Daily Thrifty Tips
Volume Three, Number 152, October 15, 2004
http://www.ThriftyFun.com
Hello,
The contest for the Foodsaver ends tonight at midnight, today is your last day to enter. Tomorrow we will start a new contest.
Enter the tip contest:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/contest.ldml
Thanks for reading,
Susan
Today's newsletter contains:
Today's Tips:
- Beanie Weenies Over Mac & Cheese
- Less Fat From Canned Soup and Broth
- Storing and Sorting Beads in Cupcake Tins
- Kitchen Fires
- Homemade Squishy Ice Pack
- Kindness for a Sick Friend
- Keeping Celery Fresh
- Thrift Store Bargains for Crafts
- Garden Decor with Yard Sale Finds
- Dump Truck Full of Blocks
- Wooden Spoon to Keep Pot From Boiling Over
- Cold Tea for Plants
- Helpful Hints For Using Dried Fruits
- Tea Party in a Box
- Getting Gum Out of a Dryer
- Make Your Own Funnel
- Lettuce Hints
- Easy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham For the Crock Pot
- Rubber Household Gloves - Picking Up Hot Food
- Beading Kit Gift
- Tinted Lip Gloss
New Requests:
- Insulating a Pet Door for Winter
- Rose Of Sharon Not Blooming
- Removing Shells From Hard Boiled Eggs
- Squirrels Digging in My Plants
More Reading:
- What Students and Parents MUST Know about Student Loans
- Christmas - It's Never Too Early to Start!
Submit a tip and enter our contest: Click Here
If you are looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem,
submit it here: Click Here
Search ThriftyFun Using Google: Click Here
Today's Sponsor
Today's Tips
Beanie Weenies Over Mac & Cheese
This recipe is soooo economical. For a family of four I buy 2 boxes of mac & cheese at 25 cents each, 2 cans of pork & beans at 33 cents each and a package of hot dog wieners for 50 cents (only use half the package for this recipe). I buy it all at the Sav A Lot store.
Slice half the pack of wieners in small bite size slices and cook in pot of water, drain and set aside. Cook mac & cheese as directed. I add extra milk to make it slightly soupy. Heat the pork & beans in a separate pot and mix in the already heated and drained wiener slices.
To serve, put a large serving of mac & cheese in each persons bowl and top with a portion of the beanie weenie mixture. It has a whole different flavor than if you serve items side by side. My family loves it and we eat it twice a month. Fast and inexpensive.
By Carol
View Article: Click Here
Less Fat From Canned Soup and Broth
To de-fat soup or broth cans, put them in refrigerator over night. Open with a can opener and remove fat collected on the lid, sides, and bottom of the can.
By Betty Clay
Post Feedback: Click Here
Storing and Sorting Beads in Cupcake Tins
When you are at your next garage sale or when you are planning your own, look and see what shape your cupcake tins are in. If you decide you want to get rid of them, think again, these make great storage for beads and a great place to sort those beads that come in an assorted package. Spray paint them bright colors and you will always know where your beads are.
By Debra in Colorado
Post Feedback: Click Here
Kitchen Fires
If grease catches fire, put a large pot lid over it at once to cut off the oxygen supply; or pour baking soda on the flames, and they'll disappear.
Keep a small spray fire extinguisher within easy reach in your kitchen. Read the directions for use every now and then so that you won't have to stop to read them if you need it quickly.
By Joesgirl
View Article: Click Here
Homemade Squishy Ice Pack
Yesterday, my 7 year old daughter fell and hurt her knee. Well, she looooves an ice pack for all of her ailments so I got the cheap dollar store ice pack out and it was hard as a rock and hard to hold in the right place so since she had already destroyed my "good" squishy one by trying to see what was in it, we made our own. I took a quart size generic ziplock bag and put rubbing alcohol and water not quite half full and froze it. I guess you could add food coloring for more interest. Anyway now we have a very, very cold squishy ice pack that conforms to all those odd parts that sometimes need ice.
By Ginger
Post Feedback: Click Here
Kindness for a Sick Friend
We have all known someone who has been bed-ridden and we all know how hard that can be. Here is a small tip to make it somewhat more bearable. Outside of a window that is visible from the patient's bed, take a shepherd pie pan's hook and plant into the ground. Or screw a pie pan to the sill on the outside. From the shepherd's hook hang a bird feeder. If you are doing the pie pan add birdseed or squirrel food. This will give them something to watch besides the same old reruns. Add a bird book (identification kind) and they should have hours of fun.
By Debra in Colorado
Post Feedback: Click Here
Keeping Celery Fresh
To prevent celery from going bad or getting stale in the refrigerator wrap the celery in aluminum foil. Place it back in the refrigerator and It will stay fresh for weeks.
By Zelma Bieard Ragsdale
Post Feedback: Click Here
Thrift Store Bargains for Crafts
On your next trip to the thrift store as you're browsing through the clothing look for interesting buttons and fabric. Buttons can be used in many craft projects and can be used to make beautiful jewelry like pins and earrings. An old flared jean skirt will give you enough fabric for one pillow or two covered memory boards. Flowered fabric can be used to make placemats, doll clothes or to make Barbie furniture, the possibilities are endless. Don't turn down a blouse with limp lace if you like the lace, remove it careful and wash gently with some oxy-clean and then starch.
By Debra in Colorado
Post Feedback: Click Here
Garden Decor with Yard Sale Finds
I was going through the unsold items from my yard sale. I found some wooden art frames.
They were beautiful. I used some of them as flower garden borders, and some I wrapped thread, yarn, etc around and made a trellis out of it, it is leaning against the porch. I planted some morning glories. I also stuck some dead branches I had cut off one of the trees, they were about two feet high and pretty thick, into the ground for a trellis. I like using natural things for trailing plants.
I am going to use some old shoes as hanging planters and hang them in the trees also.
By dsbaby14
View Article: Click Here
Dump Truck Full of Blocks
This makes a cute gift for a toddler. By one 2 by 4 and cut into blocks. Sand and stain blocks. Fill a plastic dump truck with the blocks and wrap it in clear plastic.
By Debra in Colorado
Post Feedback: Click Here
Wooden Spoon to Keep Pot From Boiling Over
Place a wooden spoon across the top of the pot when you are boiling water. It separates the steam and keeps it from boiling over.
By dsbaby14
Post Feedback: Click Here
Cold Tea for Plants
Do you feed cold tea to your plants? They love it and it is a good way to use up leftover tea from your teapot.
By Bev Sobkowich
Post Feedback: Click Here
Helpful Hints For Using Dried Fruits
Shake raisins and other dried fruits in flour before you add them to dough or pudding so that they won't sink to the bottom during baking.
Dried fruits sold in bulk usually need to be soaked in cool water for at least an hour, or until they're plump, before you cook them. Take care not to overcook.
When you buy candied fruits to use in fruit cakes, try to get them at a store which caries them in bulk, like a fine candy store or food specialty shop. The ones you buy in glass or plastic jars often have a terrible chemical taste, possibly because of the preservatives added. They can ruin a fruit cake.
By Joesgirl
View Article: Click Here
Tea Party in a Box
You can make an adult version of this or one with a play tea set for your favorite little girl.
You will need:
- 1 hatbox. These can be bought already decorated or you can buy plain ones at any craft store and decorate it yourself.
- 1 teapot
- 2 cups and saucers
- 2 place mats, (you can make these or buy at your local dollar store)
- 2 silver spoons (buy at thrift store and polish them up)
- 1 box of your favorite tea
- 1 creamer and 1 sugar bowl. These can be found in clear glass and then they will match any tea cup and teapot.
Don't worry too much about whether everything matches, just try to stay in the same color frame.
Fill the hatbox with pretty Easter grass and put in your things. Add a bow and card and you have a lovely gift for a friend. For a child you would just have to buy a tea set, they usually come all together. Add some hot chocolate and the other things on the list and you have a great gift for a young girl, Teenagers would even love a gift like this. Add a disposable camera and they can take pictures of their tea party.
By Debra in Colorado
View Article: Click Here
Getting Gum Out of a Dryer
I found a solution to get dried gum out of my dryer. It was to use a washcloth and the liquid Shout it Out. I would spray the Shout it Out and let it soak and then a few minutes later use the washcloth and it would come off fairly easy.
Chibi
Post Feedback: Click Here
Make Your Own Funnel
Cut a two liter bottle in half and you have a good disposable bottle for changing your oil, or can be used anywhere you need a funnel and it can be kept, washed and reused if need be.
By Debra in Colorado
Post Feedback: Click Here
Lettuce Hints
Most lettuces make excellent hot greens, cook as you would spinach. You have to flavor them a bit with celery salt, nutmeg, pepper & perhaps some garlic, but it can be a fine dish. Also try creamed lettuce, or stuffing lettuce leaves as you would cabbage.
Don't throw away the coarse outside lettuce leaves. Use them as greens in soups and stews.
Some finely shredded lettuce is very good added to a vegetable soup shortly before you serve it.
By Joesgirl
View Article: Click Here
Easy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham For the Crock Pot
6 to 8 potatoes peeled and sliced thin
1 pkg. of cubed ham
1 can of celery soup
1/2 block of Velveeta cut in cubes
1 onion diced
Put all ingredients into crock pot and stir well. Cook on high 6-8 hours. Everyone I have ever made this for just raved at how good it was. Nice and easy with the cubed ham but you could just use leftovers also.
By Debra in Colorado
View Article: Click Here
Rubber Household Gloves - Picking Up Hot Food
Rubber gloves, quite apart from their usual use in dishwashing, are indispensable for handling hot vegetables like baked potatoes or any hard-to-handle foods such as artichokes or pineapples.
Use heavy rubber gloves for picking up and turning a whole hot chicken, roast or turkey.
By Joesgirl
Post Feedback: Click Here
Beading Kit Gift
You need one flat organizer. These can be found in the craft section of your favorite store but I have found that they are cheaper if you go to hardware or the sporting goods area and get a tackle box. Fill with alphabet beads, elastic cord and some crystal beads. This makes for a nice gift for a young girl or guy. For boys add wooden beads.
By Debra in Colorado
Post Feedback: Click Here
Tinted Lip Gloss
If you melt a chunk of lipstick (or two) and petrolewm jelly you can make a really nice lip gloss that moisturizes your lips.
Mallory Davis
Post Feedback: Click Here
Other Active Topics
Be sure to check out our active topics page to follow the discussion.
http://www.thriftyfun.com/board.html
Tip Contest
Submit a tip and you could win:
Foodsaver Vac 300
This is the entry level Foodsaver. It offers commercial-quality vacuum packaging and is great for storing meat and cheese. It has a retail price of $79.99.
Enter the contest!
Syndication Spotlight:
Here are some publishers that have chosen to publish our tips this week!
Dear Webby's Humor Letter
Webby publishes our tips daily! A very funny newsletter.
http://webby.com/humor
Do you publish a newsletter? Sign up for our Tip Syndication:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/syndication.html
New Requests:
Insulating a Pet Door for Winter
I have a pet door that my 3 little girls (doggies) go out during the day and night. the problem is that during the winter I am loosing heat but hate to close off the door. If I do, I know they will soil the floor or carpet in the house. I have been thinking that if I make some sort of box that would butt up against the pet door (a kind of tunnel) it might keep the cold air from escaping outside as they go in and out. Does that sound like a good idea? If not could someone give me a better idea as to how I could do a better job of saving the heat.
Cookiepom
Post Feedback: Click Here
Rose Of Sharon Not Blooming
Can anyone tell me what is wrong with a rose of sharon when it won't bloom and the leaves are now turning yellow? I am in AL and everyone elses here are in full bloom.
Agc1953
Post Feedback: Click Here
Removing Shells From Hard Boiled Eggs
Does anyone have any tips on removing the shells from a hard boiled egg? I just hard boiled 20+ eggs and while shelling them I ended up with a big mess! Thanks! :)
Sue A
Post Feedback: Click Here
Squirrels Digging in My Plants
How can I keep squirrels from digging in my outdoor potted plants?
Georgia from N.O., LA
Post Feedback: Click Here
Looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem? Submit
your request here: Click Here
More Reading
What Students and Parents MUST Know about Student Loans
By John Williams
Student loans generally give you a good deal. You get
below-market interest rates, and you get a $2500 federal
tax credit on interest paid over any period of time
(previously first 60 months only)
View Article: Click Here
Christmas - It's Never Too Early to Start!
By Cyndi Roberts
It's never too early to start getting ready for the holidays.
View Article: Click Here
Let others know that you like this Ezine:
Vote For the Daily Thrifty Tips
More Stuff
Coupon Swap!
Swap coupons with other ThriftyFun.com users:
Seed Swap!
Swap seeds with other ThriftyFun.com users:
Tip Contest!
Submit a tip and enter our contest.
Submit a Request
Frugal solutions to everyday problems.
Search ThriftyFun!
Use Google technology to search ThriftyFun.
| 
