Phlanx,

You can save some of the initial investment by going with a double-edged, or safety, razor. The blades for them are available for $0.15 to $0.50 on eBay, and you get about five to seven shaves out of a blade. At $.15 a blade that's $11 a year.

The razor itself you could get used on eBay for $5 to $10. Some Proraso cream at Target costs $6 to $7. Grab a bowl or latte mug for $5. A cheap brush is $5, and a nice beginner badger is $35. Either will last you for many years.

So for less than $60 you can get rid of your Mach 3 and canned gel and get better shaves. The brush and cream, for me, made a huge difference over canned gel, and even if I was forced to use a cartridge razor again I would still use a brush and real shaving cream.

After that, a year of blades is only another $11. If you live to be 75 that'll be around $750.

It's really not that expensive. The real cost of a Mach 3 is hidden because you get the razor and a few blades for pretty cheap. But then you're beholden to Gillette forever, and in a few years they'll stop making your cartridge, so you'll have to get a new razor...

Josh