How to Reuse Stuffed Animals

It is inevitable. Mostly every household that contains kids (and some that don’t contain kids) winds up with an overabundance of stuffed animals. The little things seem to multiple like, well, bunnies–stuffed bunnies of course. Stuffed animals are awfully cute, and it is hard to get rid of them, even when the kids have outgrown them. Another dilemma, at least for me, was the fact that because of allergies, most thrift stores will not take stuffed animals as donations. Here then, are some of my solutions to reusing stuffed animals. The first idea is by far the most clever. I … Continue reading →

Four Ways to Reuse a Shower Curtain

Shower curtains can be handy things, even the old ones. Before you throw away a shower curtain, consider repurposing it into one of the following four options. We came by our excess of shower curtains honestly. There were a few unopened shower curtains left behind in our house after the old owners moved out. We didn’t need them for the actual showers, so I had to think of other ways to put them to good use. You might have an old shower curtain that is left over from redecorating or replacing the curtain. You might also consider picking up a … Continue reading →

Clever Reuse Ideas

Reusing what you already have around the house can go a long way to saving your money and your resources. if you can reuse just five thing a month into something wanted or needed, well then you can save quite a bit of money. Reusing items can come in all shapes and forms. The practice just requires a little bit of creativity or the sharing of an interesting idea. Here are some clever ideas that I have come across for reusing common items. Parents Magazine featured a reader tip with a very interesting idea. Kim Neu of Philadelphia, Pa, not … Continue reading →

Things to Do with Tennis Balls

Used tennis balls are like pennies. They were once valued but are usually discarded. Once tennis balls go flat then they can’t really be used for tennis anymore. They can, however, be used for many other things. So whether you have tennis balls of your own or want to rescue some free tennis balls and put them to good use, you should be able to benefit from the following ideas. You can reuse tennis balls: In the dryer to prevent washed pillows from becoming lumpy and to fluffy up towels, comforters and down coats. In your home to move heavy … Continue reading →

How to Reuse Ribbon Scraps

Ribbons are so useful aren’t they? We usually use ribbons for an obvious reason, to tie up packages. Sometimes we even use them in crafts. But ribbon ends can quickly add up, and you may find yourself left with dozens of little pieces that can’t be used for anything els, or can they? If you just can’t bring yourself to toss your bits of ribbon, try using them in one of the following ways. Ribbon can be used to hang a picture for a designer look. You may not actually want to use the ribbon to hang it, because it … Continue reading →

How to Turn an Old Laptop into A Christmas Gift

And now, here is a little idea that proves that creativity is the best friend of a person on a budget. Somewhere there is a laptop graveyard where old laptops go to die or at least lay there because they are too slow or unequipped to handle today’s software and Internet requirements. Laptops are often hard to dispose of when you are done with them. Many charities, such as Goodwill won’t take old computer equipment. As a result, you can usually find older laptops either discarded on the street or given away through Freecycle.org. If you have an old laptop … Continue reading →

Your Reuse Ideas Could Earn $100

Reusing is a great way to be frugal and green at the same time. Here in the Frugal Living Blog and the Reuse Category in this blog, we have found many ways to reuse all sorts of things from tennis balls to sawdust. But now, one magazine is asking for your ideas, and they are willing to pay $100 for them. Frugal people are so clever at reusing things. I think of one friend of mine who creates amazing furniture out of discards, using them in unique ways. Almost anything can be reused, even things we might normally think of … Continue reading →

Something from Nothing

If you look hard enough, you can usually make something from nothing. Whether you have a need or a want, here are some thoughts on how you can take advantage of nothing to make something. Have you seen the children’s book, Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback? The story follows a man named Joseph and the adventures of what was once a little overcoat. Through the years, the overcoat is worn down and turned into something else, which gets worn and then turned into something else again, until there is nothing left. Then the nothing is turned into … Continue reading →

New Uses for Chalk

Reusing items is more frugal than just recycling them or throwing them away. Many times, we can find new uses for inexpensive things that we already have, making an expensive trip to the store unnecessary. Chalk is pretty inexpensive, and if you have kids then chances are that you have chalk, since it is a popular and cheap toy that spurs on the creativity. Even if you don’t have kids, consider picking up some chalk, which may be on sale at the end of summer, and using it for one of the following tasks. You can use chalk with some … Continue reading →

6 Ways to Reuse Cereal Box Liners

Do you think that some things could never be reused? There are so many uses for the ordinary stuff that comes in and out of our lives. One good example is that cereal box liner. Cereal box liners are the waxed bags that hold the cereal and keep it fresh in the box. In an earlier blog about reusing the cereal boxes themselves, I touched on how useful these liners can be. Now, I’ll share six ideas for reusing them. Why throw something away if it could save money? Which idea is your favorite? Do you have an idea that … Continue reading →