So I finally gave up disposable dishes

[RetireOrDieTrying]

I abashedly know this is Mustachianism 101, but laziness dies hard.

I made the conscious decision to stop using paper plates and bowls, plastic cups and utensils. It's ALL I have used for at least six years. I just don't want to spend the money on them any longer, and there's a laziness trade-off between washing dishes and hauling out the trash every five seconds because it's full of disposable foodware. There's a secondary benefit in that I've lowered my resource footprint.

I think I'm gonna laminate an old receipt where I last bought these, and hang it over the sink so that whilst I'm standing there with a screaming back cursing because I forgot AGAIN to take my flippin' watch off before I shoved my hands in hot, soapy water I can look at that receipt and calculate how many more days of early retirement I'm buying with my misery.

[uniwelder]

People still wear watches?  Glad you’ve given up on disposables!

[gooki]

The planet thanks you.

[deborah]

Maybe you could add “Watch off” to the laminated receipt.

[SunnyDays]

Maybe you could add “Watch off” to the laminated receipt.

And the amount you’ve spent on such convenience over the past 6 years.  As well as the lost opportunity cost!

[coppertop]

I'm glad you gave them up.  Waste of money; junk in the landfills forever. 

[LennStar]

I would be far too lazy to buy and carry all that "dishes" all the time. I hate washing but that's still easier.

[Metalcat]

Just curious. How old are you that you've been using disposable dishes your entire life??

Like, are you in your early 20s and this is a habit you picked up from living on campus and are just now getting around to buying proper dishes??

I'm just fascinated how this happened?

[Arbitrage]

People still wear watches?  Glad you’ve given up on disposables!

People sometimes wear watches, but the most popular watch requires you to take it off every single day to charge it, so they're not wearing it often.

[cool7hand]

Good for you!

[HipGnosis]

With the money you save, you could buy a water resistant watch.
But... it seems you're single, so... you do NOT need dish water deep enough for your watch to get wet.
Put water and soap in the pot or pan you cooked in.

[Chris Pascale]

People still wear watches?  Glad you’ve given up on disposables!

................most popular watch requires you to take it off every single day to charge it, so they're not wearing it often.

And when you do wear it, it's carries a warning telling you not to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwyDCHf5iCY

[RetireOrDieTrying]

Just curious. How old are you that you've been using disposable dishes your entire life??

Like, are you in your early 20s and this is a habit you picked up from living on campus and are just now getting around to buying proper dishes??

I'm just fascinated how this happened?

I'm 53, and I've only been using disposables for six years, the amount of time I've lived in my motor home traveling America. Disposables are really light compared to durable dishes, especially dishes which can survive microwave and jostling. Also, when I'm boondocking (camped somewhere with no utilities, relying only upon what I have onboard), using disposables eases the pressure on my freshwater tank, thus lengthening the amount of time I can stay in one place before I have to leave to get water.

[Metalcat]

Just curious. How old are you that you've been using disposable dishes your entire life??

Like, are you in your early 20s and this is a habit you picked up from living on campus and are just now getting around to buying proper dishes??

I'm just fascinated how this happened?

I'm 53, and I've only been using disposables for six years, the amount of time I've lived in my motor home traveling America. Disposables are really light compared to durable dishes, especially dishes which can survive microwave and jostling. Also, when I'm boondocking (camped somewhere with no utilities, relying only upon what I have onboard), using disposables eases the pressure on my freshwater tank, thus lengthening the amount of time I can stay in one place before I have to leave to get water.

Thank you for the explanation, I really think that was an important missing piece. That makes a lot of sense.

So are you still living like that? If so, then how are you overcoming those challenges?

[Scandium]

AGAIN to take my flippin' watch off before I shoved my hands in hot, soapy water I can look at that receipt and calculate how many more days of early retirement I'm buying with my misery.

But how much does a waterproof watch cost these days? A few bucks? I'd never buy one not-waterproof.

And yes I wear a watch, it's painful not to! I check the time on my wrist automatically, takes a split sec. Hauling the phone out and pushing the button takes way to long!

[RetireOrDieTrying]

AGAIN to take my flippin' watch off before I shoved my hands in hot, soapy water I can look at that receipt and calculate how many more days of early retirement I'm buying with my misery.

But how much does a waterproof watch cost these days? A few bucks? I'd never buy one not-waterproof.

And yes I wear a watch, it's painful not to! I check the time on my wrist automatically, takes a split sec. Hauling the phone out and pushing the button takes way to long!

My watch is water-resistant, but it gets the band all wet.

[RetireOrDieTrying]

So are you still living like that? If so, then how are you overcoming those challenges?

Yes, I am quite happily a vagabond. America is an amazing place, full of tremendous people. I feel incredibly fortunate to have a career which allows me this luxury.

I haven't done an extended boondocking stay (which I would define as over 2 weeks straight) since I made this decision, so I'm not sure how my mitigation options are going to shake out. Using something like disposable wipes just pushes the marble of cost and rubbish. One approach might be that during those times I strategically choose foodstuffs which require less or maybe even no dishes and tableware.

[Tigerpine]

The receipt is a great idea.  It reminds me of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who is said to have commissioned the portrait in the link below after a loss in battle to always remind himself of the loss to push himself to strive harder in the future.

https://granger.com/results.asp?image=0610113&itemw=4&itemf=0001&itemstep=1&itemx=9

[Metalcat]

So are you still living like that? If so, then how are you overcoming those challenges?

Yes, I am quite happily a vagabond. America is an amazing place, full of tremendous people. I feel incredibly fortunate to have a career which allows me this luxury.

I haven't done an extended boondocking stay (which I would define as over 2 weeks straight) since I made this decision, so I'm not sure how my mitigation options are going to shake out. Using something like disposable wipes just pushes the marble of cost and rubbish. One approach might be that during those times I strategically choose foodstuffs which require less or maybe even no dishes and tableware.

Lol, I realize my phrasing could make it sound like I was being judgemental. I actually think that sounds awesome.

I can see that being tricky to manage without any water access, but even if you just use disposable dishes when absolutely needed, but switch to hard dishes the majority of the time, that would still be a win.

[iluvzbeach]

My dog always tries to convince us that she's more than happy to "wash" the dishes.  Perhaps you just need a dog.

Just kidding, seriously.

[ca-rn]

Just curious. How old are you that you've been using disposable dishes your entire life??

Like, are you in your early 20s and this is a habit you picked up from living on campus and are just now getting around to buying proper dishes??

I'm just fascinated how this happened?

I'm 53, and I've only been using disposables for six years, the amount of time I've lived in my motor home traveling America. Disposables are really light compared to durable dishes, especially dishes which can survive microwave and jostling. Also, when I'm boondocking (camped somewhere with no utilities, relying only upon what I have onboard), using disposables eases the pressure on my freshwater tank, thus lengthening the amount of time I can stay in one place before I have to leave to get water.

I've watched some videos related to van living and remember mentioning cleaning dishes with vinegar(?) to stretch their water supply.

Motor home traveling thru the US sounds amazing!

[eyesonthehorizon]

... I've watched some videos related to van living and remember mentioning cleaning dishes with vinegar(?) to stretch their water supply. ...

This works well in that vinegar cuts grease, substantially reducing the amount of water you then need to wash anything.

[SunnyDays]

Try making more meals where the dish is part of it, like tortilla wraps, lettuce leaf wraps, pitas etc.  You can use a napkin if required.

[calimom]

So are you still living like that? If so, then how are you overcoming those challenges?

Yes, I am quite happily a vagabond. America is an amazing place, full of tremendous people. I feel incredibly fortunate to have a career which allows me this luxury.

I haven't done an extended boondocking stay (which I would define as over 2 weeks straight) since I made this decision, so I'm not sure how my mitigation options are going to shake out. Using something like disposable wipes just pushes the marble of cost and rubbish. One approach might be that during those times I strategically choose foodstuffs which require less or maybe even no dishes and tableware.

And there are wonderful landfills all over this great land of ours!

[namasteyall]

India has traditionally used plates and bowls made of leaves, especially for street snacks and for mass meals at festivals, parties, etc.

[lentil]

I do a lot of desert camping, and have gotten pretty good at washing dishes with an absolute minimum of water. It can totally be done! Helps to cook things that aren't too mess in the first place, and use an absolute minimum of dishes, and then I use a couple of paper towels and a tablespoon or three of water (and a few drops of biodegradable soap) to get everything clean again. Or clean enough, anyway ;-)

It can easily be done without the paper towels for less waste, but I almost always end up using more water that way. In any case, it's totally possible to learn to use real dishes and a minimum of water, and still enjoy long boondocking adventures. Have fun!

[Tempname23]

I try to be a minimalist, one, steak knife, fork, large spoon, regular spoon, plate, coffee cup and drinking cup and then an alcohol drinking cup and I'm happy, maybe that's because my wife has 20 pans with lids, 10 stainless steel cups and another 10 miscellaneous cups, that are rarely if ever used, two cylinder bowl full of plastic ladles, spoons, spatulas, etc, but if one cup is missing, she knows ;-/