If you are an avid crafter, capable writer and own a digital camera, you are eligible to participate. Submit your craft projects to ThriftyFun and we will pay $15 for any crafts that we publish.

More Information:
Click Here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml

Craft: Easy Knit Glasses Case
By Claire Bush

Here's an easy-to-create craft that can be made in an evening. The cases are fun and inexpensive to make for gifts, too. I keep one in my car for my sunglasses.

Easy Knit Glasses Case

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Use A Scanner To Make A Photo Collage

If you don't have the money for expensive Photoshop software but have a scanner and want to make funny photos with yourself and others in it, simply go through your photos and pick out poses of yourself and others that you like and then get backgrounds from magazines, catalogs or newspapers and crop your photos. Add yourself to the scene as I have done in my own photo. I used several family photos and product catalogs to make up this andIi made a mousepad out of this.

Good luck, we had fun!

By Igmommy from Sweetwater, TN

Make Your Own Photo Collage

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Craft: Tea Cozy and Hot Pad

If you're a tea lover, here is a very easy sewing project. They also make great gifts for family and friends. I always use my tea cozy whenever I brew a pot of tea, and it will keep the teapot warm for several hours. I get a lot of my ideas when I search the eBay website.

Tea Cozy: http://www.geocities.com/~cmccutcheon/cozy3.htm

By MCW from NY

Tea Cozy and Hot Pad

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Smokey The Cat

Smokey is 7 months old and is an alley cat. I advertised on freecycle a couple of months ago for a kitty and a woman got a hold of me that lived in Florida! She was on her way to Kentucky to her other home and was bringing two kitties with her. I took both.

He likes to knock stuff off the end table next to my chair. He thinks that's his table and will knock off anything I sit on the table. He can't stand someone to be in a room with the door shutting him out, so he will run his head into the door several times until it pops open or we let him in.

By Christina from Paducah, KY

Smokey The Cat

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Tip Contest
Submit a Tip or Recipe!
Photo Contest
Submit a tip with photo!

These contests are weekly. We pick 2 tip winners and 1 photo winner at the end of each week. Each winner will win $25!

My Frugal Life
Submit a My Frugal Life Essay!

My Frugal Life: Invest In 401K and College Savings

Living a thrifty lifestyle has allowed my husband and me to retire from the corporate world at the age of fifty five. We have always spent less than we earned. Two savings events made it easy to live on less; maxing out our 401ks and starting college saving plans for our children as each was born.

Those two critical decisions allowed us to save tax deferred dollars and because we didn't see the money in our paycheck we weren't tempted to spend first and save later. When our sons graduated from high school, they knew they had a lump sum to spend on their education. This knowledge gave them control over how to spend for their education and freed us from constantly receiving requests for money.

Saving money for retirement and college takes a lot of discipline, especially when you start saving in your twenties with retirement not even on the horizon, the college bound kids still in diapers and sometimes living paycheck to paycheck. Compound interest and time are secrets to successful savings. Savings bonds were purchased each month; at first in twenty five dollar increments, which was all we could afford. Over time those small savings bonds accumulated so that our eldest son was able to graduate with a master's degree - debt free. Maxing out 401ks during the entire span of our careers allowed us to retire at 55 with a 401K fully funded.

So how did we live on our take home pay after funding the tax deferred 401k and savings bonds? We usually carried our lunches to work. I shopped from the grocery ads, planning menus around store sales. I made a grocery list, only bought the items on the list. I used coupons when I could match up a manufacturer's coupon with a sale at the store. I watched our expenditures, reviewing annual bills such as insurance, property tax, car maintenance and licenses and, pet expenses.

All annual expenses that I could estimate a dollar amount spent per year were divided by 12 and that amount was saved monthly for future bills. For example if car insurance was $600.00 a year I put aside $50.00 per month, when the insurance came due I was able to pay it using money saved monthly. I eventually set up a spreadsheet on the computer but the same result could be achieved using envelopes. This method of budgeting alleviated worry and the money was earning interest until it was needed to pay a bill. We have not felt deprived, using this method of budgeting we were able to take several trips aboard, purchase a new car when needed and move to a larger home,

Holly from Minneapolis, MN

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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Mix Unusual Nail Polish Colors For A Custom Look

I buy any odd colored nail polish I can find and mix them with half used bottles of other polish just to see what shades I can come up with. I've gotten some beautiful, one of a kind shades and always get compliments on them. Mostly, it's just fun.

By Katie from Orlando, FL

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Avoid Chemical Cleaners for Spring Cleaning

Hello from Canada!

My tip for your spring cleaning is basically simple. Don't do it! Think of the environment and all the chemicals you will not be placing into the environment if you don't do it! What! You think I'm crazy because I'm not indoctrinated by television and the Super Stores into buying their cleaning chemicals! Well, guess again! I want a clean planet! I want clean air and clean drinking water! Your clean house will dirty my planet!

O.K.! If you must clean your house, clean with lemon Juice and cold water. Salt water is also a good alternative to chemicals. The old standbye, Javex Bleach, is basically Salt or Sodium Hyplochlorite to be exact and it kills everything living on floors. If you want to clean your clothes, use Soap Nuts. They are derived from living trees and are less harmful to the environment. You can find them on the Net. Good Luck Spring cleaning your house. I'll just relax and watch!

By Joseph from Laval West, Laval, Quebec, Canada.

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Product Review: Odoban

My 3 year old son got sick and vomited all over our brand new shag carpet. I mean brand new, 3 days old. So I tried and tried to get the smell out; the stain was not a problem, just the smell. I tried everything; baking soda, hot water with a little bleach, carpet cleaning, tide, lysol, everything. I googled for days trying to find anyone who had an idea. Nothing worked. Then my mother in law was at Sam's, the wholesale store, and bought me a product called "Odoban". One hour later, the smell was gone, two days later, still gone, then a week. Now 3 months later, smell still gone! I swear this stuff works, it got vomit out of my carpet, and that smell is hard to get out. It also kills 99.9% of germs at the same time, and it doesn't mask the odor, it really kills it!

Source: Odoban rocks!

By Sarah from Louisville, KY

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Reuse Silica Desiccant Packets in Packages

When I've ordered something, most always the box has those "silica" packets. I re-use them. Some examples: in a photo box, where you've stored until "someday" you'll get around to them, or in my power tools carrying cases. Anywhere you might have moisture.

Source: myself

By Keeper from Morganton, NC

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Independent Sewing Patterns

I was just thrilled when I ran across this source on the web! For those of you who are sick and tired of Simplicity and McCalls patterns, here's a bunch of links to INDEPENDENT pattern makers. Sew something well-fitting and unusual!

http://www.timmelfabrics.com/patterns.htm

http://www.loeshinsedesign.com/

By Cyinda from near Seattle

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Comparison Shop Local Pharmacies

If you take particular medications regularly, compare prices with different pharmacies. Call each of them and let them know each medication you take; the name of the drug, the dosage, and the amount your prescription calls for; and ask what their price is.

Some pharmacies will have a better price on one drug and another pharmacy will charge less for a different drug. If you end up using different pharmacies, be sure they know all the medications you take. Sometimes prices will vary even between the same chain drug stores in the same town.

I was very surprised to learn that a locally owned "mom and pop" type pharmacy provided the best prices AND best service in my hometown.

By Laura from Long Beach, CA

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Use Vegetable Oil to Fix Squeak in Door

To fix a squeak in the refrigerator door or inside doors, use a little cooking oil on a q-tip. Works right away and no smell from cooking oil.

By Sharon L from Canada

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Fixing Shiny Bread Pans

I just bought a couple new bread pans. Nice shiny ones. It turns out that because of the shine, the bread browns on the top, but doesn't bake or brown well on the bottom. My husband found the perfect remedy. He sprayed the outside only of my pans with black barbecue paint. It is non toxic, and is available at WalMart. I tried it out yesterday and the Cinnamon Raisin loaf browned beautifully top and bottom.

By Harlean from Hot Springs, Arkansas

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Cook Ahead for Faster Meal Prep

I do not have much time for cooking in the evening after work. So I try to cook some things ahead, like ground round and chicken.

When visiting the wholesale club, I buy 90% lean in quantities of 10 pounds. When I get home I make a few patties, then cook the remaining meat in a Dutch oven on top of the stove. When the meat is thoroughly cooked, I drain it, cook it, then separate into freezer bags in quantities of 1 to 1 1/2 pounds. When I am ready to cook, I simply put a bag of beef into the microwave to thaw and my meal prep time is cut down dramatically.

With chicken, I shred the cooked chicken and freeze in bags to use in soups and casseroles.

Source: This is my own tip. I've been doing this for about 19 years.

By Lori from Fishers, IN

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Add Individual Toppings to Delivery Pizza

When we had children at home and wanted "real" pizza delivered, We ordered pepperoni, then I would heat up the other toppings everyone liked and just added those to each person's slices. Now there are no children at home, but we still order pepperoni (smaller size) most of the time and use a coupon. But we add mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, black olives, etc. Just heat them on the stove, keeping hot until our TREAT has arrived. I know people make their own or buy frozen, but tired old hands need a break once in awhile.Besides we get MORE toppings for a lot less money.

By Great Granny Vi from Moorpark, CA

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Dear Webby's Joke of the Day

I was in the express lane at the store quietly fuming. Completely ignoring the sign, the woman ahead of me had slipped into the express lane check-out line pushing a cart piled high with groceries.

Imagine my delight when the cashier beckoned the woman to come forward, looked into the cart and asked sweetly, 'So which six items would you like to buy?'

Read More Jokes Here: http://webby.com/humor

Life Cycle of Convict Fish

How long for baby convict fish to grow into adult convicts?

Jim from Alsip, IL

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Protecting Carpet While Painting Trim

I want to paint the crown molding in my living room but I'm trying to figure out how to do it without getting any paint on the carpet. Obviously I know to lay that painters plastic stuff on the floor but how do I make it stay CLOSE to the molding without it moving and getting on my carpet?

Priscilla from Zwolle

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Oval Baking Dish with Lid

Although I have a nifty covered casserole dish by Tupperware, I'd like to get back to baking in glass or ceramic with a lid. Am having a difficult time locating a casserole that is oval, with lid, and 3 qt. size that isn't too heavy. I have tried Ebay, Amazon, general internet search. I have found 1, but no lid. I would like to be able to possibly put a small baking sheet on the top (don't want to use aluminum foil).

Do you think this would not be air tight enough? Would the baking pan just warp?
Solutions?

Holly from Richardson, TX

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Removing Skunk Smell From House

My 2 labs were sprayed by a skunk 3 days ago and my entire house and everything in it smells like skunk. My father-in-law is coming for a visit in less than a week and I don't know how to get rid of this smell. Clothes, coats, purses, book bags. Are all of these things ruined?

Shelly from Worden, Illinois

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Keeping Cats From Using Dog's Pet Door

I want my dogs to have access in and out using the pet door, but I do not want my cats to come in. Any suggestions?

Jenni from Los Angeles

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Smokey Eyed Look

How can I get that smokey look on my eyes without getting eye pencil all down my face, and looking like a Panda? I use a Revlon pencil, or a Rimmel one. I love that very dark-eyed look. My eyes are very dark brown.

Leah from Bauple, Queensland, Australia

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Instructions for H2O Vacuum

I bought a H2O Vac and didn't get any instructions. Can anyone tell me how to use it?

Thank you,
Vicky from Canadensis, PA

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Removing Nail Polish on Leather Boots

I've got some brown leather nail polish on my new black leather coach boots, which I love dearly. How do I remove it, without ruining my boots?

Irene

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Paint Suggestion for Black and White Kitchen

We are in the process of remodeling our kitchen in a black and white design. My home is 170 years old, and I wish to maintain the character as well. The cabinets are white, counter is black quartz, the back splash is a random pattern of black and white ceramic tiles. The floor tiles are a gray/green porcelain. The kitchen opens into the family room. I would like to paint the walls white, but my contractor is concerned it is too much white. What color do you suggest I use? We are also going to paint the family room, so I am open to a color for this room, and I really like shades of red, yellow, and tans.

Cindi L. from Newark, OH

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Transferring Poem on Cloth to Embroider

I hope someone can teach me how to put a poem on a piece of cloth so that I can embroider it. I have reversed the poem on the computer to make like an iron on transfer, but this puts the poem on a piece of cloth with the rubbery backing that stays on the cloth. What should I do? Thanks.

Joyce from Sumter, SC

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Anti-aging Moisturizers

Who can tell me the best moisturizer for fine lines and wrinkles?

Pam from Allen

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Neutered Dog Humping Other Dogs

Flash is a pretty good dog. He is a lab/hound mix. He was rescued from a shelter at 1 year old. He is now 3, and was neutered when I got him. He does not hump humans, but at the dog park, there is only one thing on his mind. Humping other dogs. I know this is a dominance thing. Some dog owners don't care, others are really put off. I realize this is normal dog behavior at a dog park, establishing the pecking order. My dog seems to be the only dog fixed on this at all times. What to do?

Mike from West Bend, WI

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Quilting Frame to Use With a Sewing Machine

Does anyone know of a website that sells quilt frames to use with an ordinary sewing machine?

Millie from Abingdon, VA

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Oil and Vinegar Spot on Suede Jacket

I have an oil and vinegar spot on washable suede jacket.

Marj from Rochesterny

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Should I Use Blue Painter's Tape When I Paint?

I'm about to paint a few different rooms in my house. I've never painted before and I was wondering if I should use that blue painters tape around the edges. Does that stuff really work or does the paint sometimes seep underneath it?

Priscilla from Zwolle

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Catching a Mole That is in My House

How do I catch a mole that has gotten into my house?

Pam from Ohio

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Craft Ideas to Make a Gift for Little Boys

I have a seven years old niece which I am making a denim pocket purse for. I also have two nephews, 6 and 8 years old, which I would like to make something for but I have no idea what. Does anyone have any ideas?

Mitra

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Crafting for Fun and Money!

If you are an avid crafter, capable writer and own a digital camera, you are eligible to participate. Submit your craft projects to ThriftyFun and we will pay $15 for any crafts that we publish.

More Information:
Click Here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml

Family Dollar Recalls Magnetic Dart Boards; Ingested Magnets Pose Aspiration and Intestinal Hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: FUN 'N SAFE Magnetic Dart Boards

Units: About 250,000

Importer: Family Dollar, of Charlotte, N.C.

Hazard: Small magnets at the ends of the darts can detach. Magnets found by young children can be swallowed or aspirated. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The magnetic dart board has a black, white, green and red bullseye checkered design and was sold with six magnetic darts. The darts magnetically adhere to the dart board when thrown. "Made in China" is embossed on the back of the board.

Sold Exclusively at: Family Dollar stores nationwide from January 2001 through January 2008 for about $5.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled toys away from children and return the board and all of the darts to a Family dollar store for a refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Family Dollar at (800) 547-0359 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web site at www.familydollar.com

Family Dollar Recalls Magnetic Dart Boards; Ingested Magnets Pose Aspiration and Intestinal Hazards

Children's Metal Jewelry Recalled by Pecoware Due to Risk of Lead Exposure

Name of Product: Children's Metal Necklaces

Units: About 2,900

Manufacturer: Pecoware Co. Inc., of Chino, Calif.

Hazard: The children's necklaces contain high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The recalled necklaces include a cat with silver and pink rhinestones, a heart and lock with pink rhinestones, a silver colored heart with a rhinestone crown, and a silver colored lock and key. The necklaces hang from silver colored chains.

Sold at: Department and specialty stores nationwide from January 2006 through July 2007 (cat necklace), and from July 2007 through November 2007 (heart, heart and key, and lock and key necklaces) for about $13.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled necklaces away from children and contact Pecoware for instructions on returning the necklaces for a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Pecoware at (800) 456-7326 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web site at www.pecoware.com

Picture of Recalled Children's Metal Necklaces

Children's Metal Jewelry Recalled by Pecoware Due to Risk of Lead Exposure

Product Review: Similasan Earache Relief Drops

I have suffered from chronic, recurrent (3-4 times a year) ear infections for many years. I get drops from the doctor but the infection always comes back eventually. It is very painful and miserable. I want to share a great product with everybody.

Similasan Earache Relief drops is a all natural homeopathic remedy you can get at the pharmacy. The active ingredient is sulfur. Sulfur was used to treat infections before antibiotics were invented. Sometimes the old remedies work best.

Now when the soreness starts in my ear, I use the drops 3 times a day for about 3 days and it clears up. You can even read the reviews online at drugstore.com. It's a bit pricey at $10 a bottle but well worth the price. A bottle lasts for several treatments.

Joy from Visalia, CA

Saving Money on Paper Towels

Tips for saving money on paper towels from the ThriftyFun community.

Use Cloth

Substitute Washcloths For Paper Towels And Napkins

An even better money saver is to buy washcloths or dishcloths and use them as napkins. You can get them cheap at dollar-type stores or Wal-Mart/K-Mart/Target. When they are dirty, toss in the washing machine. That's what we do.

By Ann

Reusable Bar Towels Are Better Than Paper Towels

I went even cheaper. I stopped buying paper towels all together! I bought a stack of white bar towels at WalMart and we use them for everything from drying our hands, to scrubbing the sink, to wiping up spills. Of course, after they have been used on the floor, they go into the wash.

By Katie A.

Recycle Old Clothes

I have found that cutting up an old cotton tee shirt, sheet or a flannel sheet has worked great at making cheap napkins. I keep them folded in a little basket on the kitchen table so we just pull one out when we need it. Now if I have company at the table I break out the good napkins. When I have bought paper towels, on sale with a coupon, I take my serrated knife and cut the roll in half and that give me twice the towels for one price. Of course, you have watch yourself and not just use more from the halved roll.

By cookiepom

Kitchen Towels

I keep a tea towel hanging near the sink. It would never occur to me to dry my hands with a paper towel. My grandmother and my mother never had paper towels. They always had 2 towels hanging over their sinks: one terry cloth for drying hands and one lint-free for drying dishes. Use the dish cloth for wiping up spills and for wiping counters after doing the dishes. No need for expensive cleansers either; just use your soapy dishwater. Before you go to bed each night, put the kitchen linens in the laundry and replace with fresh, clean ones.

By Kathy Y.

Dish Rags From The Dollar Store

I realized one day that I used a lot of paper towels for little things. This not only used up money but also produced a lot of trash. At the dollar store, I bought a 15-count package of dishrags for little money. I keep them in a drawer and use them instead of paper towels for little spills and other things. In my laundry room, I have a bucket that the dirty ones go in so I can wash them all at once.

By Leigh Ann

Don't Buy Rags, Make Them

Why buy any rag? You must be super human not to stain your clothes. Cut old clothes up in nice size squares and put in a pretty basket.

By Kathie

Chefs Don't Use Paper Towels

I have been doing that with towels my whole life. My mother and grandparents never had paper towels in the home. People always look for them when they come to my home. Also as a chef, it is too costly to have them at work.

By Lou

Use Less

Make Your Own Toilet Paper Dispenser For Small Spills

Save a empty cube tissue box, carefully open one side without making any tears. Pull out the center cardboard tube in a one-ply roll of toilet paper. This is done by just firmly pressing one end of the cardboard and pull the paper away from the tube. Repeat this on the other end. Now carefully pull out the cardboard tube. Insert the toilet paper in the tissue box. Either tape up or glue the side of the tissue box to contain the toilet paper. You can also make a slit on one side of the flap and insert the other flap, like a sealable cereal box. When you do this, the same box can be reused without having to re-tape and re-glue each time. Pull the toilet paper from the center of the roll. It is very easy to do. This is good for those small spills or to wipe foods from plates before putting in the dishwasher.

By "Mike"

Toilet Paper Dispenser For Kleenex

I do the exact same thing as Mike has suggested with the toilet tissue and the cube shaped box. I keep one on my desk and use it instead of Kleenex tissues. It really lasts a really long time.

By Harlean from Arkansas

Paper Bags for Bacon

I cut brown paper bags down into plate size squares. Cut down the sides and then the bottom and split the large size into 2 to do a good job of this. Then when I have a pile of them from 3 or 4 bags, I set them in an upright napkin holder near the stove. Place 3 or 4 of these underneath only ONE paper towel to put bacon on, or other fried foods!

I like the tip about saving the paper towels that only wet from drying cleaned hands. I magnet a wet towel sometimes to the refrigerator to reuse when it dries. Also, instead of buying the towels that are sectioned into smaller ones, I cut some in 1/4ths and have a napkin holder on the wall for the smaller spills. Old phone books are handy in the same regard.

My son wastes a lot of towels if I don't watch him! He'll spin off 3 or 4 and not even think about it! OW! If you smash the tube a little, it won't spin so fast! Same with the TP! A friend of mine told me this. She gets TERRIBLE colds or congestion, so uses a paper towel instead. It won't tear so bad as tissues!

By Melody_yesterday

Smaller Paper Towels

My husband was using paper towels galore! Usually, it was just to wipe up a few drops of water on the counter, or to wipe his hands. To slow down this waste of money, I moved the paper towel holder to another location, and tore some into quarters. I placed the quartered paper towels where he is used to reaching for a whole paper towel. It works great, and my DH can still grab something quick to clean up.

By Zballoongirl

Tear In Half

Tear one paper towel in half so two people can use only one.

By BrookesMommy

Cut Roll In Half

Cut your paper towel roll in half before using them. You will get twice as many this way!

By Crystal

Use A Serrated Knife For Cutting The Whole Roll

I just tested cutting one in half. A serrated bread knife works but an electric knife works much better. IKEA also has a paper towel and wrap holder that has a serrated edge that will cut your paper towels in half.

http://www.ikea.com

By Susan from ThriftyFun

Newspaper For Cleaning Windows

I used to clean a car dealer's office. He had me use newspaper to clean door and window glass. I thought at first he was too tight to buy paper towels but actually they do a great job. They stay drier, hold up longer and leave no lint. The Swiffer mitts you buy are great for getting up spills, and other odd jobs for which you might use a paper towel. Just toss them in the washer with other rags (from old sweatsuits, undershirts, etc) dry and reuse. Money Saved!

By Sharon, KY

Pay Less

Use Paper Napkins Instead

My kids used way too many paper towels for small spills, so I began buying napkins. They are "single serving" so my boys don't use half a roll. And paper napkins are cheaper than paper towels. I can buy a 200 napkin pack for a dollar at the dollar store. Paper towels cost 50-75 cents for a 40 sheet roll.

By Lisa

Let Slightly Wet Towels Dry and Reuse

If you have used the towel only to dry your freshly washed hands, you can lay it out on the counter or dish rack to dry. When it has dried, you then have a nearly 100% clean towel for another use. We do this all the time.

Paper More Sanitary Than Cloth

I was buying bulk Bounty "select-a-size" at Sam's. They are already perforated to 1/2 size. Discovered them at Aldi with an off brand name. I do re-use the water spill and quick hand wipe ones, but I do paper instead of cloth due to the germ factor. A damp cloth, even hung to dry can harbor many germs. Being a bartender, the health department won't let you "polish" clean glasses for that very reason and it is no savings to WASH the cloth after each use. Sometimes you have to weigh the pros and cons: trees and trash (that will biodegradable) against water, pollutants from detergent, and energy use.

By Tina

Feel free to post your ideas below.

Saving Money on Paper Towels

Geranium 'Rozanne', The 2008 Perennial Plant of the Year
By Ellen Brown

Recently, The Perennial Plant Association has announced that the 2008 Perennial Plant of the Year is Geranium 'Rozanne' (Rozanne cranesbill geranium). I'm not the least bit surprised. I stumbled on 'Rozanne' only a few years ago (I'm rather a late bloomer) and found it to be a real gem. This lively geranium has large, jewel-toned violet-blue flowers set on deep green, lightly marbled foliage. With its versatility in the garden and vibrant, long-lasting blooms, it's no wonder 'Rozanne' has been labled "the geranium of the millennium."

Background and Appearance

Husband and wife, Donald and Rozanne Waterer, first discovered this sturdy geranium in their Somerset, England garden in 1989. It is reported that in their never ending quest for pollen, the bees in the Waterer's garden inadvertently crossed two blue hardy Geraniums, one G. himalayense, normally flowering in early June with G. wallichianum 'Buxton's Variety', which usually starts in late July or August. The resulting offspring was the very first appearance of 'Rozanne'. With its 2.5-inch, iridescent violet-blue, cup-shaped flowers with purple-violet veins and radiant white center, 'Rozanne' easily stood out among its peers. Among it many merits are a long bloom time (late spring to early autumn) and also its vigorous, dark green foliage, which is deeply cut and lightly marbled with chartreuse. Rozanne's foliage turns red in the autumn for additional impact.

Cultivation and Maintenance

'Rozanne' reaches 20-inches high and mounds to a 24-28 inch spread. A vigorous plant will cover 2-3 square feet in the garden very nicely. This geranium thrives in full sun to partial shade (afternoon shade is recommended in hot climates) and in sites offering moist, well-draining soil. Once established, however, 'Rozanne' shows exceptional tolerance to heat and drought among geraniums. An easy to care for plant, 'Rozanne' requires very little in the way of maintenance. Preserving its peak appearance requires no more than shearing back a few inches of old foliage in late summer, which will quickly be replaced by a fresh flush of flowers. Division is seldom required of this geranium-plan on once every 3-4 years. Geranium 'Roxanne' is hardy to USDA zones 5-8.

Landscape Use

Use Rozanne in front borders, as a tall groundcover or filler plant, or in hanging baskets. Plan to give it plenty of elbowroom, as it can overtake nearby plants once it reaches maturity. Yellow or chartreuse flowers or foliage are wonderful compliments to the vibrant purple flowers of 'Rozanne'. For an early summer pairing, try Leucanthemum 'Snowcap' or 'Silberprinzesschen' (Silver Princess). For long season performance, try pairing 'Rozanne' with Salvias like "Rose Queen' or 'Pink Friesland.' Another great violet/pink combo includes Veronica spicata 'Tickled Pink'.

To emphasize autumn interest, shorter grasses such as Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Little Honey' are superb companions to Geranium 'Rozanne'. You'll find that 'Rozanne' also fills in nicely between daylilies and phlox, or with the foliage of nearby blue-gray or yellowish green hostas. Massed plantings of Rozanne provide carefree, billowy-textured mounds that look beautiful in front of bushy roses, such as the free-flowering, golden 'Graham Thomas.' In my own flower garden, I enjoy pairing "Roxanne' with bright fuchsia-colored Coral Bells.

Growing Guide At-A Glance

Hardiness: USDA zones 5 to 8

Flowers: The large, violet-blue flowers with purple-violet veins and small white centers offer non-stop flowering throughout the growing season-late spring to early fall.

Growth Rate/ Habits: Medium growth rate; height of 20-inches; free-flowing mounds with a 24-28-inch spread.

Exposure: Geranium 'Rozanne' thrives in full sun to partial shade. Afternoon shade is recommended in hot climates.

Soil: Rozanne prefers a site with moist, well-draining soil and has average water needs. Once established, it is both heat and drought tolerant.

Uses: The free-flowing flowers of Rozanne work well when used as a ground cover, mass planted as a front-border specimen, in hanging baskets, window boxes, or in patio containers.

Unique Characteristics: Deer and rabbit resistant. No known disease or insect problems.

Companions: Coral Bells, Ornamental Grasses, Hosta, Bearded Iris, Daylilies, Stonecrop, Bell Flowers, and Rose Bushes.

Identification Note: Occasionally in reference books, you may see the name GERWAT associated with Geranium 'Rosanne.' GERWAT is the identifier for this plant used in association with European Plant Breeders Rights: "GER" for geranium and "WAT" for the discoverer Waterer.

About the Perennial Plant Association

The Perennial Plant Association is a trade association made of perennial industry experts that helps consumers select plants that are easy to grow, low-maintenance, suitable for a wide range of climate types, and exhibit multi-seasonal interest. Essentially, perennial plant industry experts have done the homework, so all you have to do is plant and enjoy! According to Steven Still, Executive Director of the Perennial Plant Association, "Home owners can have great confidence the Perennial Plant of the Year will grow well in the garden."

Geranium 'Rozanne', The 2008 Perennial Plant of the Year

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Daily Thrifty Tips - February 25, 2008