Natural and Thrifty in 365: #45 Reuse Old Coffee and Grounds

I love a good cup of coffee in the mornings. In fact, I’ve nearly perfected my morning brew into the perfect cup of coffee. But did you know that you can actually save money, and use those old grounds and coffee for other purposes?

1. Use old coffee grounds as a natural fertilizer for household plants and your garden. Sprinkle the grounds on top of the soil or mix in. This is a less expensive, and less toxic option than fertilizer. It’s best if you drink organic coffee.
2. Use old coffee grounds to deodorize. Dry out your grounds on a cookie sheet or large plate, and then use them in a bowl to deodorize various areas of your home. Place them in the refrigerator like you would baking soda, and the grounds will absorb odors.
3. Use old coffee grounds for a facial scrub. Mix dried grounds with a little honey and coconut oil, and you have an invigorating facial or body scrub.
4. Use old coffee (without milk and sugar) to naturally stain wood or cover scratches. Just use a rag to spread it around and wipe off. It may take reapplying a few times to reach the shade that you desire, but coffee is by far cheaper and less expensive than wood stain!

This is an easy and simple way to reuse something, so that you are saving money and helping the environment. Do you have any other ways that you reuse coffee?

Natural & Thrifty in 365 is a year-long series of 365 tips for living more green, natural and healthy while saving money. Do you have a natural and thrifty tip that you would like to share with The Thrifty Mama readers? Contact me here and let me know about it. You just might get featured as one of the 365 tips!