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Thrifty Tip Contest
(November 13 - 19, 2010)

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Duration	Entries
November 13 - 19, 2010	67

Tip: Making a Watch Battery Last Longer

dorothy wedenoja
Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 170 Posts

November 18, 2010

I have several watches. Some for good, some for everyday. When I am not wearing the watches, I pull out the stem and that makes them stop working. This saves on the life of the battery and won't wear them down when they aren't being worn.

Comment Was this helpful? 16

Tip: No Toys As Gifts For The Holidays

November 18, 2010

Despite the fact that one of her sons thinks she is the meanest mom in the world, a good friend has informed the grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. that if they want to buy her children gifts they must be books, clothing, gift cards, etc.

Comment Was this helpful? 27

Tip: Warning About Dryer Sheets And Pets

Pixiedust7
Gold Feedback Medal for All Time! 679 Feedbacks

November 16, 2010

There have been several posts lately involving the use of dryer sheets around pets - either wiping the pet or their bedding with dryer sheets. This is a very dangerous idea, because dryer sheets contain poisonous, even carcinogenic, chemicals.

Comment Was this helpful? 12

Clothespin for Rolling Up TubesAn old fashioned slip-on clothespin or a giant cotter pin makes an ideal "key" for rolling up a tube of glue, toothpaste, etc. Nothing fancy here, but it sure does help you neatly and precisely squeeze every last bit of material out of the container.

Reuse Spice Bottles for Baby PowderI use empty plastic spice containers to hold baby powder. Works great.

1 Comment Comment

2010 Phone Scam WarningThis morning I was awakened by a telephone caller who politely asked "Mr. X please? May I speak to X?" I replied "Yes, this is he; who is this?" She said: "You need to verify that this is X first; please tell me the last 4 numbers of your Social Security!" "WHAT?"

4 Comments Comment

Barbecue Apricot ChickenTake a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce and add a jar of apricot jam and blend. Cover your chicken on the grill with it and cook slowly continuing to cover the chicken with the sauce on both sides. This is yummy.

1 Comment Comment

Board to Let Fowl Escape from Water ContainerChickens and wild birds seem to have a positive genius for drowning themselves in cattle, horse, and other large watering tanks during dry weather. However, if you'll float a small board in such a container, the fowl will be able to climb up on the wood and save themselves.

3 Comments Comment

Clean Windows with Newspaper and WaterTry using newspaper to clean mirrors and glass. First spray on the cleaning product, then wipe dry with the newspaper. I find paper with just black ink works best, and not slick, shiny paper - just plain old newspaper.

Funnel When Filling Small JarsI buy my spices in bulk and then pour them into spice bottles using a funnel. Although this is a good way to keep them from spilling over the counter top, they would clog in the narrow part of the funnel and I would have to keep pushing them through.

2 Comments Comment

Press and Seal as Lint RemoverYou have the ironing board out, the iron is turned on, and you get your first item out - a black pair of trousers. Oh my gosh! the trousers are full of lint, but you have no lint brush. What do you do?

2 Comments Comment

Remove Wrinkles With Aluminum FoilRemove wrinkles from silk or clothes that can't take direct heat. Place foil on ironing board and lay garment over foil. With steam button down, pass iron 3 to 4 inches over fabric several times.

2 Comments Comment

Repairing Grain SacksGrain sacks may be readily patched by turning the bags inside out, smearing a thick flour-and-water paste around each hole, covering the area with a patch and pressing with a hot iron until the glue is dry. The bag may then be turned around back the right way and used.

Shop During Dinner HoursShop stores during the dinner hours, 5 PM to 7 PM. The stores are less crowded then.

5 Comments Comment

Storing Leftovers in Ziplock BagsWhen you have leftovers store them in a freezer bag in single size servings, then when you or someone wants one all they have to do is put one in boiling water until it is hot, pour it into a bowl, and enjoy it just as it was fresh.

5 Comments Comment

Uncloging DrainA good, old fashioned plumber's helper will generally unplug minor drain stoppages, but every so often a really heroic jam-up proves too much for the plunger on a stick.

Use Salt To Remove RustTo remove rust, try using table salt and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Apply the paste to the rusted area with a dry cloth and rub.

book cover

"Green Eggs and Ham" BreakfastI was learning how to read at the time Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham" book was first published and thought, for nostalgia sake, this would be fun to share for the 50th year anniversary of "I do not like green eggs and ham I do not like them, Sam I am."

2 Comments Comment

Display Photos Under GlassHave a coffee table or end table? Sure we all do. This holiday season, have a piece of safety glass cut to fit the top and slide pictures of past holidays under the glass. A great way to bring back some of those fun memories.

1 Comment Comment

Join Book and DVD ExchangesDo you have stacks of DVDs lying around that you no longer watch? Are they on the bookshelves with the rows of books you've already read but don't want to just throw away?

Make Tool Holster from Old Work GloveIf you'll cut the worn fingers off an old work glove and then add two slots to the back of what's left, you'll have a quick, recycled tool holster that you can slip right onto your belt and put into immediate use.

1 Comment Comment

Make Trifle From Stale CakeStale cake makes great trifle. Just slice up your cake, pile on a dish, and leave it to soak for a couple of hours in either some kind of sweet alcohol like cointreau, sweet sherry, or port OR fruit juice OR strong coffee with sugar.

Removing Cat Urine From Oriental RugA while back I tried to adopt a male Siamese cat. He was a very friendly cat, but ended up with a nasty habit. He would not potty in the litter box. I caught him urinating all over the house.

2 Comments Comment

Use Old Socks as Cleaning RagsInstead of throwing away old worn socks, I keep them to use for really "nasty cleaning". Just put them on your hand, clean your spot, then turn them back wrong side out over your hand and dispose of them at that time.

Uses for Leftover CandyCut up small leftover candy bars and mix into cookie dough or cake batter. Melt hard candies into lollipops. Turn mini candy bars into hot chocolate. Just add milk and heat in a saucepan and stir. Make s'mores.

Add Info To Your PhotosWhen you get film developed or download your pictures to your computer, be sure to date them and state who is in the picture. Future children (great-great-grand children) may inherit them and then they'd know when the picture was taken and who is in it.

9 Comments Comment

Buy and Freeze Discount EggnogBuy eggnog that been marked down after the holidays and freeze it for later. It doesn't affect the flavor or texture.

1 Comment Comment

Check Online Reviews Before BuyingSometimes you see wonderful new gadgets advertised on TV. Try going to Amazon.com or Ebay.com to see how customers rated these gadgets before you buy them.

1 Comment Comment

Fragrant Fire StartersCut lid off the carton. Melt the candles and crayons on low heat. With hand protection, pour 1 inch of wax mix into the whole egg carton. Before it hardens, add the pine cones, fruit, spices, spruce sprigs, and such.

1 Comment Comment

Funnel as a String DispenserFor a handy way to have string at your fingertips, try this. Hang a cheap funnel as a dispenser, with the roll of twine or string in the top and the end running down through the spout. This is nice for kitchen, basement, garage shop, or garden.

4 Comments Comment

Make Cleaning Kits For Specific JobsFor odd jobs, to remind yourself the specific jobs that need done, try this idea. Make "tool kits". Put all the items you need for a task into a bin or bucket and label it. Make a "garden" kit, an "oil change" kit, a "dog wash" kit, etc.

Make Your Own Tinted MoisturizerCosmetics are very expensive, especially some of the new tinted moisturizers. If you want to make your own tinted moisturizer, take some of your liquid foundation and add some of your favorite moisturizer, sunscreen (if you want SPF), or a body lotion like Jergens.

2 Comments Comment

Medical Gloves to Protect Delicate FabricWear fingers of medical gloves to keep from snagging delicate fabrics with rough fingertips when sewing or crafting.

1 Comment Comment

Re-Key Lock Rather Than Replacing KnobIn changing the door lock, I have found that by having the cylinder "re-keyed" represents a huge savings as opposed to buying a new lock and getting rid of the old.

4 Comments Comment

Reclaim Yarn at Thrift StoresTo save money on small knitting or crochet projects, purchase small crocheted or knitted throws from the thrift stores or yard sales. Launder the yarn items and allow to dry. Once they are dry, you can proceed to "reclaim" the yarn by unraveling the pieces carefully.

2 Comments Comment

Rolling Pin for Ironing SleevesCover an old rolling pin with thin batting and use it inside sleeves to press the seam allowances.

Rounded quilt corner.

Rounded Quilt CornersA lap quilt made with scrap strips of fabric with round corners. After piecing the quilt center, I made a 4 inch border by sewing together many small coordinating fabrics. Stitch the border to the quilt using a quarter inch seam allowance.

Store Christmas Decorations in Santa SacksEach year I store away all my decorations in Santa sacks that have a drawstring top. When Christmas rolls around again I get the bags down from the storage rack in garage. There is no dust and everything is just where I left it.

1 Comment Comment

Tips for Cooking VegetablesIf you are cooking pasta, rice, or any vegetable that grows above the ground-start cooking in hot water. This saves lots of money because you don't have to wait to heat the water, so it cooks quicker.

2 Comments Comment

Two Pots Stuck TogetherSeparating 2 pans that have become stuck together can seem like a daunting problem. But it's not.

5 Comments Comment

Use Hot Water Bottle to Heat BedHot-water bottles are a British institution and an excellent way to keep your bed warm in winter. It's much healthier to sleep in an unheated bedroom, so do like we do and put a hot-water bottle between the sheets before you go to bed.

7 Comments Comment

Alka Seltzer to Clean ThermosTo clean a thermos easily, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets and let soak 1 hour or more, then rinse.

3 Comments Comment

Be Flexible with Holiday Celebration DatesMy three girls and I work in Nursing and the other daughter works retail. We don't ever count on being off on holidays. With the holidays, comes all the family and the buying of groceries and preparations for the big feast at Thanksgiving.

3 Comments Comment

Boil Clothesline in Salt WaterIf you use a cotton clothes line, try boiling the next replacement rope in salt water for a half hour before you put it up. This will take out all the tangles and prevent wet articles of wash from freezing to the line in cold weather.

Cardboard Fabric Liners For StorageUse the inner cardboard liners from bolts of fabrics to store your fabric. Stores will give them to you if you ask. Cut them in half and use them to wrap individual yardages around and store, upright, in those legal-sized cardboard boxes you get from office supply stores.

Make "Treats" from Clay to Decorate FrameWhen making a pet photo frame, instead of using "real" dog or cat treats, try making them out of polymer clay. Pets then will not attempt to eat the frames

1 Comment Comment

Makeshift WrenchThe next time you need a wrench in a hurry and you don't have one handy, try this: screw two nuts-flat sides together-onto a good sized bolt. Space the nuts apart so that the head of the one you want to remove fits snugly between the "jaws" of your makeshift arrangement.

2 Comments Comment

Quick Leftover LunchI had a few leftovers in the fridge and was not sure what I could have for a quick lunch. I took the bologna and placed it on a plate, then topped with the mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables that I heated in microwave and the fried up an egg for each.

3 Comments Comment

Remembering to Rotate Your MattressEveryone knows that rotating your mattress will keep it in better form. I usually try to do this every year when the time changes. That way I know it is done at least every 6 months. I always have a hard time remembering if I need to spin it or flip it over.

5 Comments Comment

Soldering Iron HolderFor a really quick and inexpensive soldering iron holder, drive two spike nails into a scrap block of wood to form an "x" and rest the tool's hot end in the cross.

2 Comments Comment

Take Advantage of 0% Interest Store OffersA lot of people on this site suggest buying things only if you can pay for them using cash. Basically I agree with that; but sometimes that's just not possible. Most stores now have "12 month no interest" plans. Even if you have the money you can use that method.

7 Comments Comment

Using Leftover Soap PiecesWhen bars of hand soap are almost finished, getting the small remnants to stick together properly can be a pain, and they certainly do not look quite right for use in the guest bathroom.

7 Comments Comment

Wash Dog When Emptying Hot TubWhen emptying our hot tub, I use the water to bathe our fairly large dog. The water is not only warm for him, but I feel like I am recycling, seeing how the water is not close to any greenery.

1 Comment Comment

Whiten Nails with Baking SodaIf dark nail polish has left your nails yellowed or if you want to just brighten up your natural nails, scrub your nails gently with nailbrush topped with your favorite hand soap sprinkled moderately with baking soda.

Add Cocoa Mix To CoffeeI really like to drink coffee. I drink it any time of the day. My favorite homemade specialty coffee is so simple and so delicious! Just take a cup of coffee and add a instant packet of hot cocoa mix.

Cleaning Scuff Marks Off FloorCut an old tennis ball and insert it on a stick. Use it to clean marks on floor tiles without bending down.

Deep Conditioning Treatment at HomeIf you want to super condition your hair, try this. After you put the conditioner in your hair, tie your hair back with a hair tie, wait about 5 minutes, and rinse your hair with the tie still in your hair. Of course, this only works if you have long hair .

1 Comment Comment

Freeze Single Portions in Yogurt ContainersI love turnip salad but have to limit the amount I eat as it contains vitamin K which I can't have a lot of due to taking blood thinner. So when freezing it, I freeze it in small amounts so it will not get wasted.

3 Comments Comment

Fruit Netting For Gift WrapI like to use the 'netting' that oranges, apples, and grapefruit sometimes comes in from the grocery store to make either a net 'ribbon' or a cute net overlay wrap for gifts. It is easy to work with and is a great way to recycle!

2 Comments Comment

Keep Shoe Tongue From SlidingQuite frequently the tongue in a child's shoe will slip around to the side where it can make the foot very uncomfortable. The situation can be remedied quite simply, however, by making two small slits in the offending tongue and passing the shoelaces through them.

1 Comment Comment

Making Baby BibsWhen making baby bibs or burp cloths, I cut a piece from a mattress pad a little smaller than the bib or burp cloth and slip it between the two pieces of material. I close the end then I sew across the bib or burp cloth and make a design.

Reuse Dishwasher BasketsYou can repurpose the baskets from a broken dishwasher. Use the basket with wheels to easily move file baskets or craft and sewing supplies. Another use for a metal basket is to carry and store barbecue utensils in or store small gardening tools and gloves in.

1 Comment Comment

Roasted GnocchiRoasted gnocchi makes a brilliant and time-saving alternative to roast potatoes or fries and can be found inexpensively in most supermarkets. Heat two tablespoons of sunflower oil till smoking in pan on the hob or in the oven, then shake in the gnocchi.

2 Comments Comment

Thread Yarn Through Old Pen CasingTake an old fashioned writing pen, remove the tip, ink cartridge, and end cap. Thread yarn through the now empty tube. Use this to keep the yarn together when loom knitting and as a handle to wrap the yarn onto your loom.

Use Power Strips to Eliminate Energy WasteIf you seldom use your computer's peripherals, save money by plugging those devices into a separate plug-strip that you can switch 'on and off'. Even if you have your devices turned off, those little transformers are still drawing watts if plugged in.

2 Comments Comment

Uses for Old Pillow CasesI recently cleaned out my old linens and got rid of the things I don't use or need. I had several old pillowcases that I saved and used them to store my quilts. I used some as garbage bags and they were very sturdy and I saved plastic bags from going to the landfill.

6 Comments Comment

Warm Mascara Tube Before UsingI don't use mascara often, but when I do, I let the container soak in hot water for a few minutes. It always makes it last longer plus it goes on easier without any of the clumping!

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