One of the best ways to recycle responsibly and save a few bucks at the same time is to find a second life for something you otherwise might toss in the trash. Some ideas are pretty well-known, such as using plastic grocery bags for trash-can liners and lids from liquid detergent containers for biscuit cutters. So when a reader sends in a tip for how to use "this for that" that I've not heard of before or sends an idea for how to use something I have already to avoid buying something I don't, that reader gets my attention!

Here, for your recycling pleasure, are just a few tips that have washed up on my desk recently:

STORING SCARVES. Use the plastic rings that are attached to six-packs of soda to organize your scarves. Hang the intact plastic rings over the hooks on clothes hangers. Pull your scarves through the rings so they hang loosely, wrinkle-free. -- Sue, Massachusetts

CARPET THE GARDEN. We have a mole problem in our neighborhood, and the critters get into everything, leaving lovely molehills all over the lawns! My neighbor placed old pieces of carpet, fuzzy side down, on the bottom of his garden boxes with the dirt on top. It works great because moles dig but don't chew. In 15 years, he never has had moles munching on his veggies. We are planning to replace the carpet in our sons' room with laminate, and now we have a use for the old carpet. -- Katrina, British Columbia

PICKLED EGGS. Whenever eggs go on sale, we buy several dozen and hard-boil them. Then we drop them into jars of leftover pickle juice and keep them in the fridge. The pickled eggs are great shredded into potato salad or casseroles, atop green salad, quick and tasty egg salad (shredded, with mayonnaise) or even eaten whole as a snack. -- Pattye, Washington

I wrote back to Pattye for more details: "Any pickle juice? Sweet, dill? Do you mix, or must they be kept in separate jars?"

She responded: "We have kept the pickle juices separate in their own jars, sweet or dill. We put eggs in both of them. The sweet eggs are good in potato salad with sweet pickle relish added.

"I especially like the dill eggs shredded with cheddar cheese and pimiento-stuffed green olives (also shredded) mixed with mayonnaise (sometimes I thin it with wine or vodka) on party rye for cocktail parties. This definitely adds an adult taste to this egg salad."

(Editorial note: Be sure to peel the hard-boiled eggs before placing them in pickle juice. Wait one week for the eggs to pickle. Use them within four weeks.)

Got a unique way that you use "this" for "that"? Send your ideas to me at mary@everydaycheapskate.com. If it's unique and useful for a good portion of my readers, I'll share it with everyone right here in an upcoming column.

Mary Hunt is the founder of DebtProofLiving.com and author of 17 books, including "Debt-Proof Living." You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
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