Saving Money with the Three R's
Sep 13 '00 (Updated Sep 19 '00)
I live in a small town in a rural area. Our options for recycling are limited so we have to be resourceful and creative to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Here are some ideas that help the environment and the family budget! Frankly, I get excited to be able to do two things at once.
Reduce
Reduce the amount of packaging that you will potentially have to throw out by buying in as large a quantity that is feasible for your family. Buy cooperatively with friends or family to increase opportunities for bulk buying. This is a great example of saving the environment and money at the same time.
Make your own fresh squeezed orange juice or lemonade. It tastes better and reduces packaging waste. Plus the rinds are good for compost. Make your own soup for the same reason. - less commercial packaging and the vegetable peelings are compostable. In the spring, you will not need to buy as much fertilizer for gardens and flower beds as you use your compost.
Reduce water use in your washer by accumulating clothes until you have a full load. One large load requires less water than two small loads. And it takes less electricity to do one load, rather than two small loads.
Reduce dryer use by using a clothesline. Think clotheslines are ugly? Hang plants from your poles or use a portable drying rack that you can store inside when not in use.
Reduce car use by running several errands at one time. When you think of something you need write it down and don't go out until you have several items.
Plan your trip so that you can go places in a sequence so that you are not backtracking along the same streets over and over. Even better - walk or ride a bike.
Reuse
I have carpal tunnel syndrome and often drop things. Since I break so many dishes I have begun buying them at a local thrift store. We also often use jars for glasses.
All bags from stores are used as garbage bags at my house. Bags in sizes that we can't use are donated to the local thrift store for them to use for their customers.
Need a sharps (biohazard) container. Buy liquid laundry detergent in one of those red containers and you'll have one after you use up your detergent.
Save all those plastic containers that marjarine, sour cream, etc., come in. Use them for freezer containers. Take leftovers in them to elderly or sick neighbors or large families - that way you don't have to be concerned about getting your container back.
Ice cream buckets can be used to store large salads.
If they are not too stained, disinfect and save styrofoam trays that meat comes in. They make great placemats for art projects or containers for paint.
Cut the buttons off clothes that need discarding.
Use the buttons and odd socks to make puppets on a rainy day.
Save those plastic hospital pans, pitchers, etc. Use them as the beginning of a doctor/nurse/hospital toy kit for a child.
The back of used envelopes is a great place for a grocery list. And you can put your coupons in the envelope so that everything is together.
Recycle
Our one opportunity from the local government for recycling is plant waste removal. Bags of leaves and grass clippings and piles of limbs can be placed at curb side for pick-up. The city then creates its own mulch.
If you are like most rural folks, you regularly take a trip into a large city for shopping, entertainment or medical care. Use 1800cleanup.org to locate any recycling centers. Call and see if they will accept out-of-town wastes. If so, you are in luck. Organize a home recycling center and take your recyclables to the city when you go. Remember aluminum cans can often be sold. It is not uncommon for me to hear about families getting $40 to $70 dollars for several months of drink cans.
Ask around to see if any church or civic groups accept aluminum cans. Often there are several groups that do. So you can make a "charitable" donation without it costing you any money. At my house we don't purchase drinks in cans enough to make it worth our time to recycle cans, so I add my cans to those of others to support church projects.
Have a garage sale or donate items to Goodwill or another thrift store. If there are none in your area, this is another opportunity to go to the nearest metropolitan area. If you have some really nice clothing, check the yellow pages for a consignment store and get paid for recycling. That definitely helps a family budget.
The ultimate recycling project - sign up to be an organ donor - and potentially help another family.
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petsnpeople
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Member: Kathryn Morse
Location: Mississippi, USA
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About Me:
I am a 40-something single mom of a college student.
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