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Use It Up Challenge

August is Use It Up Month!

How often do you find yourself buying something, and then either not using it at all, or only partially using it up?

Think about the food in your fridge, the groceries in your pantry, the toiletries in your bathroom cupboard, even the clothes and shoes in your wardrobe.

Are there any items that haven't been used up? If so, think about the money you have sitting there, tied up in things you aren't using.
"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, and then use it up."
Cath Armstrong
There's a William Morris quote "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

Well, I'm going to paraphrase for the Cheapskates version. "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, and then use it up."


Start with the food in your house. What’s in the fridge? What's at the back of the pantry? What can you make with the food buried at the bottom of the freezer?

Make it a challenge to use the cans that are in your pantry and the meat in your freezer. Don’t buy any more food, even if it's on sale, unless you have nothing else in the house that will substitute. Use up what you actually have.

Learn how to turn those tins of tuna into a casserole or tuna patties, or our family favourite - Tuna Surprise. Add the baked beans to tacos, or lasagne, or spag bol. That tin of passionfruit pulp left from Christmas? Stir it into plain yoghurt. Limp veggies? Grate them and add them to pancake batter to make fritters, or to stock to make veggie soup. Use your imagination, check the Recipe File and ask for ideas in the forum, and you'll find plenty of ways to use it up.

When you have the food under control, take a look at the bathroom cupboard. How many half used bottles of shampoo and conditioner are there? What about body wash? Those little slivers of soap no one will use? How many bottles have you collected from motels over the years? Do you have a pile of shower caps and a collection of sewing kits just sitting there collecting dust and taking up space? Now is the time to think about using them, or donating them or even, if they're too old and cruddy, tossing them.

Shampoo can be used as a general cleaner. Use it on the showerscreen, it cuts through soap scum in a swipe. It will leave the bath and basin shiny. Use it to clean the toilet and leave it smelling sweet. 

Conditioner makes a great replacement for wool wash for jumpers and cardigans. It's also great for washing doonas and pillows. 

Those mini toiletries can be donated, as long as they're unopened. 

Are you a crafter? Then you're sure to have paper or card stock or fabric or paint that needs to be used up. Check out Carol's forum thread The Stash 2018 for ideas on how to use up your craft stash.


The Use It Up challenge isn't about spending less, but you will. It's about being mindful of what we've spent our money on, and how we use it (or don't), and how much that really costs us. It's about thinking before we buy something new (do we already have something that will do the job) or before we throw something out (why haven't we used it up? What other purpose could we find for it?).

Take the challenge, use up those things you've already spent good money on, and then take the money you haven't spent, and save it. 

How much do you think you'll be able to use up and how much money could you save during the Use It Up challenge?

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  • Home
  • Join the Club!
    • Twenty Reasons to Join the Cheapskates Club
  • About Us
    • Cath's Story
    • Ask Cath
    • Glossary of Cheapskating Terms
  • Forum
    • Current Forum Discussions
    • How to Use the Member Forum
  • Inspiration
    • Getting Started
    • 31 Days of MOO Index
    • Articles
    • Housekeeping Routines
    • Budget Renovations
    • Saving Stories
    • Learning Centre
  • Recipes
    • Recipe File Index
    • Meal Plans
    • Add a Recipe
    • $300 a Month Food Challenge >
      • $300 a Month Food Challenge
      • The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
  • Newsletters
    • Newsletters 2023
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    • Newsletters 2021
    • Newsletters 2020
    • Newsletters 2019
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    • Newsletters 2017
  • Saving Money
    • Latest Tips 2023
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    • Cheapskates Tip Store
    • Tip Sheets
    • Top Tip Competition
  • Contact
    • Changing Details
    • Help Files