Finding Your Inner Fred or Eddie

Every family has "that" relative. Not necessarily as bad as cousin Eddie from the Vacation movies, but almost nearly. It would probably not surprise you in the least if I said I am Cousin Eddie? I mean, I won't show up at your house and empty my RV toilet in your sewer, but if you're the least bit uppity, this post will probably be your worst nightmare. In all actuality, I'm probably a little more Fred or Lamont Sanford, than cousin Eddie... if only I had a truck, I could complete the package--cue the music, now... :)

I'm that relative that demands package bows not be thrown out, but set aside to be used again. I'm that relative who uses gift bags over & over, until they are too worn to use any more. There was a time that an unnamed family member and I (names removed to protect the innocent) traded the same gift bag on birthdays at least 4 times... seriously.

And yes, that really is a picture of the stacking drawers I save gift bags in. And yes, they are separated by holiday, birthday, baby, and "other". Really... I can't make that stuff up.

I'm that relative that will carefully remove elegant or expensive-looking wrapping paper, so as not to tear it, because it will obviously be used again. I'm that relative that sets aside tissue paper from presents and reuses it. Yes, I really do all those things and have even been known to low-iron tissue paper that looks too crinkle-y. I really have. I know you're thinking I'm completely off my rocker and I'm okay with that. In all honesty, with 4 kids, if I ever manage to get a gift to a destination with tissue paper that's not crinkled, it would be nothing short of a modern day miracle.

I was once told by a friend that she knew an old woman in our town who laid wet tissues (not hankies, people-- paper tissues) on the radiator in her house, to dry and she'd use them again and again. Okay. Let me just say there are some places where I just absolutely draw the line and bodily fluids are probably my breaking point. The point is, that old woman sold the land her modest house sat on to developers who built 2 major big box stores and a strip mall on it. Right about now, I think that old woman is probably wiping her nose with hundred dollar bills, not used, dried out tissues and laughing all the way to the bank.

Dave Ramsey says you should "Live like no one else", so that later you can "live like no one else." I'm not saying recycling used gift bows will make you a millionaire. However, if you think about it, if you did save those & reuse them, you wouldn't need to buy them again next year and they'd stay out of the landfill. Doing just a few things to cut down on spending, would enable you to use that money saved toward something else that's more important than paper that will be ripped to shreds. And really, are you giving the gift of a bag or the object inside the bag?

Don't be afraid to let your inner cousin Eddie or Fred Sanford come out. I'm convinced most people have one, it's just a matter of not being afraid to look "cheap" and let him (or her) out. Your kids will roll their eyes and your spouse may think you've flipped out, but you'll save some money being somewhat of a recycling vigilante in your house. Stash some used "junk", use it again, have some fun, and save on, friends! :)