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Community Corner

Frugal Family: Recycle, Reuse

This week the Frugalista has suggestions for how to reuse items around the home.

The Frugalista doesn’t throw things away – it’s all about reuse, recycle, repurpose. When you buy something, don’t you like getting your money’s worth -- 110 percent of it? Even items that you don’t buy but accumulate can be used in new ways.

This week we’ll look at two common items: plastic bags and newspapers.

I admit, I try to use my reusable shopping bags every week at the grocery store, but more times than not, I forget the darn things. Alas, what does one do with her collection of plastic bags?

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1. Bring them back to the store and save money on your shopping trip.

 will give you 5 cents off per bag used as long as it's from the store.

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 will give you $1 Extra Care Bonus on every fourth visit. You have to use a green tag (available for $1, or less online) but as long as that tag is on your reusable bag, you save.

Whole Foods will give you 5 to 10 cents off (depending on location) for every reusable bag being used.

2. Cut the bags into strips to crochet a rug. I’ve seen it done and attempted it myself. The hard part is sitting with a pile of bags as you cut them into strips and tie ends together. But once done, you can crochet a great mat that can be hosed off when dirty.

3. Use them as household trashbags, a simple idea. Line bins in bedrooms, bathrooms and elsewhere. Come trash day, simply collect the bags for the trash. They are not scented like ones specifically for that purpose, but for free, it's a fair tradeoff.

4. Keep a few plastic bags in the car for emergencies. I always have a roll of paper towels too in the trunk because with kids and dogs, you never know what you’ll need to clean up. 

5. My Mom always put my feet into plastic bags before putting on my snow boots. She swore it kept my feet drier and helped my boots slide on more easily.

And if you don’t get around to reusing the plastic bags or have an exceedingly large number of them, just bring them back to the stores to be recycled. Wegmans and Target have containers for disposal in an eco-friendly way.

I don’t have a newspaper subscription, but every week I get a bag from the paperboy with a weekend section. They’re trying to entice me to get a subscription, and while I’m close to doing so for the coupons, I’ve yet to make the jump. Once you've read the news, get the coupons and laugh at the funny pages, what’s left?

1. It's said if you put newspapers into shoes, they help remove odors. I’m not sure how or why, but it’s easy enough to try.

2. I’ve read about making firelogs out of newspapers, which is next on my to-do list. You roll the paper up tight into "logs" and slide a tuna can (with both ends cut off) over the papers to hold them together. Saturate the log and leave out in the sun to dry. 

3. Use a few sheets of newspaper to control weeds in your garden. They work great and naturally decompose.

4. Use newspapers to clean windows with white vinegar and water. It's a streak-free solution. Yes, yet again, Mom was right.

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