Daily Thrifty Tips - January 8, 2007

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Nina is three years old. She is a pure breed Jack Russell Terrier. I got my pet after my rabbit died so I wouldn't be upset. My godmother gave Nina to me on April 8, 2003.

Nina loves to have lots of fun. She is very energetic and loves to play with other people. She is very loving and protective. She wouldn't let a stranger near my home, which makes me feel safe.

Nina is also very smart. I thought her many tricks. She knows all her tricks in both English and Spanish. She knows how to sit, give paw, lie down, do commando, and play dead. She is also learning many more.

By Andrea L from Yonkers, New York

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If you have a camera, you can save lots of money by taking your own portraits. Here's one of my son when he turned 6 months. We didn't have the money to get professional photos taken, so I did my own session! This particular photo looked better black and white (a quick fix with Photoshop).

For his next photo shoot, I'm going to play around with different backdrops or just go outside! The trick is to take a LOT of photos to get that one perfect shot. Try different angles (this one is from above) and work with the child's personality to get a smile or look to capture. Good luck!

By Carrie from Yakima, WA

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Here's Joclyn and Julie, showing off their cakes that they iced and decorated by themselves! And what fun they had! They even put on aprons like real cooks! What a good way to pass a day, and then get to eat the rewards!

By Betty from Cowichan Bay, BC

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My husband received some golf club covers from the company he works for. He is not a golfer so I put these covers to good use. They are made out of material that bath towels are made of. I use them as dust cloths or cloths to clean the bathroom. The covers fit over my hand very nicely. Also, the cover can slip right over the top of a 12.5 ounce can of furniture polish or cleaning liquid bottles; so you have the polish and cloth together.

After use, the covers are placed in the washing machine, dried in the dryer and put back on top of the cleaning bottle they are used for.

By WandaJo from Tennessee

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Want to keep your hands warm while working outside during these cold winter months? Try this: Put on a pair of thin, disposable latex gloves, BEFORE putting on your usual gardening gloves. Your hands will stay toasty warm for hours. Try it!

By Laura from Elberta, AL

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I was going out on the town and wanted to wear my sterling silver necklace. I noticed it had tarnished. I did not want to get out a rag and silver polish. I recalled that when we visited Mexico, the silver jewelry shop owners all sat around all day, polishing their silver jewelry with lipstick! SO, I grabbed the tube of lipstick I was going to wear, put some on a tissue and proceeded to polish my necklace, removing the tarnish with the lipstick! It worked like a charm!

By Sharon from Southern Illinois

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This is for the Budgeting and Financial Tips for the new year. We are soon to be strapped with incoming bills from our expenditures from gift buying for Christmas. Thus you will be looking for ways to cut back on your spending, usually with your heating consumption (or so it is at my house).

I have come up with a alternative idea to heat my body up quickly and WITHOUT turning up the furnace's thermostat. Thus my husband is happy and our check book doesn't run into the red with the high cost of our heating bills! This tip is also for anyone who "lowers their thermostat" in order to save money on their heating bill.

When I get cold or come in from the outside and need to knock the chill off my bones, all I do is sit (in my easy chair) with a BLOW DRYER plugged in beside it. I turn it on blowing the hot air on the part of me that is cold. Within just a few minutes, my body is again warm, that is until the next time I feel a draft at which time I turn the blow dryer back on (me) again. My husband stays comfortable, I get warmed up quickly and our furnace stays off saving on our light bill.

I am anemic with circulatory problems and stay cold 24/7 so this helps my old bones out tremendously in staying warm in the winter months.

Have a great year.

By Paula Jo Carr from Mebane, NC

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My long term prescriptions are filled via Internet and sometimes I'd forget which one had been refilled. Although we receive a confirmation email, all they give you are the numbers and it's inconvenient to be checking all of the bottles for a match. I've started writing in ink on the bottle the date when it was refilled, so that the next time I use it and notice the quantity requires replacing, I can also see that the online pharmacy has already been contacted.

Why didn't I think of this sooner!

By Holly from Richardson, TX

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Cat fishing is a very enjoyable sport! All you need to enjoy this sport is an old fly fishing rod or a stick and a piece of string. Tie a small fake mouse to one end of the string and attach the other end to your fly rod. Now you are ready to go Cat fishing. Your house Cats will chase the fake Mouse forever and even beg you to pick up your fishing rod as often as possible.

Happy Cat Fishing and Happy Holidays,

By Joseph from Laval, Quebec, Canada

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Even though we now have the information highway with information literally at our finger tips, it is still essential that we have a small reference library that we can call on when we need information. These eight books will get you through a whole lot of problems and will take up little space on your book shelves and can save you money.

Whether you have children or not, every reference library needs a good dictionary. I recommend a Webster's or an American Heritage. Even though they add words every year to dictionaries, even an older one will work. Why do you need to keep a good dictionary on hand? Imagine that you are working on a report for your boss late at night and it is due the next morning. You can count on spell check but, for some words, spell check might not hack it, with a quick check you can be sure that you have spelled it correctly.

A good Rand McNally Atlas can help you plan car trips. It can also help you find some towns that you may need to mail to with your business.

Next on the list would be a basic beginning cookbook with good charts on measuring equivalents and substitutions. Even if we are expert cooks, sometimes we can't remember what can be substituted for what and how many pints are really in a gallon. What if you come across a term in a recipe you just don't understand, a good basic cookbook will have a vocabulary list also. With more people going back to a simpler way of life, some of those long forgotten easy family favorites just might be a godsend for those nights when you need some comfort food and a easy recipe.

I recommend that you also have a detailed fix it manual for household appliances, there many out there on the market. You will want one with detailed pictures. These can be helpful if the belt breaks on your dryer or if you need to troubleshoot your dishwasher. Why pay the repairman when simple repairs can be made by you for a fraction of the cost? If you have to call the repairman, with the detailed pictures, you can tell him exactly what you know is wrong. This can save you the cost of the repairman diagnosing your problem.

A must for a small reference library would also be a Chilton Auto Manual on the make and model of your car. These books can help you diagnose and repair your car but also has information that your mechanic will need in fixing your car. Also Chilton's has very basic car repair manuals that can teach you how to do very basic car maintenance that can save you lots of money doing the simple basics.

You can also add a book on common household repairs for maintaining your home. Changing out a lock or fixing a stuck window are easy repairs when you have a home repair manual with good detailed pictures. Readers Digest have a couple out that I would highly recommend as they have detailed pictures and step by step instructions. Make sure that it includes easy electrical and plumbing repairs as these can be expensive but can be easily accomplished by the do it yourselfer.

A basic book on computers would be helpful too. Many programs on a computer don't get used because we don't know they are there or we don't know how to use them. Before you go out and buy expense software, be sure to check your computer to see if you don't already have a program that will do the job. A book on how to use these programs will save you money in the long run. I recommend the "Dummies" series of computer books, they are very well written and easy to understand.

A first aid manual can be a lifesaver, literally. The American Red Cross has books you can buy on how to deal with emergencies. A good home remedies book can also be a wonderful resource if you are in to that kind of thing. Make sure your first aid book has a good checklist of first aid supplies and make sure that you keep these things on hand. But remember that your doctor is your first line of defense when you are sick, treating yourself for minor injuries and illness is smart but if you don't feel better in a couple of hours, give your doctor a ring.

A basic gardening book for your local area is a great thing to have on hand. Pick one that gives you planting guides and basic information on how to garden. Everybody would love to have more plants in their lives and this book can save you time and money. This book should include basic planting instructions, care and feeding and maintenance requirements. Homegrown vegetables are good for you and can save you money in the long run.

To start, a trip to your local library may be in order. Here, you will be able to look at and review many, many books on the above subjects and this will make your purchasing of the books much easier. Figure out which ones you like and then make a trip to your local book store. Also a good resource is your friends. Ask them what books and authors they have in their own libraries. You may find some All-star winners this way. All the books I have mention can be bought a your local used book stores or at many of your Thrift stores. Always keep a eye out and in no time you will have the basics for a good do it yourself reference library.

By Debra in Colorado from Colorado Springs, Colorado

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Now that the holidays are drawing to a close and you pack everything up, include unused Christmas cards, wrapping, labels and so on, in with your decorations, so they will be there to use for next year.

By Pamphyila from Los Angeles

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These tips are for getting out of debt. I came across the snowball tip when listening to Dave Ramsey, so I can't take full credit. First of all, create a budget that allows for a reasonable standard of living or else you won't stick to it. Then, focus on paying off the debt with the smallest balance by paying every last extra cent you have toward it. Once that's paid off, focus on the next one with the lowest balance. You'll be able to apply the amount you were paying on the first bill in addition to what you normally were paying. Keep this up until everything (maybe even your house) is paid in full and don't accrue any more debt in the process.

By Michelle from Lompoc, CA

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If your salsa is a little too hot for your taste, add a few drops of vanilla extract. It will turn down the heat.

By Marnita from Cumming, GA

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Dear Webby's Humor Letter

Webby publishes our tips daily! A very funny newsletter. Webby now has a blog, read his latest newsletter as well as back issues here: http://webby.com/humor/blog/

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My daughter has Pritt stick or yoohoo glue on her Disney party dress, which is a pseudo velvet. I've tried freezing it and then picking off the excess glue but i also took off some of the velvet pile. It's a wash only dress at 40 degrees. I took it to the dry cleaners for advice but they were unhelpful. I haven't washed it at all yet, as i know that sometimes seals the stain.

Thank you,
Amanda from Stratford upon Avon, Warks, UK

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I recently went to a "Tastefully Simple" home party and had the "Oh My Chai" tea. It was so delicious, but $9 per can which didn't even last me a week. I have tried other powdered chai tea in the grocery store, but none taste like it... even tried Duncan Donuts. Does anyone have a recipe or know of a brand I can buy thats cheaper?

Kim from Howell, NJ

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I bought a lovely vintage 60s faux leopard fur coat from eBay recently but when I received it I found it smelt strongly of stale sweat but was unable to send it back. I have had it dry cleaned hoping that this would freshen it up but it did nothing to improve the odour! The dry cleaner said that the perspiration odour had gone through the lining and impregnated the fur fabric, which is 75% modacrylic and 25% mohair.

I don't know what to do about this now. I'm not sure whether this type of fabric can be wet washed carefully by hand which probably is more likely to lessen the odour, or alternatively whether any type of spray on odour neutralizing product would be sufficiently effective. The manufacturer's label says CLEAN AS FUR so I guess it isn't a good idea to put it in the bath! Can anyone offer me any good advice here?

S Gray from England

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I want to know how I can make cheap fake snow for a tv comercial. Someone is going to hold it in his hands, so it has to look very real but it can not be ice because it will be shot in a dessert in the Dominican Republic. I need ideas.

Thank you,
Giselle

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Is it possible to fix the sprayers on windshield wipers. The pump works but they won't spray out right. They are the kind that are attached to the wipers.

Tori from Oshawa, Ontario, CA

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How do I get magic marker out of the clothes dryer?

Kara from Voorhees, NJ

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I am looking for a Homemade Root Killer for sewer system. I am not connected to a septic tank but a city sewer system.

Steve from Everett, WA

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My sister has a 17 month old son who just HANGS off her constantly. I know it's normal for kids that age to have seperation anxiety, but this is beyond that. Even if my sister is just at home having coffee or reading a mag, little things like that, her son is sitting on her lap or hanging off her hip. He won't go and play with his older brother or go play on his own. He just follows her around the house all day whining until she picks him up. It's really starting to get to her, especially as she has another one on the way and has awful morning sickness. Any tips on how to combat this would be appreciated. It's very frustrating to see her go through this and not be able to help at all!

Haley from Albany, Western Australia

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I need some ideas to answer a girl to girls choice dance. Any Ideas?

Derek from Logan, UT

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I would like a remedy for getting my elbows free from looking dirty. They are very dark and often times very dry looking. It's very embarrassing. Does anyone know how to get my skin color back?

Thank you,
Penny from Ipava, IL

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I accidently put a faux fur lined jacket in the dryer for 10 minutes. Of course, it is now matted. Is there anything I can do?

Treva from AZ

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This request is for our Australian family. A life long dream of mine has been to visit Australia. I'm sure I won't ever be able to. Would some of you be kind enough to tell me something about the area in which you live? Pictures would be lovely but not necessary.

Thank you so much.
Ellen, from the desert in California

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How do you get rid of the gasoline smell from clothes?

Patty from Orrington, ME

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I would like to make some homemade heat packs, but I would like to use felted wool. Does anyone know if this would pose a fire problem in the microwave? Also, I would like a lighter material than rice to use as a filling. Any suggestions? Perhaps millet?

Joyce from Indiana

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How do I get blood stains out of white sheets?

Kristine from CA

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I received some great ideas from a question posted about the broken caning on all of my dining room chairs. I've been shopping for six replacement chairs as the caning repair is going to run $200 ish per chair and that doesn't include the broken frames.

Replacement chairs are $225 each or more because of a size restriction. Spouse says he can fix the frames, but can't do the caning. This caning extends from the top to the bottom of the chair back and keeps one's back from falling through.

I was contemplating having a padded board cut to fit the hole, braced in with metal brackets and having a throw pillowcase type slipcover slipped over the back of the chair.

The picture is the one from the original posting. Any suggestions? The chairs were nicely made, not the most expensive, but good quality from some 40 years ago.

Holly from Richardson, TX

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For my senior project, I am having a junior high Valentine's Day/Winter dance. I need name ideas and cheap, but nice deocorating ideas and tips.

Rachel from Pittsburgh, PA

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I have a 1993 Buick Regal Custom. Lately, the oil guage needle has started to shake violently, particularly if the car is revved up (by depressing the accelerator). Its movement is towards the upper scale and many times past it; it does not go down below the indicateor where the oil level might normaly be.

Jack

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I am searching for a recipe for Harvard Beets using the canned small whole beets and Splenda. I made this a while back and have lost the recipe. Any help will be appreciated.

Linda from Greenwood, SC

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It's a new year and resolutions abound. Why not try some simple resolutions that will affect our spending and saving?

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