14 Types of Empty Containers I Save and Reuse

 I recently saw a meme that claims you know you've reached adulthood when you have several empty boxes on hand because, "it's a good box."

I feel seen.

There are plenty of times I've bought something so I can reuse the container and just as many times I stopped chucking an item into the bin because I can reuse it as matching organizers because we buy the thing so often.

Now I’m not saying I am some sort of hoarder, there’s no room for bunches of extra stuff when living in a condo! My husband and I do a quick check in to see if there is a need for the empty item and if we don't, then it is put in our recycling, donate, or trash bin.

 

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14 DIY Organizers that Save Money

 Turns out that by being resourceful with our trash there is a ton of stuff I don’t need to buy because I save and repurpose what I have around me. It saves money in an eco friendly way that works for us. Please add your genius creative reuse ideas to the comments below!

Protein, peanut butter powder, and nut containers like these - I use them to store DIY laundry detergent, powdered dishwashing detergent (to keep it airtight and from losing its cleaning oomph in its porous cardboard box) and tons of small things and gardening supplies (leftover perlite, etc.) in my garage. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links in this post for your convenience.)

 

 

You save your fingernails and read by post 7 Ways to Remove Sticky Jar Labels here.

Plastic takeout containers with lids that look like this - I use them as drawer organizers and to store small tools and supplies in my craft room. I also use them and the protein powder containers if I need a small throwaway paint tray, bucket (with a little scissor surgery,) etc. for a messy DIY project. 

 

This is just one of the many I ideas you can check out in my post 10 Ways to Reuse Plastic Takeout Containers 

 

Cardboard boxes - to corral and deliver items we want to donate, I cut them open and use to protect the floor/furniture during craft and DIY projects, and as shredded as winter mulch to keep the dirt in my outdoor planters from eroding away in the off season. 

 

I use a home paper shredder similar to this one  to make cardboard mulch. I toss the cardboard mulch into my compost bin when I remove it to prepare my planters for planting season.

 

Salad dressing bottles - When I accidentally broke my salad dressing mixing bottle I replaced it with an empty salad dressing bottle. I also reuse a salad dressing bottle to hold homemade sarachi ketchup (ketchup + sarachi sauce to taste,)  and other condiment recipes. I don't make a ton of condiments (other than the ketchup)  so I only keep one on hand at most.

 

I miss having the recipe and measurement lines on a salad dressing mixing bottle like this one but I don't use it enough to go out of my way to buy one either. 

Bulk spice containers that look like this - to store dried beans in the kitchen cupboard. The rest of the bag (we eat a large variety of dried beans) is stored in a protein powder container to refill the "working" storage containers in the kitchen. 

Plastic peanut butter jars and lids - to store screws, nuts, and other small hardware. I switched to plastic after knocking way too many glass jars off of my workbench, because apparently I'm part cat. 

 

You can also repurpose peanut butter jar lids as mason jar freezer lids.

7. Candle jars - I use them to make new candles out of new or leftover candle wax, for bathroom storage, and most recently as a memory jar. 

 

You can learn how I make recycled wax candles on my DIY blog Condo Blues here

Pill and vitamin bottles - to organize bobby pins, barrettes, and other small hair supplies in my bathroom and to store beads and jewelry findings in my craft room - an idea my grandmother used when I got her leftover beads.

If you are looking for more ideas, check out my DIY blog post 25 of the Best Ways to Reuse Old Pill Bottles on Condo Blues

Glass spice jars that look like this - To store my DIY spice mixes and to store herbs that come in a little plastic bag instead of a container to keep them fresh longer.

 

Mason and canning jars - for canning produce and pest free kitchen storage for anything that comes in a box or bag. 

 

I don't do much canning since a tree we can't chop down decided to shade our best gardening area.

Milk cartons - to use as cold process loaf soap molds. I'm still learning and experimenting with soap making. I'm using the milk carton soap mold method until I decide what kind of soap molds I want to buy or not. I have limited storage space and don't want to buy a ton of soap making stuff I don't use regularly.

Steel cut oat buckets - I buy this exact Earthborn Elements steel cut oats from Amazon Subscribe and Save to keep up with our daily breakfast supply and demand. Its one pound bucket and lid come in handy for well, any time we need a small bucket. I use one to hold dog food when we travel or have to board our dog and used them in a similar ways as I do empty protein powder containers. Although honestly I'm probably going to change our Amazon Subscribe and Save subscription to this PURE Steel Cut Oats because it's cheaper per ounce and comes in a paper bag which will keep the 1 gallon bucket population in check. Naturally, I'll store the paper bag oats in an empty steel cut oats bucket with its lid.  

 

  

 

Glass jars - After chucking everything in my pantry due to pantry moths and just as I built the pantry back up I had to do it all over again due to kitchen ants, I started decanting dry goods from its box or bag and into repurposed glass jars. I know its clique but it keeps food fresh and pest free (although we haven't had any since I sealed small wall gaps to keep nature out the kitchen.) By happy accident, it saves money on my grocery bill by taking a quick glance at the jars I know what I already have on hand so I don't accidental buy doubles (in theory.) By happy and unexpected accident, I can store more stuff, not less, in my small kitchen cupboards. 

 

No I do not have a tea hoarding problem. Why do you ask?

 Plastic food containers with snap on lids - for the longest time, my fancy Tupperware were all repurposed lunch meat, margarine, etc. containers. They also come in handy to replace zipper baggies when packing crushable food, salads, stuff to heat up, etc. and as cupboard organizers. 

 

I organize the freebie insulated can holders that seem to multiply like bunnies in a repurposed lunch meat container. They fit perfectly. Check out my post 12 Ways to Reuse and Recycle Can Koozies for more useful solutions!

Rather buy than DIY reusable money saving solutions? Check out the following ideas - and more! - below!

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