts to stock gains, but household budgets definitely notice it.
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Living Like A Student Never Really Went Out Of Style
Cuban’s comments about toothpaste were part of a broader philosophy centered on avoiding lifestyle creep and building financial flexibility.
“The first thing you need to do is live like a student,” he told Vanity Fair.
He also warned against relying heavily on credit cards and stressed the importance of building emergency savings before chasing larger investment returns.
“You’re gonna need at least six months income,” Cuban said.
After establishing emergency savings, Cuban said he would place money into “the cheapest” S&P 500 mutual fund he could find. He also discussed speculative investing, saying people willing to “throw the hail Mary” could put 10% into Bitcoin or Ethereum while mentally preparing to lose the money entirely.
The larger point was not really about toothpaste. It was about creating guaranteed savings wherever possible before taking bigger financial swings elsewhere.
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Financial advisors often make a similar argument when discussing everyday spending habits with clients. Small …
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