Daily Thrifty Tips - May 29, 2007

Volume Six, Number 104, May 29, 2007 (Read It Online) I hope everyone had a nice Memorial Day Weekend. Here are the contest winners for the week before last: Tip Contest Winners Use the Dollar Store for Shopping Sprees By Kim from Franklin Park, IL Compost Instead of Buying Topsoil By Bobbie G from Rockwall, TX Photo Contest Winner Tea Cup Bird Feeder By Tracy from Mi Thank you for everyone who submitted tips. 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: Sea Shell Centerpiece Thrifty Kori Frame A Favorite T-Shirt Barkley and Scruffy (Mixed Breeds) Today's Tips: Turn Off Water While Washing Dishes Buying Compact Fluorescent Bulbs Pizza Box Wall Art Save Wrappers To Placate Toddlers Lint Roller For Dusting Lamp Shades Leftover Spaghetti Tip Budget Something For Fun Free Omega-3 Supplement Handprint Fish New Requests: Butter Conversion for Europe Growing Rosemary From Seeds Carnation Evaporated Milk Cake Recipe No Cook Peanut Butter Fudge Disposing of a Microwave Growing in a Bag of Top Soil 220 volt George Foreman Grill Removing Paint from Microfiber Clothing Need Help Growing Basil Personalizing a Tie Dyed T-Shirt Buying Wholesale Perfumes Concerns About Using Hartz Advanced Care Flea Drops Cleaning a Brushed Stainless Steel Refrigerator Uses for Bath Puff Balls Have You Bought a Car on eBay? Hiding a Bright Paint Color Knifty Knitter Doily Pattern More Reading: $10 Dinners: Chicken Stir Fry Scrapbooking Tips Today's Sponsor: Get "The Complete Budget and Bill Organizer" Free When you subscribe to my newsletter "The Budget Stretcher" you will receive this easy guide to effectively organizing and managing your money absolutely free. Get all of the Budget Forms and Worksheets you need to make it work for you. Click the below link to learn more: More Information: Click Here: http://www.homemoneyhelp.com/confirmsubs.html Today's Photos: Sea Shell Centerpiece Here is a perfect way to use those seashells you picked up at the beach. Materials: Potpourri jar Seashells Candle Ribbon Directions Just take a potpourri jar and fill it up with seashells. Insert the candle then tie on a decorative ribbon. By Sandy from Bluff City, TN Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf96331364.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Thrifty Kori This is Kori, who lives about 40 miles from me. She is 14 years old and has already saved $3,500 toward her college education. She helped her neighbors "cowboy" and they gave her six calves that looked weak or had been rejected by their mothers. She successfully raised all of them; even the ones the owners thought couldn't possibly live. They got up to 700 pounds or so and she sold them at the livestock sale, which added $2,400 to her account. She also raises pygmy goats just for fun. Her mother says she's "already an entrepreneur." She started saving her pennies at age 5. Is she thrifty or what? Coreen from ID Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf44423110.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Frame A Favorite T-Shirt When your or your significant other's favorite T-shirt or sweatshirt is just plain worn out, but the logo or picture is still ok, do this: Cut it out and take it to your local Goodwill store and find a frame to fit it. You end up with a nice framed 'picture' that looks as if you bought it! My bf loves the Beatles and would be very sad to throw away those old shirts hes loved so long! By Lily from South Bend, Indiana Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf11889492.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Barkley and Scruffy (Mixed Breeds) Barkley is 8 years old, Scruffy is 2. Both are mixed breeds and were adopted from the San Diego County Animal Shelter as pups. Barkley loves to swim and chase tennis balls. Scruffy is happy to socialize with every dog she meets. Both thoroughly enjoy our evening walks along Sunset Cliffs. I took this photo last year and used it to make a home-made birthday card for my son D.J. I prefer home-made cards to store bought ones, and the ones with pictures are real keepers! By Donna from San Diego, CA Editor's Note: Here are some previous posts about Barkley and Scruffy. Patriotic Pups - Barkley and Scruffy Scruffy "Crockett" - Terrier Mix Scruffy's Birthday (Terrier Mix) Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf94830545.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: Turn Off Water While Washing Dishes Don't wash dishes with the water running. If you leave the tap running, you'll use an average of 30 gallons of water to do dishes! By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf75006239.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Buying Compact Fluorescent Bulbs When buying Compact Fluorescent Bulbs, look for brands with the Energy Star label. Those are rated to last long and use less energy than "cheaper" bulbs without the logo. Call you power company and as them if they have any coupons available for buying Compact Fluorescent Bulbs, I have gotten these bulbs for cheaper than incandescents by doing this and the bulbs should last up to 10 times as long. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf69096339.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Pizza Box Wall Art I was given a few smaller sized pizza boxes and wasn't sure what to do with them, but I did save them. This morning, I had a great idea to make wall hangings with them. First, I covered the edges with tape to make sure it was smooth. Then I covered the front and sides of the box with a beautiful japanese-type printed fabric. I secured it on the back with staples and some tape. Finally, I poked a hole in the back and hung it on the wall. I think they look awesome! They work out great with my living room re-vamp! Much cheaper than buying a pretty picture, and if I get sick of the fabric, I can just change it. I'm going to make one more to hang directly under this one. By Amber from Albuquerque, NM Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf56802666.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Save Wrappers To Placate Toddlers I was a single mom with a baby that was 2. Some days, he would only eat McDonald's cheeseburgers. Being a mom, if that worked and I felt he had to eat; I was not about to be the bad person, I would get him that cheeseburger. Even if it was hard to come up with that .99 cents some days. Sooo I saved the wrapper from the cheese burger and the happy meal box. I would drive around the McDonald parking lot and the rule always was you could only eat at home so when we go home, I would pull a pre made patty I had made previously, warm it up in the microwave with some cheese and put a few unrecognizable cookies in the bottom of the box and he would have his "cheeseburger" and be Happy. This worked until he grew sick of them and it saved me a lot of money being a single sole money maker mom. So all those moms out there, think ahead and save those wrappers. What they don't realize at that age will save you a lot of tears, guilt and money. By Cindy from Stratford, New York Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf18775036.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Lint Roller For Dusting Lamp Shades To dust a lamp shade, use a lint roller. Roll it all over the lamp shade. When done, the shade will look brand new! By Janette from Parkersburg, WV Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf71193983.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Leftover Spaghetti Tip If you have cooked too much spaghetti, take the leftovers from either the freezer (let thaw) or the fridge. Bring a pan of water to boil then turn it off. Put the spaghetti in the water and put a lid on it. Leave it sit for about 15 minutes. Drain and add your favorite sauce. Tastes as good as the day it was made. By Kelly from Bend, OR Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf54667404.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Budget Something For Fun No matter how broke you are or how frugal you are being, there should always be something in the budget for entertainment. We all need that to re-charge. I live in an urban area, so I always have an eye out for deals. For years, I got to watch good theater down at the Mark Taper Forum, just for standing in line at previews! (That deal, alas, is gone...) There are organizations/websites that give discounts on unsold tickets - sometimes quite good ones - so look for the ones for your area and get on all the mailing/email lists you can. And don't forget art openings - they have wine and cheese and can be a night out, too. By Pamphyila from Los Angeles Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf67544636.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Free Omega-3 Supplement Here's a freebie. We all know we need our Omega-3's but most don't like to eat the fish to get it. Here is where you can get a free sample of Coromega, a small liquid packet to take daily to get all the Omega-3 that you need. Can't hurt to get a free sample to try: http://www.coromega.com/index3.html By Cheri from Garland, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf36360473.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Handprint Fish Materials foam sheet black marker google eye tube glue Instructions Take foam sheet of any colour and draw your hand on it. Open your pinkie and thumb and keep together your three fingers on your foam sheet and draw the outline with black marker. Paste a google eye on the foam sheet and your handprint fish is ready. By Suffah from Karachi Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf18429980.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: Butter Conversion for Europe Can you tell me how much a stick of butter is in grams or ounces? i see many American recipes that I can't follow because i don't know the quantity of margarine or butter to use. in Europe, we use either grams or imperial (British) weight. either will be fine. Thanks, Cettina from Malta, Europe Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf99966166.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Growing Rosemary From Seeds How hard is it to grow rosemary from seeds? I've grown them from cuttings before but this is the first year I'm trying it from seeds. Hardiness Zone: 8a Thank you, Sherry from Silverdale WA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf73580363.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Carnation Evaporated Milk Cake Recipe The other recipe I am looking for is the cake recipe that used to be on cans of Carnation evaporated milk in the 1960's. It may have been called "Velvet" something. Someone please come to the rescue! Joan from Chesapeake, VA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf46029813.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print No Cook Peanut Butter Fudge I have been trying to find these forever. It's a no-cook peanut butter fudge made with three ingredients: smooth peanut butter, granulated sugar, and white corn syrup. I can't remember the amounts. Joan from Chesapeake, VA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf12208460.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Disposing of a Microwave Does anyone know the best way to dispose of a dead microwave? The safest for Mother Earth and humans? Thanks! Shirley from Near Grand Rapids, MI Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf32346867.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Growing in a Bag of Top Soil Please give me some hints or tips on if I did this right. I heard an idea long ago that I could plant some annuals in a bag of top soil. I put these bags where I don't have any flower beds. I bought impatiens and made an "X" for each flower, added some Osmocote and watered. Then the flowers would grow tall and bushy to cover the bag. Did I make a mistake in using topsoil instead of potting mix? I don't think there will be enough nutirents in the top soil for the flowers to thrive. Any help? Hardiness Zone: 5a Thanks, Judy from , OH Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf56391331.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print 220 volt George Foreman Grill Where can I get a 220 volt George Foreman grill? G Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf80937056.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Removing Paint from Microfiber Clothing How can I remove white paint from my black micro-fibre trousers? Namuka from FIJI Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf60071072.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Need Help Growing Basil I consider myself good with plants, and have ZERO luck with Basil. Globe or any other doesn't seem to matter. They get all leggy and I've tried buying them different places, tried larger plants hoping for better luck. No one seems to be able to figure out what I'm doing wrong. What's the secret to good basil? I always plant it alone. My herbs have to grow inside (garden window) or outside balcony, but I have one in front and one back, one AM sun, one PM sun. Hardiness Zone: 9-10 MAnne from CA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf14702671.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Personalizing a Tie Dyed T-Shirt I am thinking about tie dyeing my dad a t-shirt for Fathers Day and would like to put World's Best Dad on the front of it in black lettering. I am at a loss of how to do this safely without wrecking it. Please people I need some serious help! Thank you in advance. Lori from Marion, AR Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf86252187.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Buying Wholesale Perfumes Can anyone tell me where to buy perfumes at a wholesale price? Omayra from N.Y. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf60135049.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Concerns About Using Hartz Advanced Care Flea Drops Does anyone know if Hartz Advanced Care Flea Drops for fleas and ticks are bad for dogs? I generally use Frontline or Advantix but picked these up at the store while I was waiting to order the other. I am worried because I read some other posts and afraid they will make the dogs sick. So far they seem just fine. Any answers would be appreciated. Thank You. Mythi from Silverdale, WA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf56845330.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Cleaning a Brushed Stainless Steel Refrigerator Does anyone know how to remove hard water stains on a brushed stainless steel refrigerator? Diana from Willow Creek, CA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf63603309.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Uses for Bath Puff Balls I was wondering how to reuse those net "puff" balls used in the bath? My husband took one apart, then threw it in the trash. I looked at it and thought it could be used for something. All I can think of right now is tying onions in it but it's a very long tube and I won't use that much for that. What can you think of? I have several more that haven't been used, so can use lots of suggestions. I don't like to use them in the bath. Sallie from Dunnellon, FL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf52991225.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Have You Bought a Car on eBay? Has anyone here ever bought a car on eBay? Pam from GA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf43512997.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Hiding a Bright Paint Color I have a guest room that is painted a burnt orange on top, and is pine wainscoting from hip level down. I have a friend who is coming to visit, that ABSOLUTELY hates orange anything! I'm not repainting it, and don't want to line the walls with paper to cover the orange. Any ideas what I can do, other than hand her a pair of sunglasses to wear in the room? LOL Ann Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf60511055.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Knifty Knitter Doily Pattern I am looking for Knifty Knitter patterns for doilies. Anyone know where I can find one Judy from Traverse City Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf35699856.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Today's Sponsor: Get "The Complete Budget and Bill Organizer" Free When you subscribe to my newsletter "The Budget Stretcher" you will receive this easy guide to effectively organizing and managing your money absolutely free. Get all of the Budget Forms and Worksheets you need to make it work for you. Click the below link to learn more: More Information: Click Here: http://www.homemoneyhelp.com/confirmsubs.html More Reading: $10 Dinners: Chicken Stir Fry These meals are intended to be a relatively simple and healthy weeknight meal for a family of four. We assume that these dinners are being made in a kitchen stocked with regular kitchen staples. We will not include prices of oil, sugar, flour, spices, etc. unless you need a substantial amount or it is unusual. Regional food prices may vary and can be reduced by smart shopping techniques. Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf74304301.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Scrapbooking Tips Tips for scrapbooking, including page layout, designs and ways to save on supplies. Post your own advice here. Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf701136.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Interactive Coupon Swap! Swap coupons with other ThriftyFun.com users. Seed Swap! Swap seeds with other ThriftyFun.com users.