Daily Thrifty Tips
Volume Three, Number 158, October 21, 2004
http://www.ThriftyFun.com
Hello,
Lots of feedback for requests and recipes for Halloween in the Recent Feedback section. We are always interested in your feedback on anything posted in ThriftyFun, positive or negative.
Thanks for reading,
Susan
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Today's newsletter contains:
Today's Tips:
- Ground Coffee Absorbs Odors
- Interesting Trivia
- Automation and the Job Market
- Gift Baskets
- Vacuuming Tips
- Energy, Plant a Tree
- Jewelry Organizing
- Energy Saving Tips
- Dryer Sheet Tips
New Requests:
- Figuring Quantities for Luncheon for 35-40 People
- Crayons and KoolAid on a Whole Load of Clothes
- Mold on Decorative Pillow
- Sour Smelling Bedding
- Musty Smell on Dolls
More Reading:
- Easy and Inexpensive Pizza Casserole
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Today's Tips
Ground Coffee Absorbs Odors
To take a bad smell out of a refrigerator or freezer put in 1/2 cup of fresh dry coffee in a pie tin or other container and leave overnight and it will absorb all the bad odor.
By Georgia
View Article: Click Here
Interesting Trivia
Los Angeles' full name is "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula". In English this means 'The City of Angels'
It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open? Next time you feel a sneeze coming try it!
You are most likely to be murdered or raped by a family member or a close friend (98% of all murders). Whereas being murdered by a derranged lunatic down a dark alley is very rare.
In Alaska, it is legal to shoot bears. However, waking a sleeping bear for the purpose of taking a photograph is prohibited.
The sentence "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter in the English language.
No piece of square dry paper can be folded in half more than 7 times. Try it!
You're most likely to win the National Lottery (UK) if you buy your ticket on a Saturday rather than a Wednesday. Because you are more likey to die before the number draw than win.
The average chocolate bar has 8 insects' legs in it.
If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds recieved in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history.
Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne
Clubs - Alexander the Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar
Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave. Go on, try it then
Hydrogen is an explosive gas. Oxygen supports combustion. Yet when these are combined it is water which is used to put out fires.
If you could count the number of times a cricket chirps in one minute, divide by 2, add 9 and divide by 2 again, you would have the correct temperature in celcius degrees... How do they know that?
Every 5 seconds a computer gets infected with a virus
The greatest recorded number of children that have been born by one mother is 69! The poor lass gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets and a measly 4 sets of quadruplets. Even in the days before IVF!
Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.
By Kristi
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Gift Baskets
I buy wicker baskets at yardsales and paint them white if they look slightly tawdry, and cut off the bows and ribbons. I use spray paint outside. When they are done, I put them away for Christmas or any occasion for which I need a gift.
I buy small objects throught the year to fill these baskets. They can be anything like cups, hot chocolate, shampoo etc.
I buy the clear plastic sheets to bind the baskets and top with a pretty ribbon to bring all together and attach the card. Saves a bunch and is always ready when you need one.
By Susan from Hamilton
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Vacuuming Tips
I have a raised pattern carpet, so before vacuuming, I sprinkle salt all over it, wait a few minutes, then run the sweeper. It helps to get the fuzzies out of the grooves in the pattern.
When I change my sweeper bag, I always put potpourri in it before I run it. It makes the carpet and room smell better.
By Janice
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Save Energy, Plant a Tree
To cut energy bills and help save the environment, plant a tree. Planting trees provides an all-around environmental boost. Trees and other landscaping harbor wildlife, improve air quality and can save up to 30% in home heating and cooling costs. You may think planting is for spring, but fall is a great time to plant evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs.
By Kathy
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Jewelry Organizing
To keep my jewelry neat and tangle-free and also where I can see everything at a glance, I hung a bulletin board in my closet. Using the push pins for the board as hangers, I hang all my necklaces and bracelets on them. My pins will hang on their own by gently pushing the pin part into the cork at an angle. Now it's much easier to decide what beads to wear with each clothing item.
By Debbie
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Energy Saving Tips
Heating
To cut energy bills and help save the environment, install a ceiling fan. In the winter, a ceiling fan can save up to 10% in heating costs by circulating warm air from the ceiling to the floor where you can enjoy it. In the summer, ceiling fans can make you feel cooler while reducing cooling costs as much as 40%.
Water
To cut energy bills and help save the environment, install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators. Cut your hot water consumption in half by installing low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators. Taking showers rather than baths also saves water. A 5-minute low-flow shower uses only 10-15 gallons of hot water, compared to 15-25 gallons for a bath.
Appliances
To cut energy bills and help save the environment, invest in Energy-Star appliances. You can save up to 50% on energy bills by replacing your old appliances with newer, energy-efficient models.
Weatherproofing
To cut energy bills and help save the environment, weatherproof your home. Cut energy consumption dramatically by weatherproofing windows, doors and thresholds. Most weatherproofing projects will pay for themselves in a few years by reducing the cost of heating and cooling your home.
By Kathy
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Dryer Sheet Tips
Golfers put a dryer sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees away.
Use a dryer sheet to clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean.
The anti-static agent apparently weakens the bond between the food.
Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through dryer sheet before beginning to sew.
By Peggy
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Other Active Topics
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Tip Contest
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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 October 31st.
Enter the contest!
Syndication Spotlight:
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Dear Webby's Humor Letter
Webby publishes our tips daily! A very funny newsletter.
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New Requests:
Figuring Quantities for Luncheon for 35-40 People
I would like to give a luncheon for 35-40 people. I want to plan a build your own salad, baked potatoe, and soup bar. How do I figure out how much to lettuce, for example, to purchase per person? ... -Cynthia Williams
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Crayons and KoolAid on a Whole Load of Clothes
i just washed a whole load of dark clothes and then dried them now everything has pretty colors thanks to my nephew. He left a handful of crayons in his pocket and 2 packages of opened kool-aid. What can i do to get the crayon off from my clothes?
please HELP!!!! SHawna
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Mold on Decorative Pillow
I have a problem. I have a small decorative pillow that has mold on it and I would like to get it out. What should I do? Please help..
Karen from Hanover
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Games or Ideas for Birthday Party for 7 Year Old
I am going to be having a birthday party for my daughter in November which she will be 7 years old. Does anyone know of any neat games to play or treasure hunt ideas any suggestions will help.
-Lori
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Sour Smelling Bedding
In the tips section on Sour Smelling clothing, someone keeps writing to use "nappy soaker". What is that? I never heard of a nappy soaker? I have the same problem with sour smelling sheets and bedding no matter what I've tried (and I bathe and deodorize myself every day! But I think it was created from washing my bedding in cold water for years...not a good idea. Now I have sour smelling bedding). Thanks so much,
Mia
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Musty Smell on Dolls
How do you get musty smell out of dolls, they are still in there original boxes and have a musty smell on them. What could I use and not damage the doll.
Therese
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More Reading:
Easy and Inexpensive Pizza Casserole
This was always my Mom's favorite quick supper. She was a teacher who often didn't have alot of time after school to plan a meal for the five of us. We all loved it! It is a quick and easy supper for 4-5 people. It requires only 4 ingredients and they are staples that almost everyone always has on hand. It "seasons" itself and really does taste like pizza. Serve with a tossed salad for a healthy full meal!
Pizza Casserole
1 1/2 Lb. Hamburger
1-2 sleeves Saltines
2 cans Tomato Soup
24 slices Cheese
Brown hamburger.
In square pan layer in following order; 1/4 hamburger, cover with saltines, cover with sliced cheese, cover with 1/2 can tomato soup (undiluted. Repeat layers ending with tomato soup. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes . Let sit for 5 minutes. Cut in squares and serve.
By Becky D Hysvl NC
View Article: Click Here
Fun Things to Do with Deco Hole Punches
I have a large collection of hole punches- some have handles like scissors- others are the button type. With all the junk mail paper I have collected in so many different colors & textures & variety I am in luck !
Make a nice pile of flower punches - preferably with no text on either side & string them (this takes some time & watch your fingers.) Sometimes I string a bead then flower then repeat- so that each flower has a center- other times I don't.
Next, with a small crochet hook - chain 10 or 20 -- depending on how you want it -- between each flower or bead/flower. Use this as a small gift tie or in your hair or hang it somewhere.
I have done the same with bears I punched from brown velour ribbon I nabbed at a Garage sale, but instead of stringing them & crocheting, I went to my sewing machine
& carefully feed a bear at a time in under the needle & made a string chain in between each one ! I have one hanging from my desk cabinet. I tried to get every bear sewn in (with just one stitch) on its hand - so they look like they are hanging on. Use the feed wheel instead of the foot feed so you can have better control.
You can also do the same with small satin flowers instead of the paper ones - I have made several of these & used to tie gifts. String them on Coats & Coats embroidery thread. You can sometimes find a whole sack full of leftovers at rummage sales for a quarter or so here & some plastics are thin enough to hole punch.
I once made a bunch of baby doll buttons from using only round punches from a fabric softener bottle. Look around to find a plastic you can manage to punch.
Then put 2 (or 4 if your that patient) needle holes in each "button" - centering the 2 the best you can. Then sew sets of 4 or 6 onto small cards - I made mine a little over an inch rectangle.
Let you child make up a brand name for them. I called mine "Shuggies" short for my nic name Shug -- :)
melody_yesterday
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