>Save, share, simplify. It’s a little like reduce, reuse, and recycle: it’s a good slogan, but it takes effort to put it into practice.
Our school holds a sale of used books to help fund their trip to camp. The books are donated, so the sale is 100% profit, and the kids and parents who buy are happy because the prices are low. It’s a win-win.
We swap DVDs with friends and family instead of renting. Yes, it means we buy our favorites (or receive them as gifts) in the first place, but we only buy movies we really like. The best part? No overdue fees.
The simplify piece is the hardest for me. I’ve been cleaning out rather than saving lately. Old books go to my classroom collection or to the school sale. Children’s toys went into the rummage sale last August, and since then more have gone to Goodwill and the thrift store.
Lack of storage space gives us trouble when saving. Our aging Victorian home was built with few closets. We’ve added a linen closet and revamped our own bedroom closet spaces. We tuck a few things in the attic, but it’s not very big, either.
So I might look into the new Zwaggle, a site for parents who want to do their share to give back, both to the environment and to others. My question will be: are there other families with teens, especially disabled teens? I’ll be looking for Braille items this time around or a source that would like some of the Braille books Amigo has finished. They’re too good to throw away, but they take up enormous amounts of space that we just don’t have.

This blog blast suggested by Parent Bloggers Network and Zwaggle. New members who sign up through the invitation link (above) will get extra Zoinks, or Zwaggle points.