9 Unconventional Uses for Binder Clips

Binder clips are, of course, universally recognized as a must-have item in any office. I keep a constant supply in my own home workspace, as well as some in my backpack/messenger when I'm on the go. What you may not know is that a binder clip can be used for so much more than simply clipping loose leaves of paper together. What a Swiss Army knife is to MacGuyver, a binder clip can be to you. Here are 9 supper awesome ways to use binder clips in your every day life.

Keep Your Cash Together. A binder clip can actually make a pretty good money clip, in pinch. Keep bills, receipts, and cards together and organized! Also use it to keep business cards you collect throughout the day, loyalty cards, and the like. Be careful that you don't put the clip in your pocket with a cell phone or mp3 player; the screen may get scratched.

Organize Your Cables. Yeah, that's right, all that mess behind and all over your desk. Get some larger binder clips and use them to tame your tangle of wires. The best thing is that unlike cable ties or even twisty ties, binder clips are easy to snap off and rearrange when you need to add or take away some equipment.

Keep Chips Fresh. You know what I usually do? Roll up the chip bag and then turn it upside down. Not the best idea! I'm about to start keeping a stash of binder clips in the kitchen so I can keep my crunchy snacks crisp and fresh. A ten cent binder clip beats a dollar chip-clip from the grocery store that doesn't even work!

Keep Your Toothpaste Rolled Up. I just started implementing this one. See the included photo for binder clip in all its Aquafresh glory. Using a binder clip to keep your toothpaste primed and ready is a lot easier than using a rubber band, and it's definitely a step up from manually pressing the paste to the top every time.

Make a Multi-Purpose Note Holder. Glue a magnet on the back of a binder clip, and it becomes a great note holder for the fridge.Add some removable adhesive like sticky tack and you can easily clip loose paper to your monitor to read while typing. Put two on the bottom of a note card, and the arms will hold your notecard upright for you! A great way to keep a recipe in view while cooking.

Build a HipsterPDA. Very geeky, but very useful. Bind a stack of notecards together with a clip, and use it to keep track of your tasks, calendar and appointments. At the end of the day, your data is easy to manipulate, arrange, and re-arrange since everything is on individual cards. For more information on just how cool this can be, do a quick Google for "HipsterPDA."

Keep Your Place Marked. Binder clips make fantastic bookmarks, because they don't fall out! Even if you book gets a bit of beating in your bag or you drop it, you won't loose your place. If your clip is big enough, you'll also be able to mark more than one place!

Give Your Fingers A Workout. Use the larger binder clips to strengthen the muscles in your fingers and hands. Squeeze the clip to open it, and keep in it open for count to 5. Release, then repeat 10 times. Do this couple times a day on each hand, and I bet those pesky pickle jars will begin to open a bit easier!

Keep Your Trash Bags From Slipping. Do your trash bags ever slip down into the can, creating a mess that no one in the house wants to clean up? Just clip the bag to the can with some binder clips, and your problem is solved!

OK, OK...so these tips don't exactly make you a super resourceful international secret agent. But they'll sure make your life easier!