You’re Going to be Shocked at How Much Money Zero Waste Living Can Save You

Written By Emma Dendler

Back by popular demand, let’s dive into 10 more zero waste swaps that will save you money and how much money they can save you per year.

There are so many reasons someone might go zero waste but usually it’s to save the planet in some way. That might be the primary reason, but there are so many hidden benefits to being zero waste such as saving money, reducing clutter, using cleaner ingredients, and learning new skills.

So, let’s get into these 10 low waste swaps and just how much money you can save by living zero waste. Don’t forget to check out part 1!

Stasher/Qrumbles

Stasher is a very popular option to replace single-use plastic bags and other single-use storage options. But, Stasher is owned by SC Johnson, a mega-corporation. I personally would rather support a small business which is why I included Qrumbles on this list. I also like Qrumbles because they are easier to wash without a dishwasher.

Regardless which one you choose, let’s dive into how much money they can save you:

One stasher bag is really all you need if you wash it every day. But, let’s just say you buy 4 of them for a larger family or to use multiple throughout the week or for multiple different purposes. Let’s say you get 2 sandwich bags and 2 of their larger ones. It’s $26 for the sandwich bags and $44 for the half-gallons. That’s a total of $70. Wow, even I think that’s steep. BUT! These should last you years and years.

Not to mention, they run regular sales through influencers and for things like Earth Month, Plastic Free July, and Black Friday!

Now, Qrumbles. While best for sandwiches, they can be used for other things. Dan and I only have two and don’t need any more but for the sake of keeping things even, let’s say you order 4 of them for a total of $60. A bit better than Stasher but yes, Stasher does tend to have more uses.

Now, how much to plastic zipper bags cost? The average family uses 500 plastic zipper bags per year. Even on Amazon where prices are usually the cheapest, it’s $10 for a pack of 50 single-use bags. So, the average family would have to buy 10 of these to get 500 bags which would cost $100 per year in single-use bags.

In the first year, Stasher will save you $30 and Qrumbles will save you $40 and every year after that they will save you $100.

Refurbished tech

This is the easiest way to save money on tech while also being sure you get tech that actually works. I have bought tech secondhand on places like Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp, but that’s more low-end tech like a juicer. But, we have also had success buying things like an iPad on FB Marketplace! It’s risky, so, let’s look at refurbished instead. Usually these sellers and refurbishers are certified in some way and also ensure the devices are fully reset so you can use them easily.

The best-known refurbished tech site I know of is Back Market for things like phones, laptops, etc.

So, a brand new iPhone 14 that has 128GB of storage is $730 from Apple.

The same exact model, an iPhone 14 that has 128 GB of storage from Back Market is $452. That’s savings of $278 for one phone. If your family needs multiple or if you also need an iPad or a computer, that’s even more savings!

Some other items I found on Back Market was this relatively new MacBook that is $400 cheaper than buying brand new, this older MacBook that is $800 cheaper than buying new, and this PlayStation that is $200 cheaper than buying new.

Not to mention, Back Market will also buy your old tech from you. In theory, this method could be free after the trading in. Yes, Apple will trade in, too, but do they really recycle it?

It’s also just more ethical to shop secondhand. Most of our metals and minerals come from Africa, specifically the Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC. Here they mine for little-to-no money, are forced off their lands, and are forced to work as young as 10 years old. The mines are hazardous and they don’t get PPE. You can learn more in Cobalt Red, by Siddharth Kara.

So, shop refurbished for the planet, your wallet, and the people.

Libraries…again?

Yup, I mentioned libraries in part 1 but we only talked about one aspect of libraries: books. Many libraries these days have a “library of things” for you to check out. These things often include power tools, craft machines, party supplies, and so much more!

Let’s say, over the course of the year, you need a sewing machine, a drill, and an ice cream maker. Of course, you may borrow much more or much less, but I don’t want to skew the numbers too much so let’s just stick with three common items.

Instead of buying all of that brand new, borrow it for free from the library! Now, if you’re going to be using a sewing machine daily or often, it might make more sense to just buy one refurbished or secondhand like we already talked about. But, if you’re only going to use these items once and then have them collect dust in a closet, it makes more financial and eco sense to just borrow them for your one project.

Here are the prices for new items:

  • Sewing machine: $80-200 for a run of the mill machine, nothing fancy

  • Drill: $30-100 for a run of the mill machine, nothing fancy

  • Ice cream maker: $20-70 for a run of the mill machine, nothing fancy

That’s a total of $130-370 saved for just these three machines. That doesn’t factor in using more from your local library of things!

Rechargeable batteries

This zero waste swap is SO underrated. I started using rechargeable batteries to save money and only realized later that it save the planet, too! But, just how much money does it save?

I’m taking all of the numbers below from Energizer brand via Walmart to keep it consistent.

It’s not the best brand, but I get mine from Energizer just cause that is the most accessible option. You can find them from Walmart to Target and even local grocery stores. A 4-pack of rechargeable AAs is $13.76 and a 4-pack of AAAs is $13.76. The charging port is $18.97. Over the years, we have bought a few more packs of both since they are so common so let’s double the cost of those to make this even. That would be a total of $74.01 for 8 AAs, 8 AAAs, and a charging port.

The average American household buys about 90 alkaline batteries annually. Let’s say that’s 75% AA and 25% AAA since AAs are more common. That would be around 23 AAAs and 67 AAs.

It’s a close one! Rechargeables up front plus the charging port costs $74.01 and the disposables cost $77.21. In your first year of average use (you don’t have to buy two packs of each rechargeable option) you will only save $3. But, every year after that, you’ll save around $77!

Most rechargeable batteries last up to 7 years or more or around 2,000 uses! So much waste prevented from the landfills and/or our broken recycling system and so much money saved over that time.

Reusable toilet paper

Don’t click away! I’m not forcing anyone to use this swap. I know it’s not for everyone, I don’t even use it. But so many of you suggested I see how much this could save in part one so here we are!

You can easily make reusable toilet paper yourself from old or secondhand fabric. I know many people suggest flannel due to it’s softness. So, this option is theroetically free.

But, if you want a cuter option pre-made for you, I suggest Boaty. I tried them out while in Vegas and while it’s not really a swap for me, it is a quality product if you’re looking to try it. Their kit includes 36 rolls of TP, a storage bag, and a wet bag for used pieces. This costs $108. Sounds steep so lets see how disposable compares.

The average American, just one person uses 141 rolls of TP per year.

For that many rolls, buying a popular brand like Charmin would cost $32 for 30 rolls or $1.06 per roll or $150.40 for the average 141 rolls used per year.

But, an eco option like Who Gives a Crap would run about $25 for 24 rolls for their bamboo and $38 for 24 rolls of their recycled TP. That’s $1.04 per roll and $1.58 per roll respectively. For a total of 141 rolls per year on average, that would cost $146.64 for bamboo TP and $223.25 for recycled TP from WGAC.

In your first year of using reusable TP you would save $38-115. But, in any year after you would save between $146-224

Bidet

Don’t want to switch to reusable TP but still want to save money? Consider a bidet! I know this is also considered weird to so many people, but bidets are life changing. I’m not even kidding. It’s more hygenic and can also reduce how much TP you use. But by how much?

The average bidet user reduces their TP use by 75%! So, let’s take those totals from above and reduce them by 75% to see how much money a bidet can save.

Instead of using an average of 141 rolls per year, a bidet user would use around 36 rolls of TP. For Charmin that would save $112.80, WGAC bamboo would save $109.98, and WGAC recycled would save $167.44.

You would still have to pay around $38.16 for Charmin, $37.44 for WGAC bamboo, and $56.88 for WGAC for a year.

Now, the cost of a bidet. Let’s look at two leading bidet makers: Tushy costs $229 regular price but are also often on sale and Whisper costs $99 regular price but is often on sale, too.

Tushy would cost $229 for the bidet and between $37-57 per year in toilet paper for a total of $266-286 per year.

Whisper, though, would cost $99 for the bidet and between $37-57 per year in toilet paper for a total of $136-156. So, depending on which brand of toilet paper you buy, Whisper will save you just 10-68.

This is one swap that actually won’t save you money up-front if you buy the more expensive Tushy option and cheaper toilet paper. BUT, in the following years, you will save between $109-167.

But, with Whisper, you will see savings right away since it’s a much more affordable price. Also, neither brand has paid me, but I prefer Whisper all day long. It’s cheaper, easier to install, and has better water pressure.

In your first year, Whisper will cost $99 plus your TP for a total between $136.44 and $146.88. Again, when looking at the totals for the average use of 141 rolls per year, $14-77 in your first year and every year after that saves $109-167.

Regular plates, cups, bowls, cutlery

I called these “reusable plates” on IG recently and people got so mad haha but it’s what they are! Let’s compare how much paper or plastic plates cost in comparison to using regular plates, cups, bowls, cutlery, and so forth.

I’m sure most of us already have dishes at home on top of the disposables you also have. For most people, it won’t cost anything extra to just start using the regular dishes. If you do need to buy some, I suggest secondhand where they are often $1 or less per piece.

If one person uses one paper plate or bowl per meal, that’s nearly 1100 disposables per person. So, let’s say someone uses 1 of each per meal per day: paper plate or bowl and a plastic fork or spoon. Yes, there are also disposable cups, napkins, etc, but let’s keep it easy for now. We will divide each in two to get a sort of average use.

On the low end, Dixie paper plates cost $36.48 for 300 plates or 12 cents per plate. That would mean 550 plates costs $66. But, if you’re trying to be eco-friendly, you might buy from a brand like Repurpose which costs $16.99 for 44 plates or 39 cents per plate or 550 plates for $212.

(Keep in mind Repurpose has several deals such as subscribing to save and also bundles. These were the individual costs)

For bowls, the low-end Dixie brand costs $12.19 for 56 bowls or 22 cents per bowl. That would make 550 bowls cost $121. Once again looking at Repurpose, it’s $12.99 for 35 or 37 cents per bowl making 550 bowls cost $203.

For plastic spoons, the low end being Great Value costing $2 for 48 spoons or just 4 cents per spoon making 550 spoons cost $23. Repurpose would run about $9.99 for 24 or $42 cents per spoon or $229 for 550 spoons.

Lastly, plastic forks on the low end would cost the same price as spoons so $23 for 550. Repurpose costs the same for forks as for spoons making the total $229 for 550 forks.

Okay, our grand total for the lower end is $233 per year but the high end, the more eco-option would cost you a whopping $873. Now I’m sure that is not the common option when people are buying disposables, so the low end is probably more realistic. But you can still save $233 per year by using those reusable dishes you already own.

Reducing waste = fewer trash bags

This one isn’t very technical, but the less waste you create, the fewer trash bags you need to buy! Not only the less waste you create but also the more you recycle and the more you compost, the fewer bags you have to buy.

According to Statista, most Americans use 25 or more garbage bags per month. Let’s make that an even 6 bags per week. If you theoretically reduce your waste in half in terms of recycling, composting, using zero waste swaps, buying less, and making stuff at home, you could cut this number in half and use just 3 bags per week. Maybe you’re a small household like me and only use one bag per week or even fewer. But, for math’s sake, let’s say 3 bags per week or 156 bags per year per household as opposed to the full amount of 312.

312 trash bags per year would cost someone $10 for 50 plastic, not eco-friendly trash bags, also 13 gallons. That’s 20 cents each making the total $62.40 for 312 bags or $31.20 for 156 bags.

For the more eco-friendly option from Hold-On made from bioplastic, it would cost $14 for 25 bags that hold 13 gallons. That’s 56 cents per bag for a total of $174.72 for 312 bags or 87.36 for 156 bags.

So, reducing your waste in half would save $31.20-87.36 just on trash bags alone!

Dryer balls

Dryer balls are a great alternative to laundry sheets that are single-use and made out of plastic. They’re wasteful and can add up in cost. But just how much?

The dryer sheets brand, Bounce suggests 1 dryer sheet per small load, 2 per medium load, and 3 per large load. Let’s say it’s an average of 2 per load. The average American does around 300 loads of laundry per year which would make 600 dryer sheets. The average cost seems to be $10 for 240 sheets or just 4 cents per sheet. For 600 sheets, though, it would cost $25. Not a lot!

Dryer balls usually cost between $3-14 depending on where you get them. This is for a set of 6. I personally use 3 at a time but you can use as many as you want. Wool dryer balls can last 1,000 or more loads or at least 3 years. And if you get a pack of 6 and use only 3 at a time, that doubles the longevity.

That means you will save $11-22 in your first year while using dryer balls and every year after that is $25!

Just avoiding buying unnecessary things

Here is another category that’s not very technical but I think it belongs here. There are so many things in our lives that are marketed at us as being necessary such as fabric softener, scent beads to add to your load of laundry, color booster, etc. A lot of these are laundry items now that I think about it. So, just don’t buy them! Here are some things I personally don’t use and think you can probably go without too:

And so much more. Don’t give in to impulse purchases. Only buy what you truly need and want. Here is my list of things I quit buying. I guess I could hybridize these videos and make a list of things I no longer buy and how much money it saves me per year. What do you think?

But still, just these three things can save you $155 per year and there are MORE things I’m sure you can give up buying to prevent waste and save money, too.

Alright, drumroll please! Here are the numbers once again…

Stasher/Qrumbles - $30-40 in the first year, $100 every year after that

Refurbished tech - $200-800+

Library of things- $130-370+

Rechargeable batteries - $3 first year, $77 every year after that

Reusable toilet paper - First year $38-115, every year after $146-224

Bidet - first year is $0-77 and every year after that is $109-167

Using reusable plates and cutlery - $233-873

Fewer trash bags - $31.20-87.36

Dryer balls - $11-22

Gimmicky items - $275+

That’s a grand total of $951-2995+ for just these 10 swaps!

Our first 10 swaps saved $1415-2359. Incorporate these 20 swaps and save over $2366-$5354 per year!!!

Of course, there is even more where this comes from. Leave your best zero waste swaps that save you money down below and follow along for part 3.

Want to learn more about zero waste on a budget without having to buy anything? Check out this full low waste on a budget series on YouTube.

Thank you so much for reading along, I appreciate your time. As always, remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)

Emma

Emma Dendler
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The Ultimate List of Zero Waste Bathroom Swaps
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Celebrating my Oldest Items in this Reverse Haul