Funny frugality: ONE paper napkin

[namasteyall]

Tell us your frugal deeds.
Mine is not funny but hoping yours is!

When given a paper napkin, (I accept just one!), I carry it home, store it, (albeit damp and crumpled), and use it when required to wipe some dreadful filth before throwing it away. Like something stuck to my shoe.

[jinga nation]

In lots of countries, when you get your food, you get only 1 or 2 napkins. There's a weight-based trash fee in lots of countries, so for a small cafe or restaurant, with lots of traffic, 1 vs 3 napkins per person adds up costs. And paper products aren't cheap everywhere, unlike the USA.

I grew up in such a place, so did my wife. Our kids know, when you get ice cream, use only 1 napkin. No need to crumple each napkin after single use. Fold and turn.

Yeah, if we're given a bunch of napkins, they end up in the car, for future use. Food service businesses throw unused ones away, due to health/compliance rules, which I accept.

Otherwise, it's stupid to dispose unused paper products and un-Mustachian too. Facepunch-worthy behavior.

[Metalcat]

LOL!

I keep lightly used paper products in the door of the car for re-use of wiping shoes, or car grease off of my hands, etc.

I often use paper products in the car to wipe a bit of makeup, so it's used, but not gross, and I often need to wipe something worse in the car like shoes or dog feet, so yeah, the side door is usually stuffed with lightly used Kleenex/napkins.

It looks like I'm just a disgusting person with used snot rags in my car door, lol.

[SunnyDays]

My ex-roommate, whom I've written about before here, would get 2 or 3 napkins in every fast food order, which she got at least once a week.  She would throw them out unused, still in the bottom of the bag, then buy paper towels.  Just one example of tons of them of waste on her part.  She's 60 and will be working until she can't.  And then will only have CPP and OAS to live on.  Oy.

[NotJen]

Never buy napkins.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85D0xOE82GM

[Chris Pascale]

Never buy napkins.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85D0xOE82GM

Ron and Jen rocking the frugality and folk.

[Dicey]

Just cleaned out a friend's house after they died (at a ripe old age, with lots of notice). I found four packages of paper dinner napkins and three rolls of paper towels. Rather than donate them, as I did with almost everything else his family didn't want, I will keep them. Why? Because if they're at my house, it will be years and years before they get used up.

[Josiecat22222]

We are frugal "Disposables" users as well.

When we bought our current home, the prior owners left behind a stack of paper plates, plastic utensils and red solo cups.  We live in a beachfront town and cook out alot, so I thought they'd be used over time.  Nope.  I wash the plastic utensils and they just keep getting reused.  Red Solo cups, too.  The paper plates are not very sturdy, so get used to hold a paint brush or something like that when I'm painting.  I've considered donating them to the local BNG, but I'm afraid they will just go into a landfill sooner.  But I guess people like that are buying their own and throwing them away so I'm probably not saving the earth much....ugh.  I hate disposable crap.

[Dicey]

We are frugal "Disposables" users as well.

When we bought our current home, the prior owners left behind a stack of paper plates, plastic utensils and red solo cups.  We live in a beachfront town and cook out alot, so I thought they'd be used over time.  Nope.  I wash the plastic utensils and they just keep getting reused.  Red Solo cups, too.  The paper plates are not very sturdy, so get used to hold a paint brush or something like that when I'm painting.  I've considered donating them to the local BNG, but I'm afraid they will just go into a landfill sooner.  But I guess people like that are buying their own and throwing them away so I'm probably not saving the earth much....ugh.  I hate disposable crap.

Ha! That jogs a memory. After my parents downsized, we had a family event at their new house. Everyone got a red solo cup and used a Sharpie to ID them. Forever after, that was what you were expected to use when you were there, for everything except holiday dinners. When we closed down the house ten years later, they were still in service.

[Chris Pascale]

Replying to see if we can rope @JoshuaSpodek into this conversation. He went from having traveled so extensively he's been to North Korea to never flying again.

Because of his ideas, I'll sometimes tell a guy in a bagel shop or deli to not wrap my sandwich - to just hand it to me.

[LD_TAndK]

If my wife and I find ourselves in a paper napkin using situation, we use one and split it between us.

It's a relationship building exercise. Like sharing a toothbrush.

[Beardog]

I save extra napkins and put them in the cupboard under my sink to wipe up messes from the kitchen floor.  I often reuse them if it was a small spatter!

[namasteyall]

If my wife and I find ourselves in a paper napkin using situation, we use one and split it between us.

It's a relationship building exercise. Like sharing a toothbrush.

That's the spirit. Please please tell us more. Maybe using that toothbrush for other jobs as well?