Reusing and repurposing - frugal ideas and tips on how to reuse and repurpose virtually everything!

Gem-gem

We also use Cereal bag plastic to freeze food in or put sandwiches in when we take a packed lunch out. We have not used clingfilm for years. We reuse foil until it cannot be used anymore and then I sharpen our scissors with it. 

Reuse wrapping paper, ribbons. Like many others we make our own tags. Also have shoe bags, handbag bags and wool bags to put presents in (for DH and I). 

Reuse tissue paper / bags to put gifts for others in. 

DH and I reuse our birthday cards etc - we just add a new message. 

Turned pictures from colouring in books into cards. 

Reuse mushroom containers in the garden - put pots in to capture the water, use in mini greenhouse. 

Biscuit tins are reused as storage containers - keep pegs / bread bags in them. 

Bread bags - store vegetables in them, in the freezer. 

Old flannel bedsheet - made washable makeup remover pads.  

Sugar / flour bags / old newspaper - use to put food waste in. 

Nelliegrace

Old linen table cloths and tray cloths for bath and hand towels. They are very absorbent and dry quickly. 

topsyturphy

Cut up old tights into string and use to tie up plants to stake in pots or the in the garden. 

PipneyJane

Reuse mushroom trays as drawer liners/dividers.  This is particularly useful to store those travel-sized freebies you get when staying in hotels. This is the top drawer of my bathroom cupboard:


Body wash on the left, shampoos and conditioner in the middle, hand creams and soap on the right, with various samples and travel toothpaste at the front.  Still looks messy but it’s much tidier than it would have been otherwise.

- Pip

Floss

I don't bring those mini bottles home - at the hotels I stay in they either get refilled by housekeeping & reused, or the bathroom has larger bottles fixed to the wall. Saves cluttering up my bathroom.

Viking_mfw

Lovely thread. I recommend the Non Consumer Advocate for ideas around this. 

When I need specific things for the kids I set the grandmothers looking in their regular charity shop treks, to avoid buying new. Perhaps not reusing my things, but reusing someone's!

sams247

Nonnadiluca said:

On this very subject, if anyone hasn't read 'Less' by Patrick Grant, I highly recommend it.

I have ordered it from the library, thank you.  Thats one of my key non spend things - using the Library as much as I can for anything

kimwp

sams247 said:

Nonnadiluca said:

On this very subject, if anyone hasn't read 'Less' by Patrick Grant, I highly recommend it.

I have ordered it from the library, thank you.  Thats one of my key non spend things - using the Library as much as I can for anything

I find I'm much more likely to actually read a book if I have the deadline to return it, which makes using the library a double win.

purplevamp

I'm not sure if this is the right thread for this but...

I make croutons/ breadcrumbs out of stale bread.  Yesterday I actually made some cream cheese/ ricotta-style cheese.  I had some milk that was getting a little funky.  I gently boiled it, then added some lemon juice and a bit of white vinegar until it curdled and separated.  I then drained it through a clean tea towel, popped into my food processor and whizzed it for a few minutes until smooth-ish, adding a bit of salt and a little of the water to thin it out a bit.  It made quite a big tubful and has a very slight lemon taste to it.  

JIL

I buy yellow sticker double cream. Make garlic butter and freeze it, use the buttermilk to make scones.