One of the biggest contributors to landfill waste is used furniture, and a lot of it is cheaply made, low-priced stuff that was not designed to last. But what do you do if you want quality furniture and you're on a budget? New furniture resell sites offer high-end, lightly used furniture at a fraction of the price. One resell site, Kaiyo.com, lists used furniture that's refurbished and cleaned, sold at a discount and delivered to your home. Since they started, over 1.5 million pounds of furniture have already been diverted from landfills.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Ever wonder what to do with the shells of walnuts, pecans and pistachios? One idea is to save the shells and scatter them as beneficial mulch in the garden. If there is any residual salt on the shells, they will help deter slugs from attacking your plants. One other idea is to use them for indoor houseplants. Soak them in water first to remove any salt, then line the bottom of a planter with shells and fill with soil. It will help provide drainage for the plant and eventually will decompose into beneficial mulch.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Did you know that buying a used kitchen knife from a resell site like eBay can save as much as 90% of the energy costs needed to make a new knife? You can sanitize a used knife in seconds at home. If the knife does not have a plastic handle, place it in boiling water for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and let the knife sit in the hot water, then slowly pour the boiling water out; allow it to cool to room temperature. If the knife has a plastic handle, fill a pot with the hottest water that comes out of the tap and let it soak for 15 seconds. Remove with tongs and scrub with an old toothbrush to remove any debris.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION