More Use It Up ....Hedging Inflation

 Here we are mid-week again.  It is a beautiful sunny morning here. Today will be lovely.  Hope this finds you all well and safe.

Today will be a few more ideas to USE IT UP!  We are at a point in time, that anything we can do to hedge inflation, if just a tiny bit, is important.  It is also very important to pass our knowledge on to others.  Many ideas and ways have gotten lost over time - I think those of us that still do them need to educate others!!

It really could help someone out in the best way.

Yesterday cloth napkins and linens were mentioned in the comments.  There are other uses beside being used as napkins.  I get them super cheap at yard sales or thrift stores and have all sorts of them.

I use on some of my chairs to keep the kitty hair off the cushions!  Yep, they love the chairs and the chairs are a pain to vacuum and clean.

Here is Bitsy modeling this technique!!  LOL.  It sure helps keep the seat fur free and they are easily washable.

Use as simple little table covers.  You can use them to line baskets as well.  SO many uses.

You could find some unusual ones and utilize in a quilt or bed cover as well.  Great resource of material for pennies.

When making potatoes - don't throw away those skins!  Once washed and dried, spritz with oil and a little salt and bake until crispy - super tasty chips for FREE!  Those of us of a certain age remember when loaded potato skins was a huge thing at restaurants.  We paid good money for those!!  You can make them at home.  Clean and dried skins - top with cheese (whatever you have) maybe some bacon pieces and bake.  Very tasty, and free.  The skins contain vitamins as well!

Watermelon rinds - pickle them! That is a pricey delicacy when purchased.

Apples - keep those peels and cores when you use apples for pies, etc.  You can make jelly with them, you can make vinegar, you can also sprinkle with a little sugar and bake the skins for a yummy treat.

Click on pic to enlarge for easy reading!

Tomato skins - when canning tomatoes - save those skins.  Dehydrate in dehydrator or low oven until dry and crispy.  Grind in a processor or coffee grinder until it is a fine powder.  Makes great added flavor for soups and casseroles.

Old bread - not moldy - but stale.  Dry even more and make breadcrumbs for coating foods.  You can make bread pudding, croutons or dressing cubes.  French toast is another good use or just toast it!

I use for grilled sandwiches as well.

Garden decor and projects - you can use things you have and not spend any money.  I like eclectic things in my gardens - it makes it fun and whimsical to me.  I know that isn't for everyone.  I have an old red metal bed headboard in the center of my back perennial garden.  It is a flower BED!  LOL.  It is a cute accent.

I have used an old wagon that has rusted to hold my many rocks and fossil rocks.

I gave my neighbor a lot of the good wood from tearing down the ramp out front.  He is very crafty.  Well, he used some of it to make seats for his firepit and made myself and others accent benches for our gardens.  So, I still have a bit of the ramp.

Old wood from other things can be made into birdhouses or feeders.  You can make raised garden beds, or any kind of yard displays.  Many people use old skids for the wood.  Many very neat ideas can come from used wood.

Ladders or step ladders can be used in gardens.  Great for flowerpot accents (set those pots on the steps of a step ladder) or use ladders as a trellis.  Just because you can no longer use the ladders safely for climbing, doesn't mean something else can't climb on it!  Paint them bright and pretty colors!

Paint some rocks for the garden or for flowerpots.  Big ones for accents or small ones for cute.  This is fun to get the youngin's involved with as well!

Broken flower posts can be broken more and used as drainage in the bottom of other pots.  Make a frog refuge in your flower garden with a broken pot on its side!

Big pots with cracks or leaks can be laid on their sides and planted - to look like a spilling pot of flowers.

Old statues or wooden or metal chairs can be used in gardens.  Just get creative.  It is getting to that time of the year!!

Cardboard was also mentioned yesterday in the comments.  It makes a great ground cover/weed preventer in the garden or flower beds.  It will eventually decompose and help the dirt, it allows water through and keeps the water in the soil safe from evaporation.

You can use boxes in many ways in the house for storage as well.

They can be used in the pantry area for storage.  Use what you have or what you are gifted.  Shoe boxes make great small storage for spice jars, seasoning packets or any small items.  You can always wrap the outsides with plain paper or old gift wrap to fancy up.

Gosh, we can go on and on.  There are just so many ways to USE IT UP!  

I just hope this gets those creative juices going.  Maybe someone has seen something that can help them.  Everything is so expensive today and finding something you already have to RE-use is wonderful and saves money.  It also saves things from the landfill.

Check out free neighborhood pages or listings - you can get things for $0 very often.  Share and barter.

Good luck and happy creating and reusing!!!!

Have a beautiful day!

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PS - Frances you are on my mind.  Hope you and your husband are ok - please check in!

Amelia and Elise hope all is well with your moms.  Let us know.

You are all in everyone's prayers and thoughts.