Daily Thrifty Tips
Volume Four, Number 32, February 1, 2005
http://www.ThriftyFun.com
Hello,
A quick note about how contest winners are chosen. We do a random drawing of all valid contest entries, so the winner is selected randomly and not based on the total number of tips or who submitted the best tip. However, you can submit up to 5 tips a day, the more tips you submit the better the odds are that you will win.
The goal of the contest is to encourage people to share their thoughts, ideas and helpful hints. The ideas, thoughts and tips that are submitted are what fuel this free newsletter, so win or lose, the tips you submit benefit a lot of people.
Having said that, we have two contest winners!
The winner of the tip contest is Robin, she submitted 80 tips. The total number of tips submitted was 314. This is the second time that Robin has won the tip contest, she is one of our most prolific contributers.
The winner of the photo contest is Beanygurl, who submitted one photo entry. The total number of photo entries was 49. So anyone who submitted atleast one image had a 1 in 49 chance of winning.
Thank you Robin, Beanygurl and everyone else that submitted a tip or photo. With those contests ending we start two new contest today. The tip contest will end on the 15th of this month and the photo contest will end on the 28th. We will give away a 30 dollar gift card for each contest.
Enter The Tip Contest:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/contest.ldml
Enter The Photo Contest:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/photo_contest.ldml
We have 22 new requests today, which I believe is the most we have ever had.
Thanks for reading,
Susan
Frugal solutions to everyday problems: Submit a request...
http://www.thriftyfun.com/add.ldml
Today's newsletter contains:
Today's Photo Contest Entries:
- Wrigley (Chocolate Lab)
- Protecting Heirloom Needlework
Today's Tips:
- Unmatched Socks for Play
- Saving Money on Laundry
- Free Plastic Utensils
- Covering Heat Registers
- Save Money on Your Utilities
- Using Medicine Droppers
- Shortening Cooking Time In The Oven
- Keeping the Kids from Unrolling Toilet Paper
- Coupon Tips
- Getting Rid of Cutworms
- Saving Electricity - Maintain Your Water Heater
- Creating Extra Counter Space For Baking
- Saving Money on Prescription Glasses
- Unsticking Superglue
- Duck Tale
- Save Money on Clothing
- Beloved Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe
New Requests:
- Planting Bulbs In The Spring
- Scrapbooking
- Secrets and Pitfalls
- Removing Ink From Red Leather
- Liquid Eyeliner On Suede Boots
- Valentine's Day Craft For 2nd Graders
- Cowboy Party For A 6 Year Old
- Treating a Pet Rat With Fleas
- Removing Contact Paper Glue
- Ideas For My 17th Birthday
- My Cat Pees Everywhere
- Removing Paint From Mustard Jars
- Problems Painting Over Wallpaper
- Son's eyes red and itchy after showering.
- Dog Pee Stain On Carpet
- Banana Nut Bread Recipe For A Bread Machine
- Musty Smell on Clothing
- Widow Looking For Advice On Entertaining, Travel and Meals
- Korean Birthday Cake Recipes
- Tin Man Birdfeeder
- Cereal Box Purses
- Korean Surprise Birthday Party Ideas
- Decorating Tips for a Navy Sofa
More Reading:
- Finding A Reputable Breeder
- Lemons (Information and Recipes)
- An Organized Shopping List Makes All the Difference
Search ThriftyFun Using Google: Click Here
Today's Sponsor
MyBudgetPlanner
Manage your money simply and quickly. Inexpensive budget planning
software.
http://www.mybudgetplanner.com/partner/thf/mbpmain.htm
Today's Photo Contest Entries
Wrigley (Chocolate Lab)
This is Wrigley. He is named after Wrigley Field in Chicago. (My husband is a HUGE Chicago Cubs fan.) He is a full-blooded Chocolate Lab and was born December 11. We've had him for one whole week as of today (1-29). Since he is teething, his favorite hobby is chewing everything in sight. He is such a joy. He's so spoiled!
By pojo
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Protecting Heirloom Needlework
My late mother in law made me a lovely piece of needlework, but it had to be laundered quite often. I was worried about the wear and tear on the piece, so I found an old metal frame with glass that fit the frame and hung the piece.
HOWEVER the the frame was of narrow metal and quite ugly!
I bought a silk type garland of leaves, cut them off and hot glued them round the frame. Now it gets lots of compliments and my Mom-in-law's patient needlework is well protected!
By Janet Hounsell
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Submit a tip with a photo or a pet description with a photo and you could win a prize. You can enter the photo contest here:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/photo_contest.ldml
Today's Tips
Unmatched Socks for Play
When your kids go out to play in the snow let them wear pairs of unmated socks, probably more then one to keep warmer. Then when they come in just let them put on the regular mated socks. This way you won't run out of "good" socks.
By Melanie
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Saving Money on Laundry
Tips for saving money on laundry. Post your ideas!
Plastic Scoops
I use a plastic scoop that comes in powdered iced tea containers for a laundry scoop.
I found that the scoop that comes with powdered laundry uses too much for the job. It leaves too much soap in the clothes.
I use half a scoop for a small load, 1 full for a medium load, 1 and a half for a large and 2 for an extra large load.
It seems like too small an amount, but my clothes come out clean and much softer every time. My towels don't come out 'crusty' from the dryer either.
By Fran Marie
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Free Plastic Utensils
When you go out to eat at a drive-through or eat at your work cafeteria just slip your plastic utensils into your tupperware to take home. Wash and save them. A friend of mine gets about a shoe box full of free plastic forks and spoons each year.
By Melanie
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Covering Heat Registers
To stop cold air leaks from coming in your unused heat register vents just cut up one of those large magnetic calendars for your fridge. I got 3 covers from a Dollar Tree calendar. You can paint them if you choose.
By Melanie
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Save Money on Your Utilities
Saving Hot Water
Take the time to switch your washer to "Cold" when possible to save on hot water.
By Reta
View Article: Click Here
Using Medicine Droppers
If you have to give your toddler tylenol or other "dropper" medicine measure the medicine in the dropper then transfer to a spoon. That way you won't recontaminate them with the same sick germs later, or have to throw out the bottle of medicine.
By Melanie
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Shortening Cooking Time In The Oven
To shorten cooking time for fish sticks or chicken patties first cook them on a plate in the microwave for a minute or two until just warm then transfer them to the oven to get them crispy. Definitely never start off cooking something frozen. I do the same thing with sausage links, nuke them first then pan fry.
By Melanie
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Keeping the Kids from Unrolling Toilet Paper
If you have small children, they've probably played unroll-the-toilet-paper at some point. To make it harder for kids to unroll it, and make toilet paper last longer, squish the roll so that it's no longer round before you put it on the holder. Kids won't be able to give it a spin and unroll it.
By Camilla
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Coupon Tips
Tips for finding and using coupons. Post your ideas.
Combining Coupons
Combine your manufacturer coupon with a store coupon to save double!
By Cecilia
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Getting Rid of Cutworms
If you have a problem with cutworms in your garden, spray the dirt, around the plants with a mixture of 3 Tbsp. Dawn dish soap to 1 gallon of water. The soap solution gets into the cutworms system, and kills them immediately. It works great!
By Eleanor
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Saving Electricity - Maintain Your Water Heater
MY electric bill dropped thirty dollars last month when I changed the heating elements and put a cover on my hot water heater. The lower element was burnt out so the upper had to work overtime, plus the loss of heat because of no cover. Live and learn.
By Reta
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Creating Extra Counter Space For Baking
Our kitchen did not have enough work space. My sister likes to bake, and did not have the space to roll out dough, etc., without moving things all around.
For a gift, I went to a local lumber yard and asked the man to cut a 2' x 3' 1/4 in. piece of plywood. I then took 6-decorative stick-on 12"x12" tiles and covered the plywood. It fits the top of her stove perfectly, and provides a large expanse of work space for her baking projects. It cleans beautifully, and is light enough to remove easily when she needs to use the stove. The total cost was under $10.00.
By Janet45101
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Saving Money on Prescription Glasses
Tips for saving money on your prescription for glasses. Post your ideas.
Savings on Prescription Glasses
To save money on your next pair of prescription glasses, especially if, like me, you're not wild about the thin titanium frames that are being pushed right now (I gave in one time, over protests, and broke them within 36 hours-sigh), go to Dollar General and get a pair of reading glasses in your intensity and remove the lenses. Take the frames to your eye doctor and he will fit your new prescription lenses to the frames. My recent cost for new glasses was only $59.00, and I got sturdier frames to boot! Hope this helps.
By Janet45101
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Unsticking Superglue
My tip is the 'antidote' to Superglue, for when you stick yourself to something, your fingers together or even worse to the tube of superglue. Cooking oil and lots of patience will remove or unstick superglue. I guarantee this, it is also what they use in hospitals if you turn up there with your eyes glued shut as someone in Australia did recently, mistaking the superglue for eye drops in the fridge. I glued the tube to my fingers last night and removed it and separated my fingers with cooking oil. Took a bit of time and patience but it worked and no skin off.
By Trish
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Duck Tale
A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she lay her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, "I'm so sorry, your pet has passed away."
The distressed owner wailed, "Are you sure?" "Yes, I'm sure. The duck is dead," he replied. "How can you be so sure," she protested. "I mean, you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."
The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room. He returned a few moments later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.
The vet patted the dog and took it out and returned a few moments later with a beautiful cat. The cat jumped up on the table and also sniffed the bird from its beak to its tail and back again. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly, jumped down and strolled out of the room.
The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."
Then the vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys, and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman. The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "$150!" She cried. $150 just to tell me my duck is dead?!!"
The vet shrugged and explained, "I'm sorry. If you'd taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20. But what with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it all adds up."
By Kate
View Article: Click Here
Save Money on Clothing
What are your tips for saving money on clothing?
Shop Thrift Stores
It can't be said enough, shop the thrift stores often. I just bought four BRAND NEW NAME BRAND pairs of pants for my hard to fit son for a dollar a pair. The trick again is "OFTEN". The week before they had nothing that fit him.
By Reta
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Beloved Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe
Here's a recipe that I absolutely love!
Igredients:
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 1 package of cream cheese
- 2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 2 Tbsp. your favorite honey hot prepared mustard
- 6 oz (uncooked) bacon
- 2 cups of Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 eggs beaten well
Directions:
Cook bacon fully and set aside on towel to drain. Meanwhile, by placing breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap, pound them until 1/4in thick.
In a small container, add softened cream cheese, Italian seasoning, and crumbled bacon. Mix well.
Paint pounded chicken breasts with the honey hot mustard, then divide the cream cheese mixture between the two breasts. Roll them up like a cake roll, being careful to tuck in the cheese mix. Then allow to set up in the refrigerator, covered, for about 2 hours.
Then roll through the egg mixture, and into the bread crumbs. With this I myself will freeze them and serve them the next day, due to the soft cheese, it has a better chance of staying inside the chicken when its cooked frozen, otherwise it seems to just melt out and your left with wonderful tasting hollow chicken and a very tasty sauce!
Remove from the freezer and cook at 350 degrees for roughly 20 min. checking closely, as the chicken is very thin and won't take as long a thick breast. When you see the cheese begin to exit then your creation is done!
By Kate
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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 February 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.
http://webby.com/humor
Do you publish a newsletter? Sign up for our Tip Syndication:
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New Requests:
Planting Bulbs In The Spring
Well we bought the bulbs - about 200 of them. Unfortunately we never got around to planting them (I'm a novice gardener with behavioral problems LOL). Can they be planted in the spring? We have tulips, crocus, hyacinth, purple drumstick and I forget what else... Is there anything we need to be careful not to do?
Vinnyswoman
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Scrapbooking - Secrets and Pitfalls
Hi,
I hear so much about scrapbooking. Although it sounds like fun, time and money are always a balancing act. There are lots of supplies at the Dollar Stores. Like all things, there are great tips and suggestions that put the special "zing" into the presentation. Before I start cutting up pictures, what are the pitfalls? What are the "secrets"? Sandy
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Removing Ink From Red Leather
I would like to know how to remove blue ink from a red leather skirt?
cupcake430
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Liquid Eyeliner On Suede Boots
Today I was putting on my liquid eyeliner when I accidently dropped the bottle and the liquid landed on my new suede boots! Help! I just bought my boots. How do I get the stain out!
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Valentine's Day Craft For 2nd Graders
I am looking for a simple valentine craft to do with my 7 year old 2nd graders. Anyone have any good fast and easy ideas? Thanks for the input.
Helga from Andover
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Cowboy Party For A 6 Year Old
Any tips or ideas on games for a cowboy party for a 6 year old. The weather is probably not going to cooperate, so I want to plan indoor games and activities. I appreciate any ideas.
Thanks!
Crissy
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Treating a Pet Rat With Fleas
I have a rat who has fleas and I can't get rid of them, any suggestions?
Keelie
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Removing Contact Paper Glue
What is the best way to remove the glue left behind after contact paper has been on a shelf for a LONG time?
Joanne
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Ideas For My 17th Birthday
I am trying to plan my 17th birthday. It's crazily hard! I know who I am inviting but I have NO idea what to do! I live in a small place, not much to do. I didn't have a 16th, so i want to make this my sweet 16! I am stuck, and don't know what to do!
Holly
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My Cat Pees Everywhere
My cat is a female almost 2 years old. She likes to pee in 3 rooms. The bathroom, laundry room, and kitchen. Fortunately, she doesn't pee on the carpets, but I'm starting to get real mad here now. It's been this way now for 5 months, ever since we got her. I keep cleaning the pee areas with vinegar, but that seems to just make the room smell real bad. It works for about 2 or 3 days.
Her litter box is in the laundry room and she pees on the other side of the room right across from it. I'm a pretty tidy guy, always cleaning my house and I try to keep the litter box cleaned out almost every night.
We moved her litter box a few times from the bathroom to the laundry room. But this problem started before we even moved the litter box for the first time. Also my brother was staying with me in my spare tiny bedroom/closet. I've never let the cat in there. she got in there and sure enough. peed all over his bed, pillows and his clothes. I'm to the point where I'm about ready to give the cat away. but my girlfriend would kill me if i did that. I've been thinking about making her a outside kitty. but I live in a apartment and it's not the best place to let a cat wonder around to, its dog heaven here.
So any ideas would be appreciated.
James
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Removing Paint From Mustard Jars
I have some cute little mustard jars that I would like to use but first I need to remove the information that is painted directly on the glass. Does anyone know how to remove it?
dianajoyce
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Problems Painting Over Wallpaper
I painted a room in my house without knowing that the previous paint job was done over wallpaper. The problem is the paper is starting to bubble under the paint. Is there anything that I can do to fix this without redoing the whole room?
Thanks goldenboggs
Goldenboggs
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Son's eyes red and itchy after showering.
My son has asthma and seasonal allergies. Lately, after he gets out of the shower, he complains about his eyes and palms itching. His eyes get very bloodshot and itch until I give him Benedryl. He is 14 so I know he isn't getting soap in his eyes. We have always used Dove soap and Clairol's Herbal Essence Shampoo. The funny thing is, this has never bothered him before! Has anyone else ever experienced this before? Any replies would be appreciated!
Thanks,
A. from Mo.
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Dog Pee Stain On Carpet
I was watching my mom and dad's dog and it went pee pee on the carpet... I used my rug shampooer and it didn't get the stain out... Any suggestions?
Thanks a ton,
:) Jamie
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Banana Nut Bread Recipe For A Bread Machine
I am looking for a banana nut bread recipe for my bread machine. Does anyone have one that doesn't use wheat flour as an ingredient?
imaqt1962
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Musty Smell on Clothing
My mom just bought an outfit from a store that was having a closing sale. The store smelled musty as they are having a problem with water leaks. When we got home we realized that the smell was in the clothes as well. I believe the outfit is washable but I am not sure, does anyone know a way of getting this smell out? Thank you in advance.
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Widow Looking For Advice On Entertaining, Travel and Meals
After 50+ yrs of marriage I am now a widow. How do I become a content and successful single? I need ideas for entertaining, travel, and meals.
Thanks,
Lady Bet
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Korean Birthday Cake Recipes
Does anyone know any good Korean (and if not Asian) recipes for birthday cakes? Me and my friends are having a surprise 12th birthday party for our korean friend, she moved here from korea about a year ago.
Haley from Ohio
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Tin Man Birdfeeder
I am looking for tin man birdfeeder instructions.
Suzy Wells
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Cereal Box Purses
I am looking for directions on how to make the cereal box purses.
Michi
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Korean Surprise Birthday Party Ideas
Me and my friends are planning a surprise birthday party for our friend who moved here from Korea less than a year ago. We're in 6th grade, this is her 12th birthday. Any tips or advice for a Korean birthday party?
Haley from Ohio
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Decorating Tips for a Navy Sofa
I have a navy sofa and I want to redecorate my living room. I want to keep the room as natural looking as possible but I also want the room to feel warm! Any ideas would be gratefully received :0)
Thanks,
Cathy
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Eversave.com...
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name savings, free samples and much more.
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More Reading:
Finding A Reputable Breeder
By Ron Swerdfiger
Anyone can put two dogs together and let them breed, and in turn call themselves a "breeder." However being called a "reputable" breeder encompasses far more than that. You won't find a reputable breeder trying to sell their dogs to local pet stores, or advertising in the classified section. A good breeder does not need these "gimmicks." Instead, they rely on the quality of their dogs. Breeding is a practice that should be done with a sense of pride, and a feeling of fulfillment.
View Article: Click Here
Lemons (Information and Recipes)
By Jennifer A. Wickes
The lemon originanted from South-East Asia, possibly India or
Malaysia. Now, they are grown in tropical and temperate locations
around the world, with California being the USA's major producer.
View Article: Click Here
An Organized Shopping List Makes All the Difference
By Monica Resinger
Making and using a grocery list will help you buy only necessities and/or
sale items so will help you save money. It will also get you out of the store
quicker as long as the list is organized.
View Article: Click Here
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