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Thrifty Tip Contest
(October 3 - 9, 2009)

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Duration	Entries
October 3 - 9, 2009	45

Article: Build Your Own Emergency Medical Kit

October 5, 2009

It's terribly important to have a medical kit in a convenient place, and I've also found that it's important to have one that's portable, so you can grab it in an emergency.

Comment Was this helpful? 39

Tip: Natural Air Fresheners

(Guest)
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 846 Posts

October 5, 2009

Winter is coming and with that the windows and doors will be closed up tight and odors trapped inside. Here are some ideas to sweeten the smell of your home without harmful chemicals:

Comment Was this helpful? 20

Buy Wallpaper at Garage SalesSome seven years back I managed to collect a lot of matching rolls of Fablon, all from different boot sales. I paid no more than 30p per roll. This enabled me to decorate my half-tiled small kitchen for less than the price of one roll of washable paper!

3 Comments Comment

Halloween RiddlesHalloween fun for kids of all ages! Several years ago I collected about 25 simple, "easy-to-understand" Halloween riddles (available in joke books, online, etc.). I read 5 of them to my kiddos after dinner each Saturday during October.

2 Comments Comment

Keeping Lettuce FreshI buy romaine lettuce when it is on sale, and have found a way to keep it fresh and crisp for up to 4 weeks. Wash your romaine and core it when you get home from the supermarket.

2 Comments Comment

Laminate and Use Keepsake MapsI invested in a laminating machine from the office store a few years ago for some craft projects, and really got carried away. I had scads of road maps, available for free from each state's tourism office.

7 Comments Comment

Never Ending Vanilla ExtractVanilla extract gets expensive if you bake a lot and, with the holidays approaching, there is always that annoying discovery of an empty extract bottle.

Use All Sizes of Your SilverwareRunning out of silverware? I even went shopping for another set. Discovered that I like the ones I have at home better, and realized that the new set wouldn't nest with the old sets.

1 Comment Comment

Use Old Wash Cloth to Remove Nail PolishInstead of using a tissue or cotton ball to remove nail polish, I use an old washcloth. I find this works much better because the texture of the washcloth helps scrub off the polish and it doesn't shred or tear like the tissues do.

2 Comments Comment

Use Saliva to Remove Blood StainsAfter years of trying every product imaginable to get blood out of clothing, I finally found what works. My father-in-law's colleague told him that the person whose blood it belongs to, can "lick" it out. So I tried it.

14 Comments Comment

Use Skin So Soft on Leather and Wood FurnitureThe oil keeps the furniture from drying up, and leaves a nice shine, while the perfume makes the whole room smell nice. Just a couple of drops rubbed in with a soft cloth does the job!

5 Comments Comment

Work On Homework With Your KidsI sat with each of my kids and, after reading homework assignments, we did the homework together. It was quality, fun time (mostly) with each child individually, and the homework got completed.

3 Comments Comment

Childproofing Your Home OfficeMy two year old granddaughter was here overnight and after finding her trying to open a bottle of liquid paper, I decided to childproof our home computer room.

3 Comments Comment

Drilling in WoodMake the job easier and prevent splitting the wood. Drill a pilot hole, and apply liquid soap to the screw. The screw will go in as 'greased' and the soap will dry to help prevent it from coming loose in the future (a drop or two on the screw is sufficient).

1 Comment Comment

Make Pumpkins from Plastic Milk JugsThis is a fun Halloween craft you can help your kids with. Instead of buying real pumpkins to use for your Halloween, decorations, why not use plastic milk jugs instead.

1 Comment Comment

Mashed Potatoes Without FatI discovered a great way for making mashed potatoes, and I don't use any fat in it. While making the potatoes for mashing, I put a can of vegetable broth into a pan, and just simmered it while the potatoes were cooking.

2 Comments Comment

Process Leftover Roast and VegetablesNo one at my home likes dark meat or leftovers for that matter. I learned to get around that by taking leftover dark meat, or any leftover vegetables from a roast, and throwing them in the food processor. This is a great way to "fool" the family, and add flavor at the same time.

2 Comments Comment

Store a Rechargeable Flashlight in Your CarMy husband mounted a rechargeable flashlight to his floor board right under his dash. He used regular screws to hold in place. The rechargeable part fits into his cigarette lighter for his recharging.

Super Frothy Body WashI like this because it works just as good as the fancy stuff and the ingredients are super cheap.

2 Comments Comment

Tips for Cleaning FloorsWhen I wash my floors, I fill a bucket with clean water for rinsing my microfiber mop. In a spray bottle, I add a cleaning mixture. I spray the floor and damp mop.

Titanic CakeI am looking for a recipe for a titanic cake.

2 Comments Comment

Avoid Aluminum Cookware With Acidic FoodsIf you are making a dish with acidic ingredients, DO NOT use an aluminum pan. The whole dish will turn gray because of a chemical reaction.

1 Comment Comment

Buy Frontline In BulkIf you have multiple size dogs, it is cheaper to split a large tube or two of Frontline to cover them all, than it would be to buy a smaller tube for each of them.

6 Comments Comment

Dust Fruit and Nuts With Flour Before BakingWhen using dried fruit or nuts in baking, dust dry flour on the fruit or nuts so that they don't sink to the bottom when it's baked.

Halloween: Upper and Lower GI CostumesThis is a clever and inexpensive Halloween costume, great for adults! When my daughter-in-law was pregnant, that presented a bigger challenge. My creative son came up with a really clever idea for their costumes that year.

1 Comment Comment

Instant Reproduction ArtistRemove the glass from a new picture frame and tape the glass down over the picture image you desire. Get oils or watercolor paints and paint the picture on the glass; using the picture as your 'copy guide (better than 'by the numbers').

6 Comments Comment

Leftover RiceWe made too much rice for our dinner, and had a lot left over. Rather than waste it, I put it into portions in freezer bags. I tied a knot half way-up after squeezing the air out, and put it in the refrigerator.

1 Comment Comment

Scrub Brush to Remove Pet Hair from UpholsteryTo remove pet hair from all upholstery try a stiff scrub brush. The brush picks up the fur, remove it from brush and go again. A lot cheaper than anything else I've ever used.

Start Buying Christmas Gifts in JanuaryAfter Christmas, I start a Christmas Gift Tote for the next year. I place a tote, in my craft room and each month buy a gift to add to the tote or if I find bargains while shopping on particular gifts I purchase 2 or 3 of them and add them to the tote as well.

1 Comment Comment

Use Chili Sauce as a Copper CleanserMy mother is in her late 70's and as such, has a lot of copper pots, which have tarnished over the years.

9 Comments Comment

Do You Really Need New Clothes?Think honestly to yourself. Most of us only use maybe 20% of the apparel in our closets and dresser drawers! Why not resist the impulse to have something new simply to have something new and we usually purchase on impulse anyway.

9 Comments Comment

Give to Food Banks in Lieu of Christmas GiftsInstead of buying Christmas gifts for people who already have everything they need, try donating some food to your local food bank.

4 Comments Comment

Meal PlanningMenu index cards are great for when I can't think about what to cook. They have a whole menu, one menu on one index card. Since they are sorted into the index card file, I have them sorted by what types of meat (chicken, beef, ground beef, pork,vegetarian, etc.).

1 Comment Comment

Store Dry Goods in Refrigerator or FreezerStore your legumes, flour, oatmeal and nuts in the fridge or freezer. They won't get weevils or insects, and will last longer.

9 Comments Comment

The Richest Person...For your daily thoughts: "The richest person is not the one who has the most . . . But the one who needs the least."

2 Comments Comment

Turn Off the Lights Kids (or it Will Cost You)Teach kids the value of turning off lights as they leave a room by implying to them that each time costs (for instance) $1. Explain to them that the lights cost money every month and if you have to turn the lights out for them, each time you do that, charge them $1.

2 Comments Comment

Use Kitchen Sponge to Clean MushroomsAs much as I like eating mushrooms, I dreaded having to clean them. It seemed to take ages and I tended to miss a lot.

1 Comment Comment

Vaseline to Weatherproof ScrewsA handy tip if you are using screws outside for any purpose. Dip the screw point in some Vaseline, or grease before you screw it into the wood, or wall, this will put a kind of weather proof coat over it.

Add Beef Broth to Ground TurkeyAdd low-salt beef broth or gravy to ground turkey for more flavor.

1 Comment Comment

Dial 99 During Recorded Telemarketing CallDo you still get calls from telemarketers even though you're on the Do Not Call List? If you get a call from a recording, dial 99 while the recording is playing and then hang up.

6 Comments Comment

Ideas for Covering WindowsSolve a privacy issue in windows using bubble wrap. You will still get the light but the visibility is greatly reduced! You can get it at an office supply store. It comes in several sizes.

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Link: Free Pumpkin-Carving Stencils of Favorite Dog BreedsTemplates for dog breeds pumpkin carving for Autumn decorating can be printed and photocopy for the size that you want for the pumpkin to be carved with your favorite canine friend(s)

2 Comments Comment

Oxy Clean for StainsThe best way to get out all stains out of clothes, whether it is blood, chocolate, grape juice, some unknown stain, or even baby poop, is to use Oxy powder.

1 Comment Comment

Shop Vac for Backed Up DrainsIf you have a stopped up bathroom or kitchen sink, try this before you buy drain opener.

Soak Beans OvernightAlways clean and soak your legumes overnight. The next morning rinse, add water and bring to a rapid boil for 5 minutes then lower the heat to medium and let it cook. It cooks well. Don't add salt while it is boiling, because its delays the cooking process.

2 Comments Comment

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