Daily Thrifty Tips - August 21, 2006

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Plant one or more butterfly bushes in your backyard to attract butterflies. Once the blossoms start blooming, you will find yourself being entertained by butterfles. Better still, get your camera ready and snap a photo.

I use a disc camera with a very nice zoom lens. The butterfly in the photo is "A Question Mark Butterfly".

By Evelyn from McHenry, IL

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Pockets is my 3 year old Yorkshire Terrer. I got him from a friend. He loves to do tricks and show off for everyone.

By Estalene Chappel from Andrews, IN

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When I've used up a solid deodorant stick as much as possible, I save the leftover stub (in the container). After accumulating 3 or 4, I pick out the leftover stubs and melt them in the microwave. I then pour the melted deodorant into one of the old containers. Let it harden overnight and you have a brand new deodorant stick!

By Christine from Hatfield, PA

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To save time and keep socks from losing their mates, I use safety pins to keep them together before tossing in the laundry basket. After they are laundered, from the drier they can go directly in the drawer with the pins or you can remove the pins and fold one sock into the other. I've stopped losing socks since I started doing this.

By BK from Milpitas, CA

Matching socks used to be a problem, especially since there were several pair of the same color; solid blacks, blues, etc. Often when mismatched over time, one will show wear more than another. To solve the problem, I started using a safety pin to pin the matching pair together at the toe as soon as they are taken off at the end of the day and dropped into the laundry hamper. If this is started when the pair is new, they will never be a need to find a loose sock again.

Need safety pins - use the ones that come with the dry cleaning.

By Bill from Greensboro NC

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If you are like me and have literally hundreds of recipes, I would suggest that you purchase several photo albums and place your loose recipes in there. That way they are organized and easy to find.

By Robin from Washington, IA

Editors Note: Robin is our #1 contributer of recipes for Thrifty Fun. If you get our daily Recipe Newsletter, you have definitely seen some of her hundreds of recipes. Thanks, Robin!

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If it's Halloween, Christmas or Easter and you don't have anything to give out, feel free to give out a little card saying Happy Christmas or something appropriate to the season.

By Danielle from Oceanside, CA

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Since there are some UK subscribers to this newsletter, I thought I'd use this space to send kudos, praise, and a big thank you to the British intelligence workers and police who caught and stopped the terrorists who were planning the airline attacks. Hooray for Scotland Yard!

By Lynn from Chico, CA

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My daughter is getting married next year. She got her dress and almost cried when she saw what the veil costs. She asked me to make her headpiece. Her gown is ivory, so I went to the craft store and bought a ready made plain veil. They sell single and double layer veils for under $40. It is roll hemmed already and gathered to attach it to a comb or whatever type of adornment you want. Her gown has beautiful pale green and pink beads and embroidery on the bodice, hem and along the back. I took a close up picture and blew it up. I went to the craft store and purchased tiny seed beads and embroidery floss to decorate the veil myself.

This will be a special gift for her, made by Mom. And it will save her a few hundred dollars. I made my daughters veils' when they made their confirmations and my daughter remembered this. So I am hoping this veil comes out really great, something she can keep and cherish. Since I have a year to work on it, I should do just fine.

By Valery from Cranford NJ

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If you want to know if your eggs are fresh, place them in a glass of cold water, one at a time. If they float, do not use them. A fresh egg should sink to the bottom of the glass.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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After reading a tip yesterday (8/16/06) regarding BEST BUY's false advertising practices, I thought I'd share what recently happened to us with their deceptive business practices.

While checking out at the checkstand with a debit card, the cashier asked my husband if he wanted eight free issues of Time Magazine. He replied "No thank you." The sales clerk persisted and said that it was "absolutely free." My husband asked, "No strings attached?" The clerk responded "No strings." At that point, my husband accepted his offer.

The cash register receipt was for the amount of my husband's purchase, and was approximately a foot long indicating warranty information etc., in fine print. I do our banking online and approximately 8 weeks after the Best Buy purchase a charge of $24.99 was debited to our checking account out of Best Buy, New York. We live in Nevada and had not been to New York.

I pulled the original receipt from our files (it was the only purchase made at Best Buy this year) and found that after the warranty information, as part of the print out, we had agreed to receive eight free weeks of Time Magazine. It appears that after the eight weeks of free magazines, we had entered into a six month subscription to Time Magazine (at newsstand prices!) and the subscription was self renewing until cancelled!

I have written a scathing letter to the C.O.O. of Best Buy demanding that this deceptive practice cease. Has anyone else had similar experiences? I am seriously considering reporting them to the FTC as their stock is publicly traded.

By ShellyE from Las Vegas

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Dear Webby's Humor Letter

Webby publishes our tips daily! A very funny newsletter.

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How long do I have to bleach my property for parvo until it's officially gone.

Kyriann from Graham

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How do I get tea stains out of a white blouse that says no bleach?

Elsa from Dallas, GA

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I have been given two rabbits; one white, the other black. I have noticed that the white one has a nasty scab forming on its back and the fur has fallen out. The whole area is hard to the touch. Does anyone have any idea what this is and how it can be treated. They are both females.

Carolyn from South Africa

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Why do I have faded spots on laundry? I am not using bleach.

Tammy from Crawfordville, FL

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My 3 year old flushed a banana down the tolet. Now when I flush it, it drains down slow and it will back up. If any one has any ideas on how to unclog it please let me know. I have tried for two days to plunge it but no luck.

Sheena from Chatt. TN

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Please help me remove the glue that was left after I foolishly stuck a name tag/label on my brand new, washable suede jacket. I've yet to wash it until I hear my best approach. Also, I saw that the navy blue color bleeds at bit from a bit of perspiration & don't know if that would in someway affect whatever solution you may give.

Thanks so much!
Francine from Philadelphia, PA

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I applied four coats of oil, satin polyurethane, to a wood desk. I sanded between each coat of poly. The finish is too glossy. How can I tone down the gloss to a satin finish? Has anyone ever used a flat polyurethane?

Sharon from Illinois

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Anyone know of a way to make powdered eggs at home? This would be the type you would buy for storage. Thanks in advance.

Darya from Guadalupe, CA

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What is a blog and why/how do I use it?

Ev from British Columbia, Canada

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How can I get the smell of sweat out of bedding. They have been washed many times with poor results.

Chris from Tidworth, UK

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I'm only 13 and I have horrible acne on my forehead. I do use ProActiv. I've used to for about 5 months. Now, it doesn't seem to clear up my face anymore. I don't want to go back to school with a forehead corvered in bumps. Is there anything out there that will help my acne go away fast?

Deanna from Burke, VA

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How do you get rid of green algae? Is there a cleaner that will dissolve it or do I have to manually clean it? Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Ree from Los Angeles, CA

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How can I get rid or the green ring around my pool liner? I have tried everything.

Jean from Central Islip, NY

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How do I remove cooking oil stains from cotton T-Shirts?

Trisha from Alabama

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What do I use to remove the white road paint from my truck without ruining the finish?

MisBonnie from IN

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I got hamburger grease on one of my shirts. The shirt is 96% cotton and 4% rayon. Help!

Bethany from Boston, GA

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I am looking for ways to get rid of fleas naturally.

JEAN from CENTRAL ISLIP, NY

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I just recently waxed my face and it resulted in a few red bumps and wounds/scars. Then i put some azulene oil to help reduce the redness. My question is, is it ok to apply lemon juice on my wounds/scars? Will the lemon juice make my skin look better and make the red scar disappear?

Pinkgurl from Seattle, WA

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I live in a loft with 12.5 foot ceilings with air ducts from the central AC unit that run at the ceiling. Here is my dilemma. After the AC unit cycles off there is this TICKING NOISE in one section of the air ducts that is driving me insane. Does anyone know why this ticking noise is occurring? And more importantly, how can I make it stop? Thank you so much.

Traci

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Somewhere in my internet travels I saw instructions for making cornice boards with foam board. Unfortunately, I didn't bookmark it or print it or anything. Would anyone happen to know where I could find those instructions?

Thanks in advance!

Karen from Mooresville, NC

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How do you paint an old refrigerator?

Kay from Nobel, LA

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Back to School Clothes on a Budget

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As a middle and high school teacher I see gross overspending in September. Yes, the students cause most of it with desires for new wardrobes and expensive backpacks; however, most of it comes from well-intentioned parents who go overboard with supplies. Ads promote overstocking, and it's difficult for teachers to tell parents that their children have no need for scientific calculators in the seventh grade. How then do you take advantage of the back to school sales without purchasing too much?

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Selecting High-Quality Spinach:

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What is the use of cat declawing?

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