Daily Thrifty Tips
Volume Four, Number 8, January 8, 2005
http://www.ThriftyFun.com
Hello,
So far we have three entries to our photo contest, will be publishing those tips on Monday.
If you are interseted in entering the contest here are the type of of entries we are looking for...
- A craft tip with a useful photo
- Craft instructions with a useful photo
- Gardening how-to with a photo
- Garden decoration or or creative planter idea with a photo
- Organizing tip or how-to with a photo
- Decorating tip or idea with a photo
- Wedding tip or idea with photo
- Cleaning tip or hot-to with a photo
- Country living or frugal living tip with relevant photo
- Party theme ideas with photo
Enter The Photo Contest:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/photo_contest.ldml
Thanks for reading,
Susan
Enter The Tip Contest:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/contest.ldml
Enter The Photo Contest:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/photo_contest.ldml
Frugal solutions to everyday problems: Submit a request...
http://www.thriftyfun.com/add.ldml
Today's newsletter contains:
Today's Tips:
- Bath Salts For Tired Muscles
- Uses for Paper Towels
- Make-Shift Vegetable Steamers
- Uses for Old Christmas or Greeting Cards
- Using Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces
- Affix An Envelope To The Fridge
- Keeping Pots from Boiling Over
- Sending Flowers Long Distance
- Removing Scuff Marks
- Make A Game Of Saving Money
- Prepare For Garage/Yard Sales Early
- Benefits Of Online Bill Paying
- Replacing Turkey with Chicken in Recipes
- Removing Crayon With Toothpaste
- Storing Christmas Linens
- Checking On Appointments
- Call Ahead
- Homemade Toothpaste Recipe
- Mandarin Style Country Crockpot Ribs
- Beer Braised Chicken
- Crockpot Chicken Cordon Bleu
New Requests:
- Recognizing Quality Clothing
- ThriftyFun News Head Start On Tax Time
More Reading:
- Training a Boxer Puppy
- Cleaning Vomit Odor From A Leather Couch
- Can I remove pine sap from suede?
- Cleaning Suede Sneakers
- Sofa Bed Frame Repair
- Looking For Advice On Vacuum Sealer Bags
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Today's Tips
Bath Salts For Tired Muscles
Use this to revitalize your tired muscles:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sea salt
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1 cup inexpensive shampoo
Directions:
Fill a bathtub half full of warm water. Pour the ingredients into the tub, then add more water, swirling it around with your hand to spread out the bubbles. Now indulge and enjoy.
By joesgirl
View Article: Click Here
Uses for Paper Towels
Tips and ideas for using paper towels, other than wiping up a mess. Post your ideas.
Corn De-silker - shuck an ear of corn and then wipe it down from tip to base with a dampened paper towel-the silk will come off in a single stroke.
Wax remover - place a paper towel over melted wax on the carpet, then iron-the wax will melt into the towel.
Tea strainer - did the bag break in your tea? Layer 2 paper towels over another cup and carefully pour the tea through-the leaves will stay on top.
By joesgirl
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Make-Shift Vegetable Steamers
For a make-do steamer, use an electric frying pan with an inch of water in it. Place the food on a heatproof plate & balance it on some kind of platform - a canning jar ring, perhaps, or a empty tuna can with both ends removed.. Then cover, leaving a small air vent so that condensed steam doesn't drip onto the food.
Or make a steamer from 2 pieces of foil and set it over an inch or 2 of water in a saucepan. Jab small holes in the foil with a sharp pencil & tightly crimp the edges over the rim of the pan. Place the food inside, cover, & steam.
By joesgirl
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Uses for Old Christmas or Greeting Cards
Reusing Christmas Cards
A use for all those Christmas cards we all received. I use the cards for recipe cards. I trim them down (trying not to cut off any of the pictures.) and type the recipe on the computer and I can run the card through my printer balancing the card so the recipe does not get cut off. What fun! See the nice cards and saving on recipe cards.
By Lois
Gift Tags
Don't throw away all those pretty Christmas cards you received! Cut out the small pictures (be sure to check the back of the card, too) and use them for gift tags, holiday decoupage projects, etc for next year.
By Becki in Indiana
View Article: Click Here
Using Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces
Glue jigsaw puzzle pieces around a wooden picture frame for a unique look! You can paint them or leave them "as is" for an abstract look. This is a great way to use puzzles that have a few missing pieces, instead of discarding. It's also an unusual way to cover up defects, nicks & scratches in frames.
By Becki in Indiana
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Affix An Envelope To The Fridge
Affix a #10 envelope to your fridge with a magnet. Write your grocery list on it and put your coupons in it.
By Nancy
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Keeping Pots from Boiling Over
Rub cooking oil inside the top of a saucepan prior to adding the specified amount of water. As the food item boils, it will not boil over. (water and oil will not mix).
By Belinda
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Sending Flowers Long Distance
For hospital patients, call the hospital's gift shop. They charge less than a florist and there is no delivery charge. They are happy you are supporting the gift shop and will have them sent up to the patient.
If you are sending flowers to a person at home, locate the florist near the person and call direct and talk with them. They will let you know what they have in the price range you are thinking. Some have toll free phones.
By Syd
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Removing Scuff Marks
WD-40 will remove most scuff marks from walls and floors.
By Nancy
View Article: Click Here
Make A Game Of Saving Money
Have everyone in the family join in. You must use "survival skills". Make due with what you have on hand. Be creative in being thrifty. You may want to start with two weeks and see how it goes. Make a game of it! You can offer a reward of something that everyone can enjoy later.
Remember wasting money is real easy! Saving money takes some work!
By Syd
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Prepare For Garage/Yard Sales Early
Get boxes NOW and start the year off right, by decluttering your home, closets and garage. You can also price items at the same time. You will be ready in the spring for a great Garage/Yard Sale. You can do a little at a time.
By Syd
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Benefits Of Online Bill Paying
Snail mail bill paying may not reach the company on time and they may assess you a late fee. Paying online, you set up a debit account with the company, so only the last numbers of your checking account show when you pay. And you have an instant record that your payment has been received on time and save on postage too!
By Syd
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Replacing Turkey with Chicken in Recipes
Many recipes for chicken work just as well with holiday turkey leftovers. I used a chicken curry recipe for dinner and substituted turkey. The flavor is better if the pieces of turkey are stir fried just enough to brown them.
By Lynn
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Removing Crayon With Toothpaste
Use toothpaste to remove crayon from surfaces/walls. Rub in and wipe off! My toddler colored on my living room wall one day (just left the room for a second!) with non-washable crayon. The bright orange picture he drew came off instantly with toothpaste (use paste not gel)! Also works on other surfaces such as tables and floors! Toothpaste also works well for various other marks/messes (i.e. scuffs on the floor and cooked on messes on flat stove tops).
By April
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Storing Christmas Linens
Before you store away Christmas tablecloths, throw pillows, etc., toss in a new dryer sheet. The scent will keep the seasonal goodies from getting musty between now and next holiday season!
By Becki in Indiana
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Checking On Appointments - Call Ahead
Before leaving your house for any appointment, call ahead and see if they are on time. If the doctor is running say, 30 min. late, inform the staff that you will arrive 30 min. late. It's only fair!
By Linda
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Homemade Toothpaste Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup arrowroot
- 1/4 cup powdered orrisroot
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon oil of cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon oil of cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. If the paste is too thick, add more water until the desired consistency is reached. Use as needed. Store at room temperature in a tightly covered jar. Yield: 1/2 cup
By joesgirl
View Article: Click Here
Mandarin Style Country Crockpot Ribs
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup orange marmalade
- 2 Tbsp. catsup
- 1 clove garlic - crushed
- 3-4 lbs. country style ribs
Directions:
Combine all but ribs and brush on both sides of ribs. Place ribs in crock pot and pour remaining sauce over ribs. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.
Half everything for 2 lbs ribs and use a small clove of garlic or 1/4
tsp. from a jar of crushed garlic.
Serve with potato salad (from the market), rolls and a salad.
By Cynthia
From: http://chetday.com/crockpotribs.htm
View Article: Click Here
Beer Braised Chicken
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken breast halves
- 1 can beer (12 ounces)
- 1/2 bottle chili sauce
- 4 potatoes, peeled & cut in 2-inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 4 carrots, peeled & sliced
- 1/2 c. onion, chopped
- 1/4 c. flour, mixed with a little cold water to make a smooth paste
- fresh parsley sprigs, to garnish, optional
Directions:
Combine all ingredients except flour mixture in Crock Pot Cover and cook for 7 to 9 hours on low. Add flour and water paste to the sauce during the last 30 to 45 minutes. Continue cooking, covered until thickened. Arrange vegetables and meat on large platter. Serve sauce separately. Garnish with parsley.
Serves 4.
By Cynthia
View Article: Click Here
Crockpot Chicken Cordon Bleu
Crockpot stuffed chicken recipe with Swiss cheese and ham.
Ingredients:
- 4-6 chicken breasts (pounded out thin)
- 4-6 pieces of ham
- 4-6 slices of Swiss or mozzarella cheese
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup (can use any cream soup)
- 1/4 cup milk
Directions:
Put ham and cheese on chicken. Roll up and secure with a toothpick. Place chicken in the slow cooker/Crock Pot so it looks like a triangle /_\ Layer the rest on top. Mix soup with the milk; pour over top of chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve over noodles with the sauce it makes.
By Cynthia
View Article: Click Here
Vinegar as Fabric Softener
Fill a Downy dispenser ball with white vinegar and toss it in with your clothes. It will dispense in the rinse water and remove all soap and soften clothes.
By Nancy
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Other Active Topics
Be sure to check out our active topics page to follow the discussion.
http://www.thriftyfun.com/board.html
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 January 15th.
Enter the contest!
Syndication Spotlight:
Here are some publishers that have chosen to publish our tips this week!
Dear Webby's Humor Letter
Webby publishes our tips daily! A very funny newsletter.
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New Requests:
Training a Boxer Puppy
I have a 4 month old boxer, and he is definitely a handful! But he has successfully been house broken, sits on command, and lays down. One major problem...when company comes over, he wants to jump all over them, and I can't seem to get his attention to make him stop, so I just put him in the bedroom until he calms down, or he can't come out, do you have any tips for me?
Purplenut
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Cleaning Vomit Odor From A Leather Couch
My wife vomited all over the cushions on my couch. It smells really bad, and i tried to scrub it down with soap and water, however I can't get the smell out. Please help me.
Joe
Editor's Note: This requets was submitted on a thread about leather couches so we assume that is the type of couch Joe is dealing with. Feel free to provide more information if that is wrong Joe.
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Can I remove pine sap from suede?
My father has a nice suede jacket that he recently got some pine sap on while cutting down our Christmas tree. Is there any way to remove it? Any suggestions would be most helpful.
Michelle from Michigan
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Cleaning Suede Sneakers
I just wanted to know how i can clean a pair of suede sneakers that look dirty and have some dirt on them. I got them as a gift and really love them but don't know what to do!
Sheenaandjose
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Sofa Bed Frame Repair
Requesting any solutions or repair for a sofa bed frame which is bent and can be hardly pushed back inside the sofa. The bar in the middle is totally bent as well as the springs. Can this frame be replaced or how can it be repaired?
ladyj7153
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Looking For Advice On Vacuum Sealer Bags
I bought a new vacuum sealer to store and freeze meats and leftovers, but after I cut the bags, I have a hard time opening the two layers of the bag. I got so frustrated the last time I just threw the bag away and went to the store and bought freezer bags. I'd really like to use the vacuum sealer, though. Does anyone have any tips?
Nancy
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Looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem? Submit
your request here: Click Here
Today's Sponsor
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More Reading:
Recognizing Quality Clothing
By Cyndi Roberts and Tomilyn Lane
January is a great month for frugal shoppers! First, there are all the white sales. Best of all, are the clearance sales on winter clothing. And right behind the clearance sales, comes the beginning of garage sale season. But, how do you know if you are really getting a quality garment? Here are some things to think about before you buy, whether you are buying new or used.
View Article: Click Here
ThriftyFun News January 7, 2005 - Head Start On Tax Time
This week's issue contains some tax tips.
View Article: Click Here
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