10 ways a yogurt cup can make your life easier

Where does your yogurt cup go after you finish eating- the trash? The recycling bin? Before you discard it, reconsider. A clean yogurt cup with a matching plastic lid may be more useful than you think. There are ten ways a yogurt cup can make your life easier.

Has the electricity in your home gone out? Bring the solar power from your garden inside. Remove the LED portion from the solar light’s post and place the light inside the yogurt container. A plain container, without any writing on it, is best. This temporary lighting solution doesn’t require batteries or a flame and is safe for even kids to hold.

Are you a do-it-yourself type? If so, you can make your own body polish, hair styling gel and moisturizing cream. Making It, by Kelly Coyne and Eric Knutzen, has easy recipes anyone can replicate. To start, you’ll need a container for your creations. A clean yogurt container with its plastic lid is worth trying until you’ve decided to commit to more DIY beauty adventures.

Separating different types of materials to compost –fruits and vegetables in one container and coffee grounds in another – will keep your compost pile balanced and your trips outside minimal.

Make cooking from scratch easier by dicing tomatoes, carrots and other ingredients on a day when you’re not as busy. Yogurt containers are a convenient size for the amounts that many recipes require.

Store beads in a clear yogurt container with the lid securely snapped to keep them dust-free and organized.

If you’ve bought seeds to start your garden, you don’t need pots just yet - you can start your seeds in yogurt cups. Cut a hole in the bottom of each to allow excess water to drain or your seedlings will suffer. Placing the plastic lid under the cup helps catch the excess water that drains. Starting a garden for free (except for the cost of seeds and soil) is possible when you use yogurt containers to hold your seeds.

Make it easier to pay with cash at toll booths, fast food windows and parking meters. Place a yogurt cup in one cup holder and fill it with spare change. An extra perk is that this side of your car’s cup holder will be easier to clean as the yogurt cup will catch the dust that slowly accumulates in every car.

Teach your kid the value of a dollar and demonstrate how money adds up over time. Whether you choose to give an allowance or give money for chores performed, use a yogurt cup as a temporary piggy bank. Cut a hole in the top and place coins and dollars inside. If your child wants to buy a real piggy bank, he or she can, but will have to pay for it with the money earned. Keeping the free piggy bank means getting to spend the money on something else. The lesson? Weighing the benefits of saving and spending.

Sort buttons by color and store them in several containers until needed. Snap the lids securely to avoid spills.

Keep leftovers in small containers to appease your appetite between meals. Do not reheat a plastic yogurt container! Upon heating, chemicals from plastic can be released into your food, creating a health hazard.