Waste Not Archives - Authentic Simplicity

Cute Coffee Cozy – You’ll Never Guess What I Upcycled to Make It!

January 24, 2013 By Anne Simpson

I love re-usable coffee cozies, mostly because I hate waste. Those disposable ones at the coffee shops always seem so pointless, but then I have this little problem of accidentally throwing away the re-usable kind. Henceforth and therefore, I have no desire to spend any amount of money or time on a re-usable coffee cozy (as cute as some may be, and I’ve seen some awfully cute ones!) when it’s just going to end up in the trash one day anyway.

When I was on my organizing spree earlier in January, I cleaned out my sock drawer. (Yes, my sock drawer.) In there was a lonely old slipper sock that had lost is mate a loooonnnngggg time ago and was merely biding time in the dark old drawer, waiting for me to sadly end its life. Only I couldn’t quite bring myself to do that, the poor lil’ slipper sock having been worn only a few times before being reduced to singlehood, and thus in excellent condition still. (I think I have already mentioned that I hate waste.)

As I sat staring at the spinsterly sock, waiting for inspiration to strike… it did! Inspiration, I mean. It struck! This perfectly good slipper sock (that was not dirty in the least, thankyouverymuch!) could have a new lease on life with a new purpose and a new design! All it would take was a snip of my scissors and what was old would be new again.

Almost gleefully, I grabbed a pair of scissors and made two short cuts (don’t worry, it didn’t hurt a bit). Reluctantly disposing of the heel portion – but only because no inspiration struck as to what I could do with that ridiculously shaped tube – I ran into the kitchen and tried first the toe and then the band. And woohoo! It worked! Perfectly, I might add.

Why, yes, indeed. I turned that lonely – but adorable – slipper sock into not one, but TWO adorable coffee cozies that, being free, will not cause me one moment’s grief if they happen to be accidentally disposed of. (OK, well, maybe a tiny moment, because they are awfully cute!)

So. Happen to have any spinsterly spare socks lying around your house in lonely dark drawers? (Of course you do, who am I kidding?!) Give them a new lease on life and release them from their loneliness with a fresh purpose as your own adorable little coffee cozy.

The best part? Everyone will think you knit it yourself by hand. (*snicker*)

Find more inspiring and informative posts at Make Your Own Monday, Motivational Monday, Homestead Barn Hop, The Bulletin Board, Better Mom Monday, Natural Living Monday, Trivium Tuesday, Titus 2sday, Teach Me Tuesday, Hip Homeschool Hop, Titus 2 Tuesday, Delicious Dishes, Open Call Tuesday, Tiny Tip Tuesday, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways, Works For Me Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Whole Food Wednesday, Allergy-Free Wednesday, The Mommy Club, Encourage One Another, Thought Provoking Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Homemaking Link Up, Keep it Real Thursday, Frugal Thursday Rewind, Your Green Resource, Homeschooling on the Cheap, Thrifty Thursday, Fellowship Friday, Fight Back Friday, I'm Lovin' It, Weekend Bloggy Reading, Weekend Whatever, Snacktime Saturday

11 Comments Filed Under: At Home, Handmade, In The Budget, Waste Not Tagged With: upcycled

Frugal and Easy Essential Oil Storage {From an Upcycled Spice Rack}

January 17, 2013 By Anne Simpson

Since joining Young Living Essential Oil’s distributor program in order to get a great discount on their oils, I have been slowly amassing my essential oil stockpile. It’s exciting, but it presented a new problem: where to put them.

Enter the spice rack I purchased at a yard sale a while back for the measly little price of $2.00! I’d been hanging on to it for a while, intending to freshen it up a bit for a new purpose (not being useful for containing spices, in my opinion), but hadn’t gotten around to that little task yet.

As soon as I started pondering how I should handle my essential oil storage situation, I immediately thought of that old spice rack! It was perfect for the task on multiple levels:

It was just the right size to hold the bottles.
The open shelves make accessing the bottles easy!
I had a spot on my bathroom wall where it would fit perfectly.

However, it was quite ugly. That dark brown stain is not exactly my thing.

So I set out to beautify it with an “almond” colored spray paint. Easy task, yes? Well, unfortunately, either me or my can of paint was struggling because the paint came out all drippy and splotchy instead of in a smooth, even coat. I followed the instructions on the can exactly so I would like to say it wasn’t me… but it had been a long while since I’d spray painted anything.

Whatever the case, my final coat of paint resulted in a strange crackled texture that I found to be appalling initially. But the longer I looked at it, the more I liked it! It kind of gave an antiqued textured look to the spice rack, which was rather serendipitous in my opinion. I had originally planned to apply some sort of filigreed rub-on transfer to the shelves as a decoration, but I think I actually like this sort of shabby chic look better.

I have no idea how you can replicate this look yourself (ha!), but at any rate, I do think a coat of spray paint in the color of your choice will dress up an old spice rack (you can find them at thrift stores and yard sales all the time) to store your own essential oils (or any other small bottle that needs storage, like nail polish… or spices).

Think essential oils are out of your price range? Think again! Read how I afford essential oils here.

11 Comments Filed Under: At Home, Household, In The Budget, Waste Not Tagged With: essential oils, organizing, storage, upcycled

Save Money on Groceries {By Keeping Your Freezer Clean}

January 10, 2013 By Anne Simpson

It is no secret that I am passionate about reducing waste and saving money on groceries. I even wrote the book about it. But what a lot of people don’t realize is that saving money on food (and other things) is a lot more involved than merely clipping coupons or finding the cheapest price.

In fact, I would say that a bigger impact on your grocery budget (and other parts of your budget, too, I daresay) is a little thing I like to call “Inventory Control”. Yes, I gave it a fancy little title and everything, but really, the concept is quite simple: keep track of how much food you have in your house.

Before you assume that you have all of this under control already and go clicking off to other great world wide web destinations, let’s chat for a minute. I have a few questions for you:

Have you ever unearthed a package of food that’s way past its expiration date?
Is your freezer (pantry/fridge/cupboard) ever so full that you don’t know what’s beyond the obvious front row?
Have you ever gone grocery shopping without a list, only to return home and find that half of what you bought you already have, and you forgot to buy half the things you really need? (Maybe that’s just a slight exaggeration?)
So tell me. How often do you clean out your fridge/freezer/pantry/cupboards?
Can you tell me right now off the top of your head how many cuts of meat you have on hand? How many packages of frozen vegetables? How many eggs? Or pounds of beans?

If you passed my little pop quiz with flying colors, then good for you. I mean it! You are on top of your Inventory Control, and you are well on your way to grocery budget success. But if you failed any of those questions, I have a suggestion for you.

Clean out your freezer.

That is, in fact, what I did today. The organizational bug that hit me at New Year’s still has a death grip on me, but I’m enjoying it, so I don’t mind. And the process of cleaning out my freezer was so gratifying I determined that I’m going to make it a monthly habit as preparation for my regular grocery shopping trip. There were a few things tucked in the back that I had completely forgotten about, and one or two things I realized I didn’t have (that I thought I did!).

Because I cleaned out my freezer I was able to:

Make a large batch of chicken broth
Make a batch of bread pudding and probably some bread crumbs as well
Put navy beans on my grocery list because I found a ham bone
Take stock of the cuts of meat remaining
Make room for what I will be buying at my big monthly shop next week
Organize what was left neatly so I can see at a glance what is available.

All that from about twenty minutes worth of work! In my opinion, the benefits of keeping my freezer (and other food storage areas, like the pantry, fridge and cupboards) neat and organized are such that I plan to work it into my monthly shopping routine. If I do it on a regular basis, it will take me 10 minutes or less to quickly go through the items in the freezer, toss out the yucky stuff, and put to use the leftover bits that need to be made into something. This will save me money because I won’t be buying food unnecessarily, and I can use what’s in the freezer to make something new (like the bread crumbs) from something that would otherwise be trashed.

How do you keep your food inventory under control?

Need some more help with your Food Inventory Control? Read about how I keep my pantry neat and organized without spending a dime.

Read many more money-saving tips in my eBook, Your Grocery Budget Toolbox. Each chapter presents a new tool that will help you save money on groceries, with an emphasis on healthy, whole foods. No extreme couponing allowed! These are all common-sense strategies that almost anyone can adapt to their personal needs and family situations. Read Crafty Garden Mama’s review (and get a discount code!) for more information. If you are interested, you can find purchasing information here.

10 Comments Filed Under: In The Budget, Waste Not

A Simple Christmas Tip #11 – Be Intentional with Your Giving

December 11, 2012 By Anne Simpson

If you want more information, click here or on the graphic itself to take you to a full-length post on the topic. Click here to see all the posts in this series.

Come back tomorrow for another quick tip to help you simplify your Christmas by focusing less on spending and more on celebrating.

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Home, In The Budget, Spend Wisely, Waste Not Tagged With: a simple Christmas

Don’t Waste a Drop!

September 13, 2012 By Anne Simpson

I have a money-saving tip for you today that is so basic I fear most of you already know it. But just in case someone like me is out there who is a little slow when it comes to this kind of stuff… well. This is for you! (And for those of you who are already all over it, you’re my hero. Really.)

When it comes to food waste and frugality, we don’t really need to get fancy. Honestly, it’s mostly about using it up someway somehow so that it doesn’t end up wasted in the trash.

To that end, there’s nothing fancy here: just a simple tool and a simple trick that will keep you from wasting even a drop of precious food.

Here goes: what you need is a small silicone spatula like this one by OXO.

A wide spatula will not do the trick, you need a narrow one like this (or an even narrower spatula like this). None of the other utensils in your drawer will do the trick either; it really has to be silicone and it has to be narrow. It definitely can’t be a regular old spoon or knife, because those utensils will still leave precious food behind.

This small investment will save you lots of money in the end, because you are going to use this spatula to scrape up every last bit of batter, dough, sauce, dip, nut butter, and any other scrape-able substance in your kitchen as you go throughout the day.

I guarantee you will be surprised by how much pancake batter is clinging to the sides of your mixing bowl! It’s enough to make at least one more pancake. Ditto with muffin batter and cookie dough. There’s usually enough for at least one more of whatever it is you’re baking.

And I bet there’s enough peanut butter in the jar to make one more sandwich, and enough honey in the bottle to drizzle over your morning oatmeal or stir into your tea. And probably enough sour cream to make your Ranch dressing into a dip.

Enough salsa for a couple more chips. Enough hummus for a few more carrots. Enough yogurt to start a new batch. Enough smoothie out of the blender to fill your cup to the brim. Maybe even enough egg salad for one more sandwich.

Convinced? Waste not, want not! Go get thee a narrow spatula and waste no more. (Oh, better get two. I guarantee one will always be dirty.)

Sharing at Fellowship Friday, Frugal Friday, Feasting in Fellowship Friday, Natural Living Monday, Homestead Barn Hop, Better Mom Monday, Works for Me Wednesday, Women Living Well Wednesday, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways, The Mommy Club, Frugal Thursday Rewind

2 Comments Filed Under: At Home, Household, In The Budget, Waste Not

Another Healthy Fat for Free! {Something from Nothing}

September 6, 2012 By Anne Simpson

Once upon a time, thrifty agrarian folks – who were hearty and healthy and rarely suffered from conditions like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes – took great pleasure in the fruits of their labor and enjoyed it to the fullest, wasting not even a morsel or a speck. Especially bacon. They had no qualms about eating bacon every day for breakfast to their heart’s content… and they made sure to save every last drop of the rendered bacon grease to use for frying… or even drinking. (Don’t believe me? Check out this list of grandmas and grandpas who enjoyed their bacon.) For generations, they survived and thrived on bacon (and a few other things of course).

And then in the twentieth century, a new generation came along and declared that those old folks knew nothing. They were killing themselves eating all that nasty saturated fat! No, no, a healthy diet must include no fat at all. OK, maybe some fats, but only the healthy polyunsaturated kinds. Definitely no saturated fats ever. Oh, wait, no, maybe it’s the trans fats that are the problem.

And then heart disease sky-rocketed. So did diabetes. And cancer. And all sorts of other first-world diseases.

Hmmm. Maybe the old folks knew something after all.

Me? I figure they were on to something, and I aim to follow their example. If you’re not convinced, read Food Renegade’s primer on healthy fats. Or any number of well-researched and well-written books like The Good Fat Cookbook, In Defense of Food, Good Calories Bad Calories, or Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It.

Which is why I religiously save every bit of bacon grease when frying up bacon and keep a jar of it in my refrigerator at all times. It is absolutely my favorite way to save money and eat healthy.

Bacon Grease: A Free, Healthy Fat

In my book, Your Grocery Budget Toolbox (You can get the first chapter free simply by subscribing!), I talk about the importance of prioritizing healthy food so that you know where to spend your hard-earned money. I determined that for myself, healthy fats were of the utmost importance, because those unhealthy fats (that everybody says are so good for us… I’m talking about canola oil, vegetable oil, margarine and the like) can do a lot of damage and I want to avoid that if possible.

Unfortunately, healthy fats can be very expensive! To really get the good stuff (expeller-pressed, virgin, etc.), you almost need to spend an arm and a leg. Or at least your entire grocery budget. I’ve learned a few tricks along the way, and bacon grease is one of them.

How to Get Bacon Grease

I buy uncured, nitrite-free and nitrate-free bacon at Trader Joe’s for $3.99 a pound (Grass-fed would be better if you can afford it.) and fry the entire batch up at once. I make sure to fry it at low or medium heat so as not to burn the grease and get all kinds of little black specks in it, as it’s not quite so good (or good for you) then (although some people disagree with me on that). Once all the bacon is cooked, I give the pan and the grease a chance to cool off a little, then I pour the liquid grease through a mesh sieve into a jar. I let it cool completely, and then I store the jar in the fridge.

Some sources say the bacon grease will last a month; others say it will last indefinitely. Saturated fats are pretty stable (which is one reason why they are so healthy), so I personally think it lasts significantly longer than a month. At any rate, it doesn’t stick around here for too much longer than that because I use it for everything!

How I Use Bacon Grease

Although it has a very strong bacon flavor, bacon grease goes well with just about everything. (Bacon makes everything better, dontcha know?) Some of my favorite uses are:

frying eggs (Mmmmmm!)
sauteing vegetables
panfrying meat
greasing a pan
cooking green beans (I should have bought green beans at the farmers’ market today)
refried beans

Some other bloggers have other great ideas for using bacon grease:

Thirteen Uses for Bacon Grease
Thrifty Fun: Uses for Bacon Grease
Bacon Grease Uses (and Bonus! Photos of other people’s bacon jars!)

Or maybe you’re in the mood for Bacon Grease Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Do you save your bacon grease?

Did you know you can also save chicken fat?

Sharing at Fight Back Friday, Frugal Friday, Friday Favorites, Homestead Barn Hop, Better Mom Mondays, Titus 2sday, Traditional Tuesday, Teach me Tuesday, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Women Living Well Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, The Mommy Club, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways, Allergy Free Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Your Green Resource

18 Comments Filed Under: Basics, In The Budget, On The Table, Waste Not Tagged With: bacon, healthy fats, something from nothing

Organize Your Home with Empty Shipping Boxes {Organizing on the Cheap}

August 23, 2012 By Anne Simpson

I’m so happy you are here with us this week for 5 Days of Organizing – more than 20 bloggers will be bringing you daily inspiration for organizing every aspect of your life. And with back-to-school days breathing down our necks, we all need it!

Have you ever been frustrated by all the creative organization ideas you see in magazines and on blogs, only to realize that you simply can’t afford (or don’t want to spend the money) all those gorgeous bins, boxes, baskets and other containers? Me, too! I’ve learned to organize my home (uh, to a certain extent) without spending an arm and a leg, and I’ll be sharing my tricks with you all week long. Stick with me for great cheap organizing ideas!

You might want to scroll down to the bottom to enter the $50 Paypal cash giveaway, and then click on the footer image to find a whole bunch more giveaways (including one of Your Grocery Budget Toolbox by yours truly!).

So far this week, I’ve shown you my Yard-Sale Spice Cupboard Makeover, my Free Pantry Organization System, and my Dollar Tree Organized Sets.

Today, I’m going to share with you another favorite organizing trick that is absolutely free. Well, sort of. I guess it all depends on if you won a giveaway or did a little online shopping. In any case, whenever the UPS (or the USPS, or FedEx, I’m not picky) knocks on your door and delivers a package… save the box! No matter its size or shape, it will come in handy for containing and organizing something somewhere in your home.

Now, a little caveat: don’t get too carried away here, folks. If you win too many giveaways or do a little too much online shopping, you might find yourself overrun with more boxes than you can handle. And if you’re having trouble organizing the boxes that you are saving to organize with… well, then, you’ve got trouble, my friend. With a capital T.

My rule of thumb is this: if I have an out-of-the-way space to save the box indefinitely, I will. Sometimes I have smaller boxes hanging around the corners of my laundry room for quite some time. But if I don’t really have the space to keep the box, I just hold on to it for a few days until either I’m sick and tired of moving it around to get it out of my way or I have found a practical use for it elsewhere in the house. Then I use it or lose it.

And how do I use these boxes? Well, pictured above you see one example. I used to have all those boxes of wraps (you know: foil, plastic wrap, wax paper, zip-top bags, etc.) piled in a heap on the floor of my pantry. I never knew how many of each I had and what I was out of, and frankly, it was a huge mess.

When I recently re-organized my pantry, tackling that disorderly heap was one of my first jobs! It was quite easy, really. The long boxes holding the wraps fit perfectly inside a rectangular box that had recently arrived. I set the box on its side on one of the pantry shelves, and now I can see easily how much foil or wax paper I have. What’s more, I can easily access each box without having to dig through a pile. Brilliant, really! And since I don’t care what it looks like, being in the pantry and not visible to the average visitor, I just left the box plain. But the beauty of a cardboard box is that you can quickly, easily, and frugally decorate it with some wrapping paper or scrap paper.

That’s not the only place I’ve used a cardboard box, though. Hardly!

Organize with Shipping Boxes

for off-season clothing storage (I have read that cardboard is actually a better storage solution for clothing than plastic because it allows the fabric to “breathe” – just be sure it’s not anywhere accessible to critters that can chew through the cardboard. Ew.)
for Christmas decoration storage
under the sink to contain all the junk that collects there.
under the bathroom sink to contain that 36-pack of toilet paper
as a depository for no-longer-wanted items – once it’s filled, it’s all ready to go to the Goodwill!
as a toy rotater - if your child has too many toys, box some of them up and hide them somewhere; in a month or two, bring out the hidden toys and hide some more.
book storage – if you simply don’t have any hidden place to put the boxes, cover them up with a table cloth and call it a nightstand/side table.
clothes your children have outgrown (if you’re saving them for baby)

That’s just scratching the surface of what these boxes can do! And since they come in all shapes and sizes, they can fit all kinds of different needs. Happy boxing!

Do you save shipping boxes?

Visit these blogs for lots more ideas on organizing your kitchen, your office, or your homeschool room!

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7 Comments Filed Under: At Home, Home, Household, In The Budget, Waste Not Tagged With: organization, organizing on the cheap, repurposing

How I Organized my Pantry for FREE with Empty Jars {Organizing on the Cheap}

August 21, 2012 By Anne Simpson

I’m so happy you are here with us this week for 5 Days of Organizing – more than 20 bloggers will be bringing you daily inspiration for organizing every aspect of your life. And with back-to-school days breathing down our necks, we all need it!

Have you ever been frustrated by all the creative organization ideas you see in magazines and on blogs, only to realize that you simply can’t afford (or don’t want to spend the money) all those gorgeous bins, boxes, baskets and other containers? Me, too! I’ve learned to organize my home (uh, to a certain extent) without spending an arm and a leg, and I’ll be sharing my tricks with you all week long. Stick with me for great cheap organizing ideas!

Psssstt! Scroll down to the bottom for your chance to win $50 in cash!

The pantry is one of those areas that’s just difficult to keep organized, because it’s intended for storage, but is constantly being used. If you’re anything like me, all day long, you’re opening the door and either putting something in or taking something out. It’s a recipe for disorganizational disaster! (Yes, I’m aware I just made up a word. The red squiggly line was a dead giveaway.)

The pantry also rapidly becomes an unmanageable mess because of the packaging our food comes in, which is usually a temporary plastic or cardboard container. By “temporary”, I mean it was never intended to last beyond the life of the food it contains, and is therefore easily destructible. What’s worse is that all those temporary packages come in ALL different shapes and sizes. I suppose it would be boring if all the manufacturers decided to standardize their packaging just so we could all have neat cupboards… but it would also be awfully nice!

Of course, you could remedy this little problem by investing in a set of matching and stacking containers that fit neatly on your pantry shelves, like the Tupperware Modular Mates set or Anchor Hockings Square Glass version. The problem is, either one of those will set you back by quite a bit; and if you don’t have room in the budget for an *organizational products* line item, you will likely want to research cheaper options.

Well, guess what? I have a cheap option for you. How about FREE? Doesn’t that sound nice?

Make your very own customizable set of glass dry food storage containers simply by recycling the glass bottles and jars yourself instead of throwing them in the recycling bin.

The Benefits of Re-Using Empty Jars

You save them from the landfill, or from going through the recycling process.
You save money by not purchasing empty containers simply for the purpose of filling them.
Plastic storage containers can leak chemicals into the food; glass is a safer option.
Glass can go from freezer to fridge to pantry with ease, whereas plastic is a little less stable.
Glass is clear, so you can see at a glance what each jar contains; you can also see at a glance what is in your pantry without having to shift piles of bags around.
The glass jars, while of different sizes, are generally all round and therefore line up nicely in rows so that your pantry looks much neater and better organized.
The glass jars are re-usable over and over and over again, and last MUCH longer than plastic.
Glass is dishwasher-safe.

How to Organize Your Pantry with Empty Jars & Other Containers

Start out by saving every single glass jar that would otherwise end up in the recycling bin or trash can. Over time, as you develop your own personal system, you’ll learn which jars work really well and which ones you don’t really want to keep. You’ll get a feel for the sizes you use most often and the shapes that work best for you.
Wash them thoroughly and remove the labels by soaking them in warm water. If the label is really stubborn, you can usually remove it by applying a paste made of equal parts baking soda and coconut oil.
Store the empty jars in a handy location where they are easy to access when you need to fill them.
Whenever you buy bagged food from the store, pour it into one of your jars as soon as you come home.
If the food item is not readily identifiable (some grains, like barley, oats, wheat, and the like, can be difficult to differentiate), label the jar. (You can get as fancy as you want with this. I just use a Sharpie because it’s simple. And I like simple.)
You can “assign” specific jars to specific foods if you want; for example, if you come across a really large jar that’s perfect for your copious amounts of rice/oatmeal/wheat flour/etc. Or, when a jar empties, you can just wash it and return it to your stash of empty jars, ready for whatever food comes down the pike next.

What Jars Should You Save?

Unless you make ALL of your food completely from scratch, by which I mean you make your own coconut oil from coconuts (good for you!), then you likely already have a good number of jars in your pantry just waiting to be emptied and refilled. Speaking of coconut oil, oddly enough, Tropical Traditions is my favorite source for good quality glass storage jars. Not only do I love their raw honey, I love the perfect size of the raw honey jar! It’s great for making sour cream, or for storing a fresh batch of sunflower seed butter. And their quart jars of coconut oil are wonderful for storing different kinds of grains, or nuts, or flours, or seeds, or… just about anything! I think what I love most about their jars is that they are straight-sided and made of a very clear glass, which makes them perfect for storage purposes.

Other jars that you can use for pantry storage:

spaghetti sauce
jam
peanut butter
pickles (Leave them open in the sun for a day or so to get rid of the pickle smell. I have one de-pickling on my balcony as we speak!)
salsa
molasses

The sky’s the limit, really. If it comes in a jar, it’s fair game!

What to Store in Your Jars

The wonderful thing is that these jars can be used for liquid and dry goods, and in the refrigerator, freezer or pantry. So once again, the sky’s the limit! Whatever needs to be stored, chances are, a jar will fit your purposes. Pretty much any food that comes from the store in a plastic bag (or from a bulk bin) gets relocated to one of my empty jars, as does food I make from scratch at home (sour cream, yogurt, freshly ground flours, etc.). For example:

Grains (brown rice, wheat berries, barley, spelt, oat groats or steel cut oats, quinoa, etc.)
Beans
Flours (small jars are especially great for leftover bits of freshly ground flour that you don’t need in your recipe)
Nuts
Seeds
Dried fruits and vegetables
Chocolate Chips (ahem. very important.)
Whey
Yogurt
Sour Cream
Bacon Grease
Agar Flakes
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Granola
Broth
Yeast
Flaxseed
etc. etc. etc.

Of course, these jars aren’t limited to the kitchen! They can find countless useful organization purposes all around the house, so there’s never really a good reason to throw one away.

Do you keep your empty jars? What is your favorite use for them?

Click on the box below to find all the great blogs and topics to help you get cleaned up and organized! I’m especially loving all the ones that focus on natural and healthy ways to keep you organized, as well as the budgeting and simplifying themes. Also, you can have a chance to enter multiple different giveaways, including a free copy of my own eBook, Your Grocery Budget Toolbox!

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Sharing at Teach Me Tuesday, Titus 2sday, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Women Living Well Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways, Raising Homemakers, Simple Lives Thursday, The Mommy Club, Your Green Resource

21 Comments Filed Under: At Home, Home, Household, In The Budget, Waste Not Tagged With: organization, organizing on the cheap, repurposing

How I Organized My Spices With Yard Sale Finds {Organizing on the Cheap}

August 20, 2012 By Anne Simpson

I’m so happy you are here with us this week for 5 Days of Organizing – more than 20 bloggers will be bringing you daily inspiration for organizing every aspect of your life. And with back-to-school days breathing down our necks, we all need it!

Have you ever been frustrated by all the creative organization ideas you see in magazines and on blogs, only to realize that you simply can’t afford (or don’t want to spend the money) all those gorgeous bins, boxes, baskets and other containers? Me, too! I’ve learned to organize my home (uh, to a certain extent) without spending an arm and a leg, and I’ll be sharing my tricks with you all week long. Stick with me for great cheap organizing ideas!

AND>>>>>> Scroll down to the bottom of the post for a cash giveaway!! You might win a little cash to do some organizing yourself!
I’m so glad I finally get the chance to share with you how I organized my spice cupboard. An embarrassingly long time ago, I invited you to help me figure out a cost-effective way to organize my spices, and you all certainly delivered! I got lots of great suggestions:

The spice rack (more of a small set of drawers) I was eyeing at a more expensive online store is available at Amazon for only $35, which was significantly cheaper than the one I had seen. I figured I could save up my Swagbucks Amazon gift cards to buy it, but unfortunately, I keep finding far more interesting things to spend my free money on!
Others suggested cheaper spice rack alternatives, like this SpiceStor Organizer Rack 20 Cabinet Door Spice Clips
or Spectrum 43778 Scroll Wall Mount Spice Rack Boxed, or Swivel Store Organizer Storage System, all of which seemed like they would do the trick nicely.
Ami suggested I organize them in baby food jars in a drawer a la this example she found on Pinterest. Unfortunately, I have no spare drawer to use for spices, although I did spend a considerable amount of time trying to figure out how I could rearrange my drawers and cabinets to accommodate the concept. Alas, it was a no-go.
Rita and Kristine were the ones who really helped me out! Kristine had seen an idea on America’s Test Kitchen to organize all your spices in zippered plastic storage bags like these, then label them, and store them upright, organized alphabetically, in a container of some kind (like a basket or box). Rita had a similar thought, but recommended using small glass jars (like baby food jars, or 1/2-pint canning jars).

First, I tried Kristine’s idea, but I ended up ordering the wrong size of bags (they were way too small!) from Amazon, which set me back on my little project. I was all set to order a larger size, but then I started to get concerned about the effects of storing food long-term in plastic. The danger is probably minimal, but it was enough to worry me that I started leaning towards Rita’s idea of using jars.

So between the two of them, I came up with the idea to store spice bottles like these in some containers I had lying around the house. That way, all my spices would be contained in jars of the same size,which I could easily label myself, and those jars could then be contained in small boxes that I could easily pull in and out of the cupboard as I needed them. I hadn’t quite gotten around to ordering those spice bottles from Amazon, though, when I went yard saling one day and found this:

BINGO! Now, I wasn’t all that excited about the spice rack itself – I have hardly any wall space in my kitchen for one thing, and for another I kind of thought it was dog ugly. It is now awaiting a chance to be spray-painted and repurposed as a rack for my nail polish bottles and other manicuring supplies (that as a busy mommy and blogger, I almost never use by the way). But the bottles were exactly what I wanted, and for a fraction of the price! A set of the 6 spice bottles on Amazon would be $6, which is not a bad price at all, but twice the number of bottles, and for only $2?! And new!… or at least still in the packaging! You bet I snatched those babies up.

I took them home, ran them through a cycle in the dishwasher, dried them thoroughly, and poured my spices into them. I didn’t have the time then (and haven’t taken the time since) to beautify them with pretty labels, but one day I will get around to that. For the moment, though, I’ve just written the name of the spice on the neck of the bottle with a Sharpie. Works for me!

So here you see the finished product, my cheaply organized spices, thanks to a yard sale find:

On the left, you see a basket containing my large jars of bulk spices, the ones I use most often: granulated garlic, cinnamon, oregano, etc. I opted to keep them in their original containers, because pouring them into smaller jars would just be too time-consuming, and I would have to do it far too often for it to be an ideal situation for me.

On the right, you see more spices that I kept in their original containers. Eventually, I will get another set of spice bottles and finish the transfer, but for now, I left these spices in their original plastic bottles. Most of them are spice blends (like lemon pepper) that I don’t use too often, and most of them are a relatively uniform size that fits nicely into the container.

In the middle is the box where I put the spice bottles. These spices mostly came from plastic bulk containers or even bags. These are the ones that I typically buy “loose” so I need a neat and organized place to put them. The glass jars fit the bill perfectly!

As for the boxes that I used to hold all the bottles, I originally had bought them at the Dollar Tree, I believe (more on that later this week!), for another purpose. Having served their original purpose, they needed a new home, and found a perfect fit in my spice cupboard! The box in the middle is a Rubbermaid container that used to contain brown sugar. I don’t buy brown sugar anymore, so the little plastic box needed a new job. Now it holds spices, which is a much more worthy endeavor.

How to find cheap organizing ideas at yard sales:

Have a list, at the very least a mental one. Know what you need and what you’re looking for. Are you trying to organize your bathroom cupboards? Or your linen closet? Do you need boxes? If so, what size? Or would bottles fit the bill better? Maybe even bowls? Is the storage going to be visible? Then you will want it to be pretty. Is it going to be in the closet? Then, pretty is not quite as important.
But don’t get stuck in a box. Literally. Although I had mentally settled on the idea of using spice bottles, I was willing to consider any other workable option. As I was yard-saling, I kept my eyes peeled for ANYthing that might potentially work in a spice cupboard. I was beyond thrilled when I actually found the exact thing I was looking for… but that doesn’t always happen! Sometimes I end up finding something better, just by being a little more creative and open.
Know your price point. I knew that the glass bottles on Amazon were $1 apiece, so there was no way I would pay more than that at a yard sale, especially if it were used.
Don’t be afraid to haggle. My personal rule of thumb: if I don’t like the price, I offer half what they are asking, but I’m willing to pay 75% because typically, that’s what their rebound offer will be (although, usually, they just take whatever I offer). In the case of my spice bottles, I took the $2 and ran! No need to haggle with that one!
Be prepared to wait, or have a plan B. Some things I will just keep looking for at thrift stores and yard sales until I find something that will work. Other times, my need is more immediate, so if I don’t find what I need right away, I’ll go to my plan B. I was not in a huge hurry (obviously) to finish organizing my spice cupboard, but I also knew in the back of my mind that if I ever got completely fed up with it, I just needed to place an order on Amazon and be done with it.
Clean the items thoroughly. Depending on what it is, run it through the dishwasher or washing machine, or just give it a good scrub. No need to obsess about it, but it is a good idea to wash away whatever it might have collected at its previous home.

Other cheap organizing ideas with yard sale finds:

I found a big pourable Tupperware container for a couple bucks that I use to store the oatmeal that I buy in bulk.
I keep books that we don’t use very often (and don’t fit on my bookshelves) in 2 large trunks that I bought at yard sales for less than $10 each. Those trunks also double as a side table in our living room! I’ve used the trunks previously to store extra linens as well.
I’ve found those hanging canvas shelves (the kind you use for shoes and sweaters) at thrift stores and yard sales, and I have several of them in different closets throughout the house.
I’ve also bought several under-the-bed storage boxes at yard sales for one or two dollars each. I’ve seen plenty of other sizes of plastic storage boxes like those at yard sales, too, although those sizes don’t usually work well for me.

What yard sale treasures have you found that have helped you organize your home or life?

Visit these blogs for lots more ideas on organizing your kitchen, your office, or your homeschool room! Just click on the image below (And by clicking below, you can access even more great giveaways!).

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Sharing at Better Mom Mondays, Homestead Barn Hop, Teach Me Tuesday, Titus 2sday, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Women Living Well Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways, Raising Homemakers, Simple Lives Thursday, The Mommy Club, Your Green Resource

6 Comments Filed Under: At Home, Home, Household, In The Budget, Save Much, Waste Not Tagged With: organization, organizing on the cheap

Ideas to Reduce Food Waste

August 2, 2012 By Anne Simpson

Typically, as an accompaniment to Food Waste Friday, I like to share with you a frugal idea for your kitchen that helps you save money and reduce waste. And today, I actually had a great post planned with one of my most favorite frugal waste-reducing ideas… but then I got busy blog surfing and found sooo many more cool ideas! So I switched gears and decided to share those cool ideas with you. My own cool idea can wait until next week.

So here you have it… some great ideas for reducing food waste in your kitchen!

Celery Leaf Pesto – Usually, I dump my celery leaf into my stock pot, but I haven’t been making much stock this summer. I’ve also wanted to try my hand at dehydrating it, but haven’t gotten around to it. This recipe sounds delicious and super frugal – my kinda recipe!

Regrow a Pineapple - I’ve heard of regrowing celery and romaine lettuce, but pineapple? Apparently, it’s possible! It does take a couple years for fruit to grow, and will likely bear only one pineapple, but hey! Plant enough of them, and you’ll have your own tropical oasis.

Preserve Kale in the Freezer – I’ve dehydrated kale before to preserve it, but I am thinking this pureed ice cube method will be more appropriate for my purposes. Mostly, I prefer to hide kale in other things because none of us are super fond of it.

Red Wine Vinegar – I wish I drank wine, so I could make use of this tip! For some reason, I just think it’s the coolest thing ever. Save up your bits of leftover wine to make your very own custom red wine vinegar.

Use the Entire Ear of Corn – Not just the kernels, but the cob, the silk, and the husks, too!

Vegetable Powder - Made from dehydrated veggies, this powder can be used to flavor all kinds of dishes. Buy extras or seconds of produce at the farmers’ market, and turn it into this cheap and healthy “spice mix”!

Frozen Wine – Yet another leftover wine idea.

Save Seeds for your Garden - Save the seeds from this year’s harvest to start your garden next year!

Leftover Cure – Save all those last little bits of leftovers in a container reserved for just that purpose. Simple idea, but brilliant!

Sharing at Friday Favorites, Freaky Friday,Fight Back Friday, Frugal Friday, The Better Mom Mondays, Homestead Barn Hop

4 Comments Filed Under: Waste Not

Cute Coffee Cozy – You’ll Never Guess What I Upcycled to Make It!

Frugal and Easy Essential Oil Storage {From an Upcycled Spice Rack}

Save Money on Groceries {By Keeping Your Freezer Clean}

Clean out your freezer.

A Simple Christmas Tip #11 – Be Intentional with Your Giving

Don’t Waste a Drop!

Another Healthy Fat for Free! {Something from Nothing}

Bacon Grease: A Free, Healthy Fat

How to Get Bacon Grease

How I Use Bacon Grease

Organize Your Home with Empty Shipping Boxes {Organizing on the Cheap}

Organize with Shipping Boxes

How I Organized my Pantry for FREE with Empty Jars {Organizing on the Cheap}

The Benefits of Re-Using Empty Jars

How to Organize Your Pantry with Empty Jars & Other Containers

What Jars Should You Save?

What to Store in Your Jars

How I Organized My Spices With Yard Sale Finds {Organizing on the Cheap}

So here you see the finished product, my cheaply organized spices, thanks to a yard sale find:

How to find cheap organizing ideas at yard sales:

Other cheap organizing ideas with yard sale finds:

Ideas to Reduce Food Waste

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