Thrifty Tip Contest (May 22 - 28, 2010) | ThriftyFun

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Thrifty Tip Contest
(May 22 - 28, 2010)

This contest is over. See the winners and other entries below.

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Duration	Entries
May 22 - 28, 2010	55

Tip: Reuse Disposable Vacuum Bags

May 28, 2010

I have an expensive vacuum cleaner that takes expensive bags. To save on buying new bags for my vacuum, I simply cut the bottom off the bag, empty it, and duct tape the bottom shut.

Comment Was this helpful? 20

Tip: Uses For Single Socks

May 28, 2010

Having 5 young children it seems I am eternally ending up with "onesie" socks. I have been putting them to good use for my little ones by using them as a holder for ice pops and frozen yogurt in plastic sleeves.

Comment Was this helpful? 24

Cut the "Milk Ring" and Save Our WildlifeNever leave the ring/collar from your gallon of milk or juice whole. When you discard it, cut it open first. That ring is just the right size to strangle some of our smaller wildlife.

11 Comments Comment

Flavored Coffee TipsFor a different coffee flavor, use candy flavoring oils. Just take your favorite flavoring oil and add it to the dry coffee grounds when you make a fresh pot of coffee.

3 Comments Comment

How to Make Your Own VinaigretteSo easy and inexpensive. All you need to make vinaigrette is oil, vinegar, and your choice of added flavorings that you probably already have on hand. The standard ratio for a salad is 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil.

1 Comment Comment

Make Own Bottled WaterEveryone loves bottled water, but it can be quite spendy. I save old Gatorade, Powerade, V-8 juice (12 oz size), and other similar tough plastic bottles. I buy dispensed water for .30 a gallon in 3 gallon containers at the local supermarket.

4 Comments Comment

New text to alter a greeting card.

Make Your Own Greeting For Any CardOur granddaughter is graduating from preschool Friday. She has a house kitty that she adores. Whenever I find a card with a picture that looks like her Cookie, I buy it. I found a birthday card but not a graduating from preschool one.

The Best Cleaner for Soap ScumWhen cleaning soap scum from a porcelain bathtub, I sprayed 409 and then went over it lightly with Scotch-Brite stainless steel scrubbing pads. Not sure how long the scum was there from previous owner, but it came off and didn't harm the finish on bathtub.

1 Comment Comment

Use Shower Curtains for DraperyI use some of the pretty shower curtains on my windows as my curtains. I have a white lacy type on the bathroom window and looks great. Long ago when I got my first home, we used a nice double layered shower curtain in my dining room.

3 Comments Comment

Attracting Birds to Statuary

Attracting Birds to StatuaryIf you want birds to land on your statuary for a cute photo, just find a statue (such as the fairy statue in my photo) that has an area of some kind where you can put your outdoor birds favorite birdseed within the statue itself and then wait for the birds to find it.

Body Sugaring for Hair Removal?I once, many years ago, bought a half jar of NADS hair body sugaring product. It is non-toxic, edible, and it is great! Here is a version I make for next to nothing just for my eyebrows. It does hurt so pull the sock off really fast!

2 Answers Answer

Clean Ceilings With Bleach WaterYears ago, we couldn't afford to paint the white ceilings of the trailer house we had purchased. I decided to try an idea I thought might work to brighten up the gray looking ceilings.

Discard Food Grease In Shredded Paper We shred everything with critical information on it so I always have a good supply of shredded paper. When I have fat or any kind of cooking liquid I don't want going down my sink drain, I fill a can or a whipped cream bowl with "shreddings" and pour it in the bowl.

2 Comments Comment

Mark Emptied Cabinets When Moving

Mark Emptied Cabinets When MovingWe are in the process of moving and I came up with this nifty idea. I put a strip of masking tape across each cabinet door and drawer in the kitchen (and bathrooms) as I empty and clean it to save time later.

5 Comments Comment

Moving Furniture Around Your HouseI could not find my furniture sliders quickly, so I used DVD movie cases (black sturdy vinyl ones) to move my very heavy dining table. I opened the cases and put each leg bottom on the solid half of the case.

2 Comments Comment

Save Parrot Food In Your FreezerIt is recommended that you feed your bird a variety of vegetables for optimal health. I keep a gallon-size plastic zip bag in my freezer for this purpose. I add to it as I have bits and pieces of different items that I don't have enough to do anything with.

Storing Seasonal ClothesSince I have the space, I keep my late fall and winter clothes on one side of the closet and the spring, summer, and early fall clothes on the other side.

2 Comments Comment

Trim Your Own Hair Between HaircutsTo maintain your split ends in between hair cuts, twist a section of hair between your fingers. You will notice that the dry and damage hairs stick out from the twisted section. Simply take some scissors and snip these off.

Use Frozen Water Bottles to Quickly Cool FoodI have a tip for all of you who, like me, like short cuts and saving money. As you know many foods have to be blanched before freezing and then cooled down to stop the cooking process before putting it in the freezer.

4 Comments Comment

Using Your Leftover VegetablesThis is so frugal and easy! Put a big plastic container in the freezer and every night after dinner put the tiny bit of leftover veggies and/or potatoes that you usually throw in the garbage in the container, juice and all.

1 Comment Comment

Be Careful Choosing a GroomerI am writing to warn all of you to be very careful about the groomer you use for your precious pet. We had to change groomers for our dear little mixed breed, pound rescue doggie as our regular groomer had moved out of the area.

6 Comments Comment

Hanging tomato planter.

Growing Food in a Small SpaceIf you don't have the space in your yard, you can get some big Rubbermaid containers/buckets, drill holes in the bottom of it, fill with dirt, and plant either seeds and/or actual veggie or fruit plants.

4 Comments Comment

Have Kids Make A Summer Fun ListAt the end of every school year, I have the kids make a "Summer Fun List." I make one too. At the end of the summer, we see what we accomplished.

1 Comment Comment

Make Fast Food At HomeIf your family loves fast food but your budget does not, find ways to replicate your favorites at home. Here are some of our family favorites.

1 Comment Comment

Organizing Beads and Buttons

Organizing Beads and ButtonsI love the texture and color of beads and buttons. Until recently, each attempt to organize them usefully failed. I found a shelf at a yard sale and washed small bottles until all of my beads and buttons can be seen.

1 Comment Comment

Quicker Baked PotatoesPotatoes, if boiled about 5 minutes before putting in a hot oven, will be thoroughly baked in about half the usual time.

Reuse Lenses From Broken Reading GlassesDon't throw away those old plastic reading glass lenses if the cheap frames break! I managed to recycle a pair of stronger lenses into another cheap wire frame that was flexible enough to grip around the lenses and was the approximate size and shape.

2 Comments Comment

Reusing Water from the Washer?When I wash clothes, I use cold water and let the wash water drain into the washtub with the plug in. Then when doing another load, I bail the water back into the machine.

3 Answers Answer

Store Your Celery in Aluminum FoilTo keep your celery from going bad after you remove what you need from the stalk, wrap the remaining celery in tinfoil (twist tinfoil ends) and keep it in your refrigerator. It will last a long time

Use Meat Thermometer For Paper SpikeRecently, I inherited the task of organizing and cleaning the home of a lady who never threw anything out. I found a broken meat thermometer in the drawer and was going to toss it.

3 Comments Comment

Use Mop To Clean Under SinkUse your mop to clean under the kitchen sink. My disposer backed up and I had to unload everything from under the sink. After the plumber came and fix my disposer, I had a mess to clean up. I did not want to get on my hands and knees to clean, so I thought about it.

2 Comments Comment

Use Teacups As Votive HoldersIf you have teacups you want to display, maybe mismatched ones you don't want to get rid of, try this. Put a votive candle in them and place them on a stack of books on a bookshelf or an end table.

Attach Remote to TV With VelcroFor those of us who are always losing the TV remote, here's what I do. I put a strip of Velcro on the back of the TV and another strip closest to where I watch the TV, next to a table or desk. I put the other side of the velcro on the back of the remote.

2 Comments Comment

Brush Hair Before Washing to Avoid TanglesThis is such a simple thing, but it works so well to reduce tangles when you shampoo. Brush your hair just as you would if getting ready to go out. Then, lean over, and flip your hair over your face and brush really well all the way from the scalp to the ends of the hair.

4 Comments Comment

Homemade Air FreshenerI was always uncomfortable using the bathroom fresheners knowing that they are chemical. I take a laundry spray bottle, fill it with water and about 20 drops of essential oil which I buy in the health food store.

2 Comments Comment

Make Chicken Broth From Rotisserie ChickensWhen I purchase a rotisserie chicken, I strip the meat from the bones and use the bones and non-meaty part of the chicken wings to make chicken broth for my next batch of chicken soup, some of which I freeze in ice cube trays for a quick cup-of-soup.

1 Comment Comment

Making Hot Cereal Without LumpsWe had always boiled the water first and stirred in the hot cereal. I've discovered you can avoid lumps if you don't boil the water first, but instead put the right amount of water in the pan then put in the right amount of cereal before turning on the heat.

Purchase Birdhouses At Thrift StoresIn the wood/basket section, I often find birdhouses for 99 cents! Many of them were made for decorative purposes, but can easily be converted for use by birds.

2 Comments Comment

Removing Gum From a DryerTo remove chewing gum from the inside of the dryer, take a dryer sheet and wet with water. Stick the wet dryer sheet on top of the gummy mess and leave there for 15 minutes, then wipe the gum off.

13 Comments Comment

Revitalize Old ClothesI've just changed the buttons on an old coat and it looks just like a new one. I buy buttons in thrift stores (where you can find horn, mother-of-pearl, or brass ones) or take them off other pieces of clothing. I also often dye clothes, particularly woolens, to revitalize them.

7 Comments Comment

Use Candle Trays For Perfumes

Use Candle Trays For PerfumesI looked everywhere for nice trays to display perfumes and hold other items on my counter-top in my newly remodeled bath. It finally dawned on me to look at the candle trays in the candle section of a local department store and local arts and crafts store.

1 Comment Comment

Use Dental Plackers As Plant MarkersReuse dental plackers as name tags in seeding containers in your garden. They are easy to write on with a marker and already have a point so you can stick them in the soil in your containers. As your seedlings spring up you will know exactly what is in each container.

2 Comments Comment

Depression Era Cooking With Clara

Video And Link: Depression Era Cooking With ClaraJust wanted to take a minute to recommend to everyone that they go to You Tube and look up Great Depression Cooking. There you will find Clara Cannucciari. She gives wonderful recipes and tips as well as recalling the difficult times during the Great Depression.

3 Comments Comment

Warming Lamp for CatsHere in the Pacific Northwest, we have a lot of days with no sunshine. My cat loves to find a sunny spot and sleep. He looked so bored the other day that I put a kitty bed on my desk and swung the free arm desk lamp, which has a 75 watt bulb in it over the kitty bed.

4 Comments Comment

Watch Out for Lead Content in Crystal BeadsSwarovski (Austrian) crystals are gorgeous and shine brilliantly. But what makes them so dangerous is the very high lead in them. I refuse to use them for that very reason. Semi-precious stones, gemstones, and even glass beads can be used to make very pretty items.

8 Comments Comment

Allow Dog to "Shred" DocumentsWe had 2 problems. We have never been able to break our 10 year-old dog of her habit of tearing through the garbage whenever we leave the house. Also, although more of a nuisance than a problem, we never seem to find the time to shred our sensitive mail.

3 Comments Comment

Check Measurements Against Sizes Before Ordering ClothesBefore you decide to purchase clothing from a television shopping channel or a mail order catalog, measure yourself! Some designers use different measurements for different sizes. A size 2 for one designer, might be a size 4 for another.

1 Comment Comment

Colored Salts For Better HealthFor salt lovers, healthy salt is a dream come true. It has minerals in it. Look for more colors in your salt and stay away from white (pure white) bleached varieties.

1 Comment Comment

Drill Drainage Holes In Your Trash Can Make washing out your trash can a breeze: drill several 1/2 inch holes in the bottom. The holes will allow you to hose down the insides without having to dump out the water, and also prevent rainwater from collecting.

4 Comments Comment

Freeze Dumplings for SoupDid you know you can freeze dumplings? I make homemade dumplings. I roll them out flat, put them in the baking pan I bake biscuits in, let them freeze, then put them in an empty plastic cereal bag.

2 Comments Comment

Pollen Free Flowers Won't Help BeesEvery year I plant lots of sunflowers for the honeybees as they are declining. Yesterday, I picked up my seeds but didn't notice that they were pollen free. These sunflowers will not help the honey bee or other pollinating insects.

2 Comments Comment

Summer Fun Box

Summer Fun BoxSchool is almost out! A great surprise gift idea for elementary-aged children, grandchildren, or nieces and nephews is a 'Summer of Fun' surprise package. Try to think of all the things you loved as a child.

6 Comments Comment

Use Dawn Dish Soap as a Stain RemoverI really can't take any credit for this tip at all, except to tell you that it works. I used it to remove human urine from the decorative contour rug around our commode. Recently, someone from ThriftyFun suggested it and all credit to her.

5 Comments Comment

Use Scrubbing Bubbles for Hard Water SpotsMy husband read so many solutions on removing hard water spots on windows, but nothing ever worked for him. The windshield on our motor home was so stained from the water that would run down it, that we tried everything on the market just like so many others.

30 Comments Comment

Uses for Candle JarsDon't throw out those empty candle jars! Recycle them. I burn the Febreeze candles and they work great for this project, but any glass candle container works.

3 Comments Comment

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