The Great 'Are you a re-user - what items do you reuse for max value?' Hunt

Nancy888

FrugalFranny wrote: »

newspaper/packing paper
Crunched into a ball to fill out any gaps in the freezer (saves electricity), best to replace them now and then if they get soggy and/or smelly.

What a great idea for the gaps - although I struggle to have space in mine and end up playing tetris whenever I need to put something else in :rotfl:

lushlifesaver

Buttons - I keep them all in a tin in case I want/need them. Use them for all sorts of things, repairs, decorations, random projects

take away containers - use them to defrost meat in each day for dinner, to freeze leftovers, for lunches...

freezer bags - we freeze all our bread and defrost as needed. I reuse the bags as they've only had bread in

We don't really have much else that can be reused. Tins, jars, bottles (plastic and glass) all go in the recycling as does all card and paper.

onesixfive

Soap pump bottles - liquid paint for kids
Douwe Egberts Coffee Jars - Sugar/Tea Bag storage & decant coffee from large bags.
Large Sweets Tins (ie: Roses/Quality Street) for Sewing Kit / Miscell Shelf Storage.
Old Plastic lidded Bin (ie: Nappy/Waste bin) - Outdoor Salt/Grit Storage
Plastic Carriers - Ideal containers to wrap around the wrist when picking up odd items of Garden Rubbish
Washing up liquid bottles - refill from giant 5 litre container
Plastic Drinks fridge door storage containers with spouts (from poundland) - ideal storage containers for tesco's giant daisy dishwasher powder - can then be poured easily from the spout.
Large shoe containers, & covered boxes, extend up on top of my kitchen cupboards to provide mega amount of extra "unused " space for lesser used items.
etc etc etc

MeanJean

I wash and keep the clear plastic yogurt pots ready for spring when I puncture holes in the bottom with my old school compass (kept for 50 years!) and plant seeds in them. Have started off hundreds of seedlings this way. I also use them for growing young salad plants taken from supermarket bought punnets of growing mixed salad leaves. These plants later go into my garden and I have fresh lettuces all summer and I save a small fortune on bagged mixed salad. I also use empty mushroom and veg punnets to grow plants. They also make good drawer dividers - just arrange them tightly together inside a drawer to separate eg paperclips from stamps ,sellotape, string, rubber bands etc.

effiemum

Inners of toilet rolls are good for bringing on seedlings. Plant straight into the ground when ready, and containers decompose

Mrs_Simpkin

Re-use 'posh' hand wash, shower gel and shampoo bottles - re-fill with own brand bulk buys.
Buttons for craft. Old clothes, bedding - good for craft work such as patchwork, worn for dusters. Ferr** Roch** boxes are great for storing sewing and embroidery threads
Screws, hinges, etc for DIY projects, kept in those useful jam jars.
A friend takes my broken crockery for her mosaic projects. Cups that are just chipped make good pen tubs.
Old nappy bucket has been my kitchen compost bin for 40 years. Egg cartons and plastic cups for sowing seeds. Shredded paper the recyclers won't take goes in compost bin.
Old flattened pillows now under the bath stopping draughts.
Bargain toys and puzzles from Charity shops 're-used' for fun presents for Grandchildren.
Old towels taken to Vets - they never have enough.

good_advice

Love these posts.

I reuse paper to make notes @ the computer
reuse envelopes to take my vouchers/coupons to the shops in
food boxes like cereal/pizza, I cut up to make lists = whats in the freezer, menu planning and shopping list.
Plastic food boxes to grow seeds.
large marge. tubs to give takeaways in - occasionally
The bags in cereal boxes are great for carrying a large cake and card box to protect it - do this also for sc holidays.
carrier bags in bins
Left over knitting wool to tie plants up
save small plastic bottles to refill for holidays, shampoo and bubble bath.
saving old cotton clothes to make a patchwork one day
wood - even neighbours give us offcuts to burn on our coal/wood fire.
Free newspapers also get used to start fire

WhiteSalmon

Do not buy bubble wrap! Go into most supermarkets and hunt through the fruit and veg you will usually see sheets of bubble wrap (especially in the apples or any fruit that can bruise easily). They are usually very clean and do not pong - I have got loads and loads this way and nobody objects.:D

MadMom

Behemoth wrote: »

Not sure whether this counts but twice a year I replace the duvets in the house with the cheapo ones from Asda and then use the old ones to insulate the loft.

They are much easier to handle than fibreglass and you can drape them over stuff. After a few years you can cover the whole loft several deep and it's very effective.

Also saves laundering your duvets!

Surely it costs more in the long run? Twice a year? Seriously? I've had the same duvet for nearly 8 years now - perfect condition

Butterfly_Brain

• Buttons, zips, clasps, bra straps and suspenders are all carefully stashed from things that are not fit for the charity shop.
• Old T shirts for polishing and doing mirrors.
• Old jeans for patching.
• Old rags or towels for rag rugs.
• Loo roll inners for planting out seedlings such as Carrots, leeks, parsnips, swede etc that really don't like being moved.
• Fruit and tomato punnets for making mini propagators.
• Old tights to store onions in the shed, just tie a knot between each onion. They are very strong and you can cut off the legs and plait them for use as tree ties.
• My local GG lets me have the wooden fruit boxes for little projects around the house, because it saves him money sending them to the tip, and they will come in handy when we get our woodburner.
• Old small sweet tins for storing elastic bands,paperclips, usb sticks, hairbands etc. I use the Aldi ones with cherubs on the lid, very pretty there is a stack of 5 tins sitting on my desk and two in my bedroom. DH also uses them to make flowerpot heaters.
• Old quilts have been made into a dog bed, window quilts and even used the stuffing for toys.
• Old tyres for planting veg, because they retain heat.