Save Big By Reusing Items – Why Buy New?
Living a frugal life is often forced upon you by simple economics and when this happens you need help to recognize how to stop your consumer ways of buy and toss. There are tons of ways to recycle everyday items and increase your quality of life by utilizing recycled items instead of simply buying new items.
Electronics
Probably one of the largest consumer costs today are electronics. As soon as Apple releases a new version of a phone or tablet, millions of consumers rush out to buy the latest gadget; this is true for many brand names. A great way to live frugally, yet still have a certain quality of life is to realize when these events happen and take advantage of them.
If you need a new cell phone, tablet or laptop online auction sites like EBay or online classified sites like Craigslist offer unparalleled opportunities at saving up to 90% off these items. As the items are used and a new version has been released you can often save hundreds of dollars. Make sure to look for a reputable dealer on EBay with a good track record and return policy. If buying in cash from someone off Craigslist make sure to test the product in front of them before handing over any money. If you cannot test it, do not buy it.
In addition, check with your local government to see what type of energy assistance programs you may qualify for. Depending on the appliance and usage, you may be entitled to significant savings.
Clothing
Being able to get inexpensive clothing is probably one of the best ways to live frugally. There are tons of options to get quality clothing at cheap prices. The best sources include Value Village, The Salvation Army Thrift Store and St. Vincent de Paul stores, especially the last two. By being non-profit, these stores offer clothing at deeply discounted prices. If you want quality name brands you can often find them at these stores as well.
Learning to make your clothing last longer by learning to sew and patch up tears and rips can help your clothes last even longer. Flea markets can offer another way to save on new clothing. Vendors often offer clothing at large discounts over retail chains.
Everyday Items
There are a ton of items that are thrown out every day that you could re-purpose into something useful. Not everything can be recycled, but living frugally means thinking about what your throw away and deciding if it could have another use that would save you money.
Old CDs could be used as coasters, simply put felt underneath. Do not throw out a ruined pair of jeans; keep them to help patch up another pair. Take the ends, skin and shavings of vegetables and put them in a freezer bag, including celery ends, carrot shavings and broccoli stalks in order to make vegetable stock. The same can be done with fryer chickens. This stock provides a delicious base for soups and stews and can be frozen providing stock when needed. Tired of your flat pillow and truly need a new one? Take your old pillow, fold it in half and sew the ends together. Then put the old pillow in a cushion cover to spruce up the living room with new throw pillows made of old bedroom pillows.
There are literally thousands of ways to save money by being creative. Knowing how to save and spend will keep you in the black and living a debt free lifestyle.
Wherever you look there are items that you probably throw away that could be re-purposed and save you money.
