bbudgetbungalow.com |
When I was just starting out, I bought more than I do now, probably due to my inexperience. What cured me was after replacing a set of bath towels I thought were showing signs of wear, I noticed that the new towels looked no better then the old set after a few washes.
Now don't get me wrong, you want to replace articles if they wear out, and sometimes you really do need to buy a specific item if it does an important job properly. Obviously, you wouldn't wear a lamp shade for a hat to shield yourself from the sun, nor use a magnifying glass to read when you need a pair of eyeglasses. When something is essential; it makes your life better, safer or happier, buy it.
But nowadays, I'm more mindful about buying new things. I try to separate my wants from my needs; and consider the cost to the environment with a desire to lessen my carbon footprint. Furthermore, I learned not to buy toys, tools, or kitchen gadgets that aren't very practical. How often will you use a bread maker, or a tomato slicer? I mean, you can make bread in a mixing bowl and your oven. It takes two seconds to slice a tomato using a sharp knife.
I also try to repurpose things when it makes sense. Here are four ideas that might let you use an old standby in a new way, resulting in savings:
1) Mason jars (above) - Canning jars are sturdy, transparent and come in all sizes. You can repurpose them in so many ways! I store everything from dried spices, flour, sugar, refrigerated leftover food, loose buttons and small office supplies in them.
I will probably never again buy another candle holder. Mason jars make beautiful glass candle holders, and the price is right.
Photo: instructables.com |
Photo: iPhone |
Photo: instructables |
Shoe organizers come in both cloth and plastic. You can repurpose one to organize all kinds of things to hang in your bathroom; on one side of a door; or inside a closet. Vertical storage saves horizontal feet! There is no reason to restrict a shoe organizer to just shoes.
Have you repurposed something you'd like to share? Your ideas may be even better than mine!
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