Published: May 04, 2025
Updated: May 17, 2025
Updated: May 17, 2025
Impetus
In 2021, I bought a pack of Kleenex on Amazon for $11.99. That same pack costs $24.99 in 2025. That’s an over 100% price increase in 4 years.
Prices will continue to increase. To save money, I look at the items I have to routinely replace. These are consumables: think of paper towels, toilet paper, or food. But durables rarely need to be replaced. Couches, flatware, and dressers are durables. We expect these to last on the order of years.
This post enumerates the consumables I’ve replaced with durables. It does not recommend where to buy the durables—Wirecutter or Consumer Reports can help with that.
Durable replacements
| Consumable | Durable | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Disposable/safety razor | Straight razor | |
| Paper towel | Dishcloth | |
| Tissue | Handkerchief | I put used handkerchiefs in a cotton-lined basket. When it’s full, I pull the lining and toss it all in the wash. |
| Toilet paper | Bidet | |
| Soap | Foaming soap dispenser | It’s not a replacement for soap, but it’ll reduce your soap usage by ~85%. |
| Socks | Darn Tough socks | This is my one product recommendation. These socks have an unconditional lifetime guarantee. You will never need to buy socks again. |
| Batteries | Rechargeable batteries |