Stretching Toilet Paper and Going Paperless

One glance upwards to my logo photograph and you'll see how important toilet paper storage is to me.  Yet and still, I've been reconsidering that staple as a fixed expense.  Even THAT expense can be trimmed, and relatively painlessly, at that.

Since I live in Mississippi and Hurricane Katrina is still fresh on my mind, hurricane season turns my thoughts to stronger preparedness.  However, no matter where you may live, any number of personal or natural disasters can knock you off a regular supply of food and toiletries.  It pays to have a safety cushion of essential supplies.  In the civilized world, one of them is toilet paper.  Stock up whenever it's a loss leader and every time you get a coupon for it.  Don't wait for the need.  Get it now!  But where to put it all?

Toilet paper is the type of thing to store way up high in a closet where nothing else can be stored.  Stack it all the way to the ceiling!  Even if you have to get a broom to knock down a 4-pack, it won't hurt you or itself when it falls.  You may also tuck some under beds, in suitcases, in the back of all the clothes closets (where nobody can find anything, anyhow), in the garage or even in the rear of the car trunk.  It's so lightweight that it won't affect gas mileage and won't go bad in the heat or cold.  If you have small children, there are other benefits to traveling with toilet paper, but I digress.  If the toilet paper will be stored where rodents occasionally roam, you'll want to keep it in a hard-sided storage container with a tight-fitting lid.  Mice adore toilet paper bedding.

Besides cheap peace of mind, the beauty of stocking up on toilet paper now is that you get your choice of toilet paper.  For some who have allergies, this is important!  There's nothing like a rash in a sensitive area to intensify an already-miserable disaster situation.  When you stock up in non-emergency times, the stores can restock the shelves immediately.  With your family's needs out of the way, the stores can then furnish the unprepared and those directly hit by the disaster who may have relocated to your area.  

Yet again, I call to remembrance the Friday BEFORE the Monday that Hurricane Katrina hit Mississippi directly.  The population of metro-Jackson, Mississippi doubled overnight and we were out of all manner of supplies by Saturday.  Toilet paper was one of them.  After the hurricane hit, all of the toilet paper and many other toiletries (even underwear!) that dribbled in through the crippled supply lines were diverted to shelters.  Any toilet paper to be had was scrounged off shelves of drugstores at a premium and after waiting in long lines.  This went on for weeks.  Have I sold you on stocking up on toilet paper?

The question becomes, then, how MUCH toilet paper is enough?  Of course, that varies with the family and even the gender make-up of the family.  Besides that, there is another option for cleaning up after toileting besides using toilet paper.  The best time to explore this option is in non-crisis times so that we can move seamlessly through crisis periods with the least possible emotional upset.  

Let's say that you are a roll-a-day family, you have ignored my advice to stock up and now you have only six rolls left.  Something has happened and now you cannot get more toilet paper for possibly several weeks.  Either your budget is bare or the grocery and dollar stores' shelves are bare, or they're destroyed or closed after a disaster.  What now?  How the heck do you ration toilet paper?

You do it by going paperless, or at least partially paperless, in the interim.  You will substitute washable cloth wipes.  Besides getting you through the crisis, you will lighten the load on your plumbing system, as toilet paper is a big strain on it.  Saving on paper means you'll also save on water if you flush only after bowel movements, as each flush requires 5-7 gallons of water.  Save an average of only THREE flushes a day, or 15-21 gallons, and you've saved 450-630 gallons of water in one month's time.  To give you some perspective on this, a top-loading washer averages about 40 gallons of water per full load.  So, crisis aside, using less toilet paper is a good budget cutting strategy even for normal times!

Let's do a little math on the water savings.  Consider the extra flushing as "leakage."  According to the Jackson, Mississippi's Department of Public Works, 21 gallons of daily leakage costs $70.00 per year.  Wow!  Could you have used that $70 to take the family to a Japanese steakhouse, fill up the car with gasoline, get a full body massage for yourself or at least use it for something more fun than flushing a toilet?  I know I could!  Hit the meat counter and rack up for several months!  Here's where I got my numbers--  http://www.jacksonms.gov/government/publicworks/sewer/

Let's do a little more math, this time on the paper itself.  Let's say you're a one-roll-a-day household.  If you use from a 4-pack of toilet paper that sells for $2.50, then you're paying $.63 per roll.  Over the course of a month, you'll use 30 rolls of toilet paper and you will spend $18.90.  What if you could cut that usage dramatically by one simple change of routine?  If the best you can do is to cut your toilet paper use in half, then that's still $9.45 you've saved, or a nice large pizza.

If you have a larger family, your savings will be considerable.  Further, a houseful of females will naturally use much more toilet paper than one with males.  It's how we women are made.  We have to wipe after every elimination, bowel movement or urination.  Men generally have to wipe only after the bowel movement.  Therefore, a houseful of females will see a significantly larger dollar figure on savings with going even partially paperless. 

Let's talk logistics.  I highly recommend a soft, absorbent fabric for the wipes, like 100% cotton flannel.  There's no need to rush out and buy, though.  Glean fabric from the good parts of your family's old flannel pajamas and shirts, which will be softer and kinder to the nether regions and FREE.  Old cloth diapers are also perfect for this.  A good size to cut them into is 6"-8" squares, a bit smaller than most washcloths that run about 11 1/2" or so.  The wipe cloths do not have to be perfectly square, so cut them out to make the best use of your old pajama or diaper fabric.  If you have access to a serger, it won't take long to edge-finish a few dozen squares.  Alternatively, you can use pinking shears to cut up the squares.  Any other edge finish is liable to scratch in a place on your body you'd rather not be irritated.  Without any edge finishes, you'll have to spend a few minutes each laundry day clipping loose threads, which is still not a big issue.

I keep a rectangular wicker basket on the back of my toilet.  I store bath toiletries on one side.  On the other side are two stacks of cloths, one each of washcloths and wipe cloths.  I use a wipe cloth, rinse it at the sink and then hang it on the tub to dry until the next load of undies and towels laundry is due.  I use my wipe cloths for wiping urine only and the quick rinse takes care of any possible ammonia odor.  If you intend to use yours for wiping after bowel movements, then proper hygiene dictates that you keep a closed container beside the toilet for the soiled wipes, like a diaper bucket.  Keep a borax soaking solution in the bucket to combat bacteria growth and odor.  Then simply treat it as you would a diaper bucket and do separate loads for these wipes from your regular laundry.  On laundry day, dump the cloths into the washer, spin out the water, rinse them and then wash in hot water with detergent. 

For those of you who are already going totally paperless, I welcome your input on logistics.  Some of my readers who are braver and thriftier than I am about this may want to follow your lead.

For all the rest of you who want to try going at least partially paperless, but who know you'll get resistance from the ranks, just do it yourself!  Even if you are the only one in your family to go paperless or partially paperless, you'll still save significantly on water and toilet paper.  We do in my household!  Then, if/when a disaster hits and supplies are cut off, your paperless system and routine will already be in place.  You won't have to panic and risk your life going out to find toilet paper.  You will be potty-ready, and you will think of me.  You're welcome.

Frugally yours,

Barbara Houston Garrett

www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/barbaragarrett