After you've fried up a delicious batch of homemade donuts, what do you do with the leftover cooking oil? There's an old wives' tale that you can pour used cooking oil into the ground, where it becomes food for earthworms. But the reality is, used oil will likely move its way to waterways -- through storm drains or natural methods -- where it will be a contaminant. Oil and water don't mix and can poison lakes, rivers and the public water supply. Instead, try reusing the oil by cleaning it and filtering it through coffee filters. Or find a local recycler who can turn the oil into biofuel. If you need to get rid of it faster than that, mix it with kitty litter and place it in an airtight container to toss in the trash.

Buying in bulk from wholesale clubs can be a great way to save money and reduce packaging on some of your favorite everyday items. But buying in bulk can have its perils when the item you're buying has a short shelf life. When buying perishable foods in bulk, it's best to avoid items like ketchup, mustard, mayo and other condiments. Most families will not go through the entire supply before it goes bad; dollar for dollar, it's better to buy these items in normal-sized jars. One other item to avoid? Healthy brown rice. Brown rice has a shelf life of only six months because it retains its natural oils and fatty acids; when it goes bad, it takes on a rancid taste. White rice, which is free of those fats, has a shelf life of 30 years.

If you've got a garlic press gathering dust in your kitchen, bring it out and use it for more than just garlic. You can use it to crush dried herbs to make your own custom blends. Add whole seeds like black pepper, cumin, coriander -- whatever you want! -- and place them in the device. When the herbs go through the press, you'll have a coarse blend that's fresh and ready to go. When you find a spice blend you love, save money and buy the ingredients in bulk and press away. The blends make great gifts and can be stored in airtight jars to use whenever you're ready to grill, bake, sautee ...