Thrifty Tip Contest (January 23 - 29, 2012) | ThriftyFun

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Thrifty Tip Contest
(January 23 - 29, 2012)

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Duration	Entries
January 23 - 29, 2012	58

Tip: The History of Marshmallows

(Guest)
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 846 Posts

January 29, 2012

I found this not so earth shaking information in Readers Digest and then did some further research about them and thought it interesting enough to share as food for thought (pun intended LOL).

Comment Was this helpful? 8

Tip: Becoming Your Own Handyman

January 27, 2012

"Bill, before you go, would you look at my toilet? It's been running for weeks."Soon after the bathroom debacle, Marilyn enrolled in a continuing education class: Basic Repairs that Anyone Can Do". She figured she could save time and money (and avoid inconveniencing relatives and neighbors) by learning how to repair or replace toilets and other household items on her own.

Comment Was this helpful? 10

Tip: Get Partial Fill On New Prescriptions

January 24, 2012

Due to a serious illness, I developed allergy/reactions to various medications, especially prescription drugs. This was costing me a small fortune, as I would fill a script and after 1 or 2 pills have to dispose of the rest because I could not tolerate them.

Comment Was this helpful? 11

Chicken Scratch as BirdseedI buy chicken scratch from the local feed store and it is quite a bit cheaper than birdseed.

1 Comment Comment

Cleaning With LemonsDon't throw away those lemons after you've used them. They are great for scrubbing the kitchen sink. Simply take half a squeezed or unsqueezed lemon, dip it in some baking soda and scrub away.

Freeze Soup In Ziptop BagsPut a baggie in your soup bowl, add soup to the baggie. Close loosely. When frozen, remove from bowl and store in freezer. To thaw, you can dunk it in a bowl of warm water until loosened from the bag. Then heat as you would any frozen soup.

Kids eating popcicles

Frugal Kids Spa DayI have two girls, five and nine. My nine year old Dacoda, was always asking me if we could go to the spa. So I decided to surprise her with a home spa day.

Make Body Shimmer LotionI learned a new really neat idea. If you use bronzer powder or make up, the same thing happens; left over hard to get in corners. Or it is the wrong shade. We all have seen way too dark bronzer at one time or another.

3 Comments Comment

Make Small Raised Beds from Old TiresSmall raised garden beds save energy, water, and growing medium! Looking for ways to conserve energy and not dig more than I have to, I covered a large rectangular area with old garden cloth, large pieces of corrugated cardboard, etc.

3 Comments Comment

Many Cleaning Uses For A Swiffer MopI have found using dryer sheets works great for doing my blinds and dusting. Since doing this, I have discover a great way to save money.

1 Comment Comment

Paper Towel Baby WipesI make my own wipes! Cut a roll of paper towels in half, add 2 cups hot water and 2 tablespoons each of your favorite baby wash and baby oil.

1 Comment Comment

Store Seeds In JarsPut seeds in glass jars with tight fitting lids. Store in cool, dry place. Seeds will last 2-3 years

Turn Your Paper Clips Into Hearts by bending them.

Turn Your Paper Clips Into HeartsAfter fidgeting with some paper clips, I realized that by bending them in half, you can make them resemble hearts. Looks cute using colored clips.

1 Comment Comment

Use Leftover Vegetables For Future MealsIf I have less than one serving of cooked vegetables left, they go into an omelette. When I have 1-2 cups left over, they get minced and added to meat loaf, burgers, or poultry stuffing.

Using Canned VegetablesI have accumulated many canned foods. There is a great variation in quality between brands and types of cans used (some with metal liners, some with white-coated liners).

Gather Items TogetherIndividual items don't look like clutter if they are gathered on a tray or in a basket. Look around your home to see what you can find to use for that purpose. You may decide to include a candle or ribbon to dress it up a bit.

Taste Test Grapes Before You BuyWe can't tell by the color, smelling, feeling or thumping. If you intend on buying the grapes, the best way I have found is to pinch one off and taste it. If it is good, then you buy that bunch of grapes or take your chances.

3 Comments Comment

Unidentified LeftoversWhen it comes to storing leftovers in Cool Whip bowls, butter bowls, and even Tupperware (or Rubbermaid dishes), I am sure others have had the same problem in their household as I do.

Use Knee High Stocking To Wash Barbie ClothesThe best way to clean Barbie clothes, in my opinion, is to put them in a knee high stocking and tie a knot it in. They'll get clean and will be easy to find in washer or dryer.

2 Comments Comment

A wedding or outdoor party at a home.

Uses a Small Inn as a Wedding VenueA great, charming, and usually wildly inexpensive venue for a wedding (especially a small/medium size one) is to check for small, hole in the wall Bed and Breakfasts or inns in very small towns in the mountains or other rural areas.

Using Every Bit of DeodorantSave your empty deodorant containers that still have some deodorant in the bottom. When you have quite a few of them, heat them in the microwave for about 10 seconds or until melted. Pour into an empty container and let harden. You will have another full deodorant to use.

Wear A Mouth Guard For New BracesWhen you (or your child) get braces, be sure to ask the orthodontist for a sports mouth guard. It's a semi-flexible plastic bite guard they want the kids to wear when they play any kind of contact sports so if they get hit in the face, the braces don't get impaled on the inside of the cheeks.

Hang Mittens In Pairs, on string or twine.

Hang Mittens in PairsWith 5 kids in the house, we are always looking for their mitts especially for a matching pair. I took some twine and tied it to both ends of the shelf and used clothespins to hang them up.

1 Comment Comment

Paintstick Ruler

Paintstick RulerI didn't have a ruler and usually need one at my desk.

Stop a Window Brace from Rattling

Stop a Window Brace from RattlingI don't know if this would ever happen to you, but it did me.

1 Comment Comment

Use Handkerchieves Instead Of TissuesI have found that using a hankerchief rather than a tissue prevents the dry, red and chapped nose from a cold. Hankies may not feel as soft a tissue, but in the long run, it is much better.

1 Comment Comment

Use Mascara As Liquid EyelinerAnother thing I do is to use left over mascara as liner. If the mascara is too clumpy, running low or just not the right amount that looks good. Take the wand and use it as liquid eye liner.

1 Comment Comment

Buy Birdseed In BulkI buy birdseed in bulk. I feed my birds, safflower, thistle and sunflower seeds, wild bird seed and peanuts for the squirrels and blue jays. I buy the wild bird seed locally, usually a 40 lb bag comes out the cheapest.

2 Comments Comment

Cleaning Up Your WalletMy husband just had to change wallets since his old one was busting at the seams with credit cards, insurance cards, receipts and discount cards. We took the outdated credit cards out and shredded (my shredder has a section for this).

1 Comment Comment

Reusing Empty Parmesan Cheese ContainersI reuse empty Parmesan cheese containers for flour dusting, powdered sugar dusting, small amounts of sugar when needed, cornstarch, and even dried fruit.

1 Comment Comment

Storing Books and HobbiesMy son purchased a pantry for the apartment. It is the kind that comes in a box to be assembled at home. Last weekend, he put a lot of his collection of books inside the cabinet.

1 Comment Comment

Use Toothbrush To Clean KeyboardTake an old toothbrush and wet the bristles with vinegar, then press the bristles against a towel so the bristles are almost dry. Use the toothbrush between the keys gently, just like you would if brushing your teeth.

2 Comments Comment

Cover Clothing Stains With PaintI have a nice pseudo-Irish off white sweater in raw silk. When it got washed, a pinkish stain got on the bottom part. It's smaller than the bottom of a glass but unsightly.

1 Comment Comment

Cutting Your Own Hair At HomeI have been cutting my own hair for quite some time. First you need to invest in a good pair of scissors. I bought mine from a beauty shop supplier.

7 Comments Comment

Furniture Polish To Prevent Freezing Car DoorsTo keep car doors from freezing shut, just wipe the inside door weather stripping with furniture polish. I use Pledge. Works great.

4 Comments Comment

Making A Crocheted Kitchen TowelIt doesn't matter what pattern you use for the first rows connecting to the towel, but you want to make sure you make the long flap (where the button is) long enough to fit around the hook, towel rack, or stove handle where you are planning to hang the towel.

Marinate While You FreezeYou can give your meat marinades a little head start by pouring the marinade over the meats when you package them for freezer storage. Then thaw them in the fridge before cooking and they'll be ready to cook when you are.

Dog lying on an Americana themed quilt.

Music to Soothe Your PetsListening to soothing music is an excellent stress reducer for humans. The same is true with animals. If your dog has anxiety issues when left alone, leaving classical music playing during your absence can reduce your dog's anxiety.

3 Comments Comment

Threading A Drawstring using a needle.

Threading A DrawstringEver change your mind on what ribbon you would like to use or find that the tube you made for the drawstring is too small to run the safety pin through?

1 Comment Comment

"Vintage" Cake Platter made from a china plate and stemware.

"Vintage" Cake PlatterI had two china dinnerware plates stored in my cabinet; I wanted to display them or use them. I made matching cake platters. I used an inexpensive stemware piece, coarse sandpaper, quickset epoxy glue.

1 Comment Comment

Decorated Candy Jar with the words "So Sweet"

Decorated Candy JarDecorate an old jar (any kind of container will work!) with scrapbooking paper

1 Comment Comment

Freeze Sliced BeetsWhile reading the solutions to the question about freezing cooked beets, I realized I could freeze them like I do fresh berries.

Hot Towels For Ingrown HairKeep applying hot towels, especially when it is infected. I wet a wash cloth and place it in the microwave, make sure you do not burn yourself. I wrapped it in another wash cloth and used it that way until it cooled down.

2 Comments Comment

Make Nail Polish From Eye MakeupI always love it when something I do is shown on TV (or in a book, etc.) and now it's "cool". When I saw a episode of Rachael Ray showing something I had learned in high school, I thought I'd share. Being Thrifty is a way of life for me.

A brown dog looking up at the camera.

Three "R's" That Make You and Your Pet HappyRoutines simplify life for both pets and pet owners. From the time you bring a new puppy, dog, kitten, or cat into your home, you should establish a routine for feeding, walking, playing, and quiet time.

1 Comment Comment

A green box of Bag Balm medicated ointment.

Use Bag Balm For Dry Scaly SkinWinter is here. Being in the nursing field, I wash my hands probably more than a 100 times a day. Using the alcohol based sanitizers irritate my skin. Bag Balm is a wonderful substitute for lotion. Use it at night and see what a difference it makes.

5 Comments Comment

Avoiding A Chapped NoseEver have a cold or other nasal problem that was so bad, your nose got chapped? The skin dries and scabs, and eventually cracks. Pretty painful, isn't it? I have, over the years, found several solutions to the problem.

1 Comment Comment

Homemade Drops for Ear Wax RemovalMy son gets a lot of wax build up in his ear, so I use these home made drops which work great. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoonful of baking soda in 2 ounces of warm water.

Homemade Foot Powder

Ingredients

2 Comments Comment

Keeping Blinds CleanLike most renters, I have vertical blinds everywhere in my home. Where I live (near a beach), putting up curtains would mean way too much dirt and dust.

6 Comments Comment

Makeshift Vent Hole Covers - Plastic bags and styrofoam with a brick holding it in place.

Makeshift Vent Hole CoversI love my landlord, but he is too thrifty. For just $80.00, he could have stopped up the vent holes in the units the right way. Instead, he had the maintenance man stuff them with wadded newspaper.

2 Comments Comment

Making BowsWhen making bows of any type or size, you will get a much tighter bow if you wrap the wire around the bow as usual, but twist the bow instead of twisting the wire.

Reusing Empty Glass JarsI reuse all the glass jars that come into my house. The real small ones are great for extra washers and screws, beads, jewelry holders when traveling (I use small pierced earrings), extra chopped veggies, and so on.

2 Comments Comment

Teacher Pointer Stick GiftA 'cute' gift for any kindergarden teacher can be made easily by taking the plastic arm off an old doll and inserting a wooden dowel (1/2 to 3/4 inch round, to fit). You have created a unique (and adorable) pointer stick for use in the classroom.

Use Birthdate To Determine TurnsIf you have more than one child, you know how frustrating it is to have the kids squabbling over whose turn it is to do whatever. If you are lucky enough to have them born on odd and even dates (mine were 28th and 27th), and only TWO kids, you can use this

1 Comment Comment

Use Magnetic Strip For Hair Accessories

Use Magnetic Strip For Hair AccessoriesI went to the Dollar store and found a magnetic strip. Just peel off the backing and stick to wall in the bathroom or bedrooms, I used tacks to secure it on the wall.

An evergreen tree decorated with hearts for Valentine's Day.

Valentine TreeMy daughters didn't want to take down the Christmas tree so we made it into "The Holiday Tree". Each month, we will use a theme for that month, this month is hearts, cupids, garland, etc. all from the dollar store.

2 Comments Comment

Water in LaptopIn February, I accidentally spilled water down the fan side of my 2 week old brand new laptop. The computer tech told me to take the battery out ASAP!

1 Comment Comment

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