One essential part of frugality, I believe, is ingenuity. True tightwads develop very ingenious ways of reuising everyday items in new, fascinatingly frugal ways. Below, I've assembled a collection of some of my favorite amazing frugal uses for everyday things.
Plastic/paper bags
It seems you just can't escape from a store in Japan without being given five or six small plastic or paper bags to wrap your purchases in. I usually bring my own bag shopping, but even when I don't, we do take the bags. We use the plastic bags for: small trash can liners, diaper disposal on the go, tieing up smelly food leftovers and fish/meat/or eggshell waste that would smell up the large garbage bag, doggie poo disposal (using the bag as a "glove" when picking up the poo), and for trash disposal. The paper bags (usually carrier bags from department stores) are used to "regift" merchandise if the bag is in good condition. Otherwise, the paper bags are perfect packaging for sending items through the mail. If you're feeling creative, you can also cut a paper carrier bag along its seams to use as book covers, wrapping paper for presents, or to wrap up an oddly-shaped parcel. Finally, the paper carrier bags are generally useful for.. carrying things!
Used pantyhose
Gentleman, you'll have a difficult time with this one, but ladies - just because you've got a run in one leg of your pantyhose doesn't mean the pair is ruined. Cut the legs of the pantyhose off to make a great catch-all for all those random slivers of soap floating around. Put the slivers of soap in the pantyhose, and hang it outside by your bathroom or kitchen sink (or anywhere else you might need to wash hands up quickly after dirty work). Used pantyhose legs can also do in a pinch as a sink "food trap" net, or as a "bochusai" (mothball) bolder for your your closet clothes rod. The waist of the pantyhose can be used as a giant rubber band for securing stacks of things likes old newspapers or magazines for recycling day. Gardeners can use them to tie plants to stakes, and the waistband can also be cut into strips to use as a "hair scrunchie."
Bread tabs
You know, those wierd plastic bits that keep your bread bag closed. These inevitably get thrown away, but can actually be useful for: scraping pans clean, scratching off lottery cards or scratch-off phone cards, and scraping paint. They also apparently make good guitar picks, bingo chips, counting implements (for your children), or for holding your saved rubber bands together.
Disposable chopsticks (waribashi)
Although we make an effort not to accept these when getting take-out food in Japan, sometimes they give them to you anyway. In addition to saving waribashi for parties or picnics, I have used them around the house to: clean out my dryer lint from inaccesible places, clean out my bathtub 'hair trap' (cuts down on the gross factor), and to clean behind my gas range.
Hopefully these hints can give you some inspiration to make a few of your own ingenious, frugal solutions with everyday items!
PS: Interested in reading more about fun ways to recycle everyday things? Check out: http://www.thefrugallife.com/recycle.html
By Wendy J. Imura. Copyright 2006.