There are many things you can do with the items you throw away, and I’ll share a few things you can do with your leftover fruit scraps. But first, let me dig up a few deep-rooted memories that helped mold me into this anti-waste proselytizer.
My “Frugal” Background
Ah, my father has given my family many stories to tell. I remember walking into my parents’ house and finding my mom laughing (uncontrollably) on the phone. She–to no surprise–was talking to a lady from the phone company, contesting a bill. My father noticed that the bill was 3 cents higher than it should be. My mother and the phone company rep were laughing about other things my dad had done to save money.
Some of those things include:
- Celebrating 1 annual birthday (yes, 1 cake a year for all six of our birthdays)
- Christmas gifts were usually things we already owned. Oh, and boxes were reused. Of course the tree was reused too.
- And sometimes, gifts were just a hug or kind words, but don’t think “ahh.” He did that because he didn’t want to spend money.
- Sometimes, a treat was a tortilla cooked in animal fat, with a sprinkle of salt.
- He started using quarter-shaped Asian candies as quarters for candy machines because you can get hundreds of them for 2 dollars (Yes, I know that was wrong).
This does not cover all the things my dad used to do, but it should give you an idea of where I come from. I am not as cheap as my father, but his lessons have still helped me take care of my little family. I have been perfecting my dad’s resourcefulness and have discovered ways to not be wasteful.
Trash? I Think Not.
You may know that you can use a composting bin for your biodegradable trash. But before you compost your fruit scraps, you can get more use out of them.
Banana Peels
There is so much to do with a banana peel that is hard to know where to start. For one, did you know that the pulp in the banana peel can kill warts in 1 to 12 weeks? All you have to do is place a piece of the banana peel on the wart with some tape, like a natural band-aid.
The pulp of the banana peel can also be rubbed on your teeth to whiten them. The minerals in the peel, like potassium and manganese help remineralize your teeth.
That same boiled banana water can also be a wonderful skin tonic, as it contains several minerals and vitamins that your body needs. Remember lutein? This will help protect your skin from sun damage (which shouldn’t happen if you are eating right). Sun damage can cause premature aging or saggy skin.
Eating the banana peel can help fight hemorrhoids, depression, and there are a host of other reasons why you should eat them. You can process (or cut up) the peels, and add them to shakes, a dip, cakes, etc.