You’ve heard about turning your trash into cash through reselling, consignment shops, etc. We’re not here to talk about that.
I’m talking about your real trash. Your stuff headed directly to the trash can or to the recycling bin. This is our treasure, friends.
Coffee grounds
Do you enjoy coffee? My husband does. I’ve told y’all this before. Well did you know used coffee grounds are excellent for your garden? They help add nitrogen to your soil. So dump the coffee grounds in your garden and save on buying fertilizer. You can even use your K cups, just pull the top off! Coffee filters are compostable, so don’t be afraid to toss those in as well. The worms will thank you.
Reuse envelopes
Brandy taught us about reusing shipping materials, and I heartily second this! However, you don’t have to stop there! I use envelopes from bills and regular mail as scrap paper. It’s nothing for me to head to the grocery store with a grocery list on the back of an envelope- y’all know I paid that bill online! After I’m done with it, it goes in recycling, content to know it got a little extra use in it’s life.
Cat & Dog Food bags
You guys are going to laugh at me for this one, but I have no shame. Cat and dog food bags are perfect trash bags…within reason. Ours are that waxy Purina or Pedigree type bag, so I love to do a big clean up whenever we empty a bag. I don’t put it in a trash can, but instead just go through the house and toss out small trash cans from the rooms, throw out packaging that can’t be salvaged- make sure I don’t have any craft room scraps hanging around, etc. Then I take a bit of wide tape, roll down the top and into our outside trash can it goes! I just saved a paid-for trash bag, and again, this item gets more use. It might be only 15 cents savings, but that’s two bags, one for the cats and one for the dog. 30 cents savings. Let’s say they run out once a month. $3.60 a year I’m saving. You’d stop and pick it up if you found it on the ground!
Cat Litter Box
Do you use Tidy Cats? They have those nice big plastic tubs. You know what they are great for? PLANTING.
Look. These are not going to win you any Better Homes & Gardens awards. Let’s get that out there from the beginning. I actually washed out the tubs (the 35lbs are my favorite because they are huge), then I use my drill to put some holes in the bottom for drainage (though you can always use a nail, do you). Then they go into my backyard, where no one will ever see them, because they are ugly. However, my tomatoes and peppers love them, and they are are nice way to reuse the totes! I have a few planters that I thought would be excellent, but the plants aren’t thriving in them, so why not make my veggies happy and save myself that big planter money? This opens up the nicer looking pots for the front of the house, and I can treat myself to a new leafy baby for one of the pots that isn’t working well with the veggie garden.
These are just a few ways you can get a little extra use out of some items around the house, and save a few dollars in the process!