Tissues are expensive (a money-saving tip)

[New Mexican]

I hated to walk down the paper products aisle to look for inexpensive tissues. Then, if you found them, they were as close to newspaper quality you could find! :waa:

So, what we chose to do around here is use ONLY toilet tissues for our tissues. But we needed something MORE, so we mounted an additional toilet tissue holder (nice oaks ones (packaged) we found at thrift stores for a buck) on the wall in each bathroom above the sink vanity. The roll is easy to grab, much, much cheaper and much,much softer than boxed tissues.

The funny part is this: If someone new enters our home and needs to use the restroom, they'll probably think,"Now WHY would someone put the toilet tissues way up there??" Needless to say, we DO have another one in the RIGHT place!!

[BamaSuzy]

We quite using paper towels and such several years ago, instead using hand towels which we can throw into the washer. We don't buy Kleenex unless somebody is just really sick and contagious....Most of the time we either use toliet tissue OR USUALLY cotton handkerchiefs that can be washed.

[BamaSuzy]

Oh---and although we wash the towels, hankerchiefs and stuff in an electric washer, we don't have a dryer so everything is dried on the clothesline.

[New Mexican]

Yes, clotheslines are the best, aren't they?

I agree......although we have not done away with papertowels yet, (Dh likes them) we do not buy paper napkins. (We don't use the paper towels that often so they last a long, long time!) Have not for years. A waste of money. We use cloth napkins as well. Believe it not, our guests think we are "classy" when we use them but I just tell them, "no, frugal".

Years ago they did without. Then the "conveniences" had to come around for "working mothers". If I'd been a mother, I'd have NOT worked outside the home. My older sister never did and her oldest is 20!

[DayBird]

We much prefer cloth to paper. When our older boy was a baby, we learned the value of buying white wash cloths in bulk when they were on sail. We now have at least 100 of them. The newest ones we use for napkins at meals. The older ones we use to bathe with, stained ones that are still washable are used to blow noses with and grubby ones are used to wash bird cages.

[New Mexican]

Originally Posted by DayBird

We much prefer cloth to paper. When our older boy was a baby, we learned the value of buying white wash cloths in bulk when they were on sail. We now have at least 100 of them. The newest ones we use for napkins at meals. The older ones we use to bathe with, stained ones that are still washable are used to blow noses with and grubby ones are used to wash bird cages.

Ok, please share about these! Never heard of them but sounds like something we NEED!!! LOL!!!

[uncle Will in In.]

Maw, Wipe My Nose! My Sleaves Slick!

[Cyngbaeld]

This may not be really frugal, but I like to keep a roll of paper towels in the bathroom on a dispenser. It keeps company from using the family hand or bath towel. When I visit anybody I really don't like to use their towels to dry MY hands and I would prefer other people didn't get germs on MY towels. Germs can live a very long time on a damp towel.

[New Mexican]

Originally Posted by Cyngbaeld

This may not be really frugal, but I like to keep a roll of paper towels in the bathroom on a dispenser. It keeps company from using the family hand or bath towel. When I visit anybody I really don't like to use their towels to dry MY hands and I would prefer other people didn't get germs on MY towels. Germs can live a very long time on a damp towel.

'
Yes, I have seen this before! I thought it was so ingenious of them to do that! Good idea!!!

[DayBird]

Originally Posted by New Mexican

Ok, please share about these! Never heard of them but sounds like something we NEED!!! LOL!!!

Wash cloths, wash rags, what do you call them? What do you use to take a bath with?

[New Mexican]

Originally Posted by DayBird

Wash cloths, wash rags, what do you call them? What do you use to take a bath with?

Duh, I read them as "white-wash cloths", not "white wash-cloths". What a dork I am!!! LOL! :haha:

[DayBird]

Originally Posted by New Mexican

Duh, I read them as "white-wash cloths", not "white wash-cloths". What a dork I am!!! LOL! :haha:

WalMart sells a pack of 10, usually for less than $5.00. When they're on sale, we always buy at least one pack. We keep that one pack for the rare occasion when company comes over. That way they get a nice, new, white, cloth "napkin" and when it gets stained we use them for something else. There's a stack of them in the boy's bathroom on the shelf over the toilet. A stack under their sink for cleaning. A big stack under the kitchen sink for cleaning. A brand new pack in the cabinet over the fridge for company. A big wicker basket on the edge of our tub, a stack under our sink for cleaning. We also use them instead of baby wipes. (Shhh! Don't tell my wife. If the baby makes a big mess, I sometimes just throw the cloth away.) Let's see, there are some in a baggy in the car. Lots in the bird house. I think there are even some under the aquarium for cleaning up spills when I change the filter pads.

[DayBird]

OH yeah, I usually keep some by my bed for nighttime nose blowing.

[BCR]

Because I have strangers (AKA clients) come to the house, I have tissues in my office. But I change the handtowel in the bathroom each day, or even twice if there is that much traffic.

We use those colorful kerchiefs for napkins. They are cheap (less than 50 cents each) and not bulky so dry on the line very fast. We have all kinds of colors and people always think we are so ingenious for using them.

[New Mexican]

Originally Posted by BCR

Because I have strangers (AKA clients) come to the house, I have tissues in my office. But I change the handtowel in the bathroom each day, or even twice if there is that much traffic.

We use those colorful kerchiefs for napkins. They are cheap (less than 50 cents each) and not bulky so dry on the line very fast. We have all kinds of colors and people always think we are so ingenious for using them.

Yeah, changing hand towels is what I do, too, when guests come over.

And hey, I LOVE the handkerchief idea! You are right! colorful, inexpensive, nice and thin and ALL cotton!! I'll do it!

(gosh, everyone on here is SO innovative! that's why I'm addicted! Ya'll think like we do!!!)

[steff bugielski]

I do alot of sewing for people and any scrap left over becomes something. We have lots of very pretty and expensive cloth napkins. I wash the fabric first so if it will shrink or fall apart it does it first. Any one want some I'd be happy to stitch some up for you.
steff

[3girls]

I have used cloth for everything I can. I have carried the colorful bandanas that match my flannel shirts for years. I used cloth towels in the kitchen also, and still do. We do keep a roll of papertowels handy, but rarely use them for much more than sopping up grease when we do bacon. Occasionally also a spill on the floor. I wish I could convince the rest of the family to use cloth hankies, but they are kleenex freaks. I also have some ancient washcloths under the sink. I think I bought them when one of my 40 something kids was born. I'll have to find some more. I may even have a few of their old diapers hanging around to use as rags.

I can't do very much about the big picture, but I can do my bit and hope there are a lot of others doing their bits, etc.

Sandi

[reese]

I use cloth for everything BUT tp (which is used as such).

I sew, so I made up a bunch of hankies, cloth napkins,table cloth, butt wipes, diapers (fitted), training pants, clothes ect. Kitchen rags, hand towels, wash cloths ect I've bought. They get used and tossed in the hamper (with a big family I wash cloths daily) and towels get changed out at least once a day. Washing and drying sanitizes enough to not worry about health issues. ***I'm not germ phobic in my own home, just in public ***