My parents were savers! EVERYTHING: from twist-ties to old nails, newspapers to sandwich baggies, plastic containers to old Christmas cards. Wrapping paper for family gifts was always “the funny papers.”
They did NOT believe in waste of any sort, believing there was a use for everything – “give it a second life.”
An average Sunday afternoon was a long bike ride with the whole family and afterwards my parents would go back in the car to glean treasures from the garbage they’d passed at the curb. Since my dad could fix anything, our neighbor’s old damaged riding toys were repaired and useable in our backyard. We had go-carts, Big Wheels and bicycles in every size.
I can’t say I appreciated all their frugality as a child (summer was hot in Georgia without AC until late July), but I did learn valuable lessons around true recycling and necessity vs luxury. Today my cupboard isn’t filled with mismatched containers nor do I dust with old underwear 🙄, but I do reuse almost everything multiple times -to the amusement of my DILs.
It’s true- everything is good for something (except maybe mosquitos). Even me, God has found use for… because I asked Him. Nothing too fancy or public, yet He does use me again and again and for that I am grateful. It might be a listening ear or kind word, to change a diaper or wash little hands, pray a prayer, sing a song… you get the idea. When done for Him, it’s all good.
ForGlorySake.com
