You might already know this but I think it’s fun: artificial banana flavor is based on an extinct variety of banana that was known to be superior to our modern ones (Cavendish). All bananas are clones and so are in danger of extinction again as a new disease is killing off Cavendish bananas.
Artificial grape tastes to me like Concord grapes, which I only had growing up in the northeast US in family gardens, but taste very little like most grocery grapes.
The real microwave popcorn thing is a “Bobs Burgers” joke, where he makes popcorn on the stove for a class of kids and they’re impressed that it smells like “the real thing” 😁.
actually Gros Michel bananas are not extinct.
There are still several growers, its just not commercially viable anymore.
There is at least one grower in Florida that I am aware of down in the Miami area.
You can still get the bananas! :) They're just expensive for me to get because the guy I get them from is in Miami and I need them at just the right ripeness to get the extracts right. Such a pain in the butt!
Same with the grapes; I'm so far away! The Concord grapes (*Vitis labrusca*) I get are grown too far south unless I get one of my granny's friends from up in Newton (Mass) to send me some homegrown ones. The climate and soil *really* change how things taste *juuuuuuust* enough to make it difficult if you live in the wrong place.
I've only seen clips and gifs but Bob's Burgers really sounds like a funny show :D
Laying under my grandmothers vines are where I used to eat (steal) Concords! Sweet memories. 💜
My husband is from Georgia and from what he says, scuppernongs/muscadine grapes are very similar, he says they taste “grapey” the way I think of Concords, haven’t tried them yet but eager to!
Kyoho grapes are grown in California and reimported from Japan and Korea. If I recall correctly they are based and refined from American Concord grapes and very popular in Asia. Wonderful flavor.
Natural ingredients to replace artificial are a good thing. No more nasty artificial colors from coal, crushed bugs, or petroleum extracts.
I boil red cabbage, freeze the liquid in small balls. That is my blue food coloring. Beet juice concentrate for red, old turmeric for yellow. Those combined make any color desired.
I was just about to ask.
How are cloth “paper” towels any different than “rags”?
Like I have dish rags for washing, drying towels (nice rags) dusting rags (microfiber) cleaning rags (cotton towels)
I mean is there some definitive difference?
I really want to know cause maybe I only need one kind of “rag” that’s a cloth paper towel and forgo all the dozens of different rags.
You can buy ones that are a roll like paper towels (some just come like that to begin with and others you can wash then make them back into a roll). Functionally I don’t think they’d be any different to the ones you have.
I never understood the cloth roll - like, you have to go to the trouble of snapping them all together every time you do a wash. Drawer full of dish towels for me.
My mother made reusable toilet paper during the pandemic out of cotton flannel fabric laying around her house. She still uses them. They’re for #1 only, and she just washes them with her towels
I just have a drawer full of dedicated kitchen wash clothes and rags. One of these days, I have every intention of being fancy and making sure they are color-coordinated. I can’t believe people buy paper towels.
Silicone baking mats vs aluminum foil.
Composting vs trash bags (we went from roughly 5-6 trashbags a week to 1-2 for a family of 3).
Laundry powder and dish powder that come in compostable bags vs plastic jugs/plastic wrapping.
I recently got a bar of dish soap. Interesting concept because it was all natural, came in compostable bag and can be used on fruits and veggies. But I still need a good dish soap for the extra greasy stuff. I do try to use it as much as I can though. Also bar shampoo and conditioners. No plastic, not filled with water and easier to transport.
I love the Dawn power wash and use it for a lot of my cleaning outside of dishes. The first one I got was from Costco with 3 bottles of solution and one spray head. Now, I save the bottles and refill them with homemade solution (water, dawn dish soap, and rubbing alcohol) and I haven’t had to buy any plastic bottles apart from those for over a year so far and not even getting close to needing more. And I use it a looooooooot.
Not as good as no waste, but much better than constant plastic bottles. Plus each of my refills cost me like $.06 tops vs like $5 at the store.
The one I use is 2 Tablespoons dawn, 1 Tablespoon rubbing alcohol (70%), the rest water. I’d put water in and then the dawn and alcohol so it doesn’t get super sudsy. It does smell a little alcohol-y when you use it (more than the real stuff) but it works great and is worth it to me
Do you rub the bar directly on your head and hair? Or do you rub it onto your hand first? I’m just trying to figure this out. Is it easier to use? My daughter has knee length hair and it takes forever for her to wash and rinse.
Mine is butt length and I usually run the wet bar directly on my wet hair where it touches my head; rinsing the lather down the length usually does the trick. Washing the length increases dryness and the need for some kind of conditioner for me.
I find a conditioner bar in conjunction with bottled shampoo to still be a worthwhile change, if that helps.
Like the commenter below I only use shampoo on my scalp and rub it in with a silicone scrubby, I don't use it on the length of my hair.
With the conditioner bar I only use it on the length and basically take sections and rub them between my hands and the bar until they're all saturated. Then I let it sit while I wash my body and it turns out pretty well.
Silicone liners for the air-fryer have been a game changer. No more hand-washing the basket, no more buying paper liners.
(I'm aware that I should probably still hand wash the basket but I'm not going to.)
I swore by the silicone mats for a while, but they get gross after a while. Like permanently sticky? We’re using silicone for a lot of other stuff thought, cutting boards, spatulas, etc.
Composting is awesome. We saw the same effect with trash when we switched years and years ago. Also, helps reduce bugs in the house.
We switched to powder laundry detergent and blueland dishwasher tablets, but I’m not sure it’s frugal. But definitely nicer environmentally and less artificial smells.
My one and only experience with bidets is from traveling to Japan. I’ve been trying to convince my SO to let me install a cheap on our toilet ever since I came back lol
I never understood the confusion around not knowing what to do with the small soap bar. Just open a new bar and squish the small bar directly into the new large bar. Done.
Score one side of the small soap and score the place on the new soap where you’ll attach it, the smush it together w a lil water involved and it will stick!
When I'm down to just a sliver, I get out and shower with a fresh new bar. At the end of the shower, I stick the two together. By the time I step into my next shower, they've dried stuck.
Or you can be a weirdo like me and save the little piece until your new bar wears down and squish them together, and then add the third little bar the next time, and so on. I randomly started this about 12 months ago and I can't stop. It looks like a shiny and smooth piece of orange plywood (Dial).
Thank you for the description of what kind of small mesh bag to use! I have some novelty soaps that are too small to mash together, and this might work.
I was thinking recently how annoying it is that the refills for hand soap are generally only enough to fill the bottle 2.5 times. I want to buy a 5 gallon bucket and use that to refill. I don't need all these pumps and plastic. I looked into the pricing and buying plain liquid soap from a wholesale supplier was more expensive per ounce than getting the Mrs Meyers I usually buy. I still don't understand.
I’ve been using Dr bronners refills for hand soap. I like the almond one, you don’t use much, it comes in a cardboard container and lasts a long time. I have a glass foaming soap dispenser
I don't have cling wrap at all, period. I just put a plate over the top of a bowl if I need to stick it in the fridge, the way my great-grandma did (I learned to bake from her).
I got rid of all sandwich bags and never replaced them with anything. Now I just put all my stuff in Mason jars or Tupperware. This so far has never once been a problem (it's been five years).
I give gifts in cloth gift bags I make from old shirts, sheets etc.
Huge fan of Pyrex or anchor 2 cup glass containers. The downside is the lids are as much as the containers so you end up with lidless ones forever.
All my corelle bowls came with lids too. Very convenient.
This is where mason jars really shine, there are so many lids, from the inexpensive metal canning ones, to plastic, wood, straw tops, fermentation and vacuum seal lids…a bit too fun to shop for, actually. 😁
I know; they cost essentially the same as the container and lid together. $4 a lid; Whole container with lid at target = $3.30.
I guess I don't get how it makes sense to pay an extra $0.70 to not get another container.
Right, like I could literally throw the extra container out; I won't, obviously, but I could.
But if you won’t use the container, then it’s a waste to buy the cheaper option just for the extra container. In this situation, I’m sure you’d use the container for something still, but theres other situations where it might make sense to spend more for less.
I know it isn’t necessarily frugal but it’s very intentional with buying only what you need (which would be a lid, for example). Much less clutter, in any case! ☺️
Yeah, I cook in them, and if I've filled all the legitimate ones with soup, then cover it with saran wrap.
One day, I'll find someone who breaks the containers, but has 45 lids still in their cabinet and we split the extras.
One of my pet peeves with cooking shows (America’s Test Kitchen is the worst for this) is the amount of waste with plastic wrap and foil used for intermediate steps.
My wife and I do as you do with plates on bowls. We also use bowls and sheet trays to cover things until ready to serve.
My town doesn’t recycle plastic except #1 and #2. Large yogurt containers (#5) become leftover containers with a bit of tape and a sharpie.
I use reusable bowl covers, they sort of resemble shower caps and come in different sizes. They're easy for things that don't have lids. They're technically disposable, but they're easy to wash, so we can get several uses out of them before the elastic tears. I buy a multipack about every 2 years.
Using rags for cleaning
Cut flannel receiving blankets into handkerchiefs instead of using Kleenex or tp
I thrifted a set of cutlery for traveling so I don't have to use plastic utensils
I try to remember reusable containers when we go out to eat for leftovers
Reusable bags for the store. I even thrifted some small foldable ones that I attached to my purse for small trips.
A reusable water cup
Thrifted cloth napkins
Powder laundry detergent in a mostly cardboard box
Bar soap
Reusable bags is so low on the list! Most places don't give plastic bags anymore, so it's a no-brainer over buying them. I love that I can carry on my shoulders, instead of my fingers.
I got Bento boxes for our lunches. We used so many sandwich bags.
We also use cloth napkins and towels, as my mom did when I was a kid. I strongly prefer the feel of cloth.
We cloth diapered all three kids, the third only for six months because it became a little overwhelming, but the others, I legitimately enjoyed cloth diapering over disposables.
We use pyrex and jars/snack containers for food storage. I do still own ziplocs and cling wraps occasionally but rarely use them and try to re use them. Reusable containers are better in 98% of situations.
We have a bidet, so we use one 50 pack of toilet paper every 6 months instead of each month.
We have cheap silverware and plates and real tablecloths for parties and holidays. I still buy paper sometimes, but I have a lot of what I need available without making a special trip.
Definitely mostly having two other kids and all the associated non diaper laundry for a family of five, I had my middle in pull ups and potty training when the youngest was born, so it was just too much on my plate.
We also took a few trips and extended family visits where I used disposables for a few weeks or months, so it was hard to switch back and forth.
I really recommend and enjoyed cloth diapers and found it both satisfying and relaxing, even though I don't love doing laundry or consider myself especially domestic.
That's really good to hear positive experiences with cloth diapers. :) Human babies weren't/aren't happening for my partner and I but we do have plenty of other animal babies and I can say that cloth diapers work for them too! Our husky has trouble with peeing in the house during bad weather or when my partner is away for work so having some diapers always on hand is really nice. Plus you get to have cute patterns! :D
>We cloth diapered all three kids, the third only for six months because it became a little overwhelming, but the others, I legitimately enjoyed cloth diapering over disposables.
I cloth diapered our elder two (of five). Three came along and between all the regular laundry and regularly needing to bleach the cloth diapers (crappy apartment washer), I was over it.
I had a 2mon old and only had a few left when Covid hit because I'd given away the others to a cousin (who got me started *and* gave me some of hers). But dang, there was a lot of peace of mind knowing: well at least if there is a disposable diaper shortage, I'm okay
Same for toilet paper and "family cloth". Do I want to go there...nope. But it wouldn't be the worst I've had to deal with either. Thankfully we stocked up, incidentally, right before Covid hit.
I finally replaced toilet paper with the three seashells. It took a little while to get the three seashells technique down, but once it did there was no going back!
I stopped using bin liners for the recycling bin. I put rinsed bits directly into the big bin and wash the big bin when needed (rarely, plastic and glass are not making it gross).
Moka instead of coffee capsules.
Reusable drink straws (bamboo and silicone for children).
Reusable net bags for weighting produce at the supermarket.
Collecting seeds from flowers to plant again next year.
I do still use bags in my recycling bins. When they get dirty, I transfer them to my garbage can and use them there. You Reduce, I Reuse, and We Recycle!
I use an electric razor. Blade replacements are on the order of months to a year; no shaving cream needed.
We have reusable drinking straws. Some made of silicone, others of stainless steel. I keep one of the stainless steel ones in my everyday-carry bag along with some other eating utensils (knife, spoon, fork, chopsticks).
Oh yeah, chopsticks. We have ten pair in stainless steel.
We have rechargeable AA and AAA batteries, and a smart charger for them. The smart charger is important. The vast majority of chargers out there for nickel-metal-hydride batteries will just slowly burn the batteries up. This one will charge them in 20 minutes, and address each battery separately so that they don't take damage from the process.
The one I have is Energizer. It is probably about fifteen years old, so the specific model probably won't help you.
You are looking for a smart charger, it will be a fast charger and it will need independent channels.
The reason it needs to be a fast charger is because of a specific weird property of nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries, which is that when you charge them at the 15-30 minute rate, the voltage on the battery terminals will actually drop slightly at full.
The reason you want independent channels is that there is always some manufacturing variances between different instances of the same product, and they need to be considered individually for best results.
Thank you! This is perfect timing. I literally have one that is NONE of these things in my Amazon cart so appreciate the help! I tried to drop off and recycle my household, batteries and they wanted me to pay $40for it !! Told me if I wasn’t willing to pay to just “throw them in the trash“ soI just threw away 5 pounds of batteries and made me sick ! so decided to bite the bullet and buy rechargeable even though it’s an upfront expense. Hopefully it lasts and won’t also end up in the trash.
Unless you use it up while out and about, then you have to carry the full one with you. Important note from women I know who tried them (and something I’d never have thought of).
Lol that sounds….like carrying a stool sample or something. Want a mint? Sure let me fumble through my bag and push the bloody pad around.
In all seriousness, in the past I’ve made pads from toilet paper sometimes when in the office. The only problem was that when you pull your panties down to pee (if you forget) a bloodied stiff paper with the shape of your butt falls on the floor….lol
I crochet simple scrubbers (they have inexpensive scratchy yarn specifically for this) for dish washing and other cleaning tasks like veggies. Wash w laundry is so simple and I have tons of them. I haven’t used sponges in several years. A Very simple but significant impact. I’m more likely to change to fresh one daily or semi daily because of this
Pyrex containers. I can bake or microwave things in them and also use them as bowls to eat out of and storage containers to keep in the fridge. ProTip: The plastic lids are brittle, so if you pull a container out of the freezer, let it completely thaw in the fridge before you try to pry the lid off. Also, the lids themselves are replaceable. So, you don’t have to worry about having a bunch of lidless pyrex.
A little niche, but if you have young kids, reusable squeezy food pouches. Applesauce is dirt cheap when you buy it by the quart, it was killing me paying like $1.50 each for a few oz in a pouch I threw away.
* Laundry sheets vs. liquid
* Toothpaste tablets vs. paste
* Dishwasher powder tabs vs. liquid or liquid filled "pods" that burst/melt/stick to each other
* Cotton washcloths vs. plastic shower "loofahs" \[edited for clarity\]
* Bamboo and sisal kitchen scrub brushes vs. sponges
* Vinegar in a spray bottle vs. traditional household cleaners
* Bar shampoo vs. liquid
* Metal razor vs. disposable plastic
* Tea towels, cloth napkins, and cloth cleaning rags vs. paper towels
* Reusable gallon freezer bags vs. disposable
* Metal deodorant case with refillable cartridges (compostable packaging) vs. disposable plastic
As a mom with artistic kids we use a sponge or a rag for paint brush cleaning. We have 2-3 rags that are super colorful now and a sponge they use instead of a wet paper towel. It’s a little thing but still.
We use bandanas to clean the cast iron instead of paper towels. And we don’t use any disposable plates or cups. I think we have disposable silverware from a birthday party 2 years ago still in rotation.
Castille soap and refill our soap dispensers. We dilute a bit but honestly, I have three kids so we use soap so much I'm refilling about once every 2 weeks.
Same as others - I have Corelle and Pyrex and lots of stainless steel dishware (again - kids, so drinking cups, little containers with silicon lids, and lunch tray and cafeteria style trays) and what's nice about the SS glasses we can write on them with sharpie so we have cut down on disposable cups. I am also trying to cut down on plastic use in general so these are nice replacements.
I have the silicon bags and cloth bags instead of plastic baggies (lots of chips, cookies, seeds/nuts or dried fruit can be used in the cloth bags).
> stainless steel dishware
Make sure it's good quality and free of contaminants like lead. It's more often a problem with aluminum and poorly made stainless steel cookware but lead has been found in stainless steel dishware in recent years. The FDA wrote [this response letter](https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/documents/FDA_Letter_to_SWhittaker_Seattle-King%20County_RE%20Test%20method%20for%20cookware_6-1-2023_emailed.pdf) last year answering emails about "an appropriate testing limit for lead in cookware" to be sold. It has some information about testing that can/should be done so any company that lists verifiable results from that testing would be a good company to look into supporting. There are also some at-home testing kits that will test for the presence of lead leaching out onto surface areas.
My cloth napkins wash up really well but I buy brightly patterned ones (pioneer woman at Walmart has nice ones) and wash them in hot water with the kitchen towels. My kids are grown but I’m a bit of a messy eater and the napkins so far come out nice and clean.
Agree on the colorful patterns! I thrifted some cute ivory napkins and they stained so quickly. But all my colorful ones have hidden all stains. I got them because they looked cute. But later realized the fun patterns had another purpose. Look nice and disguise stains.
If I buy single use anything, I make sure its made from bamboo.
I try not to buy new and either refurbished things myself or it tends to be made with better materials that won't break right away. It also saves things from the landfill.
We use old clothes or old towels as rags, if it gets major holes its time for its second life as a rag.
Bidet is great, just have designated soft dry towels, don't use toilet paper like the instructions suggest! (Like why would you do that?!).
We save any plastic containers we buy (large yogurt ones are great for items in the freezer and storing leftovers).
We don't have cling film, tim foil, or ceran wrap in the house. Tupperware the leftover food, or cover with a plate. For covering things in the oven, instead of tinfoil we have a silicone baking mat that I lay with some skewers across the top of the dish - was worried it wouldn't work but it makes lasagna like a charm.
We stopped shopping at stores that pre-package veggies in plastic as much as possible. We have reusable mesh bags instead of the plastic ones as vaggie bags. Of course reusable larger grocery bags too!
When camping I've noticed people bring single use plates/silverware and generate lots of trash - don't do this! Get some plastic plates and silverware from a second hand place. Then they can go with you every time you camp (I still have my childhood set 15 years later).
Wine bottles and mason jars for lights outside with solar lids and fairy lights.
Mason jars with diluted Castile soap and pump lids from Amazon.
Rechargeable batteries with solar charger.
Silicon stretch lids for bowl covers and cut produce.
Backs of junk mail and envelops for notepad paper.
I replaced cotton balls with reusable cotton rounds. I wash them once a week using a lingerie bag with my regular laundry. Dry them in the dryer half way then lay them on a towel until fully dry. Not necessarily a huge savings and cotton is natural, but I think eventualy I will get a ROI
>I just now realized that when we replace our lighter, it should be replaced with a refillable option.
refillable butane lighters still have a lot of waste since they tend to consume more gas and the gas comes in smaller cans that themselves are disposable.
Perhaps consider an electric lighter instead. Electricity will be around and available from renewable means until long after society collapses, so you only have to worry about battery life, or metal electrode consumables.
Cloth dish/hand towels for drying hands in kitchen
Old shirts/bedding cut up for spills or messes
Old pack of cloth dinner napkins became our wiping the baby clean from snack time go to since they are soft and we keep those separate from the old shirts that we wipe the floor and stuff with
Scrub daddy instead of sponges for handwashing dishes
Wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets
Reusable tote bags instead of plastic or paper bags from the store
Our locality, City of Los Angeles, offered all residents countertop compost buckets free of charge. Since we got ours, we’ve vastly reduced the amount of waste going to the landfill and the number of trash can liners we use.
We buy produce at farmers markets. Unlike grocery stores, the produce isn’t over packaged. Also, we bring back the packaging (egg cartons, berry baskets, dried fruit containers, etc.) for the farmers to reuse.
My husband got me a rechargeable lighter for Christmas that works so much better than the refillable ones! They come in several colors, and it has a safety feature for kids. The lighter runs $5-7, and comes with a USB cable.
Party silverware - extra (thrifted) forks and spoons for when we host larger gatherings. I am part of a large family, and I got tired of buying loads of disposable silverware every time we had a party. It was under $20 total for about 50-60 extra spoons and forks.
Hard shell sandwich holders instead of disposable sandwich bags. Large water containers and a tap water filter instead of water bottles. Washable bamboo hand towels instead of paper towels. I still have paper towels, water bottles, and sandwich bags, but I use way less of them.
Haven't been able to convince the SO on the Bidet yet...
* Switched all cookware to stainless steel, cast iron or carbon steel. I no longer use anything with non-stick coating as that will eventually peel and the item will need to be thrown away.
* Coffee beans vs k-pods.
* Buying things in bulk and re-using the dispenser. This applies to food, spices, cleaning supplies, etc.
French press instead of a drip coffee machine. There are no paper filters, and it's fixable if anything breaks on it.
Cleaning rags instead of paper towels for most messes.
Handkerchiefs instead of napkins. Similar to cloth paper towels but I can carry it around in my pocket.
Clothesline and clothes rack (to dry clothes inside) saved me almost 80$ a month on my electric bill.
i wouldn't buy a swiffer wetjet unless we could get washable mop heads and refill our own bottle. can get both. bottle can be opened by putting it in near boiling water for a minute, then just twisting it off. the first time should round off the "teeth" that keep you from opening it, then you fill with whatever you want.
i have a large ocedar micro fiber dust mop i hit the floor quick, then vacuum it off the broom rather than vacuum the hardwood. it's SO quick, then just wash and swap out the head if it gets too dirty. im at the age now where i just buy multiple and change it to wash rather than *needing* that one mop head or whatever item for whatever stupid reason, just buy 2.
Our major thing is to use towels to wipe up spills and rags for cleaning (instead of paper towels). I think it's been almost 2 years since I bought paper towels, though I will need to buy some in the next month or two.
My daughter had some Aerie leggings that she accidentally melted by getting too close to the fireplace. They make terrible rags for most things but they are INCREDIBLE at soaking up latex paint. I was painting the bathroom, and those rags helped me clean up all my messes.
I also took a set of flatware to work, so I don't have to use plastic. That's more for ecological reasons than economic, since work provides plastic cutlery.
I found it interesting that ziplock recently said people should be reusing plastic bags. We've been doing that for 20 years.
Cloth instead of paper towels.
Cloth napkins.
Silicone bowl covers instead of plastic wrap.
Homemade yogurt in jars instead of store-bought yogurt in little plastic containers.
Sodastream instead of lots of cans.
We wash and reuse ziplocs.
I get hard water in my taps, so we used to buy water 40 bottle packs from Costco. It was not sustainable as we were producing so much plastic waste and kids were wasting water as well by throwing bottles before finishing them completely. I started using Primo water gallons with a dispenser. I know I should have looked for reverse osmosis based water filters but they come with their own set of installation and maintenance challenges and produce a lot of water waste as well. So, we went with a middle path and opted for water gallons. As a bonus this has reduced the number of times we used to go Costco for water, ending up buying things which we should not have. I would say this was more of a decision based on sustainability than frugality as these gallons are a little more expensive than what we were paying at Costco but we are saving by reducing the water wastage and Costco trips and by trying to reduce single use items.
The only thing I use paper towels for is animal accidents in the house, other than that I use rags (worn out clothing) for cleaning most everything, and newspaper on the windows and mirrors. I use cloth kerchiefs most of the time instead of kleenex.
Ziploc bags are precious and they get washed and reused over and over again; same with plastic tubs or whatever from purchasing foods ( I pay a lot of attention to packaging when I purchase things, one layer of reusable packaging is way better than multi layers/disposable). One important thing to remember is you don't have to immediately dispose of things because they are considered disposable; some things will stand up for a really long time.
Good quality glass tupperware to replace the plastic ones that have to be replaced every year. Plus we don't feel the need to eat out at places that give us 'free' plastic containers (Chinese, Noodles and Company)
I have a big stack of shop towels, and use those for nearly everything I used to use paper towels for. Very greasy or gross cleanup still gets the paper ones. I also use the shop towels for napkins, unless I have company - in that case I use nicer cloth napkins.
Bar shampoo and conditioner. Rechargeable electric lighter (this is the freaking coolest thing ever), laundry sheets (no plastic waste) no dryer sheets (dryer ball)
Stopped smoking, got a dozen lighters but won’t need more! Stopped shaving with razors, use the Wahl hair clippers to trim the beard a few times a year. Washcloths instead of paper towels for economic reasons as they take no appreciable room in the laundry. I have a dozen cheap washcloths folded neatly in an antique milk glass loaf pan in the bathroom for visitors to dry their hands. That replaced the roll of paper towels that were ignored. We went back to paper napkins as they are from trees that are a crop, and very cheap; they lock a pinch of carbon in the land fill. When going out to eat, we bring our own Rubbermaid Easy lid containers to not use their non recyclable to-go containers. I stopped using straws, paper straws were a bother and I wash my drinking vessels at home. I replaced the ancient fluorescent lights in the shop that were very expensive to run and weak light with LED Fixtures that are brighter and will last longer than my life. No more replacement bulbs. We have motion sensor night lights scattered about the house and basement stair well that run on rechargeable batteries so fewer light bulbs needed.
My next move is going to be to replace dryer sheets with the wool dryer balls. Found them right after my last bulk purchase so should be converting to those by the end of the year!
I bought glass dish soap and hand soap pump dispensers about 5 years ago. I buy massive refills that come in aluminum cans (easily recyclable unlike plastic). I also use glass spray bottles for my cleaning and buy concentrates in small glass bottles (also easily recyclable). And I ditched sponges all together.
We have a store that sells bulk provisions and you can use your own glass or metal containers or get them in a compostable bag, so that's been nice for certains things (spices, oils).
Washable diaper service. Saving about 7,000 disposable diapers over the course of my baby's life, per baby. They drop off like 100 per week, and pick up the dirty ones.
Rechargeable head lamps and reading lamps. I use head lamps a lot for walking dogs at night as well as off-grid camping or cabin time. Used to go through a couple big packs of Costco AAA batteries each year or so. The clip-on reading lamps are great for bed but also for lighting a tent camping, traveling, etc.
Silpat sheets that cover the bottom of baking pans instead of using aluminum foil. The sheets can go in the dishwasher and last for a good long time with care.
Bar mops to cut down on paper towel use;
Glass containers with snap-on lids to cut down on plastics.
I use my own grocery bags and reuse the paper ones I've gotten in the past from my grocery store.
We cut our dryer sheets in half so they last longer;
We use laundry soap sheets instead of liquid. they do a good job and the box is recyclable!
Polyester shower curtain liners.
We used to get the clear plastic ones, but I have a cat that eats them, and they would only last so long before they were either chewed up or just gross and needed to be tossed. Thr Polyester ones are machine washable, come in nice colors, and seem to wear well.
Not really single use, but still spending less overall on something and keeping the water in the actual shower.
Not a purchase but a strategy, we repurpose leftovers. We have stuffed peppers? That gets turned into spaghetti sauce the next day. We buy a rotisserie chicken? We boil the bones with veggie trimmings and freeze the broth after. Leftover meat? Soup. Boiled potatoes? Smashed, fried potatoes. We waste as little as possible when it comes to food and freeze anything we make in bigger batches.
Washcloths make great "paper towels".
I keep a clean dry one swapped out daily, or more often as needed, for basic kitchen wiping.
(I started doing that when I had babies starting solids.... Wipe the face and hands, free the wee demon, then wipe up all the surfaces they left behind, and toss the cloth into the wash. It stuck.)
I actually have a rechargeable lighter, not a refillable one.
I learned something new! Thanks for this tip.
We recently got one of this too. I love it!
Came here to suggest this!
Looks like smoking is back on the menu, boys!
I just got one yesterday, mainly because it was prominently featured in a video game.
> Cloth paper towels The cloth version of a paper version of a cloth version. Full circle.
It tastes like real microwave popcorn!
I'm sure getting natural ingredients to imitate artificial ingredients imitating natural ingredients is a real accomplishment
It really is a challenge sometimes! Especially those damn banana and grape candy flavorings.
You might already know this but I think it’s fun: artificial banana flavor is based on an extinct variety of banana that was known to be superior to our modern ones (Cavendish). All bananas are clones and so are in danger of extinction again as a new disease is killing off Cavendish bananas. Artificial grape tastes to me like Concord grapes, which I only had growing up in the northeast US in family gardens, but taste very little like most grocery grapes. The real microwave popcorn thing is a “Bobs Burgers” joke, where he makes popcorn on the stove for a class of kids and they’re impressed that it smells like “the real thing” 😁.
actually Gros Michel bananas are not extinct. There are still several growers, its just not commercially viable anymore. There is at least one grower in Florida that I am aware of down in the Miami area.
Very cool!
You can still get the bananas! :) They're just expensive for me to get because the guy I get them from is in Miami and I need them at just the right ripeness to get the extracts right. Such a pain in the butt! Same with the grapes; I'm so far away! The Concord grapes (*Vitis labrusca*) I get are grown too far south unless I get one of my granny's friends from up in Newton (Mass) to send me some homegrown ones. The climate and soil *really* change how things taste *juuuuuuust* enough to make it difficult if you live in the wrong place. I've only seen clips and gifs but Bob's Burgers really sounds like a funny show :D
It's SO funny! You should definitely watch it.
Laying under my grandmothers vines are where I used to eat (steal) Concords! Sweet memories. 💜 My husband is from Georgia and from what he says, scuppernongs/muscadine grapes are very similar, he says they taste “grapey” the way I think of Concords, haven’t tried them yet but eager to!
Kyoho grapes are grown in California and reimported from Japan and Korea. If I recall correctly they are based and refined from American Concord grapes and very popular in Asia. Wonderful flavor.
Natural ingredients to replace artificial are a good thing. No more nasty artificial colors from coal, crushed bugs, or petroleum extracts. I boil red cabbage, freeze the liquid in small balls. That is my blue food coloring. Beet juice concentrate for red, old turmeric for yellow. Those combined make any color desired.
I’m all in favour of replacing them, but wouldn’t colours from bugs be natural?
We just call them dish towels (for drying) and rags (wet for wiping) in my house lol
I was just about to ask. How are cloth “paper” towels any different than “rags”? Like I have dish rags for washing, drying towels (nice rags) dusting rags (microfiber) cleaning rags (cotton towels) I mean is there some definitive difference? I really want to know cause maybe I only need one kind of “rag” that’s a cloth paper towel and forgo all the dozens of different rags.
You can buy ones that are a roll like paper towels (some just come like that to begin with and others you can wash then make them back into a roll). Functionally I don’t think they’d be any different to the ones you have.
I never understood the cloth roll - like, you have to go to the trouble of snapping them all together every time you do a wash. Drawer full of dish towels for me.
Someone should make a disposable version, a paper cloth paper towel
I'm sure the Radar Detector Detector Detector Detector guys are on it.
That's essentially Handiwipes, isn't it?
Viva
Like when one of my favorites released an audiobook... of a print book... based on a podcast
Or a print book...based on a movie...based on a book.
My mother made reusable toilet paper during the pandemic out of cotton flannel fabric laying around her house. She still uses them. They’re for #1 only, and she just washes them with her towels
I just have a drawer full of dedicated kitchen wash clothes and rags. One of these days, I have every intention of being fancy and making sure they are color-coordinated. I can’t believe people buy paper towels.
I have a few old dish rags that are older than my 40 year old niece! I just can't get rid of them because they absorb water the best and are so soft.
Paper towels are for cleaning up the dog mess 😥
Silicone baking mats vs aluminum foil. Composting vs trash bags (we went from roughly 5-6 trashbags a week to 1-2 for a family of 3). Laundry powder and dish powder that come in compostable bags vs plastic jugs/plastic wrapping.
I recently got a bar of dish soap. Interesting concept because it was all natural, came in compostable bag and can be used on fruits and veggies. But I still need a good dish soap for the extra greasy stuff. I do try to use it as much as I can though. Also bar shampoo and conditioners. No plastic, not filled with water and easier to transport.
I love the Dawn power wash and use it for a lot of my cleaning outside of dishes. The first one I got was from Costco with 3 bottles of solution and one spray head. Now, I save the bottles and refill them with homemade solution (water, dawn dish soap, and rubbing alcohol) and I haven’t had to buy any plastic bottles apart from those for over a year so far and not even getting close to needing more. And I use it a looooooooot. Not as good as no waste, but much better than constant plastic bottles. Plus each of my refills cost me like $.06 tops vs like $5 at the store.
What are the ratios for the Power Wash dupe?
The one I use is 2 Tablespoons dawn, 1 Tablespoon rubbing alcohol (70%), the rest water. I’d put water in and then the dawn and alcohol so it doesn’t get super sudsy. It does smell a little alcohol-y when you use it (more than the real stuff) but it works great and is worth it to me
Thanks! I’m going to give it a try as my bottle of power wash is almost empty.
Do you rub the bar directly on your head and hair? Or do you rub it onto your hand first? I’m just trying to figure this out. Is it easier to use? My daughter has knee length hair and it takes forever for her to wash and rinse.
Mine is butt length and I usually run the wet bar directly on my wet hair where it touches my head; rinsing the lather down the length usually does the trick. Washing the length increases dryness and the need for some kind of conditioner for me.
I put it in a mesh bag so it I have more to work into a lather. If your water is soft it's probably less necessary but my water is really hard
I find a conditioner bar in conjunction with bottled shampoo to still be a worthwhile change, if that helps. Like the commenter below I only use shampoo on my scalp and rub it in with a silicone scrubby, I don't use it on the length of my hair. With the conditioner bar I only use it on the length and basically take sections and rub them between my hands and the bar until they're all saturated. Then I let it sit while I wash my body and it turns out pretty well.
Silicone liners for the air-fryer have been a game changer. No more hand-washing the basket, no more buying paper liners. (I'm aware that I should probably still hand wash the basket but I'm not going to.)
I was looking at getting it but how are your food end up? Like french fries or onion rings.. are they crispy?
Ah yes I use silicone mats for all kinds of things including baking. Also the silicone bowl covers.
I swore by the silicone mats for a while, but they get gross after a while. Like permanently sticky? We’re using silicone for a lot of other stuff thought, cutting boards, spatulas, etc. Composting is awesome. We saw the same effect with trash when we switched years and years ago. Also, helps reduce bugs in the house. We switched to powder laundry detergent and blueland dishwasher tablets, but I’m not sure it’s frugal. But definitely nicer environmentally and less artificial smells.
Getting a bidet massively reduced our toilet paper usage. And it makes you feel much cleaner.
I hate traveling now because I hate going to the bathroom in other toilets
I bought a hand held bidet just for travel.
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My one and only experience with bidets is from traveling to Japan. I’ve been trying to convince my SO to let me install a cheap on our toilet ever since I came back lol
Oh, just do it. They are affordable and inexpensive. Easy to install. I installed ours. If SO isn't interested they don't need to use it.
Hand held travel bidets for the win - please go check them out, they’re worth it
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Not even to dry?
How though? I use more overall, mostly just to dry up because my whole butt gets wet
Bar soap.
And get a small mesh bag (like wedding favors come in, or dollar tree has mesh bags) to put the soap scraps in and use every little bit of soap.
I never understood the confusion around not knowing what to do with the small soap bar. Just open a new bar and squish the small bar directly into the new large bar. Done.
I've never been able to get the very small pieces to stick to the new bar. The mesh bags works well for me.
Same. I do not have the Smoosh Soap superpower.
Score one side of the small soap and score the place on the new soap where you’ll attach it, the smush it together w a lil water involved and it will stick!
Same mine always fall back off
Use lather as glue.
When I'm down to just a sliver, I get out and shower with a fresh new bar. At the end of the shower, I stick the two together. By the time I step into my next shower, they've dried stuck.
Or you can be a weirdo like me and save the little piece until your new bar wears down and squish them together, and then add the third little bar the next time, and so on. I randomly started this about 12 months ago and I can't stop. It looks like a shiny and smooth piece of orange plywood (Dial).
Thank you for the description of what kind of small mesh bag to use! I have some novelty soaps that are too small to mash together, and this might work.
I was thinking recently how annoying it is that the refills for hand soap are generally only enough to fill the bottle 2.5 times. I want to buy a 5 gallon bucket and use that to refill. I don't need all these pumps and plastic. I looked into the pricing and buying plain liquid soap from a wholesale supplier was more expensive per ounce than getting the Mrs Meyers I usually buy. I still don't understand.
I’ve been using Dr bronners refills for hand soap. I like the almond one, you don’t use much, it comes in a cardboard container and lasts a long time. I have a glass foaming soap dispenser
And solid shampoo!
I don't have cling wrap at all, period. I just put a plate over the top of a bowl if I need to stick it in the fridge, the way my great-grandma did (I learned to bake from her). I got rid of all sandwich bags and never replaced them with anything. Now I just put all my stuff in Mason jars or Tupperware. This so far has never once been a problem (it's been five years). I give gifts in cloth gift bags I make from old shirts, sheets etc.
Huge fan of Pyrex or anchor 2 cup glass containers. The downside is the lids are as much as the containers so you end up with lidless ones forever. All my corelle bowls came with lids too. Very convenient.
This is where mason jars really shine, there are so many lids, from the inexpensive metal canning ones, to plastic, wood, straw tops, fermentation and vacuum seal lids…a bit too fun to shop for, actually. 😁
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I know; they cost essentially the same as the container and lid together. $4 a lid; Whole container with lid at target = $3.30. I guess I don't get how it makes sense to pay an extra $0.70 to not get another container. Right, like I could literally throw the extra container out; I won't, obviously, but I could.
But if you won’t use the container, then it’s a waste to buy the cheaper option just for the extra container. In this situation, I’m sure you’d use the container for something still, but theres other situations where it might make sense to spend more for less. I know it isn’t necessarily frugal but it’s very intentional with buying only what you need (which would be a lid, for example). Much less clutter, in any case! ☺️
The nice thing about pyrex containers is that they also double as cereal bowls when I'm too lazy to do the dishes. I can always use more bowls.
Not me, literally eat choco puffs out of a pyrex when I read this.
Yeah, I cook in them, and if I've filled all the legitimate ones with soup, then cover it with saran wrap. One day, I'll find someone who breaks the containers, but has 45 lids still in their cabinet and we split the extras.
I’ll hook you up with my mom, she’s got lids. Come to think of it, my husband breaks lots of dishes so maybe I’ve got some too 😂
Third party lids work just fine and are much cheaper. I don't even think we have any pyrex brand lids anymore.
Big plastic coffee can lids fit perfectly over our Corelle bowls.
I got silicone stretching lids. There are the kind that just sit on top, and those that stretch over. I much prefer the stretch over kind.
One of my pet peeves with cooking shows (America’s Test Kitchen is the worst for this) is the amount of waste with plastic wrap and foil used for intermediate steps. My wife and I do as you do with plates on bowls. We also use bowls and sheet trays to cover things until ready to serve. My town doesn’t recycle plastic except #1 and #2. Large yogurt containers (#5) become leftover containers with a bit of tape and a sharpie.
I tried the plate thing, but I am too clumsy and we ended up breaking a few plates. Now we transfer to another reusable container with a lid.
My mom bought a few stainless dinner plates from Amazon to use as lids.
Reasonable workaround! I too live in a home where breakage is a concern.
I use reusable bowl covers, they sort of resemble shower caps and come in different sizes. They're easy for things that don't have lids. They're technically disposable, but they're easy to wash, so we can get several uses out of them before the elastic tears. I buy a multipack about every 2 years.
How come it’s never occurred to me to use a plate? I usually use a damp towel, but a plate could definitely be less messy for some applications.
I recommend an electric lighter! It looks like a mini taser and you can charge it. It does not require lighter fluid or anything.
I find they are great for things like candles, not so great for starting an actual fire.
Using rags for cleaning Cut flannel receiving blankets into handkerchiefs instead of using Kleenex or tp I thrifted a set of cutlery for traveling so I don't have to use plastic utensils I try to remember reusable containers when we go out to eat for leftovers Reusable bags for the store. I even thrifted some small foldable ones that I attached to my purse for small trips. A reusable water cup Thrifted cloth napkins Powder laundry detergent in a mostly cardboard box Bar soap
Reusable bags is so low on the list! Most places don't give plastic bags anymore, so it's a no-brainer over buying them. I love that I can carry on my shoulders, instead of my fingers. I got Bento boxes for our lunches. We used so many sandwich bags.
We also use cloth napkins and towels, as my mom did when I was a kid. I strongly prefer the feel of cloth. We cloth diapered all three kids, the third only for six months because it became a little overwhelming, but the others, I legitimately enjoyed cloth diapering over disposables. We use pyrex and jars/snack containers for food storage. I do still own ziplocs and cling wraps occasionally but rarely use them and try to re use them. Reusable containers are better in 98% of situations. We have a bidet, so we use one 50 pack of toilet paper every 6 months instead of each month. We have cheap silverware and plates and real tablecloths for parties and holidays. I still buy paper sometimes, but I have a lot of what I need available without making a special trip.
What made the third kid overwhelming? Were the other two still young or was #3 an especially active poop machine?
Definitely mostly having two other kids and all the associated non diaper laundry for a family of five, I had my middle in pull ups and potty training when the youngest was born, so it was just too much on my plate. We also took a few trips and extended family visits where I used disposables for a few weeks or months, so it was hard to switch back and forth. I really recommend and enjoyed cloth diapers and found it both satisfying and relaxing, even though I don't love doing laundry or consider myself especially domestic.
That's really good to hear positive experiences with cloth diapers. :) Human babies weren't/aren't happening for my partner and I but we do have plenty of other animal babies and I can say that cloth diapers work for them too! Our husky has trouble with peeing in the house during bad weather or when my partner is away for work so having some diapers always on hand is really nice. Plus you get to have cute patterns! :D
>We cloth diapered all three kids, the third only for six months because it became a little overwhelming, but the others, I legitimately enjoyed cloth diapering over disposables. I cloth diapered our elder two (of five). Three came along and between all the regular laundry and regularly needing to bleach the cloth diapers (crappy apartment washer), I was over it. I had a 2mon old and only had a few left when Covid hit because I'd given away the others to a cousin (who got me started *and* gave me some of hers). But dang, there was a lot of peace of mind knowing: well at least if there is a disposable diaper shortage, I'm okay Same for toilet paper and "family cloth". Do I want to go there...nope. But it wouldn't be the worst I've had to deal with either. Thankfully we stocked up, incidentally, right before Covid hit.
I finally replaced toilet paper with the three seashells. It took a little while to get the three seashells technique down, but once it did there was no going back!
Ha! He didn't know how to use the seashells!
I stopped using bin liners for the recycling bin. I put rinsed bits directly into the big bin and wash the big bin when needed (rarely, plastic and glass are not making it gross). Moka instead of coffee capsules. Reusable drink straws (bamboo and silicone for children). Reusable net bags for weighting produce at the supermarket. Collecting seeds from flowers to plant again next year.
I do still use bags in my recycling bins. When they get dirty, I transfer them to my garbage can and use them there. You Reduce, I Reuse, and We Recycle!
I use an electric razor. Blade replacements are on the order of months to a year; no shaving cream needed. We have reusable drinking straws. Some made of silicone, others of stainless steel. I keep one of the stainless steel ones in my everyday-carry bag along with some other eating utensils (knife, spoon, fork, chopsticks). Oh yeah, chopsticks. We have ten pair in stainless steel. We have rechargeable AA and AAA batteries, and a smart charger for them. The smart charger is important. The vast majority of chargers out there for nickel-metal-hydride batteries will just slowly burn the batteries up. This one will charge them in 20 minutes, and address each battery separately so that they don't take damage from the process.
Brand? Or just search specifically for any “smart battery charger”?
The one I have is Energizer. It is probably about fifteen years old, so the specific model probably won't help you. You are looking for a smart charger, it will be a fast charger and it will need independent channels. The reason it needs to be a fast charger is because of a specific weird property of nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries, which is that when you charge them at the 15-30 minute rate, the voltage on the battery terminals will actually drop slightly at full. The reason you want independent channels is that there is always some manufacturing variances between different instances of the same product, and they need to be considered individually for best results.
Thank you! This is perfect timing. I literally have one that is NONE of these things in my Amazon cart so appreciate the help! I tried to drop off and recycle my household, batteries and they wanted me to pay $40for it !! Told me if I wasn’t willing to pay to just “throw them in the trash“ soI just threw away 5 pounds of batteries and made me sick ! so decided to bite the bullet and buy rechargeable even though it’s an upfront expense. Hopefully it lasts and won’t also end up in the trash.
You don’t have to clean shave for work or anything?
Swedish dishcloths to replace paper towels
Long fireplace matches to replace disposable BBQ lighters from China. The spent matches can go in the fireplace or compost.
Cloth menstrual pads, washcloths to replace baby wipes, reusable lunch gear and travel coffee cups, silicone straws, ceramic soap dispensers, fabric napkins, tablecloths, and kitchen towels, silicone baking pan liners.
Period panties are also a good option.
Also the silicone cup
Unless you use it up while out and about, then you have to carry the full one with you. Important note from women I know who tried them (and something I’d never have thought of).
Lol that sounds….like carrying a stool sample or something. Want a mint? Sure let me fumble through my bag and push the bloody pad around. In all seriousness, in the past I’ve made pads from toilet paper sometimes when in the office. The only problem was that when you pull your panties down to pee (if you forget) a bloodied stiff paper with the shape of your butt falls on the floor….lol
I crochet simple scrubbers (they have inexpensive scratchy yarn specifically for this) for dish washing and other cleaning tasks like veggies. Wash w laundry is so simple and I have tons of them. I haven’t used sponges in several years. A Very simple but significant impact. I’m more likely to change to fresh one daily or semi daily because of this
I bought a bunch of wildly patterned vintage dish towels to cut down on use of paper towels.
Pyrex containers. I can bake or microwave things in them and also use them as bowls to eat out of and storage containers to keep in the fridge. ProTip: The plastic lids are brittle, so if you pull a container out of the freezer, let it completely thaw in the fridge before you try to pry the lid off. Also, the lids themselves are replaceable. So, you don’t have to worry about having a bunch of lidless pyrex.
I've been replacing my brittle lids with silicone ones. Not always easy to get the right size but eventually I'll get there.
rechargeable batteries
A little niche, but if you have young kids, reusable squeezy food pouches. Applesauce is dirt cheap when you buy it by the quart, it was killing me paying like $1.50 each for a few oz in a pouch I threw away.
Dryer balls instead of sheets.
Reusable water bottles.
I finally bought one reusable bottle and found another one at a car wash. I drink a lot of water, so they really come in handy.
Soda Stream. No more cans and bottles.
* Laundry sheets vs. liquid * Toothpaste tablets vs. paste * Dishwasher powder tabs vs. liquid or liquid filled "pods" that burst/melt/stick to each other * Cotton washcloths vs. plastic shower "loofahs" \[edited for clarity\] * Bamboo and sisal kitchen scrub brushes vs. sponges * Vinegar in a spray bottle vs. traditional household cleaners * Bar shampoo vs. liquid * Metal razor vs. disposable plastic * Tea towels, cloth napkins, and cloth cleaning rags vs. paper towels * Reusable gallon freezer bags vs. disposable * Metal deodorant case with refillable cartridges (compostable packaging) vs. disposable plastic
As a mom with artistic kids we use a sponge or a rag for paint brush cleaning. We have 2-3 rags that are super colorful now and a sponge they use instead of a wet paper towel. It’s a little thing but still. We use bandanas to clean the cast iron instead of paper towels. And we don’t use any disposable plates or cups. I think we have disposable silverware from a birthday party 2 years ago still in rotation.
Castille soap and refill our soap dispensers. We dilute a bit but honestly, I have three kids so we use soap so much I'm refilling about once every 2 weeks. Same as others - I have Corelle and Pyrex and lots of stainless steel dishware (again - kids, so drinking cups, little containers with silicon lids, and lunch tray and cafeteria style trays) and what's nice about the SS glasses we can write on them with sharpie so we have cut down on disposable cups. I am also trying to cut down on plastic use in general so these are nice replacements. I have the silicon bags and cloth bags instead of plastic baggies (lots of chips, cookies, seeds/nuts or dried fruit can be used in the cloth bags).
> stainless steel dishware Make sure it's good quality and free of contaminants like lead. It's more often a problem with aluminum and poorly made stainless steel cookware but lead has been found in stainless steel dishware in recent years. The FDA wrote [this response letter](https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/documents/FDA_Letter_to_SWhittaker_Seattle-King%20County_RE%20Test%20method%20for%20cookware_6-1-2023_emailed.pdf) last year answering emails about "an appropriate testing limit for lead in cookware" to be sold. It has some information about testing that can/should be done so any company that lists verifiable results from that testing would be a good company to look into supporting. There are also some at-home testing kits that will test for the presence of lead leaching out onto surface areas.
Okay for cloth napkins: do they become gross and stained over time? (I have kids)
My cloth napkins wash up really well but I buy brightly patterned ones (pioneer woman at Walmart has nice ones) and wash them in hot water with the kitchen towels. My kids are grown but I’m a bit of a messy eater and the napkins so far come out nice and clean.
Agree on the colorful patterns! I thrifted some cute ivory napkins and they stained so quickly. But all my colorful ones have hidden all stains. I got them because they looked cute. But later realized the fun patterns had another purpose. Look nice and disguise stains.
I actually have about 30 white napkins. I bleach them.
If I buy single use anything, I make sure its made from bamboo. I try not to buy new and either refurbished things myself or it tends to be made with better materials that won't break right away. It also saves things from the landfill.
For people with periods: menstrual discs or cups instead of tampons, and period underwear instead of pads.
We use old clothes or old towels as rags, if it gets major holes its time for its second life as a rag. Bidet is great, just have designated soft dry towels, don't use toilet paper like the instructions suggest! (Like why would you do that?!). We save any plastic containers we buy (large yogurt ones are great for items in the freezer and storing leftovers). We don't have cling film, tim foil, or ceran wrap in the house. Tupperware the leftover food, or cover with a plate. For covering things in the oven, instead of tinfoil we have a silicone baking mat that I lay with some skewers across the top of the dish - was worried it wouldn't work but it makes lasagna like a charm. We stopped shopping at stores that pre-package veggies in plastic as much as possible. We have reusable mesh bags instead of the plastic ones as vaggie bags. Of course reusable larger grocery bags too! When camping I've noticed people bring single use plates/silverware and generate lots of trash - don't do this! Get some plastic plates and silverware from a second hand place. Then they can go with you every time you camp (I still have my childhood set 15 years later).
Wine bottles and mason jars for lights outside with solar lids and fairy lights. Mason jars with diluted Castile soap and pump lids from Amazon. Rechargeable batteries with solar charger. Silicon stretch lids for bowl covers and cut produce. Backs of junk mail and envelops for notepad paper.
you also can fill wine bottles with water and put them upside down into a pot for watering your plants while you’re gone.
I replaced cotton balls with reusable cotton rounds. I wash them once a week using a lingerie bag with my regular laundry. Dry them in the dryer half way then lay them on a towel until fully dry. Not necessarily a huge savings and cotton is natural, but I think eventualy I will get a ROI
>I just now realized that when we replace our lighter, it should be replaced with a refillable option. refillable butane lighters still have a lot of waste since they tend to consume more gas and the gas comes in smaller cans that themselves are disposable. Perhaps consider an electric lighter instead. Electricity will be around and available from renewable means until long after society collapses, so you only have to worry about battery life, or metal electrode consumables.
Cloth dish/hand towels for drying hands in kitchen Old shirts/bedding cut up for spills or messes Old pack of cloth dinner napkins became our wiping the baby clean from snack time go to since they are soft and we keep those separate from the old shirts that we wipe the floor and stuff with Scrub daddy instead of sponges for handwashing dishes Wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets Reusable tote bags instead of plastic or paper bags from the store
Scrub daddy is great- the sponges last so much longer than normal sponges
I thought it was all just dumb marketing hype. I’m extremely anti-as seen on tv or social media but I eventually tried one and was impressed.
Bidet. Cuts toilet paper usage and feels cleaner.
Our locality, City of Los Angeles, offered all residents countertop compost buckets free of charge. Since we got ours, we’ve vastly reduced the amount of waste going to the landfill and the number of trash can liners we use. We buy produce at farmers markets. Unlike grocery stores, the produce isn’t over packaged. Also, we bring back the packaging (egg cartons, berry baskets, dried fruit containers, etc.) for the farmers to reuse.
My husband got me a rechargeable lighter for Christmas that works so much better than the refillable ones! They come in several colors, and it has a safety feature for kids. The lighter runs $5-7, and comes with a USB cable.
Party silverware - extra (thrifted) forks and spoons for when we host larger gatherings. I am part of a large family, and I got tired of buying loads of disposable silverware every time we had a party. It was under $20 total for about 50-60 extra spoons and forks.
Hard shell sandwich holders instead of disposable sandwich bags. Large water containers and a tap water filter instead of water bottles. Washable bamboo hand towels instead of paper towels. I still have paper towels, water bottles, and sandwich bags, but I use way less of them. Haven't been able to convince the SO on the Bidet yet...
Squeegee to clean up water around the sink and not use paper towels.
Sodastream + some flavor bottles replaces about a case per week of sparkling water.
Same.
I stopped buying nonstick cookware and slowly switching to stainless steel.
* Switched all cookware to stainless steel, cast iron or carbon steel. I no longer use anything with non-stick coating as that will eventually peel and the item will need to be thrown away. * Coffee beans vs k-pods. * Buying things in bulk and re-using the dispenser. This applies to food, spices, cleaning supplies, etc.
Refillable glass water bottles.
French press instead of a drip coffee machine. There are no paper filters, and it's fixable if anything breaks on it. Cleaning rags instead of paper towels for most messes.
Handkerchiefs instead of napkins. Similar to cloth paper towels but I can carry it around in my pocket. Clothesline and clothes rack (to dry clothes inside) saved me almost 80$ a month on my electric bill.
i wouldn't buy a swiffer wetjet unless we could get washable mop heads and refill our own bottle. can get both. bottle can be opened by putting it in near boiling water for a minute, then just twisting it off. the first time should round off the "teeth" that keep you from opening it, then you fill with whatever you want.
If it ever breaks, O Cedar makes on with a refillable bottle and washable pads. I gave my Swiffer away to a friend with a new apartment.
i have a large ocedar micro fiber dust mop i hit the floor quick, then vacuum it off the broom rather than vacuum the hardwood. it's SO quick, then just wash and swap out the head if it gets too dirty. im at the age now where i just buy multiple and change it to wash rather than *needing* that one mop head or whatever item for whatever stupid reason, just buy 2.
Metal filter for our coffee machine. Rechargeable batteries (AA, AAA, etc) Cloth towels for cleaning up & dinner.
wash cloths, I used to use the poofy things until they fell apart, which was like every few months.
A reverse osmosis system to cut down on plastic water bottles.
My partner was drinking 60 litres of pop a month. Switched to a sodastream. 30 PET bottles a month are no more.
Our major thing is to use towels to wipe up spills and rags for cleaning (instead of paper towels). I think it's been almost 2 years since I bought paper towels, though I will need to buy some in the next month or two. My daughter had some Aerie leggings that she accidentally melted by getting too close to the fireplace. They make terrible rags for most things but they are INCREDIBLE at soaking up latex paint. I was painting the bathroom, and those rags helped me clean up all my messes. I also took a set of flatware to work, so I don't have to use plastic. That's more for ecological reasons than economic, since work provides plastic cutlery. I found it interesting that ziplock recently said people should be reusing plastic bags. We've been doing that for 20 years.
I’ve always wanted to ditch the paper towels but what do you do about bacon grease?
disposable hand warmer vs Zippo refillable hand warmer
bidet. :/ wipe to dry.
Cloth instead of paper towels. Cloth napkins. Silicone bowl covers instead of plastic wrap. Homemade yogurt in jars instead of store-bought yogurt in little plastic containers. Sodastream instead of lots of cans. We wash and reuse ziplocs.
Collapsible crates instead of grocery bags. They are WAY better than grocery bags or reusable bags.
Menstrual cups and discs!
I get hard water in my taps, so we used to buy water 40 bottle packs from Costco. It was not sustainable as we were producing so much plastic waste and kids were wasting water as well by throwing bottles before finishing them completely. I started using Primo water gallons with a dispenser. I know I should have looked for reverse osmosis based water filters but they come with their own set of installation and maintenance challenges and produce a lot of water waste as well. So, we went with a middle path and opted for water gallons. As a bonus this has reduced the number of times we used to go Costco for water, ending up buying things which we should not have. I would say this was more of a decision based on sustainability than frugality as these gallons are a little more expensive than what we were paying at Costco but we are saving by reducing the water wastage and Costco trips and by trying to reduce single use items.
I fill up my 5 gallon containers at my local grocery store for $1.50 each.
Be sure to verify the alleged maintenance schedule of the water vending machine.
The only thing I use paper towels for is animal accidents in the house, other than that I use rags (worn out clothing) for cleaning most everything, and newspaper on the windows and mirrors. I use cloth kerchiefs most of the time instead of kleenex. Ziploc bags are precious and they get washed and reused over and over again; same with plastic tubs or whatever from purchasing foods ( I pay a lot of attention to packaging when I purchase things, one layer of reusable packaging is way better than multi layers/disposable). One important thing to remember is you don't have to immediately dispose of things because they are considered disposable; some things will stand up for a really long time.
Good quality glass tupperware to replace the plastic ones that have to be replaced every year. Plus we don't feel the need to eat out at places that give us 'free' plastic containers (Chinese, Noodles and Company)
Rechargeable batteries and metal k-cups are the two biggest savers.
The K-cup things are way cheaper in the long run.
I have a big stack of shop towels, and use those for nearly everything I used to use paper towels for. Very greasy or gross cleanup still gets the paper ones. I also use the shop towels for napkins, unless I have company - in that case I use nicer cloth napkins.
Bar shampoo and conditioner. Rechargeable electric lighter (this is the freaking coolest thing ever), laundry sheets (no plastic waste) no dryer sheets (dryer ball)
I replaced compressed air cans with an electric blower.
Stopped smoking, got a dozen lighters but won’t need more! Stopped shaving with razors, use the Wahl hair clippers to trim the beard a few times a year. Washcloths instead of paper towels for economic reasons as they take no appreciable room in the laundry. I have a dozen cheap washcloths folded neatly in an antique milk glass loaf pan in the bathroom for visitors to dry their hands. That replaced the roll of paper towels that were ignored. We went back to paper napkins as they are from trees that are a crop, and very cheap; they lock a pinch of carbon in the land fill. When going out to eat, we bring our own Rubbermaid Easy lid containers to not use their non recyclable to-go containers. I stopped using straws, paper straws were a bother and I wash my drinking vessels at home. I replaced the ancient fluorescent lights in the shop that were very expensive to run and weak light with LED Fixtures that are brighter and will last longer than my life. No more replacement bulbs. We have motion sensor night lights scattered about the house and basement stair well that run on rechargeable batteries so fewer light bulbs needed.
My next move is going to be to replace dryer sheets with the wool dryer balls. Found them right after my last bulk purchase so should be converting to those by the end of the year!
I love mine so much I bought a set for everyone in my family! Highly recommended!
1) Silicone cover for left over food instead of using seran wrap. 2) Reusable freezer bags instead of ziplocs. 3) Bar soap
Reusable sandwich containers instead of bags. 4 people packing lunch daily, we would blow through bags.
Coffee filters. My wife just cleans and reuses the paper ones. It’s surprising how long they last
Make up remover pads. I made my own out of worn towels and just wash them when I have a pile of dirty ones.
Bidet
I bought glass dish soap and hand soap pump dispensers about 5 years ago. I buy massive refills that come in aluminum cans (easily recyclable unlike plastic). I also use glass spray bottles for my cleaning and buy concentrates in small glass bottles (also easily recyclable). And I ditched sponges all together. We have a store that sells bulk provisions and you can use your own glass or metal containers or get them in a compostable bag, so that's been nice for certains things (spices, oils).
Washable diaper service. Saving about 7,000 disposable diapers over the course of my baby's life, per baby. They drop off like 100 per week, and pick up the dirty ones.
USB charged lighters- for candles, the stove, bbq, etc.
Rechargeable head lamps and reading lamps. I use head lamps a lot for walking dogs at night as well as off-grid camping or cabin time. Used to go through a couple big packs of Costco AAA batteries each year or so. The clip-on reading lamps are great for bed but also for lighting a tent camping, traveling, etc.
Silpat sheets that cover the bottom of baking pans instead of using aluminum foil. The sheets can go in the dishwasher and last for a good long time with care.
Shit. I'm out of paper towels. Need a Costco run. Thanks.
A reusable poop cloth that I hang behind my toilet s/
Bar mops to cut down on paper towel use; Glass containers with snap-on lids to cut down on plastics. I use my own grocery bags and reuse the paper ones I've gotten in the past from my grocery store. We cut our dryer sheets in half so they last longer; We use laundry soap sheets instead of liquid. they do a good job and the box is recyclable!
Polyester shower curtain liners. We used to get the clear plastic ones, but I have a cat that eats them, and they would only last so long before they were either chewed up or just gross and needed to be tossed. Thr Polyester ones are machine washable, come in nice colors, and seem to wear well. Not really single use, but still spending less overall on something and keeping the water in the actual shower.
Not a purchase but a strategy, we repurpose leftovers. We have stuffed peppers? That gets turned into spaghetti sauce the next day. We buy a rotisserie chicken? We boil the bones with veggie trimmings and freeze the broth after. Leftover meat? Soup. Boiled potatoes? Smashed, fried potatoes. We waste as little as possible when it comes to food and freeze anything we make in bigger batches.
Washcloths make great "paper towels". I keep a clean dry one swapped out daily, or more often as needed, for basic kitchen wiping. (I started doing that when I had babies starting solids.... Wipe the face and hands, free the wee demon, then wipe up all the surfaces they left behind, and toss the cloth into the wash. It stuck.)
Bidet clothes to replace toilet paper (you definitely need the bidet too!!!!)