reuse

50 Uses for Old Towels

September 24, 2015 By Alexa Mason 1 Comment

When towels become worn or frayed we replace them. But what do you do with those old towels? Here are 50 uses for old towels:

Apron

Use an old bath towel to make a half apron. Just add ties.

Baby Bibs

Cut your old towels and repurpose them as baby bibs. Cut the towels into bib shapes, hem the edges and add strings.

Baby Wipes

Old towels make an inexpensive alternative to expensive a baby wipes. Cut old towels into small squares. Keep them on your changing table. Dip in warm water before using. If you use cloth diapers you can wash the wipes with your diapers.

Bath Pouf

It just takes an old towel and some sewing skills to make a bath pouf.

Bathroom Rug

You will need a rubber gridded mat, three old towels and scissors to make a bathroom rug. Cut towels into thin strips of equal size. Knot each strip on the mat until your mat is completely covered.

Beach Bag

Cut an old beach towel into two squares the size of a beach bag. Sew three sides together. Add handles and you have a beach towel beach bag!

Beach Sarong

An old towel makes an excellent beach sarong. Get a pattern on Pinterest.

Block A Draft

Roll an old towel up and place against bottom of door to block a draft.

Bolster Pillow

You will need some fabric and other supplies, but you can make a bolster pillow and fill it with rolled up old beach towels.

Braided Rug

Fold towel in half and cut into 1.5″ strips. Sew three strips together at the top. Braid the three strips. Sew another set of three strips onto the braid. Continue until all the strips are braided together. Wrap braid around and stitch the rows together.

Car Rags

Cut old towels into smaller rags to wash your car. You can also keep some handy in the car to clean up spills.

Chair Pad Cover

Use an old towel to cover the seat of a chair.

Checking Oil

Tear an old towel into pieces and use to check oil.

Child’s Pool Robe

Use old towels as the fabric and make your child a pool robe that is perfect for after the pool.

Clean Glasses

Cut into hand sized pieces for a non-abrasive eye glass cleaner.

Cleaning Rags

Cut old towels into smaller rags for cleaning. You can wash them and reuse.

Cobwebs

Wrap an old towel around a broom to clean the cobwebs on your ceiling.

Cushions

Sew two old towels together and stuff to create new cushions.

Dog Toy

Make a toy for your dog with three old dish towels. Tie the towels together at one end. Braid the three towels and tie at the end of the braid

Donate

Donate old towels to your local pet shelter. They have many uses for them.

Drawer Liner

Cut an old towel to fit in a drawer and use as a liner.

Dusting Mitts

Trace an outline of your hand. Add 1/2″ and cut out old bath towels. Sew together to create a dusting mitt.

Floor Pillows

Sew two large towels together and stuff to make large floor pillows.

Halloween Decorations

Use white towels to make ghost decorations for your yard.

Head Wrap

You can make a head wrap with an old towel, elastic loop and button.

Hooded Towel

Use old towels to make your own hooded towel. Customize with ribbon or embroidery.

Hot Water Bottle Cover

Make a cozy cover for your hot water bottle from old towels.

Ironing Board Pad

Cut an old bath towel to the size of your ironing board. Then cut an old sheet large enough that you can tuck it under the board. Add a drawstring to the sheet to keep it secure on your ironing board.

Knee Pads

Cut old towels into 6″ squares. Sew four or five towels together. Then sew an elastic to secure the knee pad on your leg. Don’t make the elastic too tight!

Leaky Windowsill

Roll an old towel up and put on windowsill to stop a leak.

Mop Pad

Cut an old towel use it on your Swiffer sweeper instead of buying replacement mop pads in the store. You can either discard it after use or throw it in the wash and use again.

Mop Head

For an old fashioned mop that uses a head. Cut your old towel into equal strips. Tie the strips together and attach to your mop.

Packing Material

Wrap old towels around fragile items to keep them safe during packing. You can also scrunch them into gaps in the boxes to keep items from shifting.

Pet Beds

Use your old towels to make a bed for your cat or dog. Sew two towels together and stuff them with old plastic bags for a comfy, recycled pet bed.

Picnic Blanket

Sew old towels together to make a picnic blanket. Try using four large towels, but you can always add more if you want a larger blanket.

Plants

Place under plants to absorb water when the plant does not have a bottom.

Pot Holder

Cut up a few towels into 8 inch squares and stitch them together for a new pot holder. Three or four towels should be thick enough.

Pot Insulation

Wrap an old towel around a pot to keep it warm at a potluck.

Quilt

Sew a few old towels together to use as the batting for a quilt.

Spa Slippers

You will have to Google the instructions on this one, but you can make a pair of slippers with some old towels and flip flops.

Stuffed Toys

Cut towel into pattern. Sew together and stuff to make a soft stuffed animal.

Sunbathing Companion

With two used bath towels, some stuffing and sewing supplies you can make a sunbathing towel with built-in pillow.

Superhero Cape

Add some ties to the end of an old towel and you have a superhero cape! Let your little superhero decorate their own cape with a logo.

Swim Bag

Convert an old beach towel into a bag to carry your wet swimsuits.

Swim Cover Up

Use old beach towels to make a swim coverup for your kids.

Tea Towel Cupcake

Fold tea towels to look like cupcakes. Wrap with ribbon and place in cupcake holders.

Tea Towel Cake

Create a cake base from cardboard. Wrap in tea towels and fill with kitchen utensils to create a tea towel cake.

Towel Dress

This will take a pattern and some sewing skills, but you can make a cute summer dress out of old towels.

Wash Cloths

Cut old towels into squares and hem the edges to create wash clothes.

Window Valence

convert old tea towels into a window valence.

50 Uses for Old Socks

September 22, 2015 By Alexa Mason Leave a Comment

Socks are always getting lost in the laundry. What can you do with the single socks left? Here are 50 uses for old socks:

1. Baby Wash Cloth

Take a soft old sock and use as a washcloth on your baby.

2. Ball

Roll up a sock, roll another one onto the first one, then take a very thin sock and place this over the roll. Twist the sock around the rolled insides, then fold back over itself again. You now have a soft type ball for indoor or outdoor play.

3. Bath Mat

Cut the toe off of a long sock, then begin to cut a 1 inch spiral strip until you reach the cuff of the sock. Using strips like this, crochet them to make bathmats, hotplates for the table, placemats and more.

4. Bean Bags

Fill baby socks with rice. Sew the top closed to make a bean bag.

5. Braided Rugs

Cut socks into strips, sew strips together to form long widths almost like thick yarn and use to create braided rugs.

6. Can Cozies

Cut the feet off old socks. Put the socks on cans to absorb moisture.

7. Candles

Keep taper candles from getting broken or scratched by putting them in socks.

8. Cat Toy

Fill with cat nip and tie off the end to make a cat toy.

9. Christmas Stocking

You don’t need a fancy stocking for Christmas. Hang an old sock for Santa to fill.

10. Clean Dry Erase & Chalk Boards

Wipe the boards clean with an old sock.

11. Cup Warmer

Cut the foot off and slide over cups to keep drinks warm. Also works to keep cold drinks cool.

12. Decorate Vases

Pull patterned socks over vases to decorate.

13. Dish Cloths

Cut the toe off of two socks that are roughly the same size. Cut the sock across the ankle and cut off the toe section too. You will now have a ‘tube’ with two open ends. Cut the tube to open it into one piece. Take both pieces, put smooth sides together and pin together. Sew around all four edges; then sew an X from one corner to another and you have an instant dishcloth.

14. Dog Toy

Tie a knot at each end of a tube sock. Use to play tug-of-war with your dog.

15. Doll Clothes

Old socks make wonderful pieces of fabric for children to create doll clothes.

16. Dusting

Put an old sock over your hand to dust. It makes getting into corners easier.

17. Gloves

In an emergency, put two old socks on your hands to protect from cold if you don’t have gloves.

18. Ice Packs

Put an ice pack inside an old sock to protect the skin.

19. Jump Rope

Tie socks together until the rope is the length you want.

20. Keep Game Pieces Together

Put all the small game pieces in a sock to make sure they stay together. Put the sock in the game box.

21. Knee Pads

Cut the feet off old socks. Pull over legs and fold over at knees to create a cushioned pad for gardening.

22. Knitting Needle Case

Sew the mouth of a tube sock closed and cut off the toe. Slip it inside another tube sock so they are double thicknesses. Sew the two together and you have a thick case to keep knitting needles that won’t poke through. Tie the end shut with a pretty ribbon.

23. Ladder Socks

Slip socks over the tops of a ladder so they won’t mark the surfaces they are leaning against.

24. Leg Warmers

Cut the feet off long socks. Pull the cut sock over the socks you are wearing and up to the knee. They will keep your legs doubly warm without the added bulk in your shoes.

25. Level Table

Put an old sock under the leg of a wobbly table to level.

26. Money

Place bills inside a colorful sock and place the sock in your sock drawer. Burglars are unlikely to find it, but you will be able to see it quickly in your sock drawer.

27. Mop

Cut the end off a sock and use as a wet mop behind toilets. Throw the sock away when finished or rewash to use again.

28. Mothballs

Place mothballs inside the sock, tie closed and hang in your closet. When you no longer need the mothballs or want to replace them, simply throw out the old sock and hang a new one.

29. Pillows

Cut old socks up into small pieces and use to stuff toys or pillows.

30. Polish Silverware

Use a sock to apply silverware polish.

31. Potpourri Sachet

Fill bottom with potpourri and either tie the open end or sew it closed. Place in drawers.

32. Protect Golf Clubs

Put old socks over golf clubs to protect them.

33. Purse

You can make a change purse by adding a purse clasp to the open end of a baby sock.

34. Quilt

Cut the good parts of the socks into patches for a patchwork quilt.

35. Rough Feet

Spread vaseline on your feet and put on old socks. Sleep with them on. The next morning your feet will be softer.

36. Shining Shoes

Use old socks to apply shoe polish and shine shoes.

37. Sock Monkey

Old socks are ideal for making a sock monkey.

38. Shoe Protection

Pull over shoes to protect from mud.

39. Shoe Freshener

Stuff with baking soda and put inside shoes to absorb odor.

40. Sock Puppets

Let kids decorate with craft supplies to make sock puppets.

41. Stop Drafts

Fill the cracks under doors and windows with socks to stop drafts.

42. Storage

Store golf balls, tennis balls and other small balls inside a sock.

43. Tall Boots

Stuff tall socks with newspaper and keep in your boots to keep them from flopping over. The newspaper will also absorb moisture.

44. Trees

Tie newly planted trees to a stake with old socks.

45. Umbrella

Slip a tube sock over a wet umbrella to absorb the water. Take it off when you get home or the umbrella will be moldy.

46. Wash & Wax Car

Use one sock as a rug to wash the car. Use another sock to apply wax to car.

47. Wax Furniture

Use a sock to apply wax to furniture.

48. Wet Shoes

Place clay cat litter (not the clumping modern kind) into two socks, tie or sew the ends closed and place inside the shoes. The cat litter made with clay will help absorb the moisture so the shoes will dry more quickly.

49. Windshield Wipers

Put socks over windshield wipers before a freeze. Remove the socks and you will not have to scrape.

50. Wrist Support

Fill to comfort with split peas, lentils, or rice and then sew the end up and place either for wrist support for key board, or make a smaller one to use for comfort support for your wrist when using mouse.

50 Uses for Plastic Bags

September 22, 2015 By Alexa Mason Leave a Comment

There are many, many ways to reuse plastic bags and keep them out of the landfill. The key skill to make most of these projects is learning how to fuse plastic bags. Here are 50 uses for plastic bags:

1. Apply Wax

Wear a plastic bag as a mitt to apply furniture wax or polish.

2. Basket

Make a woven basket out of plastic bags instead of yarn or rope.

3. Belt

Fuse plastic bags together. Cut the fused bags into strips the width of your belt. Attach the fused plastic to a woven back. Cut holes and add belt buckle.

4. Bowls

Make bowls and cups out of plastic bags. The instructions are a little complicated so Google if you would like to try.

5. Braided Hanger

Cut plastic bags into loops. Join the loops and use to braid around a plastic clothes hanger. The resulting braided clothes hanger looks attractive and clothes won’t slip off.

6. Coasters

Fuse 3 plastic bags together to create “fabric.” Cut into circles the size you want for your coasters.

7. Diaper Bag

Keep plastic bags in your diaper bag to pack dirty clothes and to discard dirty diapers.

8. Donate

Donate your excess plastic bags to an animal shelter, food bank or thrift store.

9. Fill in Gaps

Stuff plastic bags into gaps around pipes and ducts before filling with spray foam or caulk.

10. Flowers

Many different techniques exist to form flowers of different shapes and sizes from plastic bags.

11. Frost

Protect plants from frost by putting plastic bags over them.

12. Gift Bows

Cut as many strips from the plastic bag as you can. Strips should be about 1/2″ wide and the width of the bag, but experiment with strip width to see which look you like best. Firmly bind your bunch of strips in the middle with a wire kitchen tie. Trim your bunch so edges are even. Fluff and separate strips from one another, and pull strips up towards center to form a pouf shape.

13. Hand Protection

If you have to pick up something gross, wrap your hand in a plastic bag. It’s a free substitute for a glove!

14. Holiday Wreaths

Using a wire hanger, make a circle shape with the help of pliers. Cut the plastic bags in 1/2″ wide strips. You will have multiple plastic bag “rings.” Cut both ends of these rings. Fold strips in half. Cut the folded end. Fold the strips in half again. Cut the end. Repeat until you have strips that are 5-6″ long. Tie strips onto the wire. Tie the strips tightly together next to each other until you no longer see the wire.

15. Ice/Snow Protection

Wrap your side mirrors and windshield wipers in plastic bags to reduce the amount of scraping you have to do during cold weather.

16. Jewelry Beads

Cut the bag into a 3″ long triangle. Put glue on inside of triangle. Put a thin straw on the long end of triangle and wrap plastic around it. Put modge podge around bead. Let dry for 12 hours. Cut off excess straw. You now have beads to string together into bracelets or necklaces.

17. Juggling

Use three plastic bags to practice juggling.

18. Jump Rope

Cut plastic bags open so they are one flat piece. Then cut off the handles and any extra pieces so you are left with one large rectangle of plastic. Next cut each rectangle into long strips. After cutting a few bags worth of strips, start tying the strips together to a little longer than the length you want the jump rope. Make a total of 12 long strips. After twisting the two braids together, tape the ends with duck tape to create a handle.

19. Keep Cast Dry

If you have a broken arm, put a plastic bag over the cast to help keep it dry during a shower.

20. Kite

Cut a bag into the shape of a kite. Tape thin, bendable sticks for frame to the bag. Tie a string to the kite and add a tail made from a long plastic bag strip.

21. Knee Pads

Cut holes in the bottom of two plastic bags and wear them as knee pads while you are gardening.

22. Litter Box

Line the litter box with a plastic bag. It will make cleanup easier when you change the litter.

23. Lunch Sack

Use a plastic bag to carry your lunch to work or school.

24. Miniature Greenhouse

Put a plastic bag over your potted plant to create a miniature greenhouse. Use a bamboo stick to keep the bag from touching the plant.

25. Motion Sickness

Keep a few plastic bags in the car for motion sickness emergencies.

26. Pack Wet Clothes

If you are travelling and have to pack wet clothes, put them in a plastic bag first so that the rest of your clothes won’t get wet.

27. Packing Material

Use scrunched up plastic bags as stuffing to pack boxes, protect fragile items, and keep contents from shifting.

28. Paint

Place a plastic bag over a can of paint before you put the lid on to keep dried paint flakes from falling in can.

29. Paint Brushes

If you need a break while painting, put the brushes in a plastic bag so they don’t dry out.

30. Parachute

All you need to make a toy parachute is a plastic bag, some string and a paperclip.

31. Pet Bed

Stuff an old pillowcase tightly with plastic bags. Sew the open end closed and you have a bed for your cat or dog.

32. Pick Up Dog Poop

Instead of buying special poop bags to pick up your dog’s poop, use a plastic bag.

33. Pillows

Create woven floor pillows by weaving plastic bags into a pillow shape and stuffing them with more plastic bags.

34. Placemat

Fuse 3 plastic bags together with your iron and then cut into the shape of a placemat.

35. Pom Poms

Fold the bag so that the sides are tucked in and it lays nice and flat. Then, fold it into thirds lengthwise. Cut off the sealed bottom and the handles up top. Fold this strip in half and then half again. Thread a twisted length of plastic bag as a “string” through the center of the folded top as pictured. You will use this to gather the pom pom later. Notice at the bottom one flap will have a fold while the other side has raw edges. Just snip along that bottom fold so that all the bottom edges are raw. Cut strips up from the bottom, but leave 1/4″ at the top. Take that ‘string’ along the fold and tie it loosely. Slowly pull it tighter and tighter to ‘gather’ the fringe. Tie it into a knot. Fluff your pom pom.

36. Pom Pom Light

Cover the dome lids from drink cups with double-sided tape. Cut plastic bags into 2″ strips. Wrap each strip around a pencil and stick them to the tape. Put a LED light inside and snap two domes together.

37. Pot Filler

Put a plastic bag at the bottom of a pot before putting in soil and plant. The pot will be lighter to lift and you will use less soil.

38. Pot Scrubber

Cut plastic bags into 1″ strips. Crochet together into a pot scrubber.

39. Purse

Sew plastic bags together to create an environmentally friendly purse.

40. Rain Hat

If you are caught in a downpour, you can use a plastic bag to protect yourself from the rain.

41. Reusable Sandwich Bags

Design cute, reusable bags are from fused plastic bags and fabric scraps.

42. Rug

Weave twisted plastic bags into a rug.

43. Rolling Dough

Put a plastic bag over dough for a nonstick surface when rolling.

44. Rope

Cut plastic bags into sheets. Tie sheets together and then twist. Braid three twisted sections together to create rope.

45. Shoe Protector

Tie plastic bags over your shoes to protect them if you are caught out in the rain or snow.

46. Shoes

Stuff plastic bags into your shoes so they keep their shape while air drying.

47. Shower Cap

A plastic bag can be used as a shower cap. Wrap a plastic bag around your hair and tie it closed.

48. Storage

Use a plastic bag to store old rags.

49. Trash Liners

Use plastic bags to keep your trash cans clean. Just pull the full bag out and throw it in the dumpster.

50. Woodworking

Before clamping up a woodworking project that’s just been glued, slip a plastic bag between the piece you’ve worked on and the clamp blocks. The blocks will slip off easily when the glue has dried.

4 Money Saving Tips for Senior Citizens Day

August 17, 2015 By Will Lipovsky 1 Comment

Senior Citizen’s Day is coming! It’s August 21st. The observance was established as a way of honoring the senior citizens of our communities. The day also brings awareness to social, health, and economic issues facing the elderly.

This post is geared towards what the younger generations can learn about our elders. Because… older people rock when it comes to saving! They’ve lived through some major economic hardships. They know how to make ends meet even on a depression-era budget. Here’s are some of tried and true secrets:

1. Reuse Everything, Waste Nothing

Reusing is one of the easiest and most effective ways to save money. Many of today’s senior citizens grew up understanding that every item has value. By looking for the value in items and considering how you can reuse everything, you drastically cut costs on goods. Here are some ideas for maximizing this old school money saving tip:

Save your leftovers – all of them. Have a plan for how you will use them in the next few days so they don’t go to waste. Even scraps are good to save for soups and stews. You can use teabags several times before throwing them out. Reuse containers for your leftovers and other storage needs. Rinse and reuse tin foil and plastic bags whenever possible. Most ‘throwaway’ items can be used many times before they become unusable.
Use every last bit. Don’t throw away condiments until you’ve used every ounce. Rubber spatulas are indispensable for this. Add a little water to detergent bottles to get the last few drops. You’ll save a lot of money over your lifetime by doing this.
Keep every scrap of fabric. Clothes that are too worn to donate make excellent rags. Bedding and other large fabric items can be re-purposed for curtains, craft projects, tarps and many other things. And storing scraps doesn’t take up much room either.

Suggested Reading:

10 Ways To Prevent and Reduce Food Waste
Frugal Tricks to Make Consumable Purchases Last Longer

2. Consume Less

When these folks were young, serving sizes were much smaller than they are today. For every food purchase they make today, they get more out of it than most people. Split a 12 ounce can of soda between two people and you have half the price. Adding breadcrumbs to hamburger stretches the meat. Running bread loaf ends through a food processor is a great source of free breadcrumbs too.

3. Learn Valuable Frugal Living Skills

There was a time when most women knew how to sew and men understood how to tackle every household repair. If you could sew, you’d be able to make $200 curtains with a $20 sheet set. If you understood household repairs, you could make your own furniture from wood scraps or repair your existing furniture if it were to break. Money spent on classes to learn these skills will pay off in savings.

4. Buy Once, Cry Once

Older people know how to make things last! Manufacturing standards today focus on saving at any cost. Quality only needs to be good enough to sell the product. But products used to have more longevity. They were designed to last a lifetime, not just a few years. Focus on acquiring well-made goods that won’t need replacement.

Your grandparents took ideas like these for granted. They grew up in a world where there was more time to spend on making the most of everything they had. Although you may not have the time they had, many of these ideas still work with today’s busy lifestyles.

Enjoy Senior Citizens Day. And respect your elders by not being so wasteful.

Earth Day and Frugality

April 19, 2013 By Jennifer Derrick 1 Comment

Earth Day is coming. It’s one of those days I actually look forward to each year. While I get sick of the “greenwashing” that the big corporations engage in every year, I do enjoy some of the local celebrations at the farmer’s market. It’s also a day that reminds me to reduce, reuse, and recycle. I try to be good about these things every year, but I get lazy at times and Earth Day reminds me to do better. Whether or not you have any firm feelings about the environment or global warming, getting in touch with conservation efforts can save you money. Here are some thoughts.

Reduce

This means simply reducing what you consume. You can do this in a variety of ways. You can simply buy less of everything, which is a guaranteed money saver. Most of us don’t need all that we buy. You can make things last longer by repairing or treating them better, which means less frequent buying. Maybe you can reduce your driving so you use less gas. There are lots of ways to consume less stuff and resources, and every one of them can save you some money.

Reuse

No, you don’t have to go out and blow a lot of money on things like rechargeable batteries or reusable grocery bags, although those are great ideas. Reusing just means finding new uses for old items. So rather than throwing out your old t-shirts, cut them up into rags for dusting or painting. Use old yogurt cups for seed starters. Keep your kid’s toys and clothes for the next child, or pass them on to a sibling who can use them. You can make so many things into other items, or find ways for things to do double duty. Everything that you can reuse for another purpose means you didn’t have to buy something to do that job.

Reusing can also mean buying more of your items off the secondary market. You can shop yard sales, thrift stores, and consignment stores. Everything you buy used is something that didn’t go in a landfill. Buying used is also much cheaper than buying new, and you might be surprised at the quality of used things you can find.

Finally, the more you can replace disposable products with reusable alternatives, the more money you can save. You can replace paper napkins with cloth, paper plates with a decent set of dishes, paper lunch bags with a lunch box, and bottled water with a reusable water bottle. Everything that you can reuse keeps more out of the landfill and is cheaper in the long run.

Recycle

Recycling can mean more than just putting your bin by the curb every week. In fact, if you do some of your recycling yourself, you can be the one to make the profit instead of your municipality. Metal is the most valuable recyclable material so if you save up your soda and food cans, as well as other metals such as old lawn mowers, metal tools, car parts, etc., you can take them to the recycler and get paid for them. If you’re really motivated, you can pick up cans from the roadside or public parks and take those, too. There are also places that will pay for magazines and newspapers or plastic containers. Composting is also another form of recycling your food waste. If you have a garden, composting can give you high quality garden soil for free.

I know some people say that they don’t care about conservation, or they don’t believe in global warming. That’s fine. Not everyone has the same opinions. But what you cannot deny is that by practicing conservation you will save yourself some money. If you need a selfish reason to get behind conservation, that’s a pretty big one. You’ll also help keep the world from simply becoming a pile of trash. You don’t have to believe in global warming or rising sea levels to simply want to live in a cleaner world. This Earth Day, try adding some conservation tactics to your money-saving activities. The planet will thank you and your wallet will get fatter.

(Photo courtesy of spacedustdesign)

10 Financial Reasons to Trash Trawl

August 28, 2012 By Dana O. Crandell 9 Comments

I should probably point out right away that the subject of this article isn’t for the faint of heart. I’m sure that the idea of sorting through garbage probably conjures up some awfully nasty visions for some readers. Dumpster diving, sometimes referred to as trash trawling, is becoming more commonplace and even something of a movement. I’ve seen the term “fashionable” used occasionally, but I don’t think I’m prepared to make that connection. Nevertheless, we’re here to discuss saving money and that being the case, trash trawling deserves at least a passing glance.

I also want to note that nothing in this article is intended as a statement about homelessness. As one of the fortunate individuals that haven’t found themselves completely displaced, I don’t pretend to understand the perspective of those who have. This piece intends to provide some food for thought (no pun intended) for the average person looking to improve his or her financial situation, or perhaps the college student that isn’t getting an allowance from Mom and Dad. That said, here are a few reasons readers might want to consider taking the plunge (pun intended):

Putting Food on the Table

Let’s get this one out of the way right away. If you’re not squeamish and you use a little common sense, you can find a surprising amount of perfectly good food in commercial and residential dumpsters. Among the items that present very low risk are produce like potatoes, oranges, apples, etc, that the grocery store has tossed because they aren’t pretty enough to sell. Canned goods and other packaged foods, (wrapped) cheese with spots of mold, unopened bread and a plethora of other foodstuffs are wasted by businesses and individuals on a shocking scale. Obviously, caution, careful inspection and thorough washing should be your practices if you collect food this way.

Furnishing the House

Common finds in or around trash bins include all kinds of furniture. Condition and cleanliness are going to vary, and your sense of taste is going to play a big role. You might be surprised at what you’ll find after someone’s garage sale is over or when a business is remodeling or refurnishing its offices. Be prepared to do some upholstery cleaning and sanitizing and check for bugs.

Decorating the House

Along with furniture, items like picture frames, wall hangings, artwork, light fixtures, and similar articles are routinely thrown away after garage sales and redecorating projects. Some items might need a little spray paint or cleaning and you might need to drive a few screws or use a spot of glue here and there. If you’re a handy person and not ashamed to bring it home from the garbage, you may find some fun items to decorate your home.

Recycling What Others Don’t

I’m not talking about aluminum cans or bottles with redemption value. For the most part, even those who routinely pick through dumpsters for those items rarely make more than a few dollars a day. In defense of that practice, however, it does return recyclable materials to their proper place, so there’s some ecological value. In terms of financial value, though, there are some commonly discarded items that can be sold as scrap metal. Larger pieces of aluminum, like storm door frames, can add up substantially if you have a place to store them for a while. Copper wire, even from household extension cords, can bring you substantial cash at scrap yards, especially if you strip the insulation.

The Occasional Treasure

Every once in a while, a discarded item turns out to be a literal treasure. People unwittingly throw away antiques, historical documents and photos, valuable artwork and even precious gems, especially after rummage sales or spring cleaning. Yes, it’s rare, but unless you’re looking, you won’t be the lucky one to find that truly valuable item that was carelessly tossed.

Free Pets

There’s no good reason, with Humane Society and municipal shelters willing to take them in, but abandoning puppies, kittens or other animals in a box by the dumpsters behind supermarkets or shopping malls is a fairly regular practice. Garbage bins are also a common hangout for lost or stray animals looking for food. Of course, you need to be careful and a checkup and shots will be in order for any animal you find in this situation, but you might end up with a great companion at no other cost.

Free Literature

News stands, book stores, convenience stores and grocery stores often discard unsold books and magazines that can’t practically be returned to the supplier. These don’t always end up in the garbage, since paper is recyclable, but some businesses aren’t quite so conscientious in that respect. Garage sale trash is also another god place to find these items.

Free Greeting Cards

Like books, unsold greeting cards often find their way to the dumpster after holidays and when they’ve been on the shelf too long. This is fairly typical of stationery, too and it’s often found still sealed in the original package.

Free Building Materials

Construction sites and industrial locations often dump an incredible amount of usable building materials. Lumber, steel framing, bags of concrete mix, nails, screws, bolts and other hardware are often discarded simply because the company didn’t want to deal with hauling them back to the shop or because of minor imperfections that may not matter to someone else.

Free Firewood

While you’re looking at construction site dumpsters, don’t forget your fireplace or campfire. Seasoned lumber burns hot, and you’ll find plenty of pieces to suit. Cabinet shops, millworks, lumber yards and other businesses often have separate bins full of free scrap wood.

Words to the Wise

Along with the obvious cautions about poking through the trash, be aware of your local laws governing trash collection, particularly concerning edible products. There’s nothing profitable about jail time or citations. Also, be cautious of property owners who frown on the idea. Never go over fences or through closed gates. Lastly, be sure to always show the utmost respect.

(Photo courtesy of Wei Tchou)