Daily Thrifty Tips
Volume Three, Number 100, August 6, 2004
http://www.ThriftyFun.com
Hello,
We have a lot of great feedback being posted on the website. We ran out of room to feature it all. That's why we have started listing "Active Topics" in this newsletter.
Thank you to everyone that has submitted tips. We usually publish tips about a week after they are submitted (we like to have a bit of a backlog), so if you haven't seen your tip(s) yet, you will shortly.
Tomorrow's TF News will be about canning and preserving. We will be putting together some how-tos, tips, links and recipes. And you can help! If you have any canning or food preserving advice to pass along please submit it. Canning and drying offer a great way to preserve food and save money.
We are also still publishing back-to-school information, so if you have any ideas that might be helpful to parents, they will be much appreciated.
Last but not least, college is right around the corner for many students and parents of students. If you have any tips for college life, please send them in.
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
Susan
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Today's newsletter contains:
Today's Tips:
- Line the Bottom of Your Kitchen's Garbage Can
- Teen Back-To-School Saving On Designer Clothing
- Homemade Sidewalk Chalk
- Cornmeal and Cornstarch Carpet Cleaner
- Sweeter Tasting Cantaloupe
- Quick Clutter Control
- Homemade Kool-Aid Playdough
- Making Febreeze Type Fabric Freshener & Wrinkle Releaser
- Featured Feedback: RE: Buy Catsup by the Gallon
- Featured Feedback: RE: Softening Brown Sugar
- Featured Feedback: RE: Kitty on the Counters
- Other Active Topics
- Today's Recipe: Homemade Bisquick
New Requests:
- Party Ideas for My Sons 16th Birthday
- Constructing My Own Bed
- Can't Miss Potluck Recipes
- Anniversary Punch with Frozen Pansies
- Removing Cat Pee and Odor from Carpet
More Reading:
- Drying Flowers
- How To Stick To Your Budget
- How to Get Cooked-On Grease off Pans?
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Today's Tips
Line the Bottom of Your Kitchen's Garbage Can
Don't you hate it when you take out the kitchen bin liner to find it's leaked all over the kitchen floor! An easy way to avoid this is to put 2 or 3 sheets of kitchen paper in the bottom of the bin. When you lift the bin out you can then easily see whether the bag has leaked or not and sort it out before it makes a mess everywhere. You just change the paper (easier than cleaning out the bin) for next time! By Chickybiker Editor's Note: Newspaper would work too.
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Teen Back-To-School Saving On Designer Clothing
I discovered Plato's Closet which is a teenage designer clothing consignment store. My teen can get name brand clothing for less than it would cost to buy her clothes at Walmart. She also can take her outgrown clothes that are in good condition and receive money back. Go to http://www.platoscloset.com to find the location nearest you. You won't be disappointed! By M. Day
View Article: Click Here
Homemade Sidewalk Chalk
Sidewalk chalk art can be a lot of fun for kids and the chalk is easy to make yourself using Plaster of Paris.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Plaster of Paris
- 1/2 of water
- powdered tempera paint
- Something to use as a mold *
Directions:
Mix the water, Plaster of Paris and powdered tempera paint. The more tempera paint you add, the deeper the color of the chalk will be. Then pour the mixture into you mold.
* Mold Ideas
Toilet Paper Roll: A toilet paper roll works as a mold. Just seal one end with duct tape and pour the mixture into the mold and let it dry. When I use toilet paper rolls I like to let it dry for over 24 hours. You can line the toilet paper roll with wax paper so that the chalk will easily slide out.
Egg Cartons: Egg cartons are nice because you can do numerous different colors in one mold.
Dixie Cups: 5 ounce dixie cups also work well.
Film Cannisters: Just line with wax paper and the chalk will slide right now.
Note: Be sure to follow all safety precautions on the Plaster of Paris box. And, this makes a mess!
View Article: Click Here
Cornmeal and Cornstarch Carpet Cleaner
I have found that by mixing a ratio of 5 lbs white cornmeal and 2 lbs of cornstarch together will make a very nice carpet cleaner. I sprinkle it on using my small mesh strainer and scrub it in with a long handled brush. Wait at least one hour, 2 is better; and then vacuum it up. I was using an expensive dry cleaner and I found that this was better. No chemicals either. Safe to walk on and for pets. By Sheila S
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Sweeter Tasting Cantaloupe
For sweeter tasting cantaloupe, sprinkle with a pinch of salt after slicing.. It brings out the natural sweetness more than adding sugar and the extra calories. By M. Day, Ohio
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Quick Clutter Control
When company is coming, take your clutter items and box up for
sorting at a later time. This saves me time when I am rushed for
cleaning, as I can sort through the box while watching tv or a
good rainy day project. I file it at this time also. Now if I
were more organized I wouldn't have the clutter.
By Kim
Editor's Note: Just don't forget to sort through the box or you will end up with a closet full of clutter boxes! This is a problem in our garage.
View Article: Click Here
Homemade Kool-Aid Playdough
This is a cheap way to make playdough that won't harm your child if eaten.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour, sifted
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup salt
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 package of Kool-aid (the small packets with no sugar added)
Directions:
Combine the flour, salt, oil and Kool-Aid in a bowl. Then bring 1 cup of water to a boil and add it to the bowl and mix well. Knead the mixture until your playdough has a nice consistency and let the kids have at it! You can make different colored playdough by using different flavors of Kool-Aid. Store in the refrigerator between uses.
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Making Febreeze Type Fabric Freshener & Wrinkle Releaser
I love the smell of Febreeze but can't stand the price so I searched for an online equivalent which I can not take credit for but will gladly share. Go to any local store and take the caps off the liquid fabric softener, sniff away till you find one you like. Purchase the softener and a spray bottle.
Take two capfuls of the fabric softener and fill the rest of the spray bottle with water and wallah! Instant Fabric Freshener. If you prefer a less potent smell you can use 1 capful of softener, it still works the same.
Also, if you want to make generic wrinkle releaser you use 1 capful of any liquid fabric softener and fill the rest of the spray bottle with water. Spray on wrinkled clothing tug to smooth and hang to dry - wrinkle free.
But the coolest thing is if you keep your bottle of fabric freshener in your laundry room, you can simply spray it on the wet clothes when placing them in the dryer, I use 8-10 sprays per load and you no longer need dryer sheets but get that oh so lovely smell and feel that fabric softener sheets give your clothes.
By MomFor2Gifts
View Article: Click Here
Featured Feedback: RE: Buy Catsup by the Gallon
I buy several items in gallon cans. One is sliced ripe olives which I use in salads, pasta salads, and on pizza. Once open, I transfer them to quart jars. No need to freeze them. They will keep a couple months or longer in the fridge. I just used the last of mine that I have had in the fridge for almost 4 months.
Also buy pizza sauce and freeze it in smaller containers. I use yogurt containers or peanut butter jars for this. Mushrooms is another item that I use lots of in stir fries, casseroles, salads, and on pizza. I fill small containers with the mushrooms and cover with the liquid, leaving about 1/2 an inch or so headspace, label and freeze. Considering that a 4 Ounce can of mushrooms costs about 60 cents, and there are 16 four ounce servings in a gallon can that costs about $5.25, it is quite a savings.
Harlean from Arkansas
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Featured Feedback: RE: Softening Brown Sugar
I always keep brown sugar in freezer, then place it in microwave on defrost for a few seconds, take what you need and place the rest back in freezer. No waste at all also keeps bugs out
By Liz
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Featured Feedback: RE: Kitty on the Counters
Cats do NOT like anything on their paws. We had the same problem with our country cat. We used double-sided tape taped to poster board & laid it out on the counters or wherever we found her fur. After about 10-14 days she finally realized that the places with the tape were out of bounds, so she stayed on the floor.
By Cntry_Peach
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Other Active Topics:
Homemade Bisquick
Ingredients:
- 8 cups Flour
- 1 1/4 cups Nonfat Dry Milk Powder
- 1/4 cup Baking Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- 2 cups Shortening
Directions:
Combine flour, milk, baking powder, and salt in a very large bowl. Cut in shortening until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Store in tightly closed covered container in a cool place. Makes about 10 cups.
I use this with anything I'd use bisquick for, it works just as well and is alot cheaper :-)
By Paula
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Lots of wonderful feedback is generously posted by readers each day.
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Tip Contest
Submit a thrifty tip or recipe and you could win a prize. Odds
of winning are based on the number of entries we receive and you
can submit more tips to increase your chances of winning.
Our current prize is: Home Coffee Roasting Kit
This kit includes everything you need to get started roasting coffee at home on your stove, in your oven, or in a hot air popcorn popper. Includes the book Coffee Roasting at Home by Susan Sanders and Fletcher Sandbeck, 1 lb of green, unroasted coffee beans, and coffee bags to store your roast.
Enter the contest!
New Requests:
Party Ideas for My Sons 16th Birthday
Another thing is that it is my sons 16th birthday soon and I was just wondering if anyone had any original ideas for a party that are quite cheap (pricewise). Thanks From James from Sheffield
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Constructing My Own Bed
I am in the middle of designing props for my stage production however, I am stuck as I need to create a bed from scratch. If anyone knows anything, what materials I should use and why, as well as a step by step guide on how to do it, I would be very grateful. Thanks From James from Sheffield
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Can't Miss Potluck Recipes
When I go to a potluck I usually bring a casserole and it's usually not as good as everyone elses.. Anyone have some "can't miss" potluck recipes? Thank you, Alexa (relatively new cook)
This article has 1 Feedback. Post Feedback: Click Here
Anniversary Punch with Frozen Pansies
We are having our 20th Anniversary in 2 weeks and I would like to fix a punch with frozen pansies. Any suggestions? Thanks, Patricia
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Removing Cat Pee and Odor from Carpet
I need tips on to get rid of cat pee! Especially the smell, but I want to get rid of the smell so that my cat does not smell it and pee again! I heard vinegar works, but has anybody actually tried it? I'm afraid that we might have to get rid of him if he doesn't stop, because we're installing new hard wood flooring, but I also heard they stop with that too. HELP! Aldal
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More Reading
Drying Flowers
Even with the increased popularity of plastic and fiber flowers (silk for example), many people still prefer "the real thing" preserved in a lifelike manner. Flower preservation has become a popular hobby. Flowers such as marigolds, zinnias, goldenrod, yarrow, roses and hydrangeas are readily available and the costs of additional materials needed are relatively inexpensive when compared to that of other hobbies.
View Article: Click Here
How To Stick To Your Budget
By Terry Rigg
I've had a lot of people tell me that setting up their budget was simple but when it came to living by it payday after payday they admitted losing interest in a very short time.
View Article: Click Here
How to Get Cooked-On Grease off Pans?
By HomemakersJournal.com
Hello, I would like to know if anyone knows how to get cooked-on grease off pots and pans? My pans are blue so I don't want to ruin the color but they hang on a rack in the kitchen so I would like for them to look pretty. Help? Thanks, Hazel
View Article: Click Here
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Thanks
Susan
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