Daily Thrifty Tips - February 10, 2006

Get "The Complete Budget and Bill Organizer" Free

When you subscribe to my newsletter "The Budget Stretcher" you will receive this easy guide to effectively organizing and managing your money absolutely free. Get all of the Budget Forms and Worksheets you need to make it work for you. Click the below link to learn more:

http://www.homemoneyhelp.com/confirmsubs.html

Peanut is a 2 year old Jack Russell Terrier. I got Peanut at the puppy depot about a year ago.

Playing with any kind of ball is Peanut's favorite thing to do.

By Melissa from Deer Park, Ny

Post Feedback: Click Here

Chynna was 8 years old on Feb 4. He is a mixed breed cat. I got Chynna the day after St Patrick's day when I was a Senior in High School. He was a tiny ball of fur then, now he's about 14 lbs. of pure cat.

He likes to sleep on freshly laundered clothes and play with his sisters. He loves to sleep on my toes! He will come running from the other side of the house-meowing loudly if he hears a pop top can.

By Pamela from Memphis TN

Post Feedback: Click Here

This is a garden gift from my hubby. He built a shelf for my garden kids. Then had to remove it because the lavender lady lilac grew to tall. LOL Trial and error, we all learn from. Happy gardening.

By Great Granny Vi from Moorpark, Ca.

Post Feedback: Click Here

Saving Money on Diet Food

Dieting can be expensive if you have to buy special foods or a wide variety of different foods. Eating one serving of a low calorie or low sugar cereal twice a day will not only take the weight off, but will allow you to save lots of money on the grocery bill.

By Sabrita from Carriere, Mississippi

Post your ideas below.

Post Feedback: Click Here

Confining yourself to one room and using a space heater on colder days lets you turn the thermostat down on the central heater and save money.

By Sabrita from Carriere, Mississippi

Post Feedback: Click Here

This is a great idea for making a very special gift for your child's teacher. Take a plain - glass plate, pictures of her students and a class group photo. Place the kids pictures on the back of the plate around the rim and "Gesso" them on. Put the class photo in the middle of the plate and "Gesso" it to the plate. Give the whole plate another good "Gesso-ing" and smooth out any bubbles carefully. Then watch that Teacher smile from ear to ear when your child hands her this one of a kind gift! :)

By Laura from Lakeland

Post Feedback: Click Here

When I think of a tip I would like to submit in the Tips Contest, I file it in the computer. I have a folder named Thrifty Tips, then files for requests, submissions and even one with the web links to what I need.

Then, before I close out an issue of Thrifty Tips, I check to make sure my file folders are empty before I move on to other e-mail. The reason this is so handy for me is that I might think of a tip I would like to pass along, but the time it would take to put it together may be prohibitive at that moment so I do just enough of the tips as I think of them to remind me later on, save them and file, and flesh out later before submitting them at another time when it works for me.

By Ronsan from Southwest Missouri

Post Feedback: Click Here

Prior to going grocery shopping I look online to see what kind of coupons there are available to print off. There are many coupons out there and a few that are for a full size free product.

By Phyllis

Post Feedback: Click Here

If you have more than one child of the same sex, use small dots of different colors of fabric paint on the bottom of their socks. each child gets their own color. There will be no wondering who owns which socks. This also works on toothbrushes, cups, mittens, underwear, etc.

By Barbara from Virginia Beach, VA

Post Feedback: Click Here

We had major work to do to our new home when me moved in. Let me tell you we had our work cut out for us, but we sat down and made a to do list of everything that had to be fixed. We did the list one at a time. The floor was the hardest to do, but we did it last, and it all worked out.

By margie pipkin from Collierville,TN.

Post Feedback: Click Here

Decorating for a wedding can be an expensive undertaking. Money can be saved on flowers if you are willing to recognize the beauty in weeds and limbs from dormant trees. We recently used many colorful tree and bush willows that we found just by the roadside. There are some amazing colors and shapes waiting to be made into classic boquets. The tall weeds with fern like tops looked excellent. The atmosphere at the wedding was very warm and back to nature feel.

By CLAIR LEAVITT from OGDEN, UTAH

Post Feedback: Click Here

Our children used to love having a certain brand of cookie or snack, but unfortunately they were also the most expensive. I wanted to teach them about a budget without making them feel as if they were missing out on something so we invented "Family coupon night."

I clip coupons everyday and then on Friday night we make a bowl of popcorn and put all the coupons on the table. We divide them into categories and each person takes a few.

Even our youngest who cannot read yet recognizes the vegetables on the coupons and is excited about helping. We then go grocery shopping with our coupons on Saturday morning.

When home, I show our budget and how much we saved. The difference goes into a vacation jar and each year we use it to go someplace special, like camping. Everyone feels like a special part of the project and are proud of their contribution.

By Laurie Emerson from Biloxi MS

Post Feedback: Click Here

"Heavy borrowing creates heavy sorrowing" from a fortune cookie I received.

By Karen from Jacksonville, FL

Post Feedback: Click Here

Submit Your Tips and Photos!

Tip Contest!

To enter, visit: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_contest.ldml

Photo Contest!

To enter, visit: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_photocontest.ldml

Contest ends February 28, 2006

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

Any ideas of how to remove self tanning solution stains from bathroom flooring. I think it is linoleum.

Angie from nanticoke, PA

Post Feedback: Click Here

Is there a way to make business cards at home? I don't have a business but I would like the ability to put my name, phone number and email address on a card that I could just hand someone without having to write it down. I dont want to buy a program. I know there is software out there to do this with but I want to know if there is a way I could make them without it.

Auntsandy24c from Baltimore, MD

Post Feedback: Click Here

We are looking for a design for a car port.

Richard from FL

Post Feedback: Click Here

Does anyone have any decorating ideas for my Spring Ball? The theme is "A Cinderella Story".

Daryl from Dededo, GU

Post Feedback: Click Here

I have inherited some household plants from my recently deceased mother in law. I don't have a green thumb, and find myself at a loss with one particular vine. It has green and yellow variegated heart shaped leaves and is in a hanging basket. My problem is that some of its leaves are turning yellow and dyeing off. What am I doing wrong?

I am watering while trying to be sure I don't over water. I give it a good soak, then I let it completely dry out before re-watering it (about a week to 10 days). She has had this plant for a very long time. I hate the thought of killing it once it came into my household and care. She didn't have it near a window so I haven't put it near one either, do any of you have any suggestions? Should I give it more light?

I have also noticed a browning on the tips of a few of the leaves as well, what causes this? Please help me save this plant!

Thank you,
Brenda from Athens, Ohio

Post Feedback: Click Here

I have just found out that I have a Surinam Cherry Tree. It was there when we moved in 7 years ago. I never knew what it was so I would chop it to the gound every year. It is planted very close to the house on the north side with no sun. This year I let it grow and it actally has blooms on it. My question is, I would like to move it away from the house to a different location. We have 5 acres and most of it is shade. Should I plant it in the shade? And will it live if I transplant it? Also, how deep do the roots grow?

Hardiness Zone: 9b

Thanks for any help!
Sherry from Winter Haven, Florida

Post Feedback: Click Here

How is everyone dealing with gas bills this winter as well as those other utilities? I work a part time job which is all I can find in my area this time of year. Any advice would be appreciated because I am drowning.

Karen from Port Clinton, OH

Post Feedback: Click Here

We inherited a nice leather recliner that reeks of cigarette smoke. How do we remove the odor? I don't want it in my house until this is done.

Yvonne from Portland OR

Post Feedback: Click Here

Any suggestions on how to stop a cat from spraying on our sliding door? I wash the sliding door everyday, the cat comes right back and does it again.

Peggy from Gardnerville, NV

Post Feedback: Click Here

I have lots of leftover poles. I am looking for ideas using round poles, maybe in the nauticle line, for outdoors. Not pole people. The poles are 8' long, they are round and made of wood. They are treated for outdoors.

Richard downing from FL

Post Feedback: Click Here

I bought a beautiful leather purse at a Flea Market but it reeks of perfume. Obviously someone spilled a bottle and it soaked into the leather. I've tried natural enzymes, smell-be-gone, lots of sunshine, and baking soda. I've even taken it to a leather specialist, he tried to cover the smell with "leather fragrance". Any ideas? I love this purse.

Cole from Prunedale CA

Post Feedback: Click Here

Coupons for Brand Name Items

Print brand name coupons and use them at your favorite store! Sign up to take advantage of over 81 money-saving offers inside.

http://www.thriftyfun.com/lk/print_coupons.lasso

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.