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Thrifty Tip Contest
(May 9 - 15, 2009)

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Duration	Entries
May 9 - 15, 2009	67

Tip: How To Teach Your Children To Cook

PENNY K
Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 107 Feedbacks

May 15, 2009

I am helping my young granddaughter-in-law learn how to cook. I know she will come over one of her days off and I think ahead to what she might enjoy eating that would be good for her.

Comment Pin it! Was this helpful? 7

Tip: Who Remembers Paper Dolls?

May 15, 2009

My 5 year old granddaughter's favorite words are "play with me". I try to find crafts to make, cutting out pictures, coloring, glitter, drawing; she loves it all.

Comment Was this helpful? 19

Tip: Make an Automatic Computer Virus Alert

May 11, 2009

You have probably heard of the computer viruses that will automatically send themselves to everyone in your email address book, there are several different ones out there. If someone opens or clicks a link in one of those emails, they can 'catch' the virus, too.

Comment Was this helpful? 18

Add Ice Cubes to Empty Muffin TinsWhen baking cupcakes if I don't fill all of the tins, I put an ice cube in the empty cups. This is easier than filling the empties with water.

3 Comments Comment

Keep Mayflies Away With MarigoldsTo keep Mayflies from zooming around your head and biting you, put a couple of marigolds in your hat. They don't like the smell. They will circle your head and leave.

1 Comment Comment

Keeping Toothbrushes CleanAfter you have a cold or flu, wash your toothbrush with Listerine. I wash mine all the time in Listerine and even brush my teeth with the fluoride rinse and also the mouthwash. It keeps brushes fresh.

6 Comments Comment

Product Review: Village Naturals TherapyThis is the best muscle relaxing bath product I have ever used. It is good when you need something to clear your sinuses and I have never seen another product that works as good.

2 Comments Comment

Research Online for Best Car Part PricesSave money on your car repairs by researching the price of the parts, and perhaps buying the part on your own. Many automotive shops charge up the price of the part and pass it on to the consumer.

2 Comments Comment

Save on New Movies With Pay Per ViewYou can save money on new(er) movies by seeing them on pay-per-view on your cable. I saw a new one on the IFC pay-for-view that I just saw reviewed in the paper, as you can get it on cable at the same time as its independent release.

3 Comments Comment

Save Your Bread Bag TiesDo not throw away your bread ties from the bread bags. I reuse them for opened frozen veggies, or anything that I open that needs a tie. Keep a stash in your kitchen drawer, you will be amazed how handy they become.

6 Comments Comment

Use Eyelash Yarn When Knitting ShawlsI have been knitting shawls with eyelash yarn and regular yarn backing. They are lovely and fluffy. A white or black one would make a dramatic faux fur stole for a Prom, for about $40 or so, and you have it for other events later!

Use Plastic Wrap for Easy Cooking Clean UpI have a galley kitchen and my fridge is beside my stove, so the side of the fridge gets a lot of cooking spatters. I cover the side of the fridge with plastic "Saran" wrap.

1 Comment Comment

Waterproof Printer InkI do outdoor craft fairs and I need printer ink that does not run or smear when it rains! Epson printers have waterproof ink. With my Epson printer I don't have to worry about my business cards, brochures or signs running if it rains!

3 Comments Comment

An Organized Shopping ListSave a lot of time and money by organizing your grocery list the the location of the item.

3 Comments Comment

Ask a Master GardenerEver wonder what you should plant? For free answers from experts about what grows best in your area, and for questions about insects and garden pests, ask a Master Gardner.

3 Comments Comment

Carry an Insulated Shopping Bag in Your CarFrugal and Green! Purchase one of those heavy duty insulated shopping bags and keep it in your car for when you're grocery shopping. I find it especially helpful here in the South, during the summer.

7 Comments Comment

Cat Snack Recipe1 cup tuna in oil, dash of parsley, some wheat germ, and corn flake crumbs. I just "eyeball" the amount so the tuna sticks together in small meatballs.

4 Comments Comment

Cleaning Tomato Sauce Stains from PlasticEver use a rubber spatula on food items like spaghetti or tomato sauce and have the spatula get stained? Or ever use a plastic food container for leftovers which stained the container? I dreaded using my Pampered Chef white spatulas when I needed them for spaghetti.

1 Comment Comment

Easy Clean-up For Peeling VeggiesI was making scalloped potatoes yesterday and as I was peeling the potatoes, realized that I have a really good tip to share. In the past I found that cleaning up the peels was a pain because they fly everywhere.

2 Comments Comment

Free Lessons and Entertainment OnlineDo you want to learn to play the piano or perhaps take voice lessons? Maybe taking art lessons is more your cup of tea. You can learn to play the guitar and even go to youtube and learn to play the ukulele. All for free. You can take free online classes from universities.

2 Comments Comment

Getting Rid of Bleach SmellIf you are using a cleaning agent (called White King or Demostos as used in Australia) containing a chlorine base (chemical name Sodium Hypochlorite), use white vinegar on your hands and the smell will disappear.

1 Comment Comment

Gift Ideas for Those With Difficulty Using HandsWe all know someone who is elderly or has arthritis, carpel tunnel or other disabilities that makes it difficult to work with her hands. Those of us who have full use of our hands sometimes don't stop to think of all the things.

2 Comments Comment

Hang Purses By Binder Rings In ClosetTo organize your purses in your closet, use a single metal ring binder to put your purses on. One binder ring could hold 3 purses by their handles. Once the purses are on the ring, hang the ring in your closet on the closet rack.

1 Comment Comment

Make Victorian-Look Gift TagsMake a tag form or use a ready-made tag in ivory color. Cut a small piece of paper that is either old or looks old the size of the tag, minus 1/8 inch all the way around.

Paint Panel Door With Chalkboard PaintWe have an old home. The doors have 4 panels in them. I painted the door panels with chalkboard paint carried at home improvement stores. I then painted the name of each grandchild on a panel.

1 Comment Comment

Red Balls To Deter Birds From TomatoesBirds had always beaten me to my ripe tomatoes, forcing me to pick them green. I found a simple yet effective solution; light-weight, red, plastic balls! When a tomato begins to ripen, hang a red ball directly on the plant next to it.

1 Comment Comment

Sanitize Your HomeIf someone is sick in your home or you are worried about the swine-flu, here's a tip: Take a small spray bottle and fill it with plain rubbing alcohol. Now spray everything your family touches.

3 Comments Comment

Store Sour Cream Upside DownStore your sour cream and cottage cheese containers upside down in the refrigerator. It will be good long past the expiration date. I've used mine long after the date.

7 Comments Comment

Use Office Junk Paper for Home Coloring PaperIn my office, we get a lot of junk faxes and other used paper, old statements, cover sheets etc that are no longer needed. Instead of throwing these papers away I take them home for my kids to draw on. Of course there is no personal info on the paper.

1 Comment Comment

Use Rubber Bands to Close BagsWe keep all rubberbands that come into the house (on newspapers, vegetables, etc.) in a basket in the kitchen. We use these to hold bags closed - chips, rice, sugar, anything that can be kept in its original bag.

5 Comments Comment

Freeze Cut Lemon for DrinksI enjoy having cut up lemon in my Coke, lemonade, water, etc. However, often before I get the whole lemon used up, it becomes brown and soft.

2 Comments Comment

Make Tobacco Spray for Insect PestsWe all know the risks of nicotine by smoking, but the same is true for bugs by eating. Rid your garden of pests by way of nicotine. Get a can of chewing tobacco, flavored or not color. Strain through a coffee filter.

3 Comments Comment

Make Underwear Out of T-shirtsI just came across an amazing website called SuperNaturale with instructions on making your own underwear out of t-shirts! It has detailed instructions and a pattern you can print out. I can't wait to make use of some of the cute t-shirts I have *cough* grown out of.

4 Comments Comment

Neighborhood Barter Bulletin BoardDo you live in an apartment complex or close knit neighborhood? Start a barter bulletin board in a clubhouse or pass flyers or newsletter in the neighborhood. Times are hard and someone might have something you need in exchange for something they need.

1 Comment Comment

Prevent Laundry Basket from Slipping in CarI am a teacher and am always transporting stuff back and forth to school and my car can get cluttered very easily. My pet peeve is to hear things sliding around in the back of my SUV.

5 Comments Comment

A tube of toothpaste with a tube squeezer.

Product Review: EZ Squeeze Tube SqueezerLast November, when on a visit to my neighborhood Dollar Tree, I happened to stumble upon this product. It is an E Z Squeeze Tube Squeezer. It's made to enable you to use all of the toothpaste from the tube!

9 Comments Comment

Protect Seedlings From BirdsAnxious to get our tomato seedlings into the ground, I thought of a way to protect the cute little plants from birds. Grab an old metal cloths hanger by the hook end with one hand and grab the middle of the longer (bottom) part of the hanger with the other hand.

Reuse the Pledge Pet Hair Removal ToolI just bought the new Pledge Pet Hair Remover tool that you brush back and forth across your furniture. The directions stated when the plastic box was full to toss it out. I found if I cut a u-shape from the top I can remove the lint and pet hair and use it more.

5 Comments Comment

Set a Timer to Prevent an Overflowing BathtubI used to be the world's worst at forever overflowing my bathtub! I'd get it started then wind up on the computer or doing something else and next thing I knew I had water all over the place!

1 Comment Comment

Use a Steam Iron to Remove StickersHow many of you moms out there have spent entirely too much time trying to remove stickers that have been stuck on every surface in the entire house by your ornery toddler?

10 Comments Comment

Use Both Store and Manufacturer CouponsMany people do not realize that you can use coupons from the manufacturer along with the store coupon. For example, Walgreen has a coupon for Dawn soap for 99 cents. I have a coupon from the paper for 75 cents off Dawn. I can use them both and get it for 24 cents.

1 Comment Comment

Use Hot Water in Carpet Steam CleanerWhen steam cleaning your carpets yourself, don't waste your money on the shampoo. Instead, put a large pot of water on the stove, heat it until it almost boils (to where it's steaming but not boiling). Pour the water into your machine and clean.

Use Pastry Cutter to Make Egg SaladI just found a fun way to make quick work of egg salad making. Just peel your eggs, place them in your container and go to town with your pastry cutter. Wow! It makes the job go super fast!

1 Comment Comment

Birthday Party Ideas for GirlsHey Girls! If it's your birthday coming up, of course you're going to want to have an awesome party. It can be so hard to decide what to do, especially on a budget so I hope these tips help!

Coffee Filters for Small ServingsA great use for coffee filters are single serving plates for chips (or anything that is not moist or leaky) for kids. This is especially handy in a group or class, and combines easy clean-up with much less waste than a regular plastic or paper plate.

2 Comments Comment

Fruit KabobsI had a Luau birthday party. My mom and I were thinking of how to make the fruits look cool. We had kabobs that same night, that's when I thought of it: Fruit Kabobs.

1 Comment Comment

Making Planters from Plastic Trash CansWhen the city converted to robot trash and recycle pick-up, I had five extra 32 gallon Rubbermaid trash cans. I have limited space for gardening, so I cut the bottom half of the trash cans off, drilled three holes (about 3/4 inch) on the bottom of the sides for drainage.

Oil Absorbent for FertilizerHere's a great tip for you gardeners. You can buy a large bag (approx. 20lbs) of oil absorbent from your local auto parts store for less than ten dollars, and it has multiple benefits. It also acts as a great fertilizer; says so right on the bag.

2 Comments Comment

Remove Adhesive from Fingers With SandpaperRub your fingers on a sheet of sandpaper laid flat on the bench. This will get off all types of adhesives that you want to get off your hands before washing them.

3 Comments Comment

Removing Chlorine from Hair?If you swim daily in a pool for physical therapy or recreation you'll want to remove that nasty chlorine from your hair without drying it out with excess washings. I simply buy conditioner from the dollar store.

4 Answers Answer

Save With Fund Raising Silent Auction ItemsEvery year our school has a fundraiser for the PTO (Parents and Teachers Organization). They do a carnival with food, games, face painting, cake walks, balloon sales, raffles, and a silent auction for donated items.

1 Comment Comment

Seasonal Wall For Easy DecoratingThe various seasonal holidays have always been fun to celebrate with lots of decorations throughout the house. But I now find my storage space is more limited and I often am rushed to get all the decorations up in time for the holiday.

1 Comment Comment

Store Detergent in Name Brand BoxI have a kind of sneaky trick to share. My husband insists on my using Gain laundry detergent and nothing else, but I want to buy what is on sale.

19 Comments Comment

Super Soaker for Cat FightsI have a cat who protects his territory! Like most cats he will chase other cats out of his yard and this can lead to fights. I was looking for a safe way to break up cat-fights without getting hurt in the process when my mother told me of her "secret weapon".

8 Comments Comment

Use Shredded Paper in the GardenTo stop the birds eating my newly sown seeds, I cover them with a small amount of paper from my shredder. I also use this shredded paper in the strawberry patch to keep them off the ground and as mulch where ever it is needed.

Be Prepared for EmergenciesIf you live where there are earthquakes or severe storms, it pays to keep a pair of shoes sitting right next to your bed. Most of emergency room visits right after an earthquake are because people stepped on glass from broken windows and mirrors.

1 Comment Comment

Copper Infused Pillow for Skin EnhancementI bought a copper infused pillowcase that enhances your skin when you sleep. You don't put on a night cream so you save loads, and it has cleared up dry patches on my cheeks.

2 Comments Comment

Don't Use Plastic Net Bags for Wild Bird FeedPlease do not reuse the plastic onion/vegetable bags for the wild birds. I had used the bags for well over five years without a problem. It took one incident to change my mind about using these bags.

7 Comments Comment

Donating an Old Car to CharityDonating an old car to charity has many advantages to the community. The donor gets a valuable tax deduction on their itemized federal return. The charity gets some much needed money to help fund their programs. The community gets a gas guzzling, polluting car off the road.

1 Comment Comment

Earwig Syrup for Pest ControlEnvironmentally friendly. Mix all ingredients together and place in shallow dishes such as jar lids in areas where earwigs collect.

Recipes Using Shredded Wheat Crumbs?I have finally found a use for the "stuff" at the bottom of shredded wheat boxes. It is a great topping for quick breads, like banana, zucchini, etc.

1 Answer Answer

Retire the Sugar Bowl to Cut Sugar UsageTo reduce sugar consumption in your family, simply do not leave a sugar bowl on the table or counter. Keep the sugar in it's canister.

1 Comment Comment

Store Roller in Tray With Water for Painting TomorrowIf you paint with a paint roller one day and plan to continue painting the next day, you can avoid washing the roller by placing it in the paint tray and filling the tray with water to cover the roller.

6 Comments Comment

Storing Iceberg LettuceWhen chopping iceberg lettuce, it is a use it now, or lose it, because it goes brown! Or does it? Cut it and store it in PVC free plastic wrap and containers or any container with the chemical free plastic wrap and it will not turn brown for a day or more.

8 Comments Comment

Test Your Vegetable Garden SoilCheck with your local university extension service; they should be able to do this for you at minimal cost. Follow the instructions on their form carefully. This usually involves digging more than 6 inches deep in several spots.

1 Comment Comment

Waterfall Cat WatererMy friend's cat jumped at the chance to drink the water while it was running from a faucet. In fact, she refused to drink it any other way. The friend bought one of those cute little plug-in decorative waterfalls and set it on her hearth.

5 Comments Comment

White and Red Plastic Serving Plates for a Variety of OccasionsI have found that buying plain plastic serving plates and platters at the dollar store are well worth the investment. I have bought them in white and in red. With two sons, it seems that many birthday themes incorporate red (baseball, Spiderman, etc.).

1 Comment Comment

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