I look at several things people use daily in their lives and think, why do some continue to spend money on it when an alternative can be extremely cheap and in some cases free. Not only do these money saving tips help your wallet, they also are environment friendly. It’s a win-win situation!
1. Shipping Boxes: Go into any major retailer or post office, and see that cardboard boxes that are not put together are for sale for shipping items. There is nothing special about these cardboard boxes. They might have a bar-code or two and a few logos, but nothing that would separate them from any other cardboard box, except that they cost money.
Whether you just need one box to ship a present to a relative across the country, or you are a full-time Ebay seller, simply gather used cardboard boxes from businesses or your place of employment. Most just simply trash the boxes after merchandise is out and are more than willing to lend you as many as you need. Not only is this a free alternative to purchasing them, but recycling cardboard boxes is a fantastic way to be eco friendly.
2. Bottled Water: Bottled water has grown increasingly popular over the past several years. People just don’t trust tap water, and in some cases their reasoning may be valid. However, some studies have shown that some bottled water manufacturers simply put tap water in a bottle and smack a label on it for resell.
One alternative to buying bottled water is getting a filter. You can buy attachments that hook right to your faucet and filter the water in real time, or you can get Brita pitchers that you fill with water and throw in the refrigerator. Filtering water yourself is much cheaper in the long run than constantly buying packs of bottled water and it tastes just as great. Again, you are also saving the environment by consuming less plastic bottles. Also if you are looking for a new refrigerator, consider getting one with a water supply and filter built right in. Your worries of buying over-priced bottled water will be over.
3. Cat Toys: Everyone loves to treat their feline friends with presents every once in a while. However, if you are on a budget and know how costly some retail cat toys can be, consider these few alternatives.
Again, going back to cardboard boxes, these make awesome free toys for cats. It’s a fact that cats love boxes and will be entertained for hours with them. You can even grab a few and construct your own play house from cardboard boxes. Find old carpet people are throwing away for free and use that for some padding in the boxes. Given that cat houses in retail stores can cost upwards of $50 or more, cardboard boxes provide an awesome cheap alternative.
Laser pointers are another very inexpensive alternative that make a great cat toy. These can be purchased at any dollar store and will have your cat running around for hours!
Other household items cats love to play with are strings, crumpled up paper, and even bouncy balls.
These money saving innovative techniques will help you save your wallet as well as the environment on things you should never have to purchase.
