Daily Thrifty Tips - May 15, 2007

Volume Six, Number 95, May 15, 2007 (Read It Online) Here's today's featured request... Keeping Your Cat From Scratching Furniture How do you keep a cat from scratching up your furniture besides buying a cat post? Is there something I can spray on it? IMAQT1962 from ILLINOIS 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: Beaded Hair Sticks Pillowcase from Receiving Blanket Socks (Terrier/Golden Retriever Mix) Today's Tips: How Teenagers Can Save Money Onion Cheeseburger Tip Buy Oops Paint For a Discount Remedies for Athlete's Foot Tips to Avoid Wedding Stress Get Pregnancy Tests At The Dollar Store Sock Tip For Line Drying New Requests: Ants In My Worm Farm Painting Brass Fireplace Doors Keeping Your Cat From Scratching Furniture Correction Fluid on a TV Hard Plastic Molding for Bathrooms Flea Markets and Outlet Stores in Marion, NC GFCF Diet Tips and Recipes What is the Best Mop? Using Herbs to Repel Slugs and Snails Manual for a Coronado Sewing Machine (Model 05n5 45 4501) Grease Spots on Stainless Steel What is this plant? Saving Money on Entertainment Repairing a MTD 18 HP Riding Lawn Mower More Reading: Save Money on Clothing 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: Beaded Hair Sticks This is an easy craft suitable for gift-giving. Close-up By Stephanie from Anchorage, Alaska View This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf67899405.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Pillowcase from Receiving Blanket This child-sized pillow case was made with two of my daughter's old receiving blanket. Simply place them with right sides together and sew around three of the edges, leaving one of the short edges open. You can either hem this edge or attach a ruffle like I've done here. The ruffle is actually off of a pair of my daughter's pants that she outgrew! By April from Albany, GA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf47478443.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Socks (Terrier/Golden Retriever Mix) Socks is a 5 month old terrier/golden mix. I just rescued her from the pound the middle of February after receiving a call from a friend that this adorable puppy was going to be put down. Her favorite thing to do is snuggle and sleep with her chosen owner, my daughter. Socks wasn't expected to live. She was so full of 4 types of worms that she was almost starved to death at only 6 weeks old. The first night we had her she weighed 16 pounds. A month later she weighed 8 pounds, it was all worms. Now, she is a healthy and normal 5 month old puppy. Socks lets my 4 year old carry her around and sleep on her like a pillow. Wherever my daughter is, you will find Socks at her side. I have no doubt Socks was destined by God to belong to my daughter. By Yvonne from St. Paul, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf75162186.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: How Teenagers Can Save Money By Kelly Ann Butterbaugh For the budget conscious teenager there are ways to save costs and still enjoy the perks of being a teenager. While limitations on frivolous activities are an obvious answer, there are ways to enjoy some of those frivolities while saving some pennies. Music Selection Music is important, and so is having the newest hit. However, opt for a download of one or two favorite songs instead of buying the entire CD. Often download packages can be purchased which allow a person to pick and choose the best songs. However, do some planning. Listen to the samplers online and see how many songs on the CD appeal to you. If you like five songs, it pays to buy the CD. If you only like two or three, download them. Similarly, shop around before buying a CD. Don't buy the CD (or movies!) the week that it's released; prices are highest. Be patient and wait two or three weeks. The price will drop by $5 once it's not a "new release." Then, check if online prices offer free shipping for combined purchases. Compare this to store prices and choose the best deal offered. Cell Phones Cell phones are possibly the biggest budget breaker. Simply said, monitor your usage. If your plan allows you 1,000 minutes, don't use more than that. Text messages add up quickly as well, and the more you make them a habit the more friends will text you, costing you money each time. This is your chance to learn a valuable budgeting lesson which will be used the rest of your life. If that's too much to do, consider a pay ahead plan that limits your usage for you. Need the coolest case for your phone? Changing cases to the stylish, yet expensive, cases available at the mall actually voids any warranty or service plan on your phone. So, even if you've found the dirt cheap cases on-line avoid cracking open your phone to keep it stylish. Instead, check for phone tattoos (available at Cingular stores among others.) These are similar to stickers except they leave no sticky residue when they're removed. With a computer and a printer you can create custom skins for your phone, and change them on a whim. Four skins are available for $10, half the price of a designer case. Fashion Cents It sounds undesirable, but get past the initial thought of second hand shops and see what they offer. Designer duds are too costly, but some people can afford to purchase the newest styles and replace them on a regular basis. What do these people do with their clothes once the fashion of the month is over? They sell them to consignment shops. No one will know where from where the outfit came if you don't tell them. Another current fashion trend is the independent retro look. This look can only be gotten from thrift store finds. Think of it - be the most fashionable person in class AND have the most money in your pocket! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf26373492.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Onion Cheeseburger Tip Cheeseburger and onion lovers: If you are tired of your onions falling in your lap, this is how you hold them down. Place a piece of cheese on the hamburger, then onions, then another piece of cheese and let it melt. Now the cheese will be holding your onions in place. By Tracey from Thomasville, GA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf72826422.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Buy Oops Paint For a Discount When going to repaint a room, go to the oops pile at most home improvement stores. These are paints that were mixed but didn't sell. You can get these for cheaper prices. By Carol from Massachusetts Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf78999146.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Remedies for Athlete's Foot Apple Cider Vinegar: Soak your feet in hot water with apple cider vinegar (one part vinegar to four parts water) a couple of times a day for 20-30 minutes. This seems to kill the actual fungus. Dry your feet. Apply a moisturizer to your feet. As your skin cracks and peels from fungus, that skin dries out and dies, yet makes more spots for the fungus to take hold. The remedy kills the fungus, then medicates and moisturizes the skin so it can heal. If you have fungus underneath your toenails, you may need to file them down until they're pretty thin so the remedy can reach the fungus underneath. A good moisturizer would be the crushed garlic in oil that you can find in the grocery store. Other good choices would be tea tree oil, sesame oil and olive oil. Note: Garlic oil, tea tree oil and sesame oil are effective by themselves against athlete's foot, as noted below. To prevent future outbreaks of athlete's foot, repeat the above remedy once each week. Hydrogen Peroxide: Apply hydrogen peroxide with a Q-Tip or cotton swab especially just after a bath, shower or foot soak. Allow to dry. If you wish, you may follow with an application of apple cider vinegar and then, after your feet have dried, apply one of the moisturizers mention above. Repeat twice daily until all signs of athlete's foot are gone. Tea Tree Oil: Rub on feet twice a day. Tea tree oil kills the fungus that causes athletes feet. Sesame Oil: Rub the oil all over the infected area once a day. Athlete's foot will usually be gone within a few days. Hair Dryer: Wash feet and dry thoroughly using any good bath soap. With hair dryer on high heat setting, dry feet well especially between toes. Get as close to feet as you can without burning. If dressing afterwards, always use clean dry socks (preferably white cotton socks). Do this at least morning and evening. If you regularly blow dry your feet, you should never have athlete's feet again. Grandma's Gallberry Root Remedy: Boil some gallberry roots and soak your feet in the solution (let it cool somewhat, don't want to scald yourself). Do this each day for a week. This is a very old remedy that works. Note that this is a foot soak, so do not drink! Be sure to wash all your white socks in water containing bleach. Then wash your other socks and wash or clean your shoes regularly. From time to time, mist the inside of your shoes with Lysol. Note: Use of anti-bacterial soap actually makes athlete's foot worse and increases the chance of getting athlete's foot by killing the good bacteria as well as the bad, often allowing bad bacteria to take over and to accumulate and grow in the shower. By Tony from Utopia, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf90507821.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Tips to Avoid Wedding Stress My heart is carefree and singing these days. I can see the color white and not break out in a cold sweat and I can look at the engagement section of the local paper and not have my stomach do a roll. This year, we have no weddings in our family. Really! Last year, we had 3 daughters' weddings in 13 months. Plus graduations! A tip? Some advice? Don't obsess over stuff - at the end of the day, they will be married. Even if you forget some of the cake decorations (I did). Even if your stomach-suckerinner rolls up your thighs into your groin (mine did). And even if you feel like you are wearing your insides on the outside (Mine were). Listen lots and speak seldom. And remember, it's just a white dress - a very expensive white dress. One of my daughters (the last one who had seen the craziness) bought hers at a Goodwill and got the same one her sister almost got. At David's, it was over $600 and she paid $69 for it! Had it cleaned and altered, all for about $200. A not so expensive white dress! You might find one that fits and cut down even further. By mrsmendlebright from Kearney, NE Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf43461252.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Get Pregnancy Tests At The Dollar Store Save money on pregnancy tests, buy them at the dollar store! Yes, they are $1.00 at your local dollar store. They work just as well for $10.00 less! They predicted both of my boys, quite early I might add! These were nice for when we were trying to have a baby, just use one every week until you win the jackpot! ;-) By Starchild from Lamoille County, VT Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf62331986.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Sock Tip For Line Drying As I remove clothes from the washing machine to hang outside, I put socks together so that I can hang pairs side-by-side. I pin the socks on the clothes line at the toe--not at the opening. When the clothes are dry, I fold the sock cuffs together before unpinning them from the clothes line. This way, the socks are already mated when I fold the clothes to put them away. (I do my husband's socks this way--my socks are just taken down and folded over so that they are together in the basket.) This saves time since I'm not hunting for mates when I fold clothes! By Glowgirl from Watertown Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf12959410.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: Ants In My Worm Farm I have a worm farm that is being invaded by little black ants. I was wondering if there was a safe way to get rid of the ants without killing the worms. Anna from Perth, WA, Australia Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf31364796.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Painting Brass Fireplace Doors How do you paint fireplace doors that are brass? I am contemplating taking on this as a project and am not sure where to start? What type of primer should be use? What type of paint is recommended? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks! Sherri from Arlington, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf41592959.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Keeping Your Cat From Scratching Furniture How do you keep a cat from scratching up your furniture besides buying a cat post? Is there something I can spray on it? IMAQT1962 from ILLINOIS Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf36987524.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Correction Fluid on a TV How do you remove correction fluid stains from tv frame and screen? Lisa from Tobago, West Indies Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf26633944.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Hard Plastic Molding for Bathrooms Is there a hard plastic corner molding that can use around bathtubs instead of the soft plastic rolls that come in packages in the hardware sections of stores? I would love a plastic corner molding like the wood corner moldings used on paneling, if there is such a thing. Any help would be appreciated. Jean from Troy, NY Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf56173069.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Flea Markets and Outlet Stores in Marion, NC I'm going to be travelling to Marion, NC this weekend and am looking for flea markets and outlet stores/malls. Can anyone tell me if there are any in the Marion, NC area? Tammy from Anderson, SC Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf51421899.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print GFCF Diet Tips and Recipes We are recently changing over our 2 1/2 year old daughter's diet to Dairy Free and GFCF (due to dev. delays). Does anyone have any quick and easy tips/recipes for her that would work for our entire family of 6? We have 4 kids ages 8 and under. Thank you so much! Julie Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf48922855.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print What is the Best Mop? What is the best mop you have used, for convenience and a thorough cleaning? Tippy Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf17885720.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Using Herbs to Repel Slugs and Snails Someone suggested I put strong smelling herbs at the base of my plants to ward off the slug/snail attack. How should I hold them in place? We get wind and driving rain. The vegetable garden has a layer of cedar bark chips. This attachment has to extend all the way from the top of the 3 inch bark layer into a secure foothold down in the dirt around the collards. Thought you'd find this amusing. Cedar is supposed to ward off insects. Either it is working and the bug attack would be worse, or it's claim to fame is unjustified. At the very least, large cedar chips last longer than small cedar chips or pine bark. Hardiness Zone: 8a Holly from Richardson, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf47584935.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Manual for a Coronado Sewing Machine (Model 05n5 45 4501) I have a Coronado Sewing Machine (Model 05n5 45 4501). I do not have a manual. Can anyone tell me where I can get one. Mary from Manistee, MI Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf24258602.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Grease Spots on Stainless Steel How do I clean grease spots off a stainless steel splashback behind my hob? Rhian from Wales Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf99969863.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print What is this plant? I have this houseplant whose name I do not know, and I can't seem to find it in any Houseplant encyclopedia or photo list. It's been really unhealthy for the past few weeks but I can't figure out what I need to do if I don't know the name of the plant. I'm hoping that someone will recognize the plant and know the name and hopefully give me some tips on what is wrong with it. I have attached a photo, if anyone can help I would be very grateful. Hardiness Zone: 7a Thanks! Bruna from Copiague, NY Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf84830673.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Saving Money on Entertainment Do you have any tips for saving money on entertainment? Post them below. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf82607431.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Repairing a MTD 18 HP Riding Lawn Mower I am in the process of repairing a 1997 MTD 18HP lawn mower. I am having a problem putting the carburetor back together properly. Does anyone know where or have some pictures I can look at? Thanks for any help. Adam from Fishers, IN Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf37025310.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 More Reading: Save Money on Clothing Here is a big list of tips for saving money on clothing. Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf796771.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.