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Frugal Ideas: 5 Ways to Reuse Old Food Containers

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Often you find yourself falling into one of two categories; those who save everything (from empty jam jars, used up pens, to empty Kleenex boxes), to those that toss everything for fear of becoming one of those lost souls on the Hoarder’s TV show.

Well I say there’s nothing wrong with finding a nice balance in between the two. Because as the economy continues to struggle and gas prices go up, we could all take some tips from our ancestors that lived during the depression and save the things that can be useful again.

There’s plenty of opportunity for frugal living when it comes to your old food containers and packages. Usually, these bottles, cans and more just end up adding more garbage to an already overflowing waste basket. So next time you’re about to toss something think to yourself, how might I reuse this? Because not only will you cut down on trash, you could save yourself some money too; and there’s nothing wrong with that!

To further this discussion we recently asked our Facebook fans what interesting ways they reuse their old kitchen containers, and we got a lot of great frugal ideas! See a sampling of some of these great frugal ideas below:

  1. Wash old plastic food containers and keep them for when guests come over and want to take left overs home, or use them to give away baked goodies you’ve made. – From Susie Beetham in Monroeville, IN
  2. Use old plastic containers to stay organized with all your gizmos from the garage and workbench, or use some old containers to organize your craft room. – From Marie A. S.
  3. Big metal coffee tins with plastic lids make great coin banks once you cut out the lid with an exacto knife for a coin slot. Kids love them too when they’re saving for a special item. “We call ours the ‘I can'”. – From MJ E.
  4. Drill holes in the bottoms of metal coffee cans, spray paint them and use them as planters for flowers and herbs. They’re so bright and happy looking. Plus-they’re recyclable! – From Jean M.
  5. Make fire starters from egg cartons. Fill each cup with sawdust (or even lint from the dryer trap) and seal with melted paraffin wax you can pick up at a hardware store or even the grocery store. Just break one off and light it! Great for camp fires and no more stinky charcoal starter for the BBQ! A fire starter in the bottom of your charcoal chimney is all you need. – From Barbara E. M.

See more fantastic ways to get use out of old kitchen and food containers in 22 Ways to Reuse Old Food Containers & Other Frugal Ideas.

What about you guys, do you have any awesome frugal ideas for reusing your old kitchen containers?

 

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