Thrifty Tip Contest (June 1 - 30, 2013)

Duration	Entries
June 1 - 30, 2013	84

Remembering What to Take on VacationI hate having to remember everything that we have to take on vacation! So, my best tip is to go thru my daily routine in my head all the way thru till bedtime and make a list.

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Use Magnet to Hold Brush to Paint CanWhen you're painting and you need to put your brush down it can be messy, not to mention losing it. Just use a hot glue gun and attach a magnet on to your brush handle. Then when you need to set down your brush it will stay right on your paint can.

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DIY Laminated LabelsI recently organized our medicine cabinet and hallway closet with small plastic containers and baskets from the dollar store. I put all like items together in each basket.

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Growing Watermelon In ContainersIt is suggested that when watermelon is grown in containers, the containers have at least a five gallon capacity per plant. Each of the containers shown here will hold about twenty gallons, so I planted two plants per container.

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Holes in DrywallIf you have a disposable bakers bag and a plain round tip, you can put a few tablespoons of putty in the bakers bag and pipe it into the hole.

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Larger Mouse PadI had been looking for a long time for a large mouse pad, because my hand was always going off the regular ones. Then it came to me to use a stiff vinyl placement, several of which I had on hand. I have been using it for a year or so, and it works perfectly!

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Packing Eggs for CampingCrack eggs into a jar or container and store in fridge or cooler. You don't have to worry about broken shells and will save on space because you have no cardboard container. They will come out individual as you need them.

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Recycled Wine Rack Jewelry TreeWine rack repurposed as a jewelry display!

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Removing Tape Residue From ClothingI searched on how to remove no sew tape residue from clothing. The easiest solution was the paper towel remedy. Just lay the paper towel over the residue and iron over it. Press down firmly and voila! No more residue.

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Rinse Straws Before UsingWhen you go to use a straw for your drink, just run it under the tap to clean any dust that maybe inside. I use straws to drink my green tea as I use honey and cinnamon and the cinnamon sinks to the bottom.

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Solar Night LightsI bought solar lights at WalMart for $.97 each and decided to use only the top portion, or solar panel part, to make my own night lights for inside the house.

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Storing BlanketsTo save room when it came time to remove blankets or place a lighter weight bedspread/comforter, I merely place them on the bed and then put the sheets on over them.

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Take A Plug Extension When TravelingHotel rooms and holiday chalets often have very few plug points, one or two if you're lucky. So pack with you a plug extension before travelling. You might need one for your laptop, one for the phone charger, one for the hair dryer, etc.

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Ultimate CheeseburgerEver try a cheeseburger from the Fatted Calf? This will duplicate it and make it even better! Make sure you use a fresh egg bun and here is the secret: Use Wispride Port Wine cheese as the cheese for it. Heavenly!

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Watering Plants While Away from HomeIf I am going away for a weekend, I worry about my 'plant friends'. I either leave them in a dishpan 1/2 filled with water, water the plants thoroughly then add a few ices cubes to the top of the soil to melt slowly, or use this little trick I created!

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Add Butter When Cooking NoodlesTo keep the starch from foaming and boiling over when you're cooking noodles, add about a tablespoon of butter to the water. This also makes the noodles more tender and tasty.

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Making Homemade Sidewalk ChalkMake your own sidewalk chalk.

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Urbanite Raised Garden BedsI thought I came up with it all by myself and that it was terribly original, but after patting myself on the back for months, my permaculture book has informed me that this wonderful, free-to-the-point-they-may-pay-you-to-haul-it-off building material is called "urbanite".

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Use Metal Muffin Tins to Feed KittensI foster kittens from the Wisconsin Humane Society. In cases where I have large litters of kittens, rather than put 6 or 8 little bowls of food out that I will only have to wash later, I just put food in the muffin tin. That way they all get their own little "bowl".

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All the Things We Do With HamMom and daughter have a list of places to buy the best ham. We look for a large ham with a bone in and trimmed. Bake the ham with a few spices and no sugar or too much sweet things on it. If you sweeten it, it won't make a good soup or other main dish.

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Borax and Honey Ant Trap for CounterSugar ants come around the kitchen and other places looking for sweet stuff to eat. Other kinds of ants follow too but I generally call them sugar ants. Here is how to make a trap to put on the counter.

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Removing A Boiled Egg From Its Shell Easily.I have found that removing the whole of a boiled egg is so much easier if one uses a cutlery knife instead of a teaspoon. The egg comes out cleanly with a knife, a teaspoon seems to leave bits behind.

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Slice of Bread To Clean Up Broken GlassHere's a tip I used today. I broke a glass ornament today and the glass was very thin and sharp. Little shards went everywhere and I was worried as I have a cat.

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Stretch your Laundry SoapWhen I have really small loads of laundry, I like to cut the soap sheets in half. If I have a really dirty bunch of jeans, etc., I like to use one and a half or add a half sheet to my liquid soap.

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Trumpet Vine is an Invasive WeedTrumpet Vine is an invasive weed! It is sold at nurseries and they don't mention this. Don't plant it unless you are prepared to have it EVERYWHERE in your yard.

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Keep Houseflies Away with Cucumber PeelingsI hate pesky houseflies, they drive me bonkers! I found a tip involving cucumber peelings Well, I put them on the windowsill last evening and I can report that they seem to be staying away.

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Keeping Toddlers out of Christmas TreesIt may be early, but here's one solution to the inevitable toddler getting into the Christmas tree and gifts. Put the tree and gifts in the playpen, or put up a gate across the area where the tree and gifts are or will be!

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Piercing Cartons for Easy PouringMy elderly friend pierces 3 small holes at the other end of the carton, away from the opening. He says that this will stop that awful splutter of liquid from going everywhere when you open these types of cartons.

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Use Your Car As A Heat Treatment For Body AchesI use my car when I have migraines or even sinus congestion, have achy muscles or want some warm, sunny, dry comfort.

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Picking Up Dropped Craft BeadsI don't know anyone who hasn't dropped beads on the floor (carpet) where they're working (in front of the TV). There are probably retail items one can use, but by necessity I quickly picked up a toothpick (or Q-tip) and put a small wad of Blu Tack on the end.

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Net Bag as Dish ScrubberThese plastic net bags make excellent dish scrubbers. I cut the paper top off and kind of roll it up like a sock, and it is fantastic!

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Coffee Filter As Sandwich HolderOur church has concessions at various auctions. When we sell a sandwich, we have found it very easy to give to a customer wrapped in a cofee filter. Just fold in half and place sandwich inside.

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Removing Dried Paint from a Leather ChairI sprayed leather conditioner on the paint spots and let them soak a bit. Then I took a baby's tooth brush in a circular motion to the spots. They came right up. I finished by conditioning the remainder of the chair. Like new!

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Reusing Push Up Handles In PlantsThe children love to eat those Push Up ice cream treats. They are left with these little nifty round discs with a stick attached to it.

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Vinegar For Microwave CleaningPut water in a large cup with 2 tsp. of vinegar. Put it in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes, then let sit for 10 minutes. Wipe out. It's easy to clean and sweet smelling!

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Corral for Grandkids Art ClassTo keep really artistic moments with your grandkids contained, use a plastic swimming pool in your front room. The kids can create without worrying about making a mess on my carpet or furniture.

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Creative Container Gardening - wicker basket, burlap bag, and wash tub planters

Creative Container GardeningAlmost anything can be used for growing veggies when you have limited space, or in my case, need the beds raised up a bit off the ground.'

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Don't Grow Peppers And Tomatoes Close TogetherIf you put pepper plants too close to the tomatoes, the peppers will not get enough sun and they will waste all their energy growing really tall to try and reach the sunlight instead of growing peppers.

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Homemade Garbage CanThis is a kitchen garbage can that my hubby made for my niece. He built it and I painted, decorated, and decoupaged it. This is the top cover for it.

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Keeping Cool in the SummerSince I don't have air conditioning in either my home or car, I keep spray bottles of water around for a quick cool off. When it starts getting hot, I just give myself a quick fine spray. It isn't enough to get really wet.

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Lemon Juice for Stretch MarksActually, lemon juice is great for skin, especially wrinkles. So yes, it's possible it could work a little, probably not a ton by itself. However mixing it with other things could help, and improve the look of stretch marks.

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Use Burp Cloths as Hand TowelsMy children have grown past the baby stage and I had a ton of cloth diapers and burp cloths. Some of them were very nice and had embroidery on them. I needed some more hand towels in the kitchen to dry hands and dry dishes so I thought, "Why don't I use them?"

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Bottle Top Bird DeterrentDrill a hole in several tops and add one length of string to each top at different lengths. Use for 'scaring' birds from your vegetable patch.

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Deterring Insects from Hummingbird FeederI clean and change the sugar water in my hummingbird feeder every other day and was having a big problem with earwigs and ants getting into the container. I think I have solved that problem.

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Organizing with Old VHS Tape BoxesI collected a whole lot of old video tapes from our local community so they could be recycled by a firm in Bristol (UK). I saved some of the boxes as I thought I would be able to use them somehow.

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Portion your Meats Before FreezingSuper simple way I save time and money. I buy meats on sale; ground beef, chops and even poultry in larger packages, since it is usually cheaper in larger amounts. I don't have the time nor do I want to pay to rewrap everything in smaller or single serving sizes.

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Aluminum Foil for Sharpening ScissorsTo sharpen scissors quickly, use aluminum foil. Simply cut a medium size sheet of foil. Using the scissors, cut up the foil and across. The scissors are good to go.

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Labeling Tip for LeftoversWhen opening food items, I can easily remember what the item is by just tearing or cutting the label off the package. Then I slip the label under the lid of the leftover container that I am going to put the item in and close the lid on the label.

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Assemble Ingredients Before CookingWhen I am making a recipe, I get all my ingredients out, and I also get out whatever tools I need to assemble my ingredients.

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Clothespin out of Maple Tree BranchThis is a branch that is cut and then cracked in two. Where it is cracked in two, I put duct tape on the top. It will hold clothes. They would really be pretty if they were all covered in duct tape rather than just the top.

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Everyday Toothbrush HygieneWe all know that we should change our toothbrush at least every 3 months because they become worn out and harbor bacteria in the bristles, but I could never remember to do it.

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Food Birthday Party for TeensMy niece is turning 14 in July. We have discussed different party ideas that she may like. She has already had swim parties, spa parties, bonfires, etc. She wanted something different this year. What we came up with was a Food Party.

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Hiring Honest MoversI was so excited about moving after have gone through the death of my husband, I failed myself. Since I had a short distance for moving, I decided to use someone local. Little did I know he was a crook.

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Paper Clips to Fix a HemIf you have no straight pins, use paper clips to keep folded-over fabric in place when sewing a simple hem. Just slide the paper clip along the material as you work.

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Styrofoam as Perlite SubstitutePerlite is exellent for amending soil used for container grown plants and for starting seedlings in a soil or soiless medium. It insures better drainage and aeration which results in a larger, healthier root system.

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Tips For Saving on Printer InkIf you use your printer a little or a lot, ink is still expensive. I use my regular printer a lot, mostly black but it still "uses" color inks.

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Applying Antiperspirant to the FaceI sweat a lot in the warmer weather, but on my face and head. I just bought some expensive facial antiperspirant on the internet, but I am also experimenting with just applying my regular antiperspirant to my forehead, nose and cheekbones.

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Closet Tags for OrganizingSince my closet is full of sizes 10 to 18 in pants I had the hardest time going through my closet looking for the correct size. I have now separated them into sizes and use size tags for me to find the size I need with no hassle.

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Cola as a Compost BoosterAdd flat cola to your compost pile. It seems to "richen" up the compost. I read this on some gardening site.

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Contact Manufacturer For Lost Appliance ManualsI have been seeing a lot of questions about replacing lost manuals. The easiest way is to try a search for the manufacturer's website. Some times they will charge for a replacement. Sometimes they will send you one for free.

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Easy Salad DressingsAll you need to make French dressing, put ketchup in the mayo or salad dressing and mix for the taste you like. Or use mayo or salad dressing, add mustard, and ketchup for Thousand Island dressing. For this one, you can put sweet pickle relish or any other herb or onions or hard boiled eggs, if you like. Sometimes, I just use plain salad dressing or mayo on the salad. I put it on just before serving the salad. You can also mix oil and vinegar, with herbs and garlic, if you want to make a nice Italian dressing.

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Keeping Track of Water IntakeFinding time to always write down my water intake for the day was not easy for me. Now I use a row counter that's used for yarn projects. I just give it a quick click and don't even have to look as I go about my day.

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Party Idea For PenniesIf you're having a party, buy cupcake liners to match the theme of your party. Put your condiments in a jar. Instead of using a lid, put a cup cake liner over the top of the jar. Use twine or ribbon to tie it onto the jar.

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Stain Remover FormulaTo remove a stain, mix 1 tsp. Dawn dish detergent, 3-4 Tbsp. hydrogen peroxide and a couple of Tbsp. baking soda. Scrub with a brush.

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Tablecloth as Waterproof Bed PadIf you need a temporary waterproof pad, use a flannel-backed plastic table cloth with the flannel side up. Works great.

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Use Window Fans Before Air ConditioningOur second floor bedroom gets very hot in the summer. I found a twin window fan at Goodwill for $3.50. Despite the fact that it has been over 90 degrees for several days, the room has been comfortable, and sometimes too cold for my always-too-warm husband!

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Boil Weeping Willow Branches for Rooting HormoneI read somewhere that Weeping Willow branches don't need rooting hormone. In fact, if you take a branch and boil it in some water, that will itself make rooting hormone for other plants to grow roots.

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Browning Ground Beef in MicrowaveWhen my grocery store puts ground beef on sale, I buy the larger size package and separate it at home. Using my kitchen scale, I weigh out about 3/4 pound chunks. I put each chunk into a plastic bag to refrigerate until it is time for that chunk to be browned.

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Healing from Acid RefluxI was starting to get irritation and acid reflux, so I quit drinking my coffee and red wine, and started to take acid blockers. In the meantime, I compensated for my coffee intake by drinking 1/2 a dose of 5 Hour Energy and drank light beer.

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Homemade Lip PlumperIf you want to make your own lip plumper, add a bit of cinnamon or cayenne to petroleum jelly and apply. Of course, without additives, petroleum jelly is great for lips, too.

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How to Get Rid of Carpenter BeesIt's very easy to do yourself, and it 100% works! I have used this to get rid of Carpenter bees my whole life. You will need a can of WD40 spray, the one with the long sprayer tip at the end works best.

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Large Upside Down Cans for Composting SoilI have been recycling all I can with cans. For a while we were crazy about those huge cans of cheese sauce you can buy at the store. I must have bought twenty or more before we became burnt out on the cheese sauce. I didn't want to throw them away.

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List Emergency Numbers in Cell as ICEEmergency personnel will look in your cell phone to see if you have an emergency listing if needed. It is suggested that you enter your emergency contact under ICE (In Case of Emergency).

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Making Drainage Holes for Plastic ContainersThe easy way is to heat a hole punch, awl, or nail tip over a lit candle. Then simply push it down into the turned over container in several spots to allow for adequate drainage.

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Noxema for Chapped LipsIf you have really really chapped lips, apply Noxema on them before bed. They will be good as new in the morning

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Potato Bag for Starting Avocado PitI used some material from the bag our potatoes came in and then a piece of plastic grocery bag tied around the potato bag over the jar. The avocado pit was pushed far enough down into the jar to be able to start this way.

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Teaching a Phone Number to a ChildWhen my daughters were as young as 4 and 5 years old, I wanted them to learn their phone number and remember it. What worked great was to teach them the seven digit string to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

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Trench CompostingNo more compost piles for me! I found the lazy gardener's way to enrich the soil. Buy a used blender at a garage sale. Set it out on the kitchen counter, put all the veggie/fruit scraps in it.

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Use Tape to Remove Bugs from PlantsIf you notice bugs on your plants, get as many off as you can using regular cellophane (Scotch) tape before treating with bug spray. Works like a charm!

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Thrifty Tip Contest
(June 1 - 30, 2013)

Tip: Orange Peels To Ward Off Ants

Tip: Clear Browser for Cheaper Online Airline Tickets

Tip: Poem: "A Night Without the Internet"

Tip: Finish Your ATM Transaction

Tip: Potted Plants Beautify Your Home Entry