What Do You Save That Most People Don't?

[budgetmom]

Re: What Do You Save That Most People Don't?

Let's see... I save baby formula cans and decorate them for gifts (put the gift in the can) and to put pens and odds and ends in. I also save all those cd's that come in the mail, I make lots of different things out of them. Those are probably the wierdest things.

[Ima saver]

Re: What Do You Save That Most People Don't?

I reuse paper towels sometimes. I save butter and margarine dishes for small left overs.

[BCHGRL]

Re: What Do You Save That Most People Don't?

Grocery bags. I use them to carry my lunch in every day and line the bathroom trash cans.

Cereal and granola bar boxes. I use the empty box to wrap clothing presents in at Christmas, birthdays, births, etc. It works great for children and small adult clothing gifts.

[debtfreeme]

Re: What Do You Save That Most People Don't?

money!

[tinapbeana]

Re: What Do You Save That Most People Don't?

ok, i don't do this anymore, but i guess i could start...

when i was in a crafty phase, i saved drier lint and used it to make homemade paper

[lrjohnson]

Re: What Do You Save That Most People Don't?

I also save bread heels for bread crumbs.
I save small yogurt cups with lids also, for jello or other snacks.
I save grocery sacks, paper and plastic, for numerous uses.
I save bread bags.
I save ziplocs.

I don't use, so don't save, rubberbands, twist ties-they drive me nutty.

One not mentioned yet: citrus fruit peel to make candied peel.
Jam jars with almost nothing in them: to put in popsicles, with the addition of some hot water.

[murphyc]

Getting older has helped tremendously...

By that I mean I no longer care that much what others think of me or everyday way of life. I KNOW I'm on the right path. Also helps tremendously (financially and in other ways) not to subscribe to the local paper anymore, and I'll never again bother with cable or satellite TV, and I don't miss either of those. The net is great for getting almost any info you need (I do have Time Warner cable for work as a home-based medical transcriber and could probably write at least a portion of that monthly fee off if I cared to check into it). Most of my friends and family think I'm nuts for just the above. They couldn't live without the junk on TV. I do hit the library for the free movies though at this point I'm even bored to tears with that (sitting on my butt in my spare time usually puts me to sleep pretty quickly anyway, though a nap in the recliner is supposedly good for your heart a few times a week, ha-ha). Most mornings I turn on the radio, less commercialism and junk to listen to, you feel calmer. I never buy a book unless I've gotten a good look at it beforehand, again, the library is great for that and I seldom want the book anyway after I've had a good look at it. Plus no more junky magazines, it's all just so much clutter and there's nothing new under the sun in them anyway. I don't bother with coupons anymore because I can find most of what I need at Aldi and plan to grow veges this coming season in my own yard. I cook lots from scratch which will saves me money and is healthier, and I don't miss the restaurants or fast food at all anymore. (I have good insurance but seldom see a doc - again, there's so much info on the net regarding alternative medicine, and the media and your own family doctor are desperately behind on what's really good for you and what isn't). It goes without saying I cut my own hair and can walk to the grocery. Pays to "live local" and become more of a homebody (less stressful for sure). I do my own yardwork and enjoy it tremendously and don't spend much that way. The walk is also good for the soul.

I'd recommend having a small group of people you're in agreement with and can talk to in person - for me, it's my church group. I love what it does for my soul every Sunday - plus there are numerous groups on the net, Paltalk for one, if you can't get out. This is also tremendously helpful for families, we know studies show that. Just stay away from the megachurches who really are only after your money.

[Ima saver]

I don't save much. I do keep extra napkins if I am given them. they are handy to keep in the car.

[baking23]

Money

I save everything I can, for environmental reasons but also to save money.

[shelbylovesmelby]

I save cans & turn them in for $. Whereas now days everyone is quick to toss them in their blue recycling bin so the manicipality gets the $.

I keep plastic grocery bags not only for diapers but for garbage, that way I don't have to buy regular trash bags as often.

I also save the labels & box tops for my dd's school.

Not alot of folks I know compost all year long. I try to as long as I can get to the bin w/ or w/o snow. It's already paid for so why toss it when my garden will love it later on.

[crabbypatty]

I compost dryer lint (along with kitchen scraps). That's the only sort of unusual thing I can think of.

[shelbylovesmelby]

I compost dryer lint (along with kitchen scraps). That's the only sort of unusual thing I can think of.

I never thought about composting dryer lint. How does it contribute to amending the soil?

[crabbypatty]

I never thought about composting dryer lint. How does it contribute to amending the soil?

I've seen it written in several articles about composting. The theory is that anything once living is good for compost. So the fibers from your clothes count, just like old newspaper.

If most of your clothes are synthetic, this won't be as effective. But most of our stuff is cotton.

I keep an old coffee can in the laundry room. I just stick the dryer lint in there and when it's full, add it to my outdoor compost area.

[Down_to_Earth]

I save whatever seems to be reuseable-- Paper (for scratch paper, full size paper for prining non-important things; When I'm done, it gets recycled) zipper bags, my SmartBlance containers, etc. (We have some Cool Whip containers, but they're from my MIL; I don't buy the stuff.)

I save too much stuff, as the over-clutter in my house can attest. However, we're very good at recycling and reusing and keeping what goes to the landfill low. (Our recycle bin fills up faster than the trash can.)

I don't use paper towels. The rags I use came from my grandma that I took home when my parents and I (an my dad's brother and his daughter) spent a week cleaning out my grandparents' house. My husband is still in the habit of using paper towesl (his family uses them for everything, including drying hands; I don't think they realize just how much money alone they waste with that, but then they also by disposable foam plates for daily use).

If I think of more, I'll share.