Saving Envelopes

Here's a quick thought for the day to get your mind going on how you can repurpose items. Well, this time it isn't truly repurposing an item, but you get the idea.

We choose to receive our bills in paper form. We like to have a hard copy on file to refer to later if needed. Most companies, however, will allow you to pay online for no additional cost. We'll generally go that route to save on the cost of the check and postage. I was throwing away the envelope and inserts until this week.

My 5 year old is often asking for envelopes to put things in. I hate to "waste" an envelope so he has one to use, but I also hate to stifle his creativity. I had an "aha" moment earlier this week. I now pull out any return envelopes from bills and place them in a bin for the kids. They now can use envelopes to their heart's content. I now have less paper waste and am saving money because I'm no longer having to buy so many envelopes. A winner all around!