Using It UP!~Prescription Bottles

Anybody got any of those laying around? Admittedly we have several that come in the house each month, so I can really get overloaded with them, but I've found a couple of ways to either use them or prevent MORE from coming into my life... 
less is MORE, right?

My pharmacy will take my "used bottle" for my refill.  They will "relabel" and refill...hey, while it's only a few cents to them, as my wonderful pharmacist once told me, it also keeps them out of the landfill.  Please don't confuse ME with the recyclers who are not throwing anything away, but I try VERY hard to use UP what I have. . . It's just plain smart this way...and any money my pharmacy saves just MIGHT be a penny they can pass on to ME!  Rising costs for everyone, literally means rising costs for everyone!

Another use:

I use them to store itty-bitty stuff...like:

• beads
• screws
•  dried seeds
•  sewing needles
•  earings
•  tiny parts to stuff we are repairing or "tinkering" with~this is educational for the kids...have 'em take a part something to try to learn to "fix" it...it might work AND save some $$!
•  I've seen them used in crafts for kids, but I really don't recommend this as I feel that over familiarity with medical bottles for young children can cause trouble in that they might think the pills are game just like the item in the craft was... Some will make "fun~pills" as a gag gift...I say not for kids! But if you want to share a funny with an adult...go get some pretty colored jelly beans and make up your own label...BE SURE to wash out the bottle first so if there is any residual medication, it won't be in there! ewww...be careful here!!
• beebees for air guns
• lead for mechanical pencils
• buttons
• wind up any stored ribbons and lace...
• rubber bands
• board game pieces~dice and tokens...WHO doesn't need this kind of help when it rolls around in the box!
• pennies~My daughter says that a medical bottle can hold about 100 pennies...
• paper clips
• tacs
• small rocks~the tiny nuggets can be kept nice
• store broken chains or other jewelery waiting to be fixed
• glitter storage~who wants THAT floating around the house...when it's poured off the page, it is easier to go into a prescription bottle with its wide mouth than the original container...
  

How are you making use to Use It UP!~Prescription Bottles??

All about thrift,

Using It UP~Empty Tissue Boxes

 "Have I lost it," you might be wondering? NOT YET, actually I am finding it! Finding new ways all the time to use what I have to re-purpose them into something I can use or would like to use. . .

On top of my TV which, BTW will sound REALLY extreme if I share that we have no channels, no cable~all we watch are DVD/VHS tapes on it! Another post for another time, but think of my savings in this area per year much less just what I am saving keeping that JUNK out of our minds!! But on top of the thing is a tissue box.  It's almost empty. I have another under my kitchen sink where in an old apple crate I am storing trash bags, cleaners, cleaning rags, cleaners (I only use a few), dishwasher powder and odds and ends like this. . .but that tissue box is there for the purpose of storing my grocery and discount store plastic shopping bags for future use!  Yup, I put them in this already attractive enough container...it beat the fabric bag I had that was nice, but you know what? When I get tired or this tissue box gets worn, I can toss it.  A cloth bag can hang around too long~lol!! But at any rate, consider that these boxes can add new uses long after the tissues are gone.

Uses:

1. Cut the top off and use as a vanity/dresser organizer compartment.

2.Use the cut top for a picture frame for a cute pic~make a card board stand and there ya go!

3. Let your preschooler wear them as 'play shoes'! They will have a ball!!

4. The construction of light weight cardboard is good for many uses...wrap for a fake gift at Christmas.  You can place these "fake presents" under your tree if you have small children and don't want them peeking in the packages! OR you can use them with other trees and decorations in the home.

5.  Use them as building blocks for small children.  Save them up...loads of fun!

6. Use in the bathroom vanity drawers for organization. They will hold a lot of stuff!

7.  Any ideas on using these UP?  Give me your ideas !!

Finding new ways to live budgetly!

Using It UP~Cereal Boxes...

If your kids eat box cereal, and mine love it, you will have a card board box and the wax papered lining that held the cereal left when all the goodie is gone! We can re-purpose them for something our own lives, not just throw them in the garbage or recycling into new right away. Since we are using everything up, here are some ideas:


For the inside wrap/bag:

Since this is food grade and had held cereal, how about a bag for sandwiches or other food storage for either fridge or on the go. These can be easily cut down to fit what is needed and since they are large, they will hold a lot more too. Anything you need to put in a bag without regard to water tightness can be used here.

Cut it open to make a place mat to work on for messy projects. Trimming and peeling fruit and veggies can put juices all over the table, but to save the mess off, use a cereal bag. Also you can paint on them putting your canvas or paper right down. It won't let the paint through to the surface~it's wax coated! Pet's dishes can set on one cut open~really any surface you want protected for the size can be used to cover with one of these...beats purchasing paper towels...and if you don't have newspaper which while great for many things will leave newsprint ink on your hands and other stuff...

Leave intact and put messy stuff to throw it away...my tomato skins are an example of this...because of their high acidic nature, I didn't compost them...so in putting them in this bag, it contained the mess~a bigger bag than the bread bag I use sometimes too...size will matter!! AND it kept the messiness from potentially leaking into my trash can..it holds in odors too until you can get an offensive item in the garbage for a few minutes.

Store the lettuce wrapped in paper towel in this bag...especially if your iceberg is larger than the already mentioned bread bag...don't squeeze in, if it doesn't fit!

We can craft with these...yeah...cut the top decoratively. . .if you have scalloped scissors or some other like pinking shears or free hand and edge to make the bag at the desired height. Use as a gift bag placing colorful tissue paper ($1 for a pack of many colors) and then use ribbons to tie around the top leaving about 4-6 inches for a "candy bag" look. Even without tying the bag, it can be turned down into a rolled hem to the desired height with the tissue (even white is pretty) sticking out of the top. Wanna get fancy? Make some handles with braided yarn or cord and staple them to the sides. Remember that they will not carry well by the handles. . .Often store bought gift bags are reinforced with cardboard. Just remember to carry this bag if it holds much weight at all from the bottom.

Use in the microwave to cover foods or cook corn on the cob in it. Yum! And less mess!!

Put papers that are needed to stay together in a notebook. The bag acts like a slipcover. Even books can be placed into these bags to prevent moisture or spoilage.

Place items to be crushed like crackers and chips~anything you are crushing~use these bags...

Offer your child some baby carrots and raisins (not the box ones, get the larger container for less and use the cereal bag) for a snack! How about some dry cereal??

Can you think of any ideas or share those that work best for ya?

Cardboard Cereal Box Uses:

I love the cardboard weight of the cereal boxes! I love paper crafts, and one year hand stamped teddy bears and watercolor penciled on each bear that was on these cereal boxes...shaded him well...and put a yarn tie on the bear for an ornament for the Christmas tree. This cardboard is so light that it's simple to cut it out and use it!

Crafting~make frames, a nice template will work and it can be covered with fabric. I will be awesome to see and do such work! Make a box that can have many purposes. Here are patterns: http://freedigitalscrapbooking.com/christmas_paper_crafts.html
for several styles. They mention cardstock, but you have to buy that stuff~use your cereal box! Small gift boxes work so wonderful and you can make them. There are also many uses for light cardboard such as just wrapping them at Christmas as a "fake gift" for under the tree as decor. This is really cool especially if you have multiple trees you decorate. I have "harvested" thrown away artificial trees by "curb shopping" to bring home and have a nice short tree for a little spot in our home...Another idea: get these for mantle decorations or wreath making...OK..maybe a post on Christmas decor is needed here, but back to the boxes...you can use the if cut and covered to store magazines or papers...so many uses...and really are not just cheap! They are less harmful than plastic in the home. Now I am not a glass/paper only kind of gal, but I know that there is some good thought to keeping as much plastic out of our homes as possible due to possible harmful effects...AND the neatest thing about these is this: WHEN YOU ARE DONE or it's worn out...you can really truly throw it out!!! It WILL disintegrate into compost and become good dirt unlike plastics that will take years to decompose!

Remember the fancy photo albums covered with fabric and lace? It was light cardboard that was the bones to make the frame to hold the picture on the front of the album. Using craft glue~I like Alieen's Tacky Glue because Elmer's Glue will work but will need to be clamped with something to hold it down. . .Tacky Glue will hold pretty quick..and glue down the fabric or colored paper/gift wrap works too. . .to cover the shape..using an exo-knife you can cut out the area to display the picture~if it's a circle or square area, just make an 'X' cut after first putting a hole dead center of where the two lines will meet. Fold in your edges and glue them down. Your edges are covered. . .now this was for the square...if for a circle, you will need to cut to the edge of the inside of the frame (not below this) around the perimeter of the inside of the circle and fold those down and glue. . .again your inside frame has a nice edge!

Light weight cardboard boxes~cereal boxes are wonderful to double and triple or more to make a faux gift look bigger for under the tree. . .or once my mother decorated our front door for Christmas and wrapped three. . .

She covered the door in aluminum foil for a shiny silver door. Then she wrapped the three cereal boxes in pretty Christmas paper, putting ribbons and bows on them and securely attached them to the door. On the packages she fixed tags that could be read that said beautiful Christmas greetings. This was the 70's. . .a variation for today would be to wrap/cover the door with foil and then put the packages in brown paper bag and use dried flowers and pine cones with raffia ribbon...These cereal boxes are so cool. . .

Got littles? Let them build with them...save them up...or let them play "store" with play money and play "food." My kindergarten teacher did this for us~we didn't have the expensive and plastic play food or grocery store items,,,and you know what? It was much more realistic! I haven't even begun to talk about what could be used for this game for kids. . .but if you can recycle it or use it and it has NO sharp edges, why not? Kiddies can learn money counting and loads of play skilll with this...and it begins with their cereal boxes ;-))

Do you have any ideas for your cereal boxes? What would or are you doing to keep them out of the landfill and re-purpose them? What about the inside bags that are just awesome for so many uses?? I'm all ears! AND wanna know ;-))

Use It UP~Empty Bread Bags

Today I made my lunch from a home grown tomato and using the ends from two loaves of bread that we get from a "dent can store," the ones with the damaged packaging where we only paid~ARE YOU READY? $.50 per loaf and while this is a great savings, AND I enjoyed my thrifty sandwich (the mayo came from there too!) I had two empty bread bags that I was looking at, and they began to "inspire" me...

Call me nuts if you wanna ;-)) but I remember back around 30 plus years ago before baby wipes, moms carrying wet wash cloths for babies in used bread bags for excursion diaper changes. They carried one with the wet cloth(s) and another to hold the soiled cloths. This way costs very and still is a great way of dealing with messy babies or littles who need a wipe down while out and about. It's been a few years...my kids are teens now, since I had to wipe them down. If you want to save in this area, think of your bread bags and wash cloths. I'd suggest using thin older cloths, but you might have nice baby grade wash cloths too...but use what you have...and if you have a towel with a hole developing, you can cut it up, bind the edges either by hand or machine and use up the towel for baby rags or any other cleaning for that matter. Now binding can be done with a blanket stitch by hand or the zig zag or rolled hem on the machine. Go to the end for a simple and homespun but all you really need to know to do the blanket stitch on anything~

Bread bags are useful for many things. I was thinking of my uses today, and they are really food grade plastic~our food/bread is stored in them, so it's not like a grocery plastic sack, these are safe . Here are some ideas:

1. Store your iceberg lettuce in it down in the crisper~when you open your iceberg lettuce set the head of lettuce on your table or counter with the stem side facing up. I take my palm and hit that spot very hard, and sometimes I have to use my fist and the whole stem will come out. Do not wash it unless you are going to use it all right then. Just break off what you need, using paper napkins or towel, wrap the unused lettuce and place it in the bread bag and store in your crisper. It will keep crisp a whole lot longer and if you don't use a metal bladed knife to cut it, it will not turn brown. Tare lettuce and break it from the head~it will last longer, and you have a great lettuce keeper in your old bread bag.

2. Messy clean up bags~It's never EVER a good idea to put any type of oil or grease down the kitchen sink. To clean it out, I've used bread bags on my hands to scrape out messes from the fry pan into the trash as well as food stuff that is not consumable. In the south, and I hardly ever ever do this, but you might~because it's delishous: fry with flour or cornmeal...like fried chicken or porkchops. I don't HONESTLY do either for health reasons, but I have in the past, and using a bread bag to clean out the residue...now some will drain the greese (no recipe here ;-)) and make gravy~can't you imagine a zillion calories per bite, but it's so good~ Anyway, cleaning up this mess is just that...a mess~and we can't put that pipe clogging stuff down our sinks, so use the bag as a glove. Also in the kitchen I will use it to tie up small messes~like the tomato stems and skins I was working with that I wasn't composting and didn't want to smell~fish is another thing~even if you are hauling the trash out right away, another 'layer of protection' in a bread bag against the juices or odors getting in the can is not a bad idea...also when I deal with watermelon or any kind of melon...it's great to use these to place sees and rhines til you can compost or get them out. Now you can also use it for a glove for many other gross (ewww) uses too which I won't name, but you can get the idea! My husband has hauled bags with him when walking our dog to be polite to neighbors...they're great for cat box duty and more...

3. Tie up your sandwich with them or other tie-able foods. Just remember these are food grade so they are already safe enough to store food. I've made whole loaves of bread into sandwiches and put them in the bread bag for trips and excursions for our family. I'm passing out the sandwiches as we need to eat them on trips and using a lose knot to hold the bread bag closed~when I'm done I can toss it out...I've even put fruit and used them to hold popcorn that we needed to carry. A tip about popcorn: be sure it cools before placing it or your bag will melt and a hole will develop into it. (I love homemade popcorn~it's cheeper...) You can take dry cereal, homemade snake foods like homemade granola, chex mix or trail mix too...it's endless really!

4. Crafting can take on a different edge~if you crochet, you can crochet them up into floor mats for the doors~or you can use them to store items like craft paints by type or color, fabric remnants, and even other small items for crafts. I have a good stash of lace, and sometime back I organized using baggies and bread bags~this will work well with yarn too~the shape is right. Just be SURE the bag is clean as you don't want to draw bugs or other 'visitors' with your bread bags. I've cut open a bread bag and used it for a placemat to paint on protecting the kitchen table. Bread bags are limitless!

5. Keep one or two in the glove box of your vehicle for unexpected sickness in the car~if you have children they are the right size and will get you home without having to really clean the upholstery of your vehicle.

6. Bread bag lunch 'plates'~cut it up and eat your sandwich on it...it's FREE and while not as pretty as a paper towel for eating on~the price is right! Why throw the thing out without some good use?

What would you do with a bread bag? Have you ever used them for other than storing bread?
Tell me! Share your tips!! I'd love to hear what you've done or are doing!

Using it up just makes good sense to our budgets~
bread bags have many uses!

Here's that YouTube Video on the blanket stitch~simple by will demonstrate...use yarn with a big eyed needle or crochet thread with a large eye needle. You will want a thread that is thicker than standard thread for binding wash cloths. Thanks to dreamalittle7 for this video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJht13Bcw-U