Daily Thrifty Tips - July 14, 2006

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This was my daughter's first trip to the beach! She loved the sand beneath her toes.

By kgmom from Bath, NY

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Little Bon is a 5 year old Half-Lop rabbit. I got him in a pet store in Los Gatos in January 2001.

He likes to chew, dig, play with his favorite toy, a fluffy blue monster.

I had to pass on this photo I took of Little Bon in his cage. I had put down some fresh newspaper and he started messing with it. Notice the headline.

By Melody from Berkeley, CA

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When we moved to the suburbs of our city into another county, my husband became a volunteer fireman for our community. He began collecting fireman items and we needed a place to display them. A friend of ours who is a woodworker made a "mantle" to hold the items.

On the mantle is a fire truck that we purchased at a flea market, a fireman's angel, a small fire house, small fire hat, small scale diecast vehicles that he collects. The mantle was mounted on the paneled kitchen wall in our home; we use our back door for entering the house so it is one of the first things you see when you come into our home.

By WandaJo from Collierville

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Hurry honey...

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Here's a tasty way to keep meatloaf from sticking to the pan. Line your pan with a couple strips of bacon before putting the meatloaf in the pan. It's not cheap, but it sure tastes good.

By Fisher

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At my grocery store, the cost for prewashed bagged spinach is an incredible $11.99 per pound. The salad bar just a few steps away has the same spinach or salad mix for only $4.99 a pound. The added benefit is I can buy exactly what I need, so nothing goes to waste.

By Bobbie G from Rockwall, TX

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Of course we all carry our lunch to work to save $ everyday! I was getting tired of dragging home the little icepack I used to keep things cool, and remembering to replace it in the freezer after I got home. I was also trying to remember to drink more water. Then I had a brainstorm:

I freeze a few bottles of water every few days, and take a frozen water bottle in my lunch bag to keep my food cold and safe. After lunch and throughout the afternoon I have refreshing ice water to sip... the water in the middle of the bottle stays frozen well into the day. I often even have some left for the drive home, where I toss the empty bottle into the recycle bin! I'm drinking plenty of water now (2 more glasses in each bottle) and I don't have to worry about forgetting to refreeze the cold packet for the next day!

By laurie from St Louis, MO

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Cream soups, like cream of mushrooms, make easy sauces for vegetables, sauces and casserole filling. Stock up on cream soups when they are sale, they are a great time saving staple to have in your pantry.

By Fisher

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If you are having a hard time putting a plastic lid on a tupperware type container, run the lid under hot water. It should fit much more easily.

By Fisher

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Sometimes the difference between expensive-looking and cheap-looking can be in a detail. I just bought a pair of stylish Jackie-O dark sunglasses - but the gold colored metal side pieces looked cheesy - So I applied some metallic gold nail polish I keep around for such things - and wow! the difference. No one can tell I spend 99 cents on them now. (You can do the same with metal buttons and junk jewelry.)

By pam from L.A., CA

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Using a regular brownie mix that you purchase at the store, you can make your brownies POLKA-DOTTED. Make the mix up like you would for cake-like brownies and pour the batter into an insulated pan. Then, sprinkle on top of the batter any kind of "kiss-like" piece of candy. There are many out there to choose from: semi-sweet, white chocolate, peanut butter, caramel, toffee, cherry, mint. (I would just encourage you not to use Hershey's special multi-colored, candy-coated kisses with the chocolate inside. They seem to be too heavy and sink to the bottom of the pan.)

The important part here is to get the kisses to float on top of the batter, so, DO NOT STIR in the kisses. You can use the whole bag or just a few. Use however many you like to make it look how you like. Then pop it in the oven and bake it like the recipe on the box says. Cool them and cut them to eat as you regularly would. The batter will cook up around the kisses and make it look like you've done something special with your brownies. You have. You've made POLKA-DOT BROWNIES!

By Kelly Thompson from Mission, TX

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Frugal For Life

A great blog with posts about frugal living.

More Information:
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To lighten my hair naturally and gradually what can I use and how should it be used? I know when I was a teenager we would use SUN IN but I am unable to locate here 50 years later. All suggestions are welcome!

Paula Jo from Mebane, NC

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What is the best way to remove wallpaper from the baseboard?

1. hot water and soap?
2. steam tools
3. heat gun

I have wallpaper which has been painted over several times on the baseboard. I don't think there is any wallpaper on the walls. All help is appreciated.

Tina from Jersey City

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I'm starting a diet (again), I need to make it work this time, where so many times before it failed. I read your ThrifyFun newsletters and I would some "Sugar-Free" recipes and other "diet" recipes. Also, some hints for success would help. It would be great if you had a "Healthy" or "Diet" section for us "hard to succeed" dieters. I would love some Sugar-Free recipes, and "Diet" recipes, please help!

Glinda from Glendale, KY

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I would like to know how to get the musty smell out of an old suitcase. I am redoing the inside material. I tore the old out but before putting new in I need to get rid of the musty odor.

Tina from Clare, Iowa

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I have two Assorted Hybrid Tea Roses that I purchased at Lowes. They have no thorns. They have not produced any roses but the bushes are very large and always putting on new growth. Should I prune them or what ? They do not say they are climbing roses. They are supposed to be a variety of colors.

Thanks for any help.

Hardiness Zone: 9a

Toehead from Loranger, LA

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We are planning a high school graduation party for Saturday, August 5, from 7-11 P.M. I need some ideas for food and drinks that are easy and won't break the bank since I am on a budget.

Barb

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I am very interested in making things out of gourds. All the sites I have gone to do not tell how to dry them. Does anyone know? Also any tips you might have would be appreciated as I am just beginning this new project.

Aquarius from Ontario Canada

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We are having a real problem with squirrels and chipmunks digging in our garden. What can I do other than traps? I don't have time to trap and release a few miles away. I don't want to kill them, just discourage them.

Hardiness Zone: 5b

Thanks,
Jeanne from Albany,NY

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One of our bathrooms has the original bathtub, it's 40+ years old. A drab yellowish stain covers much of the interior sides, especially towards the front of the tub. It has also lost any shine on the porcelain, too. I do not want to resurface the tub as I have been told this really doesn't hold up for a tub with daily, constant usage. What could I use to remove these stains? Thanks for any ideas!

Mam from Atlanta, GA

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I'm a new gardener. I planted cucumbers in a large pot on my patio. They appear to be doing well, but the blossoms bloom and fall off. What can I do? I don't see any cucumbers developing.

Hardiness Zone: 6b

Ray S from Jeannette, PA

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Any ideas for using orange marmalade? I bought a pint jar of orange marmalade for a specific recipe which we decided we didn't like. I don't really care for marmalade on toast, biscuits, etc. so I wondered if there's other ways I can use it? I haven't tried it on the kids yet and they might like it on toast but if they don't I'd hate for it to go to waste.

Thanks for any recommendations and recipes.

Debbie from IL

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I am planning to have a casual brunch to celebrate my husband's retirement next month. I would appreciate any suggestions or recipes that could be made ahead of time.

Thanks for your help.
Sunni

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My Dog is Constipated. I have a 8 year old brown Kelpie and he is constipated. Does this come with age? How does one fix the problem? I am very thankful for all your answers.

Toni from Australia

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I have a few fig trees and my friends wish to have branches to propagate. I have done this in the past on a hit and miss basis, but I would like to know what is the best way to start fig trees. When is the best time? We tried Winter and they did not grow. Is it best to start in water until rooted or to put in soil?

Hardiness Zone: 8b

Angelina from Glendale, California

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I am looking for a recipe for lemon squares.

A. Simonot

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I am trying to reduce my garbage from my household. Two big fillers are milk jugs and flat cardboard boxes (ie, cereal and pop boxes). Anybody have any great ideas for recycling them. (Our city doesn't recycle)

Thanks,
Jenn

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About 50 years ago, a girlfriend at school brought oatmeal cookies for lunch made by her Mom. They were a hard, crunchy, bar-like cookie made in a square pan and cut into pieces. I have never found another recipe that comes close and am wondering if anyone else might know how to make these.

Thanks,
Betty from Slate Hill, NY

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What can you boil in a kettle to remove mineral deposits from tap water?

Elaineb from Trenton Canada

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I am needing a recipe for mint brownies.

Thank you,
Vicki from Overland Park, KS

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I have a 7 month old vaccinated 60 pound healthy boxer. My neighbor has a puppy that came over and played with my dog in the backyard for a few hours 5 days ago, yesterday I found out that the puppy has parvo what do I do? Will my dog be o.k.? I am really scared although he has shown no signs of being sick will he get sick I am scared to go to work (I just started a new job). I heard you won't know till 5-7 days go by. Please anyone with this similar experience let me know what happened to you. Thank-you,

Kathy from Azusa, CA

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My mother used to make something called canary salad. I remember it has raisins, pineapple, carrots, coconut and mayo and was really good! What I don't remember is how much of each or if there are any other ingredients in it.

Thanks in advance!
Beverly from Louisville, KY

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Whether it's called a yard sale, garage sale, or rummage sale, it's still the same thinga plethora of good bargains up for grabs to the first customer. For some people yard sales are a way to clear out unwanted items and earn some extra cash, yet to others they're wasted days in the sun with little profit. How do you become the first type of person and create yard sale selling success?

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Selecting High-Quality Eggs: Select the freshest eggs you can find. Examine the shells to make sure they are free from cracks and blemishes. Raw eggs will expand while freezing so they cannot be frozen in the shell. Hard-boiled eggs do not freeze well.

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