Thrifty Tip Contest (July 25 - 31, 2009)

Duration	Entries
July 25 - 31, 2009	36

Tip: Chore Incentives for Kids and Adults

July 30, 2009

Take a sheet of paper. With a pencil, write on one side all the chores that the person doesn't like to do/needs to do. On the other side, write a corresponding reward.

Comment Was this helpful? 11

Break Your Dishwasher Tabs In HalfMake your dishwasher tabs go twice as far! Buy only the dishwasher detergent in tablet form so it can be broken in half. Use just one half for each load unless running a very soiled load. Dishes get just as clean and the box lasts twice as long!

2 Comments Comment

Cool Heated Baby Bottle In Refrigerated WaterI learned this tip when my kids were babies and screaming for their bottle. If you are the type that makes up a bottle as and when you need to, chances are that it is ALWAYS too hot for baby.

2 Comments Comment

Paying Your Bills On TimeThere are two different methods I use because I pay some bills with a check and others using my credit card. If paying with a check, when the bill comes in the mail, immediately upon opening it I write a check and get the envelope ready.

7 Comments Comment

Roast And Slice Your Own Lunch MeatsI've cut the cost by more than half by buying roasts, turkey breasts, whole chickens and turkeys and ham as they rotate on sale and roasting them solely for lunch meats.

7 Comments Comment

Spa Baskets for GiftsI am planning on doing a "spa basket" for my grown girls for Christmas this year. So I am making a stop at the dollar store frequently for goodies to put in such as lotions, makeup; oh, my the list goes on and on.

3 Comments Comment

Use Cast Iron Skillet for Inexpensive Bacon PressMost bacon presses can run anywhere from $10 all the way up to $20 and $30. A much cheaper and just as effective option is a cast iron skillet. Cut long bacon slices in half and lay them in a large skillet.

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Use Up Extra Milk By Making PuddingDon't let the milk spoil. I stock up on our favorite pudding when it's on sale at Walgreens (Usually 3/$1). If my milk is close to expiring I just make a batch of pudding for dessert.

5 Comments Comment

Check Your Hotel BillUpon checking out of our hotel I noticed that they had charged us $1.50 plus tax a day for use of the safe in our room. I told the clerk that we had never used the safe ...

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Preparing Strawberries for StorageWhen I buy ripe strawberries that are in the plastic clam shell type packaging, I look through it and remove any bruised berries. I fold a paper towel and put it on top of the berries. I flip the container over so it is upside down, and refrigerate.

1 Comment Comment

Screen Door Bird FeederSupport an old framed window screen with large stones or bricks and you have an instant feeder. When peeling fresh produce, save all the seeds and add to the feeder.

2 Comments Comment

Use Fabric Paint to Create Non-slip SurfacesUse a few dabs of fabric paint (the puff paint 3D type) for non-slip items. Let dry before use. Draw designs on the bottoms of knitted slippers so it's not slippery.

5 Comments Comment

Attract Slugs With Used Corn CobsSlugs are strongly attracted to moist, used corn cobs. Place them in a shady spot near where you have a slug problem and in the morning you can either salt them or collect and dispose of them.

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Back to School Bingo PartySummer comes and goes much too quickly, but you can create a little excitement over heading back to the classroom. Take advantage of the great deals and throw a "back to school bingo" for your kids!

1 Comment Comment

Fry Biscuits in Chicken GreaseAfter frying some chicken up in a skillet, open a can of buttermilk biscuits, and deep fry them in the chicken grease. When they are browned on both sides, take them out, and drain on a paper towel. These are so good.

4 Comments Comment

Make Your Own Charcoal StarterOkay, charcoal grill friends, this one is for you! Cabellas sells this thing called a Rapidfire Chimney Starter, and they want twenty bucks for it, plus shipping! Pshaw! You can totally make one out of an old coffee can.

1 Comment Comment

Making Shampoo Last By Washing TwiceYears ago my mom told me a way to make shampoo last. This works just as well whether your hair is long or short, thick or thin. Instead of just pouring a glob of shampoo into your hand, pay attention to how much you pour.

5 Comments Comment

Pop Bottle Bird FeederMake yourself a quick and sturdy bird feeder by poking or cutting round or "X" shaped holes in a large 2 litter plastic pop bottle then hang it from a rope to a tree branch. You'll need a funnel to help fill it with seeds.

1 Comment Comment

Share Your "Buy One Get One Free" PurchasesIf you take advantage of the buy one get one free option offered in some stores, why not think about sharing the second one with an elderly neighbor trying to live on a fixed income, or the family down the street who's trying to make it on unemployment through job loss?

5 Comments Comment

Use Antlers as Garden DecorHello hunters or those married to hunters! Here is how you can decorate your garden. Seal deer (I live in Alaska, so I use caribou and moose) antlers with spray polyurethane or brush on weatherproof sealant. I like to let the sun bleach them white first.

1 Comment Comment

Use Pipe Insulation to Protect a Tomato VineIf your tomatoes grow up and over the tomato cage, sometimes the stem can get so heavy that it cuts the vine where it hits the top of the cage. A good solution to that is to cut lengths of pipe insulation to go around it.

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Wrap Salmon in Plastic Wrap Before Vacuum SealingWrap gooshy stuff, like salmon steaks, in plastic wrap before packing with a vacuum sealer. No more non-sealing bags or vacuum-sealers full of juice! Eliminating waste is well worth the use of the plastic wrap.

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Add Plastic Toys to Homemade SoapHere is a tip to help encourage children to love washing their hands and bathing with lots of soap without a huge hassle. When making your own soap, a very cheap thing to do is to buy a bag of small plastic toys from a dollar store.

4 Comments Comment

Cut Pizzas With Kitchen ScissorsWe make pizzas at home quite often, sometimes half and half which makes it a little more difficult to share. My DH had a brilliant idea, use scissors (any will do, make sure they are clean though) to cut it into serving pieces.

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Elastic Headbands for Notebook StorageCrisscross several thin, braided elastic headbands around the front cover of a three-ring binder, and your child can tuck pens, pencils, and reminder notes under them. You can also use the same concept on the sun visors in your car.

1 Comment Comment

Make Pet Blankets from Recycled T-ShirtsA great way to use T-shirts that are no longer wearable is to make a pet blanket or throw. Just cut the center out of the T-shirt and sew each square together. Fold the outside edges under to hem.

4 Comments Comment

Paper Or Plastic Bags?Any interest in the paper vs plastic debate? Comments? I personally prefer paper bags, as they can be recycled curbside (and hold other paper recyclables at the same time), hold more, and come from a renewable resource.

26 Answers Answer

Remove Nail Polish With Used Dryer SheetsRe-use dryer sheets to take off your nail polish. Takes it off without leaving a mess like cotton balls or tissue paper.

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Safety Tip: Keep Glass Paper Weights Out of the SunDo not put paper weights or snow globes where the sun can reflect off of them. When sun reflects off the paperweight, they become very hot (like a magnifying glass), and they can become hot enough to start a fire.

1 Comment Comment

Store More With Freezer BagsTonight I needed to store some bean soup in the freezer, but since I was short of space, I filled baggies with the soup and was able to put a lot more in the freezer that way.

2 Comments Comment

Use Pine Needles for MulchIf you have any pine trees in your yard, use the needles as mulch! I did that in our veggie and flower gardens this year and it really holds up. You would be amazed and how much pine needles are under one tree!

2 Comments Comment

Use Stickers to Change Greeting CardsYou can use any greeting card for any occasion with stickers from the dollar store. For instance, I needed a graduation card this weekend and all I had was a cute doggie "Get Well Soon" card...

5 Comments Comment

Weigh Bagged Produce in the StoreWhen buying bagged produce in a store, weigh it first. Sometimes you can get more than the label states.

3 Comments Comment

Freeze Extra Veggies for LaterWhen you have leftover fresh carrots, celery and others veggies from parties or maybe are just sick of eating them before they'll spoil, try this. Chop them up, give them a quick dip in boiling water and vacuum seal them.

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Homemade Recycled Cat ToysI saw my foster kittens were entranced by an empty Juicy Juice box that had a hole cut in the box and both ends taped shut and covered with paper, to where it made a box that looked just like a tissue box.

1 Comment Comment

Store Extra Blankets in Cushion CoversTo save space I made large cushion covers and folded my extra doonas up in them. Make the covers to match your lounge or sofa, and no one would guess. It's great if you have limited space, especially if you live in a small flat or unit.

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