|
|
|
Hello,
We spent the morning on the phone with people at AOL to try to get to the bottom of our delivery problems to people using their service. We have made a few changes to the newsletter that they recommended. Hopefully more AOL folks receive this newsletter. If you are on AOL and got this, please let us know.
Our latest tip contest ended last night at midnight. The winner is Ronsan! The total number of entries was 463. Ronsan submitted 16 entries. Congratulations to Ronsan and THANK YOU to everyone that submitted tips. You make ThriftyFun a lot of fun to publish. The contest winner is chosen at random from all valid entries.
With that contest ending, a new one begins. It will end on March 31st. You can enter it at the link below. Our photo contest also ends on the 31st.
Thanks for reading,
Susan
Enter The Photo Contest:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/photo_contest.ldml
Enter The Tip Contest:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/contest.ldml
Frugal solutions to everyday problems: Submit a request...
http://www.thriftyfun.com/add.ldml
Today's newsletter contains:
Today's Photo Contest Entries:
Today's Tips:
New Requests:
More Reading:
Search ThriftyFun Using Google: Click Here
Today's Sponsors
Why spend $23.90/month on AOL? Get NetZero Platinum's fast, reliable internet access for only 9.95/month.
Vote for products of the future- Chance to win $10,000
Earn Points for Free gift cards by completing surveys. Join MyPoints its free and easy! Get 50 Free points when you sign up.
Click here for more information...
Today's Photo Contest Entries
This is our English bulldog, BONKERS. This is a prime example
Everytime she doesn't want to do something she runs and hides under this bed. - Kath
View Photo and Post Feedback: Click Here
This is Taz, my (almost) 8 year old Schipperke. He picked me to be his Mom when he was 4 mo. old and we've been best friends ever since. He loves having his belly rubbed, dancing for popcorn and being loved by anyone. Just a joy!
By Mary
View Photo and Post Feedback: Click Here
Submit a tip with a photo or a pet description with a photo and you could win a prize. You can enter the photo contest here:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/photo_contest.ldml
Today's Tips
Our two car garage has too much stuff lining the walls to accommodate both large vehicles we own. When the second vehicle is needed for early morning transportation but is coated with frost that would take time to scrape off, my husband takes the first vehicle out of the garage, brings in the second vehicle and then plugs in the small space heater.
Within 15 minutes, no matter how bad the glazing of ice crystals, the vehicle is covered with droplets of water instead of frost. This way, no one has to stand outside in the cold to scrape but both of us have vehicles we can just get in and go!
By Ronsan
View Article: Click Here
Here is a condiment or salad that is so easy! It is outstanding with turkey or ham, and best of all, will last for days in the refrigerator.
Requires only two ingredients: a can of crushed pineapple and a can of whole or jellied cranberry sauce. Drain the pineapple. Break up the contents of the can of cranberry sauce in a bowl and add the pineapple. Stir, then refrigerate until serving time.
The color of the cranberry sauce and the pineapple is very festive, and the combination offers a sweet but tangy taste. Best of all, it is combined in less than a minute and is one more task off your list.
By Ronsan
View Article: Click Here
Gift Certificates, Gift Cards and Premium Rebates
If you receive dated gift certificates or other premium rebates to use in a particular store, note the date on your calendar and which store it is to be redeemed in at least 7 days before the expiration. That way, you will have a reminder while you still have time to do something with it.
By Ronsan
Editor's Note: It is also important to know that some gift cards expire. If you have a gift card that you have gotten for Christmas and have been saving, you should research when that store's gift cards expire so you can be sure to use it in time. Not all stores have the same policy in regards to gift cards so it's important to research if you aren't planning on using a gift card within 6 months of receiving it.
View Article: Click Here
Auto Depositing Your Tax Return
When electronically or e-filing your tax return with an anticipated refund, make sure the bank account you designate for the direct deposit has your name on it.
My daughter does not have an account but opted to have her tax return direct deposited to our account. Unfortunately, the IRS would not do this and without notice to her, they snail mailed it to my daughter, who was not expecting this delivery method. It took an additional 5 weeks beyond when she was expecting the refund.
By Ronsan
View Article: Click Here
Create a Bag Holder From a Milk Carton
I clean out my empty gallon milk jugs and when dry replace the lid. I then cut a hole about 2-3 inches on the upper half of the jug then another slightly larger towards the bottom. As I get all those plastics bags from shopping I check to make sure they are intact (no holes or tears) then tightly wrap them around my finger (to press out any air). Then put it into the top hole in the jug.
The milk carton holds an unbelievable amount of plastic bags and when your ready to reuse one you just pull one out from the bottom hole. I've labeled my jugs according to size of bags, small, medium and large, that way I don't have to pull out a bunch of bags looking for just the right size.
I do craft fairs occasionally and yard sales, and this works great for recycling all those bags and I'm able to give customers a bag to hold their goodies in. The handle on the jug makes it easy to hold also. By Debbie
Post Feedback: Click Here
Make Place Card Holders From Forks
I saw the cutest idea and wanted to share it with all of you. I just love to have my table look special when guests come for dinner. Take a fork and bend the center two tines backwards to form a stand and the outer tines forwards to make a name card holder.
Yes, you can find very elegant forks at the thrift stores for very little. Be sure to let the children decorate the name cards. Then, your guests will know how very special they really are!
By Sandymay10
Post Feedback: Click Here
A quick and easy snack that kids will love, that isn't too messy and quick. Take a roll of pre-made biscuits and using a soda bottle cap take the middle of each one out, fry them for about 3-5 minutes, coat with light sugar and serve, hot fresh donuts. You can make donut holes out of the middle pieces.
By MOMMYT
Post Feedback: Click Here
Makeup Trial Sizes at the Department Store
When I was at the mall last night, I ended up in a department store and wandered around in the makeup section. I discovered you can get a free trial-size bottle of a new Lancome foundation by simply going up to the Lancome counter and requesting one!
All they do is plop you down in the chair to test for the correct shade, and voila! For those of us who don't use lots of foundation every day, the small trial bottle could easily be stretched over quite a bit more than the ten days the sample claims to last ;)
What's more thrifty than free department-store-quality makeup?
By Ashley
View Article: Click Here
A cup of vinegar set on the kitchen counter will help eliminate kitchen odors.
By Aurelia Casson
Post Feedback: Click Here
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
-- Groucho Marx
By Linda J.
Post Feedback: Click Here
Tips for cleaning lampshades. Post your ideas.
I read a tip about cleaning lamp shades and just had to send this one in also. I do housecleaning and one of the ladies I clean for has a very difficult to clean lampshade along with the other type that are easier to clean. I have found that the best thing to use for both is a small paint brush. It just brushes the dust right off the shade. Works great!
By Robin
Post Feedback: Click Here
Saving Water With Showers Instead Of Baths
To save on water take showers, not baths. A five minute shower will use about 7.5 gallons of water, while filling a bathtub can use up to 20 gallons.
By Robin
Post Feedback: Click Here
When my students' pens don't work, I put them over a burning match. If the pen isn't empty, 7/10 times it gets the ink flowing.
By Kathleen Cochran
Post Feedback: Click Here
Forget "good" potatoes; make EXCELLENT Baked potatoes. Using larger bakers, scrub clean and pierce several times with tines of fork or sharp paring knife.
With your bare hands, smear a light coating of butter or margarine all over the potato (not melted - the heat of your hands will help with that).
Place potatoes onto a cookie sheet and then sprinkle with a nice dose of pepper and garlic powder, turn over potatoes and sprinkle the other side.
Bake in 375 degree oven until fork tender.
You will not only love the smells that permeate the house, but the inside AND outside of the potato are finger-licking good.
By Penny
View Article: Click Here
Ingredients:
Directions:
Beat well with mixer: eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Mix in until well blended the flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir together with apples and nuts. Batter will be stiff. Spread in a 9x13 inch pan and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.
By Robin
View Article: Click Here
Ingredients:
Directions:
Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs, add milk alternately with flour in which baking powder has been added. Add pinch of salt, vanilla, and beat well. Bake in greased loaf pan. 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
By Robin
View Article: Click Here
Ingredients:
Directions:
Cook together and cool. Add 1 Tbsp. vanilla. Add cream and milk to within 2 inches from the top of freezer (enough for 6 qt.). Be sure to use canning salt, not table salt, in the ice-salt mixture when using either an electric or hand crank freezer.
By Robin
View Article: Click Here
Ingredients:
Directions:
Combine egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Gradually add hot milk and cook in double boiler until mixture coats spoon. Remove from heat, add gelatin softened in cold milk. Chill until partially set. Fold in egg whites, fruit, whipped cream, and sugar. Pour over angel food cake broken in bits. Chill. You use only 1/2 cake. For bigger batch, double recipe.
By Robin
View Article: Click Here
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:
New Contest! $30.00 Gift Card
In our newest contest we are giving away a $30.00 Gift Card at one of the following stores: Home Depot, Jo-Ann's Crafts or Amazon.com. If you are the winner, you get to choose which gift card! We figured it would be more valuable if you pick out your own prize, that's why we have decided to go the gift card route. This contest will end on March 31st.
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:
Water Softener For The Whole House
Does anyone have any recommendations for a whole house water softener? We recently moved into this home and found that we have very hard water! I want to get a whole house softener, but I am not sure what is the best way to go? Any advice would be helpful.
Thank you
Joanne from Colorado
Post Feedback: Click Here
I have an 1 1/5 year old male Pit Bull and a 4 year old female
German Shepherd. I want to breed my shepherd with another shepherd
but I am not sure if my Pit will like the pups or if he would
hurt them. On any other dog I wouldn't worry but since he's a PIT
BULL I don't know if I should breed my shepherd. The pit an
shepherd grew up together.
Mike D
Post Feedback: Click Here
Mothball Smell On a Rabbit Coat
i have a rabbit coat. it was stored in mothballs in error, not by me someones else. How can I get the smell out.
Twodogs
Post Feedback: Click Here
Stain from Blouse on Car Seats
I need help! I just bought a new car. Who would of thought that the black cotton blouse I was wearing that day would stain my beige color leather car seats! I tried using a clorox wipe, that didn't work. Now WHAT?
Sandra from CA
Post Feedback: Click Here
Permanent Marker on Plastic Bumper
Some kids on my street decided to get a permanent marker and have some fun on my plastic bumper. Anyone know how to get it off without ruining my brand new custom paint job?
Jorel
Post Feedback: Click Here
Getting Rid of Tiny Black Ants
I have a problem with those little tiny black ants that get in your house. I was wondering if anyone knows of a good way to get rid of them.
Tammy from Virginia
Post Feedback: Click Here
Looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem? Submit your request here: Click Here
Today's Sponsor
Free Merchandise + coupons for over 200 online stores! Free newsletter.
For more information... Click Here
ChildSafe Network
Get 3 FREE Child Identification Kits with your FREE membership to the ChildSafe Network.
Click Here for more information.
More Reading:
Canine Hip Dysplasia
By Ron Swerdfiger
What is Canine Hip Dysplasia?
Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) is a congenital disease that mainly affects large breed dogs. The word "dysplasia" means improper growth. Hip dysplasia can be described as a faulty or abnormal development of the hip. In CHD, the hip becomes loose and wobbly, eventually leading to a form of arthritis which is commonly referred to Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD). The degree of lameness that occurs is usually dependent upon the extent of arthritic changes in the hip joint. So too do environmental conditions such as amount of physical exercise, and weight gain contribute to the disease, and bring out symptoms.
View Article: Click Here
A Dozen Simple Snack Solutions
By Leslie Sausage
1. Ants on a Log:
Cut celery sticks into 3 or 4-inch lengths. Spread peanut butter down the center, and then add raisins on top of the peanut butter. A Kid Favorite!
View Article: Click Here
New England Boiled Dinner....for St. Patty's Day
By Marcia Passos Duffy
St. Patrick's Day is this Thursday. If you're like me you save that corned beef & cabbage dinner for this one special day a year (Incidentally, despite the Duffy surname, I am 'Irish' only by marriage.) After a year, I always forget how to cook it, but I always go back to my favorite recipe - New England style with extra vegetables (you could add more veggies if you'd like, such as turnips and parsnips) -- that never fails to get rave reviews from my real Irish husband.
View Article: Click Here
Three Powerful Words
By Steve Goodier
A funny story is told about General George Patton from his World War II days. He once accepted an invitation to dine at a press camp in Africa. Wine was served in canteen cups but, obviously thinking he was served coffee, Patton poured cream into his cup. As he stirred in sugar, Patton was warned that his cup contained red wine and not coffee.
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.
Like ThriftyFun on Facebook
