Daily Thrifty Tips - September 25, 2007

Volume Six, Number 185, September 25, 2007 (Read It Online) Here are the contest winners for week before last. Photo Contest Winner Farm Book For Visiting Boys By Esther from Plainfield, Ohio Tip Contest Winners Make Sure Ebay is Actually Making You Money By Victoria from Carpentersville, IL Frugal Tips For Electric Bill Savings By Lori from Marion AR Also, here are the My Frugal Life Eassy winners for the first half of last year... Income Tax Payment Is A Wake Up Call Laurie from Bemidji, Minnesota Nickel and Diming My Way to a New Kitchen Joyce from Lakeland, FL My Mom's "Lid" Drawer Becky from Charlotte, NC My Frugal Life: Watch Where The Money Goes Lynne from Lynn MA My Frugal Life: Live Like Good Ol' Grandma Staci from Amanda, OH Thank you to everyone that took time to submit something! 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: Backyard "Drinking" Fountain Boo Boo Bunnies As Shower Favors Dorm Room Mug Party As Ice Breaker Bugsy (Domestic Long Hair) Today's Tips: Use Conditioner Instead Of Shampoo Make Up A Loaf Of French Toast For Later Old Clothesline as a Garden Trellis Use Packaged Marshmallows for Mailing Bury Wet Garbage In Your Garden Center Prop for a Sagging Clothesline Mark Keys with Nail Polish Homemade Face Moisturizer New Requests: Cleaning Artificial Hair Pieces Using Brown Pill Bottles For Crafts Do Disabilty Checks Need To Be Paid Back After Retirement? Using Bed Sheets As Tablecloths Painting Counter Tops To Look Like Granite Cleaning Mystery Yellow Stain From White Clothing When To Start Leash Training Dachshunds Preserving & Cleaning Old Reversible Silk Jacket Looking For Review of Cover Girl Advanced Radiance Recipe For Tuna Melt With Bisquit Dough Converting a Twin Bed Into a Ragrug Loom Replacing Pulley on Riding Lawn Mower Health Advice For Dealing With 2 Year Old With Ink On Body & Face Where To Purchase Mood Ring How To Tie Dye? Ideas For Quick Workout 2 Year Old Birthday Party Ideas With Sports Theme Help Getting a Refrigerator Is This a Butterfly Bush? Is this a Geranium? "Wake Me Up" Breakfasts Recipe For TNT Beet Soup Eggplant Recipes Removing Hair Dye from the Bathroom Wall Easy Pie Crust Recipe More Reading: About 1 Million Simplicity Cribs Recalled Due To Failures Resulting in Infant Deaths Saving Money on Bank Fees 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: Backyard "Drinking" Fountain Everything from chipmunks, birds and next doors Dalmation enjoy a refreshing drink from our backyard fountain. I rinse it out every morning and clean it throughly weekly or as needed. I shaped/pruned the butterfly bush to partially surround the fountain. Impatiens surround the base of the fountain. A solar spot light gently illuminates it at night, making it look spectacular day and night. By Mary Lou from Abingdon, MD Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf59040425.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Boo Boo Bunnies As Shower Favors Using pastel colored washcloths, roll the facecloth, from one corner to the opposite until they reach the middle. Take the rolled cloth folded evenly in half, the bend at the end to form two ears and put an elastic around it to form a head. You should have a bunny like craft with an oval hole in the back to fill with "The Boo Boo Bunny Saying" and a net bag of candy. You then hot glue on two eyes, a pom pom nose, and a larger pink pom pom for a tail. Tie a pastel colored ribbon around the neck to hide the elastic. You can print up the saying on a baby printed paper, roll them like a scroll, tie with a ribbon, wrap candy in netting and tie with a ribbon. I also make a giant one for the Mom to be. This is made out of a thin inexpensive bath towel. Measure towel, and cut until you have a perfect square and then make the larger bunny just as you made the smaller ones. And with the extra piece of towel, Cut into smaller baby wash cloths, roll them, tie with a ribbon and stand inside the opening of the bunny! This makes a cute decoration for baby's nursery! By Jackie from Southern, MA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf80769307.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Dorm Room Mug Party As Ice Breaker My daughter was feeling a little unsure of how to fit in at college. She said she was sometimes left out of things. So I suggested that she be the initiator by throwing a party with food so she did. Everyone on her floor came and the ice was broken. Got me to thinking of this easy party idea for the college set. Invitation idea is also attached. Make Dessert Cake In A Mug 1/3 cup cake mix of your choice 4 tablespoons milk (or water if you're desperate) Combine cake mix and milk. Stir 15 seconds. Microwave on High for 2 minutes. Topping: 10x sugar (superfine), canned icing, fruit and whipped topping, or make it a sundae party with ice cream, chocolate syrup, sprinkles, etc. Make Hot Drinks Use the other mug for hot chocolate, tea, flavored coffee, mulled cider etc. (Heat a big pitcher of water before guests arrive). Take Mug Shots Take pictures of everyone. Print out on computer. Let people add their name, hometown, hobbies, etc., as they desire. Post on dorm bulletin board. Or post on someone's Facebook, listing all these people as new friends. By Cindy from Waynesburg, PA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf81673817.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Bugsy (Domestic Long Hair) Bugsy is 1 year old, he just had his birthday! He is a Domestic Long Hair. From 50 feet away, I spotted my baby curled up in a ball behind a plexiglass display case at a shameful mall pet store. One look at him, and I pushed to the front of the line and said "I'm taking him home". His fluffy white fur was tinged from lying in a filthy cage, and he had become so immune to children poking at his window that he barely lifted his head when I scooped him in my arms for his ride home. He has a toy, "blue toy", that he cannot be separated from. He drags blue toy around the house, and brings it in the bed at night (lucky me). It looks like it's gone through the paper shredder, and the bell is gone, but its his favorite. He'll play fetch with "blue toy" until the sun goes down. Bugsy is the sweetest, funniest, quirkiest cat I've ever known. I have a wrought-iron table in the living room, with metal scrollwork under the glass. Bugsy loves to climb on the metal and hang from it upside down like a monkey. He'll "hang out" like that for upwards of 15 minutes, purring all the while. Bugsy's a cat you just have to know to understand, and I wish everyone loved their pet as much as I do! By Sarah from Portland, OR Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf27750080.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: Use Conditioner Instead Of Shampoo I learned this from a Dermatologist. Use conditioner instead of shampoo it has surfacants in it which clean the hair. Your hair needs to withdraw from shampoo so will take some time and look a bit greasy at first but it adjusts and looks shiny and great. No harsh chemicals either. Use cruelty free products too! By Cat from Adelaide Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf98021622.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Make Up A Loaf Of French Toast For Later A quick, easy and appreciated breakfast is to make up a whole loaf of French toast. Let it cool and rebag it in the breadsack. Refrigerate it and when you want it, simply put it in the toaster. There you have it! Add your syrup and enjoy! By Veronica from Sedalia, Missouri Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf23074808.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Old Clothesline as a Garden Trellis Plant any kind of vining plant below an old clothesline. As the plant grows, you can anchor it to the pole with string or yarn. When it reaches the top of the pole, you can train it across the clothesline itself by attaching it to the line with clothespins. I planted a wild blackberry bush under my old line and it not only looks great, but it's easier to harvest the berries each year. By Marie from West Dundee, IL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf64425878.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Use Packaged Marshmallows for Mailing When mailing cookies or breakable items to family and friends, use packaged marshmallows and crumpled newspaper to help cushion the item. That way your family and friends get two extra treats, marshmallows to eat and news from your hometown. By LuvtoCook from Wilkesboro, NC Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf78047190.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Bury Wet Garbage In Your Garden A good way to enrich your garden soil and help out the earth is to bury your "wet" garbage. I bury my apple, orange, potato peels, etc. in my garden. We can't have a compost heap, but I've found this works just as well. By Phyllis from Cheektowaga, NY Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf53433516.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Center Prop for a Sagging Clothesline We all know you can save a ton of money hanging out your wash instead of using the dryer. I recently started doing this, but realized that my clotheslines sagged when I put anything heavy on it or when they were completely full. To create a clothesline prop pole, I found two old metal poles that were previously used for a canopy over an outside swing. The poles fit together perfectly. Then I got a metal hanger and cut just enough of it to make an "M" shape at the top of the pole. We drilled a very small hole near the top and allowed part of the metal hanger to come out of it and wrapped it around the pole for extra support of the "M". Fortunately, I didn't have to cut the poles as they were the perfect length. Now when the clothesline sags, I just prop the pole underneath it and my sheets and towels no longer lay on the grass. By Deanna from Cedar Park Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf64327724.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Mark Keys with Nail Polish If you carry a lot of keys, put a drop of bright pink or red nail polish on the key you use the most, so that you can spot it quickly. By Momof1 from Wilkesboro, NC Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf68246886.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Homemade Face Moisturizer Ingredients: 2 Tbsp. plain whole yogurt 1 tsp. of honey 1/2 tsp. lemon juice 1,000 mg. vitamin E capsule Directions: Put yogurt, honey and lemon juice in a bowl and mix well. Poke a hole or cut tip off vitamin E capsule and pour over yogurt mixture, mix well. Wash your face and pat dry, smooth the mixture on your face and neck. Leave on for 15-30 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat your face dry. Enjoy By Birthaleen from Burbank, CA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf98501023.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: Cleaning Artificial Hair Pieces Does anyone have a suggestion on how to clean artificial hair pieces? The ones I have are from QVC or HSN - from Tony Brattin. I love them, they really are great. I tried to used diluted shampoo but when they dried they were tangled and dull. I tried conditioner, but no luck. Any suggestions? Thanks!! :) Smoochie from Houston, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf40483096.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Using Brown Pill Bottles For Crafts Does anyone know of a way to use the brown pill bottles as an arts and crafts project? Theresa from Hibbing, MN Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf43774349.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Do Disabilty Checks Need To Be Paid Back After Retirement? I have heard that if you receive disability checks BEFORE you reach retirement age, you have to pay that back AFTER you reach retirement age. This friend of mine was on disability for a whole year before she reached retirement age and now that she is retired she received a letter in the mail saying that her Social Security checks were only going to be HALF of what she should be getting until all of the money that they gave her for disability is paid back. Is this normal? I'm very anxious to know the answer to this because I'm on disability myself and I'm only 45 years old. If anyone knows the answer to this, please reply. Thank you very much. Linda from Austin, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf53003908.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Using Bed Sheets As Tablecloths A lot of people told me I can use bed sheets for tablecloths at my wedding reception! What size bed sheets can you use for banquet tables sized 60" and 70" round? And for 6ft and 8ft rectangle tables? AKIYIA from GA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf55356828.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Painting Counter Tops To Look Like Granite How do you do paint counter tops to have the appearance of granite? Shelli from Buford, GA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf81627785.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Cleaning Mystery Yellow Stain From White Clothing Almost every piece of white clothing I own has a mysterious yellow stain on it. I think it might be rust from the washer, but I'm not sure. The stains' are very small, but I notice them. Anyways, does anyone know how I can get them out? Kristen from Tempe, AZ Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf82152954.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print When To Start Leash Training Dachshunds When and how should I start leash training my two dachshunds. The are about 12 weeks. Shana from Pasadena, CA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf84908964.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Preserving & Cleaning Old Reversible Silk Jacket While cleaning out a closet, I found a jacket my grandmother gave my father at least 50 years ago. The jacket is reversible: one side is sapphire blue with silver sleeves, a white eagle and peach colored flowers (I'm sure the flowers are cherry blossoms so the original color was probably pink). The other side is black with beige sleeves (I'm sure the original color of the sleeves was silver), a white and red dragon, and a white Mt. Fuji. The collar and cuffs are a thick cotton knit but everything else is PURE SILK. The jacket is in great shape except for age discoloration. There are no washing instructions. How do I clean it without ruining the fabric or making the colors run? I've heard too many dry cleaner horror stories to go that route. Would Woolite or one of those home dry cleaning kits work? My dad died a year ago and I remember how striking he looked in the jacket, I really want to preserve it. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Peanuts from Virginia Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf40932212.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Looking For Review of Cover Girl Advanced Radiance Does anybody know if Cover Girl's "Advanced Radiance" cream foundation is any good? I have extremely dry skin, most foundations look like chalk on me and I can't afford to keep throwing makeup away. Does anybody remember Cover Girl's "Moisturewear" or "Replenishing" lines? Those were great makeups! Is there anything equivalent to those? Peanuts from Virginia Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf89491770.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Recipe For Tuna Melt With Bisquit Dough As a teenager in high school, I learned to make tuna melt with biscuit dough thats all I remember help please. Thank You. Carmen from Racine, Wisconsin Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf53226883.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Converting a Twin Bed Into a Ragrug Loom Can I convert a single/twin timber bed frame into a ragrug loom? If so, how? I have reused every part of the bed except the frame and I have tons of fabric samples. A rag rug for my veranda would be great! Robyn from Australia Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf19192735.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Replacing Pulley on Riding Lawn Mower The drive pulley on my MTD riding lawn mower broke. I removed the bolt that holds it on. Do I have to have a "puller" to remove the pulley or just will power and a hammer? R.Wilson from Emmett, ID Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf91665183.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Health Advice For Dealing With 2 Year Old With Ink On Body & Face My 2 year old woke up with ink all over his face and body. It seems that he had a broken ink pen in his bed and rolled around on it all night. My biggest worry is it is by his eyes. Can anyone help? Thank you. Theresa from Rochelle, IL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf75244864.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Where To Purchase Mood Ring Does anyone know where I can purchase a mood ring that changes color according to my mood? I had one in 1977. Birthaleen from Burbank Ca Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf63682106.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print How To Tie Dye? Hey all you crafters out there, can anyone tell me how to tie dye tee shirts? I have two that have stains and want to continue to wear them via tie dye. Birthaleen from Burbank ca Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf95836879.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Ideas For Quick Workout Any ideas for a quick exercise program that keeps one in reasonably good shape? I'm healthy, but occasionally run out of time for my usual 30 minutes a day & would like something that prevents me from feeling like a total slug! Any websites or suggestions? Liz Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf41801692.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print 2 Year Old Birthday Party Ideas With Sports Theme My son is turning 2 in Nov. It's a sports theme. I need ideas. Brandie Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf88970972.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Help Getting a Refrigerator I am in need of a refrigerator ASAP. Mine went out two weeks ago and I have been buying bags of ice to keep what little food I can in there cool. I am a single mom with two young children on a fixed income and would appreciate any help at all with this matter. Thank you and God Bless. Kris from Canton, Ohio Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf49361390.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Is This a Butterfly Bush? Is this a butterfly bush? Thanks, really trying to identify what I have at my new house. Hardiness Zone: 5a Linda from Bellevue, NE Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf56399248.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Is this a Geranium? What is this plant? Sure resembles a very tall Geranium. Hardiness Zone: 5a Linda from Bellevue, NE Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf71367420.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print "Wake Me Up" Breakfasts Breakfast has become boring. Any suggestions? Thanks. Holly from Richardson, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf22756179.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Recipe For TNT Beet Soup I went to a yoga retreat this summer and they served this wonderful beet soup, which I had never had. It was blended together and vegetarian. So, I'm looking for a TNT beet soup. Anyone out there making this? NeeNoon from Quebec, Canada Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf22021683.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Eggplant Recipes I have a lot of eggplant any good ideas. Antoinette Perry from Hawaii Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf94591935.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Removing Hair Dye from the Bathroom Wall Does anyone know how to remove hair dye splatters on bathroom paint? I used vinegar and soft scrub but only had luck getting the dye off the painted walls. These two didn't work on the painted cabinet, which is weird because the paint here is a kind of gloss and you'd think the dye would come off easier. The dye came off easier on the walls which were painted with flat paint. Thanks for your help!! :) Smoochie from Houston, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf656864.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Easy Pie Crust Recipe Would like to make a simple pie crust. Antoinette from Hawaii Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf367229.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: About 1 Million Simplicity Cribs Recalled Due To Failures Resulting in Infant Deaths WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is announcing today a voluntary recall with Simplicity Inc., of Reading, Pa., of about 1 million cribs. The drop-side can detach from the crib, which can create a dangerous gap and lead to the entrapment and suffocation of infants. CPSC is aware of two deaths in Simplicity manufactured cribs with older style hardware, including a 9-month-old child and a 6-month-old child, where the drop-side was installed upside down. CPSC is also aware of seven infant entrapments and 55 incidents in these cribs. Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf38235978.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Saving Money on Bank Fees Tips for saving money on bank fees. Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf33625025.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.