That’s right…living smart means reusing items you already have not only to reduce your consumption and save money, but to help you increase your overall level of supply… throughout the year this means compiling items that might otherwise be thrown out like packing paper, twine, extra photo prints, labels, or pretty papers and materials that you find on packaging from the everyday and specialty items you buy. Look for new uses for standard items like tags and those random items retailers use to wrap or contain their products.

Around the holiday season,your list of items to hang on to should absolutely include gift bags, boxes, ribbon scraps and tags. I like to purchase a package of handmade tags at Sam’s Club every couple of years or if I have the time to make my own, either way I get more than one use out of each tag, and sometimes several! After all, unless you have additional children, the names of your family members don’t exactly change over the years Once those gifts are opened I begin the task of recycling. I sort through the paper and remove ribbon and tags, I fold up and collect the gift bags used and generally discard the tissue paper (it doesn’t reuse very well), and unfold the gift boxes for storage in my wrapping paper and gift packaging supplies. I will untie the ribbon scraps and place into a big ziploc bag for storage. I can use these scraps for appropriately sized gifts in the future or for other decorative purposes like bow ornaments or vase fill. For a gal who is known for her gift wrapping, this has worked beautifully for me by, increasing and maintaining my supply levels for any gift giving occasion. I am never unprepared and don’t generally have to purchase expensive gift bags for every gift giving experience I encounter.