Daily Thrifty Tips - May 14, 2008

Vol. 7, Num. 95, May 14, 2008 (Read It Online) Here are this week's Saving Money On.. topics. Do you have any ideas to share? Saving Money on Apple Sauce Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf48609422.tip.html Saving Money on Pudding Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf62713666.tip.html Saving Money on Bacon Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf60023787.tip.html Thanks for reading, Susan Send to a Friend! Share a Tip (You could win $25!) Share a Photo (You could win $25!) Have a Question? Submit a request... Link to ThriftyFun.com View Active Topics! Edit Your Subscriptions: To edit your ThriftyFun subscriptions, click the Update Profile/Email Address link at the bottom of this newsletter. Today's newsletter contains: Today's Photos: Yellow Memorial Flowers Scenery: Rustic Outhouse Fluffy The Cat Today's Tips: Homemade Stain Spray Quick And Easy Temporary Kennel Make Magnetic Information Sheets for Your Fridge Use Plastic Grocery Bags for Packing Material Four Steps For Clean Showering Ask Your Cafe For Used Coffee Grounds Reuse Styrofoam Are You Guilty, Too? A Poem Add Greens To Your Ramen Noodles Joke of the Day New Requests: Landscaping Ideas with Recycled Clay Roof Tiles Removing Sharpie from an Oil Painting What's Fun To Do at Myrtle Beach? Keeping Dogs out of Flowerbeds Internet Explorer Blocking Access to Sites More Reading: Beware of Products You Don't Need Saving Money on Peanut Butter Where Can I Plant A Weeping Willow? Today's Sponsor: Crafting for Fun and Money! If you are an avid crafter, capable writer and own a digital camera, you are eligible to participate. Submit your craft projects to ThriftyFun and we will pay $15 for any crafts that we publish. More Information: Click Here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml Today's Photos: Yellow Memorial Flowers I planted these beautiful yellow flowers in 1999 when I got the news that my brother-in-law had cancer and was not going to survive. Every year when they bloom, I reflect back on the ones I have lost in my life. I added the American Flag last year when my son-in-law left for Iraq. Thankfully, my son-in-law is on his way home this week. By Karen from Thomasville Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf62643199.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Scenery: Rustic Outhouse Do you remember the days when the restroom was outside? By Peggy from Elizabethtown, NC Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf16499366.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Fluffy The Cat Fluffy is a Tuxedo cat, he is 2+ years old. He likes to sit on my lap and love on the dog It took me a year to get Fluffy to trust me, he was a feral cat that came from our field, could have been dumped off, and now he is the most trusting and lovable cat. He even loves the dog. My husband had out his Harley and I looked out the window and Fluffy was ready to go for a ride! By Ida from Circleville, Ohio Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf43496144.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Contests: Tip Contest Submit a Tip or Recipe! Photo Contest Submit a tip with photo! These contests are weekly. We pick 2 tip winners and 1 photo winner at the end of each week. Each winner will win $25! My Frugal Life Submit a My Frugal Life Essay! Today's Tips: Homemade Stain Spray Make your own stain-fighting spray for the laundry! I put 1/2 a spray bottle full of Tide laundry detergent (Tide is awesome at fighting stains). Then, I put a little bit of Dawn dishwashing liquid and fill the rest with water. Shake it up, and there you have it - your very own stain-fighting spray! I think that this fights stains MUCH better than the stain-fighters that I buy in the stores. By Tammy from Fort McCoy, FL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf32772305.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Quick And Easy Temporary Kennel Do you wish there was a safe, easy and thrifty way for your pets to enjoy the fine weather? How about an easy up and easy down small kennel? All you need are temporary fence posts, rabbit wire and zip-ties to make your own cat and critter kennel. Temporary fence posts can easily be sunk into ground that has few rocks using only your feet or a mallet. Temporary fence posts are made for construction areas to quickly, easily and cheaply put up fences. They cost around $5 each and have places to hook wire to. You will need 4 - 6 of them depending on the size of your safety kennel. All supplies can be bought in the fencing area of Home Depot. Hardware cloth, rabbit or chicken wire can be cut with simple metal shears (I bought mine at a $1 store) or if you're going to be keeping an eye on your pet, you can use plastic hardware cloth that can be cut with scissors. The hardware cloth costs between $12 and $20 per roll depending on how large of a pet kennel you want to build. Don't forget with cats and other critters to buy enough to make a cover so they won't jump out. Simply place the fence posts in to the ground, then zip-tie the rabbit wire all around them and on top. You can build this in under an hour and when autumn comes around, you can take it down in minutes. Everything rolls up and fits into a small space and you'll see no damage to the grass from the temp fence posts. If you want a more durable small-pet kennel, you can instead build it out of wire closet shelves. They come in 12 inch, 15 inch, and 20 inch widths. Home Depot will cut them to any length you need. I zip-tied two 15 inch wide shelves together to make the roof of Smokey's outdoor kennel and it hooks to his cat door so he can go outside and bird watch any time he pleases. The cool thing is, if I ever take it apart, I can always use the wire shelves out in the garage! Don't forget to add an easy access door. Mine simply ties shut with a piece of nylon rope. Make sure to add a partial roof for shade and provide water. Your pet will have hours of fun especially if you provide a bird feeder close by, so your pet can watch the birds! By Cyinda from near Seattle Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf60658498.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Make Magnetic Information Sheets for Your Fridge To save time trying to find oven temps, food substitutes, handy hints or a favourite recipe in cooking books, print them onto a magnetic sheet and put it on your fridge. You can jazz up the page with some clip art or maybe a photo. Would make a great present for the kids to do for mum on the computer. By Jackie from Adelaide. S.A. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf28412891.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Use Plastic Grocery Bags for Packing Material Another good use for all those grocery plastic bags is to use them as packing material! When you send a gift, or when you make a move to a new home, these bags are great for wrapping glassware and other breakables! By CKDavis from Flagstaff, AZ Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf91249661.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Four Steps For Clean Showering Perform these 4 steps when showering and they will surely leave you feeling very clean all day and make your deodorants and perfumes last longer. Regulate your shower to the warmest water you can stand. Using a bar of soap, lather your entire body from head to toe, rinse well Then, lather your washcloth, bath brush, or loofa, with soap and wash entire body, rinse well. (Optional) Pour a quarter size of shower gel on your poof or in the palm of your hand and smooth all over. Rinse well, pat dry with a clean towel. Apply deodorants and perfumes as usual. By sbb1 from Umm al Quain, UAE Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf96724190.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Ask Your Cafe For Used Coffee Grounds Many cafes will give out quantities of used coffee grounds for your garden for free! Our local Borders does this and it is wonderful for the garden, esp. acid loving plants like azalea, lilac, hydrangea, etc. :) All you have to do is ask! By Carol from Landisville, Pa Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf41111901.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Reuse Styrofoam Styrofoam peanuts are great filler for re-potting plants. Use Styrofoam meat trays to trace out your switch plate and use as insulation. Use cookie cutters to make weather resistant decorations. Styrofoam! I re-use all I can. When drying starched items (ie: ornaments), I cover a strip of Styrofoam with plastic wrap, stretch to form and pin to place. Use Styrofoam anywhere you can and it won't reach our landfills. It's not to late to do something to recycle, all we can. Things I can't use, I trade with my friends. By Keeper from NC Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf53128361.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Are You Guilty, Too? A Poem It's a little too little to save And a little too much to dump. And nothing to do but eat it, That makes the housewife plump. Source: Found in another cookbook! I loved this one.....(:o) By Mary from Cocoa, FL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf63835758.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Add Greens To Your Ramen Noodles Dress up ramen noodle soup in a healthy, delicious way! Place ramen noodle soup in a bowl, just cover with water, and add your favorite greens (I especially love mustard greens). Add some soy sauce (you can use low sodium soy sauce), and cook as usual. Delicious! By CKDavis from Flagstaff, AZ Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf95836180.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Dear Webby's Joke of the Day A man is a person who, if a woman says, "Never mind, I'll do it myself; lets her. A woman is a person who, if she says to a man, "Never mind, I'll do it myself," and he lets her; gets mad. A man is a person who, if a woman says to him, "Never mind, I'll do it myself," and he lets her and she get mad; says, "Now what are you mad about?" A woman is a person who, if she says to a man, "Never mind, I'll do it myself," and he lets her and she get mad, and he says, "Now what are mad about?" says, "If you don't know I'm not going to tell you." Read More Jokes Here: http://webby.com/humor New Requests: Landscaping Ideas with Recycled Clay Roof Tiles I want to recycle quite a lot of clay roof tiles for use in my landscape. Any ideas? Jeanne from Cortez, CO Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf26989190.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Removing Sharpie from an Oil Painting Any tips for removing sharpie from an oil painting? The sharpie was the under drawing and is now showing through to the surface. Ben from GA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf45881763.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print What's Fun To Do at Myrtle Beach? What's fun to do in Myrtle Beach? We plan on being there for 5 nights. We've been there before, but I'm looking for something off the beaten path. Also is there anything in Virginia around I-77, that would be fun to do for a couple hours with the family? We like to stop and take a break from the long drive. Last year we found Wolf Creek Indian Village in Va. It was great for a picnic lunch. Thank you. CMJ from WV Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf78333735.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Keeping Dogs out of Flowerbeds How do I keep my dog from digging in my flower bed? Sandy from Bluff City, TN Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf456480.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Internet Explorer Blocking Access to Sites Recently my computer has been having an issue. When I type in an internet address (ie: my bank, aol mail, etc.), it says "Internet Explorer has blocked this site due to security certificate issues", telling me the certificate has either expired or is not valid. Does anyone know what causes this and how to fix it? I restored my computer to an earlier time before this issue and it didn't help imaqt1962 from Illinois Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf97360887.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Today's Sponsor: Crafting for Fun and Money! If you are an avid crafter, capable writer and own a digital camera, you are eligible to participate. Submit your craft projects to ThriftyFun and we will pay $15 for any crafts that we publish. More Information: Click Here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml More Reading: Beware of Products You Don't Need By Kelly Ann Butterbaugh While teaching advertising, I've come to be quite a skeptic. Aware of the various methods of advertising, I tend to focus most on the Parable of Created Needs. What this advertising method says is that manufacturers create a need for a product, persuading consumers to purchase it because it's a necessity. Listerine succeeded in 1914 when it warned of halitosis, and products are doing it today. We all fall victim to this lure. While I love the smell of Febreze, I must admit that I truly could live without the product. Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf42768928.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Saving Money on Peanut Butter Tips for saving money on Peanut Butter as suggested from the ThriftyFun community. Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf55467894.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Where Can I Plant A Weeping Willow? Question: I decided I wanted a weeping willow and so we planted one in the front yard about 20 ft from the house and 15 feet from the street but now I am worried about the septic system and foundation. I keep reading that they should not be planted near any septic or water lines (our septic is in the backyard). I want to know what a safe distance is to plant a willow from septic or water lines? Could anyone help me with this? Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf60151686.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Interactive Coupon Swap! Swap coupons with other ThriftyFun.com users. Seed Swap! Swap seeds with other ThriftyFun.com users.