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Vol. 8, Num. 114, June 11, 2009 (Read It Online) Do you have any tips for paying bills on time? Feel free to share them here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_contest.ldml We forgot to publish the link to the full contest results yesterday. You can view them here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/contest.ldml?contest=13969 Be sure to give a "Thumbs Up" to tips and photos that you like! Get ThriftyFun updates on Twitter:
Thanks for reading, The ThriftyFun Team
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Using Every Bit of Laundry Detergent Oh, the good old days. We were young, in love and in college. We would spend $10 a week on groceries, eat at A & W on Tuesday for .15 Coney with .15 mug of root beer. On Sunday night, we would hit McDonald's for their yum cheeseburgers, which were made of real meat back then. We were so broke that we did not buy paper towels or napkins. Gas was about .25 a gallon. My husband sold pots and pans to put us both through college. Now, I am wondering if we will be living on a similar budget as we think about retiring. I have always cut corners and watched my pennies because we have never made a huge salary plus we had three children at home to love and raise. Here is a surprise that I discovered recently. It may surprise you, too. This is not a reflection on the product in the picture because about the same amount came out of a very expensive All Free and Clear. It is what is left in the bottle, which would normally be trashed. I removed the plastic pour spout by using a butter knife and a dishtowel. You will need the towel because the spout is slippery. Push the edge of the spout up with the knife until it is completely off of the bottle. Turn the bottle upside down into a cup and let it all drain out overnight. The result was over 1/2 cup of detergent. It was enough to do one more load. Are you wondering now how many loads you have missed? Try it. There is no use in throwing your money away or putting it in the recycle bin. By Carol from Hartselle, AL Contest Contender!
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Here is a photo of a bird house "neighborhood community" that my dad and step-mom created out of gourds they grew last year. By HICKCHIC3 from North Augusta, SC Contest Contender!
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Parker, Rosie, Emma and Ginger (Dogs Playing) Parker, Rosie, Emma and Ginger: Parker will be 10 in July, Ginger 7, Rosie 6 and Emma 5. Parker, is a Labrador/Rottweiler mix. Rosie, is a German Shepherd/Mini Pin mix. Emma, is a Great Dane/Labrador mix. Ginger, is a Boxer/Border Terrier mix. We adopted Parker as a puppy from Animal Control. Rosie was a stray that adopted us, literally. I rescued Emma from a very horrible situation. Ginger was a Foster Dog that we adopted. Rosie and Emma love to chase squirrels. These two play together for hours. Rosie loves playing with water. Parker is very smart and we play games to outsmart each other. I hide things and he'll find them. He'll steal my shoes which results in a game of me pleading, chasing after him. He really, all kidding aside, is a very bright dog. Ginger is a homebody and the cat protector. Ginger will sit by the front window for hours upon hours. I was working in my office one afternoon and the dogs wouldn't settle down. They had been inside, outside, inside, outside, doing the racetrack run through the house when I started taking pictures of them. This picture reminds me of Tag Team Wrestling. Starting from the left, the gold dog is Ginger who has pinned Emma. On the right, Parker is on his back being pinned by Rosie. They had a great time and as usual they made me laugh. By CaroleeRose from Madison, Alabama Contest Contender!
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These contests are weekly. We pick 2 tip winners and 1 photo winner at the end of each week. Each winner will win $25!
Saving and Printing Recipes on Cards When I find a recipe that sounds interesting and don't want to write it down and don't always have good luck at saving it or don't want to save the whole page, I found a compromise. I copy and paste what I want to keep and paste it into a blank e-mail and save it as a draft. Then when I have a chance to I open the draft, then save it to file in my documents. My print shop program is then opened. I find the best place to open and insert the recipe to and if that fails I copy and paste it instead. By trial and error you can find a form that enables you to place the recipe on and print out onto a 4x6 or 3x5 inch blank recipe card. I found using the photo ones work great. I made small cookbooks for friends doing this. Some I typed in because they were my recipes in my head. You can edit, change type, etc if you care to. I found I get a lot more recipes this way and not skip over them because it was time consuming to write it down or deal with at the moment. By Bev from Uvalde, TX Contest Contender!
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Use Ziplock Bags for Space Saving Storage Ziplock bag come in some very large sizes now. I recently tried using a vacuum hose to suck the excess air out like the space bags that are advertised but are expensive. It worked! I'm now going to use these to pack my bins for the next move. By notwrong Contest Contender!
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Reviews of OFF! Clip-On Mosquito Repellent Product: Off! Clip-On Mosquito Repellent Manufacturer: S.C. Johnson, Inc I bought one of these to try and was more than extremely disappointed. It didn't REPEL the mosquitoes, it ATTRACTED them! I had more mosquitoes around me than I ever had without this thing! It is definitely going back to the store! By Cricketnc from Parkton, NC Contest Contender!
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Use Reusable Grocery Bag as a Gift Bag Sustainable, reusable shopping bag that all stores now offer with their logo make great and very reasonable gift bag. The grocery bag cost $2.00 or less; decorator gift bags can cost as much as $7.00 to $10.00. The best part is the grocery bag can be reused many more time than paper. With the proposed tax on traditional paper or plastic grocery bags makes this gift idea even more economical. Source: Own idea; it started out as a joke with a Good Will bag for my sister's birthday. By bgd48 from Wisconsin Contest Contender!
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We go through so much laundry. Laundry soap can really cut into a budget so here is a recipe to help you save dollars and keep you family smelling good. I find all of these at Harps. Ingredients
Grate the soap then put it in the food processor and pulsate it into a fine powder. Mix all of the ingredients and store in a covered tub. I use an empty gallon ice cream bucket to keep this all in and you only need 2 tablespoons in the wash for this. It will not form a lot of suds and will get your laundry clean. 1/2 cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle will freshen your load. For more tips and recipes, visit my new blog: By momma2many from Arkansas Contest Contender!
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This tip is from a magazine and it works so well I want to share it. In a bowl: place contents of 1 box of baking soda. Add a small amount at a time of your favorite dish washing liquid. Stir as you add the liquid soap, and stir to a smooth paste. Place the cleaner in a container with a lid, label it with a marking pen, and use to scrub things that need a little bit of gentle scouring action, like the bathtub. This shouldn't scratch surfaces, but you might try it on a spot that doesn't show, if you aren't sure of the durability of your surface. Rinse with clear water, polish with dry cloth if desired. This "tub scrub" worked beautifully on my maroon plastic hot tub. It also cleaned stainless steel just to a glorious shine, & made my chrome sparkle. I love this stuff. I use less time, less elbow grease, and it costs less to use to clean. It gives great results. What's not to love? Source: Woman's World Weekly Magazine By Sugarfoot from New Mexico Contest Contender!
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How do I repair a spot on my table where fingernail polish was spilled and took off the varnish? By jennypooh8 from Lavergne, TN Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf48160482.tip.html
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Rate It: The entire inside of my microwave oven is discolored with some scorch stains. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf159495.tip.html
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Rate It: Cellulitis Is Causing My Skin to Peel Has anyone on here ever had cellulitis and then when it started clearing up your skin peeled? I have lymphodema in my legs and got cellulitis a few months ago. It spread over both legs, my upper arms and one inner thigh. When I got through with my antibiotics my skin started peeling badly. That took a few weeks to stop. Now I am getting cellulitis again and guess I am going to have to get back on antibiotics. Has anyone else ever been throughy this and know what I can do to stop the cellulitis and the peeling? Thanks for any help you can give me. By micksgirl from Paducah, KY Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf78363677.tip.html
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Rate It: Inexpensive Deodorizer Recipes I am looking for the best and most inexpensive way to deodorize my home. I like it to smell like cookies or apple pie or pumpkin pie, anything yummy. I have a soft heart and have taken in 5 homeless kitties. I don't know if my home smells, but I want to be sure that it smells good! By aupouvoir from Naples, FL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf67374245.tip.html
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Rate It: I'm finding it too expensive to keep printing coupons from the internet and the local library charges .25 per page. Does anyone have any good ideas for getting coupons without having to buy a newspaper each Sunday? The last time I did this I put out $1.50 and there was only a few coupons I need. It did not add up to $1.50. By notwrong Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf77517792.tip.html
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Rate It: Tips for Fishing Without a Boat I love to fish but I have to fish from the bank because I cannot afford a boat. I use worms and minnows. I am looking for tips for catching fish from the bank. By chuckwms from Lexington, NC Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf94354090.tip.html
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Rate It: I have some lovely baby clothes that were given to me. Unfortunately they have what might be formula stains on them. Can anyone out there tell me how to get the stains out? Thanks bunches. By anbsmommy from Spanaway, WA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf170835.tip.html
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Rate It: How can I keep wood bees from drilling holes in the rafters on my deck? By de1548 from Murray, KY Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf58987394.tip.html
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Rate It: Bathroom electrical outlet is not working. When tested, the wires showed no power. The fuse box did not trip. Can this be repaired? By jdaloia from Barnegat, NJ Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf846538.tip.html
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Rate It: Color Advice for Kitchen Counter Tops I am changing countertops in my kitchen. The cabinets and oak floor are stained pecan color. Kitchen is medium in size. What is the best color of laminate counter tops to use? By robbiegh from NC Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf190522.tip.html
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Rate It: Keeping Sugar From Becoming Hard How do you keep a bowl of sugar from getting hard? By cuddlebug2710 from Sarasota, FL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf162909.tip.html
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Rate It: I would love to have whiter teeth, but when I use the teeth whitening products on the market I get mouth sores and even have a strange soreness to the back of my throat for a few days. Does anyone know of anything else to use besides those strips and trays? By notwrong Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf713822.tip.html
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Rate It: Mower With a Briggs & Stratton Engine Won't Start Our riding mower will not start. It's a very long story that goes back about 3 weeks. In a nut shell, the engine has been rebuilt, carburetor has been rebuilt, we have fuel, we have spark, new battery, new spark plug, compression is good, the mower just turns and turns, but will not start. Timing has been triple checked and is perfect. It wants to start so badly (and so do we). Any ideas? It's a Briggs and Stratton model 31C707, Type 0603E1. By starrah3 from Roanoke, VA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf14752090.tip.html
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Rate It: Name Ideas for a Cleaning Business I am trying to come up with a catchy new name for my Commercial Cleaning business. People call me Jo or Jay and I was thinking of maybe using that. Any suggestion? By AfroJo from Mississauga, Canada Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf86502935.tip.html
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Rate It: Cleaning Mold from Teflon Pots I had a sink full of dirty pots and pans when I got called out of state for an emergency. I filled the sink with bleach water and left, planning on being back in a timely fashion. Things went crazy and I ended up being away from home for three weeks. I came home to the same sink full of pots and pans with a lovely little addition, mold. Now I'm on the brink of throwing out my entire collection of pots and pans. Is there any way to clean these so that they are safe to use or should I just toss them? They are Teflon pots and pans. By aculig from OH Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf46977193.tip.html
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Rate It: Using an Egg Pack for Oily Skin I have heard about the egg pack that one can use for oily skin and pimples, but is it the whole egg? And is anything else added to it? Is once a week enough? By sincerity Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf50774507.tip.html
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Rate It: Does anyone have any ideas for uses for thin vacuum sealer bags. They don't work with my Foodsaver. By ramonasct from Mobile, AL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf58430694.tip.html
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Rate It: I purchased a used 100% cotton off-white upholstered chair with unknown stains on it. What do I use to remove the stains? By CMcIntyre08 from Canada Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf361775.tip.html
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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:
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