How To Save Money with Recycled Materials

If you are able to use recycled materials you can save a substantial amount of money. Recycling can be done in several ways: by taking something old and making something new out of it, by buying used items, or by reusing old items. Remember the recycler's motto: restore, reuse and recycle.

Restoring Old Items

• Furniture: repaint old furniture to make it look new. Strip off the old paint and refinish it.
• Clothes: repair old clothes when possible.  You can add new buttons, studs and zippers to spruce up the look of old clothes. Take old jeans that you don't wear anymore and cut them off to make shorts, or make them into a skirt by cutting the jeans at the seams and sewing excess material into any open spaces.
• Bags & Purses: add accents, stencils and sketches to old bags to make them look new.  If the strap is broken, cut off the remainder to turn a shoulder bag into a clutch.
• Paint: when it's time to repaint your walls, you can go to any hardware or paint store and ask for samples of different colors, or discontinued colors.  Some hardware stores give these away for free if you catch them on the right day.  You can also check out their mistakes bin - these are paints that were mixed improperly, resulting in colors that the original customers didn't want but which may be perfect for you. 

Buying Used Items

1. Go to used furniture stores and buy inexpensive furniture; refurbish it at home.
2. Look in thrift stores and consignment shops for clothes and small household items; this will cost you next to nothing and sometimes you can get amazing bargains.
3. Go to used book stores for cheap books.
4. You can also swap furniture or clothes with a neighbor.  This will cost you nothing and a good, organized Block Swap can result in great redecorated rooms.

Reuse Old Items

1. Take old Christmas wrapping paper and use it wrap birthday gifts. You can also use it as contact paper for your cabinet shelves.  You can also use paper bags or newspaper to wrap presents. Try using the comic section for children's gifts - they will love it.
2. Take old shirts and cut the material into squares; sew these together to make a top cover for a bed spread or a quilt cover.
3. Use old collars from shirts, ribbons and string to accent an old bag or storage box.
4. You don't have to spend money on garbage bags.  Take old plastic bags from the store and use them for garbage,
5. Use food scraps and leaves to make compost for your garden; this will save on buying compost and gardening soil.
6. Buy rechargeable batteries.
7. To save money and help the environment, buy items containing a high percentage of recycled material, such as footwear made from old tires.

"Recycle, reuse and restore" items and over time you will see significant savings.