The following is a guest post from Adria Saracino and Tali Wee. The instinct of many is to dispose household items after using them, but there is a whole realm of creative and useful possibilities for repurposing these everyday items. Here are some clever uses for common household items and affordably live in a more comfortable home. … [Read more...]
Find new uses for old socks before you toss them in the trash! Northern Cheapskate reader Sharon L. shares her tips for old worn-out socks: "I toss them in a bin we have set aside to use for checking the oil in the car, or checking the fluid levels. They are great as a makeshift mitten/glove, you can wipe the dipstick off on it, then toss it. I also use them to dust around the house, but I wash and reuse them if possible. I just have to be careful not to put them back in to our sock … [Read more...]
The following is a guest post from Phill of Freestuff.co.uk. The notion that cutting back on energy usage helps the environment while saving money is widely accepted; but for many people, that is where their green aspirations stop. Those who are truly committed to the environment adhere to the three Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle. After you’ve brought your electric bill down, look around your home and garden for other items that you can reuse to help keep the landfills empty and your wallet … [Read more...]
Remember the monster stuffies I made as Christmas gifts for my children? This is more of that 100% cashmere sweater that I am recycling. It is just so soft that I knew I wanted to make a pair of lightweight mittens for myself. As I was cutting out the fabric pieces, my daughter felt the fabric and commented on how soft it was and how she wished the mittens I was making were for her. So, guess what! I still have more sweater left and am planning to make a pair for her and a pair of baby mittens … [Read more...]
Things like egg cartons, dryer lint, and leftover candle wax after the wick has burned away might normally be destined for the landfill or recycling bin. I am going to teach you how to make fire starters out of those three items by re-purposing them. The steps to this project are simple. 1) Gather your supplies: separated egg carton, leftover candle wax and dryer lint. To separate the egg carton, I just took a utility knife and sliced across the seams. You could also use an X-Acto … [Read more...]
One of the big things that prevents people from saving money is the idea that a task is a hassle. People just don't want to be bothered with anything that is tricky or kind of a pain. I'll admit, that I didn't do much baking because I simply didn't like digging out my baking supplies. They were stored in zip-top bags and it seemed like I was always spilling flour or sugar on my floor. But after doing a bit of math and realizing that I could bake my own french bread for about 1/3 of the … [Read more...]
What do you do with a cashmere sweater that is too small, has a stain or a snag in an obvious area? Well, if you were me, you would up-cycle it into something else. Today, I am here to tell you how to take the arms of a cashmere sweater (or wool if that is what you have) and up-cycle it into a pair of trendy wrist warmers. I started by taking the arm pieces of the sweater and marking them with pins where I wanted stitches to be for the thumb and the hem. I only needed to make one hem since I … [Read more...]