Save cash by reusing these household items

Cash strapped Brits are being urged to save money by re-thinking how they use common household items.

Confectionery experts at WholesaleSweets.co.uk are offering their top tips when it comes to saving cash with items you use every day.

Although recycling is becoming more common in homes across the country, there are clever upcycling hacks which can save items like egg cartons and toilet roll tubes from being chucked away after one use.

Recycling these items into handy and practical storage solutions, home decor items or cleaning materials give them a new lease of life, while saving money.

Kathryn Hague from Wholesale Sweets said: “We want to find easy ways for those feeling the effects of price increases to save money in their homes.

“Taking something as simple as an old jam jar and finding new uses for it can help those pinching the pennies to look at the things in their home differently. It is all about seeing those single use products and thinking about how you can use them in a new practical way.

“These handy hacks will help lots of us become savvy recyclers.”

Egg cartons
Because of their design, egg cartons are the best thing to keep small, fragile items safe and sound, meaning they can be used for more than just eggs. Use clean, empty cartons to store delicate items like small christmas tree decorations or lightbulbs.

Sweet jars
Equipped with their own screw on lid and hard glass shell, jam jars make for the perfect storage containers. They can be used to store a number of kitchen essentials, like rice and beans, or used as fun treat jars for cakes and smaller snacks.

Mugs
Dated coffee and tea mugs can be upcycled to become a brand new decor piece. With a lick of paint, turn your old mug into a brand new planter for herbs and small succulents. Alternatively, use them as storage for makeup or hair brushes.

Candle holders
Candle holders are often very pretty and large enough to store a good amount of trinkets. Save money on essential work from home items such as pen pots by cleaning out your old candle holders. Alternatively, reuse your favourite candle holders by popping in a new candle. Small pillar candles and tea lights are much less expensive and can be used as refills.

One way to get rid of stubborn wax is to pop the candle into your freezer for several hours. Once removed, the wax should pop out in one piece, it may need a bit of encouragement from a butter knife. Wash with warm water and soap to remove and residue and you have a brand new storage space!

Old t-shirts and towels
Avid cleaners can save lots of money on cleaning equipment by reusing old clothing items and towels as cleaning cloths. This is a super simple hack which takes no prep, just add any old garments into your cleaning stash and use for mopping up spills, buffing your car or wiping down glass.

Glass bottles
Create beautiful home lighting decor by reusing some of your favourite glass bottles. Wine, gin and rum bottles often work well for this, simply wash out the bottle and feed in a string of battery operated lights into the opening at the top.

Glass bottles can also be recycled to hold flowers and plants in your home. Soak the bottles under warm, soapy water to remove labels and pop in some stems of your favourite real or artificial flowers.

Tired bedding
After a while, your bedding may start to look tired and worn. When it comes to the point of buying a new set of bedding, make sure to hold on to your old set. After a good wash, the old sheets can be really handy when moving or storing fragile items, as they can be wrapped up in the bedding for protection.

Dessert pots
Higher end supermarket desserts often come in small glass pots. After eating your tasty treat, give the pot a good wash and hold onto it for future use. They can come in handy as jewellery holders, small mixing bowls for spices or trinket pots around the house.

Toilet rolls
The cardboard tubes left beyond from toilet or kitchen roll have endless opportunities when it comes to recycling. One great way to make use of them is to slip them over wrapped up cables and extension cords to prevent them from unravelling. Kitchen roll tubes can be great for storing any plastic bags you may have around your home.