After reading The Big Necessity, by Rose George, last year, I had to get off toilet paper. I made some small efforts while still living with my husband, but didn't feel like making any big changes. But after we separated, I knew I could no longer use tp in good conscience. My 6-year-old was pretty easy to sway. I've always talked to him about environmental issues, and once I explained it, he was with me. So, I took out my stack of old diapers, bought a new stack of baby washcloths and a gallon of Bac-out, and off we went!
Well, a few months into it, our old diapers were pretty threadbare. I wasn't too surprised. They had already survived 2 babies and a shitload (literally) of washing! But we've persevered until now. Last week, I was browsing Village Merchants on SE Division and I scored a fluffy white towel for 50% off, so a whopping $1.50. I cut it up into rectangles, and we are back in business!
Now, I do keep some tp on hand for guests. But all in all, I've bought 8 rolls of toilet paper in the last year, and 3 of them are still in the cupboard. Along with this savings, we've become much more aware of water usage. We follow the color rule: "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down." And we have a bucket to keep under the tub faucet, so when it's got something in it, we use it to flush.
