Camp Cooking Tips
We just came back from our yearly camping trip. We cooked on both the campfire and a single burner propane stove. We made corn on the cob (dampen and wrap in heavy duty foil and set right in the hot coals for about 40 min or so), BBQ chicken, bratwurst, hamburgers...
How Long To Keep Financial Records?
I would keep any proof of payment for seven years. If you have something pop up on your credit report you will have proof that you paid it. Keep the last statement you received along with the payment info. That way if you need to contact the company later, you...
Ranch Vegetable Pizza
I have enjoyed this recipe for years=it is a family favorite and delicious!!! Summer is perfect to make this recipe because you can use any veggies you want so if you have a garden, you are all set! Thank you for reminding me of this- I havent had it in awhile...
Video Game Review: Roller Coaster Tycoon 2
My son loves this game as well. He also has the first one and also Zoo Tycoon.
Disinfecting Dish Cloths?
I use a clean dishcloth EVERY day and sometimes twice a day if I am doing a lot of dishes. Then I wash them along with the dishtowels (which I also use a clean one every day) in hot water with bleach. The amount of germs on his dishcloth must be astronomical...
Recipes Using Chicken Quarters?
Pull the skin off the chicken quarters and then grab the leg in one hand and TWIST- the leg will become seperated at the joint and then you can take a sharp knife and seperate the leg from the thigh. Use the chicken any way you want.
Statute of Limitations for Excise Taxes?
As far as I know there is no time limit on collecting taxes of any kind. I work at the credit bureau and I know that unpaid taxes stay on your credit report FOREVER until you pay them- they dont come off in seven years like other stuff. I heard of someone getting...
Spot Cleaner for Carpet?
Spot Shot is a miracle product. I highly recommend it. Walmart and Sams Club carry it.
Ziplock Yarn Keeper
My Grandma taught me this same trick when I was a little girl and she was teaching me how to crochet. What we did was unravel the skein and roll it into a ball first (or you can do it when your skein in half gone) and then use an ice pick to make the hole in...
Fat Free Popcorn
This is the only way I make popcorn anymore. There are such scary chemicals in microwave popcorn and loose popcorn is so much cheaper. You can make as much or as little as you want and need no special equipment. We even make it over the fire when we go camping...
Cleaning a Gas Oven?
Heres what I do: My oven was perfectly clean when I got it (came with our house) so I aim to just keep up with it. If I bake something and it goes over, as soon as I take it out of the oven, I turn the oven off and spray on the oven cleaner while the oven is...
Wedding Gifts From Parents?
Well, I guess it would depend on what you want to spend. Some parents feel that whatever their contributution to the wedding costs was actually their gift. You could also buy them luggage for their honeymoon if they dont already have some or pay for some part...
Keep Expenses Low And Pocket The Savings
Im confused-do you mean that you have no intention of paying back your student loans? That isnt right if I understand what you wrote correctly. If you are doing so well with money then surely you can make payments on your student loans- especially if you plan...
Keep Expenses Low And Pocket The Savings
Thanks for the explanation- sounds good to me. Unfortunately I never went to college so I dont know much about student loans-not everybody does. I thought you were referring to a write-off like what occurs sometimes with bad debt. Have a nice day!
Recycling Locations in Seattle?
You can go to http://www.earth911.org and put in your zip code and it will tell you where you can recycle anything. Also, you can just look in your local yellow pages under recycling and it should tell you.
Oregon Governor Lives on Food Stamp Benefit for a Week
Reading some of these responses makes me want to scream and cry at the same time!! Any one of you could be next in line for food stamps! All it takes is one job loss, one disabling illness, one unexpected pregnancy and youll be right there with the rest of...
My Frugal Life: Save and Use Everything
How wonderful for you that you were able to turn your life around! Congratulations! I hope that now somehow you are able to see your children. God bless you!
Frugal Tips For Buying Pet Food and Feeding Pets
I agree with your tips except that with the recent tragedies with the pet food poisonings, it was revealed that one company makes the food sold under 95 different brand names. So essentially people paying extra for Iams were getting the same food as I get with...
Single Serving Meatloafs
Im not sure what I did wrong with this, but when I tried little meatloaves in muffin tins, the grease spurted out and made a big huge mess in my oven!! The smoke alarms were going off, my kids were scared and we had to finish cooking it in the microwave. They...
Ticks on Mattresses?
I would NOT take a chance with these mattresses as ticks carry Lyme Disease which is a very serious illness. I also would not want my children as young as yours to sleep on what was essentially a dog bed. Good luck!
Making Funnel Cakes With Pancake Mix?
Here is a recipe that is just as easy. If you are trying to use up some pancake mix I imagine you could follow this same recipe just adding 1 beaten egg and 3/4 cup milk. The pancake mix already has the salt and baking powder so you could try 1 cup plus 2 T...
Buying Turkey Loaf?
I have bought Jennie-O turkey loaves in the freezer section of both Save-a-Lot and WalMart Supercenter. Just a tip- I peel the foil off the frozen turkey loaf and put the frozen hunk in my crockpot (dont add anything) and cook on low about 6-8 hours and it...
Cleaning a Silver Chain?
I bought a bottle of Tarnex years ago and use it to clean all of my sterling silver including jewelry. One bottle will last a really long time. It smells a little while the tarnish is dissolving but it works in practically an instant.
Hendrix (Siamese?)
Hendrix is a beautiful cat. He sure looks like he has some siamese in him and I think the rings in his tail mean some kind of tabby. I dont think he is pure siamese. But what a charmer!!!
Keeping Records After Someone Dies?
Legally, I dont know that answer to your question, but I would keep them until all accounts are shown to be settled and then at least another year or two after that just to be sure. I would also permanently keep important records such as marriage license etc...
Using a Stove Top Espresso Maker?
I have a small stovetop espresso maker. I use Goya fine ground coffee. You fill the bottom of the carafe with water. You fill the top part with the coffee up to the line. You should see a line marking the spot on the sides. Put the lid on and put it on the...
Is Homemade Flavored Olive Oil Safe?
I read that you should never trust any homemade oils with garlic in them because they could cause botulism poisoning very quickly--there is NO cure. I personally wouldnt take that chance. Do a little research on the internet just to verify that information...
Freezing Egg Salad Finger Sandwiches?
Normally you cannot freeze things made with mayonnaise as they tend to seperate and get watery.
Is 12 Old Enough to Go Places Alone?
There is no way I would let my 12yr old daughter go places alone in this day and age. Let kids be kids for as long as possible. Going somewhere in a semi-supervised group is a different story. For instance, a group of girls go with one mom to the mall and go...
Holiday Gifts for Co-Workers
i have found that people who dont celebrate Christmas usually have no problem accepting gifts or the paid day off- so give!!
My Frugal Life - Returning Groceries
I used to work in a warehouse club, and many times we would refund food when an organization bought too much for example. I would always suggest that they keep it in the freezer for their next function because SPOILED OR NOT -- any refrigerated or frozen foods...
Outdoor Nativity Scene
Thats very nice! Thank You for remembering Jesus at Christmas- so many people forget! Tell your husband we said good job!
Sinus Solutions
Technically, if she did the surgery to correct sinus problems, she did not have cosmetic surgery. The kind of surgery you are talking about involves drilling holes in a deviated septum and things like that to clear open the airway. There is no cutting in to...
Marshmallow Conversion?
I would just melt the marshmallows in the microwave with a little margerine like you do for rice krispie treats and then measure out two cups.
Marshmallow Conversion?
Sorry- I think I understood your question backwards the first time. Anyway, just guess! You probabley wouldnt be too far off :)
Old English Scratch Remover Stains on Hardwood Floors?
I use Old English scratch remover to touch up my furniture every once in a awhile and all I can say is--Dont worry- it wears off!!! It does stain on fabric though.
Drive-In Movies
We are lucky enough to still have a drive-in theater in our area. Its two movies for $7.00. You can bring your own food and drinks for a $5.00 charge or buy from their concession stand. The concession stand prices are really not that bad- better than the local...
My Frugal Life - Coupons, Contests, Freebies and Rebates
Good story Terri, I just wanted to say that I honestly cannot remember the last time that I saw an actual rebate form anywhere other than Best Buy or places like that. They just dont seem to have them around here (we live near the shores of beautiful Lake Erie...
Using A Hyphenated Name After Getting Married
I work for one of the three main credit bureaus so let me just remind you that the more names you have the liklier your credit report will be screwed up. Unfortunately, people do not always apply for credit using the same name. For example, James Alan Smith...
Getting a Civil Service Job?
I dont know about your state but here in Ohio there is a whole section of study guides for the civil service tests right in the local library. Good Luck!
Sweet Cheese Ball Recipes?
This recipe is my familys favorite and Ive given out the recipe many times. Not very low-cal but delicious! Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball 1 8oz pkg. cream cheese, softened 1 stick butter (no substitutes) 1/4 tsp vanilla 3/4 cup powdered sugar 2 Tbsp brown sugar...
Fishing Gift Basket?
My husband fishes a lot also. i think you could get a variety of those plastic worm bait thingies or different types of lures. They say right on them which kind of fish they are good for so think of what he likes to fish for the most. Another idea would maybe...
My Frugal Life: Save Everywhere I Can
We tried running our fan constantly on the furnace/ac and wore out our motor.
Finding Usable Furniture
Just be careful when you are dumpster diving for furniture or computers. Wood furniture is fine and some other items but I would be wary of taking sofas, chairs and other upholstered things and computers because cockroaches and things could be in them. My husband...
I'm Having a Hard Time Being Thrifty?
Well, Im 37 (also in Ohio), and I dont own a home nor have I ever purchased a brand new car. But I HAVE paid off $11,000.00 in debt and then turned around and did it again to the tune of $15,000.00 a few years later. Only then did I learn my lesson. I no longer...
Cheaper Kitty Litter
I tried some thing like this called feline pine (they allow you try a bag for free) and it was a big mess! My cats didnt like it and it ended up all over the floor. I felt like I ended up using more of this stuff than the kitty litter. BUt you never know how...
Handwashing vs. The Dishwasher - Which is more economical?
I also do both. We are a family of 4 and I load the dishwasher with the plates, bowls, mugs and glasses and silverware. I hand wash the pots and pans and anything that cannot go in the dishwasher. I dont let the water run while I hand wash- I fill up the sink...
Dealing With High Energy Costs?
I live in Ohio also and this is the first year that I have applied for the Home Energy Assistance Program. A family a four can make up to $29,025 to qualify. We received $365.00 toward our gas bill. I think this included a little extra because my husband is...
Sadie Rose with Santa (Yellow Labrador...
Sadie Rose is a BEAUTIFUL dog! You can tell that she is healthy as well. Congratulations!
Microwave Heat Bag?
My sister made some of these with a medium weight cotton fabric. She used regular rice and added some essentail oil like peppermint and lavender. They smell great and are very soothing. Then she sewed a little pillowcase for it out of some old upholstery that...
Preventing Lumps in Brown Sugar?
I have always kept my brown sugar in a Tupperware container just big enough to hold one bag. It NEVER gets lumps or gets hard.
Coin Crafts?
Hi! I saw a program once where a person glued old keys to lampshades and stuff like that, so I would imagine you could do the same thing with coins. They were really beautiful. He also glued them to the the glass part of an end table using some kind of clear...
Float Ideas for a Women's Gym?
Have the women who have lost the most weight or toned up the most muscle dress like elves in little outfits and have them on the float doing a stationery bicycle or something. :) Women will want to give themselves a gift of a gym membership for Christmas (or...
Salt Water Fish With Ick?
You can purchase ick medecine at the store. I believe that you just put it in the water. If not, or of the fish dont survive, the store that you bought them at should replace them within a certain period of time. Good luck!
Use for Leftover Wallet Sized Photos
Another good idea for extra pictures is to start a photo album for each of your kids seperate from your own. When they grow up and move out, they can take their own childhood pictures with them and they wont destroy your albums taking the pictures they want...
Homemade Chocolate Milk?
My childs doctor has said that chocolate milk is just fine if it gets your child to drink milk. It just doesnt always have to be chocolate. My solution to this has been to switch to Ovaltine. It mixes well, stays mixed, and you only need about 2 TBSP for a...
Lenny (Mini Schnauzer)
He doesnt really look like what you normally picture a schnauzer to look like, but that little guy has got to be one of the cutest dogs I have ever seen!
Don't Drive Through Flood Waters
On July 16th of this year an elderly couple drove through an underpass that had flooded even though someone was there trying to motion to them not to do it. Well, sadly they were trapped in their car and drowned. It may not have looked deep but in actuality...
Parental Visitations - Easing a Child's Stress
Congratulations! I too am divorced and have always gotten along well with my ex. He and my current husband get along and we have no problems with child support, visitation etc. It makes me so sad to hear about people who divorce each other and then use the...
Painted Wine Bottle
Very pretty bottle. I purchased a painted wine bottle at a craft fair. They left it green and painted pretty white flowers on it and put on one of those special pouring tips. I keep my olive oil in it next to the stove! Another frugal gift idea if you know...
Are Exterminators Worth the Expense?
About 8 years ago, someone gave my husband an old computer that unfortunately for us ended up having cockroaches living inside it. For about $500.00 for a year (I think) Orkin came out and looked everything over and put traps and some stuff that looked like...
Laundry Tips
No matter how hard I try I just cant make myself wash my clothes in cold water. I wash towels and whites in hot and everything else in warm. I always wash full loads and rinse in cold. It just seems like it needs the warm water to dissolve both the soap and...
My kitten won't stop sucking my hair!
I believe I read somewhere that kittens and sometimes grown cats will lick or suck on hair if your shampoo etc was made with animal bi-products.
