Daily Thrifty Tips - August 30, 2006

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Molly is a beagle and Eie is a cat. They are both from an animal shelter. They like to get into trouble! I wouldn't trade them for the world!

By Diana from Highland,MI

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I save and collect broken glass and other little findings. Then I put 2" of cement in the bottom of a 5 or 3 gallon bucket then I press the pieces of glass and things on top. I will be making these for Christmas gifts this year.

I am going to New Orleans next month to help rebuild. I plan to bring home or mail myself as many shards as I can. I will make memory stepping stones out of them and maybe even a wall plaque.

My tip is, if you break something, don't throw it out! Recycle it!

By April from Buffalo, NY

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I visited with Dick Larson recently. He makes walking sticks, hot dog sticks, and weeders to sell, and he does quite well with them. He gets a branch with either a really straight length or an interesting curve at the top end, depending on the kind of walking stick he is making.

Short lengths make handles for copper-coated hot dog roasting sticks or weeders. The weeders are fascinating. He makes a handle by whittling off first the outer bark, and then some of the inner bark, leaving patches of wood showing in spots. Then he sands it down very smooth and may or may not add a stain. Varnish comes last.

For the blade, he uses a foot of bandsaw blade. He forms it into a loop and screws it down tight. You can get in between onions or perennials without damaging their roots. At his last sale, he sold 23 of these for $5 each.

By Coreen from Rupert, ID

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I am going to save money this year by giving themed baskets as gifts. The "yum-yum" basket consists of : 1 loaf of banana bread, one jar of homemade cocoa, homemade fudge, homemade cashew brittle, and chocolate dipped pretzel rods.

The next basket is the toiletry basket that has bath salt, shower gel, bubble bath, milk bath and a bath poof (all of these will be homemade) I am still working on the third basket but the theme for it will be coffee and tea, with some cookies and coasters that I will make. I am also making some scented beeswax molds and some ornaments.

By Bonnie from Cleveland,Ohio

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To keep marshmallows soft after you have opened the bag if you do not use them all, sprinkle a little powdered sugar on them and shake them up. Close the bag and they will keep like fresh for a long time.

By Rose from Bloomer,WI

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When I am in a hurry for dinner, I open a can of chili and pour it into a 9x9 inch glass pan. Put cheese on top and make up a box of Jiffy cornbread and pour it on top. Bake until cornbread is done and chili is hot. Add a salad and you've got dinner.

By Christi from Paducah, KY

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A little story of when my daughter was younger. I would now and then make her some peanut butter crackers. No big deal. Before you know it she was coming home with all types of junk snacks. She was trading her crackers for them. And saving herself 2 to eat. So I told her that i didn't want her trading for snacks. I'll make some extra ones for her friends and to only eat what i give her. It might not sound frugal to be making it for the others but they are a frugal snack.

By LRP from Lowell, Mass

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I make sure I have foodstuffs to donate to our local food pantry in the month of August and September. Most food pantries are particularly hard pressed for donations during this time frame as many regular donors are still struggling with the bills from vacation and the costs of getting their kids or grandkids back into school.

Staple items such as white flour, peanut butter, quick-fix meal bases such as Hamburger Helper, white rice, powdered milk, instant mashed potatoes and canned juices of any kind are what my local pantry can't keep on the shelves right now as the demand is so great. Also, many food pantries will accept fresh produce from your garden, if you're overwhelmed with tomatoes or zucchini, what a great place to donate them.

By Ronsan from Southwest Missouri

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When going away for a vacation, etc. remember to turn off the water to your house. It's better to be safe than sorry. A pal's neighbor found out the hard way. They came back from a nice, relaxing vacation to a house flooded because a water pipe burst.

By Terri from NV

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When buying meat at the butcher shop, I usually look for the cheaper cut of beef roast. If it has a bone, I keep that for soup. the rest is divided into 3 or 4 pieces depending on how big it is.

1 piece is left as a roast.
1 piece is cut into stewing beef
1 piece is left to be sliced for stir fry
the last piece is used as any of the above.

Cheaper cuts of beef just need to be cooked at a lower temperature for a longer time. This will be especially useful for college students.

By Siris from Northern Canada

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I love all the Tips I read on this site and I often want to keep something in case I want to use it later on. I have found a good way to keep the information handy for later on.

I open a new email document before I read Thrifty Fun (in Outlook Express) then, when I read something I want to keep, or print out, I highlight and copy that part into my 'New' email.

It's then easy to print out what ever I want.

If there are several tips I want to keep in the list of tips, either cooking, or house cleaning tips, I open another 'New' email and I copy the different tips into a 'New' email and give them an appropriate 'Subject' heading.

I already have 'Folders' in my Outlook Express eg. Cooking, Cleaning, Gardening, Pet or Craft, etc. This makes it so easy to save the tips into the appropriate folder. It's then quick to find a particular tip.

Another way is to just save them into a Folder into 'My Documents' in Outlook Explorer.

Cheers
By Wendy M. from Oz. from Hervey Bay

Editors Note: Another helpful way is for our registered users. Anytime you see a tip, recipe or article you like, just hit the "Bookmark" link under the title and then you can access it whenever you like. Registering is free and only takes a minute.

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A friend of mine with a truck who makes a fair living recycling curb-side cast offs began finding older heavy plastic (fiberglass?) Car-top Luggage Carriers. These were mostly from Sears, about 5' x 5' and 20" inches deep. He has been selling them to me for cheap, for various uses. I am preparing them for coldframes now, with winter gardening coming up, then spring seedlings.

Many plants, that do not grow too tall have needs for only about 6" of root area so those can remain longer, if needed. The wonderful design of these carriers in recycling them is that most, if not already damaged in some significant way, have metal hinges that will hold in the 3/4 open position. They also have removable hinges/tops should a person have need to remove the top. If done right, moisture is preserved inside, and pests are not so easily able to get into their design. (If somehow, one should become contaminated by anything, it can be easily isolated from all other garden areas and decontaminated accordingly).

I drill small holes in the bottom, covering each hole with 1/3 of a coffee filter. I then line the gently sloping side walls with rubber cemented 1" sheets of recycled styrofoam packing material prior to filling with soil, adding just the right amount of ingredients for each type of plant's soil needs. This gives great versatility and better success. It's always wise to add a layer of gravel beneath the soil for good drainage in any growing medium. INSPECT DAILY, or several times a week, for any sign of damage or need for adjustments in moisture, sun, pests, invasion, etc. Adding a few red wiggler fishing worms is always a good idea as well. (Keep the soil's heavy plastic bags for later *tip*).

As the seedlings begin to sprout their leaflets and the winter winds begin to blow against the back of the hinged top of the carrier, they can be turned against the wind. The top can safely be closed for a day or two, or more, should a light or heavy frost blow in, with good results because the color is always gray on bottom of the carrier and white on top, allowing for lots of temporary light and warmth.

Should a gardener be fortunate to have heating coils designed for coldframes, you can place them along the many ribs of the design in the bottom before adding soil, since the coils do not get red hot, making a larger, higher hole for the cord. Note that holes should be really necessary because it compromises the integrity of the use for luggage and leak free storage. It could, however, be well patched/taped over after gardening use, then reopened for later gardening re-use. Even if coils used over the season discolor or damage the medium grey thick plastic slightly, the carrier bottom does not show when used for luggage.

I am considering adding ordinary but electrically "grounded" light bulbs, perhaps at each corner, since I have no small children, and since I do NOT have heating coils. Small plastic bottles with a small hole in bottom can be placed throughout to water/feed plants, if necessary when not freezing. The carrier has a nice large overlapping fitted "lip" all around the edge of top and bottom that mate together nicely.

Come summer, after using in the garden as a greenhouse, the carrier can be emptied of soil (* Tip: replace soil back into original bags and reuse another season, if uncontaminated, adding a small amount of crushed charcoal if you have it to keep soil smelling better), whole carrier scrubbed and bleached or sanitized, and used for the original purpose of luggage carrier, outside camping equipment storage, etc. (Note: the few bolts need additional washers to prevent any water leakage for any outside storage items of cloth, tents, or perhaps garage sale items you may be accumulating.)

For water plant lovers, I can see how a few water lilies can be rooted and grown if a recirculating pump can be installed much like the heating coils. They prefer a "tank of their own" and lots of sun, I understand. Remember to add mosquito-eating minnows/fish to the water and/or mosquito bait. This carrier would also make an excellent Vermiculture home as well, except the holes might need to be sealed.

These may be the best ideas I've come up with yet for the carriers. I now have five carriers. For my purposes, they are as helpful as a tool shed. I'm going to add a little more sand to one and try to keep my herbs healthy throughout winter. They also make excellent covered sand boxes, shallow wading pools (but have multiple ribs in the bottom that may cause tiny ones to fall) since the lids are totally removable. They can also become compost storage (will stain, if left too long or compost is too wet), garden supply bins, pet homes, pool equipment/cushion storage, and even, if corner damaged, the carrier can store firewood and keep garbage away from most roaming domestic pets/rodents until garbage day pickup.

I would NOT store chemical, paint, or flammables in them because they might become combustible unless stored on a much wider concrete pad inside a non-flammable fence and in the shade at all times. Check with the local fire marshall. They would make excellent multiple garden tool and/or hose storage, too. Remove any canvas/straps that may be attached for car-top carrying. Also remove the black rubber pads on the bottom before using in the garden, later regluing them back onto carrier with rubber cement for the original car-top uses. Do not leave open during threat of high wind to prevent obvious risk of damage.

Do not let children climb on top because the corners seem vulnerable to damage and may be thinner at the curves. These are too useful to allow children to damage the tops of them. Encourage 4-6 yr. olds to store their outside toys in them, if you want, but set boundaries and describe warnings and cautions. Although a very small child could theoretically become trapped inside, they do not appear to be airtight like appliances. Do not use a damaged one for children's toy storage, sand box, or wading pool because the edges of any damage/cracks may be sharp. Just use common sense as with anything.

They can be stacked on top of one another for long time outside storage, are not heavy when empty, (may slide off one another if pads have been removed and if they are jolted hard or left open for any reason during high wind). They can be locked at their two outside hinges, can help in moving, and age quite well. Most are uniform in size, with few variations, so, although "different" when used "outside the box", they certainly DESERVE recycling! Any additional use ideas are appreciated. God Bless you in your efforts.

By Lynda from Richardson, TX

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Dear Webby's Humor Letter

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Frigidaire Dishwasher Reviews. I have heard that this brand of appliance, no matter what it is, is subject to many types of problems. would like to hear feedback from anyone who has purchased above brand in the last year.

S Womack from Venice FL

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I am thinking about making baby food for our second child so at the store today I checked out the frozen fruit choices. I was amazed that 2 pounds of peaches were $4. If I did the math right, I would get 8 -- 4 oz jars of fruit. I know I would have to add water or baby cereal but I thinking straight numbers here. I can buy baby food 4 oz jars for 50 cents each, so basically my cost is the same.

Am I missing something? We have horrible produce where I live and I can't imagine the time it would take to wash, peel, cut and puree fresh fruit. Canned fruit is not an option for a baby because of all the sugar added.

Does anyone have any sugesstions for what food is the best to make myself? Thanks so much!

Mindy from Oregon

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A hot pan was set down on the kitchen counter (I think it's acrylic) and part of the counter burned off onto the pan. The counter is patterned (kind of spackled), and now there are 3 places where it's been burned off. I need to fix this before the landlord tries to charge me big bucks. Help please!

Steve from Orange County, CA

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I am thinking of using cloth diapers for our second child. I really am overwhemled when I go online and look at choices. There are velco options, liners, make your own, some to wash and other parts to throw away... etc. so I don't know where to start.

Everyone I know uses dispoables. If you have cloth diapered before, please let me know what you need as I need all the advice I can get. Thanks in adavance!

Mindy from Oregon

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How do I get over the fear of mice?

Gigi from Phila, PA

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Does anyone have a recipe that mimics Dunkin Donuts Fruit Coolatas or Smoothies?

Thanks,
Valerie

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I am really broke and I owe so much money from creditors, please help me find feasible solutions as to how I can settle all my dues in time.

Louie from Tarlac City, Philippines

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How to remove a musty smell from the inside of a leather handbag?

Karen from Belgium

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I adopted a 3 week old pitbull pup. Her mom was killing the puppies and she is the only one to survive. I have been bottle feeding her and she shows no signs of aggression. Now I want to make sure I raise her right. She is my baby and I love her with all my heart. Any advise will be appreciated.

Sheila from Bridgeton, NJ

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What breed of Husky is my dog? She is noted as a Alaskan Husky, but majority of the photos I have seen of Alaskans do not look like the love of my life! If anyone can advise, please do!

Jeanine from Romania

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Does anyone have a good recipe for V-8 Juice? Any good fruit or vegetable juice recipes would be welcome. Thanks!

Sandy from Stoughton, WI

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Does anyone know how to clean a computer key board? I have gunk between the keys and need to know the best way to clean them.

Thank you,
Kreatv from Colorado

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Is there anyway of getting a strong perfume smell out of clothes? A friend who has gone away for six months gave me some winter garments, nice windcheaters, etc (she's gone to a hot climate). However, whatever perfume she used is clinging strongly to the garments. it's not a scent I care for at all. I have washed the things but the scent is still there.

Thanks,
Ellie from melbourne Australia

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We will be traveling to Altenkirchen, Germany in November for our son's wedding. Any frugal tips?

Faye from Wynne, Arkansas

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Is there a company who can use a dog or some device to find the source of the odor? I have the same problem as Ann on Aug 2005, we have searched an paid for vent cleaning and checked all the things in the article and its responders.

Jackie from Fredericksburg, VA

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We resided our house about six months ago with white vinyl siding, the problem we are having is the moths on the siding and leaving "their mess". Does anyone know of anything that we can spray on the siding to deter the moths?

PICO from ST. PAUL, ALBERTA

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My dogs got sprayed by a stink bug that got into the house. The smell is horrible! Any idea how to get rid of the smell on them and in the house?

Debbie from Austin, TX

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I would like to know what (if any) people finders or locators you use. I am also looking for cell phone trace or reverse look ups for either addresses or phones.

I was trying to help my friend and we only find PAY SITES and those leading us in circles to dead ends. There are surely some good sites out there that don't breech privacy rights in any way that will allow a regular person, like myself to locate real people without a lot of lost time? I know there must be sites that are used by our police forces and dectectives -- finding them is a whole nother thing!

melody_yesterday from Sedalia Missouri

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I have spirea and forsythia that have gotten very few blossoms this year and last year, too. Any ideas as to what I could do to promote better blossoming from these bushes? Should I trim them down? Should I dig them up and get new plants? Thanks everyone!

Hardiness Zone: 5a

Sandy from WI from Stoughton, WI

gerbersdk@netscape.com

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While having our kitchen remodeled, we put several items on the wood dining room table. A plastic bag left a ink stain. I would appreciate any help with a chemical free way to remove it. Thanks.

AJ from Elkins Park, PA

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Any good ideals for fall decorating? Something simple.

Sharon

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Harlean from Arkansas posted info regarding freezing fresh salsa. My question - how is it once thrawed. I do not want mushy salsa. Appreciate any feedback available.

Terry from Zionsville, IN

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I was laid off from my travel agency a year and a half ago and I'm considering a civil service job. Does anyone know the best way to go about training for the test? Or have any really good book titles to consider? Thank you.

Janet C from New York City

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