Reusing paper towels?! Hmmmm …
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Facebook it! | 01/16/12
We don’t watch a whole lot of TV — and we only have basic cable anyway — so I’m not a regular watcher of Extreme Cheapskates on TLC. The first time I had heard of the show was through a video on MSN.com.
This particular one-minute clip features four extreme cheapskate tactics:
- Cutting open toothpaste tubes to get at the last bit of toothpaste
- Sharpening the blades from disposable razors on the striking surface of a box of matches
- Pulling apart two-ply toilet paper to get two one-ply rolls
- Hanging up paper towels to dry
Life is a giant exercise in opportunity cost
Learning how to do more with less, and how to get by with less, is a great skill to learn. What happens most of the time with doing more with less, though, is that it takes precious time to do more with less.
TLC ends this clip with Roy, the money saver featured in the clip, saying the following:
“Toilet paper is a lot like life in general. The closer you get to the end, the faster it seems to go.”
I’ll give him clever points for that statement, but am I the only one who thinks that this statement drips with irony? There is an opportunity cost associated with every activity we do. The time that we spend doing one activity we can’t spend doing another. The time we have is irreplaceable, and is consumed at the alarming rate of twenty-four hours each and every day, never to be consumed again.
Or, put another way: You can make more money, but you can’t make more time.
To apply this to the activities in the clip, there’s a point of diminishing returns for these activities. Cutting a tube of toothpaste open when the tube is almost empty is probably all right. It takes two seconds to cut the tube and another ten to wash the toothpaste off of the scissors. Sharpening a disposable razor on a matchbox is probably fine if you do it right. Keeping it in a glass of mineral oil probably works too. Splitting up a roll of two-ply toilet paper is borderline too much. I mean, it works, but … ?
Reusing paper towels, though, seems way more trouble and time for the potential gain. Roy says that he’s saved $2,000 over the past ten years on paper towels alone. Let’s take this at face value and call it $200 per year. First off, that’s a lot of paper towels anyway. We buy maybe two big packages a year for $40 total. Secondly, what about a package of shop rags? Those would last for years and they’re meant to be re-used. (Isn’t the purpose of paper towels to throw away the germs?) Or go even cheaper and use old cut-up shirts. Lastly, and most importantly, it looks like a part-time job wringing out and hanging that paperware on that makeshift drying line in the living room. Just the time spent squeezing another three to five uses out of a paper towel means that he’s working for about 1.4 cents per hour. (Approximately.)
“Making it do or do without” is fine, but doing so shouldn’t fly in the face of common sense, should it?
8 Responses to “Reusing paper towels?! Hmmmm …”
By Noadi on Jan 16, 2012 | Reply
I think this is really a case of a person who has a potentially unhealthy obsession with doing things he thinks will save money but in reality do not. Toilet paper is a perfect example, a lot of people are going to use twice as much toilet paper when it’s 1-ply so you really save nothing (in fact the woman I assume is his wife in the video confirms that’s what she does).
By Emily Hunter on Jan 16, 2012 | Reply
I think, too, that the hard core people like that are looking for the pride of being able to say that they’re doing time consuming stuff like that instead of being proud of the money that they’re saving. It’s like the doctor who will take measures to say that it was all that they could do.
We’ll occasionally have ‘no power’ days here at the house, where we go with candles only – but even that is a bit inconvenient.
By Kasia on Jan 16, 2012 | Reply
I don’t get why everyone is so eager to criticize these extreme Cheapskates, or even anyone “more extreme” than themselves. So the guy splits his TP to “save money” and the benefit is minimal. So what? He probably also does 20 other things where the benefit is more than minimal. Perhaps it is a hobby or lifestyle or mindset, more than a cost benefit calculation for him. Maybe he cares that it’s better for the environment or something.
Instead of totally ripping the guy apart, maybe you could profile his entire life, and learn from his example and make your own life better, rather than criticize the guy for doing just one thing that YOU think is sooooo extreme. Geez.
By krantcents on Jan 16, 2012 | Reply
My wife and I were having a conversation similar to this the other day regarding utilities. My utility (gas & electric) averages $70 per month. Could it be any lower? Maybe, but is it worth the additional effort. I feel the same way about many of the things you mentioned. I already get 2 months out of my razor. At a $1.24 each, how much effort should I expend to increase the life?
By Charles on Jan 16, 2012 | Reply
my parents used to reuse paper towels. i hated it and didn’t think it was very sanitary. they would just wipe their wet hands from the roll and just leave it there until next use. I think you’re assessment is correct though. I don’t spend more than $40 on paper towel rolls and the most I would save is $20 a year by reusing. simply not worth the effort.
By Christa on Jan 17, 2012 | Reply
Why not use dish rags, like normal people? I reserve paper towels for spills that I want to throw away the germs or mess immediately (like puppy accidents — boy did I spend a lot on paper towels while potty training my pup!). I can’t imagine washing, drying and reusing paper towels!
By Jerry on Jan 22, 2012 | Reply
I completely agree with on this one. Most of that stuff takes extra time and that time could be spent saving money. I do agree with using rags instead of towels. We use both and know that the rags are insurance for the environment which is important to us but some things I don’t want to wash out so I use the paper towel! Only you know if something like that is worth your time or not. If it leads to too much time it doesn’t seem worth it to me.
By Melissa@FiscalPhoenix on Jan 30, 2012 | Reply
I have heard of this show but have not watched it. I don’t know if this guy is so extreme in every area of his life, but I know several people who will drive all around town to find the lowest gas price and save maybe $1.00 because they find gas two to five cents cheaper. Then, they just turn around and waste money on lottery tickets or something else. I guess the bottom line is, as you say, your time value and what is important to you.