Things Frugal People Reuse To Save Money.
There are literally hundreds of ways to save money and reusing household items is not only thrifty but it’s also good for the earth. Many people are surprised that you can literally save hundreds per year just by incorporating simple changes into your daily routine. I have a great list of things that frugal people reuse to save money and I hope some of these will help save you more money and give you a little more cushion in your budget!
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8 Things Frugal People Reuse To Save Money – Many people are surprised that you can literally save hundreds per year just by incorporating simple changes into your daily routine. I have a great list of items that frugal people reuse to save money and I hope some of these will help save you more money and give you a little more cushion in your budget!
8 Things Frugal People Reuse to Save Money
1. Glass Jars: Glass jars that come with a lid are great! I love saving all sizes of glass jars. Why? Because they are great to store all sorts of things, from food to items such as nails, bolts and buttons, and craft materials.
2. Foil and Plastic Bags: We wash and reuse foil and plastic freezer/storage bags as long as they haven’t held raw meat. In my old house I had a drawer devoted to foil I had cleaned that was ready to be reused! I use my daughter’s old bottle rack to dry plastic baggies.
3. Old Envelopes: I know this sounds crazy but old envelopes from the mail are great for jotting down your to do list, grocery lists and any other notes. They are the perfect size to slide on the side of my purse and when I am done I just throw them into the recycle bin. No more wasting money on new paper.
4. Grocery Bags: How many of you save the plastic bags from the store? If not you should! I use these instead of small trash bags in our bathrooms; they are great for bagging items you sell at a garage sale and for so many other uses.
5. Gift Bags/Wrapping Paper/Bows: Yes, I’m one of those people! The kind that carefully unwraps presents so I don’t tear the wrapping paper 🙂 I reuse all gift bags from birthdays, Christmas and other holidays. These typically cost $2-3 per bag so if you have quite a few celebrations throughout the year the savings definitely adds up. They also work as adorable lunch bags for field trips. Bows are easy to re-use. I just use double sided tape so that I can stick them on a package.
6. Old T-Shirts: If you have old t-shirts that are not sellable in a garage sale, cut them up and use them as cleaning rags. Old shirts work great because they are super soft and don’t have any lint. I have a great post about upcycling old t-shirts here – 15 Ways to Repurpose Old T-Shirts
7. Old Greeting Cards: If you have old greeting cards with no sentimental value, save them in a file folder. Kids love to cut these up and use for pictures and crafts. Christmas cards also work great to cut up and use as gift tags for the next year.
8. Plastic Bowls: I save so much money by reusing plastic bowls from butter, sour cream, cottage cheese and any other groceries that come in those nice bowls. I clean them out once they are empty and save them for leftovers. They really come in handy when sending leftovers home after a get together because you don’t have to worry about getting your dish back.
I am sure I save more than this and don’t even realize it.
What items do you reuse to save money? I would love to hear so I can start saving them too!
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I do some of these:) Thanks for the tips! Have a blessed day dear Manuela, HUGS!
You’re very welcome Theresa! Hope you’ve had a lovely weekend!
Buttons from old clothes to use in crafting; fabric ribbons from packaging to use in crafting and to use in the garden for tying plants to stakes; branches from the yard – I place them under my window box liners to bring them to the right height, as garden stakes, and to build a garden trellis; wire hangers for multiple uses but my most recent was to use them in my raised bed to form them into edging; old pillowcases and sheets – I’ve used floral pillowcases this summer to cover the cushions on my wicker furniture set (for the loveseat I used two of them and had the top one overlap the bottom one…I sewed some red buttons in the center of flowers along the edging) and I found that a sheet is perfect to use under my dog when I’m giving her a haircut – I can turn her easily, shake out the fur when I’m through, and throw it in the wash.
Thanks so much for sharing all those great tips!
You’re welcome! 🙂
I reuse jars – using them for craft supplies and gifts (hot choc mix, stacks of cookies, etc.) I filled jars for preschool teacher friends back in May – gum, pens & pencils, ind. packs tissues, candy bars, mints, etc w/message saying “Relax and Enjoy Your Special Day.”
I also use glass bowls as much as possible – no heating plastic in the microwave. I use egg shells (cups) to plant and start seedlings, Use egg cartons for paper flowers or seed starters, I put really bad rugs and or cotton blankets in the garden – covers weeds and will break down over winter, especially if you cover them with leaves, pine needles, ashes, etc and make compost.
Aren’t jars great! I don’t know why more people don’t just wash and reuse the jars they have. Great tips about using bad rugs or cotton blankets in the garden. I’ll have to try that in my next garden.
I’ve been washing and recycling my zipper storage bags for as long as I can remember! It makes you feel good to save a few bucks by doing this. I also purchased a bag drying rack and this works out great! I don’t know how I ever got away without one of these drying racks! I know I saved enough money buy washing and reusing my bags to purchase the drying rack without guilt!
I’ve used my daughter’s old bottle drying rack for my baggies….and she’s 23 now!
Hi, Manuela!
We do every one of these money-savers, too. We also:
1. Instead of throwing into the trash the 8.5 x 11-inch papers on which letters, newsletters or bulletins are printed on the front, we cut the papers into fourths and use the blank back as scratch notes for reminders, lists, etc. We always look at the back of junk mail papers, etc., before throwing it away.
2. We stay in hotels a lot and save the complimentary newspapers. I’ve used them for crafts, and also for cleaning glass. Nothing like newspaper for that! Let it dry out and reuse it! The funny papers make cute wrapping paper, too.
3. Cardboard boxes of various sizes make great organizers. The KonMari method of “tidying” uses these as her primary source for organizing closets, drawers and cabinets, too.
4. I also use plastic milk jugs with the tops cut off to organize. In our RV while we travel, they are light and multi-functional: a dish pan for dishwater, a small bucket for washing the floor or windows. I use the quart-size milk jugs to organize the “junk drawer” that separates all the RV tinies such as washers, attachments, and other gizmos we need.
5. I use a 16-ounce drinking water bottle to refill my iron. With a black marker I wrote “IRON” on it so I won’t throw it away.
6. I cut a white, terry cloth face cloth in half, zig-zagged the cut edges and have two face cloths for the price of one. The other white terry cloths are used in the kitchen sink. A capful of bleach in a milk jug bucket of water, let the cloth soak, and it’s like new again!
7. Make greeting cards with high quality book or magazine pages. I like to embroider on them or sew them on the sewing machine. One package of vibrant card stock in the office supplies aisle is the same price as one greeting card.
8. I cut up my husband’s old plaid shirts into quilt squares for baby quilts for my yet-unborn grandbabies.
Hugs and happy highways,
Kelley~
i never buy tissue paper, I iron it and fold it away to reuse for presents & wrapping. My grown children know not to rip it so I can reuse
I use many of these ideas Manuela. Another item I reuse is shower curtain liners. They make great drop cloths.