Don’t you hate paying for something that you already know is going to end up in the trash? I sure do! Chief among these items is garbage bags. You are paying money for something designed to be thrown away. But, we’ve gotta have them! There are a lot of options out there, too. Scented, stretchy, twist tie, flap tie, garbage, trash, leaf…it goes on and on. And, man are they expensive!
I’ve always felt the need to buy name brand garbage bags (at name brand prices) because what I hate even more than paying for trash is picking it up when the bag rips. When Glad ForceFlex came out, I got a coupon and tried them. I was slightly impressed, but just slightly. They’re good and do tend to hold more without ripping, but not a lot more. Not enough to pay $1 more for less bags per carton. I recently bought Target’s generic version (Up & Up flex fit drawstring) and I love them. The Up & Up bags are the same quality at a much lower price. I got double the bags about $2 cheaper than Glad! Try them, I think you’ll be impressed!
Another item destined for the landfill is paper towels. When it comes right down to it, they’re really not needed. You can stock up on kitchen towels or microfiber cloths (about $5 for 10 at Dollar General) instead and save a ton. Yes, you will have a bit more laundry, but just a bit. The money you would save by using real cloth can really add up. But, if you just can’t break the disposable habit, try Viva towels. They are, by far, the absolute best paper towel on the market! Have you ever used a paper towel to remove excess grease from your pizza? Did you lose your cheese to the towel? Yeah, me too. But, not with Viva! They’re amazing. They’re also the most expensive. Most of the time, even when you use a coupon, Viva will cost you more than any other brand. But, they’re worth it. You can use one towel for most things when you would use several of another brand. So far, I have found no generic equivalent. I strongly suggest using real towels and cloths in place of disposable paper towels. It’s a small switch that can save you lots of cash.
