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Clever ways to use 20 things you'd normally throw away

Posted May 12 2008, 06:40 PM by Karen Datko
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We're quite sure it never occurred to you to cut up cereal liner bags and use the pieces  between hamburger patties when you're stacking and freezing them.

Empty tissue boxes? Fill them with those flimsy plastic shopping bags so you can easily pull out one when you need it. And those bags? Line the garbage pail or the paint tray (or our own personal favorite -- pick up doggie deposits).

You'll find the complete list of these clever tips at TipNut.com, a site we immediately bookmarked after it was recommended to us by Abby Freedman.

"These are just ideas intended to spark looking at things a little differently instead of just automatically throwing stuff away," "TipNut" writes.

For instance, we never would have thought to freeze orange peels so we have some handy whenever we need orange zest. TipNut also suggests wrapping cleaned plastic foam food trays in foil and reusing them when you're giving cookies as gifts.

Here's one we're going to adopt as soon as we use up our bag on onions: Mesh from veggie bags can be wadded up and used as a household scrubber.

Bonus: TipNut's readers responded with lots of tips of their own.

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Comments

 

Make sure to cut the metal clip off the mesh veggie bag before wadding up and using as a scrubber

Rose (Posted 05.14.08 10:23 AM ) Report Abuse

lots of ways to reuse the plastic gallons.Reenter other drinks into them, reuse them for placing outdoors with a plant growing in it,store cooled cooking oil,or vehicle oil to store until you drop off at the city collections hazmat day.as a bird feeder.

What other ideas of the plastic gallon do you know ?

diane levesque (Posted 05.14.08 12:53 PM ) Report Abuse

Thanks for the good ideas.

sandy (Posted 05.15.08 12:14 PM ) Report Abuse

We  use the cereal bags, cut to size, to cover our microwave meals, as well as to cover dishes in the fridge (held in place by rubber bands)

karen kraft (Posted 05.27.08 10:00 PM ) Report Abuse

I use plastic bags from cereal to freeze vegetables from garden

minni jackson (Posted 05.28.08 9:39 PM ) Report Abuse

Re-use your fabric softener sheets to scrub your bathtub!  Just take several and scrunch them into a ball. It's great for removing the film from your tub.  (You may need to add a bit of your favorite cleanser.)

gina (Posted 05.28.08 10:50 PM ) Report Abuse

Wow, no wonder I hadn't known about such uses.. My lifestyle doesn't have me buying so much trash accumulating crap to begin with.

~America, country of excess and waste~

Bare Minumim (Posted 05.29.08 4:15 AM ) Report Abuse

Boxed cereals such as cornflakes crispies etc. have got to be one of the most expensive breakfast foods and one of the most unhealthy.  If it is not whole wheat like shredded wheat, or porridge(not the instant hotwater with sugar flavoring) it is full of sugar.  Read the label and calculate how much sugar intake you are getting as well as many people still sprinkle sugar on these.  

carol (Posted 05.29.08 6:37 AM ) Report Abuse

When I still used plastic bags (I now carry a Chico bag in my purse), I would reuse them over and over until they fell apart--I'd carry lunch in them, I'd use them for other purchases, or I'd use them when scooping the cat box.

I soemtimes buy a type of soup mix that comes in its own bowl--add water, heat, and eat.  I usually eat these at work, and I just load them into the dishwasher so someone else can use them--apparently my coworkers like them.

One place from which I sometimes get takeout has very sturdy plastic containers--I use those over and over for storing leftovers.

VeggieTart (Posted 05.29.08 1:10 PM ) Report Abuse

We often attend potluck functions and we like to take sweet tea to be iced. (There are never enough beverages!) We purchase distilled water in gallon jugs, use the water to make tea (we favor Great Value brand at WalMart at $1.30 for 25 family size bags - 2 bags make 12 cups in our coffeemaker. However, if Tetley is on sale I stock up - it is the best.) Pour out into a glass pitcher and sweeten. Allow to cool before pouring back into the plastic jug. Recap. Use a permanent marker to label the pitcher "Sweet" or "UNsweet".This costs about half the price of a gallon of prepared tea - and tastes better!

FrugalOT (Posted 06.28.08 8:10 AM ) Report Abuse

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