Daily Thrifty Tips - June 5, 2006

Hello,

I hope everyone had a nice weekend.

Here are the results to Friday's poll:

Do you hang dry your clothing?

As much as I can (150) 58%
I have no where to hang it (60) 23%
I could but I don't (49) 19%

Here's the new poll:

How often do you go to the dentist?

Post Your Answer:
Click Here

Thanks for reading,

Susan

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Today's newsletter contains:

Today's Photos:

• Shell Herb Garden
• Sam (Labrador Retriever)
• Dr. Ruppel Clematis
• Little Man (Tuxedo Cat)

Today's Tips:

• My Frugal Life - My Frugal Family in North Minnesota!
• Keeping the Socks in Pairs
• Using Cash Back Cards for Gas Purchases
• Removing Soap Scum From Bath Tub or Shower
• Minty Mouthwash Recipe
• Best Time for Deals on Meat
• Flouring Chicken

New Requests:

• Newport News Deferred Billing Code
• Washing a Vinyl Handbag
• My Pool Looks Like the Black Lagoon
• Storing Lettuce
• Cigarette Smoke Stains on Drapes
• Removing Water From Carpet
• Homemade Taco Seasoning
• My Cat Has a "Wart" or "Mole"
• Removing Diesel Fuel Smell from Clothing
• My Cakes Aren't Rising
• Coffee Stains on White Corian Sink
• Using Vinegar for White Clothing
• Fels Naptha Soap
• Carpet Stain Removers
• My Lilac Bush is Half Dead
• Wallet Went Through The Wash
• Mosquito Bites on My Face
• Cleaning Out Your Toaster
• Can I Use Boraxo Instead of Borax?
• Is Boric Acid Safe for Pets?

More Reading:

• Throw a Luau Party!
• Breed Information: Scottish Fold
• Backyard Pet Safety

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Today's Photos

Shell Herb Garden By Rebecca Lanham If you'd like to grow some of your own herbs for cooking purposes, why not make the garden they are grown in decorative? Plant the herbs in various clam shells and conk shells for display! Needed: Various shells Potting soil (seeding blend) Measuring cup (or any kind of scoop) Watering can and water Herb seeds (parsley, basil, sage, rosemary, thyme, etc.) Instructions: Step 1: Choose various shells with deep crevices. Step 2: Fill shells with potting soil (using the measuring cup as a scoop). Step 3: Sprinkle potting soil with various herb seeds. Step 4: Gently water the soil and seeds. Step 5: Place in your outdoor garden, kitchen, windowsill or anywhere you want decorative plants. Step 6: Once the herb plants are 1 inch tall, transplant in a prepared area (or even deeper shells) for continued growth. In natural shells, this garden looks quite nice outdoors. It blends in with the surrounding area and gives a subtle, decorative touch. Additional step: have adults or children paint the shells before planting the garden for a more vibrant looking garden. This project is quite easy, and can be done by the youngest child. Post Feedback: Click Here

Sam (Labrador Retriever) Sam is my 6 month old yellow lab. I got him from a friend. He likes to chase squirrels. By IOWAGIRL from Covington, GA Post Feedback: Click Here

Dr. Ruppel Clematis Showing a Dr. Ruppel clematis which is in full bloom this year and very pretty. By JM from St.Elmo Il Post Feedback: Click Here

Little Man (Tuxedo Cat) Little Man is our 1 1/2 year old Tuxedo Cat. He was a stray and came to my door on a snowy, cold winter day. He jumped into my arms and I was enchanted. Dropped off I suppose, but they did us a favor. His personality and friendliness uplifts our life. He loves playtime in the field and loves when Mom lets him climb the tree outside. He is such a good boy, he comes in when he would rather play longer. He gets along great with our present two dogs. When our oldest dog passed away he knew how upset I was, came and laid his head on my cheek like he was comforting me. He loves to jump on us in the morning so we will get up. By NellieMary from West Virginia Post Feedback: Click Here

Today's Tips

My Frugal Life - My Frugal Family in North Minnesota! Well to start, we live in a 1 and 1/2 bedroom apartment and we are on Section 8 rent assistance. I am disabled and our income consists of my $631 a month SSI check in the bank. I have nine children all under the age of 13 years old. We shop at thrift stores only for clothes and shoes, socks, etc. We sew, too. I have a sewing machine I got one birthday from my wealthy parents. We don't wear makeup, as we are all female. The baby who is 1 year old is nursed by breast. We get food benefits of $150 a month. I have a Sam's Club account and we buy our food there as well. My children get hand-me-downs from relatives and gifts. We use the library for everything; Internet, reading, music of all kinds as we have an antique record player that works, Newspaper, other things that help me stretch the budget. We also have Internet at home for $5.47 a month from peoplepc.com. My oldest daughter has a babysitting job for extra money to help offset some cost of teen living. Our rent is $198 a month on Section 8. I do laundry at a free place in town for people with disabilities like me. I have no live-in husband to help, but I do have a husband that lives separate from us. He helps too. He lives in the same town we do. I clip tons of coupons for everything else we use in life and I am proud to say I save 60% off using coupons. Our Medical is from Minnesota Medical Assistance. It's free with a small copay for prescription medication. We take the bus on a family pass in town, so we don't own a car. Buses are fine for this family. It's the cheapest way to travel. We have no pets that require extra care. Fish. We also fish to eat at a river nearby our apartment. It's good eating. We buy a lot of non-name brand food. We have a strict budget of $20 dollars a month for phone. We use Excel Energy Assistance for winter. We wear heavy wool at night and turn down the heater. My girls sleep on one mattress, the baby and I on another. We don't have cable. Just reception and a DVD player for .99 rental movies at the Movie rental place. This is enough for us. We do everything free that we can for entertainment and don't rent a lot of movies. We also own a VCR, radio, and a few cheap movies at home. Well, this is my frugal life for my family. God Bless. Tani Raxy from Dilworth, MN Do you have a frugal story to share with the ThriftyFun community? Submit your essay here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_myfrugallife.ldml Post Feedback: Click Here

Keeping the Socks in Pairs 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 Post Feedback: Click Here

Using Cash Back Cards for Gas Purchases I use my Citicard "Platinum Select Card" to buy gasoline. You save 5% of cost (about 15 cents/ gal.). It adds up! By Alfred from Westport Post Feedback: Click Here

Removing Soap Scum From Bath Tub or Shower To remove soap scum from the bathtub, I get a washcloth and rub it with a bar of soap and scrub the tub. I do this after someone has gotten a bath and it really seems to work for my family of six. By Jill from Shavertown, PA Post your ideas below. Post Feedback: Click Here

Minty Mouthwash Recipe By Patti McKenna Try this recipe for a natural mouthwash with no alcohol. It's very inexpensive, too! Ingredients: 1/4 tsp. baking soda 3 oz. water 2 drops peppermint oil or spearmint oil Directions: Thoroughly blend the above ingredients together. To use, simply rinse or gargle as usual. Post Feedback: Click Here

Best Time for Deals on Meat Shop early in the morning for meat purchases. Some stores sell perfectly good meats for discounted prices early. I have purchased fresh packages of ground beef and steak for $1.50 per package. The early bird gets the worm. By Jacqueline from Spartanburg, SC Post Feedback: Click Here

Flouring Chicken After flouring chicken, put it in the refrigerator for one hour. The flour will adhere better when frying. By ThriftyFun Post Feedback: Click Here

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New Requests

Newport News Deferred Billing Code Does anyone have a Newport News Deferred Billing Code for anytime AFTER June 2006? CaRhonda from Farmington Hills, MI Post Feedback: Click Here

Washing a Vinyl Handbag I have a LeSportsac handbag. It is fabric on the outside and is lined in vinyl or some plastic. Anyway, I washed it and the vinyl became very sticky. Otherwise it looks great. Is there anything I can do to get rid of the stickiness or do I have to throw it out. Thank you for any replies. Anjeena from New York Post Feedback: Click Here

My Pool Looks Like the Black Lagoon I have an in-ground swimming pool. I have a 16x32 pool with a loop-lock cover. When cover is removed it looks like the black lagoon, Does anyone know what chemicals should be added before starting up the pool? Win2868 from Boston, MA Post Feedback: Click Here

Storing Lettuce Does anyone know a way to keep lettuce and salad fresher, longer. I've tried the paper towel wrapping, but it doesn't seem to help. Thank you in advance, Jule61 from Zanesville, Ohio Post Feedback: Click Here

Cigarette Smoke Stains on Drapes How can i remove cigarette smoke stains from draperies? Thanks! Sue from Florida Post Feedback: Click Here

Removing Water From Carpet When you wash stains from your carpet, what is the best way to remove the water? Thank You So Much! Ronda S from Clarksburg, WV Post Feedback: Click Here

Homemade Taco Seasoning Does anyone have a recipe for homemade dry taco seasoning that you mix with the ground meat? Thanks! Betty from Slate Hill, NY Post Feedback: Click Here

My Cat Has a "Wart" or "Mole" My 7 year old cat has developed a wart/mole just below your ear, like on the side of her face. It sticks out, is wiggly and doesn't seem to bother her. It just popped up overnight! Anybody ever seen something like this? Tarva from TN Post Feedback: Click Here

Removing Diesel Fuel Smell from Clothing My husband works with diesel all day long and he comes home smelling of it. I have no clue in how to remove the smell off his clothing I know not to wash it in our own washing machine and I really can't soak it. We are living in a motel right now so I don't really have time to soak. If anyone knows a trick on how to remove the smell that would be great. Samantha from Houston TX Post Feedback: Click Here

My Cakes Aren't Rising I've been making Miracle Whip cake for over 40 years now, and it has always risen to at least the top of the pan, but the last couple of times I made it, it only raised about half way up the pan. Does anyone know what the problem could be? Just today, I baked 2 in a row thinking I had done something wrong, but they both only raised half way. Gramma Elly from Duluth, MN Post Feedback: Click Here

Coffee Stains on White Corian Sink I am trying to clean coffee stains from a white Corian sink. What should I use? Pam from San Diego CA Post Feedback: Click Here

Using Vinegar for White Clothing I use iron out in my laundry to get my whites whiter. I saw on this site about using white vinegar, does this really work and how much do I use? mint2b1 from Halifax, VA Post Feedback: Click Here

Fels Naptha Soap I bought some Fels Naptha bar soap. I know it is a great laundry stain remover and I also have some flower/garden recipes that require this kind of soap, but are there any other cleaning recipes for this brand of soap? If anyone has any answers I would love to read them. Thank You, Ronda S from Clarksburg, WV Post Feedback: Click Here

Carpet Stain Removers What I am really looking for is a carpet stain remover. We built our house in 2002. I was pregnant at the time and I think my hormones were affecting my brain, because I picked out a very light Berber carpet for the whole house. With a dog, a child and everyday foot traffic the living room and dining room carpet is looking very sad. The carpet looks completely matted down in some areas and I also have matted brown/dirt stains. I have had the carpet cleaned, and it looks good for a couple of weeks, but after that it looks matted down and brown in the same spots. I have tried over the counter carpet stain removers, the product, Awesome, and shaving cream. Nothing is really helping. If anyone has any answers I would love to read them. Thank You, Ronda S from Clarksburg, WV Post Feedback: Click Here

My Lilac Bush is Half Dead I have a mini Lilac bush that is half dead. There are parts of the bush that have leaves and small flowers. Is it safe to cut the dead part off? And any ideas what caused this? Thanks Shawn Hardiness Zone: 5a Shawn from DePere WI Post Feedback: Click Here

Wallet Went Through The Wash I have a freestyle accessories wallet. I put a picture of myself in the transparent screen. I once put it in the washing machine with the picture. Now the picture is imprinted on the screen. How can i get it out? mkkrawks Post Feedback: Click Here

Mosquito Bites on My Face I've recently come to Jeju, Korea (an island off the main land of Korea) to my uncle's place. I slept the 2nd night and I guess a mosquito had been inside my room. I woke up around 3 am in the morning noticing that i was itching my face. When I went to the bathroom I've found 6 bites on my face and my right eye had swollen up. I've been putting medication on for over 4 days and they seem to not be going away. It's bothering me so much that my face looks like it's diseased. It doesn't itch but is there a way to get rid of the bites on my face fast? Julie from Jeju, Korea Post Feedback: Click Here

Cleaning Out Your Toaster How do you clean buttered crumbs and jelly crumbs from inside your toaster? Can you use electrical spray cleaner? Will that break down the jelly and butter crumbs so they will fall in the crumb try? Will the spray cleaner cause any damage? sbfouru from St. Peters. Missouri Post Feedback: Click Here

Can I Use Boraxo Instead of Borax? I thought I was buying Borax, but when I received it I actually bought Boraxo? Can it be used the same way? If the cleaning recipe calls for Borax, can I use Boraxo? Does anyone have any cleaning recipes for Boraxo? If anyone has any answers I would love to read them. Thank You, Ronda S from Clarksburg, WV Post Feedback: Click Here

Is Boric Acid Safe for Pets? If boric acid is safe for pets (as recently posted), why do sites say to keep it away from pets when using as a pest deterrent? I'm really interested, since I've been using it for ants, and I have 2 cats and a dog that I want to keep safe. Susanmajp from Arkansas/Oklahoma Post Feedback: Click Here

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More Reading

Throw a Luau Party! By Catherine Forman Summer is a great time to throw a party that celebrates the islands! On a sultry summer night, invite your friends and family over for a Luau Party! Read More: Click Here

Breed Information: Scottish Fold By Ellen Brown Breed Description: The Scottish Fold is an unusual looking breed. They are medium-sized muscular cat with a fairly heavy bone structure and famous for having ears that fold forward and downward. The tips of their ears are rounded and they are set on their head in cap-like fashion. They have a round head with large, expressive eyes, a long tapering tail, and a dense, double coat that is very soft and resilient. Read More: Click Here

Backyard Pet Safety By Catherine Forman If your pets are allowed to roam your backyard without supervision, you should make sure that your yard is safe! Think about your yard for a second and answer the following questions: Read More: Click Here

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