January 3, 2011 | ThriftyFun

Quick and Easy Beef and VegetablesI like this recipe because it is cheap, extremely easy, and very tasty.

Gift Ideas for a Girl's 17th BirthdayWhat should I buy as a gift for a girl's 17th birthday? Please help as her birthday is in 5 days.

Oven Baked Meatballs These are so great, and a lot cheaper than buying them in a store!

Setting Up a Household BudgetHere's my situation; I am currently unemployed and can't seem to find a job. I need help with money management. I need a budget. Is there a dependable budget online I could use to survive on 1600.00 a month?

Rolo PretzelsIt's extremely easy, and they are "just right" bites. Decide how many you'd like to make. (I usually make about 50). Put parchment paper on the cookie sheet. Place pretzels on the cookie sheet.

Coffee EggnogIn a small bowl with electric mixer at high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar until stiff peaks form.

In large bowl, beat egg yolks until lemon colored.

Names for a Child Care BusinessI'm starting my daycare business and need a name using Dareese. Please help.

Roast Beef and Asparagus AppetizersIt will depend on how many spears of asparagus per pound and how thinly the deli department slices the roast beef as to how many appetizers this will make, but generally it's about 3 dozen.

Olive Garden House Dressing (Copycat)Mix all ingredients in a blender until well mixed. If this is a little too tart for your own personal tastes, add a little extra sugar.

What Breed is My Dog?What's our dog's mix? We have adopted two puppies a few months back from a shelter. We were told our boy who is about 4 months is a Lab/Retreiver mix. What do you all think? He is huge for his age, his paws are gigantic. He's kinda a lazy pup and is more of a cuddler!

Choosing the Color for Laminate Flooring in KitchenWe have maple colored cabinets, white appliances, and our kitchen colors are toffee crunch (a very light mustard yellow) and cranberry. We are looking at putting in laminate wood flooring to match our cabinets, but our current countertops are a very light yellow.

Decoration Ideas for Masquerade QuinceaneraI turned 15 last month, and I'm going to have a masquerade ball themed Quinceanera in August. I still have plenty of time, but I want my colors to be pink and silver with some gold or black. If you guys have any suggestions of decorations please let me know. Please and thank you.

Cleaning a Wedding DressI am getting married in June and purchased my dress from a thrift store. It isn't terribly dirty or anything; I could wear it as is, but I'd like to clean it to make sure that it looks its best. The label says "do not wash, do not dry clean professionally, spot clean only."

Noxzema and Cornstarch "Clay" RecipeYears ago (10-15) I found a Noxzema and cornstarch recipe that mimicked clay and dried to a porcelain finish. If you know of the recipe please share it again. I have grandchildren and would love to make some ornaments for different holiday decorations.

Recipe for Hot Dill PicklesI'm looking for a recipe for hot pickles. I've been told they are dill pickles with chili peppers.

How Much Do Filet Mignon Steaks Cost?What are the prices of filet mignon steaks?

Cooking Using a Pizza StoneI think it was last year a lady on here told us about a woman on Facebook cooking with a pizza stone. Does anyone remember her site?

Unclogging a Pipe Under the House Without an AugerMy pipe under my trailer is backed up. We do not use baby wipes in my house, but they are coming up out of the pipe. I do not have the money to rent a auger. And my landlord wants to charge 2000 dollars to unclog it. What can I do?

Problems With the Temperature Control Knob in Ford RangerI have a '98 Ford Ranger 4cyl with a temperature control problem. The blend door is changing to the selected outlet AC/floor/defrost, etc. I only get AC when in the max position, heat everywhere else. Any ideas?

Is it OK to Have Two Different Cabinet Finishes in a Kitchen?I have white painted cupboards and would like to add to these cupboards. Would it be okay to add maple cupboards and leave them woodtone along with the current white cabinets in my kitchen?

Asking My Best Friend to a SadiesI want to ask my good guy friend to WPA (woman pay all, aka Sadies) and I don't know really what to do. I want it to be clever, but not too much because he's my best friend not my boyfriend. Please help. Thanks.

Keeping Cats Away From HouseplantsHow can I keep a cat away from my houseplants?

Cabbage RollsI am making stuffed cabbage rolls stuffed with chicken, rice, and celery.

Whipped Cream Frosting RecipesI am making a cake for a baby shower. I am looking for a few whipped cream frosting recipes for the cake. Not butter cream.

Donating Old TrophiesI have some old trophies to donate, any ideas where I can donate them?

Testing Freshness of Baking SodaHow do you test for freshness of baking soda?

Removing Scratches From Wood TableHow do you fix scratches on a coffee table?

Type of Staples Needed for Recovering ChairsWhat type of staples do I need to use on very hard wood chairs to recover the seats? I have a heavy duty staple gun, but last time I re-covered them, the staples wouldn't go in.

Paint Color Advice for Chairs in a Black, Brown, Beige and Tan KitchenI am wanting to paint my kitchen wood chairs. The kitchen countertops are black, brown, and beige. The floor is light tan tiles. What would be a good color for the chairs?

Removing Sharpie from FabricI have a black backpack with silver Sharpie permanent marker on it. I need the writing off of it before tomorrow. Any suggestions? I can't go buy a new backpack or anything at the store. I'm on a budget. Any ideas?

Testing the Freshness of Corn StarchHow do you test the freshness of cornstarch?

Keeping Armadillos Out of the YardWhat is a safe way to discourage armadillos from your home/yards?

Best Cleaner for Dog Urine OdorI have a 4 year old dog that is constantly wetting on the floor in my bedroom. I can't stand the smell. I have used the Bissell cleaner solution for pets, but still have the same odor. Could someone please tell me the best, least expensive solution to my problem?

Sweet Sixteen Birthday Party IdeasI am praying for help planning my Christian daughter's sweet 16 party. We are 2,000 miles away from our home visiting family for the next 4 months, so none of my daughter's friends will be attending. It will only be family. There will be 60 guests. Please help!

After a Forest Fire (Colorado)While this area had been damaged by a forest fire the previous year, I found a certain beauty still left among the standing tree trunks. The area will recover, but even in this state, there is beauty in nature.

Scenery: Sea Coming In (Withernsea, UK) My girls Stella, 10 and Rosa 4, live in a nice seaside town called Withernsea off the East Coast, UK. We are always at the beach after school. When we went one time, the sea was like this. My girls and I thought this was fascinating!

Wildlife: Deer (Bluntsville, VA)Recently a friend invited me to Bluntsville, VA. This was 100 years ago a beautiful ore mining and plantation area. It is now abandoned with old homes, plantations and acres of untouched forest.

White ChristmasThis was our white Christmas this year in Western N.C. It snowed for more than 10 hours. We got 9 inches of heavy snow. It tied a record going back to 1947. The neighborhood kids were quite busy making snowmen and the usual snowball fights.

Tea as Meat TenderizerTenderize meat by adding equal parts strong brewed tea and double strength beef stock to a tough pot roast or stew. The tannin in tea is a natural meat tenderizer.

Melon Ball Scoop for Perfect CookiesTo get the perfect size cookies, use a melon ball" scooper". Works every time.

Mix Pie Ingredients In Ziptop BagWhen mixing apple pie ingredients (apple slices, cinnamon, cloves, and flour), put them into a baggie and shake. This makes sure that the ingredients are well mixed so that when you put them into a crust, there are not spices on the bottom or flour on the top.

Latex Gloves In The KitchenUse disposable rubber gloves for skinning and prepping raw chicken. If you need to answer the door or are interrupted for any reason; just peel them off and dispose of them.

Buy Reduced Red and Green Items for Other HolidaysRed and green items are usually drastically reduced after Christmas and New Years - candles, paper goods, dishes, etc. Think ahead to two other upcoming days that you will use those colors, namely red for Valentine's Day, and green for St. Patrick's Day.

Dye Ribbon With Food ColorA bolt of white ribbon got rained on and I thought it was ruined, but being frugal, I ran water over it to clean it off. I then dropped red and green food color on both edges of the rolled up wet ribbon.

Uses for Old Christmas or Greeting CardsDon't throw away all the pretty Christmas cards you get away. There are so many things you can do with them. Everyone knows you can make postcards and name tags for gifts with them, but you can also cut out the design you might want to use when you scrapbook.

Keep Cats Out of PlanterI grow sugar snap peas in a half-barrel, right outside my back door. The neighborhood kitties think that this is an ideal cat-box location and used the barrel as such, driving me (and my indoor cats) crazy!

My Frugal Holiday: Thrifty And Green ChristmasHow I saved a lot of money this Christmas and helped save the planet while I was at it:

Homemade Dog FoodJust think, no more worries about recalls on pet food!

Cat Toy Using Jingle BellsThis is the time of year to stock up on jingle bells to make cat toys for the animal shelters. Attach a bell on each end of a pipe cleaner then wrap it around a pencil to make a spring.

Fred & Friends Tank Up Mug ReviewThis expensive mug is a cute idea, but the quality is so poor that the design washes off completely in the dishwasher.

Craft Project: Recycled CD JewelryBeautiful brooches and earrings made from recycled CDs.

Cheese and Crackers for 100 PeopleI am serving cheese and crackers prior to a large wedding reception dinner. How many lbs of cheese per 100 guest do I need to have?

Dollar General CoffeeDoes anyone know who makes Dollar General Coffee, Clover Valley Sunshine Blend?

Cheese TartsWith mixer, beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla.

Spicy Tomato SoupSaute onion in margarine in large heavy saucepan over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.

Training a Pitbull PuppyI have a 8 week old Pit. Is it OK to put him on his back and hold his mouth till he becomes submissive? Or is it OK to put him on his back and continue staring at him till he looks away? Should I not try these at all?