I’ve had my head in the sand about how much money I’m wasting on disposable goods.

I’ve been a minimalist for a few years now and have been doing really well with clothing and larger items. I’m just coming to the realization of how much money I probably waste on conveniences like disposable razors, hair ties, disposable contact lenses, disposable water bottles, plastic wrap for cooking, disposable pads, disposable tampons, disposable makeup wipes, disposable cotton rounds, disposable scrubbers, etc. I’ve already switched to a metal water bottle, safety razor, reusable heart shaped scrubbers, and reusable cotton rounds. <br><br>I don’t throw away much and it’s almost all food waste and recyclables, but I’m so exhausted with how much disposable crap is out there. I’m determined to switch to something sustainable when I run out of all these disposable items, but I’m having trouble finding alternatives. <br><br>1. Do I have to switch to a menstrual cup? I’ve heard some horror stories about them and really dislike the idea of it. I’ve heard period underwear works as well as tampons but I’m really skeptical of that. Is that true? <br>2. What are alternatives to disposable contact lenses? I can’t wear contacts long enough for anything but disposables to be worth it. Can I use contact solution in a cup that I dispose of every week? <br>3. What are alternatives to disposable hair ties? I’ve heard silk scrunchies are good but I don’t like the idea of having extra fabric around my head. I’ve also heard bamboo hair ties. Can I just reuse regular hair ties? <br>4. Any alternatives to plastic wrap? The beeswax stuff is really expensive and I don’t have enough ingredients to make my own. <br><br>I know this is probably stupid stuff to worry about, but I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 8 years (about as long as I’ve believed in climate change), and I have this past year thrown away a lot of plastic. It all adds up. I don’t know if they recycle plastic at the recycling centers where I live and I’m not going to drive to another city to recycle, but I’m sick of the convenience of disposables.