Daily Thrifty Tips - October 22, 2007

Do you have a pet picture to share with the ThriftyFun community? We start to get low on pet contest entries so now is a great time to show off your pet.

Submit your pet photo and description here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_photocontest.ldml

Here are the contest winners for the week before last...

Photo Contest Winner

Spaghetti and Meatballs Halloween Costume
By Lynn from WI

Tip Contest Winners

Buy Frugal Extras When You Shop
By Wallace from Farmington, NM

Have a Dollar Store Budget
By Pamphyila from Los Angeles, CA

Thanks for reading,

Susan

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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.

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A Jar Filled with Memory Cards

My daughter gave me a beautiful crystal jar with a silver lid, it was filled with memory cards. Each week I was to open the jar and pick a card, it was incredible. What memories that jar holds, I couldn't wait until Friday, and she had enough in the jar to last one year. It is one of the most thoughtful, special gifts I have ever received, and reading them gave me so much joy, I love my children sooo much.

By Jackie

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Craft: Scrappy Knitted Throw Blanket

A few weeks ago, you asked about craft projects from materials bought at thrift stores. I broke my leg in February, and then got a staph infection in the bone, so I had lots of sitting-around time to knit. This is my scrappy knitted throw. My yarn stash from the Burley, Idaho Deseret Industries was in our storage trailer and I couldn't get to it, so I sent my husband and just told him to bring pastels. I finished this last week.

I had trouble with the edges curling, so I requested help from your readers. Several told me to put a couple of rows of single crochet around the edges. It worked! The second photo shows the edging. The throw adds lots of color to the living room. I enjoyed the way this came out so much that I plan to knit a simple sweater in autumn colors as soon as I finish the crocheted cardigan I'm on now.

There is no special pattern. I cast on 158 stitches and knitted in k2p2 for an inch and a half. After that it was knit one row, purl one row. When I ran out of a color, even in the middle of a row, I tied another one on and kept going. It is 5 feet wide and 6 feet long. It was fun to choose colors that I thought would lead the eye to the next stripe. It was pretty much stress-free. I wasn't trying to win the House Beautiful award; just relax and get better.

Thanks for all you do with the Thrifty Fun website. I read every issue and have saved many of the craft projects for later.

Here's the detail of the edging. I crocheted three rows on three of the sides. The ribbing didn't curl, so I left it alone.

Coreen Hart, Rupert, ID

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Deer Near My House

These deer were just down the street from my house and I managed to get a picture of them

By Mythi from Silverdale, WA

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Midnight The Kitten

Midnight is 3 months old. We got him in July 07 from a neighbor. He plays with our dachshund. He likes to hide behind things and jump out at you. He also plays with my beautiful little girl in the picture with him. Isn't she adorable?

By Sandy from Bluff City, TN

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• Tip Contest
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• Photo Contest
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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!

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Use A Rubber Mallet In The Kitchen

I had a pasta sauce jar that wouldn't open (no matter what I did). Out of desperation, I tapped it lightly with a rubber mallet. It worked!

I've seen many TV cooking shows in which a sharp long sturdy knife is partly sliced into an acorn or other hard shelled squash, and then a rubber mallet is used to tap on the knife until the hard squash is cut all the way through. So I bought one for $5.00. We like acorn squash sliced thin and BBQ'ed on the grill, but I can't make it unless DH is home to cut the squash. Usually, I poke a few holes in it and microwave it until it can be cut with a knife. By then, it's too soft for the grill if I haven't caught it in time and stopped the microwave. Haven't tried this particular model of mallet on an squash yet, but it's a dandy jar opener. Just be sure not to hit the lid on the glass jar too hard.

By Holly from Richardson, TX

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Check For Discounts On Cellphone Bills

I receive 19% off my cellphone bill, each month, for being an educator. My husband and I also switched to the family plan. Contact your provider and they will give any information you need.

By Amy from Goshen, NY

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Finger Paints with Shaving Cream

3-D Finger Painting! Perfect for preschoolers and elementary children. Try finger painting with equal parts of washable finger paints and shaving cream (the white, foamy, spray kind). Mix lightly together, then have your little one finger paint on paper. Dries in 24 hours with a 3-D effect. Have fun!

Kerry from Flat Rock, MI

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Gift Wrapping Large Boxes With A Vinyl Tablecloth

I had a large (24 inches long by 12 inches wide by 12 inches high) box to wrap as a wedding gift and couldn't find any wrapping paper that large. Large white, plastic garbage bags wouldn't work either because all the writing on the box showed right through (even using 2 or 3!), and I didn't want to use a black trash bag for a wedding gift!

My solution was to find a pretty but inexpensive ($2.50 at Big Lots--discount store) flannel-backed, vinyl tablecloth and wrap the box in that. I used wide grosgrain ribbon (the wired kind) and clear mailing tape. Then if the recipient wants, they can even use the tablecloth as well as the gift!

By Lynn from Chico, CA

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When Shopping Together, Tie Purchases To Tell Them Apart

When my daughter and I go shopping or to garage sales, I tie the tops of my bags in a knot. That way when she brings me home, it is very easy to recognize my purchases. Bread bag twisties work great too.

By Anna from Urbana, OH

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Replace Gumballs With PomPoms In Gumball Machines

The cute old time gum machines you see at collectors malls have always been a fun thing to have around whether they actually work or not, To have gumballs in them that don't get used sooner than they will need replaced (the gumballs won't last forever) is not only wasteful but an extra hassle no one really needs. Have a nice display in it anyway by filling it with multi-colored pom poms available at most dollar stores in the craft department!

I realize it's "cute" to let the kids have a penny for them and that they get a bang out of doing it but, all the same, is it worth having to replace the gum when it crumbles or gets too hard to enjoy?

By Veronica from Sedalia, Missouri

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Keep A Message Notebook By The Phone

With a forgetful husband and two teenagers, I was never getting phone messages. I put a spiral notebook next to the phone, and everything gets written in there - phone messages, appointments, to-do lists, contact information, reminders, EVERYTHING.

If someone called a few days ago, you can go back and find their phone number again. When things get done, they get crossed off the list. When I have time, I go through the notebook and put the appointments on the calendar, put the contact information in the phone book, and pull the pages that I don't need anymore out and throw them away. But there is no sifting through scraps of paper, no forgetting where you wrote it down, etc.. The key is not letting anyone move it from the phone, EVER!

By Eileen from Chicago

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Sippy Cups For Hospital Stays

Last fall I had two total knee replacements -- the right one first and the left one five days later. My inventive youngest son brought a couple "sippy" cups to the hospital for me. Being extremely dry mouthed, etc. from the meds and quite immobile from the surgery, I had trouble trying to handle a cup and straw without spilling all over myself. The sippy cups were perfect. I'd have pop or juice in one and water in the other. The grandchildren were proud to help their grandmother out with their old cups.

By Judy from Prescott, WI

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Bring Potted Flowers Inside For Winter

Every year I enjoy my potted flowers all summer. So much so that I try to bring something indoors to winter over. One year it was green onions and chard, and one year it was petunia seedlings that had volunteered under the parent plants. This year my creeping jenny has really gotten huge. It had an impatients in with it which got frosted. So now there's a creeping jenny in my one and only sunny window. Maybe I'll put in my little ceramic angel. They'd look nice together.

By Coreen from Rupert, ID

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Hand Sewing Tip - Wax Thread to Stop Knotting

To stop getting knots in the thread when you are hand sewing, pass the thread through bees wax. You can purchase a bees wax notion at fabric stores. This just works wonders! There will be no wax residue left behind.

By Janette from Parkersburg, WV

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Best Food Dehydrator

I am living in Mexico for the time being. I will be returning to the states next month and want to get food dehydrator. It would be wonderful here. Can anyone help me with what type to get? I am low income, but want to get a good one.

Sherry

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Hobbies to Avoid Gambling

I'm a 27 year old single woman and I live in Henderson, NV, close to Las Vegas. Problem is I gamble too much of my money when I get my paycheck. I find myself to be very bored when I don't gamble. I need some new hobbies. Any ideas on what I could do so I wont be bored would be appreciated. Thank you.

April from Henderson, NV

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Christmas Gifts for Grandchildren

Any suggestions for gifts for 13 grandchildren of a Nana living on social security? I usually like to make something, like ponchos for girls and tied blankets for the boys, but don't have the stamina for that this year. I'm anticipating a hip replacement after Christmas. Please send any ideas that you might have that would not be labor intensive and a cost of $20 each or less.

Wondernana from Clovis, CA

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Removing Clear Coat from Automotive Paint

Does anyone know how to remove the deteriorating clear coat from the hood of my Toyota pickup? I would be happy to have just the paint job left underneath.

Rae Ann from Templeton, CA

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Cleaning Memory Foam Pad

How do you clean memory foam mattress pads?

Kathleen from Houston

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Biting Insects in Carpet

I have a 10 year old son with cerebral palsy who has his face to the floor while he plays cause he can't sit up on his own. He has got these bites on different parts of his body. It's too late in the season for fleas. So what could it be that is biting him? And how do I get rid of the problem in my carpet? THANKS!

Sheila from Flint, Michigan

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Saving Money on Butter

Tips for saving money on butter. Post your ideas below.

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Removing Burnt Smell From Microwave

My son cooked Easy Mac in my microwave, but forgot to add water. Now my microwave really reeks! How do I get that horrible smell out?

Lori from New Castle, PA

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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

Daddies Teaching Daughters: Easy Home Repairs

This is the second part of a series of articles about life skills a Dad can teach their daughters. In this changing world, the more that we can empower our daughters to be self sufficient, the stronger a woman we will build. Every Dad should make sure his daughter has a small toolbox of tools that she will need out there in the real world. These don't have to be anything fancy, your old tackle box with some of your duplicate tools will suffice. Some screwdrivers, a pipe wrench and a hammer will work. Throw in a roller and a paint brush and she, with some instruction, should be able to handle most simple repairs.

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The Gymboree Corp. Recalls Toy Swords Due to Breakage and Laceration Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

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Dehydrating Fruits And Vegetables

The next time you go to the grocery store and they are having a great sale or your garden is overproducing, try my friend Amy's trick for easy winter soups. It seems like every time lately that I wanted to make a soup or stew, I was out of two very important soup ingredients, carrots and celery. Either they had gone bad or the grandsons had eaten them or I just plain forgot to buy them. My friend Amy told me that I should try her trick of dehydrating my vegetables.

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Uses for Dried Lavender

Don't know what to do with your dried lavender flowers?

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