Daily Thrifty Tips - June 19, 2007

Volume Six, Number 119, June 19, 2007 (Read It Online) Here's today's featured request... Pros and Cons of Leather Furniture I am having to make furniture buying decisions in the next few weeks. I have always loved leather, however I am not sure about the durability. When I poll my friends about their furniture woes and joys. I hear over and over, buy the best you can afford. I understand that many of the cushions and armrests break down and the"extended warranties" that you can purchase are virtually worthless. What do you think? We are a small family, one dog. We live in the country and bring a lot of dirt in the house. The dog is not allowed on the furniture. If I buy a cream or beige leather will it clean up well? Does the super soft leather absorb dirt and oil worse than the shiny finish type? What happens if you spill red wine on beige leather? What happens if a small hole happens? Is this fixable? Does anyone regret buying leather? Why? Any recommendations? Thank you a bunch! Kelly from Anchorage, Alaska Post Feedback Here Thanks for reading, Susan Send to a Friend! Share a Tip (You could win $25!) Share a Photo (You could win $25!) Have a Question? Submit a request... Link to ThriftyFun.com View Active Topics! Edit Your Subscriptions: To edit your ThriftyFun subscriptions, click the Update Profile/Email Address link at the bottom of this newsletter. Today's newsletter contains: Today's Photos: Let's Monkey Around! Mom's Memory Wreath Wagon Flower Garden Kurrundi The Cat Today's Tips: Free Summer Kids Movies At Regal Buy Flexible Rulers In Craft Section Look For Bargains and Freebies at Expensive Stores Using the Slow Cooker in Hot Weather One Green Day A Month Plan and Freeze Food for Camping Ziplock Yarn Keeper Carpet Stain Remover For Clothing Stains Solve Cat Problems with a Positive Attitude! Fat Free Popcorn New Requests: Balls Dropping from an Oak Tree Mothers and Sons Event Ideas Making a Purse Out of a Gift Bag What breed is my dog? Painting Over Rust Spots Tartar Sauce Recipe Water Causes Painted Countertops Finish to Raise Small Balances Left on Pre-paid Credit Cards Pros and Cons of Leather Furniture Drilling Holes in Wall Tiles Sneezing Dog Installing Peel and Stick Tiles Burning Bush Losing Its Leaves Homemade Slimfast Recipe Today's Sponsor: 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 Today's Photos: Let's Monkey Around! This is my fourteen year old granddaughter who was playing with her 2 year old cousin on the playset. It was a cute sight! Her cousin is learning to go down the slide and she wanted Amber to play on the playset with her. By WandaJo from Tennessee Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf96754743.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Mom's Memory Wreath This is a photo of a Baby memory wreath my neighbor made for the mother of a precious baby girl she babysat for for nearly the first year of her life.The family moved away and as a gift she made this wreath containing many of the FIRST items she had used. It was a grapevine wreath on which she wired the items: a first shoe, cherished toys, a bib, rattlers, etc. I thought it was a very sweet and thoughtful gift. By Sharon Shearer from Ravenna, KY Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf74220911.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Wagon Flower Garden This is my portable flower garden. Because of my husband's job, we used to transfer in the summers and I wouldn't get the chance to "take" my garden with me. Or sometimes we moved to a house without much for landscaping. In order to at least have something with a little flower power, I decided to use my childhood wagon as a garden container, just in case we move again. This last summer, I planted impatiens in them and they did really well. I also like being able to move my portable flower bed to different areas of my garden. By Denise from Nebraska Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf14771937.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Kurrundi The Cat Kurrundi is 4 years old. He likes to hide in any type of box and wait for the dog to come walking by so he can attack. He also loves to sleep in boxes. By Joyce from Apache Junction, AZ Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf37275527.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Contests: 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! Today's Tips: Free Summer Kids Movies At Regal Looking for something frugal to do with your kids this summer? I discovered this last year and it was a really great program. If you live near a Regal Cinemas, check this out! http://www.regalcinemas.com/freefamilyflicks/index2.jsp They have second run kid's movies (I saw Charlotte's Web, Happy Feet and Night at The Museum, to name a few, on my area's list) for free on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. They usually show two different movies and have two showings, 10 AM and noon. It is entirely free (but they have the concession stand open so feed the kids before you go!) and on a first come basis. And as the theater is full of screaming kids, it is a great opportunity for toddlers or preschoolers to enjoy the big screen without being "shushed." Jess in Portland, OR Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf77186589.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Buy Flexible Rulers In Craft Section While looking for a flexible ruler to use in scrapbook or card making projects, I found they were quite expensive. Even checked the drafting supplies. Then my husband wandered over in the fabric section and found exactly what I wanted at a much lower price! Hope this tip will help others that might be looking for one! By Melody from Auburn, CA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf59070587.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Look For Bargains and Freebies at Expensive Stores Even in pricier stores like health food stores/whole food markets, there are bargains, and very often lots of free samples! Look for their mark-down section/sale section, I have gotten supplements and skin creme (1/2 price) and expensive tea from them. And I have a whole bag full of samples of vitamins/skin cremes, cleaners, etc. I have gotten in the last few weeks, from my stock up visits, enough to last me a while. By Pam from Los Angeles Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf38013988.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Using the Slow Cooker in Hot Weather It is 96 degrees and humid today, so I took out my trusty slow cooker this morning. Cooking in the slow cooker keeps my kitchen cooler, plus the whole meal can be cooked in one container. My slow cooker is great for less tender cuts of meat, which are less expensive to purchase. My husband likes my "smothered swiss steak". I put a little olive oil in a skillet and brown the meat and onions to seal in the flavor. Next, I layer the round steak, cut into serving size pieces, into the slow cooker with the onion/ Next, I add any vegetables I have on hand, usually mini carrots and several potatoes which have been washed and quartered, Add salt and pepper to taste, a can of tomato soup mixed with a 14 oz can stewed tomatoes. Then cover and cook on high for an hour, then I turn the slow cooker down to low setting and let it continue to cook 8 hours. Serve with a salad and you have a great meal. By Bobbie G from Rockwall, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf46011854.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print One Green Day A Month If you are not already a green person, start with one day a month. Have the whole family do something green. Recycle, no TV, don't drive, there are tons of ideas out there. Have your kids think of unique ideas, you'd be surprised at what they can think up. Plus, it's good for the environment and keeps them busy for a day, especially during the summer, and starts to make them eco-conscious. By Carol from Massachusetts Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf29801395.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Plan and Freeze Food for Camping I plan meals ahead of time for my camping trip, buying any food items I can on sale and freezing meat. I also prepare and freeze some items to save on the amount of ice I'll need to buy and the room needed to put in ice while still keeping the food safe to eat. By Lisa from Clarksburg, WV Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf89226084.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Ziplock Yarn Keeper Just recently I bought a yarn holder at Wal-mart that helps keep yarn clean and tangle free. It is a clear plastic jug with a lid that has a hole in the center for the yarn. You place your center pull skein of yarn through the opening and pull working yarn through hole in lid. I thought it would be perfect for knitting on the go until I realized it was much too large to fit in my purse. My frugal alternative was to take a clean gallon size zip-lock bag and use a hole punch to punch a hole on the bottom center of the bag. I then placed my skein of yarn into the bag, put working yarn end through the hole, then zip locked the bag. This is way cheaper and much smaller then the one I bought. By Tracey from Duluth, MN Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf36848847.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Carpet Stain Remover For Clothing Stains I spilled red jello all over the front of my white pants. It had dried before I could get home. No remedy seemed to work so I tried carpet spot and stain remover. After spraying it on and letting it sit for about 5-10 minutes, no more stain. By Imtomi from Philadelphia, PA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf73201310.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Solve Cat Problems with a Positive Attitude! Cats don't willfully misbehave out of spite, anger, or stupidity. Many owners assume their cats are deliberately scratching the furniture or eliminating outside of the box just to be spiteful, but the reality is that those cats are trying their best to come up with a solution on their own. Many behaviors that we label "bad" are really just natural cat behaviors. The problem occurs when we don't understand or provide appropriate outlets for the cat. Take furniture scratching, for instance. Your cat doesn't claw at the sofa because he wants to cause damage that will, in turn, evoke anger in you. He scratches the sofa because scratching is a natural and necessary behavior. The cat looks for the most convenient, appealing, and sturdy place to accomplish that goal. If the scratching post you bought isn't effective, then kitty looks for the next best location. The same theory applies to other behavior issues. A cat who eliminates outside of the litter box may be doing so because the litter box is too dirty, too small, filled with an unappealing litter substrate, or the box itself may be located in an undesirable place. And kitty doesn't wake up and decide to urinate on the carpet just so he can get you mad. He urinates there because he feels he has no other choice. The cause may be due to a medical condition that is making him experience pain, or it may be due to unpleasant litter box conditions, or the result of a stressful change in the household. Before assuming your cat is merely misbehaving, carefully examine the conditions surrounding him in his environment and what you might be able to do to reduce his stress and entice him back toward a behavior more acceptable to you. By Leanne Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf76902847.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Fat Free Popcorn Get away from the microwave for popcorn. Cook the popcorn from the popcorn in a jar, using a Teflon pot and a cover. This way, you have nothing fattening in your popcorn. Then if you'd like to add something for a little flavor, that's all you have to worry about. Here's some ideas for topping: Romano or Parmesan Cheese Garlic or Onion Powder By LRP from LWL, MA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf98776699.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Friends of ThriftyFun Dear Webby's Humor Letter Webby publishes our tips daily! A very funny newsletter. Webby now has a blog, read his latest newsletter as well as back issues here: http://webby.com/humor/blog/ More Information: http://webby.com/humor New Requests: Balls Dropping from an Oak Tree My oak tree has dropped a few balls made of a papery type material. Inside there is something that looks like the flower on a bottle brush tree, only it's white. Is this normal? Hardiness Zone: 8a Holly from Richardson, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf78813154.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Mothers and Sons Event Ideas Our church holds Mother and Father events on Mother's Day and Father's Day but they are for Mothers and daughters and Fathers and daughters, there are no Mother/Son events. I need some ideas on planning an event for Mother/Son event. The event should be age appropriate for any age mother and son and be meaningful for the mother and son no matter what age they are. Our church sponsored a Father/Daughter event with a meal at an elegant restaurant in our city's downtown district and ended with a horse-drawn carriage ride in our beautiful downtown district. This was to celebrate father's day. The mothers of the church had a mother/daughter tea. I would appreciate any ideas for next year's Mother's Day! JOSE from Tennessee Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf73432441.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Making a Purse Out of a Gift Bag I'm thinking of making a tote bag/purse out of an old gift bag, but I'm not sure if it will be strong enough to hold all of my stuff. Any other suggestions for purse material or how to make a gift bag stronger? I just don't want to have to sew or buy a new bag. Thanks! Tauni Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf87441616.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print What breed is my dog? Can someone tell what breed is my puppy? Candie from Flushing, NY Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf94993954.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Painting Over Rust Spots I have metal cellar doors with several rust spots popping through requiring repainting. I currently have black high gloss rustoleum on them now. I need a rust primer or deterrent before repainting. I checked with a local auto body shop who wanted to sell me a product used on cars for over $50.00 a pint. I don't want to spend that much if I can avoid it. Can anyone who has or had a similar problem suggest an alternative to treat the rust and repaint? I don't want to do this every year. Thanks for your input. Monica from Northeast PA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf62671302.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Tartar Sauce Recipe I need a recipe for tartar sauce. Does anyone out there have a good but simple one? I sure would appreciate it. Thanks, Jamish from Ransom, Kansas Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf20092875.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Water Causes Painted Countertops Finish to Raise I painted my counter tops and they came out great. I finished with polyacrylic water based. When the counter gets droplet of water the finish raises, but when it dries the finish goes back to normal. Should I re-sand finish and use a oil based acrylic? Has this happened to anyone else? Any suggestions? Cherrie from Alfred Station, NY Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf79195303.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Small Balances Left on Pre-paid Credit Cards I like to use pre-paid credit cards to order items online. The only thing I don't like is that there are times I have a small amount of money left on it (ex. 50 cents). Does anyone know how to use this small amount up before the credit card company starts applying their fees to it? Maybe a website that I can donate the change to, no matter how small the amount? I would rather see it go to a good cause than the credit card company taking it back. B from NJ Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf89752718.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Pros and Cons of Leather Furniture I am having to make furniture buying decisions in the next few weeks. I have always loved leather, however I am not sure about the durability. When I poll my friends about their furniture woes and joys. I hear over and over, buy the best you can afford. I understand that many of the cushions and armrests break down and the"extended warranties" that you can purchase are virtually worthless. What do you think? We are a small family, one dog. We live in the country and bring a lot of dirt in the house. The dog is not allowed on the furniture. If I buy a cream or beige leather will it clean up well? Does the super soft leather absorb dirt and oil worse than the shiny finish type? What happens if you spill red wine on beige leather? What happens if a small hole happens? Is this fixable? Does anyone regret buying leather? Why? Any recommendations? Thank you a bunch! Kelly from Anchorage, Alaska Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf97003620.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Drilling Holes in Wall Tiles What is the best way to drill holes into wall tiles? Lisa from Thessaloniki, Greece Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf26841294.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Sneezing Dog My Jack Russell started sneezing really badly about three days ago. What can I do to help him? Robert from Franklinton, NC Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf15580959.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Installing Peel and Stick Tiles Has anyone used peel and stick tile in their bathroom? Do you have to use extra glue do to the moisture? KELLY from Miami Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf49300718.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Burning Bush Losing Its Leaves What is causing my burning bush leaves to fall off? Hardiness Zone: 6a Jerry from St. Louis, Missouri Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf72106738.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Homemade Slimfast Recipe Does anyone have the recipe for Slimfast? Or something similar. Marilyn from Burlington, WI Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf956079.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Today's Sponsor: 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 Interactive Coupon Swap! Swap coupons with other ThriftyFun.com users. Seed Swap! Swap seeds with other ThriftyFun.com users.