Daily Thrifty Tips - June 26, 2008

What are you doing to save money with gas and food prices going through the roof? Do you have any tips to share with ThriftyFun users? Feel free to share them on one of the cotest pages.

Thanks for reading,

Susan

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Crafting for Fun and Money!

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Make Your Own Kitchen Towel Rack

I recently got tired of opening my cabinet doors under the sink to have my hand towel fall off. I came up with a great idea. I went to Walmart and got 2 over the door coat hooks. I slipped them on the "junk drawer" (you can also use a cabinet door)and put a leftover leg support from those plastic shelf units you put together. If you don't have that, you can use an old dowel, or anything that is round and fits inside the cooks. You can also use it for things like your rolling pin, (inside the cabinet if you choose). It can be a nice papertowel holder, great for guest towel over the bathroom door, or for wrapping paper or ribbons (the dowel would need to be smaller in diameter) in the craft room. Since the hooks are separate, you can make them as far apart as you want, but keep in mind too far might need a third one in the middle. My drawers are on the gliders, so it won't close all the way, and you have to keep that in mind if you have the old fashioned wooden doors or drawers. Enjoy!!

Source: This was my idea and started out to be for a towel rack over my shower doors, but the hook wasn't wide enough. So, I tried it over the bathroom door, but not only was it too tall, but the door wouldn't shut. So, I thought "towel...lower door" and viola!

By Sandi from Salem, OR

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Craft: Recycled Plastic Bag Keeper

Recycle a soda pop cup into a plastic bag keeper. This is an easy recycled craft project for kids and adults. Here is the picture tutorial link with step-by-step instructions.

• Recycle a Cup into a Plastic Bag Keeper

By RecycleCindy from WA

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Harley-Girl (Golden Retriever Mix)

Harley-girl is our Golden Retriever mix and will be 5 years old this August. Her favorite hobby, besides chasing squirrels and catching frisbees, is digging for moles. She has been helping to keep the mole population in our yard down for the last couple of years, while entertaining us with her method.

She's good at spotting the mole "runs" and will dig at several intervals checking for movement. When she spots the earth move, she points; the tail is horizontal and one front paw lifts off the ground. She stands perfectly still and waits for the earth to move again, and, when it does, BAM! She lunges forward, head first into the soft earth and plucks out the mole, her face covered with dirt. We lost count last year, but I believe she caught about 20 moles.

This year she's off to a good start. Just this past weekend she's caught two moles! No traps or poisons necessary with our Harley-girl on the job!

By Mary Moo from Wilmington, IL

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Craft: Selling Recycled Bag Rugs

There was plenty of reusable shirt bags behind a clothier here and a handy video to make short work of making the plarn necessary to create handmade items.

• YouTube: Cutting Plastic Bags

My problem is that I am not in a zone that I can sell retail from which I had hoped. So, on Sundays across from me at a park ,it is busier than any other day. Taking advantage of that, I backed my truck up to near the end of my driveway, leaving enough room for 1 other vehicle to get off the street.

I have an over-the-door towel rack that I don't use for towels that fit nicely over the top of my tailgate and I fastened my crocheted rug to it with with my price tag clearly visible! No one bought my rug but I know I can at least TRY, which is 1/2 the success!

By melody_yesterday from Sedalia, MO

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Don't Use Banks For Your Banking

I never set foot in a bank. I only do my "banking" at credit unions where I am never charged a fee for any services. Interest and other rates are comparable or better than banks, and service is way better, as credit unions are member owned and they are federally insured. When I have a credit card dispute or very occasional error on something, it never takes more than 1 phone call to straighten things out. You do have to belong to a group of some sort to belong to a credit union, but often that group is a broad as living in a certain county, or having a religious or employment affiliation.

By Linda from Vista, CA

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Magnetize Your Screwdriver

Having two brothers who loved to tinker around the house, they enjoyed showing me a few tricks. I surprised my darling husband with this one: When you rub a screwdriver or other metals with a magnet you create a magnetized screwdriver, etc. Especially with little screws it was fun to show my husband how that screwdriver hung on to those screws and prevented their getting lost. It wasn't long after that I found every screwdriver, heads of hammers and other metal tools, etc. magnetized by hubby. He's gone now but I still enjoy using his magnetized tools.

By Angela from Glendale, CA

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Make A Freezer Pac With Rice

To make a excellent cold pac, fill a large tube sock about 3/4 full with rice. Keep in freezer for those headaches, aches and pains, etc.

By Fred from Michigan

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Save Money By Saving Trees

I save money and the environment by reusing paper to print on. I reuse printable paper from my own household, as well as my children's papers that come home from school, to print on the blank side. In order to further save, I go online weekly and print online grocery coupons from websites on my "recycled" paper, and then I recycle any scraps that are left after cutting out my coupons. If the coupons expire, they go into the recycling bin, not the garbage. This saves me money in printing paper, as well as in groceries as I use my coupons. It also makes me feel good because I know I am helping to save the environment by reusing and later recycling.

By Jennifer from Delavan, WI

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Use Heat To Remove Lug Nuts

Heat the lug nuts with a butane cigarette lighter. The heat causes the nut, but less so the bolt, to expand making it easier to loosen. And, of course, loosen nuts a bit before jacking car.

By R Gambel from New Orleans, LA

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Craft Project: Rose Beads
By Debra Frick

These beads are made from the petals of the rose. It is a great way to save the beauties of the spring and summer. When you wear any jewelry made with these beads the heat of your skin releases the fragrance of the roses they are made from. No need for extra perfume. It is said that these are what the original rosaries were made of. This is a craft easy enough for children to do and can be quite fun as long as the kids have some adult supervision.

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Use White Paper to Help Thread Needles

Being an 'older lady', I find my eyesight is not as good as it once was and threading a sewing machine needle was a frustrating experience. One day I picked up a piece of white paper and put it behind the needle and easily threaded it. I think it would work for hand sewing needles as well.

Source: I think this is something that just occurred to me when I was sewing though it could have been something I read at one time.

By Pat from Phoenix, AZ

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Use a Magnet to Retrieve Pins and Needles

This one is for sewers, (or if you drop a nail when hanging a picture) whether you have a "bad" back or need to reach into a tight space, this works for me. Stick a magnet onto the end of a knitting needle or yardstick, etc. Then you can easily pick up those pins, etc. that always seem to fall where they cannot be reached.

By Barbara from B.C. Canada

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Build Your Own Smoker

Where we live, the wind blows pretty much non-stop, and we just try to keep fetching things off the fences and returning them to the neighbors. One thing that didn't survive well was the electric smoker. Or the second one. Or the third one.

My husband became very frustrated (read irate and cussing here for frustrated). He wanted to throw the rest of the pieces into the dumpster, but being a packrat...I mean "thrifty", I said, "Baby--don't do it!"

So one day when he was feeling both moderate insanity and also the urge to smoke a chicken (please, no rude jokes here!), he decided to take the electric pan, burner and stainless steel shelf that were left and BUILD HIMSELF A WINDPROOF SMOKER!

HE took cinder blocks, ya know the concrete kind, and built a little rectangular hut out of them, then put the pan and burner in the bottom. He even found an extra shelf out of an old fridge and added more space. A piece of siding that was lying around became the lid, with another block on top to keep the kids and cats out.

Very cool, we had smoked rosemary chicken for dinner and soup the next day. I even got to throw on a little bit of goat cheese, which we found out is completely awesome when smoked.

So, if you have an old smoker whose main body parts have been trashed for one reason or another, FEAR NOT! Just build your own. I'm thinking that if we get a wind big enough to take out this one, then we won't be around to care!

Source: General depravity of entire family. Ok, we're also cheap, I mean thrifty!

By Gina J. from Colorado

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Homemade Aloe Vera Juice

How do you make homemade made aloe vera juice?

Tony from Salt Lake City

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What are these bugs?

I have tiny white somethings (bugs?) in my home and cannot get rid of them. I have no idea what they are. I can feel them when they get on me and cannot see them unless they get on something dark. Once they are on something they are too small even with a magnifying glass to see what they are. I have tried all kinds of sprays and foggers and can't get rid of them. Has anyone else had this kind of problem and if so how did you get rid of them? WHAT ARE THEY? I'm going crazy with them.

Louise from Danville, VA

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Ink on My Laptop Cover

How do I remove ball point pen ink from my laptop cover?

Dave from Chester, UK

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Broken Board Inside a Sofa

The wooden board inside of my sofa that holds the springs in place and gives support is broken and now the sofa sags all the way when you sit down. Can this be repaired and how.

Dionne

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Help My Azalea

A friend gave me her azalea before moving. Before replanting, I removed baby's breath that had wrapped itself into and over the plant. I even rinsed the root system to keep it from returning.

The first year, it didn't flower and the leaves were sparse. I attributed it to the transplanting. Last year, we expanded our deck, and I had to move it again. Now, there are no leaves, and I think the stems/branches haven't even extended. It is completely bare.

Have I killed it? Can I get it to come back? If so, how? And how do I help it become stronger? (Obviously, I'm new to caring for this plant)

Hardiness Zone: 5a

Li from Lisbon, ME

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What is this bug?

What bug that looks like a small black fly with a red underside eats hibiscus plants? What kills them?

Hardiness Zone: 6a

Sally from Hampden, MA

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Underage Clubs Near Revere, MA

My daughter Samantha is turning 16 on July 19th. She wants to have her birthday at an underage club but I can't find one. Could you help? We live in Revere, MA.

Thanks so much,
Theresa

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Gnats on Houseplants

I recently purchased four beautiful Massangeana Cane plants from Lowe's and some good potting soil. I potted my plants in nice planters and within a week there are millions of gnats crawling out of the soil and flying everywhere. I just purchased Knock-Out Gnat from Gardensalive.com and waiting for its arrival. Hopefully it works but in the meantime, is there anything I can do to get rid of these pests?

Madi from Oceanside, CA

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Soil Recommendation for Petunias

I planted wave petunias for the last two years in beds and they start out fine. I water and fertilize, but then they just die. I think the soil must have too much of something. What do petunias need in the soil?

Hardiness Zone: 5a

Mary from Green Bay, Wisconsin

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Removing Tar from Clothing

My boyfriend and I went to the beach and he got tar all over his brand new swim shorts. How does he get it out?

Lauren from Los Angeles, CA

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Am I Getting a Good Deal at My Farmer's Market?

I am just wondering how I can know if I am getting a good deal at my Farmer's Market? We only have one available near me from the first Saturday in May until the last Saturday in October. Saturdays from 9am-2pm.

Anyway, sometimes I find things that aren't in my local store and I wonder if they are a good deal or not. Like green beans today for $2/lb. I haven't seen any in my local stores for a long time. The farmer said originally that they were half price but I doubt that it was. I am just getting into canning and I don't want to end up spending more for canning stuff that I could get in the store - you know? But then again everything is going up in the stores as well... can you tell that I am confused?

Thank you so much for your help!

Nikkiev from Piqua, OH

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Frigidaire Owners Manuals

We just bought a home with a Frigidaire Model GLEFS76AQG oven. The previous owners didn't leave a user's manual for us. How can I get one? Thanks!

Sally Cooper

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Using Vinegar to Clean Above Ground Pools

Can you use vinegar to safely clean your above ground pool?

Mary from Texas

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Nail Polish on a LCD Monitor

I have nail varnish all over my LCD screen. Does anyone know how to get if off without any damage?

Becky

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Credit Card Spare Key

Where can I find a spare key made out of a credit card that you put in your wallet?

Jeff from Paxton, IL

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Hair Dye on a Linoleum Floor

How do I remove hair dye stains from linoleum flooring?

Melinda from Milwaukee, WI

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Cleaning a White Leather Purse

How do I clean my white coach bag? I have a white leather coach bag and is dirty and it looks real bad. I have used all kinds of cleaning stuff and nothing works. Maybe you can help me.

Eliza from Trenton, NJ

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Kenmore Washer Not Spinning

My Kenmore washer is not spinning. You can hear the motor running but it won't spin unless I start turning it first. All other cycles work okay. Please help.

Charlene from Gallatin, TN

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Removing Stains from White Clothes

How do I remove tea stains from white clothes?

Iraj

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Best Paint Roller for Tongue and Groove Paneling

What is the best type and size of roller to use when painting over tongue and groove paneling?

Patti T. from Union, SC

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Burnt Food on Stove Burners

How do you clean greasy, grimy, burnt on food from the top of your stove? It is probably a few years of burnt on cooking around the burners.

Kathleen from Hawthorne, NJ

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Is there a way to make homemade fabric softener?

Does anyone have any new ideas on making your own fabric softeners? I am tired of spending a fortune on the products available in the store. Also, I would like to have a very good recipe for laundry detergent and something to remove spots from clothes (those that appear after you wash them in regular detergent or from other things fading on them). Thanks for any suggestions.

Elizabeth from Dawsonville, GA

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Getting Rid Of Clover In Lawn

How do I get rid of clover that is invading my lawn and flower beds? Does anyone have a recipe I can make?

Hardiness Zone: 6b

Rose from Malvern, PA

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Seasoning a Cast Iron Pot

I have a new cast iron pan that I would like to oil or season before using it? What is the best way?

Rita from Manitoba, Canada

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Butterfly Bush Not Blooming

My butterfly bush is not blooming this year, why? I have the one with blooms that look like little purple butterflies. It's about six ft. tall and three ft. wide, healthy but no blooms

Hardiness Zone: 9b


Norma from Deep South

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Why Did Puppy Get Parvo After Starting Shots?

My Shih Tzu is 10 weeks old today and was diagnosed with Parvo. He has already started his shots, will that help him out or will it be worse? He's hospitalized on an i.v.. He weighed 3lbs, now he's down to 2lbs. Can he survive and why did he get the virus after he had started his shots?

Dana from Gadsden, AL

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Effects and Benefits of Biotin

There is a certain type of B vitamin called Biotin. It is supposed to improve nail, skin, and hair growth by working with carbohydrates that you consume during the day. Can anyone tell me more about its effects and what it does?



Aliesha

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Recipes for Sugar Free Desserts

Does anyone have a recipe for diabetic homemade ice cream, sorbet, etc.? I just got a new ice cream maker, and am trying to eat sugar free foods since I found out I have Gestational Diabetes. Thanks for the info.

Jessica

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Uses for Leftover Frosting

Any suggestions for using leftover frosting? I have two containers that are half full and would like to be able to do something with them besides on a cake.

Kim H. from Joppa, MD

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Preventing Canine Bladder Stones

Does anyone know a recipe for a dog that is prone to bladder stones?

Anne J. from Innisfail, Australia

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Crafting for Fun and Money!

If you are an avid crafter, capable writer and own a digital camera, you are eligible to participate. Submit your craft projects to ThriftyFun and we will pay $15 for any crafts that we publish.

More Information:
Click Here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml

My Frugal Life: Saluting The "Freegans"

It is amazing to me just how many things get thrown out on a daily basis. It is equally sad that the "flavor of the week" fashion item or latest toy is purchased by the avid consumer, only to be discarded shortly thereafter. Imagine the amount of natural resources that are wasted just to satiate unquenchable desires to have the latest and the greatest?

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