Tip Contest Results

Drying Flowers With Cat Litter

At this time of year, we have a lot of beautiful flowers blooming. A cheaper way of drying them is to use a cheap cat litter. Make sure you use the plain clay litter. Line a box with paper towels, put a layer of cat litter on the paper towels. Place your roses (or flowers to be dried) on the litter, making sure they aren't touching. Gently add more of the litter to cover the flowers. They should be dry in about 10 days. Shake them gently to remove excess litter. Spray with the cheap super-hold hair spray. It will seal and protect them. It will take along time to use up all the litter and it works better than the expensive silica gel. The results will be beautiful.

By Dorothy from New Creek, WV

Homemade Grass Fertilizer

For greener grass.

Materials

• one full can of pop (not diet)
• one full can of beer
• 1/2 cup dish soap
• 1/2 cup of ammonia
• 1/2 cup of mouthwash

Instructions

Pour into a 10 gallon hose end sprayer and apply about every 3 weeks. Works really well. People are always asking my husband how he gets the grass so green.

By coville123 from Brockville, Ontario

Egg Mc Muffins

Mix your scrambled eggs in a bowl then pour into your measuring cup, easier for pouring. Pour into muffin tins and bake in oven for about 10 minutes. Makes perfect shaped eggs to put on an English muffin. It is also faster, but do not overfill the muffin tins.

By coville123 from Brockville, Ontario

Freezing Zest in Wax Paper

My good friend visited a few days and showed me how she freezes lemon or orange zest and juice fron one fruit. She uses a zester or fine grater on waxed paper, then folds it over several times and lays it flat. She then puts them in a quart freezer bag. When she needs zest, she always has the right amount.

She freezes lemon or orange juice in the amounts called for in most recipes (ie: "juice of one lemon", 1 or 2 Tbsp., etc.) It takes less time to thaw out. We did some up with the lemons she brought from her yard. Now I have plenty to make the lemon cake recipe she gave me.

I also save the plastic cereal box liners in the freezer door to use for coating pork chops/chicken, coating Sandy Cookies with powdered sugar etc. They are out of the way and I always have "free" bags to use.

Source: My friend Mary

By Great Granny Vi from Moorpark, CA

Natural Aphid Spray

Imagine my chagrin this year when for the first time ever I decided to try growing dill and woke up one morning wondering why the upper most tender portions of the plants, which were ready for harvest, were drooping heavily sideways. Upon closer inspection those portions were covered with aphids. Well, I certainly didn't want to use anything as a remedy that would be toxic so went to several internet sites to find a workable natural solution.

By the way, you will also want to check plants, both edible and ornamental, near the infested ones. I found those little buggers were also beginning to munch on my pepper plants! This is the solution that worked for me in just a couple of days by adjusting assorted homemade recipe ingredients that I came across on the web. First, in the case of my dill, I cut off the upper portions, which were most likely no longer fit to consume anyway, rinsed the remaining portions of the plants with a heavy stream of water and then heavily sprayed the plants and the surrounding soil with a water bottle using the following recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 tbsp liquid dish washing soap

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients well in a lidded glass jar.
2. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the solution per each cup of water in the spray bottle and store remaining solution in the jar in the refrigerator.
3. Soak spray the infested plants and surrounding soil.
4. Repeat the rinsing and spraying for two more days and then use the solution thereafter once a week.
5. Do not spray when direct sun is on the plants because the combination of the sun rays and solution will burn the leaves.

Note: On the third and fourth days I did find a couple of renegade aphids on the stems and gave them a quick spray. When I checked each morning thereafter, those same little guys were brown and dead. I have absolutely no clue how or why but it gave me great satisfaction. ;-)

By Deeli from Richland, WA

Warning: If You Use Linkedln Change Your Password Immediately

It was just announced by Linkedln (today is June 7, 2012) that user passwords have been stolen from their database and not only that, but that they have also been posted on the internet and 60% of the encrypted passwords have already been cracked!

For security sake please change the password you use for your Linkedln account immediately and if you use that same password for email, banking, or any other site change them right away too!

Source: Linkedln

By Deeli from Richland, WA

Salt For Getting Rid of Weeds

My son in law is a landscaper. He uses regular boxed salt to get rid of weeds and it really does work. How nice to find something so cheap and eco friendly to take care of weed problems.

By Gem from VA

Spelling Hints For Kids

I have ten kids so this tip comes in handy all the time. When my kids need help with spelling, I just think of all the words that start with A-Z and write them all down. I cut each one out and put them in a hat. Then I get each kid to take out a word and write it in a notebook. We do this until all the words are gone. Then we open the notebook to another page and write all the words out without looking at the words.

Whichever words they get wrong, I tape them around their room. Every time, they see the word, they have to turn around, find their note book and pencil and write out the word. If they get it right, they take it down. If they get it wrong, they leave it up there. We do this until all the words are down and everyone knows their words. It work wonders.

By mc4lifes from Sydney, NSW

Adjust Car Clock Ahead

Since my car usually carries me to an appointment, I set the car clock back 7 or 8 minutes permanently. It gives me "catch-my-breath" time. It keeps me from having a panic attack as I cut it close for an appointment.

By Lynn from Bridgeville, PA

Baby Socks to Protect Hardwood Floors

This is something I haven't thought about since the 1950s when everyone had hardwood floors. We bought a 1955 rancher and DH is refinishing the living room and hall floors. I just remembered some things I used to do to protect my floors when moving furniture.

My couch and chairs had the little legs on them with the "skirt" which came down to cover the legs. I put baby socks on the legs to protect my floors. I folded washcloths in 4ths to use under the edges of things where the baby socks weren't suitable. With the renewed interest in hardwood flooring these hints might be helpful again.

By Marty from Knoxville, TN

Homemade Tanning Recipe

My grandmother use to buy a bottle of baby oil and mix iodine in it. She had the nicest tan and the the softest skin.

By Darlene from Gaston, SC

Organizing a Storage Building

My husband has me save milk cartons and ice cream containers for him to use for various things. In order to keep them from cluttering his storage building, he threads them through a chain that runs from one end of the building to the other. Whenever he needs one of them, he just unhooks the chain, removes whatever he needs and hooks the chain back. He also uses hooks to hang items such as an unused birdcage and an assortment of baskets so that they do not consume valuable shelf or floor space in the building.

By VeronicaHB

Using Soap Nuts for Household Cleaning

I have become a recent convert to soap nuts. These are dried berries which many countries use for cleaning. They clean your clothes just as well as washing powder, but the clothes are so soft, and residue free. You can put 3 or 4 of them straight into the machine if you use hot water (you can reuse them several times) or make a liquid by boiling some soap nuts, which I put in ice cube trays and keep them in my freezer. These handy little soap cubes can be used for floors, bathrooms, etc.

I know I sound like an addict, but they are just so good. Do yourself a favor and search for them on the internet. If you re-use your grey water as I do, you don't want to put too many nasties on your garden (or yourself). They are fantastic and of course they are not expensive, especially when you look at the price of cleaning products. They are so much better for the environment too.

By happy ending from Geraldton

Make Celery Last a Month

Celery tends to quickly go limp in the refrigerator. Keep it crisp by rolling it in two sheets of paper towels, then a layer of aluminum foil. Slip the rolled-up celery back in the plastic bag it came in, then tie with a twist tie. It will remain crunchy even after four weeks in your fridge's vegetable drawer.

By Ziggi from San Diego, CA

Jigsaw Puzzles Tips

As you may already know, the first thing you do when putting together a jigsaw puzzle is to go through and sort out all the flat border pieces by putting them in a separate box. As you are doing this, take several boxes from other puzzles, shoe boxes, or big paper plates and sort out the non-border pieces according to similar colors.

Keep the puzzle pieces face up, so that you can view them all as you are filling in the puzzle. For example, you may separate sky, grass, tree, and water pieces all into different containers. Doing the puzzle this way will save you a lot of time and frustration!

I recently purchased a "Puzzle Stow and Go" which works great for storing a puzzle! Before I would have to leave my puzzle out on the table for days or weeks while I finished them, which would always leave pieces of my puzzle missing. This is a perfect solution, because used correctly, you can keep your unfinished puzzle safely away from your kids or the animals.

To use correctly, I recommend ironing out every single wrinkle in the fabric. This seemed to take me a long time, but maybe because I hate to iron. For stubborn wrinkles spray them first with water, and use a high heat setting.

As you start the border keep it centered in the middle as much as possible. Then when you are ready to store the partially completed puzzle away, make sure that there are no overlapping pieces. Take the inflatable tube and be sure to start rolling it evenly on both sides, then not too tightly, just roll it up. Secure the straps and that's it.

I usually stack the boxes that I sorted the pieces out into and place everything for my puzzle up high, like in my closet or on top of the fridge for safe keeping. As you're doing the puzzle, sometimes things get very tricky. I found that when trying to finish a certain area, sometimes it's a good idea to sort out pieces by their shape. Group together pieces with the knobs and holes on the same sides. That way, when looking for a certain piece you'll only try pieces of that same shape and color.

After all is said and done, you have an awesome work of art that you spent forever to complete! Of course you're proud of your accomplishment, and want to glue it, frame it, and keep it for generations to come. So there are a couple different ways to keep your puzzle intact. I would recommend Ravensburger puzzle glue, or another puzzle glue. If you don't have any, then in a little bowl mix white school glue and a bit of water to make to make the consistency more watery but still gooey.

You may want to use a plastic trash bag to put underneath the puzzle to protect the table underneath. Use a paint brush and brush the glue directly on top, pushing the glue more into the cracks than the surface. Let dry 60 to 90 minutes and then apply a 2nd coat. You can then glue the entire puzzle onto a sheet of lightweight foam insulation using contact cement and construct a frame around that. Now hang your work of art somewhere nice for everyone to see!

By MissMalorie from Yuctown, CA

Bee Jar Trap

Punch a hole in a jar lid about as wide as your pinky finger. You want the bee to be able to get in but not crawl out as easy. Fill the jar half full of orange juice. Smear some jam under the lid.

Seal jar with lid and put it in the yard where there is little traffic. They will crawl in and drowned. This will also work for fruit flies.

By coville123 from Brockville, Ontario

Editor's Note: As many of the ThriftyFun community have pointed out, bees are essential for pollinating home and commercial gardens and should not be killed unless absolutely necessary.

Nutrition In Disguise

I had 3 boys in 4 1/2 years when I was very young. Then at 40, I had another boy. His brothers were 17, 20 and 22 when he was born. I gave them pancakes slathered in butter and syrup at least twice a week. Not wanting the little one to consume all that sugar, I scrambled 2 eggs in a bowl then added 1/4 cup of flour to the mix. VOILA! Pancakes for one with very little syrup.

One of the older boys caught me adding the flour to the eggs and inquired as to what I was doing. When I told him I was making pancakes for Mike, he exclaimed "Is there no end to your treachery?" He remembered being told that Ritz crackers and the small snack rye loaves were cookies. We've had a lot of laughs over the years about those cookies.

I have a real thing about giving little kids a lot of sugar and have managed to find a way around it. The youngest son is now 35, a fine man, very health conscious and a firefighter. He is watching the sugar consumption of his 2 kids.

By Marty from Knoxville, TN

Stock Up on Salad Dressing Mixes

I have discovered that those packets of Ranch or Italian salad dressing mix are a versatile, easy to store pantry staple.

• A portion of the dry mix can be added to scrambled eggs or omelets for a burst of flavor.
• Add the dry mix to mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, or potato salad.
• Mix a small portion of the dry mix into your deviled egg or egg salad recipe.
• Sprinkle the dry mix over cherry tomatoes that you have tossed around in hot olive oil for a couple of minutes. This makes a great side dish, especially if you sprinkle a little shredded cheese over the tomatoes.

These are just a few suggestions. Be creative and use the mixes to invigorate your summer recipes

By VeronicaHB

Magnets From Old Pins and Earrings

You can glue small round magnets to the backs of pins and earrings. They are bright and cheery, especially floral and starburst types. Just snap off the pin backs and clips or posts with a pair of needle nose pliers, then glue on the magnets with either a glue gun or cement type glue.

By Karen H. from Pawtucket, RI

Cooking Pinto Beans

As a southern gal, I must have pinto beans every now and again cooked by me and not from a can. Since I got old and my hands became arthritic, it was difficult to rinse the beans and lift the slow cooker or large bean pot to pour off the water used for washing. I then had to lift the vessel into the slow cooker or onto the stove.

I now get my sinks hospital clean, set my colander in the sink and swish the beans around under running water with my hands for five or six minutes. They will be lighter in color after being washed. I dump them into my pot of choice and fill with water using a glass.

I also have started keeping my beans in an old applesauce jar. It's much easier to deal with than a bag of beans flopping around. I don't drop nearly as many beans this way.

By Marty D. from Knoxville, TN

Use Pool Noodles to Protect Tomatoes

When I plant tomatoes, I put the wire rings around them. They invariably grow over the top of the metal rings and since they get heavy and there is no cushion, it cuts the stem almost in half. I solved this problem by buying the noodles at the dollar store, slitting them in half but only the first layer. Then I cut them to fit the metal ring.

By Elaine from Belle Plaine, IA

Clean Your Smoke Detectors

Brush out and clean smoke detectors each season to prevent false activation. I had to call our fire dept. during night hours because our detector activated and we could not find a reason, nor could we turn it off. The firemen removed the cover and found accumulated dust spiders and bugs which activated the alarm.

By ang from Southington, CT

Oven Cleaner to Remove Oil Stains

To remove car oil stains on your driveway or on the floor of your garage, spray foam oven cleaner, leave on for about 10 minutes, then wash with warm water and brush the stain away.

Source: Mum and Dads Newsletter.

By Eileen from Yorktown, VA

Vitamin E Cream For Rosacea

I have found it very hard to find a moisturizer that does not cause massive problems with my rosacea. One day, I found a bottle of Johnson's baby moisturizer cream. I needed somthing besides my metrogel, especially in the winter. I thought this would be mild and what did I have to lose anyway?

So I tried it and then I went to the store to purchase a much larger size bottle. This time I did not buy the one in the regular pink bottle, I tried the one with the vitamin E in it. The bottle has a green cap and I found this one works really well.

I wanted to tell this story as it is hard to find makeup and creams, because what works well for me might not work for someone else. If this helps anyone, that would be great. I was stunned at the variety of creams they had. When my kids were small, they only had one kind now you can pick and choose what one you think is the best for yourself! I really hope this helps SOMEONE Good Luck.

By Darlene from Fairview PA

Hidden Organizational Space

The inside of your cabinets can provide some excellent organizational space. Put some hooks at the back of the cabinet or attach a piece of pegboard or cork board in the back and use this space to hang small kitchen utensils, pot holders, and various other small items. Over-the-door organizers are also great organizational tools for kitchen and bathroom cabinets.

By VeronicaHB

Peel Hard Boiled Eggs Easier

Start eggs in cold water with a couple of heaping teaspoons of salt. The salt sucks the calcium out of the shells and makes them easier to peel. You can also put them in ice water and roll them on the counter for easier removal.

Source: a friend

By coville123 from Brockville, Ontario

Homemade Sun Lotion

I tried this the other day it works really good. I wanted to test on myself before I used it on the kids.

Ingredients

• 1/4 diaper rash cream
• 1 Tbsp. of coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp. of coconut butter
• 1 Tbsp. of aloe vera gel
• 1 tsp. of sesame oil
• 1 tsp. of beeswax

Directions

Put all ingredients in a glass bowl on top of a pan of boiling water and melt all ingredients together, stirring often. Allow to cool and put into empty bottle. Store in a cool dry place or in the fridge.

By coville123 from Brockville, Ontario

Remove Toast With Chopsticks

Chopsticks aren't just for eating anymore. Some breads just don't pop up from the toaster very well, and people often use metal utensils to get them out. This is very dangerous and there is an easier and safer way. Grab a pair of wooden chopsticks and keep them close to the toaster. When you use them, put one on each side of the toasted item and push them together. Pull up and you are done.

Source: Me

By Kenneth from Copperas Cove, TX

Insurance Discounts

Most people are aware that you get a discount on your insurance if you bundle your vehicle insurance with your homeowner's or renter's insurance. But, many people are not aware that you can qualify for more than one discount for other reasons as well. Many companies also give discounts for:

• students with good grades
• getting married
• your occupation (my husband and I get one for being firefighters/EMTs)
• military
• taking certain classes (such as my husband got one for taking a motorcycle class, and my daughter for Driver's Ed
• paying with auto draft (from our checking account)

We also recently got a "bonus" for referring another customer to our insurance agent.

By mom-from-missouri from NW, MO

Compare Prices With Your Phone

My husband and I buy bigger packages of things like Tyson chicken tenders, but we make sure they are on sale. Pull out your calculator on your phone (I know yours has one!) and do the math to see which size will be the better deal.

If you have one that is 16 oz. and one that is 32 oz., if the 16 oz. is $4.00 and the larger one is 2 for $7.00, which do you think is the better deal. Well, the 32 oz. of course!

I just wanted to share the way we do our shopping to help save you money because it can be expensive! We also stick strictly to a list each time! We also don't buy our favorite ice cream unless it's on sale, and we love our ice cream! I hope this helps you as much as it helps us!

Just work at it and compare prices. I know a lot of advice says to shop different places to save money but for me personally, it's really inconvenient for my family &. I think it is a waste of gas, therefore, a waste of money to drive around to different stores to save a few extra pennies.

By Henrietta B. from Westminster, SC