How do I recycle these jumpers?

Here's a mid-week challenge for you: how can I recycle four of Wayne's old work jumpers?

The problem is the logo, it is embroidered on two and stamped on the other two. Because of the work he does they can't go to the op shop with the logo on them (for security reasons), but I can't get the logo off them.

They are otherwise in good condition (two are too big for him the other two are two small) so I'm looking for ways I can use them that won't be a security issue.

I've thought of using them as padding in pot holders and to make hot water bottle covers, even though they're not the prettiest jumpers they are pure wool.

So I need your ideas. What can you suggest? How can I recycle these jumpers, without compromising his company to stop them just going to landfill (which is what the other employees do - cut the logos out and then toss the jumpers).

Gorgeous Gift Bags and Tags

My Christmas gift shopping is done!

Everything I had on my list to buy, has been bought - and all within my gift budget too. It took a bit of researching and shopping around, and a teeny, tiny bit of haggling for a couple of them, but they have all been paid for and are now happily waiting in the present box in my wardrobe.

As soon as I have the house to myself for an hour, I'll finish off the wrapping and labelling, and they'll be ready to put under the tree when it goes up at the weekend.

Last year in the Boxing Day sales, Hannah bought the loveliest wrapping papers, but some of the gifts need bags. The lovely Maureen brought lots of gift bags to card day a couple of months ago, and we all had our pick.

Why am I telling you this? Because they're gorgeous bags, they just need a little prettying up to make them usable.

Here is just one of the bags I've done already, just using papers and ribbons and lace I had in my stash. I'm thrilled with the way they've turned out, and even happier with the saving. Pretty gift bags are quite pricey, so revamping and reusing them just makes sense, financially and ecologically.

 Brown paper gift bag, redecorated using crepe paper, scrapbooking paper, 

stickers and a cut out sentiment

If you don't have any gift bags to redecorate, you can turn any paper bag into a fabulous designer gift bag in just a few minutes and with just a few embellishments, most of which you will probably already have on hand.

Idea No. 1.

Turn the top of your paper bag over 5cm. With a ruler and sharp pencil evenly mark 1cm lines 1cm apart along the middle of the flap. Using a Stanley Knife or similar and the ruler cut along the pencil lines through all the thicknesses of the paper bag.

Take a length of narrow ribbon and thread through the slits. Tie a large knot in each end to stop it from pulling out.

Idea No. 2

Measure your paper bag from the top edge of one side, down, across the bottom and up the other side. Add 15cm to this measurement and double it. Cut a length of ribbon to the final measurement and then cut that in half to give you two lengths of ribbon. Measure in 5cm from the side of the bag and leaving a 7.5cm tail, carefully glue the ribbon down the bag, across the bottom and up the other side again leaving a 7.5cm tag. Repeat the process with the other length of ribbon. Tie each length into a granny knot at the top of the bag to secure.

Idea No. 3

Turn the top of your bag down 5cm. Measure in 3cm from each side and cut a 1cm slit through all thicknesses of the bag. Take a stem of holly and push through the slits, folding the stem out at the back to secure.

And to go on all those gifts,w rapped or in bags, you need gift tags. There are some lovely tags in the shops, but you can make your own so they co-ordinate with your wrapping, and you'll have a lovely matching set, for just a few cents.

Gift Tag No. 1

Using a cookie cutter, trace around the outside edge onto coloured card and cut out. Then trace around the inside of the cutter so you have the same design, only smaller, onto a contrasting colour and cut out. Centre the smaller shape on the large shape and glue in place. Punch a hole at the top and thread with a piece of raffia to tie to your parcel or glue onto your gift. This looks great as gingerbread men and Christmas trees. If you have plain round cookie cutters they make lovely bauble style gift tags.

Gift Tag No. 2

Dress up some bought gift tags. Use a glitter pen to outline features on the tag. Once it is dry thread some thin red or green ribbon through the hole and tie into a large bow. Use a glue stick or sticky tape to attach the tag to the parcel. Lightly coat a plain, bought tag with pva glue and sprinkle with glitter and let it dry. You can never have too much bling and glitter, especially at Christmastime.

Gift Tag No. 3.

Find some large gum leaves. Using a texta pen write your message on the gum leaf. Laminate between two layers of clear contact. Cut around the outline of the leaf leaving a small border. Punch a hole to thread raffia through.

​Not So Flat Batteries

​
Batteries are the bane of my life!

OK, that's probably an exaggeration but they always go flat at the most inconvenient moment and then seem like such a waste of money to me. As a family we don't have too many battery operated items these days:

• the mouses for our computers
• the kitchen clock
• the loungeroom clock
• my labeller :)

There are batteries in our cameras too, but they are rechargeable (thank goodness, they cost a fortune to replace). And of course our phones, again rechargeable.

We swapped to wind-up torches and a wind-up radio a few years ago and they're brilliant. We have a torch in each of the cars, one each in our camping bags, one in the camping food box and Wayne keeps one in his tool box in the car. We use the wind-up radio when we go camping and feel the need to catch up with the rest of the world (doesn't happen often though :) ).

When the kids were small we had a few battery operated toys and we switched to rechargeable batteries for those. We asked for batteries and a charger for Christmas one year and Wayne's Mum gave us one of the best gifts we've ever had.

Now they're grown up and we don't have toys in the house any more so our battery use and cost has gone down considerably.

Next time the battery in my mouse needs changing I'll keep it for when one of the clocks slows down and try Lynette's tip.

Not So Flat Batteries

Approximate $ Savings: $4

I have been throwing out my batteries to a light I have in the toilet, I had a idea this last time to try them in my wall clock and my clock is still working a month later with the same battery I would have thrown out. Then my alarm clock needed a new battery so I used the other "flat" battery and it is working fine two weeks later. I have saved buying two batteries. My next lot of batteries I will keep are my from my small torch to see if they will work as well. I am amazed that instead of throwing them out I have them still working in another item.
Contributed by Lynette Stewart

Turn an Old Shirt into a Beautiful Quilt

Using old shirts to make a quilt will cost you the price of the batting and the backing if you have to buy them. You can use old woollen blankets for the batting and spare sheets make wonderful backing and can even be used for the spacing between the quilt blocks, depending on the design and you choose.  Making a quilt by recycling materials you already have will cost you nothing but your time; you can't get much more frugal than that!

Using recycled materials is a great way for a beginner quilter to get started too. If the quilt is less than perfect you haven't wasted a lot of money on expensive materials.

Quilts can be made from favourite t-shirts, souvenir shirts, uniform shirts, even the odd school shirt. They become a visual history of life, keeping memories alive while they keep you warm.

Handcraft Woollen Felted Blankets

Approximate $ Savings: $200-$500  

Do you have old woollen jumpers that are past wearing but still in good condition? Turn them into a luxurious woollen blanket! Simply soak them in warm water to shrink a little and prevent fraying, then cut them into squares and sew them into a patchwork blanket. You can also buy cheap woollen jumpers from the Op Shop to do the same. A quality, warm, woollen blanket would easily cost over $200 and up to $500 for cashmere. (I've found a number of cashmere jumpers for under $10 at the Op Shop.) You also get the joy of using something that you made yourself, and there's no price you can put on that!

Contributed by Susan

Picture Frame Noticeboard

This is a great idea from Cheapskater Leanne for a perpetual noticeboard for your pantry, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, the kids' rooms, near the front door, next to the phone - anywhere you need to be able to jot down messages.

Haunt op shops and garage sales for a stunning vintage picture frame to make your noticeboard stand out. They'll cost you a fraction of the price of a new frame and add character and charm to your home too.

"Get an old large picture frame with glass in it and place white paper or card behind the glass. Use a white board marker to write notes on the glass for family instead of wasting paper and the messages won't get lost. Attach to the wall using a hook and or double sided Velcro tape for a firm writing surface and no accidents. You can even draw on the white paper making sections for each family member, draw up a calendar or regular weekly tasks that just need ticks when they are done. You could even buy the frame at a garage sale to save more money if you don't have one already. Just wipe with a cloth or tissue to clean off and start again."

What can I do with the square bread clips now that the bag is empty?

I use these to close other bags in lunchboxes. They also make handy clothes pegs on the clotheshorse. Using these "pegs" to hang the washing means I get more on the horse and it dries faster because it's not doubled over. Bread tags can be used as bookmarks too.

What Can I do with Empty Flip or Screw Top Milk Cartons?

Usually around 1 litre in size, these make fantastic ice bricks. Just rinse them out and then refill almost to the top with water. Freeze (leave the top open to allow for expansion) until solid. You now have ice bricks ready to throw in the esky or ice box for your next picnic, barbecue or camping trip. You don't have to worry about losing them and you'll have water on hand for drinking or cleaning up if you need it.

Nifty Ways to Reuse Butter Wrappers

We use a lot of butter in our house. I use it in all our baking, to grease cake tins, to grease the fry pan for pancakes and scrambled eggs and of course on sandwiches and to make garlic and herb breads. I'm sure there are other things I use butter for; they just don't come to mind right now.

I prefer butter to margarine, and not just for the taste. Butter has no more than two natural ingredients in it: pure cream and salt, and only one if you buy or make unsalted butter. 

But I digress. How and why I use butter isn't what today's post is about. It's about how I use the butter wrappers, those delightfully handy squares of greaseproof paper that keep butter fresh. 

Don’t throw them away after you've unwrapped your butter. Fold them and put them in the fridge for the next time you need to:

Grease cake tins: next time you need to grease your cake tins or cookie sheets use a butter wrapper.

Press down MOO LCMs or Mars Bar slice:  when making your next batch use a wrapper to press them into the pan, no more sticky fingers. Use them to mould popcorn balls too.

Instead of non-stick spray for cooking: next time you need to sauté something or lightly grease a frying pan, use a butter paper to wipe the pan.

Separate hamburger patties: If you're out of MOO freezer paper (repurposed cereal wrappers) use butter papers to separate hamburger patties or steaks in the freezer.

Microwaving potatoes: Poke washed potatoes with a fork then wrap them in butter papers before microwaving. They'll come out soft and delicious, ready to be filled. 

Butter tops of freshly baked breads: As soon as your bread comes out of the oven, take a butter wrapper and rub it over the top! The butter will glaze the crust beautifully.

Coat your cast iron pans: After wiping out your frying pan, use a butter wrapper to rub a little butter back into the pan then wipe it over with a clean dishcloth to keep it seasoned for the next use. Saves accidentally using too much oil.

Set a wrapper on a stack of pancakes or waffles: Stack them high and set a wrapper on top to keep them buttery without loading a ton of butter on them. You can also put a wrapper on top of a bowl of rice or potatoes before serving too!

Corn on the cob: Put a butter wrapper on each plate when you serve corn on the cob. Use them to coat the corn with butter. It stops butter dripping all over hands and is so quick and easy even little children can manage their own corn cob.

Cut a cheesecake: Before cutting a cheesecake (or any other sticky dessert), wipe the butter wrapper over the knife blade to make cutting through super clean and easy.

Stop pancakes from drying out: put a butter wrapper on the plate you stack cooked pancakes on. Have another one handy to keep on top of the stack to prevent the pancakes from drying out. 

Buttering hot popcorn: Take a wrapper and stir it through hot popcorn to butter it. You'll get the buttery flavour without the kilojoules and mess.

It's Time to Ban the Bag

I was chatting to the lady on the door at my local Target last week. Hannah and I were just taking a shortcut through the store so we stopped to let her check our trolley. She commented on our green bags and that led the conversation to this: do you remember a couple of years ago Target took a stand and started charging 10 cents per bag if you didn't bring your own? The bags are made of a compostable, sustainable and environmentally friendly corn starch and the profits from their sale go to the Alannah and Madeleine Foundation charity.

It was commendable. The plan was to stop around 100 million plastic bags going to landfill each year.  In Australia we actually send around 4 billion plastic shopping bags to landfill every year, and they do not break down - they stay in the ground for just about ever!). And that number just boggles my mind - I know it exists, I just can't imagine anything that huge.

Well it seems Target have given in to the whingers. They have reintroduced plastic bags for shoppers to use. They still have the 10 cent bags and do ask shoppers if they want them. I'm pretty sure sales have slumped.

This saddens me in so many ways. Yes, it can be annoying to realise you have to pay for a shopping bag or carry your items. The solution to that though is simple: carry a small, foldable shopping bag in your handbag and you won't have to.

Aldi have never offered free plastic bags and have always charged for any shopping bags in-store. No one complained. Everyone knows when you go to Aldi you take your own shopping bag/s or collect empty boxes on your way around the store.

Bunnings don't offer you a plastic bag. No one complains, they grab a box if they need it or take their own bags.

So why is that so hard with Target? And why can't Big W and Kmart and Myer and David Jones and every other store do the same thing?

Why won't our government do something that is actually useful and ban plastic shopping bags?

I wish Target had stuck to their original idea and ditched the plastic bags altogether. How lazy and selfish must we as a society be to whine like spoiled brats just to get a "free" shopping bag (of course they're not free, the cost is covered by the price of the goods you are buying)?

Perhaps if Target had toughed it out and let the whiners suck it up (and learn to bring their own bags) then other stores would have taken a stand too.

I can get my head around my stash of 11 fabric grocery bags but I can't get my head around how we can continue to add 4 billion plastic bags to landfill Every. Single. Year.

Do you take your own bags to the shops with you? Do you say "no" to plastic bags? 

Being Thrifty is Nifty: Ways to Repurpose Everyday Household Items

Even if you are not a creative soul, there are so many ways to repurpose everyday items found around your home. Chances are that once you start, you won't want to stop. Once you see the things you can create and the money you will save, you will discover a win/win situation in the art of repurposing.

More than likely, you are like everyone else who has followed many a fad while decorating and then redecorating your home over the years. This probably has resulted in a garage full of miscellaneous items from your colourful art deco phase to your stainless steel era. Many of these items can be successfully repurposed.

Stainless Steel Paper Towel Holder – An old stainless steel paper towel holder may not fit into your new black and white only kitchen theme and is sitting helplessly in your garage. You can find many uses for a stand up paper towel holder. For one, you can use this once-adored kitchen item to hold all of your bracelets. For another, you can use these stand up paper towel holders to stock your craft tape and ribbons.

Preserving Jars – If you went through your home preserving phase and can't seem to find the time to continue this process, those preserving jars sitting in a box in the garden shed are useful for many things. You can store your sewing materials such as buttons, bows and spools of thread in a colourful array on top of your sewing machine. Your sewing materials will be organized while looking good at the same time. Preserving jars are also great for storing half-open packets of pasta. We all open up various types of pasta for different recipes and find ourselves with a ripped open packet of pasta on in the pantry. The preserving jars filled with that pasta will look great and be accessible and handy when you need to use them.

Champagne Buckets – Every one of us probably received a champagne bucket as a wedding gift decades ago. These champagne buckets are wonderful for making centerpieces for special occasions and the during the holiday season. Rather than let them sit in our china cabinet, why not fill them with fresh flowers or seasonal picks from the craft store and have them be the focal point of your next occasion.

Wicker baskets – There is probably not a soul around that has not bought an overabundance of wicker baskets that are just sitting around the house. These are great for placing miniature soaps and initialed hand towels in your bathroom. These can also serve as napkin holders on an end table if you are hosting a party. Placed on top of your entry table, wicker baskets make a great catchall for your keys and your mail. Gloves and scarves will never be lost again (hopefully) if you place a wicker basket by the front door for everyone to grab a pair and go.

These are just a few ideas for repurposing household items. If you look around, you will be sure to come up with many of your own.

Used versus New

When you need something do you automatically buy new or do you look for a used item that will do the job first?  Many people struggle with the concept of buying used, because, well it's used. There is a misconception that used is second best, but that's just not true.

Used items can be just as good, sometimes better, than brand new. They are almost always cheaper and because they cost less you can afford to buy better quality items. For example just before Christmas Mrs Sparkle (remember Mrs Sparkle of Budget Reno fame?)  asked for my help to find a "new" three piece lounge suite for her home. It took a week of searching eBay, Gumtree and Facebook but we found one, and only a few minutes from her home too.

For $150 Mrs Sparkle is now the proud owner of a beautiful lounge suite, just three years old. It's a classic suite, made by a well-known Australian furniture manufacturer and they are selling for $3,999 today. There's not a mark on this suite. I don't think it's ever been used - it came from a pet free, smoke free home and was well looked after. Secondhand was certainly the best buy.

Buying used doesn't just apply to furniture. Clothing can be picked up at garage sales, off Facebook, from op shops for a fraction of the new price. If you have a stigma about used clothing think of this: as soon as a garment has been worn once it's used. Actually if it's been tried on in the store it is used. If you're squeamish about wearing clothes someone else has worn, choose carefully and launder them before you wear them. The best thing about pre-loved clothes is that they have been laundered, so you're getting garments without the chemicals and starches of new clothes.

My camera cost $200. It was almost brand new, they were still selling that particular model in stores. The fellow who bought it new decided it wasn't quite good enough for what he wanted. We saved $860 on the camera and $60 on the bag (he threw it in free!).  My used camera is working just fine and it has definitely helped improve my photos.

Make it a habit to look for gently used before you buy. You'll save money and reduce waste.

The National Container Deposit Scheme

This was going to be Wednesday's post, but life (and mushrooms) intervened and it was pushed onto the back burner. But I think it's too important a topic to forget about, so instead of a shopping inspired post today, let's talk finances and recycling and sustainability and being kinder to our world, all while living the Cheapskates way.

Way back in the olden days, when I was a little girl, I made my pocket money by collecting soft drink bottles and taking them to the milk bar at the top of the hill to collect the deposit.

Some weeks I'd have a lot of bottles and be really rich. Those were the weeks we had 20c bags of lollies. Other weeks I might only have one or two bottles so I tested the patience of the kind man in the milk bar and deliberated over which 2 for a cent lollies I'd have. The green glass Coke bottles were prized, they had a bigger deposit on them and so to find one or more really gave my pocket money a boost.

And then for some reason, a bright spark somewhere decided that once soft drinks moved to plastic bottles there was no need for the deposit refund scheme anymore and stopped it.

In 1977 South Australia brought it back. Since then plastic bottles have dropped off the Top 5 Most Common Types of Rubbish collected on Clean Up Australia Day in South Aus. South Australians are beating the national average for recycling bottles by around 74%! South Australians are the best recyclers overall, with an 83% recycling rate, twice the national average! Way to go Crow-eaters!

Territorians are to be congratulated too. In the year or so since they've had a CDS (container deposit scheme) they have trebled recycling rates up to 67%!

So why isn't this scheme national? Why aren't we all paying a refundable deposit and then getting it back (or letting the kids collect the bottles for pocket money) to lift recycling rates and clean up our landfill, waterways and country?

Well it seems that even though this scheme has community support and government support, Coca Cola and Schweppes don't want it. These companies don't want to be responsible for cleaning up, or at least helping to clean up, the mess they are partly responsible for creating.

So much so that they even took the Northern Territory to court to have their deposit scheme banned.

This bemuses me. I just recently watched a documentary about how Coca Cola in the Middle East collects and recycles it's bottles and lids in what is supposed to be an environmentally bottling plant (and I am sorry, but I can't remember the name of the doco or find it, but I'll keep on searching and update when I find it).

Coca Cola Amatil doesn't want a CD, national or otherwise (I believe because it will affect their profits, albeit in a very small way).

Too bad I say. I don't drink the stuff, can't stand it, and we rarely have it or other bought soft drink in the house.

Anything that encourages recycling, cleans up landfill (and this scheme would stop around 740,000 tonnes of empty plastic bottles going to landfill each year), cleans up litter (it's predicted to bring about around a 15% drop in litter) and raise government revenue (to the tune of around $90 million - not to be sneezed at especially in light of our current deficit) can only be a good thing.

Coca Cola, Schweppes, Lion and any other manufacturer who doesn't want this scheme can suck it up. They are as much a part of the problem as their customers; they too have a responsibility to be a part of the solution.

If you'd like to read more about this scheme try these links:

What is a Container Deposit Scheme?

Container deposit scheme back on full-bottle track

National container deposit scheme crushed by Australian Senate

Precycling

Everyone's heard of recycling, and I'm sure everyone is avidly doing their very best to recycle as much as they humanly can. But have you ever thought of precycling?

Precycling is what you do before you recycle. For example when you are shopping, take a good look at the packaging on the item you want. Is there a lot of package for a little item? If so is there a similar item with less packaging? Less packaging means less rubbish, less energy and resources have been used to make it and less energy and resources will be needed to recycle it into something else.

And the easiest, simplest and best form of precycling? Remembering to always take your own reusable shopping bags with you. Ditch the veggie bags for  your own reusable veggie bags.  Ditch the plastic grocery bags for calico, cotton, canvas bags or cane baskets.

Make sure you think about recycling before you buy, precycle, and take your recycling habits to the next level.

Buy Nothing New Month

I'm sure you are all aware by now that October is Buy Nothing New month. I've mentioned it in this month's Cheapskates Journal and on the Cheapskates website.

The month where you can shop, just not for brand new items. When you do your shopping, deliberately looked for used, second-hand, recycled, re-purposed, pre-loved (or whatever else  you want to call them) items.

You'll not only be saving money but you'll be stopping a lot of stuff going to landfill. Even better though is you'll be a living example of just how easy it is to live without buying new all the time. You will be a prime example of how to shop for a sustainable lifestyle.

Now there are three things you can buy new, for safety's sake:

    1. Food
    2. Medicines
    3. Petrol/diesel/gas or whatever fuel your vehicle uses.
   
As you wander aimlessly around the shopping centres use your phone to capture the things you look at, the things you want to buy. That new jacket - take a picture of it. The pretty Christmas dishes - take a picture. New bed linen - take a picture. You get the idea - if you think you are going to buy it, take a picture.

Then head to your local op shop. Wander around. Look on all the shelves and in all the corners. Check out the window. Go through the boxes and baskets. Sort through the racks. And keep your phone handy because you want to be able to check the photo when you find the jacket or platter or bed linen.

If the item matches or is so similar it doesn't make any difference, and the price is right then you've found a bargain, gained what you wanted and stayed true to Buy Nothing New month.

You're not limited to op shops (although they are a great resource for buy nothing new) but what about garage sales? Trash'n'treasure markets? Car boot sales? Fetes with white elephant stalls? Freecycyle? Friends and family? Gumtree? eBay?

The options for buying not new things is limited only by your imagination. Before you buy anything this month, first ask yourself if you really need it and secondly ask yourself if it has to be bought new.

You can find out more about Buy Nothing New month here. 

This year Buy Nothing New month has teamed with the Australian Conservation Foundation for Green Spring Clean. It's the easiest spring cleaning you'll ever do - simply list the stuff you don't want, don't use or don't need. The proceeds from any sales go to ACF and you get a very handy tax receipt for your donation! Win-win!  You can find out all about Green Spring Clean here

Re-use Household Items

You can save money by thinking of ways to re-use your household items. Try these ideas to get you started:

Plastic Grocery Bags

• Never throw away a plastic bag from the store before re-using it at least one more time.
• Use them in small rubbish bins rather than buying new rubbish bags.
• Re-use them - if the rubbish is just clean waste paper, empty the rubbish into the recycle bin, keeping the liner in the wastepaper basket.

• Place items in the plastic bags before storing to keep the items free
   of dust and dirt.
• Use them to store Christmas decorations, extra bedding, clothes waiting to be passed down etc. Label the bags with a permanent marker so you know what is in them.

• When you're done with them, re-cycle them at the supermarket.

Packing Materials, such as bubble wrap, packing peanuts and cardboard inserts

• Use them as packing whenever you ship something.

• Use them when storing breakables to cushion and protect them.
• Great for storing decorations and fragile seasonal ornaments.
• Use them to protect your good china and crystal when it's in storage.

• Use them to protect many items when you're moving from one home to another.

Worn Towels, Wash Rags, Sheets, Blankets, Curtains, and Clothes:

• Cut them up to use as cleaning rags. Use them to wash windows, wipe appliances, clean vinyl and tile floors or wash your car.
• Put them in the garage or garden shed to use for cleaning hands, wiping up spills, cleaning tools and so on.
• Cut them into squares and use the good portions of them to make quilts.
• Cut them into strips to use for making colourful, braided rugs.

Old Carpet

• Cut it in pieces and place them in doorways, the garage or laundry room for people to wipe their shoes on before coming indoors.

• Cut it into strips and use it as weed mat.

Washable Dust Mops

• You can buy dust mops with a removable dusting end that you can throw in the washer. No more buying disposable sweeping cloths!

Batteries

• Buy rechargeable batteries and use them over and over again instead of continually having to replace them with new batteries.

Silk Flower Arrangements

• When you're finished with a silk flower arrangement, save on redecorating by taking it apart and using the flowers in fresh, new decorations, like wall baskets with some flowers, birds, and butterflies or small posies for table centres.

Save Money by Re-using Other People's Stuff

• Frequent garage sales, op shops and consignment shops for great savings on gently used items you want to buy anyway. Buy it used instead of new and save a bundle.

Recycling Your Junk Mail

If you're like most people, you make quick lists throughout your week, such as the errands you need to do today or items you want to pick up at the supermarket. You've got tons of those little memo pads you buy at the office supply store. All over the house, the car, in your handbag and by the phone you need a scratch pad.

Rather than purchase all those pads of paper for your lists and notes, try the following:

Step 1.  When junk mail arrives, open each envelope.

Step 2.  Next, sort the papers by size.

Step 3.  Stack the papers, turning each paper over  so the blank sides are on top.

Step 4.  Use the envelopes as long as the envelopes are blank and have little writing on the back side. Envelopes are the perfect size for task and store lists.

Step 5.  Staple each stack of like-sized junk mail  papers in the top left corner.

You've just made your own scratch paper pads  and they didn't cost a cent!

*Place a scratch pad in your kitchen to use as a grocery list.

*Put one of your junk mail scratch pads in your car  to scribble important notes.

*Store a scratch pad on your bedside table  to jot down all those things that come to you as soon as you go to bed.

*Keep one of your junk mail scratch pads in  your handbag for quick notes.

*Put one by the phone to catch phone messages.

*Use the one you put on your desk as your daily to do list.

With only your stapler and your junk mail, you can make the world a greener place and save some money, too!

Instant Hot House from Recycled Packaging

I know just about everyone keeps the packaging from doonas and blankets if for no other reason than that it's too good to throw out.  It's almost time to start getting spring and summer seeds planted so the seedlings are ready to plant out when the weather warms up so Penny's idea of recycling doona packaging into a mini hot house is a wonderful way to use it and get it out of the linen cupboard, where it is just taking up space.  It also ensures the seeds get a nice warm start and that the seedlings will be ready to transplant into the garden come spring.

Instant Hot House from Recycled Packaging
I had to buy new doonas this year, and they came in thick plastic packages with zippers around them. I was going to get my dear husband to build small seed raising trays, then I thought the covers would work a treat instead.  I just put my seed trays (I use old meat trays) inside the covers and zipped up to create an instant hothouse. It is brilliant, and it really works. I've saved money on wood and glass to make a hot house and I am saving money by growing from seeds as seedlings are very expensive. And when I'm finished save money on veggies.
Contributed by Penny, Wynnum

What to do with.....tin cans!

Tin cans used for canned beans, tomatoes and vegetables, when cleaned out, make great desktop storage. You can paint them to match your room and stick three together with hot glue or tie them with wire covered ribbon to match. It’s a nice way to keep pens, pencils and clips organized. You can also use them to grow seedlings (punch some drainage holes around the bottom edge), as interesting vases or plant holders and to catch spare change.

Uses for Old Stockings

Old stockings are great for all sorts of things. In the garden for tying up plants, the stocking is pliable and will not damage the plants. I make my own liquid fertilizer from garden waste and the stockings are great for sifting the fertilizer when it is ready to use. Cleaning - wad up the stocking and it makes a wonderful scrubbing non-scratch cleaning cloth. Left-over soap - cut the toe off the stocking and put in all the little left over pieces of soap, tie the end and it makes use of all those little pieces of soap no-one wants to use. It can be applied directly to skin and makes an excellent exfoliant. Can be used in ways in which you would normally use a cake of soap. I am sure other readers of this wonderful newsletter have more uses. If you don't wear stockings any more, they are readily available at op shops for about 50 cents a bag.


Contributed by Hazel, Banksia Beach