Every year I try to do a few more things to live more frugal and eco-friendly. In 2010, when we moved, we did not get a dryer. We use the lines in the backyard or hang inside. We have not used any paper napkins or paper towels and do not drink soda pop. I use a woman-power (not gas) push mower.
During the garden off-season, we stretch our salsa by mixing it with a can of tomatoes and chiles. This new year, we will be making our own shampoos, laundry detergent, and household cleaners.
The craziest thing we've done is save all our dryer lint to use for crafts. We look forward to many more zany ways to save and live better.
By Bonnie from Waynesboro, PA
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If you don't have a dryer, how did you get dryer lint?
My zany thing:
I put all my receipts (not groceries) in a gift bag that I leave sitting out in my home "office". The two or three times I've had to have a receipt take less time looking for than keeping organized in binders etc. all year.
Good ideas for saving money. Beware one trap that I have seen for people who don't use a dryer. Some clothes need to be ironed if hung outside, like cotton items, and that takes more electricity than a dryer does, so just beware of that.
We do paper towels. We tear them down the center & only use half. This way we get 2 for the price of 1 because usually, you don't need a whole paper towel.
Then when we are done with the paper towel (if it's not really nasty) we save the used P-towels in a recycled plastic bag that hangs from our bottom kitchen cupboard door knob. Then when we have a nasty spill, we pull out the used paper towels & use them again to clean up the spill on the floor. This way the paper towels are being used twice. Once for regular light-duty & again for nasty floor spills.
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