The Blog-It Pays to Recycle
Yes, it literally does pay you to recycle now.
A few months ago I was reading about a new program called RecycleBank. Just like a garbage service they stop by your house, empty your recycling bin and record how much recycling you have and then depending on the amount, you earn reward points to exchange for goods and services in your area, or at some online merchants. I was so intrigued, and as I’m an avid recycler anyway, I thought I’d definitely sign up for this program. Seems like the local garbage service read my mind because last week I received an automated phone message from them telling their customers that this week they’ll be attaching a disc to the recycling bin because they’re now part of the RecycleBank program. The service isn’t available in all areas or even all states just yet, but if you go to their Web site at www.recyclebank.com, you can check if your state’s on the list and sign up. Okay, it might not be money you’re earning, but to me reward points that I can exchange for things like grocery items and dollars off at stores like Petco and Target are just as good.
When you’re a Budget Smart Girl, you’re always looking for ways to save money. Last week I stumbled upon a money saving idea purely by accident. I wanted to put mulch around two of the trees in the front yard. Every other area in the yard is covered with either mulch or rock so I really wanted it to match, but the local DIY store had a great deal on some mulch that wasn’t the same color. They had an end of season sale, 5 bags of mulch for $10 and I thought for that price, what did I have to lose? I purchased the 5 bags put it around the trees and then stood there thinking, maybe I shouldn’t have been such a penny pincher on this project, but then I had an idea. I took just a small amount of the mulch from the other areas and spread it over the new mulch. I’m happy to say everything matches again. I also found out that you can now buy special spray paint that brings back the color of the mulch when it’s faded, so that’s enough option if you’re looking to save a few pennies on landscape supplies.