Make scratch pads from pages that you have printed and no longer need. Cut to any size. Use the clean side for notes, grocery lists, bookmarks, etc.
Making your own Easter Basket Grass is easy. Put colored construction paper and older kids drawings into the shredder and fill easter baskets with the shreds.
Call your newspaper carrier and see if he or she can reuse the little plastic bags they put the newspaper in. My carrier was very happy to have them saved for him because he has to buy them.
Here are a couple of ways to save money without going crazy: 1. Instead of eating out every week, cook with your kids. Spend some time together and save money. 2. Go to a nearby farmers' market instead of the grocery store for fresh produce. It's cheap and fresh.
I save all the empty rolls from my paper towels and toilet paper and save them for craft projects for the kids.
This winter, my attached garage was very cold and drafty. I used all my saved plastic bags and stuffed them around the garage door. It sure did help the draft and kept my house warmer — which saved on my heating bill!
By the time we are ready to get rid of our old clothes, the garments are too worn, stained, or torn to be decent for a yard sale, to be given to chartity, or handed down to anyone. We use them as rags to clean the car or things in the house.
Since babies grow so fast and clothes are so expensive, we started "recycling" them. When baby dresses get too short, they make great shirts. Pants that still fit in the waist but are too short make great capri pants for summer. We've only had to buy half the clothes since they've lasted twice as long!
