This tip comes from my reader Catherine….
My most recent endeavor to save money has been re-purposing. Before tossing stuff in the trash (to just go sit in a landfill somewhere) I try to look at it and decide if it could be useful somewhere in my house. Baby wipe/flushable wipe containers are one of my favorites. There are so many different things around my house I can organize in them. My husband has been collecting wooden pallets from work and other businesses around town and doing all sorts of cool things with them. He has built storage crates and shelves for my stockpile, and is almost finished making wall mounted folding desks for our children. With re-purposing I not only feel thrifty, but also less wasteful.
What do you re-purpose?
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When I buy deli meat that comes in a Tupperware type container, I save the container after I use up all the meat. I then wash it in the dishwasher and use it around the house to store stuff. I have one in my pantry right now holding some individual packets of grits and one in my bathroom drawer right now holding some hairties!
A thrifty tip my Mom taught me..
I use the plastic shopping sacks you get from the stores when you grocery shop as a “homemade” shower cap. I hate having to flat iron/blow dry my hair everyday because the dammage. so I just put a sack on my hair and twist the handles in a tight kno in the back of my head…and make sure it is covering all areas. Works great.:0)
***kno is suppost to be KNOT..LOL ***
I do that! I use mine for a cap when coloring my hair, because we all know they don’t give you caps with the cheap coloring kits. sometimes i use them as the gloves too… something always comes up and I have to take the gloves provided off and can never get them back on without a mess.
I use plastic shopping bags in our trash cans, so I almost never have to purchase trash bags.
I too do this! In the last 4 months that I have started doing this, I have not needed to buy ANY garbage bags! I recently learned that they make little garbage cans that can be used especially for plastic shopping bags that even have the indents for the plastic bag handles. I LOVE this money saving tip!
I had baby formula canisters coming out my ears because I just couldn’t part with them … they may come in handy someday! But I found a great use for them a few years ago:
My oldest son is in his high school marching band and they host a field show competition each year. To make sure that only a few adults handle any monies, they sell “tickets” to be turned in for snacks, sodas, water, programs, and such. They needed a way to collect all the tickets … viola! Covered in contact paper and ribbons and musical notes, nobody can tell that they used to hold baby formula! And they’ve ALL survived intact for 3 years now!
I saved 10 Coffee Mate creamer bottles and painted the insides white and put sand in the bottom and we have our own set for lawn bowling,…easy peasy. CHEAP.
I cut the bottom off of a 1/2 gallon OJ jug and use it as a funnel and also as a game called SCOOP,…get a tennis ball ans toss it back and forth,..catching it- in the scoop. . :O)
We buy the kitty litter in the plastic tubs with handles. I wash them out and put some of my stockpile items in them. My stockpile is in the basement and I am paranoid about attracting bugs/mice. These tubs seal tight and are easy to move and stack nicely. I just label the outside of them.
I have some of those too but don’t know what to use them for. I don’t have a stockpile to use them for. Seems like they would be useful for something so I always hate throwing them away (the go to recycling, not the trash).
use the kitty litter containers for large batches of homemade and HE safe laundry detergent. there’s lots of recipes online! I made a powder and liquid batch last night… right now I’m wishing I had a cat!
My kiddos have large Lucky Charms cereal boxes in their room that have been made into magazine holders. Pumps from lotions (etc) often fit different bottles or refill that bottle, especially with the kids shampoo and soap. Cuts down on the waste when they know how many squirts to get. Refill your foamy soap container. I use about 1/4 soap and mix in water. Plastic shopping bags can be used for zillions of things! I also reuse those wet wipes tubes for home and school (perfect for crayons, legos or anything else little).
1. When margarine and cool whip containers are empty, I use them to send leftovers to my family for the holidays. The potato salad, the dressing, it all goes into the containers so I don’t waste paper plates and aluminum foil
2. My husband’s grandfather loves cuban cigars and we use the boxes for our office supplies. Post its, pens, markers, etc. all have a box.
I love how cigar boxes look! Wish I knew someone who smoked them so I could have their boxes!
I use old formula cans and let me 4 yr. old put her crayons in them and use them to put some of my makeup in under the sink so I don’t have to buy little storage containers!
I also recycle jars and margarine containers. i use them to pour old oil in after frying. I also save the Chinese soup plastic containers in case i send food home with my daughter or son because i never get my tupperware back!
@ Michelle to make those boxes last longer stuff with newspaper and tape shut! I did this for years in PK for my grocery-store!
Some of my dog’s treats come in nice size plastic jars with screw top lids that are ideal for all the knick knacks on my husband’s work bench!
I LOVE repurposing jars!!
http://joyfilledmama.blogspot.com/2010/09/i-kinda-like-glass-jars.html
Oh my goodness! I love those jars!
I just started saving cardboard food packaging for my kids to play “store” with. Real packaging seems sturdier than the stuff that came with their toy shopping cart. Trial size packaging fits into the toy grocery cart really well, too.