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Thrifty Tip Contest
(December 4 - 10, 2010)

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Duration	Entries
December 4 - 10, 2010	59

Tip: How to Shell Hard-Shelled Nuts

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

December 9, 2010

I have always loved the flavor of Brazil nuts, but they are such a pain to crack whole. Half the time you need to use a pick that comes along with the nutcracker set and then end up not being able to get all of the nut meat out of the shell.

Comment Was this helpful? 16

Tip: "Swap Not Shop" Event for Christmas

ayesha christmas

December 8, 2010

Swapping is better than Shopping! Instead of trying to work out how much you can get away with spending this Christmas, why not get friends, neighbors, and family organized and hold a pre-Christmas "Swap not Shop" event.

Comment Pin it! Was this helpful? 16

Christmas Light Roof ClipsClip those roof clips onto the hem of your jacket/sweatshirt. It will save you a lot of time.

Make a Cat BalconyOutside one of my windows, I made a cat balcony. I attached brackets to the wall, put up a shelf, surrounded it with lattice, and put down foam cushions covered with pillowcases and sweaters.

1 Comment Comment

Mnemonic For PasswordI remember sentences to create passwords for my computer. For example, I may think, "I Love My dog so much" so my password would be "ILMDSM"

5 Comments Comment

Reuse Glass Microwave TrayBefore throwing away that broken microwave, save the glass dish that is inside. It has many uses. At the moment I am using one under one of my large houseplants to protect my floor from any water overflow. My daughter uses one as a food platter when having parties.

5 Comments Comment

Storing a Toilet BrushI hang the toilet brush on the back of the tank using a piece of string and a paper clip. To do this, get a piece of string and make a loop for the toilet brush handle. Mine had a hole through the end, which made it easy.

1 Comment Comment

Tablecloths for FabricI buy old linen tablecloths at thrift stores and garages sales. Even if they have stains in them, most of the cloths are in good shape. I use them to make dresser scarves and sometime crochet edging on them.

3 Comments Comment

Tomato to Restore Shine to PotsDo the insides of your pots look dull after washing them in the dishwasher? Want the shine back? Cover the bottom of the pot with tomato sauce, ketchup, or tomato soup, let stand overnight, and wash by hand the next day - the shine will be back.

Use Clear Plastic Totes For Holiday StorageI decorate for so many things, that I've found using the clear totes to be very useful. I store them in different areas of the attic.

1 Comment Comment

Woman in driveway with dog.

Use Dog Food as TreatMy friend heard from her vet that if you feed your dog Kibbles 'n Bits as a treat, they will really like them and also get food that is good for them. I tried this and my dog Jack just loves his treat.

4 Comments Comment

Use Plastic Bag For Greasing PansWhen greasing a pan, grab a sandwich bag and put your hand in it to reach in and get some shortening or butter for your pan. When finished greasing the pan, just throw the bag away.

3 Comments Comment

Use Shepherds Hook As Candy Cane DecorationUse your garden shepherd hook to create a candy cane Christmas decoration! I had some silver tinsel like garland that I used on last year's tree and wrapped it around the shepherd hook from top to bottom.

1 Comment Comment

Cover Hot Handle With Oven MittSome recipes we use call for browning meat in a pan and then putting the pan in the oven to let the meat finish cooking. Whenever I use a pan with a long handle, the same problem occurs.

2 Comments Comment

Driving Nails Into Plaster Walls Without CrackingIf you'll heat a nail hot enough so that you have to handle it with pliers, you'll find that it can be driven into a plaster wall with much less danger of cracking the plaster.

2 Comments Comment

Hang Necklaces on Towel BarIf you have a towel bar that is not being used, put it to good use and organize your necklaces by hanging them on it. It will show them off, they won't get tangled, and that favorite necklace will be easy to find in a hurry.

2 Comments Comment

Hot Bricks to Defrost WindshieldOn a crisp, icy morning, I've been stumped as to how to defrost the windshield. My solution? I normally leave three or four 1/2 bricks on top of my wood stove to wrap in a towel and apply to whatever part of my body is wacky that day.

6 Comments Comment

Keep Bobby Pins in a Paper Clip HolderIf you are tired of bobby pins being scattered throughout the house, try out this tip. Purchase an inexpensive magnetic paperclip holder and keep your pins in there.

3 Comments Comment

Make and Freeze Extra Cookie DoughI have found most cookie dough can be made ahead of time and baked later. Be sure to tightly wrap the rolls of cookie dough in plastic wrap, chill in the refrigerator, and then freeze.

1 Comment Comment

Memorizing Site PasswordsIf you have a computer program that remembers all of your passwords for you for all of the websites you visit, you can get very dependent on that for serving as your "memory". If your system were to fail, you would probably be hard pressed to remember all of your passwords.

2 Comments Comment

Refresh Old Holiday DecorationsIt's wonderful to use seasonal decorations every year, but the years can take their toll. Remember that it's easy to re-furbish your decorations, just use colored nail polish and assorted colored permanent markers.

1 Comment Comment

Store Stain Remover By Dirty LaundryI keep a spray bottle of laundry stain remover by our dirty basket so when there is a stain, I spray it on the item of clothing before putting it in the laundry basket. This way it has a longer time to work and I don't have to remember which item has the stain.

Use Old Pet Carrier as ComposterI found an abandoned dog carrier measuring about 27 x 19 x 19. It's split on the bottom, but I've turned it into a compost bin.

1 Comment Comment

Add Pudding Mix to Pie CrustFor a nice flavored pie crust, simply add dry pudding mix to your flour mixture. Make the pie crust as usual. Make sure to use the type of pudding that must be cooked and not the instant type.

5 Comments Comment

Create a Scent StoryWhenever our family takes a trip, I make it a point to make a scent theme. For example when we traveled to Las Vegas, I had a coconut theme going with coconut shampoo, lotions, soaps, etc.

1 Comment Comment

Pretty pink amaryllis bloom.

November Pink AmaryllisJust look at this pink beauty in late November. Another day in paradise!

1 Comment Comment

Omelet in a CupFor a quick and easy omelet, use a microwave safe coffee mug. Simply crack one or two eggs into the cup and stir. Add cooked bacon, ham, tomato, onion, etc. and stir again. Cover with plastic wrap and nuke it for 1-2 minutes. Stir and nuke for another minute or two.

1 Comment Comment

Prepping Decorative Glass BlocksWhen making glass block lights, I remove the icky wax-like substance by using a 4 inch razor blade in a "safety scraper". You can purchase this item and the refill blades for a low cost, along with the glass blocks at places like Lowe's.

1 Comment Comment

Put Old Clothes in Bottom of Garbage CanI have started placing my old t-shirts, night shirts, and any other cotton clothing that is no longer fit to wear on top of my dryer to place in the bottom of the kitchen garbage can. My laundry equipment is in the corner of the kitchen so it is convenient.

4 Comments Comment

Reusable Gift WrappingUse silk flowers instead of a bow on gifts. When ribbon streamers are added to a silk flower and it is tied on a gift, it becomes a gift in and of itself, and can be kept and placed in a decorative vase.

1 Comment Comment

Silicone Hot Pad as a
Curling Iron Holder

Silicone Hot Pad as a Curling Iron HolderI made a hair curling iron holder that is especially great for travel because when you want to leave a hotel, you can insert your it into the holder while hot without worrying about burning your clothes.

3 Comments Comment

a girl and a sight impaired man using assistive technology.

Ten More Things to Do with a Blind CompanionBack by popular demand, here are a few more ideas of things to do with your blind family and friends. I welcome your feedback!

10 Comments Comment

Turn Unwanted Sweater Into a PillowSo, dear Aunt Sally gave you an ugly sweater for Christmas this year. You really don't want to hurt her feelings by telling her that it's really not your style. Turn the sweater into a pillow case by cutting off the sleeves and stitching up the armholes.

2 Comments Comment

Use Tuna in SpaghettiTo help your family get more seafood in their diet, substitute tuna for the meat in spaghetti sauce. Using tuna packed in water, drained, will not change the flavor of the dish and the kids won't be any the wiser. Easy and cheap, too.

Add Salsa to HamburgersIf you need to make a good burger in a hurry, mix the meat with a bit of mild salsa. The onions, peppers, and tomatoes will add a bit of zest.

Buy Fiberfill After ChristmasFor those of you who use polyester stuffing to make animals or pillows, look in the Christmas section after Christmas when they put all of it on sale. I got bags of polyester fill for 75% off last year.

Cotton Gloves to Dust in a HurryPut on a pair of cotton gloves to quickly dust that furniture if company suddenly stops by, then shake gloves out doors and throw in washer.

2 Comments Comment

Cover Shoes With Plastic Bags Before Putting On BootsTo ease the school rush in the morning, use plastic bread bags over your child's shoes and their boots will slide right on.

2 Comments Comment

Cut Squash With Pumpkin Carving ToolWhen it comes to splitting acorn squash, I don't reach for a cleaver but for that incredibly cheap saw blade that comes in pumpkin-carving kits. It takes very little time and almost no power to cut an acorn squash with this little saw.

Dealing with Unwanted MailIf you are like 98% of all Americans, you get mail you would rather not receive (and I'm not talking about bills - who wants those). Here are a couple suggestions of things to use that unwanted mail for.

2 Comments Comment

Decorating a Christmas Tree With LightsLights add so much to a Christmas tree. And putting them on can be a lot of fun. But when it comes to taking them off after the holiday, now that's another story altogether!

1 Comment Comment

Money Saving Tips for Christmas DecorationsDon't spend a lot on your holiday decorating. There are so many inexpensive outlets nowadays. If you haven't been in one lately, the dollar stores have wonderful Christmas goodies all for a dollar.

2 Comments Comment

Put Peg Board on Exposed Back of Shelves

Put Peg Board on Exposed Back of...I bought a bookcase really cheap off of craigslist, but you can watch your free cycle for one as well. The backing was just cardboard and I wanted to put the bookcase in so the side was against the wall to create more storage without blocking another shelf.

1 Comment Comment

Removing Seeds From ChilisIf you like the flavor of green chillies, but hate the pungency, you can remove the seeds and use the green part. To de-seed chillies, cut into half lengthwise and hold under a running faucet, the seeds will flow out.

1 Comment Comment

Rust Preventative for MachineryFarm machinery and other machinery used outdoors will last a great deal longer if protected from rust. To make your own rust protector, melt together 5 pounds tallow and 1 pound of turpentine.

Use Spatula to Scrape DishesKeep a rubber spatula from the dollar store by the sink. It's great for scraping out pots, pans, and dishes and for getting into the corners of jars and Tupperware.

Beaded Styrofoam Ball OrnamentDon't throw away those old satin covered Styrofoam Christmas balls. They can be recycled into beautiful ornaments. If you happen to find some old ones at a thrift store, make sure they are Styrofoam.

3 Comments Comment

Car With Stick People

Car With Stick PeopleThis was a spur of the moment craft created when a three year old noticed a sheet of felt circles I had sitting around. As they were self stick pads for the bottom of chair legs and I had extras, I began to think what he could stick them on.

1 Comment Comment

Clean Toilet with Shower CleanerSince I didn't have toilet bowl cleaner today, I used tub and shower cleaner with great result! I suspect it is like many other things that are sold under different brand names, but are made by the same manufacturer.

Clothes Pin to Close Food PackagingWhen I open a packet of cereal and there is no ziplock top to re-close it, I fold the packet up and put a clothes peg on it. It is then air tight until it is finished. I use pegs even if I open a packet of frozen vegetables or goods.

2 Comments Comment

Grow Plants from CuttingsI have had good success in growing many things from cuttings, like hibiscus and frangipani (plumeria), by dipping the stem in honey and putting the cutting into sandy potting mix mixed 50/50.

3 Comments Comment

Hang Ornament on Lamp SwitchFor some added flair when decorating the home for the holidays, hang a large sized ornament from the turn switch on a lamp. This is a great way to change up the lamp for the season.

Insulate Windows with Quilted BedspreadsMake insulated window shades from quilted bedspreads to insulate your rooms and stay warmer in the winter. First, measure the windows. You want the shades to have the same measurements as the windows in height and width. Cut the bedspread to the right size.

Keep Baby Socks Together in the WashAfter having a baby, I quickly learned how easily baby socks can get lost in the wash. Even if my son's tiny socks made it through the full laundry cycle, I was finding myself spending considerable time matching the socks with their mates.

5 Comments Comment

Keep Chair Leg from Cutting Through Rubber ProtectorThe rubber tips commonly put on kitchen chair and patio furniture legs do a great job of protecting the floor, until the tubular metal within cuts through the tips.

1 Comment Comment

Removing WallpaperI tried everything to remove my hard to get off wallpaper, before I discovered this trick - heated vinegar. The wall paper will still have to be pulled off, but the sticky glue paper comes off easily, as the vinegar will loosen the glue.

Tips for Gift Shopping OnlineSo with the Holidays fast approaching I have some great ways to save a little extra.

2 Comments Comment

Use Card Fronts as Recipe CardsRe-use Christmas and Hanukkah cards for recipe cards to include with a holiday food gift.

Use Muffin Tin for BrowniesIf you want to make brownies like the new perfect brownie pan, but don't wish to invest $20.00 for the pan, use your muffin tins. The brownies will be round but have crunchy edges on each one.

3 Comments Comment

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