Daily Thrifty Tips - April 21, 2006

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Ashes is my 14 year old cat. I got Ashes from a litter of kittens. His favorite thing to do is eat people food.

We have 2 cats and Ashes is the one who likes to dine with me!

By Marissa from New Hampton, Ny

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Many of you really loved these little angels and wanted to know how to make them. Great Granny Vi sent in some drawings and one of the angels so we took some pictures and scanned the drawings so you can see how to make these.

This uses a bar of soft soap and a small thin paring knife. It is so cute. This is fun for anyone and a good craft to use with older children. GGVi says she learned how to make these in Girl Scouts when she was 10 years old.

Thanks so much to Great Granny Vi!

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If you have a rusty nut and bolt, you can remove them by spraying penetrating oil liberally on the nut and bolt. Let the oil set for a while and then try to remove the nut. Penetrating oil can be purchased at your local hardware store. When trying to remove the nut, use a wrench with a long handle to provide you with good leverage. Push or pull the wrench with short and sharp jerks instead of extended pressure. The short jerks will help loosen the rust.

By ThriftyFun

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Tired of your necklace breaking? Restring it with fishing line. Fishing line is very strong and inexpensive.

By ThriftyFun

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Add a sprinkling of baking soda to your dish water (if you are hand washing) to make glasses sparkle and to remove the coffee or tea stains from your mugs. It makes all your dishes shine.

By Susan from W-B, PA

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Do you have relatives/friends/colleagues who speak a foreign language? Did you know that you can find out what a seasonal greeting is on the internet by putting in, for ex. Easter + Spanish? And then cut and paste into a greeting, or copy onto your card.

By Pam from L.A., CA

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Are you - or is a member of your family in a chorus/choir or studying music? You can now download classical excerpts to listen to and practice with at home very inexpensively. I like the UK site http://www.eclassical.com. The pieces are less then $1 each.

By Pam from L.A., CA

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As the proud mother of twelve cats, I have found a cheaper way to keep them in kitty litter. I DON'T USE IT! While working in a feedstore, it was suggested to me by a customer to try the wood pellets sold for pellet stoves. They run around $3.89 m/l for a forty pound bag. I only put an inch or two in the bottom of the pans and a bag lasts a decently long time.

As they are used, the liquid breaks the pellets down into a sawdust-like form. I then take them out to the back forty (no more bagging up and sending to the landfill!). There the poop breaks down, the pellets break down even more in the rain, and it then becomes mulch for my non-edible plants, such as roses.

I wouldn't use anything with cat poop in it to mulch tomatoes or anything edible, although when I use them under my rabbit cages, that all goes into the compost, which eventually ends up in the vegetable garden. (Rabbit manure is safe for vegetables)

I have, at times, used the product designed for horse stalls. The brand name is Dry Den and it has an odor control in it and the pellets are slightly smaller and break down easier. It is also more expensive. When I moved, I couldn't find anybody in this area who sells it so I went back to the stove pellets.

You can sprinkle with baking soda, if you like, to help control odor. And I imagine cats not familiar with the pellet form might hesitate, at first, to use it but you could mix with their familiar litter at first until they are adjusted.

By Janis from Cinebar, Wa

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It's easy to remember to water your houseplants if you use the remainder of your drinking water on them. And the water that's been standing around has less chlorine and better for them, too.

By Pam from L.A., CA

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Having been one of 5 kids of depression era parents, I had a good idea how to live frugally. Those times reappeared when I lost my job. I tackled this problem with research, research, and more research. I spent time finding inexpensive meals, inexpensive places to shop, place to cut down spending, and eventually learned how to feed 2 on 153.00 a month.

I able to do it with food leftover for next month. I even have a stockpile of food on hand. I have cut back on the meat we eat. I make a lot of soups and a lot of "make your own" mixes. I joined all the frugal sites I could to look for answers and read a lot of library books. I even have done some garbage day "recycling".

I use a Brita water filter pitcher to refill my water cooler. I use the car once a week, if that. I plan a route and stick to it. I disposed of "things" that I found were not necessary to the happiness of life. By getting rid of the "Dust Catchers" of life I found new ways to make myself happy and content.

Jaxi3 from Wixom, Michigan

Do you have a frugal story to share with the ThriftyFun community? Submit your essay here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_myfrugallife.ldml

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We have a large dining table and it's hard to find a table cloth that fits and doesn't cost a arm and a leg.

I have a full size top sheet that I use just for my table, it fits no one knows unless I tell them. It cost under $8.00 and they come in great colors

By Cindy from Elkhart, In.

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• 2 parts sawdust
• 1 part flour
• Enough water to make a stiff clay

Add all ingredients together and mold using cookie cutters or by hand. Let dry then sand using a fine sandpaper till smooth. Paint.

Kids love this craft and most sawmills will let you have sawdust for free.

By Kelly Thuet from Eureka, Mo

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Greetings! Like many others, we are planning a large wedding on a pretty small budget! The reception will be in a very large room and we would like it to look like an Italian outdoor patio at night. There are three lines of neon lights overhead that we would like to disguise and we would like to make the walls interesting. Any thoughts? Your help is much appreciated!

Patti Colba from Normal, Illinois

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I have seen a lot about mineral makeup. Have any of you tried it? It sounds great, but I would like to know other's experience before I buy some. It is quite pricey.

Thank you,
Betty R. Bazzle From Summerville, S.C.

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Does anyone have a recipe for making your own Boboli Pizza Crust? My family loves it and it's very convenient but it's quite expensive. Seems like I could bake them ahead and store them in the freezer but I am not sure what the recipes is.

Thanks,
Cynthia

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I'm sure you've been asked this question a hundred times already... but here goes anyhow. First off, I live in a duplex with a fenced-in back yard. I am fortunate in the fact that I have some space in which to garden for veggies and have a nice flower patch along with a few rose bushes.

My problem is my neighbor's CATS. Don't get me wrong, I do love cats, just not in my back yard. I have an old dog but would not want to use anything that would either hurt my dog or the cats. I just want to be able to get them out of my yard and keep them out (except for Bogie, of course). Other than spraying them with the water hose when I see them, do you have any other suggestions that would be workable in keeping the cats out of my yard?

Hardiness Zone: 7a

Thank you and God bless...
Mary from Redding, CA

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I am looking for a concoction for my Wasp trap. You soak cotton balls and put them in, then it attracts and traps them. I know apple cider vinegar is the base for it, but can't remember or find the recipe with proportions. Thank you!

Hardiness Zone: 7a

camo_angels from Willamina, OR

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I live in an apartment with very old carpet. The landlord will not remove or replace it. I want to pull up the carpet and either stain or paint over the subfloor. I will then use area rugs over it. Please pass along your tips for the best process and type of paint and/or stain to use.

Thank you kindly,
Chill from CA

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When I look at certain plants and seeds it appears that I am in different zones? Some packs of seeds say I am zone four, but here it says zone 6. Am I losing it or is there a reason for this?

Hardiness Zone: 6a

Thanks you!
Katie from PA

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I am soon to be the proud owner of my brother's cat, Smithy. He is not very happy being around my nieces and nephews and we think he'll be happier with me. No kids to bother him here! He will miss one thing though and that is my brother's large fishtank - it's Smithy's Cat-a-Vision! I would like to find a free download for a fishy screensaver but so far the ones I have found are not quite real enough.

Can anyone recommend a link to a nice free fish tank screensaver please? Smithy would be very grateful to you. =^..^=

Thank you,
Monique x from SOMERSET UK

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I live in Oregon, in the valley, rain and sun! I am wanting to container garden strawberries. I have some ripe ones from the store, can you start them this way? I know they take a "bed", but I have seen some varieties in containers on patios. My patio gets full sun from the morning to mid afternoon. Any advice would be appreciative, especially for containers because my yard space is cramped with other trees and lawn.

Hardiness Zone: 7a

Thank you!
Camo_angels from Willamina, OR

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I need 18-20 Eiffel Tower Vases (preferably white/frosted and 24" or larger). I also need white ostrich plumes (lots of them!).

raggedyandey from Altanta, GA

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Every place I look I see these beautiful bushes full of yellow flowers (they have several flowers on each branch), does anyone know what they are called? And how would you start one of them?

Hardiness Zone: 6a

Thanks you!
Katie from PA

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In case you haven't noticed, your cat is a grooming professional. Cats spend much of their time cleaning themselves! However, if you have a longhaired cat or an older cat, they may need a little help with grooming. You can groom any cat in your family, whether they need it or not -- it is a good bonding experience and can help remove loose hair that would otherwise end up on your furniture and clothes.

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Breed Description: The Lhasa Apso is a sturdy little dog with a profuse coat of long, floor-length hair, and a prominent beard and mustache.. This breed is very friendly and loyal to his owner and other family members. It has an acute sense of hearing and makes and excellent watch dog.

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The easiest way to make a toenail trim NOT an ordeal is to start when your pet is very young. If they are acclimated to the trimmer from an early age, they won't fight you when that cute puppy becomes a hundred pound monster.

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Breed Description: The Devon Rex has a soft, curly coat similar to that of the Cornish Rex, but displays some other very different characteristics. Unlike the Cornish Rex, the Devon Rex's coat is fuzzier and less curly, and it has less of an arch along its back. Its neck also seems much too small and fragile to support its broad, triangular head and it's somewhat smaller in overall size than the Cornish Rex.

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Breed Description: The chic-looking Cornish Rex is easily one of the more striking cat breeds. They have long, narrow heads, large, flared ears, and an expressive face. This medium-sized cat is muscular, but slender and fine-boned. Their backs have an upward arch that ends in a long, thin, slightly tapered tail. The Cornish Rex has a soft, curly coat that is velvety to the touch and hardly sheds. They are intelligent and affectionate, and seem curious about everything around them.

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