A bidet isn’t merely a novel way to clean your behind. Over time, it’s a potentially potent money-saving tool that can dramatically reduce what you spend on a basic household item you’ve probably assumed was irreplaceable.
For an upfront cost comparable to a few 30-roll packs of toilet paper, a bidet could eliminate TP from your budget. According to a March 2020 Georgia-Pacific analysis reported by Today, the average 2.6-person American household uses 409 rolls of toilet paper per year, or about 157 per family member per year — more than six 30-roll packs.
So a bidet attachment could pay for itself in under a year by eliminating or sharply reducing toilet paper usage and all but zeroing out toilet paper costs in your budget. But how much you save over what period depends on multiple factors, so choose the best option for you to save money by investing in a bidet.
How to Save Money by Investing in a Bidet
Bidets manufactured by top brands like Tushy hook up to virtually any existing toilet and waterline, so you don’t have to worry about an expensive toilet replacement or plumbing modification (though many bidet users do enjoy heated seats). And your bidet’s health and hygiene benefits and secondary uses could further trim expenses you previously believed were unavoidable.
These options can help you save money on household hygiene using a bidet attachment instead of toilet paper.
Add a Bidet to Your Main Toilet
If you have only one toilet in your home, that means officially making the switch and becoming a bidet household.
For straitlaced types who just want a good, gentle clean down there, you can get a standard bidet toilet seat, like Tushy’s Classic 3.0, starting at just $99. By comparison, a large toilet paper pack (30 or 36 rolls) typically costs $20 to $30, depending on the brand, thickness (ply), and retailer.
Even if you use the cheapest $20 36-roll pack, at 150 rolls per person per year, a bidet at this price would take between 14 and 15 months to pay for itself in a single-person household. In a two-person household, the time to break even is just around seven months.
Install a Bidet on Any Toilet You Use Regularly
If your home has more than one toilet that gets regular use, outfit the others with bidet toilet seat attachments too. Even if those secondary and tertiary attachments take longer to pay for themselves, they eventually will.
Upgrade to a Spa Bidet for an Even More Pleasant Clean
With many bidet brands, it’s not that much more expensive to upgrade to a model with warm, pressure-controlled water. For example, it only costs $20 to upgrade to Tushy’s luxe Spa 3.0, which features temperature control and water pressure adjustment that delivers warm water at a comfortable rate. For a negligible expense — the cost of heating around a gallon of water from cold to lukewarm (about $0.01, according to Energy.gov) — you’ll never again experience a cold shock to your bum. (On the toilet, at least.)
Don’t Use Toilet Paper to Pat Dry
Many people imagine bidet owners never use a single roll of toilet paper. But a bidet household is not necessarily a 100% toilet paper-free household. Many bidet users pat dry with a small amount of toilet paper, perhaps one or two squares.
Or you can use disposable wet wipes (baby wipes) instead. Be cautious about flushing them, though. Even wipes marketed as flushable can clog older septic and sewer systems, potentially causing problems much more costly than the one they solve. Dispose of them in your bathroom wastebasket instead.
If you’re committed to completely cutting disposable paper products out of your life, pat dry with an eco-friendly alternative: a washcloth. Use two separate cloths for your front and back, and keep both separate from the washcloth you use in the bath or shower.
Prefer a hands-free option? Upgrade to a warm-air toilet seat, which supplies a gentle flow of warm air to dry you off after you’re done with the bidet.
Find Secondary Money-Saving Uses for Your Bidet
Bidets clean more than tushes. Without getting too far outside the box, you can probably find secondary uses for your bidet that also happen to save money.
One common example for parents with very young kids: using the bidet to preclean cloth diapers, which are more cost-effective than disposable diapers. Use your bidet to gently remove solid particles and dull stains before dropping your reusable nappies into the wash.
Hedge Your Bets With a Hybrid System
If you’d prefer not to quit toilet paper cold turkey, consider a hybrid bidet-TP system. For example, the Tushy System features the Tushy Classic 3.0, the Tushy Stand toilet paper dispenser, eight boxes of 100% bamboo Tushy tissues, and the Tushy Ottoman (a stool specially designed to optimize your pooping angle). The whole shebang is a steal at $199.
A system like that is the ultimate way to enjoy the money- and planet-saving benefits of traditional bidets while preserving the option to clean up the old-fashioned way.
If you’re committed to the environmental benefits of bamboo, don’t forget to re-up on tissues with a money-saving subscription service. For example, the Tushy toilet paper subscription saves you nearly 15% per delivery compared with one-time purchases and ensures you always have a more sustainable TP on hand.
Frequently Asked Bidet Questions
I’ve been using toilet paper since before I can remember — literally. Most of us have. Like any deeply ingrained routine, toilet paper is difficult to quit — especially when the alternative is unfamiliar.
It’s natural to have questions about switching from TP to a bidet. Hopefully, you’ll find reassurance in the answers to these common bidet queries.
Are Bidets Safe to Use?
Yes. Gently washing away fecal particles rather than repetitively wiping can reduce irritation around the anus and may alleviate hemorrhoids, according to Insider. If your bidet minimizes the need for topical anti-hemorrhoidal medication, that’s another hidden money-saving benefit of switching from toilet paper.
Are Bidets Safe for Women?
Yes. Bidets allow hands-free cleaning of the vagina and anus, eliminating a common vector (hands) for bacteria and irritants that can cause urinary tract infections, according to Refinery29. Because you can operate them with a narrower range of motion, bidets are also easier and perhaps safer for pregnant people.
Do Bidets Hurt?
No. Bidets deliver a gentle stream of water to the nether regions — more of a trickle than a fire hose (though still strong enough to get the cleaning job done). And many, like the Tushy Spa Bidet, allow for temperature and pressure control, basically guaranteeing a comfortable clean.
Does a Bidet Really Get You Clean? Are They Hygienic?
Yes, and yes. Tushy invites you to consider a real-world example: If a bird poops on you, you wouldn’t wipe the residue with a dry paper towel. That would smear the fecal matter around, making the situation worse. Instead, you’d wash with soap and water.
The same concept applies to human poop. No matter how thoroughly you clean with regular toilet paper, you’re still leaving residue behind. The only way to ensure a spotless bottom is to wash with water and pat dry.
Are Bidets Worth the Cost?
Bidet’s aren’t as expensive as you’d think. For example, Tushy’s standard cold-water bidet, the Classic 3.0, starts at $99. The Spa 3.0, its water temperature- and pressure-adjustable bidet, costs just $20 more. Remember, if you conservatively estimate the cost of a 30- or 36-roll package of toilet paper at $20 for the cheapest brand possible, that’s just five to six packs to break even — less than a year’s supply in a two-person household.
On the utilities side, the best bidets consume a negligible amount of water. For example, Tushy uses less than 2 gallons of water per cleaning. And bidets consume very little power. All told, you won’t see a meaningful increase in your water or energy bill after switching to a water-based after-business cleanser.
Finally, a new bidet is easy to install. You shouldn’t need a plumber to do the job, even if it’s a warm-water bidet — just turn off the water supply locally at the toilet, hook the bidet attachment to the waterline there, turn everything back on, and you’re good to go (literally).
Final Word
If you’re ready to invest in the best bidet money can buy, you can look forward to making your last regularly scheduled toilet paper purchase soon. If you’re still on the fence, you can still reduce your TP expenses with something like a Tushy System and a recurring toilet paper subscription.
Either way, there’s a good chance you’ll need to break up with your favorite toilet paper brand.
And why stop there? You can eliminate money spent on your favorite paper towel brand in favor of sturdy cloth towels, one of the most cost-effective reusable kitchen products around. You can also replace plastic or paper grocery bags with the reusable canvas kind and swap your disposable water bottles for a refillable, BPA-free plastic or metal container too.
Once you begin looking for opportunities to reduce your environmental impact while trimming expenses you previously paid without a second thought, you start to see them everywhere. And that’s bound to feel almost as good as a dry, freshly cleaned behind.
