photo by ned raggett

Once your child is home on summer break, you can take inventory of what supplies are left that are still in good condition. Often, binders, backpacks, lunchboxes and clothes can be used again in the fall. The first reader tip is great because the kids can have a “new” backpack and you don’t have to spend any money. This tip won’t work as well for backpacks with trendy characters or movie themes, so keep that in mind when buying them.

JUST LIKE NEW: I put away my kids’ backpacks at the end of the school year. The following year, I buy new backpacks and then put those away at the end of the year. At the beginning of the following school year, I pull out the ones that were put away the first time, and it’s like new backpacks! This makes them last two years and avoids the “everyone else has a new backpack, and I want a new one, too” whines. Also, not backpack-related, I cook things with good cuts of steak like fajitas and cheese-steak sandwiches so that one package of steak will last for two or three meals. — Angelee, Missouri

REUSE PACKAGING: I save the wrappers from sliced cheese to separate the frozen burgers that I make myself. I just throw them in a container that I keep in the freezer, then use them when I’m ready to make my burgers. I also make use of empty cereal, cracker, tortilla and frozen-waffle bags for lunches. Another is reusing my washed foil. I also find the brown-paper lining in sugar bags to be the perfect weight for draining fried foods. — Theresa, Florida

KEEP WOOL SWEATERS LOOKING GREAT: Hand wash only when necessary in a tub of cool water and about a teaspoon of all-natural delicate wash soap. Just push the suds through once or twice, and let set in the water for five minutes. Treat any spots. Then, with cool water, rinse the sweater thoroughly, but not with much agitation or your sweater may begin to felt. Once rinsed, roll your sweaters in several old towels (in case you have colors that bleed) to take out the water. Lie the sweaters flat, or, if they are bulkier, you can drape them across the center on a clothesline. Once dry, block with an iron and pick off any fuzz with a sweater shaver. I wash my good wool sweaters about once a year before I put them away for summer. — Michelle G., Vermont

MAKE IT LAST: To extend the life of pantyhose and knee-highs, try applying some ordinary hairspray to the toe area. A quick spray after each wash will prevent the toe area from wearing through. A sticky zipper can come unstuck when sprayed heavily with starch or when they are rubbed with a candle, too. — Sarah L., e-mail

REPAIR CLOTHES: I took in some pants that I picked up at a thrift store to have the zippers replaced. For a total of $20 each, I got a lined pair of wool pants, linen pants and polyester/rayon pants. Not bad. I have decided it is really worth it to have new zippers put in on these good-quality pants from the thrift store. Maybe not the cheap pants, but the good lined ones, yes. — Jean, Canada

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!