Daily Thrifty Tips - June 11, 2007

I hope everyone had a nice weekend. We have a note about an important food recall. They are recalling a bunch of frozen and fresh ground beef in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Read more about it here:

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf67982565.tip.html

Here are the contest winners for the week before last:

Tips Contest Winners

Save Hardware From Old Purses
By ficklephonebug from Bakersfield, CA

Pinata From A Paper Bag
By Delene from Portland, Tennessee

Photo Contest Winner

Frame A Favorite T-Shirt
By Lily from South Bend, Indiana

Thanks for all the great submissions!

Thanks for reading,

Susan

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Father's Day "Beer" Mug

Here's a fun, inexpensive and easy to make Father's Day gift.

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Utah Morning

Just wanted to share my capture of beautiful Utah sky in the morning!

By Stacey Silva from Orem, UT

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Jakie (Red Headed Conure)

I'm not sure how old Jakie is. She is a Red Headed Conure. She was our grandmothers.

She likes to play on our bed with her babies and her cardboard box. She is spoiled rotten.

By Melissa from Dallas, NC

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Dakota Star (Timber Wolf/Husky)

Dakota Star is now 18 months old. She is a Timber Wolf/Husky. We are wolf/wolf dog rescue and she was born in our compound.

She can do anything she wants. She is house broken, rides well, digs holes deep enough to bury a car and lays in a kiddie pool to cool off.

I don't see Dakota as a pet, she is the one that has me well trained.

By Jeanine/Spirit Woman from Welaka, Florida

Editor's Note: Here's a previous post for Dakota Star

• Dakota Star - Wolf/Husky

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Odee (Yorkshire Terrier)

Odee is 3 1/2 years old. He is a Yorkshire Terrier. We got him back in 2003. We had a Yorkie named Toby. He was almost 12 years old. He went real fast, on a weekend. He was gone by Sunday night, he died in my arms. I could not go to work the next day and cried for 3 weeks straight.

My husband decided to get another Yorkie. My friend Karen had some that were born about the time Toby died. So we brought Odee home when he was 7 weeks old.

It helped me a lot. It was almost like Toby never left us as Odee did everything that Toby did. Odee was Toby's distance cousin. He likes to play with his ball and chase the 2 cats in the house. He loves to go outside to try and chase the squirrels. He does everything with us. Odee is a very smart and beautiful dog.

By Darlene Coleman from Perry, IA

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Passports Required For Air Travel To Canada and Mexico

I just read an article in the L.A. Times reminding me that if you are going to Canada or Mexico by air, you need a passport now. And what's more - new passports, even renewals are now taking 4 months plus to go through! I've let mine lapse, ugh - so it's another thing to do. So if you plan to do any traveling, get your passport in order NOW to avoid having to pay extra for getting your paperwork expedited.

By pamphyila from Los Angeles

Editor's Note: As of June 8, 2007, travelers who are waiting for a passport but haven't received it yet can travel with a government issued photo ID and proof of application. This will be good through September 30, 2007.

• U.S. Citizens with Pending Passport Applications Allowed Temporary Travel Flexibility

Also you can still renew your old passport (if you got your passport within 15 years ago while over age 16 when it was issued and still have the same name), you can still get it replaced rather than going through the whole application process again.

• Renewing Your Passport

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Plan Shopping Trips To Save Gas

To save gas, peruse all the food circulars you get each week. I usually hit 3 stores, going to the furthest one first and working my way back home, stopping at the drugstore, garden store, etc. in the same trip.

Another Tip: Start your own coupon swap; each person buys a different Sunday paper and we trade off unwanted coupons.

By Rhea from Long Island, NY

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Reuse Your Address From Bills

After you have finished with old accounts/bills, instead of throwing out or shredding the whole thing, cut off your name and address and use these to glue onto the back of envelopes when sending/writing letters to friends, etc. It saves getting name labels printed and looks quite professional.

By Katie from New South Wales Australia

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Jim Snyder - Saving You Money

We have a local news station here in So. Nevada that helps us save money in ALL areas of our lives.

• KVBC - Saving You Money

The 'lawn tonic' idea has been written about in books and used in Colorado, where they're going through a water shortage like we are here in southern Nevada.

"When you don't have a lot of water and we're on watering restrictions, this is another way to get the nutrients to your lawn and keep it growing."

The secret formula is actually just a mix of common household ingredients. All mixed into a 10-gallon hose-end sprayer. Each ingredient does something different, it feeds the lawn, penetrates the roots and promotes growth, and even kills bugs and grubs.

The next one I used is one ALL of us have had to deal with (ewwww)!

What started as a mistake has turned into the biggest cockroach massacre Las Vegas has ever seen. Since we told you about the homemade bug trap and showed you how well it works with our "bug-cam", the calls and emails have been pouring in.

And thanks to the Saving You Money Team, people are winning the war against the roaches all over town.

"This is nothing but coffee grounds and a little bit of water, that's all that's in there, that's what Jim Snyder said to do, so this is a fantastic idea. I'm not a bug collector, but I'm happy to have them here rather than coming through my door into the house.

They have tips on how to take your mortgage payments from a 15-30 yr loan and have your house paid off in 5 years! How to save gas like UPS drivers :) Hint: making only right hand turns!

Please check out this site and BOOKMARK it or better yet, use it as your homepage.

Enjoy saving yourself money.

By Laurie from Pahrump, NV

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Listerine For Pet Odors

This is how I get rid of pet urine odors. I have a lot of cats, when one pees on the carpet, the other ones do it in the same spot. I spray Listerene mouth wash on the area and the smell goes away. I've tried everything, this really works. Every morning, I lightly spray over my carpets and cloth furniture and it also makes the house smell fresh.

By Melissa from Blytheville, Arkansas

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Locating Speedtraps

Want to locate places in your area where there are speedtraps? Here's a site where you can find the ones in your area or list the ones you know. This is for the U.S. and Canada only.

• http://www.speedtrap.org/speedtraps/stetlist.asp

Editor's Note: ThriftyFun does not endorse or encourage speeding. Not only is it dangerous, it also has an negative impact on your vehicle's fuel economy. Having said that, it is good to know where speed traps are located. They usually set them up right after the speed limit has gone down so taking note every speed limit sign is the best bet to avoiding a ticket.

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Homemade Mosquito Repellent

Use equal amounts of pure vanilla and water in a squirt bottle. Works great for children too!

By Salmon Patty from Camden, MI

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Debtors Anonymous For Financial Help

I just found a great financial resource. We all have issues around money, and a place to take those issues is Debtors Anonymous (or DA for short). It's a 12 step program all around financial issues, and it includes working with businesses, too, which I didn't know before. Went to a meeting with a friend, and the folks were very nice and the atmosphere was healing, unusual to find around monetary problems! The national site, with links to your local groups. Boy, 12 Step Groups are a thing to be proud of. And all run on modest donations.

• http://debtorsanonymous.org/

By pamphyila from Los Angeles

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Egg Whites as A Facial Mask

My mom used egg whites as a facial mask, she always had a beautiful complexion (you never would have known she was 77). I used it when I was a teenager, I always had pretty clear skin myself. I have had people comment that I still have such a smooth complexion, I don't use them all the time because, quite frankly, I forgot about it. I remembered it a couple of days ago, so I'm going to start them again.

Instead of using eggs, separating them and wasting the yolks, I bought a carton of egg whites, it's a lot cheaper than commercial facial masks, you just put a little in a cup or bowl and whisk it as though you're going to scramble them (don't add any salt or pepper) . Smooth it over your (dry) face and wait a few minutes for it to dry. You'll feel your skin pulling tighter but it's not painful, it actually feels pretty nice. Rinse it off with warm water. I've even put it on before my shower and rinsed it off in there. I have very sensitive skin and, since this is natural, it doesn't bother my skin at all. If you try this, I hope you like the results.

By Gloria from Snellville, GA

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Waste Paper Basket

Have you ever noticed there are some very nice waste paper baskets in the stores. They are so expensive, so I tried to decorate my own:

Materials

• $1.00 store plastic basket in white, or yellow or pink or blue
• $1.00 store doilies
• $1.00 store flowers
• glue gun

Directions

Wow, this is so simple and so cute. I am now going make one for a gift for my baby granddaughter's room: pink, pink dolls, the lace, the doily. What a nice gift, fill with appropriate oils, creams and lotions for the baby. Hope you enjoy this craft, I know that I did.

By Janet from Toronto Ontario

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Monopoly Money for Treats

When grandkids are visiting for the summer I have already bought up lots of things from garage sales and then they help with different tasks at the house. They can earn Monopoly money to "buy" one of these treats. (No help, no treat!)

By Carole

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Juice Stain on Carpet

How do I get red juice out of the carpet?

Ashley from UT

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Vibrating Noise When I Flush The Toilet

I get a loud vibration noise when I flush one of the toilets. Does anyone know the cause and cure for this?

Beatrice from Swift Current, CA

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Possums In My House

This is the second time in a 3 week period my little Jack Russell terrier woke us up in the middle of the night chasing a possum. So is there a whole family in my house or what? This one was yelling and trying to bite my dog!

Trish

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Recipes Using Jennie-O Frozen Turkey Patties

I bought some Jennie-O frozen turkey patties but unfortunately we don't care for the taste of using them as burgers. Is there anything else I could make with them, by grinding them up in casseroles or something of the sort? Thanks!

Tracy from Shellsburg, IA

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How to Make Homemade Doggie Wipes

Can anyone tell me how to make homemade doggie wipes? I have two pugs that have a lot of allergies, and I want to make some that are unscented with no harsh chemicals.

Joyce from Winnsboro, LA

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Instructions for Confetti Rag Rug

Can someone give me instructions for making a confetti rag rug? I've looked everywhere.

Patty from Perkasie, PA

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Making Cloth Stiffer for Cross Stitching

I bought robin cloth 18 count afghan size 58X43 inches. The squares are so soft and flimsy that they move when cross stitching and make my work look uneven. Any ideas on how to make the cloth stiffer while cross stitching?

Melanie

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Removing Denture Adhesive from My Mouth

I wear dentures and have to use adhesive. My question is, how can I easily get the adhesive from the roof of my mouth when I take out my dentures? I try brushing and it just doesn't work, and it is annoying to have the gunk still in my mouth after removing the dentures. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated. TIA.

jmz2005 from illinois

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Tool Bar for MS Word Disappeared

I have Microsoft Word. The bar across the top of the document page used to have buttons for adding bold, italics, changing font, changing font size. This has disappeared.

The Help feature refuses to recognize my cd's, because it tells me I need to put one in, and when I do, it doesn't like it.
Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks,

Holly from Richardson, TX

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Cell Phone Interfering with Speakers

I have a problem with my cell phone interfering with my computer speakers. At times, when I have my cell phone near my computer, I can hear a static type noise. Sometimes before my cell phone rings, I can hear it. It is very annoying. Does anyone else have this problem? Will it cause a problem with the computer or cell phone? Is there a way to fix it other than keeping the phone away from the computer? Thanks, this has been bugging me for quite awhile and I appreciate any help.

Mike from PA

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Stitches Skipping on Sewing Machine

I have a problem with my sewing machine. When I stitch on light material I am getting stitches. But, when I stitch on heavy material the stitches are skipping.

Again when I go back to light material I am getting good stitches. Can anybody guide me what I have to do to get good stitches while stitching on heavy material. What adjustment I have to make. My machine is Singer-Industrial model and material is leather.

J.Loke Singh
Hyderabad

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Bringing Down My Blood Sugar

I would like some natural remedies for bringing down blood sugar. If you have anything that worked for any of you, I would certainly appreciate it. Thanks in advance. God bless you all.

Bettybazzle from Summerville, S.C

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Struggling Petunias

I have a couple of hanging baskets, they have pretty petunias. They have been in shade lately (whoopsie) and now they are very tall and sparse. (I assume from trying to get sun?) I have put them back out in a sunnier location, but how do I get them to fill out? Do I need to clip the tops off, or what? Thanks so much?

Hardiness Zone: 5a

Shirley from Michigan

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Uses for Cat Litter

Does anyone have any ideas for the cat litter that doesn't clump? I bought a large bag by accident. What else can it be used for other than absorbing spills? I have no car.

Thanks,
80di from Bow Island AB

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Fundraising for a Band Trip

My daughter is a band member for the South Georgia Wildcats. The band will be going on a trip to the Battle of the Bands in Louisiana and need to raise $10000 by June 21, can someone please give me some ideas of raising money.

Thanks,
Pam from GA

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Growing Berries in Thailand

I come from Canada but now live in Thailand and really miss berries - blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc. I cannot find berry seeds here, but am traveling to the UK next month. Would I be able to grow berries here? Could I grow them in a controlled situation? Thanks so much for any help!

Hardiness Zone: 11

Leah from Chonburi, Thailand

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Saving Money on Camping

It's camping season! Do you have any tips for saving money on camping trips? Post your ideas. below.

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Paper Savings
By Kelly Ann Butterbaugh

Paper isn't always expensive. A package of several notepads can be found in any dollar store. Yet, knowing that the average American consumes more than 661 pounds of paper per year, it doesn't take much to realize that those pages add up. Consider these ways to save on paper cost and save the environment at the same time.

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$10 Dinners: Parmesan Chicken And Veggies

These meals are intended to be a relatively simple and healthy weeknight meal for a family of four. We assume that these dinners are being made in a kitchen stocked with regular kitchen staples. We will not include prices of oil, sugar, flour, spices, etc. unless you need a substantial amount or it is unusual. Regional food prices may vary and can be reduced by smart shopping techniques.

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