When saving cash also helps protect the environment, that’s a double victory. The old adage “waste not, want not” has long reminded us that using things fully means we need less. Today we also know that using items more than once keeps waste out of landfills and prevents it from contaminating oceans and soil.
Whether you view it as keeping money in your pocket by reusing things or helping the planet by being more eco-friendly, below are 16 items you shouldn’t discard after only one use.
Other Ways to Cut Costs Beyond Repurposing
We don’t need to lecture Savinly Readers about the perks of reusing items already in your home. But after you browse these repurposing ideas you might not have tried, consider checking out other money-saving strategies that may be new to you. We gathered some of our favorite tips to help you save below.
To Keep Kids (or the Young at Heart) Entertained
1. Toilet Paper Tubes
The cardboard cores from toilet paper rolls can be decorated with markers and stickers to become kazoos or stacked to form towers in a child’s castle built from blocks or other cardboard boxes.
Slice decorated tubes into shorter pieces to turn into beads for threading on string or twine to make a necklace. The web is full of other crafty ideas for kids of all ages.
2. Produce Containers
Plastic clamshells that hold strawberries, blueberries and other produce often have vent holes in the sides. They make excellent bath toys because water pours through them like a sieve, creating a fun waterfall or rainforest effect.
3. Holiday Greeting Cards
If you have old holiday cards tucked away, punch a hole in a corner of each and loop them together with a string or key ring to create a little photo book for youngsters who love family pictures.
Alternatively, turn them into alphabet flashcards by cutting group photos into individual portraits. Glue the images onto index cards and write the corresponding letter on the reverse. A card showing “Grandma” gets a “G” on the back while one of cousin “Ben” gets a “B.”
4. Cardboard Boxes
Delivery boxes from online orders can be stacked to build playhouses for dolls or stuffed animals.
Another idea: Cut the bottoms out of boxes large enough to slip around your child. Let them decorate their box to look like a car, then attach ribbon or string as shoulder straps. You can stage walking or running “car” races indoors or in the yard.
Practical Uses Around the Home
5. Netted Produce Bags
The mesh bag fruits and vegetables come in can be scrunched up and used to scour a greasy pot or two before tossing it.
6. Broccoli Bands
Those thick rubber bands wrapped around broccoli bunches make handy bag clips to seal chips or can act as an emergency hair tie.
7. Plastic Food Tubs
Containers that hold yogurt, hummus and other foods are great for storage. There’s really no need to buy new plastic storage if you save these tubs. When the lids warp from the dishwasher, recycle them and move on to the next batch of empty tubs.
8. Worn Towels and T-Shirts
Stained towels and tees that can’t be donated are perfect as dishcloths or cleaning rags.
You can also cut them into strips and braid them into a durable chew toy for your dog.
9. Empty Shoe Boxes
If you’re reorganizing, repurpose empty shoe boxes or smaller shipping boxes as drawer dividers. Trim the height of the boxes to fit inside drawers if necessary.
10. Muffin Pans
An extra muffin tin tucked in a cabinet is ideal for organizing earrings in a dresser drawer or for holding small treasures like shells, stones or stickers in a child’s room.
For Yard and Garden Care
11. Wine Bottles
Fill an empty wine bottle with water and arrange wildflowers or greens to brighten a porch, deck or front steps.
12. Two-Liter Soda Bottles
A used two-liter bottle can be turned into a simple, lightweight watering can for houseplants. Or cut one in half to make a small container garden for herbs on your kitchen sill.
13. Old Bed Sheets
When gathering piles of leaves, rake them onto an old sheet, pull up the corners and carry them to the compost or trash pile. The sheet can be reused many times, so you won’t have to buy lawn bags, trash bags or even rent a wheelbarrow.
For Self-Care and Fitness
14. Empty Water Bottles
Fill discarded water bottles with sand or pebbles to create makeshift hand weights. There are lots of other ideas for DIY weights and home fitness equipment.
15. Used Coffee Grounds
Spent coffee grounds still have plenty of uses. You can mix them into a homemade face or body scrub. If you rinse water through used grounds they can serve as fertilizer for garden beds.
16. Cucumber Slices
Slices of cucumber — or used tea bags — can soothe tired eyes after long hours in front of screens. And there are even more low-cost ideas for a DIY spa day.
Contributor Jordan Hale is an experienced lifestyle journalist who writes about frugal living, work-life balance and money-making tips for Savinly. He is the author of “Rules for the Southern Rulebreaker: Missteps and Lessons Learned.”
