Daily Thrifty Tips
Volume Three, Number 84, July 15, 2004
http://www.ThriftyFun.com
Hello,
Today is the last day to enter our contest for "Elegantly Frugal Costumes: The Poor Man's Do-It-Yourself Costume Maker's Guide". We'll start a new contest and announce the winner tomorrow.
Thanks for reading,
Susan
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If you are looking for a frugal solution to an everday problem, submit it here:
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Today's newsletter contains:
Today's Tips:
- Frequent the Library
- Ammonia and Dishsoap to Repel Insects
- Spray Cooking Oil on Lawn Mover Blade
- Crumped Aluminum Foil Works as a Scouring Pad in a Pinch
- Artistamps
- Check Your Credit Before Buying Insurance
- Use for Leftover Pudding
- DiscountDivas.net
- Meatloaf Tip
- Rhubarb Cream Pie
- Featured Feedback: RE: Freezing Green Beans and Corn
- Featured Feedback: RE: Newbie to Frugal Living
- Today's Recipe: Recipe for Cool Summer Salad
New Requests:
- Explaining Credit Card Fine Print
- Blueberry Stain
- Centipedes in the Bathtub
More Reading:
- Barbeque Grilling
- Super Quick and Easy Supper Ideas!
- Getting Fit For Your Wedding
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Today's Tips
Frequent the Library
Use your library card! The branch of our county library system that is in an affluent neighborhood often has newly released movies and CDs as well as books. Many libraries also have children's programs that include crafts and snacks with storytime.
By Janie
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Ammonia and Dishsoap to Repel Insects
I use lemon scented ammonia mixed with lemon dishsoap and water to keep bugs out of the lawn! The lemon repels the insects! Mix 1 cup ammonia, 1/2 cup soap and put in hose end sprayer. Fill with water and open valve to spray over your yard!
By Lisa
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Spray Cooking Oil on Lawn Mover Blade
When you are cutting grass and the grass is damp, try spraying a little cooking spray on the blades of the lawn mower before starting to cut the grass.. It is amazing the grass dosn't stick to the blades and clump up.
By Kim Atkinson
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Crumped Aluminum Foil Works as a Scouring Pad in a Pinch
When you are out of scouring pads (or are on vacation without any), use a crumpled piece of aluminum foil as a scrubber. It takes a little bit longer, but it does the trick!
By Loris
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Artistamps
Artistamps are a fun way to:
- decorate your mail,
- make even paying bills artsy,
- create collages, note cards and more
You can find free artistamps at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/artistampfreebies/
And you can learn more about Artistamps at http://www.susanreynolds.com/artistamps.html
By Susan Reynolds
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Check Your Credit Before Buying Insurance
Check your credit before purchasing homeowners or auto insurance. Your credit it seems is an indicator of the risk you will be. It is less expensive to correct something inaccurate on your report before instead of after. If you have some bills that have not been paid on for some time start payning as much as you can. Insurance is expensive why pay the extra surcharge if you do not have to.
By Trigger
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Use for Leftover Pudding
Don't know what to do with leftover pudding? I pour it into popsycle containers and freeze! Presto! You have homemade fudgesycle! I used to do this for my children and now make them for my grandchildren. They love them! You can also make up a whole batch fudgesycle from a pudding mix if you don't have any "store bought" ones on hand.
By Ruth Wiebe, Manitoba, Canada
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DiscountDivas.net
I found a card called the "Discount Divas-n-Dudes Savings Card" that offers between 10%-25% off every purchase made at certain resale shops (thrift and consignment stores) across the country. I was already saving money by shopping at selected resale stores but how wonderful to save even MORE with this card. Information can be found at www.discountdivas.net Thanks!
By Paige S. Outlaw
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Meatloaf Tip
Put combo of catsup and brown sugar on meatloaf. Then top with 2 slices of bacon. Once baked immediately drain grease and let sit 5 minutes or more before serving. Awesome everytime!
By C Robinson
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Rhubarb Cream Pie
On 5/28/04 you had reader request for Rhubarb Pie receipe. This one is my favorite. Comes from the First Mennonite Church Cookbook.
Rhubarb Pie
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 beaten eggs
- 2 cups finely chopped rhubarb
- 5 tablespoons of water
Put rhubarb into unbaked pie shell. Mix all other ingredients in a bowl and pour over rhubarb. Top with pieces of butter and cinnamon and bke in 350* oven for 1 hour.
By Lucy Miller
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Featured Feedback: RE: Freezing Green Beans and Corn
An easy way to take the corn kernels off of the cob is to take a bundt or spring form pan and stand the cob upright in the hole. Then use your electric knife down all sides of the cob and the kernels fall right into the pan. This is great for when I am doing several dozen ears at a time. I just dip my 1 cup measuring cup into the pan and scoop it into my freezing container. I blanche my corn by putting the ears into a rolling boil for a few minutes. Then I remove them to a ice water bath for quick cooling.
By Sharon
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Featured Feedback: RE: Newbie to Frugal Living
I notice most of the replies suggest 'spending money' to get frugal, i.e. buying a book! lol! Just kidding! Like one other reply I think the library is a great resource for frugal/simple living books. Here in Western Australia we can search the West Australia State Library database on the internet to find relevant books. I just print out the page of my selections and take in to my small local library and they order the books for me.
I think you need to examine everything you do in your daily life to see where there is unnecessary waste - other peoples saving tips may not necessarily fit for you. Take a quiet day at home and consciously examine all your actions - write things down and have a think about them. For example your day may go like this........
1. Get up and take a shower - your thoughts on this may be...
Is the water heater set to high - are you paying for the electricity to maintain your hot water at X degrees, and then having to add cold to it to enable you to get into the shower? Have the thermostat lowered. Do you pay for water by the amount you use? Get a low flow shower head and take shorter showers.
2. Get dressed
Is your wardrobe bulging with clothes - $300 dresses or suits you rarely wear? Do you have favourite clothes you aren't wearing at the moment because they are in a heap, needing repair or stain removal, (doesn't everyone?!)? Make a plan to re examine your wardrobe. Look after your favourite clothes - pre treat stains and make small repairs as soon as you notice they're needed. Give away/send to a consignment shop the clothes that don't fit/you never wear or use the material in them for craft/recycling. Look at the rest and decide what your style is - and stick to mix and match colours. Keep that style in your mind and check out thrift stores for all your new clothes.
3. Have breakfast
Examine your food choices - expensive, pre prepared foods or cheap basic unadulterated foods? As a bonus the basics are also usually healthier with no added sugars, fats, preservatives, etc.
I could go on but you get the idea - examine all your activities. Have you exercised? - lower medical bills if you are fit and healthy. What meal choices did you make? Planned meals with good wholesome ingredients or convenience/fast foods or eating out? What rubbish/garbage do you dispose of? Can you reuse, recycle or repair your things? Look at your utility bills and how you can cut back - there are endless resources on the internet. Track your spending to see where the money is going - knowledge is power.
There is no trick to frugal living - just live consciously, examine your lifestyle, and make te changes with the help of the tips that are appropriate to you. The nice thing about it is....it becomes fun after a while fiinding more and more ways to save money - and even more fun to redirect that saved money to something you really need, or see your credit card bill or mortgage disappear!
Regards
Jo
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Today's Recipe: Recipe for Cool Summer Salad
When the temperature rises this is one of our favorite summer dinners. Plus it is a great way to clean out all the leftovers.
Italian Antipasta
Use a combination of any of the below:
- Cold Cuts (I use salami, pepperoni and ham) sliced
- Hardboiled eggs
- Chicken or Turkey
- Roast Beef
- Meatballs
- Cheese ( I use mozerella or what ever is in the refrigerator) cubed
- Cooked vegetables (our favorites are brocolli, green beans and squash)
- Pickled onions or peppers or vegetables
Olives
Arrange your choices on a platter with a bed lettuce drizzle salad Italian salad dressing or oil and vinegar. Let sit about 5-10 minutes and serve with either French or Garlic Bread.
This is filling and everyone get at least something of what they like.
By mayansuz
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Lots of wonderful feedback is generously posted by readers each day.
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Tip Contest
Submit a thrifty tip and you might win...
Elegantly Frugal Costumes: The Poor Man's Do-It-Yourself Costume Maker's Guide
This wonderfully practical book literally shows you how to make costumes for plays, pageants and musicals at the lowest possible expense! Over 150 detailed illustrations work with the easy-to-follow text to walk you through every step of the process. Just about every basic period is covered: Biblical to Medieval, Renaissance, Angels, the Fabulous Fifties, 1800s to World War I, The Roaring Twenties and more. Many helpful hints on making or buying realistic period theatrical costumes on a shoestring budget from cast-offs, donations, scraps, and other easily-obtained materials. Also included are "special effects" costumes, helpful hints for getting into and out of costumes, and a glossary of costuming terms A book that will pay for itself with its first use.
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New Requests:
Explaining Credit Card Fine Print
Does anyone know of a site or can anyone explain the mombo jumbo on the back credit card offers? One thing I know is that I have a high interest rate now and I would like to transfer the balance to a better one. Thanks you, Sarah
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Blueberry Stain
Can anyone tell me how I could get fresh blueberry stain out of a child's new swimsuit (cotton/spandex)? Rene
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Centipedes in the Bathtub
Help, I have centipedes in my bath tub and would like to know how to get rid of them. All help will be appreciated. Nan in Northwest Iowa
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Looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem? Submit
your request here: Click Here
More Reading
Barbeque Grilling
By Valerie Giles
Grilling on the barbecue has never been more exciting. Not only do barbecues come in a myriad of designs and options, but also with the advent of popular cooking shows, cooking books and magazines, grilling has reached a whole new realm. Grilling is no longer just about steaks and burgers, barbecue grilling is full of adventurous and elegant recipes and menu plans. Some of the tantalizing grilling recipes have names like grilled mango blossom, grilled portobello's with avocado salsa and grilled beef tenderloin with cabernet sauvignon sauce.
View Full Article: Click Here
Super Quick and Easy Supper Ideas!
By Cyndi Roberts
What to do on those nights when the cupboards are almost bare and payday is 2 days away?
View Full Article: Click Here
Getting Fit For Your Wedding
By Lynn Bode
Every bride wants to look perfect on her wedding day. Selecting a dress that will make you look and feel great is an important first step. But what happens when you look in the mirror and notice trouble spots like saggy arms or unsightly folds in your back or waist? When this happens it's not uncommon for brides to try quick-fix diets to help them get in shape. Unfortunately, many dieting brides make fitness mistakes that not only prevent them from reaching their goals but also cause unnecessary stress and sometimes even illness. Those are two things no bride needs! Here are five of the most common diet mistakes as well as some tips to help you avoid them.
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Thanks
Susan
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