Daily Thrifty Tips May 6, 2004

Hello

Today we have 9 new tips from readers, 7 new requests and 3 new articles in the More Reading section.

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Thanks for reading, Susan

Pioneer Solutionism

Make being frugal fun. I call it Pioneer Solutionism and now all my friends use that term when they save money by using something they already have for a new purpose. I consider it a 'win' to do whatever I want without leaving the house, and a 'lose' to spend money. Since winning feels good, I always try to reuse, which is better than recycling and MUCH better than spending for new. By Jeneene Brengelman

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Tasty Brown Hash browns

My kids love fresh hash brown potatoes, I buy potatoes in 50lb bags and chop up the potatoes the night before and put them in the refrigerator in water, they cook up nice and brown. By Cindy Kos.

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Removing Apple Cores

Cut a raw apple in two and use a melon ball cutter to remove the core of the apple. This is very easy and does not waste any of the apple. By Bea W.

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Spaghetti Cake Tester

I use a piece of uncooked spaghetti for a cake tester. It is clean, longer than a toothpick and you're not as likely to burn your fingers. By Sharon Gage

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Track Credit Card Usage

To keep good track of credit card usage, I enter the amount of each charge into my checkbook and subtract it from the balance there, then when the credit card bill comes, there's enough to pay the bill in full. By Jackie

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Frugal Meal: Big Pot of Soup or Stew

Once a week, make a big pot of stew or homemade soup, a pound of meat and some vegetables can be stretched into an inexpensive, filling and healthy dish. Your family can just make a bowl whenever they are hungry or on the go. It will eliminate the need to run through the fast food line when everyone is in a rush. By Leslie Greene

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Fixing a Door that Won't Stay Open

Remove the top hinge pin and bend it slightly with a hammer. Repeat for each pin, until door remains open. By Jan Dougan

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Grocery List Tips

Instead of making out a weekly grocery list, then going to the grocery, I do the opposite. I read the weekly sales flyer, then go through my coupon filing box to check for additional savings on the sales items. At this point, I make out my weekly meals menu, then go to the grocery. It does take some additional time, but it saves on the grocery bill. My coupons filing system makes locating coupons easy to find too. I have categories for different food groups, plus some special categories that my family uses often. This system is very efficient for me! By Kelli

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Tip Contest

Submit a thrifty tip or recipe and you could win a prize. Odds of winning are based on the number of entries we receive and you can submit a tip once a day to increase your chances of winning. Click Here

New Requests:

Sticky Situation: Cleaning Syrup off My Dress

A waitress spilled warm syrup all over my dress. The dress is now all stuck together. How can I wash it out completely? Joanne

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Decorating ideas for a High School "Spring Sport" Banquet

Help! I need some ideas on how to decorate a High School cafeteria for a spring sport banquet. The kids that will attend are golfers, baseball and softball players, tennis and track. We don't want the room to like the cafeteria, but don't want to spend a fortune either. Any ideas?

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Looking for Budget Advice

I wanted to Know if anyone could tell me some websites where we could go to make a budget. Something that would help us step by step. We are in the process of buying our own home, and have a child. We are new to this budget thing, considering we never thought about it until now, when everyone is saying we need to do it!

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Cleaning the filter on a vacuum.

I bought a used vacuum cleaner and love it but it has a filter on it that is really dirty. I was wondering if there is a way I can clean the filter so that I don't have to go out and buy a new one right now? The vacuum is a bagless one that has the canister that catches the dirt and the filter I'm referring to fits down inside the canister. Thanks for any ideas!

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Homemade Facial Scrubs

Hello, I am looking for some homemade facial scrub recipes. - Debbie_Answorth

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Looking for Vases for Centerpieces

I am looking for qty. 20, 11 - 14" tall Glass Vases. Approximately 4" in width (square would be great!). I am using them for my centerpieces for my wedding with Calla Lilies inside. I would appreciate any help finding these as inexpensively as possible... Everything adds up quickly! Thanks, Desiree from NY

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Looking for a Job Online

Does anyone know of any job services online that are not a rip off. I am looking for something to do at home and make some extra money. I have looked but most want a start up charge and no promise that it works. Suzie from AK

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More Reading

Home Renovation Guide: Add Value to Your Home
By Mark Bordo

A top 10 list of renovations that will add value to your home

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Too Many Clothes? Swap Them!
By Marcia Passos Duffy

I bumped into a friend at the supermarket the other day. She eyed my sweater a bit too enviously. “Love that color,” she said. “Do you want to get rid of it?” We both laughed and I politely told her to take her paws off. It wasn’t ready to be swapped – not yet.

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Easy Cookie Bouquets
By Rachel Paxton

Surprise a friend (or your mom) with an easy-to-make cookie bouquet.  Use your imagination to create a gift that special someone will really enjoy.

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Your Landscape Must Be This Tall to Enter
By Carrie P. Williams

Despite the fact that many people crave it, having a relatively flat landscape can actually be a real landscape design challenge. Unlike a hilly landscape which constantly changes as a viewer's eye moves across the scene, a pancake-flat yard does not offer much in the way of visual interest. Don't worry though; you don't have to resort to the drastic measure of building a mountain in your backyard -- there are much simpler ways to add some creative design into your decidedly planar landscape.

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Thanks

Susan
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