Author Topic: saving money on toilet paper  (Read 8638 times)

wordygirl

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saving money on toilet paper
« on: February 16, 2014, 07:02:09 PM »
I suppose some might think toilet paper too cheap to worry about, but here is what I implemented, not just to cut back on cost but also I just don't like disposables.

After cloth diapering my kids I had a pile of cloth wipes left over. One day I found I was without TP and, being that it was a "#1" kind of job, I simply grabbed a cloth wipe and, when done, tossed it in the laundry pile.

These days I keep a basket of cloth wipes in both bathrooms, and a 'wet bag' to put them in when used, and us girls use them for #1. Nobody uses them for #2 as that would be just way too much work. But it definitely cuts down on TP use and takes up virtually no real estate in the laundry department.

We also use cloth pads (lunapads.com for example) for our monthly needs. But that's a topic for another post. ;-)

Exflyboy

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2014, 10:03:49 AM »
Ok I had to laugh,

My Wife and I were out shopping and she remarked "gee, since you retired we're going through the TP waay faster"... Wait a minute, I'm a guy I can minimise this....:)

Frank

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2014, 10:30:47 AM »
I could never get past the thought that my washing machine was full of "sh%%^%^t" and the next load with my t-shirts in it might get some on it.  I know you "rinse" them out first but still????:(

Exflyboy

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2014, 10:46:55 AM »
Yes the OP was talking about #1 use only.. #2 is too much work..:)

Frank

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2014, 11:41:55 AM »
Yes the OP was talking about #1 use only.. #2 is too much work..:)

Frank
If the OP was only talking about #1 how much TP can you save?  A man needs zero and a women can get by with one-two squares.  How many times a day does she go pee?  50?  What a waste of time and energy and laundry to go through that for pee.

La Bibliotecaria Feroz

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2014, 12:00:15 PM »
You'd be surprised! Some of us ladies... especially after a kid or two... are in the bathroom quiiite a lot. I have the same habit of grabbing a cloth wipe from the kid's stack. I use them for noses, too, because holy cow they need their noses wiped constantly!

If you have kids, there is poop in your washing machine. Doesn't matter if you cloth diaper or not. Your kids will manage to explode poop out of their diapers onto their sheets, clothes, bedspreads, etc. Sure, you rinse it first... but there is just no getting around it. It's just one of those things that you have to try not to think about.

Miss Growing Green

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2014, 01:37:50 PM »
Great topic! 
I do the same thing- use cloth wipes for #1 (like most of you have said, #2 takes it to a whole different weirdness level)

Quote
If the OP was only talking about #1 how much TP can you save?  A man needs zero and a women can get by with one-two squares.  How many times a day does she go pee?  50?  What a waste of time and energy and laundry to go through that for pee.

I think as a couple we are saving at least 50% of our previous TP usage.  I go pee 5-6 times a day (at least!) and at least once during the night.  There is no way for me to get by with 1 square of TP after I go #1... unless maybe you're talking about the 3-ply super fancy stuff, which we don't buy.

The energy/time it takes is negligible/equal to going out and buying tp.  Once a week when I do laundry I throw in the cloth wipes and a whole week's worth is about as much fabric as one t-shirt (doesn't add much to the laundry load).

The other thing that's great about using re-usable tp is it's sooo much better for the environment.  They are old-growth forests being chopped down all over the world to supply America's obsession with thick, soft, massive quantities of tp.

lexie2000

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2014, 05:56:28 PM »
For its purpose, I think TP is pretty expensive and is literally money down the drain.    I've always purchased it when it was on sale and I had high valued coupons.   Actually a couple of years back it was EXTREMELY cheap, and sometimes even free, at the drug chains. 

I have a TP "stash".

wordygirl

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #8 on: February 17, 2014, 06:36:20 PM »
Well said, Miss Growing Green.

Yep, poop and kids go together like ketchup and mustard. Once you've had babies, you are no longer squeamish about such things.

Hedge_87

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #9 on: February 17, 2014, 06:46:11 PM »
I remember back in my single days. #2 happened at work during the week. I would also "steal" a roll from work for emergencies. This one roll of single ply tp would last over a month. Now we buy the biggest thing of tp we can find anytime we have a coupon. We have a tp closet just incase charmen gets stingy on the coupons.

Rural

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #10 on: February 17, 2014, 07:35:01 PM »
Yes the OP was talking about #1 use only.. #2 is too much work..:)

Frank
If the OP was only talking about #1 how much TP can you save?  A man needs zero and a women can get by with one-two squares.  How many times a day does she go pee?  50?  What a waste of time and energy and laundry to go through that for pee.

One-two squares is a sure way to have pee fingers, plus a disgusting wet spot in the underwear ( hey, as long as we're on the topic, might as well give TMI ). And while 50 times a day is a bit much for an estimate, 15-16 is definitely not. That's just once an hour during waking hours and assumes one can make it all night without getting up, something that is now just a fond memory of my younger days.

This is why I buy the cheapest stuff at the dollar store.

As I frequently remind my husband, not all of us are blessed with a prostate.
« Last Edit: February 17, 2014, 07:36:51 PM by Rural »

marty998

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #11 on: February 17, 2014, 11:51:35 PM »
Oh no, not another TP thread. *Groans*

Roses

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #12 on: February 18, 2014, 12:38:05 AM »

The other thing that's great about using re-usable tp is it's sooo much better for the environment.  They are old-growth forests being chopped down all over the world to supply America's obsession with thick, soft, massive quantities of tp.

This is the MAIN issue with TP!  I don't buy it based on sales.  I buy only the recycled stuff.  Unfortunately most brands are still not using much recycled content.  It should really be 100% recycled.  Cutting down actual trees for toilet paper and paper towels!?  Really??  A big part of Mustachianism, in my opinion, is caring about the environment.  The recycled stuff can be more expensive but using less and using cloth for #1, noses, kitchen, etc is the best way to reduce costs and paper waste.

As for laundry, one person can re-use the same cloth (fold it over) a few times so it doesn't have to go in the laundry with just a couple drops of very clear pee (if you drink plenty of water).  Then, if you have enough cloths, you can do a load of just your cloth tp if that makes you feel better.  I do this for my kitchen cloths because food gets stuck on them and also for floor rags.  But yes, if you have kids there is poop, pee, snot, etc, everywhere.  Best not to be too squeamish.

dragoncar

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #13 on: February 18, 2014, 12:58:21 AM »


The other thing that's great about using re-usable tp is it's sooo much better for the environment. They are old-growth forests being chopped down all over the world to supply America's obsession with thick, soft, massive quantities of tp.

Are you being sarcastic? 

libertarian4321

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #14 on: February 18, 2014, 02:28:36 AM »

The other thing that's great about using re-usable tp is it's sooo much better for the environment.  They are old-growth forests being chopped down all over the world to supply America's obsession with thick, soft, massive quantities of tp.

At our house, we DEMAND old growth forest toilet paper.  The new growth stuff just isn't as good.

Miss Growing Green

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #15 on: February 18, 2014, 08:38:24 AM »
Quote
Quote from: Miss Growing Green on February 17, 2014, 01:37:50 pm


    The other thing that's great about using re-usable tp is it's sooo much better for the environment. They are old-growth forests being chopped down all over the world to supply America's obsession with thick, soft, massive quantities of tp.

Quote from: Dragoncar
Are you being sarcastic? 

Dragoncar,  no, I'm not being sarcastic. I'm serious.  We really do cut down ancient, virgin, old-growth forests for something that we use for 3 seconds to wipe shit off ourselves.  Check out this article for more info:

http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/06/01/why-are-americans-flushing-old-growth-forests-down-toilet

From the article: "The paper industry is the greatest industrial cause of deforestation in the world, which causes more global warming pollution than all the combined emissions of cars, trucks, buses, airplanes and ships."

greenmimama

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #16 on: February 18, 2014, 10:20:54 AM »
We've been using family cloth for about 6 years, my kids complain if we run out and they have to use gross toilet paper, ha ha, it's all in perspective, but seriously, family cloth is so soft and luxurious, it makes any TP feel gross.

I don't care what others think, we like it

ABC123

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #17 on: February 18, 2014, 11:19:23 AM »
I started using cloth TP when my kids were in cloth diapers.  I just threw it in the load when I washed theirs.  Now that we are finally done with diapers (woo hoo!) I just like it too much to stop using it.  Now I just throw it in when washing towels or something.  Doesn't bother me at all.  I still buy TP for everyone else -- but they are all male so they don't use much.

dragoncar

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #18 on: February 18, 2014, 01:05:12 PM »
Quote
Quote from: Miss Growing Green on February 17, 2014, 01:37:50 pm


    The other thing that's great about using re-usable tp is it's sooo much better for the environment. They are old-growth forests being chopped down all over the world to supply America's obsession with thick, soft, massive quantities of tp.

Quote from: Dragoncar
Are you being sarcastic? 

Dragoncar,  no, I'm not being sarcastic. I'm serious.  We really do cut down ancient, virgin, old-growth forests for something that we use for 3 seconds to wipe shit off ourselves.  Check out this article for more info:

http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/06/01/why-are-americans-flushing-old-growth-forests-down-toilet

From the article: "The paper industry is the greatest industrial cause of deforestation in the world, which causes more global warming pollution than all the combined emissions of cars, trucks, buses, airplanes and ships."

I'm open to the possibility that this is a significant problem, although from an economic perspective it seems highly unlikely.  That article is high on claims and low on facts... I can't take anything seriously that says this:

Quote
There are more types of forests at risk from makers of toilet paper than you can imagine—ancient forests, old growth forests, virgin forests, second growth forests, natural forests, high conservation value forests, temperate forests, tropical and sub-tropical forests, boreal forests, are all at risk from manufacturers of toilet paper.

That said, I use almost no toilet paper.

Miss Growing Green

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #19 on: February 18, 2014, 01:20:29 PM »
Dragoncar,

What's so outlandish about the claim you quoted?  It's reasonable, and true: http://www.conservatree.org/paperlisteningstudy/Forests/question59.html

That link I posted was simply an example of the many that outline the problem.  Just google "effect of toilet paper on the environment" and you will find hundreds of webpages all saying pretty much the same thing.  If you want a really fact-laden, technical read:

http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6403


Or, for a New York Times article that also outlines the problem, but you may put more weight in (it's the NY times after all!):

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/science/earth/26charmin.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0

dragoncar

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #20 on: February 18, 2014, 02:09:35 PM »
Dragoncar,

What's so outlandish about the claim you quoted?  It's reasonable, and true: http://www.conservatree.org/paperlisteningstudy/Forests/question59.html

That link I posted was simply an example of the many that outline the problem.  Just google "effect of toilet paper on the environment" and you will find hundreds of webpages all saying pretty much the same thing.  If you want a really fact-laden, technical read:

http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6403


Or, for a New York Times article that also outlines the problem, but you may put more weight in (it's the NY times after all!):

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/science/earth/26charmin.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0


Correct, I don't really trust tree journalism from a web site called "conservatree.org".  The NY times article states:

Quote
But fluffiness comes at a price: millions of trees harvested in North America and in Latin American countries, including some percentage of trees from rare old-growth forests in Canada.

I have no doubt that "some percentage" is from rare old-growth forests.  But if it's 0.000001%, then it's really not a huge problem.  Would we like to have the percent be zero?  Sure, but there are better places in the world to focus our energy right now.

The quote about all the different types of forests is simply ridiculous.  Oh, you mean "high conservation value" forests are at risk in addition to "ancient forests?"  That's two whole types of forest!  I guess ancient forests have low conservation value.  Wait, if they don't have high conservation value, why do we give a crap again?

Miss Growing Green

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #21 on: February 18, 2014, 02:35:18 PM »
That website (conserveatree.org) offers references (which are cited) for the claims they make.  You are welcome to look them up individually from their root websites or use google scholar to confirm their validity if you don't trust what conserveatree is publishing.

The point is, it is a huge problem.  The percentage of old growth forests harvested for toilet paper varies by years, by company, and by region, so you aren't going to see a blatant "one number fits all" if you read a single article.  Some of these forests are being decimated for the pulp/paper industry, and ALL science agrees on that.  It's not my job to find articles that fit your strict criteria of what you consider acceptable.  You stated you are open-minded about the idea that this might be a legitimate problem; I have provided you with the basic information so that you can now use your computer and the internet to educate yourself about the issue, which will be more productive than simply trying to pick apart references that I provide.

I guarantee that if you take the time to do so you will see that it is not 0.000001% of old-growth forests that are being harvested.  All of science agrees that the harvesting of live trees for toilet paper is putting a huge stress on the environment.

dragoncar

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #22 on: February 18, 2014, 02:43:43 PM »
That website (conserveatree.org) offers references (which are cited) for the claims they make.  You are welcome to look them up individually from their root websites or use google scholar to confirm their validity if you don't trust what conserveatree is publishing.

The point is, it is a huge problem.  The percentage of old growth forests harvested for toilet paper varies by years, by company, and by region, so you aren't going to see a blatant "one number fits all" if you read a single article.  Some of these forests are being decimated for the pulp/paper industry, and ALL science agrees on that.  It's not my job to find articles that fit your strict criteria of what you consider acceptable.  You stated you are open-minded about the idea that this might be a legitimate problem; I have provided you with the basic information so that you can now use your computer and the internet to educate yourself about the issue, which will be more productive than simply trying to pick apart references that I provide.

I guarantee that if you take the time to do so you will see that it is not 0.000001% of old-growth forests that are being harvested.  All of science agrees that the harvesting of live trees for toilet paper is putting a huge stress on the environment.

The only mention of toilet paper in the conservatree link is by "ForestEthics"?  Gimme a break.  I'm open minded but I have no agenda or desire to independently verify your claims.  If presented with actual evidence, I will consider it.  If not, I will consider the issue open.  As I said, it wouldn't change my personal habits either way, because I buy less than a single roll per year.

Miss Growing Green

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Re: saving money on toilet paper
« Reply #23 on: February 18, 2014, 03:39:12 PM »
Out of curiosity, how are you getting by on less than one roll a year?

Also out of curiosity, why, when ignorant on the issue, do you choose to side with the idea that "toilet paper is not causing a significant stress on the environment"?  Is it sort of a "man is innocent until proven guilty" mentality?  If everyone took that side when it came to The Earth VS Man, well, poor mother earth is going to get the short end of the stick a lot of the time.

Final question- you want "actual evidence" but will not accept research from conservation-minded organizations (i.e. conserveatree, world watch, greenpeace, etc.)... where would you accept evidence from?  The toilet paper companies?  Some completely unrelated, nonbiased, third party?  And in that case, what motivation would they ever have to conduct such a study?

 

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