Great ways to recycle and be Frugal all at the same time

I agree partly with the above. Some of the things are easily applicable others not quite so. How about buying a used vehicle & spending so much more on its maitainence? But I agree we can do away with a lot of disposables like tissues, instead of handkerchiefs /napkins. Used clothes can be reused in many ways. Use them as doormats, kithchen napkins, dusters etc

Some things I want to add: 1. Townships often provide plastic cans for recycling but will not accept wet cardboard, cardboard pizza boxes or certain plastics. In NJ, we cannot turn in cans for money either :( 2. You have to be careful with that water--the dishsoap may cause the plants to wilt or die. You're better setting jars out where there's concrete and catching the water during a rainfall to water your inside plants. 3. If you can't repair the clothes, use the ripped up/stained ones as rags (I remember using my dad's old undershirts as dustrags...but my sister and I drew the line at using his briefs as mop rags!) or to support climbing plants. You can donate outgrown clothing to charity and write the value off on your taxes. 4. Some supermarkets collect the bags for recycling and some (like Aldi) encourage you to bring your own. 5. But how is this frugal when you have to pay for the electricity? 6. You can use old food containers (well washed) for the kids to bring to school (that way if they lose it, it's not more money going out the window). My dad used to use my daughter's old diaper wipes containers to hold hardware, wet paintbrushes and more. 7. Good idea...wish I could figure out how to do this myself (directions are great, I'm just not that into it) 8. I've found that there are times when disposable items are a great help. Disposable plates help prevent running the dishwasher (or doing dishes) PLUS the kids won't break them. Go one step further and use paper towels or napkins as your plate. Take the big cups you get at McD's or a convenience store and use them instead of glassware. 9. I agree....or give it to the kids for scrap. Also, my friend set her printer default to 'draft' so the ink isn't wasted. 10. You can also shred the paper and use it to pack fragile items away or as packing material when you sell something fragile on eBay. 11. Yes, I love my Goodwill! 12. You can, but you can also do a few things on your own--insulate outside wall outlets and wall switches (I can't get over the cold air coming in the kitchen!); caulk open spaces around the doors and windows; hang blankets or tapestries on the wall and doorways to unused rooms or hallways without doors; use thicker curtains on the windows; use blankets and extra clothing to keep warm instead of turning up the heat. 13. Make sure the vehicle is checked over by someone knowledgeable or a mechanic. The insurance savings could be eaten up by something big that needs to be repaired. I haven't had a new car since 1990! 14. I agree--there's a lot to do that costs little to nothing! *************** My tips: 1. If you have an electrical dryer, help it run more efficiently by cleaning the lint exhaust pipe frequently and reusing dryer sheets. 2. Change your furnace filter at least twice a year (I change it every 3 months due to dust and allergies) 3. (this may offend some people) To save money, I go by the old saying: "if it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down". My water bill has been cut in half! 4. Turn the lights out if you're walking out of the room for longer than a minute. 5. Check the flue on your fireplace and close the damper when not in use (even in the summer). 6. Also in the bathroom--put a brick or two in the toilet tank--it will use less water (if you have older fixtures like I do). It has to do with water displacement. 7. To warm the bed at night (or to keep someone warm anytime), take a pound of uncooked rice, put it in a tube sock and nuke it for about a minute. It gets warm and stays warm for a long time (I only heard of this recently; I haven't tried it yet myself). 8. Use your local library for renting movies, reading books, internet usage (many if not all have access now), listening to music (mine has a small music selection) and more! 9. Walk instead of joining a gym--it's better on your knees anyway! That's all I can think of--any more ideas?

heres one idea that will at first cost more but will save in the long run. buy the slightly more expensive lightbulbs that have a 10,000 hour or more garentee on them or now ive seen some with a seven year warentee on them. even though you will pay more to begin with the added savings of not having to replace them all the time will save you money as will the fact that most of them are energy saving bulbs.