Search Results for: blog new uses for old cds and dvds

Three Gifts for Christmas

Three Gifts for Christmas Have you ever found an extra stash of Christmas gifts after Christmas? I’m embarrassed to admit that I have. Nestled in a corner of our bedroom closet was a bag of a couple of items that I had bought for Christmas and then completely forgot about. A growing tradition in many families takes its prompt from the three gifts that the wise men, or magi gave to the baby Jesus. Here is what the tradition of giving gifts the way that the wise men did, and how it can be very meaningful for your family, too. … Continue reading →

New Uses for Chalk

Reusing items is more frugal than just recycling them or throwing them away. Many times, we can find new uses for inexpensive things that we already have, making an expensive trip to the store unnecessary. Chalk is pretty inexpensive, and if you have kids then chances are that you have chalk, since it is a popular and cheap toy that spurs on the creativity. Even if you don’t have kids, consider picking up some chalk, which may be on sale at the end of summer, and using it for one of the following tasks. You can use chalk with some … Continue reading →

Toilet Paper Wedding Dress

Okay, here is another one for the Hall of Frugal Fame. Can you imagine walking down the aisle at your dream wedding with a dress made out of toilet paper? You got to believe that this would be a dress that was very frugal. In fact, you might even be able to reuse it after the wedding for even more savings. (I heard of one family who reused the toilet paper that they found draped over their trees after Halloween.) Instead of one wedding dress made out of toilet paper, why not consider a choice of six different designs. New … Continue reading →

Things to Do with Terra-Cotta Pots

Do you have some terra-cotta pots around? There are a lot of things you can do with them. Don’t throw them out. Try one of these reuse ideas and keep up with your frugal lifestyle. Terra-cotta pots can be great for storage, especially because of their ability to absorb water. You can use a terra-cotta pot in the kitchen under the sink to store your sponge, scrub brush and other dish-cleaning devices. The pot will absorb any little bit of water that remains to keep everything dry and bacteria free. For Mother’s Day one year, my kids made a pen … Continue reading →

Reuse from A to Z! (C-En)

Whenever we can reuse something, we save money. Reusing something is better than recycling it in many cases, because the item gets a second life without the expense and energy of breaking it down and making it into something new. Plus, you can always recycle it down the road, once you have exhausted all of its reuse possibilities. We are on to the letter C, and so on down, in our efforts to turn our common trash into useful objects. C Compact disks: A quick way to use old compact discs is to paint them or decorate them and hang … Continue reading →

Reuse from A to Z! (B Continued)

Ready to keep going with our reuse ideas? So far, we’ve covered the letter A and some of the letter B. Let’s continue to find creative ways to reuse our items and save money. B Baggies: Wash the baggies out and reuse them over and over again. You can use a baby bottle rack for convenience. Binders: Three ring binders are constantly being thrown out by offices. You can reuse them to organize any of your home office items, such as bank statements and credit card statements. Or use them to organize recipes. You can even buy inexpensive plastic sleeves … Continue reading →

Organizing the Family Room (3)

The weekend is over. That means it is time for me to get back into organizing the family room. So far, we’ve conquered the books and magazine. Let’s get into the area that causes me the most trouble: the video tapes and DVDs. Here is our organizing list so far: Books Magazines Video tapes and DVDs Cassettes, CDs and records Games Let’s get started! Back a few years ago, we acquired quite a few VHS tapes. This is because everyone else was quickly switching their collections over to DVDs, and we still didn’t have a DVD player. Now we do, … Continue reading →

New Uses for Blanket Plastic Bags

Do you know those zippered or snapped plastic bags that come with blankets, comforters and sheet sets? They seem so useful and a shame to throw out, don’t they? They are made of sturdy plastic and they have that convenient zipper or snaps to close the bags and protect something, right? You keep the bags thinking that they might be useful to restore those blankets and sheets, but no matter how you fold them, the blankets, comforters or sheets just won’t fit again. Well, read on to find some ways you can give them new life, saving money in the … Continue reading →

10 Ways Your Entertainment Center Can Drain Your Money (2)

Most homes have an entertainment center where the family gathers for most of their electronic entertainment, such as television viewing, listening to music, etc. But that entertainment center and all that is in it can put a drain on your money. Knowing how your entertainment center can cost you will allow you to make some changes. In part one of this series, I covered a few of the ways your entertainment center can drain your money, and I included some tips to slow or stop those drains. These were: 1) The cost of the electronics themselves. 2) The cost of … Continue reading →

Reuse Review: Common Household Items

Do you have something on your list to buy the next time you head to the mart store, or home improvement store? Well, get ready to cross it off of your list, because you probably already have something right in your home that will do the job. I really enjoy this review of common household items because it shows how creative people can be with what they already own. And, reusing common household items can save a lot of money, of course. You’ll be surprised at how much you can do with what you already have. So, relax and enjoy … Continue reading →