Thrifty Thursdays - Reuse

One of the things that I always try to do is to reuse packaging that comes into my home. This can take various forms:

Paper grocery bags

Plastic sacks

cardboard boxes

Bubble Wrap

Packing Peanut

Glass Jars

These are just of the few items that I can think of off the top of my head. I will try to list a few of the ways I reuse these items to give some food for thought. I hope you will add in your comments of ways you reuse these items and others that you reuse.

Paper Grocery Sacks -

• use it to hold recyclable papers, cardboards
• to hold items you are donating to charity
• cut them apart and turn inside out to wrap boxes for mailing
• use them to create a pattern for sewing or other item where you need a pattern for cutting

Plastic Sacks -

• use these for your small garbage can liners (bathroom, bedrooms, etc) - I have never bought garbage bags for these small garbage cans
• use them for additional packaging when mailing books
• use these to fill space in a box when mailing something fragile or that you don't want moving around in a package
• put a wet or soiled diaper in these till you can dispose of it (if you are away from home)
• line mud boots that might have a small crack in them
• use this to transport dirty clothes or muddy shoes or boots
• wet swimwear and towels/coverupss
• sandy blankets, shoes, etc.

Cardboard Boxes -

• use to mail items/particularly books and gifts
• use to sort outgrown children's clothing by size and gender to pass along to others so you know exactly what you have and can pass it on to the person who can use it
• group like items for your own storage (ie. camping dishes, etc)
• holding items you plan to donate to charity (they can be labeled for easy sorting - to various charities or by item) and stacked till you are ready to transport them

Bubble Wrap -

• wrap photo frames when moving
• wrap fragile gifts before shipping
• entertain your kids :)

Packing Peanuts -

• Fill extra space in packages that you are shipping
• Use extra packing peanuts to beef up the stuffing in your bean bags that have gone flat over time
• Use in the same way for the neck pillows that are full of beads

Glass jars -

• Store grease from frying foods to dispose of later
• Store bulk staples - sugar, spices, grains, honey, etc
• Store leftovers - and you won't need tupperware
• Use to store your homemade sauces, marinades
• use for cotton balls or cotton cosmetics pads
• Q-tips
• paint brushes
• pencils/pens
• hardware - screws, nails, etc

I am sure that I will think of tons more things. Please share your uses for these common household items that continually come into our houses, as I am sure we can all learn something from one another. Please add other items that you reuse in your comments as well.