Tell us your unexpected benefits from conservation...

I'm travelling out of province for a month to visit family. Hubby and #2 son will be manning the homestead, and the animals will mostly get looked after, but I'm worried about some baby plants.

So I talk to a friend. Would she take them for a month? Would she feel she'd manage to water them? She started laughing and told me this:

"I like to put hot water in Bill's coffee mug in the morning, so he actually gets "hot" coffee. I had a jug on the counter, so I started to dump the hot water into the jug because it was convenient. It just so happens that by the time the jug is full, the plants need watering. So now I don't forget to water the house plants - it's awesome!"

So thanks to conserving water one coffee mug at a time, I know my babies will be looked after while I'm away!

Do other permies have stories about how saving a resource or upcycling something that would have gone to waste, or similar, had unexpected, unplanned for bonuses?

CARDBOARD TOILET ROLL INNERS!

My go to for early seed planting. They are a portable container, biodegradable. Baby bean seedling often get eaten at ground level the couple of weeks after germinating but placing a toilet roll around them, pushed into the soil can stop grubs assassinating your little seedlings. After the first 2 weeks the stem is strong enough to remove the roll.

They can be covered in paper illustrated by your children to make Christmas crackers-put small gifts inside and hang on the tree.

Thread them together with a piece of wool or string, fold over the end of the first roll and paint a face on and you have a moveable caterpillar for a toddler to pull along. The simplest things delight little kids.

Great for kids craft - my permie kids class made their parents bees and ladybugs - painting the bodies and adding sticks for legs and antenna - teaching about pollinators and having them make the bee and ladybug - it's a practical lesson they don't forget because they are so proud of their efforts.

My pets have a great time shredding or batting them around and when they finish playing - well - add them to the compost the best all time use of all - back to the soil!

Recycling Product is a  ECOS laundry detergent container: To make a portable seed watering can, take an well-rinsed ECOS bottle, take off the cap. Drill holes.  Reinstall
Cut a small notch or hole  in handle to allow the air pressure into the bottle that will allow the water can move through the cap.  

Recycling Product is a laundry detergent container with a spout with a ball to allow the liquid detergent to come out. Examples, Tide or All
Rinse and clean thoroughly. in case of a disaster. don't use your stored drinking water to wash your hands.  Store water
in the container.  If water is shut off, move the bottle to a sink: put the spout over the sink.  You now have a handwashing station.

Recycling Product-  Plastic Milk Cartons or Beach Bottles  [ Strongly Marked As TOLIET WATER)  If water is shut off or a power failure
shuts down your well, you can flush your toilets.  Line a wall with bottles.