Daily Thrifty Tips
Volume Four, Number 3, January 3, 2005
http://www.ThriftyFun.com
Hello,
The next ThriftyFun News will be about Tax Season. If you have any tax tips to share, please submit them. We also will be shifting the publishing day of the TF News from Saturday to Friday.
For new readers who aren't familar with the TF News, it is our weekly newsletter. Each week we pick a new topic and ask for feedback from readers. If you have a topic that you would like to see addressed in a future TF News feel free to suggest it.
Thanks for reading,
Susan
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Today's newsletter contains:
Today's Tips:
- Koolaid Coloring for Frosting
- Teach Children Bathroom Hygiene Early
- Make Your Own Scented Bin Liners (Plastic Garbage Bags)
- Minimize Smoke Odor From Ashtrays
- Generate Humidity From Within Your Fireplace
- Spray The Snow Shovel With Pam
- Thermostats
- Reusing Damp Towel
- Portable Lock for Motel Doors
- Keep Yourself Warm
- Furnace Efficiency
- A Heavy Duty Battery For Cold Weather
- Measure Wrapping Paper Before Cutting
- Emergency Umbrella
- Uses for Kleenex Boxes
- Stuffed Peppers
- Minestrone
New Requests:
- Recycling White Board Markers
- Starting Where I Left Off on Thrifty Tips
- The Best Way To Clean Rayon Clothes
- Corrosion on Stainless Steel?
- Hairspray Removal From Tile
More Reading:
- Bev's Leftover Turkey or Ham Casserole
- Stained Glass Christmas Angels
- 10 Dollar Saving Bedroom Ideas
- New Mom...New Baby...New Debt?
- How to Save Money Without Giving Up the Things You Love
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Today's Tips
Koolaid Coloring for Frosting
The other day while making frosting for cookies I discovered I didn't have food coloring. I rummaged through the cupboard and couldn't find anything! So I used partial packets of Koolaid to color the white frosting. The color and the taste of the frosting was awesome. My red frosting tasted like cherries. :)
By Kay Hanson
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Teach Children Bathroom Hygiene Early
You can't start too early to teach children to wash their hands after using the potty! Remind them where their hands have been and where they put them, on the handle to flush. If you train them they will train other children too! This is something that will last a lifetime.
By Syd
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Make Your Own Scented Bin Liners (Plastic Garbage Bags)
Why pay extra money for the scented bin liners (garbage or trash bags), when all you need to do is wipe a liner with a little vanilla essence or a bit of lemon juice.
When I went to the store the other day (in Australia) I saw the scented kind for $2.60 while the unscented ones were $1.55. While that doesn't sound like a big difference, if you are buying them frequently that little difference adds up. I buy them once a month so that's $12 every year.
These $1 savings here and there add up and the bigger picture is that you have $12 extra to pay off those niggling bills you have let mount up. Who knows, even that huge credit card bill (before you switched to being frugal) can be paid off with those types of savings.
Cheers
Bev
Editor's Note: Readers may also find this recent Brainstorm helpful.
Keeping Trash From Smelling:
Tips for keeping trash from smelling in the kitchen.
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf425473.tip.html
View Article: Click Here
Minimize Smoke Odor From Ashtrays
To help eliminate smoke odors from ashtrays while in use, pour some baking soda in them. This also helps for easy clean up.
By Lisa Stucki
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Generate Humidity From Within Your Fireplace
I take quart canning jars and fill them full of water and put inside my fireplace on either side of it. It helps keep moisture in the air. Before I start another fire I fill jars up again.
By Darlene
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Spray The Snow Shovel With Pam
You know how the snow always seems to stick to the snow shovel when you are trying to get the drive cleared? Spray Pam on your snow shovel to help remove the snow from the shovel.
By Karen
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Thermostats
Install dual setback thermostats in your home to automatically turn down your furnace during sleeping hours or at times when certain rooms are not in use.
By Joesgirl
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Reusing Damp Towel
After I shower, I use my damp towel to dust my bedroom furniture and lamps.
By Peggy Williamson
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Portable Lock for Motel Doors
If you travel a good deal and don't trust the locks on motel room doors, bring along your own travel lock. One of these types of locks employs a piece that goes into the strike-plate hole; a keyed lock slides over it and holds the door fast. Another type simply is affixed to the outside door knob so that the door's keyhole is covered.
By Joesgirl
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Keep Yourself Warm
Whenever possible, heat your body, not your house. Use an electric blanket, an electric mattress pad, or a heavy quilt when you're in bed; wear sweaters & warm socks when working or relaxing around the house. You'll be much warmer for less money.
By Joesgirl
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Furnace Efficiency
Be certain your furnace is tuned up & replace filters frequently. These 2 simple precautions could save as much as 10% on your bill.
By Joesgirl
View Article: Click Here
A Heavy Duty Battery For Cold Weather
A tiny spare tire isn't the only way in which car manufacturers are sneaking weight and raw material from new models. Puny batteries are another concession to mileage improvement and cost cutting. If you're concerned about cold weather starting, ask your dealer about replacing the standard battery with a heavy-duty one.
By Joesgirl
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Measure Wrapping Paper Before Cutting
With tons of packages to wrap, and not all shirt box size, I find it easy to have a length of string or a sewing tape measure with my wrapping supplies. I use it to measure the packages and then to measure the length of wrapping paper I need. Saves time and paper because you no longer need to cut a new piece of paper due to the first piece being too short.
By Gardencraft
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Emergency Umbrella
Keep a small folding umbrella and a plastic bag (for when you have a wet umbrella) in your car so that if the weather changes, you are prepared. Its easy to slip into a purse or pocket.
By Syd
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Uses for Kleenex Boxes
Tips for using kleenex boxes. Post your ideas below.
Reusing Square Tissue Boxes
Carefully open an empty tissue box and put in a roll of toilet tissue with the center cardboard roll removed, then pull tissue through the opening. Then just tear off what you need when you need it. Cheap too!
- or -
Buy the rectangular tissue box "on sale" and refill the square tissue boxes. Much cheaper than buying the square boxes with less tissue!
Tip: Use stick-on Velcro to reseal the boxes.
By Syd
View Article: Click Here
Stuffed Peppers
Heat to boil:
- 2 c. tomato juice
- Salt
- 1 T. syrup
- Pepper
(This will be poured over stuffed peppers.)
- 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (browned)
- 1 t. salt
- 1/4 t. pepper
- 1 onion (diced)
- 2 T. heaping rice (soak rise in 1/2 c. tomato juice)
- 4-6 peppers (depending on size of the peppers)
Stuff peppers with meat mixture. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
By Robin
View Article: Click Here
Minestrone
Ingredients:
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 1 clove garlic (chopped)
- 1/2 c. onion (chopped)
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 carrots (diced)
- 1 can tomatoes
- 3 beef bouillon cubes
- 2 c. diced potatoes
- 1 c. cabbage (chopped)
- 2 t. salt
- 1/4 t. pepper
- 1 t. marjoram leaves
- 1/4 t. rosemary (dried)
- 1 c. ditalini macaroni
- 1 pkg. frozen peas
- 1 can kidney beans
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 T. parsley (chopped)
Directions:
Heat oil in a 6 quart kettle. Add garlic, onion, and celery. Saute until tender (5 minutes). Add carrots, tomatoes, bouillon cubest, potatoes, cabbage, parsley, salt, herbs and 6 quarts water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes. Add macaroni, peas and beans. Return to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer 20 minutes more. Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top. Serves 10.
By Robin
View Article: Click Here
Other Active Topics
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Tip Contest
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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 January 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:
Recycling White Board Markers
My demand for white board markers is very high I need to recycle at least the blue ones. Does anyone know anything about recycling or refilling white board markers?
Gezahegn
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Starting Where I Left Off on Thrifty Tips
I'm new and just love ThriftyFun, I need help, when I view helpful tips, I'm as far as 750-760 of 7370. The next time I want to view "tips", is there a way that I can start at 750-760. I would appreciate this info. Thank you, and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all. JOANIE FROM LOUISIANA
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The Best Way To Clean Rayon Clothes
Does anyone know how to clean rayon clothes? I have bought several rayon dresses lately. Some say to machine wash, but line dry. Some say to machine wash and dry! What is best?
Judi
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Corrosion on Stainless Steel?
My dear husband filled my stainless steel stockpot with water for the cat while we were gone for the weekend. Now, there's a white, crumbly corrosion around the rivets that join the handle to the stockpot. I've cleaned it off, but my question is this: Is it still okay to use the pot for cooking food? If not, what else can I do with it (short of throwing it away). It's not my best stockpot, but it's still a nice pot.
Camilla
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Hairspray Removal From Tile
How do I get build up hairspray off of tile in the bathroom floor?
Cheryl
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your request here: Click Here
Today's Sponsor
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More Reading:
Bev's Leftover Turkey or Ham Casserole
Let's face it. We are usually fed up with turkey and ham by the time Christmas has finished. I know that I don't even like to see it in the fridge but there it is staring me in the face every time I open the fridge door.
Gather it all up and chop it into bite sized chunks and put aside in a casserole container.
View Article: Click Here
Stained Glass Christmas Angels
This is probably too late for most of you but since I began late, it won't really matter. Besides, it will be a tip for next year
I was watching a TV show about a month ago showing an expensive cookie recipe using butter, flour, egg, almond meal and caster sugar (extra fine sugar for everyone in the US). The TV host made up the dough, rolled it out thinly (3-5mm).
View Article: Click Here
10 Dollar Saving Bedroom Ideas
By Liz Beresford
1. If sheer curtains appeal but you can't sleep with the moonlight and early morning sunshine streaming in, then fit a slim blackout blind unobtrusively inside the window frame. It won't show when its rolled up and when unfurled will just Look as if its a dark night outside.
View Article: Click Here
New Mom...New Baby...New Debt?
By Susan Koiner
Ah, there is nothing like being an expectant mom. Along with your expanding waistline comes the ever growing list of products for you and your new bundle of joy. Preparing for a new baby can be a costly experience, especially in the areas of clothing and nursery furniture. The good news is that it does not have to be!
View Article: Click Here
How to Save Money Without Giving Up the Things You Love
By Darlene Arechederra
Recently, a close friend wanted to lose weight. He had psyched himself up, and he was ready to go. Until his doctor suggested he had to restrict his calories, that is. "No way!" he said. He left his doctor's office, determined to never return there.
View Article: Click Here
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