Try These Ways to Use Less Stuff (and Save More Money)

Have you ever thrown away groceries that spoiled before you got around to using them? Or bought a new jacket despite already having half a dozen in your closet?

It’s easy to let things go to waste and accumulate more than we need.

Use Less Stuff Day, which lands on Nov. 19 this year, encourages us to rethink our consumption habits and make more mindful, environmentally friendly choices.

That might mean squeezing every last drop out of what you’ve got, finding creative ways to reuse things or simply buying less.

I keep a couple of simple tricks up my sleeve to extend the life of my family’s clothing: OxiClean soaks and basic sewing skills. You’d be surprised by how many things you can salvage with a little cleaning and mending.

I asked my fellow Nerds to share some of the ways they reduce waste and unnecessary spending. Maybe you’ll pick up an idea or two.

Make the most of the food you have

• Pamela de la Fuente, managing editor: My husband grew up with a “make what’s in the house” kinda family. I didn’t. But this weekend while looking for spaghetti I found some crispy rice cereal, and I knew we had marshmallows from a bonfire a few weeks ago so I said, “I’m going to make crispy rice treats with this for the kids and get rid of this cereal.” (Surprisingly, it was not stale.) I still had cereal left, so I added it to some chocolate protein bars I love to make and my son said, “These are 9 out of 10. Usually they are 7 out of 10!” 

• Karen Gaudette Brewer, head of content: I’m a big “make big batches of food and freeze it” person, so I can drive everyone nuts reminding them that we really do have food at home. That freezer also holds grated lemon zest and cubes of those last little bits of chicken broth and wine so that I can easily make pan sauces and not waste that last half cup of goodness.

• Jessica Cano, content coordinator: I save the tops from strawberries after cutting them for my kids. We use some to make strawberry balsamic vinegar, some to make strawberry syrup and the rest go in the freezer to be used for smoothies. Keeps me from having to buy frozen fruit and multiple vinegars. 

Pantry shopping can result in less food in the trash and fewer trips to the grocery store. It can also make experimenting with new recipes a little more exciting. Take a page from Managing Editor Athena Cocoves, who says, “Sometimes we pretend we're on ‘Chopped.’”

Give old stuff new life

• Ryan Brady, lead writer: Rotating toys with our kids has helped them get more enjoyment out of the same toys versus constantly buying new toys. We put a bunch of toys they're bored with in a bin, and months later, take one out and bam — it's like a new toy all over again! 

• Kim Lowe, head of content: I invested a whole $12 in a lint remover last winter that transformed all my old sweaters into almost new!

• Laura McMullen, editor: Almost all of my kids’ clothes are thrifted or hand-me-downs. My friend group of parents has kids from age 2 to 7, all of whom are about six months apart. We’ve developed a hearty clothing exchange. It’s fun to see my friends' kids wear hand-me-downs that we got from my brother’s family almost 10 years ago.

Look for other ways to salvage your belongings or get them secondhand. That might include watching a vacuum repair tutorial on YouTube, borrowing books from the library or purchasing used tools from Facebook Marketplace. The goal: Keep more stuff in circulation and out of landfills.

Rethink what you throw away

• Abby Doyle, lead writer: Composting isn’t as fussy as it seems. Once you get into it, you start seeing would-be waste as stuff to feed your new backyard buddy. Junk mail, paper bags, slimy spring mix … it’s all food for my “pet dirt.” And my garden has legit never looked better.

• Yuliya Goldshteyn, editor: Instead of throwing away kid art, I reuse it as wrapping paper throughout the year. Bespoke gift wrapping for everyone! I haven’t bought gift wrap for five years now.

• Caitlin Constantine, editor: I repurpose glass jars and plastic containers. It always seemed like such a pity to throw perfectly good containers into the recycling after one use, so now I reuse them before I recycle them. 

Before you toss something, ask yourself, “Is there another way I can use this?” An old T-shirt makes a good cleaning rag, for example.