One of the best ways to save money and resources is by reusing materials.  Reusing also helps reduce the amount of waste going into our landfills.  Reusing is an important part of our resource conservation plan here a the yardstead.  We reuse everything from plastic bags to building materials.  Some items such as plastic bags can be reused with very little thought or effort.  Other items such as lumber or fencing, require a little more effort to reuse.  A little bit of planning ahead can make it much easier to reuse these larger items and greatly reduce the amount of waste.  
Whenever we begin a project at the yardstead, we always consider ways to reuse materials we already have.  We have a section of the pole barn dedicated to reusable materials.  Despite the fact that I take care to keep this section organized and free from trash, its sometimes refered to as the "junk pile" by my wife.  Im sure it does look like a junk pile to the untrained eye, but to skilled reuser its a treasure trove of possibilities.   I revisit this area daily, whether I'm looking for a scrap of wire to mend a fence or one more board to finish a project.