Daily Thrifty Tips
Volume Three, Number 171, November 3, 2004
http://www.ThriftyFun.com
Hello,
This weekend we are going to do a Thanksgiving issue of the TF News. If you have any Thanksgiving tips or recipes, please submit them on the contest page.
Follow the discussion online on the Active Topics page:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/board.html
Thanks for reading,
Susan
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Today's newsletter contains:
Today's Tips:
- Reprogramming the Universal Remote
- Instant Oatmeal For One
- Cleaning Baby Bibs
- Reusing Aluminum Foil
- Paying Bills Online - Save Money on Stamps
- Prevention and Maintenance Saves Money
- Deodorizing the Car
- Organizing Your Jewelry Box
- Dealing with Grease
- Saving on Toothpaste
- Saving on Deodorant
- Coffee Can Ash Applicator
- Venetian-Blind Plant Markers
- Don't Lend The IRS Your Money
- Free Investment Advice at the Library
- Keeping Track of Earrings
- Coffee Can Paper Towel Holder
- Trash Night
- Reusing Plastic Baby Food Containers
- Recycling Plastic Bags
- Decorate a Vase Like a Doll
- Buy Used Books at the Library
- Homemade Draft Guard
New Requests:
- Puppy Potty Training
- Empty Wine Bottle Gift Ideas
- Removing Permanent Ink from Skin
- Thanksgiving Dressing Recipes
- Indoor Hawaiian Luau Party
More Reading:
- Potato Au Gratin
- Terrine of Leeks
- Freecycle
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submit it here: Click Here
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Today's Tips
Reprogramming the Universal Remote
If you are using a universal remote it will lose its programming when you change the batteries. Instead of having to look up the correct code, etc., write the code on the remote-either inside the battery cover or on the back. White-out is great for writing on black objects.
By Linda
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Instant Oatmeal For One
When making a single serving of oatmeal, put the oatmeal (not the packet kind - too expensive!) into the bowl, then pour boiling water in, and stir. No boil-overs!
By Linda
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Cleaning Baby Bibs
Babies are messy eaters. Bibs tend to stain badly. I've found an easy way to keep my baby's bibs as nice as possible: after a meal, when I normally do the dishes anyway (baby eats at the same time I do), I rinse out her bib in the soapy dish water, rinse, and hang on the back of her highchair to dry. The new bibs I bought since I started doing this look sooo much better than the ones I used to just toss in the hamper until laundry day! As a bonus: I can reuse bibs instead of grabbing clean ones at every meal.
By Leann D
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Reusing Aluminum Foil
If you choose to reuse aluminum foil, consider buying the new "nonstick" variety. Yes, it definitely costs more initially, but I've found that the heavier, nonstick sheets are easier to clean, and hold up remarkably well after repeated uses.
By Leann D
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Paying Bills Online - Save Money on Stamps
Most utility companies, credit card companies, etc. offer the option of paying your bill on-line. This is an easy way to save money on stamps, checks, and bank processing fees.
By Leann D
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Prevention and Maintenance Saves Money
Prevention and maintenance are the keys to saving money in many areas. For example: I failed to use the between-the-shoulder-blades flea preventative on my dog this summer (costs about $15 per treatment). As a result, I had to deal with a nasty flea infestation. I had to rent a carpet cleaner ($25), take the dog to the groomer ($45. I tried home "flea baths" - it didn't work after 3 tries) and buy a "flea bomb" for the house ($10)
By Leann D
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Deodorizing the Car
If you don't have a lot of time to deodorize your car, use dryer sheets. You just hold or tuck one in the vent and turn the fan on! It works for me and sends a nice scent through the car. Also, I slip one under the seats.
By Jessica
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Organizing Your Jewelry Box
To keep my jewelry box organized, I cut plastic canvas to the dimensions of my box. I can stack several layers on top of each other, one for earrings, one for pins, etc. I have a glass bottle with a wide cork lid which has cup hooks screwed into it. It makes a lovely place to hang my necklaces and bracelets.
By Jacqui
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Dealing with Grease
I use a cleaned out mayo jar to store my bacon, hamburger, tuna grease/oil in. Store it in the fridge until full, then toss in the trash when it's full. This saves it going down your drain and clogging it up or smelling up your trash, or worse yet, leaking through and getting everywhere.
By Andrea from MI
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Saving on Toothpaste
Cut your toothpaste cost down by only adding a pea sized amount to your toothbrush. My dentist told me that he doesn't even use toothpaste, just warm water and soft toothbrush. The brush is what cleans your teeth, the agents that claim they fight cavities and tartar are not in your mouth long enough to do anything. Just plain warm water does the job, but if you are like me, I couldn't get past the unclean feeling I had. So in the morning, I just use a very small amount, for freshening. Then at night, I just use warm water. At night it doesn't bother me to not have a clean feeling.
By Andrea from MI
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Saving on Deodorant
I use a deodorant crystal from the health food store. Meijer carries them too. I get mine for about $3.99. Just wet and wipe, it works on feet too. One crystal will last an entire year. It keeps me smell free all day long, better than any normal deodorant. As opposed to spending $2.99 every 3 months. Get each person their own and save $8.00 a year per person.
By Andrea from MI
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Coffee Can Ash Applicator
A coffee can makes a handy shaker for applying ashes to your garden. Simply punch holes in the plastic lid with a leather punch, fill the can with ashes, and you're ready to go. Keep an extra, unpunched lid to use as a cover when storing the ashes.
By joesgirl
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Venetian-Blind Plant Markers
Reusable garden markers can be fashioned from old venetian blind slats. You can make 3 stakes from each slat by cutting the slat in thirds and cutting 1 end of each into a point. Use a permanent marking pen to label your markers, then clean them off at the end of the season with lacquer thinner.
By joesgirl
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Don't Lend The IRS Your Money
Avoid tax refunds. Getting one usually indicates poor tax planning. It means that you have overpaid your taxes throughout the year. What's worse, you're not even collecting interest on the funds you're "lending" to the IRS. Adjust your withholding at work so that less is taken out each payday.
By joesgirl
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Free Investment Advice at the Library
Investment newsletters that give advice on buying and selling securities can cost more than $500 a year, but you can often pick up free investment advice by looking for those same publications in your local library. Some trusted names than many library systems carry include Value Line, Standard's and Poor's.
By joesgirl
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Keeping Track of Earrings
Do you have a hard time keeping up with earrings? Here's a thought. I bought 4 plastic ice cube trays. In each of the cube spaces I put a single pair of earrings. They stack easily and you can see 12 at once and find the pair you are looking for in a jiffy. This takes up very little room on my bathroom shelf also.
By Connie
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Coffee Can Paper Towel Holder
Decorate an empty (large) coffee can with contact paper, or decoupage. Place the cover on the bottom. It's just the right size to hold a roll of paper towels on your counter.
I have an entire canister set made of matching decorated coffee cans
: )
By Doggy
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Trash Night
On trash night in our neighborhood my mom and myself take the pickup and go around to houses and look at their trash. (We don't dig through it, we look at it.) This is legal from what I hear because once someone has put trash out it is fair game. We have found things from perfectly good toys to play outside, to antique furniture that looks great and has that old look and feel to it.
By Casey
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Reusing Plastic Baby Food Containers
Baby food now comes in plastic rectangular containers. These make great little reusable containers to pack in lunches! Perfect for raisins, dipping sauce, salad dressing the list goes on and on. If you don't have a baby, you can get them from friends or buy them and eat the baby food or use in cooking breads and cakes. For .98 for two it's still cheaper than buying those small throw away containers.
By Mitsi
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Recycling Plastic Bags
I save the plastic bags like you get from Walmart. When my library has their book sales, they are always glad to have me drop them off. It is a good way to recycle the bags.
By Karen Grau
View Article: Click Here
Decorate a Vase Like a Doll
If you have extra, empty vases, cover them with cloth of your choice. Place a heavy object in bottom to keep the vase from falling over. Buy styrofoam craft balls or doll heads to fit in the vase opening. Add facial features to styrofoam balls. Use some yarn for hair. Make a cap from cloth to match the body. It is a good way to use extra vases for inexpensive gifts or knickknacks. I take them to sick friends for a "Get Well," or "Cheer up," gift.
By Gladys Hill
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Buy Used Books at the Library
I read a lot. Instead of buying books new. I buy them at the library used book store for 24 cents (or on the last Friday of the month at 2/25 cents.) When I am done, I donate them back. Lots of good recycling and donating to a worthy cause too!
By Linda
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Homemade Draft Guard
I needed a draft guard for the door, so I cut out the pant legs of some jeans, and stuffed them with plastic bags and newspaper and tied both ends with twine, so I can add more if necessary. Works like a charm and saves loads of money.
By DMC
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Other Active Topics
Be sure to check out our active topics page to follow the discussion.
http://www.thriftyfun.com/board.html
Tip Contest
Submit a tip and you could win:
New Contest! $30.00 Gift Card
In our newest contest we are giving away a $30.00 Gift Card at one of the following stores: Home Depot, Jo-Ann's Crafts or Amazon.com. If you are the winner, you get to choose which gift card! We figured it would be more valuable if you pick out your own prize, that's why we have decided to go the gift card route. This contest will end on November 15th.
Enter the contest!
Syndication Spotlight:
Here are some publishers that have chosen to publish our tips this week!
Dear Webby's Humor Letter
Webby publishes our tips daily! A very funny newsletter.
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New Requests:
Puppy Potty Training
My son got a puppy for his birthday 4 weeks ago. The puppy is going potty all over the place. We take him outside all the time. Is there any thing we can spray on the floor to make him not go there? Thanks,
Sharyl
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Empty Wine Bottle Gift Ideas
We recently attended a wedding where homemade wine was served with special wedding day labels. We have saved a few empty bottles and would like to fill them as a Christmas gift to the newleyweds. We can't sterilize the bottles as we want to keep the labels intact. Any suggestions what we could fill the bottles with? Thanks,
Jean
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Removing Permanent Ink from Skin
My 2 year old has ink all over her. Her sister left out the black ink gel pen and our dog chewed it up and she attempted to bring it to me and in return got ink all over her. My question is this, does anyone have any suggestions of how to remove this from her skin. I immediately bathed her and all that did was lighten it very little.
Chasity Barber
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Thanksgiving Dressing Recipes
I am not a good cook but I love Thanksgiving dressing. I would like to request a recipe for what I believe is called cornbread dressing. Any dressing ideas or recipes you would like to submit would be great.
Thank you,
Lous from Oklahoma
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Indoor Hawaiian Luau Party
Hi, I am planning my daughters 14th birthday. She wants it to be memorable and we were thinking a Luau. The only problem is it is in March so it would be out of the question having it outside. We are is desperate need of ideas for some way of making this Luau the best posible or if anyone has any great birthday party ideas for a bunch of 14 year old girls in March please let us know. Thank you for your time.
Sara
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More Reading:
Potato Au Gratin
So easy & delicious!!
View Article: Click Here
Terrine of Leeks
By Charlie Burke
Leeks are a versatile member of the onion family with a rich mild flavor. They combine in the classic leek and potato soup presented in an earlier column and can be sautéed, grilled or added to other soups.
View Article: Click Here
Freecycle
By Gary Foreman
Dear Dollar Stretcher,
I found a website that you will love. It's called Freecycling. People post stuff they don't want, other people contact them to get it. It started in Tucson in 2003, I think, and there are now groups all over the world. I'm in Cincinnati our group has 3,000 members. Please check this out this is the ultimate in frugal living!
Mary Lynne
View Article: Click Here
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