Tired of flushing your money down the drain—literally? It’s time to reconsider your bathroom routine. With toilet paper prices rising, the cost of keeping clean has never been higher. But there’s a simple, cost-effective solution that can not only save you hundreds of dollars but also improve hygiene and reduce waste: a bidet. This small bathroom upgrade can slash your toilet paper usage by 80%, offering both short-term savings and long-term benefits. Let’s break down the numbers and show you exactly how much money you can save by making the switch. Spoiler alert: It’s more than you think.
The data was analyzed on 9/14/2024. The prices are subject to change with inflation and are rough estimates at best.
The Breakdown of How I Calculated the Costs
- Toilet Paper Usage: The average person uses around 57 sheets of toilet paper daily. A standard roll contains about 350 sheets, so the average person uses 1 roll every 6 days.
- Cost of Toilet Paper: A 24-pack of Cottonelle toilet paper costs about $27.59. If you use one roll every six days, that’s about 60 rolls per year for one person. 60 rolls per year equates to roughly 2.5 packs of toilet paper (24 rolls per pack) per year, costing about $68.98 per person annually.
- Bidet Price: A basic bidet attachment costs between $30 and $100. (They can cost much more, mostly fluff) . The one I use and recommend is the LUXE bidet bundle with the soft-close lid, which is $88.30 and is what I used for the calculation above. (You can get them bundled here.) If you already have a nice soft-close toilet seat, you can get the bidet itself, which is only $45.99. (Get it by itself and save.). If you do only get the bidet, you will most likely become net positive in one year as a single person at $59.29.
- Water Usage: I removed this variable because it could vary too much, but it can be anywhere from 12 to 60 dollars per person yearly. To be honest, you probably won’t notice much of an increase.
- Electric Usage: This is not a factor because this bidet is mechanical, which means it uses water pressure and valves to function.
- Toilet Paper Reduction: A bidet can reduce toilet paper usage by about 75-80% since you’ll still use some for drying. Let’s assume you reduce usage by 80%. If you spent $68.98 on average annually on toilet paper, you’ll now only spend about $13.80.
- Other considerations: This equation has many variables, so here are some additional callouts. If you have multiple bathrooms, you might need to purchase multiple bidets. Some people use more toilet paper, so the numbers will likely not match exactly.
Author Insight: As you can see, it’s not my first time buying a bidet. I liked mine so much that I bought some for my parents. It is a cleaner experience. Like cell phones, once you start using a bidet, you will wonder how you ever lived without it.
Break Even Analysis
- If you buy the recommended $88.30 Luxe bidet bundle and save roughly $55 annually per person, your investment is recouped in less than two years for one person. For a family of four, you’ll break even in around 6 months.
- If you buy the Luxe bidet only at $45.99 and save roughly $55 annually per person, your investment is recouped in less than a year for one person. For a family of four, you’ll break even in around 5 months.
Long-Term Savings
- Single person: In 5 years, can save around $190.
- A Couple: In 5 years, can save around $4,63.
- A family of 3: In 5 years, can save around $739.
- A family of 4: In 5 years, can save around $1,023.
Conclusion
In the world of finance, it’s all about the long game. The longer you can save and build wealth, the easier your life can become. The goal is not always to pinch every penny at the cost of giving something up. Getting a bidet is arguably a better and cleaner experience, but you are also saving money in the long term. By stacking smart decisions, you will grow wealth while improving your life.
