An old saying goes, “waste not, want not”. There’s also the issue of what to do with all of the trash that is produced every day in this country! In the past few decades, there have been some changes to help. Recycling has become more widespread. People are learning to reuse and reduce, as well as recycle. Repurposing is a popular trend.
I read some tips from the ultimate cheapskate’s website. Jeff Yeager, the self-titled “Ultimate Cheapskate” has an interesting website that explains how to find purposes for items that most people throw away.
One idea that I remember using from The Ultimate Cheapskate was to make a compost pile. I’ll admit that I even stole the name. Whenever I tell one of my kids to “give it to Gomer”, they know exactly what that means. We keep a container on the counter that we call “Gomer’s lunchbox”, and it’s where we put all of our peels, produce that is too far past its prime, and whatever leftover fruit and vegetable scraps we have. I love being able to get some use out of what used to be waste. It also really makes our garden happier, so it’s a real win-win! Of course, eating what we bought whenever practical is best, but composting is a good second choice.
One of my relatives and Facebook friends recently posted something that I had been looking for – uses for used dryer sheets (thank you, Aunt Amy)! I don’t know if I’ll ever be as good as a family I read about who managed to limit their garbage to literally one bag for an entire year – I’m not sure I’m that dedicated and creative – but I do think the idea of cutting down as much as possible on waste is a wonderful idea.
Another way to limit waste is to take good care of what we have. It takes a bit of preparation to make sure to know how to care for our belongings, but it’s worth the effort. Clothing is probably one of the most difficult and time consuming things. Next is probably kitchen related items. Trying to get everyone in the household to remember what really shouldn’t go into the dishwasher is probably my biggest challenge! Any time we make something we own last longer, we save money by not having to buy replacement items. Buying reusable items instead of disposable ones is a big money saver.
I feel it’s important to do what we can. Not only can it save us all money, but it can help save our environment. Small, incremental changes can really add up over time, and are easier to sustain than sudden, drastic changes.
Challenge yourself to make some small, easy changes, and see what a big difference it can make! Please share your accomplishments with us in the comment section below.
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