Many years ago, my kitchen sink became blocked up. Water pooled in it for over a week.
We had to call a plumber who had to cut out the pipe under the sink and replace it.
To my horror, I saw that because my family, and myself, were in the habit of pouring bacon fat and cooking oil down the drain after use, the fat congealed in the pipe.
Each time we poured bacon fat down the pipe, it layered upon itself multiple times and grew in size until the pipe was chocked off.
Like a blood vessel in the body before a stroke.
The plumber made a point of showing me that personally so I could see that it was my fault I had to pay him for a very avoidable problem.
Consider that the average plumber’s bill is anywhere from $175 to $475.
It made me think about how wasteful I may unwittingly be in my own home. And, how to reuse items I unwittingly throw out that may allow me to save money.
Plastic Ice Cube Trays
Most plastic ice cube trays will cost you anywhere between $1 to $4.
However, think about how many times you have replaced or upgraded your plastic ice cube trays over the years or decades.
Chances are that you have probably spent more than a few bucks on plastic ice trays over such time spans.
I shouldn’t have to tell you about the environmental trauma that is inflicted on this planet’s ecology every time you throw away a plastic item.
It can take 500 to 1,000 years for a plastic item to naturally degrade in the environment. The plastic items grouping together in the notorious, “garbage patches,” in our oceans never really degrade in saltwater.
They just break down into infinitely smaller pieces called microparticles that are being eaten by the fish that we in turn eat.
OK, so what can you do with old plastic ice cube trays?
Turn them into miscellany micro containers for screws, washers, paper clips, rubber bands, earrings, and any other tiny items taking up space, and getting lost, that you store elsewhere.
Ziploc Bags
Did you know that the average American family uses over 500 Ziploc plastic baggies annually?
Or more specifically, the average American family uses each Ziploc plastic baggie once and then throws it away.
That means over 58 million Ziploc plastic baggies are used once and only once annually in the United States.
Do I really need to discuss the damage non-biodegradable plastic wrecks on the environment?
Think about this:
By the year 2050, there will be more plastic and plastic microparticles than fish in the world’s oceans.
Think about that – Within three decades humans may be consuming fish containing dangerous levels of plastic contamination.
If you don’t care about that, well, I can’t force you to. So, let’s talk about the financial consequences of using Ziploc plastic baggies once.
The average Ziploc sandwich baggie costs you about 10 cents each, or, about $50 if you buy 500 annually.
Do you buy those large, gallon-sized Ziploc plastic baggies? Well, you’re paying about 19 cents for each one.
Or, about $95 for an annual 500-bag supply.
So, how you save money on Ziploc plastic baggie purchases?
Well, you can hand wash Ziploc baggies with warm soapy water and a sponge. You can also place them on dishwasher tines, inside out, and wash them on the gentlest cycle.
This is a hack that you can use about 8 to 10 times. By washing and reusing Ziploc baggies, you can bring the cost of using them down to just over a penny per baggie.
Still, it takes time to wash, clean, and dry them.
You might be better off financially by just buying reusable containers or lunchboxes instead of paying 10 cents to 20 cents for each single use Ziploc plastic baggies.
Paper Towels
The only thing that may be more American than apple pie or baseball is the utilitarian need for Americans to have an ample supply of paper towels nearby.
Over 13 billion pounds of paper towels are used and thrown away in the United States alone every year.
The average person uses 1 to 2 paper towel rolls every 5 days to 7 days.
Or, the average person uses about 80 paper towel rolls annually.
It takes a lot of logistical manufacturing processing, which damages the environment, to make exactly 2,000 pounds of paper towels.
Over 17 trees must be cut down just to manufacture 2,000 pounds of paper towels.
Additionally, over 20,000 gallons of water is used in the manufacturing process to make 2,000 pounds of paper towels.
It takes about 2 months for paper waste to biodegrade in the environment. Still, 13 billion pounds of paper waste annually is a lot for the environment to handle.
For those who are not worried about the environment, OK, let’s talk about the cost.
You are probably spending anywhere from $700 to $1,500 to use disposable paper towels every 5 years, depending on frequency of use.
Think about that the next time you reach for a paper towel.
Instead, you can start using paper towels made from Bamboo, like Bambooee.
One bamboo paper towel roll might cost anywhere from $6 to $10.
However, each bamboo paper towel sheet can be reused about 100 times.
You can hand wash them or wash them in a dishwashing machine and then just let them dry.
Just one roll of bamboo paper towels is the utilitarian equivalent of over 286 regular paper towels.
You’ll save hundreds or thousands of dollars by switching to bamboo paper towels.
Bacon Fat Oil
Hey, I can’t tell you how to eat.
But chances are, there is a healthy amount of bacon involved in your diet.
The average American eats over 18 pounds of bacon annually. (If I’m going to be honest, that would be a very conservative estimate in my household.)
About 62% of American restaurants have bacon on their menus.
Think about this – about 900 million pounds of bacon is sold annually in the United States. That means that Americans spend about $4.21 billion annually on bacon.
The average price of bacon is about $5.50 per pound. So, if you buy 18 pounds of bacon annually, that comes to about $100 annually.
Or, more if you buy more than 18 pounds of bacon annually.
So, how is this a waste if you’re eating the bacon? Most people pour bacon fat down the drain.
Why is this a costly problem? Well, potential plumbing repairs can be a costly consequence.
And fatbergs.
What is a Fatberg?
Bacon fat congeals in your pipes. Layers of congealed fat build up in your pipes each time that you pour bacon fat, or any cooking oil, down the drain.
This can cause blockages over time like a blocked artery.
The only person who wins in that scenario is your plumber.
Pouring bacon fat down your drain also contributes to the disgusting problem of fatbergs.
“Fatbergs,” are large masses of congealed cooking oil and fat, mixed with garbage, that block water pipes and sewer pipes.
A fatberg can be 800 feet long and weigh 130 tons. It costs New York city about $4.5 million annually to break up and clean fatbergs out of sewer pipes.
These municipal cleanup costs are then passed on to you via water bills and taxes.
Most people don’t know about this serious ecological problem because they don’t want to know and because it seriously grosses them out.
Yet, the more that you pour bacon fat down the drain, the more you are going to pay for it. Either through a plumber’s bill, water bill, or tax bill.
So, what is the solution?
Pour cooled bacon fat into plastic milk containers, old baby food containers, or some other reusable container. Then, warm it up in hot water to reuse for cooking.
Don’t eat bacon or cook with bacon fat? That’s fine.
Whether you use bacon fat, vegetable oil, canola oil, or any kind of edible cooking oil, you are better off reusing them as much as possible than just pouring them down the drain.
Your shopping budget, and tax bill, will thank you later.
Reusing Items is a Matter of Perspective
Waste can be a mindset that becomes a habit without us realizing it.
It can also be costing you a lot of money.
Think about what you could reuse in your home before you throw it out.
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Allen Francis was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years with no money, no financial literacy, and no responsibility when he had money. To him, the phrase “personal finance,” contains the power that anyone has to grow their own wealth. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including focusing on your needs instead of your wants, asking for help when you need it, saving and investing in your own small business.