photo by devriesm
The first tip reuses milk cartons. I’ve seen various-sized cartons used for candle or ice molds, building blocks, seed starters, bird feeders, gingerbread houses (graham crackers, frosting and candies) and coin purses. But sometimes I forget the simple ways to reuse them.
How do you reuse them?
CARTON ORGANIZERS: The common milk carton (half gallon or quart) is a great item to reuse. I have used them for years …

photo by foooooey
Some activities can make you feel frugal. You might pause and smile because you know you’re doing something that is aligned with your values. That’s the frugal fuzzies, aka the frugal feel-goods. Have you ever had a moment of cheerful frugality? Maybe it’s when you mend an item, creatively use up leftovers, or meet another frugalista while shopping (she’s easy to spot with her frugal binder) and you …

photo by matt gibson
I’d never thought to make a large kitchen compost bucket. I reuse a plastic coffee canister. But if you’d like to make fewer trips to the backyard compost bin, this would work well. It’s a great way to reuse a kitty-litter pail, too.
HOMEMADE COMPOSTER: On a few of the “green” sites, I saw cute little green kitchen compost pails and thought, “I can make that!”
1 empty …

photo by Ruth L
Changing tables aren’t needed for a long period of time. It’s not a necessary baby item, but if your heart is set on having one, rather than spend a lot of money, you can make your own from a dresser. If you’re able to find a vintage piece, it can become the focal point in the nursery. You can partition drawers or add a fabric-lined wicker basket …