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Thrifty Tip Contest
(August 28 - September 3, 2010)

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Duration	Entries
August 28 - September 3, 2010	51

Tip: Alternate Uses for Dental Floss

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

September 1, 2010

For the past few weeks I've been writing down ideas to share for reusing dental floss instead of simply throwing it away after using. Here is what I've come up with which also gave me more ideas for uses beyond reusing after flossing.

Comment Was this helpful? 23

Tip: Use Dog Tag for Medical Information

August 30, 2010

I purchased a dog tag from PetSmart and on one side I have my name and phone number, on the other side I list O-POS / DIABETIC. It's attached to my key chain just in case of an emergency and can easily be seen.

Comment Pin it! Was this helpful? 29

Ear Infection Treatment For DogsMy dog had a constant ear problem that even a round of antibiotics didn't cure. I tried every reasonable treatment recipe I could find on the net. I switched veterinarians and this guy knew the fix.

15 Comments Comment

Hoop Earring Holder

Hoop Earring HolderI only wear hoop earrings. They tended to get ruined just laying around my sink, as they'd get wet and discolor. So I tried finding a holder of some sort, with no luck. I thought about making one, and this is what I came up with:

10 Comments Comment

Microwave "Grilled" Cheese SandwichFor a fast "not grilled cheese" sandwich, toast bread and butter the outsides. Place sliced cheese between two slices of toast and microwave for 30 seconds to melt cheese.

2 Comments Comment

Orajel For Mosquito BitesThis is a sure fix for mosquito bites. Every time I get bitten by a mosquito, I use Orajel or any toothache gel medicine and it works! It stops the itching instantly and will not itch again. I have done this for years.

7 Comments Comment

Paint Dishes for Wall DecorSpray paint decorative dishes to have a matched set for your hanging wall decor.

1 Comment Comment

Store Tissues In Baby Wipe ContainerIf you like to carry a box of tissue in your car as I do, the box seems to always get messed up. I have found that if you use an empty baby wipe container (large one), you can put the tissues in the container and push the first tissue through the top.

8 Comments Comment

Frozen Water Bottles for KneesI keep small recycled bottles like the ones Sunny D comes in and freeze water in them for when my neck or knees act up. Yesterday, I ran out of ice and couldn't get my fresh brewed tea cold. It occurred to me to put the small bottle of ice right in the tea pitcher.

2 Comments Comment

Homemade Diaper CreamHeat mixture on low heat. You may have to add more water. When mixture is melted with no lumps it's ready to pour into containers.

3 Comments Comment

Make Your Own Bird Feeder SuetThis tip is for all you birdwatchers out there! This past summer I decided to start making my own suet. I make up a batch every month and store it in the freezer until I need it.

3 Comments Comment

Put Pictures Under Plastic on Table at PartiesHaving a casual party with old friends? Put a solid color tablecloth on the table you will be serving the drinks, buffet, or dinner on. Arrange photos of your friends and yourself on the tablecloth.

3 Comments Comment

Shredded Paper in Pea TrenchShred your old e-mail paper and use at the bottom of your bean/pea trench. It retains any moisture and keeps beans happy.

1 Comment Comment

Soak Bird Cage Grates in Kiddie PoolUse a child's swimming pool to soak grates for bird cages. Place the grates into a child's swimming pool to let them soak for 5 or 10 minutes. It makes them so much easier to get the mess off when you are cleaning bird cages. No scrubbing required!

2 Comments Comment

Use Egg Cartons as Packing MaterialUse cardboard or foam egg carton as buffers for packaging (you can easily cut them to size). You'll never waste money on bubble-wrap or padded envelopes again.

1 Comment Comment

Use Rag Wrapped Squeegee to Clean WallsWhen washing walls, wrap a rag that has been dipped in your choice of the cleaning product and water then rung out around a squeegee. It is a very efficient way to clean walls.

3 Comments Comment

Use Wok to Roast Large TurkeyOne year we had a 25 lb. turkey and no pan big enough to bake it in, so my wife got our wok out to see if it would fit. It fit just right, but the bottom of the wok was rounded, so she put it in a cast iron skillet to steady it. It worked great!

Alternate Directions When Cleaning WindowsWhen cleaning windows, clean one side horizontally and the other side vertically. This way you can see which side has the streaks on it.

Book Discount at TargetI have found that Target carries many new books at a considerable savings. If you have a store card, Target will begin giving 5% off in September to all card members. This is a good source for a book that is not yet at the library.

Keep $20 in Your Glove Compartment for EmergenciesI was in Girl Scouts and the Leader for two troops that my daughters were in. I was taught first and foremost to be prepared. I have for many years now been keeping a twenty dollar bill in my glove compartment for minor emergencies.

4 Comments Comment

Make Your Own Moon SandFor "moon sand", mix 9 cups play sand (really fine sand you can find at Wal-Mart). Add 3 cups cornstarch and 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups water. Start with 2 1/4 cup and continue adding water until you have the desired consistency. Mix well. Cover and store in an airtight container.

4 Comments Comment

embellished mona lisa

Mona Lisa REMIXMy 8 and 10 year old students were given a color Xerox of the Mona Lisa. They had to use mixed media and whatever recycled elements they could find to give her a new look. All the embellishments came out of the recycled art bin! What do you think Leonardo would say?

2 Comments Comment

Product Review: Activia YogurtRecently my Doctor changed my medication, and it caused me to be constipated. I have never had that problem before, and after a week I had to try something. The Activia commercial was on all day, it seemed like. I sent my dear hubby to get me some.

9 Comments Comment

closeup of purse with silk flowers and necklace

Recycled Purse DecorationI took a $.50 purse, some flowers, and embellishments and made an "old time" decoration for my bathroom. When I put it all together, I thought you might enjoy making something similar.

3 Comments Comment

Reverse Menu PlanningI will first start in the pantry. I try to arrange all of my canned/dry goods in categories. I put all tomato based products together, canned veggies, soups, beans, etc.

1 Comment Comment

Office Illness

Tips for Avoiding Office IllnessesWith cold and flu season almost here, one of the thriftiest and best tips is to avoid getting sick. You save money on doctor visits and medications and, most importantly, you stay healthy and productive.

11 Comments Comment

Paper clips for holding bias tape.

Use Plastic Paper Clips to Hold Bias Tape on...I have a rather unorthodox way of attaching bias tape to some items. I just insert the fabric into the fold and stitch it down. Since the place mats are oval shaped, I was having trouble holding them flat and in place.

2 Comments Comment

Use Tuna Water to Tempt Senior Cat to Eat Dry FoodAs he gets older, my 15 year old kitty Taz (named after the Tasmanian Devil because that's what we thought he was when he was little. Boy was he wild!), is becoming very finicky with his dry cat food and he doesn't like the senior food at all.

8 Comments Comment

Cat pot holder attached to crochet pillow.

Vintage Potholder PillowI have a lot of vintage potholders hanging around my kitchen, but this one was my favorite and I wanted to do something different with it. So, I crocheted a simple square pillow..

1 Comment Comment

Warning: Unplug Cords When Not in UseI look around the house or other peoples houses I go to and see phone charger cords, iPod cords, CD cords, xBox cords, and the such. Looks innocent enough right? Wrong! Most times people just unplug their appliances and go.

2 Comments Comment

A Cure for Hiccups?To get rid of hiccups, get a glass of water, or something to drink, and put a straw in it. Hold your head down with chin on chest, hold your breath, drink, and count to ten.

3 Comments Comment

Decorated Recycled Buckets

Decorated Recycled BucketsApply decorative finishes on bucket surface using Mod Podge or similar product. I made a toys carry-all bucket for my grandson.

3 Comments Comment

Freshening Down PillowsI kept the down pillows from my Mom and Dad's home, after they passed. I took them to the cleaners, who cleaned the feathers, and put them in new ticking of my choice of pattern.

Finished papers.

Grungy Paper For ScrapbookingEasy way to make your own grungy background paper for cards or scrapbooks.

Inexpensive SignsWhen my friends and I used to have a group garage sale, we always had tons of shoppers. The shoppers frequently told us they came because they noticed our outstanding artistic signs.

2 Comments Comment

Make Four Small Fringed Blankets from Old Large BlanketI had this big old blanket that the dogs didn't lay on anymore, so I washed it and cut it out, and did it like a no tie blanket. I didn't double it over and do the fringe, I just cut out squares on each corner and fringed it.

3 Comments Comment

Tent Plants in Plastic Wrap When On VacationI have many houseplants and I have found an excellent way to keep them from drying out when we go on vacation. Water plants first, then tent smaller house plants with plastic wrap.

3 Comments Comment

Use Vacuum Sealer to Seal Jar LidsSince this is a Waste Nothing Group, for those who have Food Saver vacuum sealers or similar brand, and have the attachment to vacuum seal in canning jars, the lids can be reused over and over again.

Spoons on wooden tray.

A Loving SpoonfulA cheap, cheerful and useful homemade gift that can be assembled with things you have in your craft box or even lying around the house in an emergency! Wooden spoons are a traditional gift for newlyweds or as a love token.

1 Comment Comment

Dimensional Paint RecipeTo make dimensional paint, you'll need 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4-1/2 cup water and food coloring. In a small bowl, mix the salt and flour. Start out by adding 1/4 c. water and stir well.

Fencing To Keep Pets Out of GardenI have an 80 foot mobile home with flower bed's all around it. I wanted to keep my dogs out of the flowers, so I went to Lowe's and bought some wood lattice fencing (4 x 8 feet), as I couldn't afford the plastic kind.

Homemade Stain SprayTo make a pre-wash stain remover, mix 1/3 part non-sudsing ammonia, 1/3 part dish soap and 1/3 part water. Pour into clearly labeled spray bottle. Apply to stains and allow to sit only 5 minutes, then wash ASAP.

Keep Safety Pins HandyI have learned to keep a couple large pins attached to the cell phone/ID case I wear around my neck.

2 Comments Comment

Link: Finish Your Food CardsI just came across this site and I love this guy's sense of humor, and the clever creations he's posted so far! This particular link is to help you with picky eating children by way of printable cards, but I am sure you'll also like his other idea, too.

1 Comment Comment

Maintaining a Paper Shredder?I was shredding paper, and my home paper shredder just quit on me. No noise, no sparks, no anything. It's held together by phillips screws, and being a former electronics tech, I decided to take it apart.

5 Answers Answer

Smiley face paper plate.

Paper Plate Smiley FaceCut 2 silver dollar size circles from black construction paper for the eyes. Cut out a 2 1/2 inch smiley face mouth or alternately another circle.

1 Comment Comment

Perfect Microwave PotatoFor a perfect potato, take a washed medium potato, peeled or not, and coat with a bit of olive oil and salt (both optional). Place in a ceramic bowl covered with wax paper, and cook in the microwave on maximum, for about 8 to 12 minutes.

Prepare Onions in BulkTo peel onions without tears, soak onions in water for 2 minutes and peel. Process by chopping some and slicing the rest in the food processor. Then store in separate air tight containers in the refrigerator. Use as needed.

1 Comment Comment

Searching Documents for Word or Phrase You can eliminate wasting time proofing a document looking for a particular phrase or word (i.e., if you opened a 120 page document and you were searching for something related to "Vitamin A"), by doing the following:

2 Comments Comment

Use Epsom Salts for Dog's Itchy SkinMy Maltese, Molly, had awfully itchy skin, so after spending hundreds of dollars on treatment I tried Epsom salts in her bath water, and it did the trick. She also had a badly infected eye from rubbing her face on the ground to ease the itching.

13 Comments Comment

watering bulb

Use Plastic Baton as Water BulbMy little friend, took a half a plastic baton with the plastic top on and filled it with water and stuck it in my African violet that was doing rather poorly. The water line went down a little and then emptied.

5 Comments Comment

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