Humans are innately equipped with imagination and creativity, two traits that develop as we grow and learn more about our world. One of the main practical applications of these two invaluable skills consists of finding new and unique uses for the objects in our environment.
If you take a look at the newest trends in terms of multifunctional furniture, you should get the idea. The coffee cup is probably the most overlooked item in this sense, although as you are about to find out, its practicality extends far beyond holding your cup of Joe in the morning. In essence, the standard mug on your desk could fulfill a plethora of roles, helping you arrange and organize the smaller items on your desk. And that is just for starters!
1. Save the change you receive at the supermarket
A saved dollar is an earned dollar, according to common wisdom, but somehow all the change we receive from the cashier at the grocery store eventually gets misplaced and lost. That happens because we don’t have a designated container for the change and consequentially, we tend to leave it anywhere. In the pockets of last season’s jacket, on the table, under the couch cushions, so on and so forth. At the same time, the added value of change is often underestimated when in reality it can easily reach a couple hundred dollars. Therefore, if you don’t have a piggy bank or a vacation fund jar, the coffee mug could represent an excellent alternative.
2. Keeping your keys at hand at all times
How many times did you have to leave the house in a hurry only to realize that you can’t find your keys anywhere nor have any idea when you last saw them? Handling the house/car keys are an integral part of our routine and as such, our brain is mainly on “auto mode” while using them. These mechanical actions go unrecorded by the active memory, which explains why you won’t really be able to remember what you did with the keys, particularly if you are under a lot of stress. On the other hand, if you designate a cup for the keys and train yourself to store them there every single time, you will no longer experience this aggravating issue.
3. Any drinkable liquid can be stored in the mug!
At subconscious level, people exclusively associate the coffee cup with coffee and, as a result, they are reluctant to serve other beverages in it. It’s like a little voice in the back of your head that keeps telling you something is wrong when you put tea or energy drinks in the coffee cup. However, rationally speaking a cup is a cup, so there is no real reason for it to have only one purpose. You can save water and time by not having to wash several other cups, you can avoid that sticky dried grime on the bottom by cleaning it more often, so on and so forth.
4. Collecting marbles but you have no place to store them?
Collecting unique colorful marbles is an excellent pastime, but where would you possibly store them? Do you actually need a designated box for your assortment? Well no, because the cylindrical shape of the cup makes it an ideal storage space for the spherical marbles. On a side note, this can also apply very well for any type of collection that involves miniature pieces, irrespective of their shape.
5. Screws, nails, nuts and bolts
You never know when you will have to disassemble your computer for its regular cleaning or when an electrical socket in your home has to be replaced. Sure, you have all the tools you need in the process, but what about the small components? Virtually every repair project is likely to require screw and nuts, so why not keep them nearby in order to access them easily? Again, the standard coffee mug is here to save the day.
6. A handy, minimalistic sewing kit
You don’t know what shame is until you have to parade around the office with a visible crack in your pants because your stretched a bit more than the textile permitted. Rather than let your self esteem take a big hit and earn more or less hilarious nicknames among colleagues, why not keep a small sewing kit at hand? Naturally, you simply cannot let pointy needles or the thread lying around on the table, because sooner or later you will prick your fingers. Yeah, you guessed it, just store them in the coffee mug!
7. Office supplies
Do you always have trouble finding a clip for your folder, a working pen or the box of staples under the pile of documents on your desk? Every single person who works within the belly of the bureaucratic machine will eventually have a nervous breakdown because of it, particularly when the deadlines are approaching. Now, without denying the fact that cleaning and organizing your desk regularly is a surefire way to keep a sane mind under pressure, you should also consider storing the smaller supplies that always seem to be hiding from you in a convenient location. Like, I don’t know…the coffee cup?
8. Grow a plant in a cup
Are you taking a hiatus from coffee because caffeine is causing your ticker to go haywire? Then you probably know it’s not the easiest thing in the world, particularly due to the addictive nature of the substance. Rather than having the mug stare from the corner of your eye, practically inviting you to take a sip, you could set yourself free from temptation by filling it with an appropriate soil and growing a plant in it.
9. Sugar, spice and everything nice
Okay, so the break from coffee didn’t work out. Maybe you are annoyed that the coffee machine at work never gives enough sugar. Perhaps the meals at your cafeteria are bland and unsatisfactory. Well rather than let these little things kill your mood every day, you can bring your own spice/sugar/salt from home and store it in the mug. However, mugs that come with a lid are generally recommended for this purpose.
10. Jewelry and ornaments
You probably won’t store your family heirlooms in the mug at work, but at home the coffee cup represents an excellent place for the pieces you commonly wear.
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