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Hello,
If you have a Swiffer, be sure to check out the Swiffer tips in today's issue, there are also more on the website that we couldn't fit.
We also have 30 new requests once again, so please check them out and see if you have any advice to offer.
If you are looking for EVEN more to read today, drop by MyFrugalLife.com and see what people are posting on their blogs.
My Frugal Life Blogs
http://www.myfrugallife.com/
I will be highlighting blogs in this welcome message in the comings weeks. Below is a link to a blog by Doggy who has been part of the ThriftyFun community for as long as I can remember.
DoggyTalk
http://www.myfrugallife.com/blog_doggylopaw.html
We have a handful of My Frugal Life essays that we still need to publish, once those are published we will pick the winner. It's going to be very difficult to pick just one. Because of that, we have decided to start a new My Frugal Life essay contest. This one will end on December 31, 2006 and we will give away 5 $20 prizes instead of one $100.00 prize. The essays we have published so far have been inspirational to a lot of people trying to live a frugal lifestyle. Many thanks to everyone that took time to submit one.
And... we have a new poll today!
Do you have a sewing or craft room?
Post Your Answer:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf42702701.tip.html
Thanks for reading,
Susan
Today's newsletter contains:
Today's Photos:
Today's Tips:
New Requests:
More Reading:
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Today's Photos
| Liberty Belle (Tortie)
Liberty Belle is a 5 year old Tortie. She was a birthday gift to myself on that depressing 9/11 day five years ago.She loves to run sideways all hunched up and "Halloween" us. This is a picture of Liberty on her throne celebrating her birthday. By Linda Jonson from Oceanside. Ca.
Post Feedback: Click Here |
| William - My First Grandbaby
My first grandbaby William! He is three months old in this picture, I know he looks older, but I promise he is only three months old! This was his first day in the johnny jump up. He loves it!! By Becky from Watertown, WI
Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Contests!
The above contests are weekly. We pick 2 tip winners and 1 photo winner at the end of each week. Each winner will win $25!
Submit a My Frugal Life Essay! New Contest Started! |
Today's Tips
| Try Text Messages In Emergencies
This is a tip that I learned last year during the hurricanes (Katrina and Rita). In most cases this was the only way to contact family members in Louisiana. I think with hurricane season in full force (no pun intended) this is a good thing to know. When a land line is unavailable and all you have is a cell phone even that is useless sometimes. During storms (or in "dead zones" while traveling) when you don't have a signal and a call won't go through, try a text message. More often than not it will work. It worked for me every time. It's not hard to do, except when you're actually driving and that's not advisable. For those of you who aren't used to text messaging, give it a try ahead of time so that you're sure you know how to do it. Good luck. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Hey, Lets Talk About Cleaning
I would like to tell what really works for me in a busy schedule. I clean for 1 hour. I do not answer the phone are door. I do this daily. You would not believe what you can get done in this short period of time. One more tip on this. I use the timer on my microwave to time myself. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Make Your Own Swiffer Pads
Here are some ideas for making your own Swiffer pads and refilling the cleaning bottles. Feel free to post your ideas in the forum below. OnesiesI have used old baby onesies for my Swiffer. They snap right over the pad. It works great for dusting! Just unsnap and through in the wash when you are done! (04/29/2004)By Ann Paper TowelsDo you have one of those new Swiffer mops, but hate to pay upwards of $1 for each pad that you trash after one use? I've been taping several sheets of quality paper towels to mine, which costs only pennies compared to the official Swiffer pads and do just a good job! (09/09/2004)By Nichole N. Make Your Own Swiffer Cover"How to make you own Swiffer Cover"http://kansasa.blogspot.com/2006/04/swiffer-cover.html By Laurie from Pahrump NV Finger TowelsHere's a money saver tip. I have a Swiffer wet/dry mop and use it often, but I simply cannot bring myself to keep buying those expensive throw-away cloths. So I use finger towels (what ELSE do you use them for?) or any small terry cloth towel to wet-mop my floors. Also you can cut old flannel shirts to the size and use them to dry-mop the floors. Works great! And when you accumulate a bunch, simply throw them into the washer, hang them on the line and Viola - they're ready for use once again. (09/19/2004)By Harmony RE: Make Your Own Swiffer PadsYou can refill the bottles just use pliers to open the bottle and refill with your own solution. You don't have to saw off anything. i just use my adjustable pliers. (09/20/2004)By Rose WashclothsI also have a wetjet swiffer and I refuse to buy the refill bottles or the cleaning pads. In place of the cleaning pads, I use old washcloths - they stick to the velcro - all you need to do is cut a little off if the cloth is too long. And instead of their expensive cleaning solution, I mix Mr. Clean and water in a squirt bottle and squirt it on the floor and "swiffer" it up. Hope this helps (09/26/2004)By gbsmommy My RecipeOur SJ's squirt broke, thanks to my kids. But I just use a combo of 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 water, with a few drops of rosemary oil to clean the floor. Doesn't give quite as nice a shine, but sure is cheap, and smells SO much better than the chemical SJ solution. (09/28/2004)By Ann Used Socks as Swiffer PadsAround my home it seems that someone always has a sock with a hole in it, so I started saving the "used" socks and by making a slit from the top of the sock to about the middle of the foot, I can slip them over my Swiffer duster and I don't have to buy the replacement pads. They work just as well and I feel that it picks up larger crumbs better. (09/30/2004)By Debbie Knit a Swiffer ClothSwiffer cloths can also be knit with cotton yarn, just as you would knit a dish cloth. They work best as dry dusting cloths. (11/28/2004)By Cis M. Washing Swiffer DustersBelieve it or not, those Swifter dusters that come in the box, and you attach to the handle, can be washed and used over and over again, instead of throwing away every time they become dirty. I've been hanging them on the line, I haven't tried the dryer yet, but they still work fine. By ljjcool (12/06/2004)By ThriftyFun Refilling the BottleTo easily reuse the Swiffer cleaning bottle, cut small hole (about 1/4 inch) into bottom (part that sticks up when inserted in the Swiffer mop). GO to local hardware store and buy small rubber stopper (under 50 cents). When you want to refill with your own cheap cleaning solution, take out stopper and use funnel to refill. (12/06/2004)By gg1262 Bay DiapersGetting a bag of baby diapers saves money over buying the Swiffer pads. They're made to absorb large amounts of liquid and are a lot cheaper than the refills. (12/06/2004)By Sue Washing Swiffer ClothsI wash the Swiffer cloths in the washer and dry them in the dryer! So far so good! (12/06/2004)By Kathy Removing the Swiffer TopYou can refill the cleaner, just take a pair of channel lock pliers and twist the top off and fill it with your favorite cleaner. Just be careful not to twist it off too hard or you'll break the top. We've had ours about a couple of years and that's what we do, it works. (01/03/2005)By steven Swiffer Top Comes OffI just wanted to let you know that the top of the swiffer bottle screws off. Use whatever floor cleaner you like use 2 tablespoons of cleaner to a quart of water. I do this and it works just fine. (01/29/2005)By Christine Leaking Swiffer BottleI love my Swiffer Wetjet, that is until it started leaking. Does anyone know how to stop it from leaking? It makes a horrible mess every time I stand the mop up after cleaning. YUCK (03/20/2005)By Susan G Dry Swiffer Cloths - HankiesMake your own dry floor swiffer cloths. Spray your husband old hankies with Endust (you can purchase at Thrifty's), let dry and use with your dry floor swiffer. Rinse used "hankie" under warm water to clean, or save them up and wash with other cleaning clothes. This works well with old socks for cleaning ceiling fans or regular dusting. By Janys (04/23/2005)By ThriftyFun RE: Leaker Swiffer BottleIn response to Susan G on the leaking, what probably happened is that you stored your Swiffer with the bottle on it for too long. Try removing the cleaner bottle; be sure to push the purple release button on the side. Look at the sides of the bottle and make sure that the little teeth that snap it into place didn't puncture the bottle itself. I had this happen and was surprised at such a simple problem. The leak came out the base, since that is where the cleaner flows; simple gravity. I simply purchased a new bottle and now remove it from the mop before storing both in the closet. Hope this helps! (05/06/2005)By Shaye Magic EraserFor those very hard stubborn stains, just take a Mr. clean magic eraser,put in middle of bottom of the pad, use rubber bands to secure at both ends. It really does work great. (07/15/2005)By Shania New Swiffer BottlesSwiffer is now trying to swindle your money by charging for refill bottles with special caps that prevent you from being able to refill them yourselves. The best way around this is to merely cut a hole in the bottom of the refill canister and pour in your own solution. If you constantly store your swiffer upright, this could really save some money and stick it to the corporate fat cats at swiffer. I used Mr Clean and some water... (07/30/2005)By Kevin Turkey InjectorsI have been refilling my old swiffer cleaner bottle for years now with one of those turkey injectors. Looks like a big syringe that you can put marinades into meat with. Just remove the plunger from the syringe, insert the needle into the middle of the empty swiffer bottle and pour your own cleaning solution into the syringe a bit at a time. If you squeeze the swiffer bottle a little before pouring cleaner it will suck it in quicker. I have refilled the same bottle a number of times with no leakage whatsoever. (08/08/2005)By Michelle StarfiberThe Starfiber mop refill pads stick onto the Swiffer Wet jet really well. They are washable. I already had a couple but the refills can be purchased. (08/08/2005)By Michelle Refill Swiffer Bottles:Drill a hole in the top with a hole saw (about 1.5 inches in diameter) refill with a solution of whatever you desire, plug the hole with a common rubber stopper (the kind used for laundry and bat tubs). That's it! (01/09/2006)By Sam Saver Post Feedback: Click Here |
| My Frugal Life - My Scottish Forbearers
Being frugal probably started with my Scottish forbearers. I wasn't married long when I discovered that my husband's paychecks were much smaller in the winter. He drove through the Okanagan and brought me a lot of produce. I was canning before I was 20. A good size garden helped once we had children. I sewed most of their clothes as well as my own. One learns much by taking apart used garments to remake as other things. Worn sheets have good edges and make excellent pillow slips, crib sheets and tea towels. When things were really rough for me, after the children were grown and my husband gone, I learned even more. My job hours were cut and I felt that house payments were vital. Laundromats are costly so I only took bedding to it, the rest I washed in the tub with a scrub board. You wouldn't believe how clean clothes get. I still do white socks sometimes. Everything was hung to dry, outside in summer and on a rack in winter. When I became too ill to work at one point, I cancelled the TV cable and parked the car for most of a year. I loaded up on books in the summer at garage sales and traded with friends. So much better than going bankrupt and losing sleep over unpaid bills. We really must learn to stretch money and sometimes do without if we are to survive without a heavy debt load. Siris from Northern Canada Do you have a frugal story to share with the ThriftyFun community? Submit your essay here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_myfrugallife.ldml Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Drugstore Beauty Products
Here is something I've been doing and it has saved me a lot of money. After our baby was born, I wasn't working and I went to the hair salon to buy my hair products and simply couldn't pay the $76 of product I was buying. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Lists for Traveling
My job requires a great deal of travel, sometimes with not much advance notice to plan what to pack for the trip. I have made up a list of everything that I should bring along and made extra copies of this "TAKE ON TRIPS" list. When it's time to get ready for the road, I just cross off each item as I pack it in my suitcase so I am sure not to forget something important. After the list of things to pack, I have included notes of things to do before leaving such as "Turn down heat," "Notify family of telephone numbers where they can reach me," and "Water houseplants and cover with plastic bags." Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Dental Self Care
Dentists don't tell you everything about dental self-care, somehow. I have discovered that you can use good denture adhesive cream even on temporary partials to make them more comfortable. Also you can use orthodontic wax to cover rough edges/gaps. (Even use to replace missing teeth in an emergency!) Also use astringent mouthwash such as you find in the health food store to help with gums. After any dental procedure, use hot salt water rinses/peroxide rinses 2 - 3 times a day to help with healing! Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Cheap Kids Decor
When looking for cheap art for your kids room (or any other room for that matter), look no farther than your local home improvement store's wallpaper isle. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Rinsing Chlorine Out of Swim Wear
After I swim, I remove my swimsuit and drop it on the floor of the shower. I then proceed to shower, as the shower soap rinse the chlorine off me and my swim wear. I then rinse the soap out of the suit and after I towel off, wrap the swim suit in my towel for a few minutes. Before I leave the bathroom, I hang the suit to dry. Rinsing the chlorine out of my swim wear after each use preserves the life of the suit, and doing it this way is a no-brainer. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Repurposing Furniture
We have an oak "credenza" that is nice and narrow for the dining area in our apartment. I think it started life off as a sink cabinet or something! Just remember that pieces don't have to be used as they were originally meant to be. An vintage commercial glass/wood display case (found on the street!) fits nicely under my bedroom window for storage, too. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Using A Hyphenated Name After Getting Married
A lady that I recently talked with said she went with hyphenating her maiden name and her married name because she was already known in her area by her maiden name. So when they married, she just added the hyphen and her married name. So this way, everyone that knows her already can tell she married, rather than wondering who she is just going by her husband's last name. I'd never given this much thought before. Sounds good. Well thought out. Post Feedback: Click Here |
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Syndication Spotlight
Webby publishes our tips daily! A very funny newsletter. More Information:
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New Requests
| Freezing Tomato Sauce
Can I make homemade tomato sauce and freeze it instead of using the water bath method? Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Planning a Wedding on a $1,500 Budget
How can I plan my wedding on a $1500.00 budget? Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Whitening a Christening Gown
Can Oxi clean whiten 32 year old christening gown? I am afraid to use this listed way even though I know it may work. The 1 cup dishwasher detergent w/tide and one cup clorex use to work great on my daughter's white nurses uniforms and my sons white football/baseball pants. I use to soak them overnight, then put through wash cycle. then I would put thru another wash cycle. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Hot Water Smells Sour
Can the water in a hot water tank get sour? I have a bad oder coming from the hot water. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Gardetto's Snack Mix Recipe
Does anyone have a recipe for Gardetto's snacks? Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Cheapest Gas in St. Joesph, MO
I am looking for the cheapest gas prices in St. Joesph, MO. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Cat Losing Hair on Its Belly
My newly adopted cat of 2 months came to us with a hair problem. He is hairless on his underbelly and it goes up his sides some and seems like he loses more hair all the time. He just has a pink belly with a little bit of fur. The lady I got him from said he did this last summer also, but he is getting worse now and fall is upon us. He is the sweetest cat with the best temperment. We are strapped for money big time or I would take him to the vet. Just wondering what causes this malady and if we can help him any. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Freezing Peaches
How do you freeze peaches? Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Washing Machine Smell
There is a mildew smell inside my washing machine. I've tried leaving it open to let it air out and I've run it without any clothes thru a wash cycle with a cup of bleach. This helped some, but the smell is still there. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Diet Tips for Lupus Patients
Does anyone have a diet for lupus patients? Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Making Antennas for a Bumble Bee Costume
Does anyone know how I could make some antennas for a bumble bee costume for a toddler? Something that wouldn't really bother him to wear. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Mechanical Spinning Display for Craft Shows
I am looking for information to find a mechanical spinning device to use to display some wind spinners indoors at craft shows. Does anyone know of a web site that sells them? Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Is fabric softener the best way to remove wallpaper?
Is fabric softener the best way to remove wallpaper? Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Making Jelly Without Sugar
I would like to make jelly without sugar. I buy "Simply Fruit" from town but would like to make my own if I could. Any ideas? Post Feedback: Click Here |
| How do you get WD40 out of clothing?
My sons favorite sweatshirt got WD40 soaked on the sleeve. I've tried soaking it in Oxyclean overnight but that didn't do it. Any ideas? Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Junior High Sunday School Craft Ideas
I need craft ideas for jr. High sunday school. All ideas appreciated. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Attaching Seeds To Planing Paper
I would like to make my own plantable paper and put my own wildflower, or lavender seeds on the paper. How do I keep the seeds from falling off? Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Cleaning Old Kitchen Cabinets
My daughter just moved into her first apartment. The problem is the kitchen cabinets are old and have contact paper on them. How do we clean inside cabinets, they smell like old wood. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| After Having Hookworm Shots My Dog Won't Eat or Drink
My dog got his shots for hookworms and will not eat or drink and is pooping watery poop. What do I do? Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Red Dirt Stains on Clothing
How do i remove red dirt stains from socks and t-shirts? Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Skunk Repellents
I am looking for a natural way to get rid of skunks in our yard. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Stained Glass Wind Chimes
Has anyone ever made windchimes from stained glass? I have some shards that I would like to use and I'm not sure what type of string/wire would be best to string the pieces together. I saw examples of these at a craft show, they used small driftwood pieces for the top and then used glass and beads to make the chimes. Unfortunately, I don't remember what they used to string them together. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Getting Red Dye out of Clothes
I did a dark wash with one red shirt and some assorted light color clothes. For some reason the red ran on everything. Can the red dye be cleaned out of the clothes? Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Disappearing Zucchini Blossoms
The blossoms on my zucchini form great and look healthy but look like they have ben cut off just below the blossom during the night. I can't find any insects around or in the mulch or soil. What could do this? Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Recipes Using Powdered Milk
I have several bags of powdered milk. My family does not really care to drink it so I am looking for ideas on how to use it. Thanks a bunch to all who can offer some suggestions! Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Dog Potty Training Problems
I can't potty train my puppy. She will pee and poo w/out letting me know she has to go. She will be 6 months the middle of this month. She is a precious Minpin. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| My Dog Sneaks Out The Door
I hope someone could give me advice. My little min pin sneaks out the door everytime we open it. I live a few houses down from a school so my road is very busy. I'm very worried my dog is going to get hit by a car. What could I do to keep her in the house? Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Cleaning Collars on White Shirts
How do I get my husbands collars clean on his white shirts. I have tried stain removers you spray on but this does not work. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Football (Soccer) Theme Party
I need ideas for fun games to play around a football (i.e. soccer) theme. It's an adults party and my husband is football mad, I've thought of playing three-legged football for starters. We also have a pool so using that is an option. Any ideas for food would also be appreciated. Thanks. Post Feedback: Click Here |
| Something in My Home is Making Me Itch
What could be causing me to itch? Sometimes it feels like something is biting me too, but I have no rash. It seems to only happen inside my home. We went on vacation and it went away. Within an hour of getting home, it started again It sort of comes and goes. I would appreciate any advice/help Post Feedback: Click Here |
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More Reading
Travel Tips for Copenhagen, Denmark - Frugal Travel Guide
Travel Destination:CopenhagenRead More: Click Here |
| Organizing a Sewing Room
Here are tips sent in by readers about how to keep your sewing room organized. Feel free to post your ideas in the feedback forum. Read More: Click Here |
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