When I was first reading about financial independence several years ago, I got excited about saving a few dollars on various things. I stopped using fabric softener and dryer sheets (both unnecessary chemicals), switched to powdered dishwasher detergent, and also switched to powdered washing machine detergent, with a few considerations toward making my own.
While this was all fine and I saved a few bucks, years later (like, the past few months), I began to realize something strange: carrying a plastic container I bought as well as a detergent cup, as well as a box of borax seems kind of silly when I’m washing a load of laundry. I had to buy that container because the previous one cracked, and while the new one is pour-able, it also tends to leak some powder out.
Now, I buy these bags of powder for cheap from WalMart (…), but I don’t live particularly close to WalMart. Each bag is $1 and can last a few months, but it sucks when you’re running low and need your fix. “Do I really want to drive to WalMart today?” you ask yourself.
See, I can buy a plastic container of normal liquid detergent for $12 that can last me a year, but I can find them anywhere. But by using powder I can save myself at least $6 per year. If I bought in bulk I could save even more.
There’s probably some finance idiot out there who will say, “Well, $6 per year over 10 years is $60, and with compound interest…” – GO FUCK YOURSELF. It just DOESN’T MATTER. I probably spend well over $12 every month on coffee energy drinks, whose high caffeine content does terrible things to my body, the most egregious of which involves often not wanting to go to bed until midnight that very night, a solid 16 hours later. Is that worth $3.50? (but they’re so delicious…)
I understand that these decisions can compound over time, and might be more important for large families. That extra $20 ever few months for detergent can really add up, especially when you’re spending $20 on toilet paper and another $20 on paper towels, for example. My family used to play a game at the store where we would guess how much the total price was. It would be quite a bit sometimes. So I understand it from that perspective. But seriously, the better choice is to cut energy drinks out of your diet, as one example. $6 savings for the whole year? Fuck off.
The great irony in my situation is that in order to buy the powdered detergent, it requires me to drive a great distance. And considering my car is the most expensive thing I own, it behooves me to reduce my dependence on it. You might be able to order the powder, but that’s not too helpful if you’re running low and need something ASAP. The other alternative is just to buy the normal stuff from the grocery store that takes you 15 minutes to walk to. You’ll get a small workout along the way.
There’s nothing wrong with seeking some homestead-level independence by making some of these things yourself. There’s a certain charm and curiosity to it, at least in my opinion. But I think the time to retire the powder has come. Goodbye snowy road. I think this came from a time in my life when I was beginning to consider alternative ways of living, and some of that was fine, if not a bit overblown. From a pure economic perspective though, it doesn’t actually make much sense.
Sometimes being penny-wise simply doesn’t amount to anything.