Tightwad Tuesday: Go Paperless!
Posted by Lynnae on April 15, 2008
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A much younger Sam, sporting his Happy Heiny cloth diaper.
In looking for ways to be more frugal, I often find that giving up a little convenience can be a great way to save money. The alternatives generally don’t take much more time or effort, and the financial reward in the long term can be great.
One way to save money is to give up paper products. I’ll admit I’m not nearly as far along in my quest to go paperless as I’d like to be, but slowly I’m cutting the paper products out of my life (with the obvious exception of toilet paper).
The savings go beyond money. In giving up paper, you keep unnecessary items out of our already crowded landfills. That’s being a good steward of the environment, too. Some ways that I have (or am trying) to give up paper are the following:
Give up napkins
This is actually next on my to-do list. As a family with children, we can go through a lot of napkins. My plan is to search for cloth napkins on clearance and to make my own napkins out of inexpensive fabric. There’s an easy pattern here. And for special occasions, these napkins are really cool! Maybe I’ll try them someday, if I get ambitious.
Give up paper towels
It’s really not that much more difficult to use regular towels or rags in place of paper towels. I haven’t completely given up paper towels yet, as I still use them to prevent splatters in the microwave, but that’s about all I use them for anymore.
Give up Lysol wipes
I will admit to being addicted to Lysol wipes. They are so handy! But I’ve resolved to stop using them once I’m out of the three containers I bought on clearance. It’s really not that much harder to take my homemade cleaner and spray the counters and wipe them down with a regular rag.
Give up paper feminine hygiene products
Mrs. Micah recently bought the Diva Cup and says it works well. Stephanie at Stop the Ride bought the Keeper, which is a similar product. For under $30 you can buy a Diva cup that will last up to 10 years, and quite buying tampons! I haven’t done it yet, but I might try soon! They come in two sizes: pre-childbirth & post-childbirth.
Give up disposable diapers
I’ll be the first to admit that this might not be a money saving measure, unless you go for the very basic cloth diapers with diaper pins or snappis and diaper covers. However, cloth diapers are more environmentally friendly….and the new ones are cute and almost as easy to use as disposables. I know. I used them on my youngest. 
Have you replaced any paper products? What have you replaced? What are you working on? Is there anything you can’t see yourself giving up? Do you have any tips for those of us who are still working on giving up our convenience products?
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42 Responses to “Tightwad Tuesday: Go Paperless!”
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I am not a financial expert. I'm just a wife and mom doing the best I can to live a frugal life and get out of debt. Like any human, I make mistakes. I write this blog out of my own experiences, and nothing I write should be taken as expert advice. If you need financial advice, please consult a professional.
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I am a novice to the whole living green idea but while I think going paperless is a great idea. I am wondering about the water and energy it takes to wash the all the cloth items you are replacing paper with. Do you know of any comparative analysis??
Susan
I second the Diva cup! I purchased one last November and really like it. It very quickly paid for itself. One of my best frugal/environmental moves, by far. I purchased mine from Lucky Vitamin where they sell for 19.98 plus 5.95 shipping- a little cheaper then the link you provided.
Two things some may not like about it: if you are squeamish, this is probably not the product for you, and also if you work outside the home, depending on how much privacy you have in the restroom, it may not be the most practical.
I haven’t been able to make the diva cup work for me, but I could make more effort to become paperless in other areas of life!
I’ve really enjoyed the Diva Cup. Takes a load off my mind at work because I know it won’t fill up during a 4-hour shift. Or at night, because it doesn’t leak.
If we have kids, I’m definitely going to explore cloth nappies.
I had a few people email me about the Diva Cup when I blogged about dumping my purse…and several tampons fell out. A good friend of mine is a huge fan of the Diva…both for the environment and for the huge cost savings over years.
My sister uses cloth diapers for her newborn. The initial cost is significant, but since cloth diapers can be used as the child gets bigger the math worked on the side of cloth. Actually, cloth won by a landslide…and prevents bigger landfills.
Two things. We use a huge pack of cute washclothes that I bought on clearance for general wipe up and as napkins. They work much better than traditional cloth napkins.
Also, if you are unsure about the Diva cup try Instead first and see if you like them (they are a disposable version but since you use them for 12 hours you use much, much less and save a lot of money.)
I have a plastic cover that is designed to go over things in the microwave. I picked it up for a few dollars at Target. I love it, it was a very worthwhile investment.
i gave up paper napkins years and years ago. i think cloth napkins feel so much better than paper anyway. my only tip is to buy 100% cotton ones. napkins with synthetic materials tend to smear food rather than absorb it.
also, i bought all white napkins and i just throw them in with my white laundry whenever i do it. it really doesn’t seem to add to my laundry since i do them a few times a week with everything else.
one more thing: white napkins are easy to bleach to help keep them clean looking.
Cloth napkins - have been using for all the 40 years of marriage, with and without 3 boys. Some I bought new, some were gifts, some I made. Best place to buy - Goodwill/Salvation Army/thrift. I change them about every 3-4 days (we are not particulary messy). Since I also use dishtowels, have about 24, for drying dishes and in place of paper towels, I just wash all of these together every 2 weeks. I do NOT iron and I dry on a drying rack.
In making them yourself, just cut a large square or even oblong, simple hem (and it can be as large as one inch) and you’re done. Again, find a tablecloth or sheet at Goodwill/thrift store to use. Remember, these are napkins not haute couture.
Also, if you can find 100% bandanas they make great napkins and tie-on bibs for kids & adults. Plus, they are often found inexpensively.
These are some great ideas!
When we moved, we replaced paper napkins with cloth ones. There was a 4-pack of brightly-colored “kitchen cloths” at the dollar store, which actually make nice big napkins.
Paper towels we replaced with about 6 wash cloths from a sale at target. I use them for cleaning, wiping up spills, etc.
I’m a big fan of the cloth napkins too. My mom always used them, so I’m used to folding a few napkins in with everything else in the laundry. I also love microfiber cloths for cleaning. I have a set of six that have lasted three years now.
Hi! I use cloth menstrual pads and I love them. They work great! I buy from a great work at home mom:
http://www.primmnproperbaby.com her customer service is great!
I also don’t buy paper towels or napkins as cloth and washcloths work great!
By the way it takes water to make all these products, especially the cloth diapers so it is still better to wash your own. -Becky in NJ
I think going paperless is a great move, although difficult to make. Paper is probably the most biodegradable product you use on a day to day basis. Cutting back on plastic would be better for the environment, but probably equally as hard to make.
I just found your blog and it looks good
I went paperless a few months ago and I don’t miss it one bit!
I got my cloth napkins at garage sales - grandkids love the variety. Also got my extra kitchen towels there. Use older washclothes for wipe ups also. Love the idea of bandanas for bibs!
Raised my 3 in cloth diapers. 4 dozen diapers was all I needed. Throw in the wash machine, throw in the dryer, throw in the basket - done. Did a load every night when I got home from work. No problem. They washed while I cooked dinner and dried while I ate dinner and did dishes.
I’m not so sure I can go paperless. I can understand paper towels, napkins, and even Lysol wipes. I cannot, however, give up my toilet paper. Charmin has been very good to me. I will NOT go back to the days of wiping with one’s left hand.
- John
So glad to have found your blog, I’ve just started my PF blog and I’m already finding it helps keep me motivated!
I try to be very green, using only reusable products, saying no to plastic bags, buying from local farms and not purchasing imported foods etc. Always wish I could do more!!
Great blog! Just had to subscribe because I am all about being frugal. I don’t think cheap and frugal are the same thing. I like to be frugal because I am not being wasteful…trust me I love a nice extravagant expensive dinner…but why not save money on napkins to buy it? I prefer the feel of cloth napkins anyways. I will have to blog about that diva cup on my site. Thanks for the tip!
Great idea to ry and rduce the amount of paper we use but for me the number one enemy is plastic. I am trying to give up buying anything that comes in plastic and if it only comes in plastic then i make sure is a recyclable one.
It really drives me crazy just how much is covered in plastic and don’t get me started on plastic bags.
SO go girl, the more of us that can cut back on waste the better.
Great Ideas! I’ll have to think of how to work these ideas in to my life. Thanks.
Paperless is something I really have been working on. Not only have I given up on paper towels for good, but I am slowly weaning myself from the lysol wipes. They’re handy,but a waste of money and a burden to landfills and the Earth.
As far as feminine products go-I had an IUD in for the past 18 months and well, that worked out mighty nice-no monthly visits with that puppy in place. I’ve heard a lot about the diva cup and may give it a try in the future.
I also agree with everyone talking about giving up plastic. I have eliminated a lot of our plastic consumption by switching to reusable water bottles, reusable containers instead of ziplocs, and using regular glasses instead of those oh so handy red plastic cups from costco.
I also reuse a lot of plastic containers that come our way. Margarine tubs are great for storing kids play-doh and art supplies and I reuse those plastic yogurt cups and baby food jars to store my tiny scrapbooking supplies.
Great post! We haven’t used kitchen paper towels for years, and we never have used wipes or paper plates.
Hey, I tagged you to do a Lemonade Meme http://skimbaco.blogspot.com/2.....-meme.html
We used cloth napkins and rags. We used cloth diapers when I had kids in diapers, for the most part. I use the Diva cup. We use very few disposable items. I believe it does make a difference. My monthly output for disposable items is nill most of the time. If I were to buy paper napkins, tampons and disposable diapers, I could easily drop $30 or $40 a month on stuff to fill the landfills.
Love this topic. A couple of ideas:
I’ve avoided most paper towel use for 2-3 years now, as well as paper napkins. In addition to the cloth substitutes and hankies, I keep some newspaper on hand - to wipe up or take a pass at those unspeakable pet messes or really oily messes. The newspaper gets the worst of it before I use my 3rd-best cloth wipers.
In public restrooms - ever notice the mounds of paper towels that mount up in the waste bin from hand washing, when there’s no blower available? Your hands are wet but clean - and the towel seldom gets soaked. Dry, and put it in your pocket. Use it once or twice again. Cut your public paper towel consumption by 1/2 or 2/3. Or, like blogger No Impact Man, carry a cloth around with you! (I’m not so clever to remember mine all the time.)
Finally, I cast a vote for the Keeper - after 4-5 years of use, I never leave home without it. Truly the least messy of all feminine solutions (and I imagine the Diva is equally good!).
This is one of those days that I am thankful to be a man. I fall into the squeamish camp on this one.
There should be a warning at the top of posts that include discussion of the “diva cup”.
Oi Vey
Great post - I switched (mostly) to cloth menstrual pads about a year ago, for home, which at least cuts my costs in that department in half without driving me bananas carrying extra stuff back home later.
I got el cheapo napkins at target, and love them for napkins, hankies, wiping up, etc, and feel no guilt about bleaching the ever living heck out of them. Added cost to wash is negligible for me - it usually just tops off the load I’m already going to run.
This is a great topic to bring up! I grew up in a household that did NOT believe in paper or plastic. My parents were strange, but progressive, I guess
I don’t use paper napkins or paper towels, etc. We were all cloth-diapered and I know my parents saved a load of money with three kids all in a row in cloth diapers 
I liked what a couple people said above about how reducing plastic is more important. I agree that paper is less harmful in a landfill than plastic, and therefore I like being conscious not to buy bottled things (water, juices, etc) or use the plastic bags at the store (I bring a cloth one or two). Eliminating the plastic is important - even when it can be recycled, using it less is just BETTER (especially because it would reduce our need for oil to make it).
With you on all those! Well I still use the occasional paper towel, but that is usually when I’m behind on laundry!
I bought nice napkins (on clearance) for the dinner table, but for the kids throughout the day we just use old towels and wash clothes.
Thanks for the link love btw. The keeper has taken some getting used to but it was worth the investment.
I tried to get my sons out of disposibles. I don’t know if it was the type I was using but I found they leaked and I had to change them a lot more often. The plastic pants left nasty marks on my babies skin. I found them hard to get clean and my husband refused to change them as he hated the idea of putting the waste down the loo.
Thanks for your post I’ve enjoyed your topic and all the comments. I’m trying to be both more frugal and more environmentally kind in my lifestyle. I’ve decrease my dependance on both paper and plastic, but it’s happening in baby steps. I’m just not able to go cold turkey on this, but it does get easier and easier the longer I’m at it.
It’s me again. I forgot to check the notify me box. ;p
It’s been one of those days. I got so carried away with the topic that I also forgot to tell you I posted about it on my blog and linked back to you. Now I’m going to quit writing and go get another cup of coffee to see if they helps my state of aleartness.
Thanks for mentioning all these Lynnae, it’s great to spread the news!
And about the “white cloths are great because you can bleach them” - that kind of defeats the purpose of going paperless to help the environment, as bleach is a very toxic chemical that then ends up being absorbed into our skin from the cloth and finds it’s way to our ground water. A better alternative would be hydrogen peroxide, if you have to “bleach” cloths.
We’re nearly paperless at the Frugal Babe household. We use washcloths and towels instead of wipes and paper towels, and we’ll be using cloth diapers for our nearly-here baby. The biggest change we’ve made is to make our home office nearly paperless. We store everything on our computers, with external hard drives as backups. We use an electronic fax service (trustfax.com) that routes all incoming faxes straight to our email inbox. Nothing gets printed out at all. We use phone and email for just about all of our correspondence, and haven’t bought paper for our office in over a year. We also opted out of credit card offers, which cuts down on the amount of paper coming into our house.
@Rachel - the kind of cloth diaper can definitely make a difference, and different diapers work well on different babies. And when we cloth diapered, diaper duty was all on my shoulders, as well.
@Nancy - Thanks for the link, and I’ll go check out your post.
@David - Thanks for the hydrogen peroxide idea for bleaching. I hate the smell of bleach, anyway. But how does it work? Do you just put HP directly on the stain and let it sit for a while? Or do you add a cup to your laundry like you would bleach? In the summer I line dry my clothes, and the sun helps with stains too.
@Frugal Babe - you have just described my ideal office. Someday…. And good for you!
I have used cloth napkins for at least 28 years. When my husband and I were first dating I made him dinner and he was greatly impressed with cloth napkins. Not that he married me for that lol. We use shop cloths, rags, white wash clothes etc. My kids and I have always recycled, milk jugs, glass, paper, cans and was happy when in Phoenix we finally had a recycling can. We do not have anything like this now where we live so we recycle cans and paper and have to drive to recycle them.
We use canvas bags we get at the store and garage sales. We also get lots of napkins at garage sales, I got a big lot of them in a basket for 50 cents last summer. I always look for napkins, yarn and canvas bags at yard seles.
Carol from Pueblo
Congrats on going paperless!
I had a Keeper, then moved to the Diva Cup when the Keeper passed its prime. No leaks, no odor, no discomfort like with tampons. I’ve never had qualms about using it in public- probably b/c I usually don’t have to, since you can leave it in up to 12 hours if your flow’s not too heavy. I’ve had to use tampons a few times since, and only after using the Keeper/Diva Cup did I realize how awful they are and how much I HATE them.
I also use cloth pads from http://www.lunapads.com. Lunapads are awesome (the best I’ve tried), don’t leak (and I leaked often with disposable pads), don’t irritate me like plastic ones, control odor, etc. I love love love them. Haven’t used plastic pads for years. You can also make your own cloth pads if you’re gifted in that way- just make sure to sew in a PUL layer (buy online if not available locally) unless your flow is super-light.
We plan to use cloth diapers for our baby (coming this fall!). I WILL NOT use disposables, just can’t do it in good conscience.