coinandclover

Free tool

Reusable vs. disposable calculator

For each swap, enter what you spend a week on the disposable, what the reusable costs once, and any ongoing cost (like filters or ground coffee). See what you'd save in year one, every year after, and how fast each swap pays back. If you already own the reusable, enter 0 for its cost. Nothing is stored.

Paper towels to washable clothspays back in 5 weeks
Bottled water to filter and bottlepays back in 8 weeks
Coffee pods to refillable podpays back in 2 weeks
Bags and plastic wrap to reusablespays back in 10 weeks

Saved in year one

$907

Disposables, a year
$1,300
Reusables, year one
$393
Saved each year after
$1,014
All swaps pay back in
6 weeks

Your biggest saving is bottled water: about $364 a year once the swap is paid off.

Uses the numbers you enter, with 52 weeks a year. Reusables save money only if you use them; using what you already have saves the most. Estimates only.

Make the swaps stick