Whether your family consists of ten people living under one roof or it’s just you and your 3-year-old beta fish, everybody has some kind of home office setup in the place they call home. It’s where you pay your bills, write your letters and tick off your To Do list.
It’s a hub for heaps of activity, and paying for the little things necessary to keep things running smoothly can add up at an alarming rate. And who has the time to be constantly running to the local store for things like envelopes and blank address labels for the printer? It wastes both money and gas.
If you are looking to be both frugal and green, keep reading. For, a it turns out, several of your home office staples are already being delivered to your doorstep at no cost to you.
Free Calendars
While the iCal app has its place, there’s no denying the convenience and visibility of a physical household calendar. It’s a way for the entire family to view upcoming events, chores, vacations and other imperative tasks at hand. It also does wonders for the home office, bringing to light due date reminders for car bills and mortgage payments.
You can score free calendars from a multitude of organizations that are already trying to get your attention via your mailbox! Usually a minimal donation to your favorite charity will bring an onslaught of freebies, which usually include stickers (great to give to little kids) and 1-2 calendars per year. (Animal sanctuaries and rescues offer 12-16 month calendars.) Hang one in the home office and another in the kitchen to keep everybody on the same page.
Free Address Labels
Address labels are another free item that notoriously end up in our junk mail pile but have so many uses the majority of the public are missing out on. These labels can be used on almost anything you don’t want to lose.
They can be used to identify a casserole dish when attending a local BBQ or to prevent your child from misplacing her favorite jacket. You can slap a label on each pair of scissors you lend out for a scrapbooking meetup and confidently know you will get them back at the end of the night. If you have a child who enjoys collecting stickers, cut out the cute image along the left side of each label for lots of free, collection-enhancing fun.
Finally, keep a sheet of labels in the car for those times you stop by a Home Furnishings event or attend a last-minute plant expo. Each vendor will want you to sign up for potential freebies, but you don’t have to waste your time writing down your address; just stick on a free address label and be on your way.
Free Envelopes
Unsolicited mail is delivered to our mailboxes almost daily, and with those free calendars and address labels, you will also find business-sized envelopes. These are often included with a letter, imploring you to join or sign up for something-don’t throw the envelopes away! Envelopes are used all the time, so why are we paying for them at the store when they are being delivered right to our doorsteps?
To successfully reuse an envelope, simply scribble a couple of lines through the 3-inch long line of ‘squiggles’ in the lower right hand side on the front of the envelope. This will prevent it from reading inaccurately upon sending. Also, you may want to adhere a plain white label over the existing address; you will write the new address on it when you’re ready to use the envelope for your own purposes.
These are just a few of the ways you can be both frugal and earth-friendly when it comes to home office supplies.