A big part of saving money in our household is not spending a lot when we buy things...or of course getting them for free! However, there's another avenue that we explore every now and then: reusing things we already have -and- using reusable items instead of disposable. Not only do these things cost nothing for their new purpose, they are saved from the landfill for a little longer and keep one more thing from going in there had we bought something new.
Here are a few things that we routinely repurpose in our house:
Baby Wipe Dispenser
Old Use - popping up wipes for that cute hiney
New Use - storing trash bags at the diaper table and in the bathrooms; baby toy to put things into and take out of
Plastic Grocery Bags
Old Use - toting home the week's grub
New Use - diaper pail trash bags, bathroom can trash bags, lunch bags, kitty litter trash bag, tote bag, trunk protector when hauling dirty stuff, container for loose items that need to be together, the list goes on
Cardboard Boxes
Old Use - receiving that anticipated package in the mail or longed for item from the store
New Use - corralling baby lotions & creams at the diaper table, containing craft supplies, food in the kitchen, screws/nuts/bolts/random hardware of my hubby's, keeping track of hurricane supplies, and more
Plastic/Glass Jars
Old Use - holding little wienies for baby or tangy pasta sauce for me
New Use - storing screws, buttons, pins, anything small that needs an organized home
We also try to utilize reusable items that we use frequently rather than disposable, where it makes sense and isn't too difficult to do. Such as,
- insulated lunch bags rather than paper or plastic bags
- washable towels rather than paper towels
- burp cloths rather than Kleenex for baby nose wiping
Other things to consider, depending on your habits:
- Buy the plastic refillable soft drink cup at fast food restaurants or convenience stores. Not only are you keeping stuff out of the landfill, the refill price is usually a lot cheaper than buying a new drink next time you go.
- Save up old magazines or newspapers and donate to a school, nursing home or your doctor or dentist's office so others can read them.
- I read on someone's blog (sorry, I don't remember whose!) that they keep the envelopes that come in junk mail and place a label over the address to reuse them. What a great way to save on buying envelopes!
- Reuse butter, yogurt, cottage cheese etc plastic tubs to store leftovers or other foods in the fridge. Be careful about reheating in these or washing over and over. There have been news articles about chemicals that can leach out of them into your food.
Tell me, what do you repurpose or reuse in your household? What can we learn from you to save some dough and make the world a little greener? Please share!
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I reuse some of our ziploc bags. As long as they have not held meat and are still in good condition, I give them a quick rinse and use them again. Less plastic is good for the wallet, and the environment!
ReplyDeleteWe wash small yogurt & applesauce containers and use them when the kids paint by number or paint with water colors.
ReplyDeletePlease come over to The Frugal Bookworm and read my "Works for Me Wednesday" series on "Repurposing." For the past few weeks, I've done entries on bags, boxes, baskets, and this week plastic bottles! I'll be linking to your article this week! Great entry! I'm glad to see someone else is creative in their repurposing!
ReplyDelete