Daily Thrifty Tips - December 28, 2006

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.

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Here are a couple pictures of the yard art that my husband and I make. They are hand cut from birch plywood and handpainted. The figures in the Charlie Brown Christmas display are about 24 inches tall, and the Grinch who stole Christmas is 48 inches tall.

By Harlean from Arkansas from Hot Springs, Arkansas
http://yardartplus.ecrafter.com/YardArtPlus/

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Beau and Molly are 2 year old Bichon Frises. Here they are getting their Santa picture.

By Anna from NY

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Peanut was a 2 year old Orange Tabby. My aunt was fighting cancer and her son brought home a stray cat... little did they know, she was pregnant. I got Peanut from the litter. He wasn't the one she had picked out for me, but he picked me when I went to pick up my new kitty!

His favorite thing in the world were the caps from 2 liter soda bottle. Whenever he heard the carbon release when I would open a bottle, he would come running! After he died, I moved and was cleaning under the fridge- there were about 100 stray caps under there!

I had to put Peanut down 2 days before my aunt lost her battle with cancer. He was a great little guy, but he got into the garbage and ate the string that holds a beef roast together (I had no idea) it severed his intestines, and he became toxic. I had no other choice but to put him down. so please! Don't let your cats play with string! They love it, but it can be fatal!

By bugsmom from Spokane, WA

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Stella, our crafty staff member, left last night for her second trip to Vietnam. She plans to spend 6 months to a year there. We'll update you once we know more about how she is doing.

On her last trip she worked with orphans and disabled children which is her plan this time. We send our best wishes and safe travels!

If you would like to read about her first adventure there and posts from adoptive parents Click Here

Susan from ThriftyFun

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I never miss paying a bill on time. As I receive bills in the mail, I check to see that the amount owing is accurate, write on the outside of the envelope, at the very top, the date that I either need to mail in my payment for it to reach the company on time, or the date that the amount will be deducted automatically from my checking account. The envelopes are kept on the window ledge just above my desk in an old, decorative napkin holder in date order.

I sit at my desk first thing every day to plan my day, always remembering to glance up at my bills to be paid. Any that have that day's date on them, I take care of immediately. Since I do not get paid interest on my checking account, as soon as I get my credit card bill, I check to make sure all my saved sales slips, which I keep in date order in the pocket of my Account Book, match the amount on the statement and write the check.

In 35 years, I have never had to pay interest on any credit card because I pay the balance off every time I receive a bill.

By Betty from Portland, OR

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Sewing Hint: Have someone shine a laser beam on a piece of material you need to cut a straight line on. Just follow the laser line. Works great.

By Lois from Ontonagon, Michigan

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This craft is easy and very versatile. Cut 1/2 inch around a blue jean pocket with a pinking shears. Attach a ribbon or shoelace to each top side of the pocket for a hanger. Fill with a pen, pad of paper and some markers. These are great for the car and hanging near the phone. Enjoy!

By Tedebear from San Jose CA

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When you are cleaning tile, use a bit of Coke on the stains. The ingredients in Coke will remove the stains.

By Lauren from San Antonio

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My mom was a doll doctor. She would wash the doll hair with dish detergent. Allow it to dry. Use a curling iron to style it. SPRAY with hair spray to hold. Use the same process you would with a wig.

By lzygranny from NC

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We re-use those plastic coffee containers as frugal toys. They are fun for toddlers to stack and store things. My 15 month old loves to put things in them, and take them out, and put the lid on and off. We've also turned one into a sorter by cutting holes in the top in the shape of different blocks.

By Alexandra from Virginia

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Saving money is not easy, but years ago I learned an invaluable lesson. I was on a coach trip and one of the ladies told me that whenever she got a raise, she put that increase away in a savings account. She was on a fixed income and she said (mostly rightly) that if you had lived on that income for a year, then you could live without the raise.

So what I do is when I get paid once a month, I only put down in my check account balance the amount that I earned last year. And I work from that, only. If an emergency does come up, I do use it as I have that extra cushion that I have squirreled away each month. It is not as hard as it seems. If you get lots of money for your raise (could you adopt me?), then put a percentage away, say fifty or seventy-five. It really is quite painless. Again, I always had two/three and sometimes four jobs.

When I bought my first car, I did not want my standard of living to go down, so I earned enough money for gas and walking around money. Before you turn up your nose, I had some of the best part-time jobs that usually turned into full-time jobs. And my best friends came from those part-time jobs, and, let's face it, a fantastic friend is priceless. Thank you.

By HEATHER from BOSTON, MA

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This is the time of year you take out shoes/boots you haven't worn in a while. A fungus you chased away last year may still be lurking in your footwear, especially if it is leather. I have never been in the position to toss all my shoes, so I TREAT the footwear - with the same thing I use for my athlete's foot/fungus - generic Vick's Vaporub! If you apply it to your shoe's inner linings, it will kill the fungus, as it does on your feet. And add a dose of foot powder, too!

By Pamphyila from Los Angeles

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When fixing a recipe that calls for water chestnuts and you find yourself with none, you can substitute jicama for them and likewise.

By Terri from NV

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Tips for cleaning glass shower doors...

For those of you looking for an easy way to remove water marks and soap scum from your bathroom glass doors: use ERASER (white and blue) sponge. Wet the surface area and then scrub (not too hard), then go over with Windex.

By Delta from Mchenry IL

Read more ideas below.

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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/

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I was given a bottle of homemade flavored (herbs and garlic) olive oil for Christmas. The friend who made it states it has not been refrigerated. Is this safe to consume?

Linda from Vista CA

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I wondering how to clean stainless steel on a yacht?

Edmond from Cape Town

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Is there anything to be done to "rehabilitate" a mohair blanket that appears to have been washed? It's sort of lumpy all over.

Thank you!

Gurth from South Africa

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What is the difference of homemade lye soap and Fels Naptha for using it as laundry soap? Also, because I have hard water, would I need to add more borax and/or water softener additive than just the 1 Tbsp that I have seen some people use for homemade laundry soap?

Sara

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How to make chinchilla food from scratch?

Alisia from Seattle, WA

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Can you freeze ham salad and egg salad finger sandwiches?

Jeanne from Springfield, MA

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I am looking for craft projects for kids to make so they can give them as gifts for Christmas from house hold items and things.

Michelle from Bakersfield, CA

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I would like to know if someone can find a recipe for Coconut Cream Pie for me. Thank you for your time.

Virginia from Destin, FL

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When can you give a baby water?

Joyce from OH

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I have slugs in my kitchen. I don't just want to kill them - I want to be rid of them. How do I do this? They climb up into my silverware drawer, my cupboard where I keep my pots and pans and now they are bold enough to be on my back door. I live in a very moist area due to the fact that I am near the water, a lot of mold and moisture. How do get rid of these disgusting creatures?

pms6474

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Does anyone know how to keep cucumber slices really crisp like Sub-Way?

Wanda from IL

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What are your thoughts out there about the safety--threat of salmonella, etc.--using raw egg whites in a recipe? I've got a recipe for buttercream frosting and one for decorator's icing that I've made for years, both use raw egg whites that don't get cooked. I haven't had any trouble but wonder if I've just been lucky and should start using one of the meringue powder egg-white substitutes such as "Just Whites"?

Lynn from Chico, CA

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I'm new here and was wondering if anyone knows how to make the quilted and cross-stitch christmas balls. I want to make them for my workers. They are made from styrofoam balls, fabric and pins, with a cross-stitch picture in the middle. Any help with this would be appreciated. Every year I make my "girls" at work something homemade. I thought these would be nice.

Thank you,
Candace from Ontario, Canada

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I just got a perm about a week ago, is it OK to straighten it (with a store bought straightener) now?

Kara from Madera, CA

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I have little squares of fleece leftover from making blankets. Any suggestions for uses?

Connie from Owosso

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I need recipe for just a ball of dough so I can shape it into buns and bake them in the oven. I have a regal breadmaker model nubmer k6769c.

Dianna from Canada

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How can I fix my fudge if I put in to much evaporated milk?

Rose from middleton, ID

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I have been kind of pale lately. Has anyone ever tried those self-tanning creams? You put it on your face once a day, and a few days later you are "supposed" to have a natural looking tan. Would you give them a thumbs up, or thumbs down? I do NOT want to look like a pumpkin... orange is not my colour!

Thanks for the advice!

Sandi from Montreal

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Our favorite Mexican restaurant, Don Jose's on East Thomas, in Phoenix, AZ, had a distinctive sauce with a burnt chili powder-ish flavor (as if it had been toasted a minute too long) in the thin dipping sauce served with complimentary tortilla chips and on the chimichanga platter. The waiter always said it was just a salsa roja.

We recently had a sauce wich reminded me of this same interesting flavor on a chimichanga in Richardson, TX, at Pancho and Lefty's on Plano Rd. and Buckingham. This waiter said that it was just a salsa roja and it contained a lot of cumin and flour.

Any ideas or recipes as to this mysterious thin non-chunky sauce? I've tried to re-create it but never had any success.

Holly from Richardson, TX

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My daughter spilled a quart of clorox bleach on her car seat. What can be done to absorb the strong order?

Mike from Colleyville, TX

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I want to find out what I can use to clean brass, apart from Brasso. I need to clean all my door and window handles.

Roger from South Africa

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Can you substitute brown syrup for molasses?

kashmiles

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I bought new baking sheets and baked some cookies and now the cookies have left stain marks. How do I get them off?

CyndiT from Plainfield, IL

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How do you remove smoke odor? Fireplace flue was closed and smoked up the whole house. Please help!

Elaine from OKC, OK

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My daughter just got engaged to be married July '07! She's into doing things well, but inexpensively, and (duh) I want to help her on her quest. Any ideas?

KLJohn from Crawford, CO

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How long should I bake a 3 lb. turkey breast in a microwave oven?

Margaret from Newport News, VA

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How do I clean my stainless steel coffee pot?

Alex from Atlantic City

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I need to know if Spanish moss is toxic for cats?

Gladys from New York

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How high do I put the oven at, and for how long does it take to roast chestnuts?

Sandi from Montreal

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I spilt candle wax on one of my tops so then i left it in hot water for a day that got most of it off but I still had some wax on it. I put it in the wash and now the top is dry but it still has some candle wax on it so i ironed it and it just made it look like i had spilt some water on the top but now the wax has dried in again what do i do now?

Jordan from UK

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