Grease soakers

Forget the paper towels to absorb grease from fried foods. The food tends to stick to them, and you have to buy them in the first place - not a good frugal move. Instead, use brown paper, the kind they make paper bags from. Ask for paper bags at the grocer or save the inner brown paper wrapping from bags of sugar.

Paper towels

Just can't get by without paper towels? Try pages of newspaper instead. If you crumple them hard, then smooth them out, they'll be more absorbent.

No more paper towels

Can't live without paper towels? I wonder what your grandmother used?

Some probabilities: Hang up a real towel in your kitchen to dry your hands. Use a dishcloth to swipe up counter top and table messes. Use rags for the floor and anything really messy. Cut up material that's not good for anything else, to use as throwaway rags. (Keep them separate for the really yucky things.)