Napkin cost
The True Cost of Napkins: Paper, Kleenex, or Cloth?
When I was a young man, my great-grandfather, Grandpy Jack, did the math and told my father that using paper towels as napkins was far too expensive compared to regular paper napkins.
Years later, I visited a friend, Inder, in Canada who used Kleenex tissues at the dinner table instead of napkins. Naturally, I did the math again—and discovered that tissues were cheaper than paper napkins. From then on, I kept a box of tissues on my kitchen table.
This summer, I stayed with friends, Ben, who took it a step further. They used re-washable cloth napkins at every meal. Once again, I ran the numbers… and this time, the math showed something surprising: cloth napkins have the greatest long-term value.
The Math Behind Napkins
Let’s assume:
- 3 napkins per meal
- 3 meals per day
- That’s 9 napkins every day
Now let’s compare the cumulative cost over 5 years (1,825 days).
Assumptions:
- Paper Napkin = $0.03 each
- Kleenex Tissue = $0.02 each
- Paper Towel = $0.05 each
- Cloth Napkin = $2 each, buy 12 upfront ($24), plus $0.01 washing cost per use
Cost Comparison Over Time
- Paper Towels → the most expensive by far.
- Paper Napkins → more affordable, but still add up.
- Kleenex → cheaper than napkins, but still disposable.
- Cloth Napkins → higher upfront cost, but over time they pay for themselves many times over.
The Takeaway
If you’re looking for convenience, tissues or napkins make sense.
If you want long-term savings (and less waste), cloth napkins are the clear winner.
Sometimes, the smartest money choice isn’t what you grab at the store—it’s what you can reuse every day for years.
