Replacing Disposable Items With Reusable to Save Money

It's no secret that I like lists. Lists are my wheelhouse. So when I'm trying to figure out how to save money on stuff that makes its way into our daily lives... I make a list.

I already know that after housing (& utility) expenses, my next biggest monthly expenditure is on consumables—primarily groceries—but there's the other side of that consumable coin: the non-food disposables. The things we use up and buy over and over. So I had to ask myself, are there ways to save money on that stuff, or things we can change so we don't have to buy the stuff at all?

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I know that's a bit abstract, but I'm talking about stuff like toilet paper. We *have* to have it (I mean, I know there are alternatives, but some things you can't just do without & toilet paper serves an important function in our culture). Anyway... I walked around the house and made a list of the possible consumables that are consuming a chunk of our monthly income.

Let's get real, I know there are some things we're just not going to replace or do without. Other stuff, I've tried the replacement options—sometimes they took and sometimes they just didn't (or I found an even better option).

Anyway, here's a little voyeuristic look into our monthly habits & some of the things we've tried in order to cut costs:

	(Non-Food) Disposable		Money Saving Replacement
1	Toilet paper	:	I know there's such a thing as "un-toilet paper" but we just can't go there, so we buy t.p. in bulk (with coupons or rebates when possible). I know a lot of people have a preference for t.p. so I won't go into the math or the most cost effective. Although I did do a post on Toilet Paper Math.
2	Paper towels	:	We still buy paper towels (for the occasional cat mis-hap), but we use dish towels and rags for a lot of the other stuff. We've cut our spending on this by over half. 6 rolls of "mega" paper towels will last us 3 months.
3	Paper napkins	:	We stopped buying altogether & just use cloth napkins that we pick up at the thrift store.
4	Kleenex	:	We still use kleenex. We've not yet been bold enough to graduate to hankies.
5	Dishwashing detergent	:	I tried making my own, but it always left residue (even when using vinegar as a rinse agent), so we stock up on our go-to brand when it's on sale &/or when we have coupons or rebates.
6	Hand soap	:	We don't really buy liquid hand soap anymore, although we do buy liquid dish soap (with coupons).
7	Multi-purpose cleaner	:	We've gone the route of vinegar or soap and water for most of our cleaning purposes.
8	Laundry detergent	:	I made my own for awhile, and it was much cheaper, but we tried out soap nuts and liked them. I bought a 4 lb. bag of soap nuts 2 years ago & still have 3 lbs.—It cost us $22 and, at this rate, will last us another 4-5 years. I do, occasionally supplement these with some Borax when I have a particularly dirty load of laundry. Try etsy* for the best prices, as Amazon's prices have gone up considerably in the last year. *this is not an affiliate link.
9	Fabric softener	:	We use vinegar in the wash and dryer balls in the dryer. I'm not sure it's any cheaper, but it is better for the environment.
10	Storage baggies	:	We still buy these, but we reuse them several times before throwing away. We also have glass storage containers and reusable baggies (but the reusable baggies are a bit pricey, so we're slowly building up our collection).
11	Aluminum foil	:	I bought a big-assed thing of aluminum foil at Costco 2 years ago. We're still going through it, but I also use silicone mats.
12	Trash bags	:	We buy these once a year & supplement with grocery store bags.
13	Baking cups	:	Silicone baking cups work nicely (most of the time)
14	Plastic ware	:	We went to the thrift store and bought a bunch of 2nd hand silverware & use that when we have parties.
15	Ant traps	:	We tried the "natural" way of getting rid of ants and it never worked, so we buy the Terro ant traps when we have to.
16	Shampoo	:	I wash my hair less frequently (plus I have short hair), so it takes me a few months to get through a bottle or bar of shampoo.
17	Conditioner	:	(same)
18	Body wash	:	We could just do without, but sometimes it's nice to have.
19	Bar soap	:	We have a mesh bag* that we throw our soap into, to make sure we use every last bit of it. *still not an affiliate link.
20	Disposable razors	:	Honestly? I don't shave much, too irritating to my skin—but there are non-disposable razors.
21	Deodorant	:	We only use on those days when, no matter what we do, we're just odorific. Also, we make our own Pit Paste (which is nicer to our skin).
22	Toothpaste	:	My dad's a dentist. We don't skimp on the toothpaste...
23	Mouthwash	:	or the mouthwash...
24	Dental floss	:	or the dental floss...
25	Toothbrushes	:	We have electric and bamboo reusable brushes (respectively). We still have to replace the heads & I'm not sure it's any less expensive.
26	Lotion	:	We make our own. It's actually cheaper and better for us (& there's less plastic to have to recycle).
27	Makeup	:	Personal preference here, but I don't wear the stuff.
28	Q-tips	:	We go for the generic version.
29	Cotton balls	:	(same)
30	Bandaids	:	I actually have skin sensitivity, so have to buy certain brands.
31	Light bulbs	:	Every couple of years our utility company offers free lightbulbs for the cost of shipping. I'm sort of embarrassed, but we have a stockpile of LEDs that will last us decades at this point.
32	Printer ink / toner	:	I've tried the refillable kind & got burned, so I just buy when on sale.
33	Paper	:	We print less.
34	Cat litter	:	No way around this. We have indoor cats with special needs, so I either get a subscription discount or use coupons.
35	Pet stain carpet cleaner	:	(same)
36	Stamps	:	We use e-bill pay for most of our bills, but I do send friends and family snail mail (because it's nice to get mail), so I still buy stamps.
37	Batteries	:	We've not had luck with rechargeable batteries. They don't last as long or recharge all that well, so we just stick to the basics. Although I've heard that enelope batteries* (branded under Sanyo as well as Panasonic) have good ratings. I've also heard that the same batteries are branded under the AmazonBasics* brand (which is significantly cheaper). *these are not affiliate links
38	Nasal strips	:	I buy generic.
39	HVAC filters	:	We buy in bulk, although I've heard that there are permanent filters that you can buy and just clean periodically.
40	Water purifier filters	:	We buy these in bulk, with coupons when possible
41	Air purifier filters	:	I clean & vacuum the filters to extend their life.
42	Humidifier filters	:	I buy these at the end of the season when they're on clearance for 75% off.
43	Envelopes	:	In the age of email, I still use envelopes, what can I say.
44	Pens	:	(same)
45	Coffee Filters	:	Reusable filter... This applies to K-cups and Nespresso pods too—you can buy a reusable cup/pod and use your own coffee. If you have a Keurig, you can find the reusable filters at Amazon.* If you have an Original Line Nespresso, I found that Aliexpress* has the cheapest reusable pods (if you don't mind a little longer shipping time & buying directly from the Chinese distributors). *these are not affiliate links
46	Plastic wrap	:	There are a number of alternatives for plastic wrap, including beeswax cloth, homemade bowl covers, silicone stretch lids, or reusable / glass containers (with lids).
47	Sponges	:	We made knit wash cloths one year for Christmas using acrylic yarn (which made for great scrubbies). When they're dirty, we throw them in the washer.
48	Vacuum cleaner bags	:	We switched to a bagless vacuum (and actually throw the dirt that the vacuum sucks up into the compost).
49	Swiffer pads	:	We actually gave up our Swiffer for a good old fashioned mop, but if you have a Swiffer and like it, you can just use microfiber cloths instead of the Swiffer pads.
50	Lens cleaning wipes	:	You know, for eye glasses. My mom buys the bulk version of alcohol wipes from Sam's Club. They're nice, but the microfiber cloth version works just as well & cost about the same as a box of the alcohol wipes.

There are, of course, other (non-food) consumables that I'm forgetting or leaving out, but you get the idea.

Take a look at what you're buying over and over and figure out if it's:

1. something you can do without
2. something you can find a less costly replacement for
3. something you can just use less of 

Remember: Baby steps. Tackling your budget can be overwhelming, so try one or two things to see if they work for you, then move on to the next item on the list.