Reusing Envelopes

I have officially run out of envelopes from a box that my parents bought me in college. It was a sad, sad day since I no longer have fresh blank envelopes. : (  You may ask "how did that box last her so long?" (Especially since many of you know how long ago I entered college.) Well, it's because of how often I reuse/repurpose envelopes.

Any envelopes I receive to send back payments and such, I keep. You can just put a white label over an unwanted address or white it out. There's no law against reusing an envelope you just have to make sure it's clear where you want it sent and put the proper postage on it. The only thing that I have come against is that you have to make sure to black out any barcodes. Otherwise the automated USPS system will send your letter somewhere you don't want it to go!

Applesauce

Yesterday I told someone that I canned applesauce last Saturday. (Yum!) She questioned if it was cheaper to can your own food versus buying it at the store. My answer is usually a firm "yes," but it got me thinking as to how much a difference it was.

Let's take the applesauce for example. I paid $28 for 40lbs of apples. It costs me on average $0.25 per canning lid and I processed 19 quarts.
My grand total = $32.75
Price per oz = $0.06
I priced a Mott's Natual Applesauce at $5.99 for 23 oz
Price per oz = $0.26
19 qts of Mott's = $158.34

I just saved $125.59!!! Is it cheaper to can your own applesauce? YES!

(Mmmmm.....applesauce.)

Frugal Wrapped Canvas Photos

This tip comes from my friend, Megan. She was telling me a few days ago about a way to get the canvas picture look without the high price tag. In a nutshell she mounted a photo enlargement onto a canvas she bought herself and painted the sides of the canvas. She got this idea from the blog bexcaliber and there are detailed instructions on how to do it on her site (just click on the link). Here is Megan's cost break down:

Total for a two-pack of 11x14 canvases with Joanns 50% off coupon: $6.50
Total for two 11x14 prints from Costco: $5.74
Total for one bottle of Elmer's spray glue from Joanns with 50% off coupon: $2.39
Bottle of black acrylic paint= 75 cents from Joanns
Grand total= About $15.50 total for TWO 11x14 canvases compared to about $60 (Kits Camera) or $80 (Shutterfly.com) EACH.

That saves you $144.50 if you were going to get one from Shutterfly.

The other great thing is that the spray glue and paint can be used for other projects too. Thank you Megan for telling me about this awesome money saving project!

Uses for Newspaper Roll Ends

Thanks to a previous boss who had me pick these up for him while he was moving, I was made aware of newspaper roll ends. They are the ends of rolls that newspapers print on that they can't use. The Seattle Times here in Bothell, WA give them away for free. Here are just a few ways to use them:

• packing paper
• art paper
• sewing patterns
• wrapping paper

I'm sure the list could go on and on, but I'll leave that to those of you who comment!

Here's how my daughter used it today.

Coupons and Making The Drive

I needed material to make some PJ pants and decided to order the material online. However when I looked at the shipping price ($6.95) I decided to take the time and make the drive (about $2). The other reason for my trip was that I had a 50% off coupon and didn't want to let such a valuable thing go to waste and expire.
My coupon saved me $20.61 and my drive saved me $5. I just saved $25 by making the drive and using a coupon. I know it may be the opposite in some situations but take the time to figure it out, it might just save you money.

Here's another thought your way. Those PJs that I'm making, they are for a Christmas present. I have already figured out what I'm getting most of the people on my list and have started to look for them on sale or are gathering materials to make them. I am almost done shopping and have hardly spent anything. I can't quite divulge what I'm making and give you break downs for fear of someone on my list figuring out what they are getting, but I will try to remember after Christmas to tell you how I did.