This post comes from Trent Hamm at partner blog The Simple Dollar.
Quite often at The Simple Dollar, I'll suggest a frugal idea, like rewashing Ziploc bags, and inevitably someone will complain that I'm a "cheapskate" and that I should "get a life."
I usually find such comments amusing, simply because those individuals aren't looking at the bigger picture. One instance of frugality doesn't save you very much, but when that instance doesn't take much time, the effective "hourly rate" for frugality can be impressive.
Let's take a look at that Ziploc issue to show you what I mean. Let's say that a new Ziploc bag costs 20 cents, roughly appropriate based on the many varieties and quantities you can buy. (We like two-gallon freezer Ziplocs for meal storage, and those are far more than 20 cents, but the sandwich bags are much less.)
Now, let's say I need one of those bags. It takes me about six seconds to dig a new one out of the box and about 12 to grab a used one and clean it. That means the time cost of washing and reusing a Ziploc bag is six seconds. That six seconds saves me 20 cents.
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