14 Zero Waste Swaps That Save Money ($3,450/Year!)

This post and the photos within it may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a commission at no extra charge to you.

---

It’s a common myth that living sustainably is expensive. 

And yeah, sometimes the upfront costs are a bit more, like a $30 water bottle instead of a $1 plastic one. But in the long run, they can save you thousands, while cutting down on waste and clutter. 

Here are 14 zero waste swaps that save money, $3,450 a year, to be exact, with tips and rough cost breakdowns for each.

Cleaning & household swaps:

1. Make DIY cleaning products

A report showed that the average American spends between $40-$60 on cleaning products per month. That’s not hard to believe; store-bought cleaners can cost $4-$7 each.

To avoid spending money on unnecessary *toxic* products that I don’t need, I now make my own using vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils. It’s cheap, safe, and effective! 

Estimated savings: $150–$300/year

2. Avoid wet wipes

When I was younger, my family used to go through wet wipes so fast. $10 or so per pack a month was usual. Now, to avoid these unrecyclable, plastic wipes, I use reusable cotton napkins, bamboo dishcloths, or bamboo towels.

They are reusable, biodegradable, and last much longer. The cost is between $9-$19, but it’s so worth it. You can also make DIY wipes by cutting an old t-shirt.

Estimated savings: $120/year

3. Ditch trash bags

Trash bags are not going to save you thousands of dollars. It will only save you a couple of bucks every month. However, plastic trash bags are treated as single-use products and can be overused easily.

And let’s not forget how horrible they are for the environment – they cause pollution, from manufacturing to disposal, and aren’t biodegradable.

The easiest switch here is to go bagless. I separate my trash, so I collect food waste in a compost bin, paper waste in an old paper box, and plastic, in a bin that has no bag.

I directly dispose of all my trash into the big bin in front of my home, so no need for any plastic bags. You can get more inspo in my article, 5 alternatives to trash bags.

Estimated savings: $40–$60/year

4. Ditch paper towels

Similarly to the wet wipes, paper towels are something I just simply don’t need anymore.

A common estimate is that a family of 3-4 people uses around 1.5 to 2 rolls of paper towels per week. At about $2 per roll, that adds up. Reusable bamboo towels are an easy way to ditch paper towels completely.

Estimated savings: $100/year

Bathroom & personal care:

5. Ditch single-use menstrual products

This is for sure one of my favorite zero waste swaps that save money!

Pads and tampons may seem cheap short term, but they add up. The average person uses around 30 per cycle. That’s over $100–$140 a year, depending on what you buy.

Reusable alternatives like menstrual cups ($20–$40), period underwear, and reusable cloth pads can last for years. 

I personally recommend the Organicup (now called AllMatters) and ModiBodi for affordable, comfy period undies. Just skip thick reusable pads in summer. Trust me on that.

Estimated savings: $100–$140/year

6. Ditch plastic razors

163 million consumers in the US used disposable razors in 2018. They are designed for short-term use, and razors + cartridges can cost $50/year, or more. 

To save money & prevent waste, you can get a stainless steel safety razor & razor blades. It costs between $20-$40, and the replacement blades are super cheap – a pack of 200 is $17 right now.

If you feel intimidated to use it,  it is not that big of a deal. But if you are still worried, check my guide on how to use a safety razor without cutting yourself.

Estimated savings: $50/year

7. Recycled or tree-free toilet paper

It is estimated that Americans use around 2-3 toilet paper rolls per week, which can go up for makeup, cleaning spills, etc. But let’s stick with that. So,2 rolls per week = 104 rolls a year.

For a year, you will need 17 packs of 6 rolls like this one. A pack costs $19.19, so 17×19.19= ~$326 for 1 year.

A better alternative here is to consider recycled TP by Who Gives A Crap (48 rolls = $53, so in total ~ about $106 per year), bamboo TP by Who Gives A Crap (48 rolls = $60 so about ~ $120 per year), or sprayer bidet or toilet seat bidet (which will save you lots of TP in general!).

Check my article for 18 eco-friendly & cheap toilet paper options, or read my review on Who Gives A Crap Toilet Paper.

Estimated savings: $60–$100/year

Kitchen & food habits:

8. Ditch foil and baking paper

I used to go through 6–10 rolls/year ($3–$5 each). Silicone mats and soy wax wraps cost $15–$20 once and last suuuuuuuuper long.

Estimated savings: $30-40/year

9. Stop buying bottled water

Americans purchase approximately 42.6 billion individual 1-liter bottles of water each year, and individuals can spend about $400 a year. (1, 2) Come on, guys. It’s 2025. Plastic water bottles are so uncool.

Installing a water filter, getting a filter pitcher, using purifying charcoal filters, or using a filtering reusable water bottle changes everything.

Estimated savings: $400/year

10. More meal prep

An estimate is that the typical American spends about $1,200 on fast food annually. That is around $100 a month and approximately $12.50 spent per meal. 

By focusing on meal prep, you can shop things in bulk, go to the farmers market, and learn how to store veggies & fruits properly to keep them fresh for longer.

So by doing all this, you’ll eat out less, save money,l cook more, eat healthier, and reduce single-use plastic. Win-win-win.

Estimated savings: up to $1,000/year

11. Fewer packaged snacks & sweets

Those granola bars, crackers, and candy bars? They add up. The average annual amount for packaged snacks is $570 per year ($47 a month) for sweets, cookies, ice cream, chips, and crackers.

These snacks come in plastic packaging and are filled with refined sugars, fats, palm oil, additives, etc.

To save up & eat better, you can make easy and delicious, wholesome treats, like fudgy brownies, healthy cupcakes, caramel fudge, chocolate chip cookies, etc. You can use more nutritious ingredients without compromising the taste.

Estimated savings: $300–500/year

Shopping & lifestyle choices

12. Buy second-hand clothes

A statistic for 2017 found that, on average, all this impulsive shopping equates to about $152 per month. So for a year, that is approximately $1,833.

The worst part is that most of these clothing pieces lie untouched in the wardrobe, and a massive amount of clothing is disposed of within a year of production, ending up in a landfill. (1)

If you’re still wondering, “Is going zero waste expensive?” consider how much clothing alone can cost you per year. It adds up fast.

To save money and prevent waste, you can check these second-hand stores, find or organize clothing swaps locally, or choose sustainable clothing brands.

You can also consider selling unwanted clothes you have on one of these 23 online platforms for selling used clothes, and prevent them from going to the landfill.

Estimated savings: $600–1,000/year 

13. Ditch unnecessary personal care products

In 2017, The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculated that, on average, people spent $762 on personal care products and services. That’s about $63 a month. Yikes! It can easily pile up.

Nowadays, my skincare is very minimal and simple, and I don’t spend money on lotions, various hair products, makeup, and such.

Own a few, and it’s simple, cheap, and effortless. And often, I DIY things that I need, like homemade sunscreen, DIY sea salt hair spray, homemade deodorant, DIY lotion bar, etc.  

Estimated savings: $400/year

14. Repair and repurpose instead of replacing

Repurposing, reusing, and repairing items instead of buying new ones can save you a lot of money. It is hard to calculate how much you can save, but it can be anywhere from a few bucks a month to a few hundred dollars a year:

• Reused glass jars for pantry storage instead of buying new containers
• Cut up old T-shirts to use as rags and cleaning cloths
• Try fixing a broken electronic with YouTube tutorials
• Sewed small holes in clothes instead of tossing them

Estimated savings: $100–300/year

Total estimated savings & final calculation

It is hard to calculate how much you will save or spend on zero waste alternatives because we live in different countries, spend differently, and have different options. 

But let’s make an estimation, just for fun. 😀

So, after I calculated the SMALLER number for each in this list, the total estimated savings ended up to be about: $3.450 / year

So, even when we take out these spending for zero waste alternatives, you can still potentially end up saving $2,556 per year. Pretty cool, huh?

So, I invite you to try the swaps and follow these easy-peasy steps to save money with zero waste. 🙂

Final thoughts 💸🌎

Making eco-friendly changes doesn’t have to be expensive. These habits show exactly how to save money by going zero waste, and how small changes in your daily life can make a big difference.

And best of all, ditching all of this stuff, you won’t just save money. You will also save other resources, such as energy, water, and greenhouse gas emissions. 

Start with a few swaps, stay consistent, and you’ll notice your trash bin feeling lighter and your wallet fuller.