photo by roadsidepictures

Part of being frugal is finding ways to use things that most people would throw away. Not only are you less wasteful; you end up saving money by not buying new products that serve the same purpose. One item you might throw away is the plastic-bag liner from cereal boxes. They’re durable and can hold up to being reused. So next time you empty a box of cereal, consider pulling the bag out. Then simply shake out the crumbs, wipe it clean and fold it up until you’re ready to use it. I like to use them when I am making roasted potatoes. I used to use a plastic baggie. I place my cut potatoes into the bag, add olive oil and seasonings, shake and then place onto my baking pan. How do you reuse your cereal liners? What about the box? Here’s a few ways to get at least one more use.

TO-GO BAG: Add them to your canvas shopping bag. When grocery shopping for produce, use your own liner for fruits and vegetables instead of the plastic bags in the produce department. Going to the beach? Use them to hold a wet bathing suit until you get back home.

KEEP BAKED GOODS FRESH: They’re good enough to keep cereal from going stale and are great for storing your baked goods, such as cookies and homemade bread. Simply clip it closed with a clothespin or tape, or staple it to seal. Out of baggies? Wrap your sandwich in a cereal liner. Going to be in the car for a while? Pack snacks in the cereal bags.

FRIDGE AND FREEZER STORAGE: Place herbs or lettuce in the bags to keep them fresh in the refrigerator. Place butter and margarine wrappers inside to grease pans. If you’re making hamburger patties to freeze, cut sections of the liner and put them in between the patties so they don’t stick together. Works better than wax paper. You can use them as an additional layer around the food stored inside freezer bags. You can use them for frozen cookie-dough logs, too: Make your cookie dough. Line the dough in the center of the cereal bag and roll it into a log shape. Later, you can pull from the freezer and slice and bake. They make great marinade bags, too.

MINI TRASH BAG: Great for the car to hold trash or kitchen scraps.

COOKING HELPER: Use to cover your dough when rising, as a breadcrumb “shake to coat” bag for meats or as a bag to hold baking ingredients — such as cookies or nuts — that need to be crushed with a rolling pin. You can cut a liner open, place it on your counter and use it when you need to roll out dough. Cut them to fit and line your cookie tins. You can use the sheets on the bottom and to separate the layers. They can be used as icing bags because they’re sturdy. Partially fill the bag with your icing, snip a corner and fold down the top. When baking sticky recipes such as no-bake cookies or chocolate-covered treats, place them on a plastic cereal bag to cool and harden. They’re great to use around chicken when you need to flatten it, too.

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