This tip comes from my reader Marie:
When I sort my mail, I have a box that I put the fresh envelopes that are included inside bills, credit card offers and more. I rarely have to buy envelopes anymore.
I also save all my boxes. If they are printed on, I cut the corner of the box and turn it inside out. (here’s a tutorial .)
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My mother uses her envelopes to put her donations to church for sunday offering. Another idea is to use the ones that the bank gives when you withdraw money.
I’ve been doing the envelope thing for a while, too. I use them to send lunch money and teacher’s notes to school. Not a risk of getting mailed away out of a backpack. You figure at least one or two a week, that could be a whole box of envelopes! I’m sharing this idea on my blog, too! Thanks, Marie!
I use the old envelopes to hold coupons for each store I plan to go shopping. I write my list on the outside of the envelope. When I go to the grocery store, my list is on one side of the envelope, and the menu for the week is on the other.
That’s what I do as well, except for the menu part. (My husband and I are not organized enough to plan menus!)
envelopes!! What an *awesome* idea!! Thank you all for sharing…this is such an amazing way to just save a few dollars at a time that will really add up!!
The envelopes that have those bar codes on them…. I just put a sticker big enough to cover it on it. Sometimes they get cartoon characters that my son might have in a coloring book or holiday stickers on them :)
if you draw a line with a pencil across the barcode, it de- activates them!
wow theres a lot of good ideas on here! I like the one for box tops!
It seems many companies are sending me address labels which I don’t need. Instead I shred my name and address. I use the pretty sticker part on graded papers and other school items that can be decorated with them.
That is a good idea!
I also use address labels to tape frozen food boxes like fish to prevent freezer burn if I don’t use the whole box the first time.
I like your idea too Heather! :)
Growing up my grandparents had a whole drawer in their kitchen that all of their junk mail went into. When we were over and wanted to draw or color we would go get scrap paper out of that drawer. They never had to buy notepads or coloring paper.
I use the envelopes to send in box tops/labels for education to school…donations to class parties, notes to the teacher or any thing else that needs to go to school so I never send in a ziploc bag or use a ‘new’ envelope…
I fold the flap back, then tape the envelopes to the inside of a cabinet and as I cut off a boxtop/campbell’s label I put it in the bill envelope then when full untape. fold the flap back over and send to school. I also have an envelope for pull tabs in the same cabinet thst I put pop tops in to donate to Ronald McDonald house.
These envelopes are also great to store little scrapbook items and I use them at the end of the year to help sort all the small monetary donations that have to go to all the teachers and staff
Great for a game of post office with the kids…
Love the idea of taping the envelope to the inside of the cabinet for the box tops! Thanks! :)
you have to be careful with the envelopes- some of them have barcodes on them so your mail will be sent to the company not who you address it to!
I worked at a company that sent out envelopes like that- we got all kinds of things- like people’s mortgage payments! Once $600 in cash came to us- with no way for us to tell how to get it back to it’s owner :/.
I keep junk magazines, like office supply stores etc, in the bathroom. When it comes uhm… time for Aunt Flo to visit, I tear out a page of that to use to wrap and throw away, rather than wasting toliet paper :lol:
I also use junk mail envelopes to write out grocery lists. :D
LOVE the old magazine idea for Aunt Flo!! I HATE wasting the toilet paper I worked so hard to buy cheap. PERFECT….so excited I no longer have to feel this way. Thanks Kristen!!
I like this idea too!!! Thanks!!
GREAT idea! thanks!!
I usually use the packaging from the new product to wrap it up and tuck it in the trash. Roll it up, cover it with the strip that keeps the product sticky and tuck in the little envelope packaging.
Don’t know if that made sense. I tried to be vague but detailed. :-)
awesome idea with the boxes my mom use to cover them with brown bags but I like this idea. I also reuse envelopes and put my shopping list on them with the coupons in them.
So do I. :)
Money saving tip: Purchase solid chocolate candy (bunny or Santa type) when they are 75% off. Store them in the freezer, then shave off curls w/ a vegetable peeler to use on top cakes, pies and desserts for a gourmet looking finish at a frugal gals price!
That’s an awesome idea! :)