Thrifty Tip Contest (March 26 - April 1, 2011) | ThriftyFun

Menu Ask a Question Share a Post Account Search

social

Contests Winners Enter a Contest

Thrifty Tip Contest
(March 26 - April 1, 2011)

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

Latest Prev Next Enter With a Tip Enter With a Project Enter With a Recipe Enter With a Photo Enter With a Pet Enter With a Essay

Duration	Entries
March 26 - April 1, 2011	61

Tip: Knife Holder Using Bamboo Skewers

March 30, 2011

Such a perfectly simple way to build a cheap knife-rack and you can size it to fit anywhere on any counter top.Plan the size you wish. You can have the lumber pieces sawed to size at Lowe's or Home Depot cheaply.

Comment Pin it! Was this helpful? 23

Tip: Boots from Old Sandals and a Sweater

attosa
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts

March 28, 2011

I love to upcycle! I made these knit boots by taking an old pair of sandals my fiance was not very fond of and covered them with the sleeves of an old sweater that had good stretch in the arms, but not so much in the body.

Comment Pin it! Was this helpful? 8

Alternatives to Paper TowelsI use washcloths to clean up spills instead of paper towels whenever possible. This saves a lot of money and the washcloths can just be washed when doing laundry. Try it! You'd be amazed.

4 Comments Comment

Cleaning SilverTo clean silver, pour hot water into a mug and add 3 Tbsp. salt (to make an electrolite) and some aluminum foil. Leave items in this to soak a few minutes. Take them out and rinse with clean water, then polish with a clean soft cloth.

1 Comment Comment

Keep Laptop From OverheatingLaptops get warm and can overheat. To ventilate our laptop, I am propping it up off the table with old corks! I have taped 2 together for the hot side and use one on the other side.

3 Comments Comment

Link: Safe CFL Light Bulb DisposalIt's really important to know that CFL bulbs have enough of an amount of mercury contained in them that they can cause very serious health and environmental problems, especially collectively.

5 Comments Comment

Pouches for Starting Seeds IndoorsTo plant seeds and not take up a lot of space, use vinyl pouches and hang them on your windows with suction cups and water them with a turkey baster. This works well in a window that gets a lot of warm southern exposure light.

3 Comments Comment

Recycle Expired Credit Cards as Dish ScraperI found that expired gift cards or any credit card no longer used is excellent for cleaning dishes in your kitchen. It kinda molds to the dish, pot, or pan you are cleaning and scrapes all the gunk off.

Removing Kool-Aid Stains Around MouthWith summer on its way, this will come in handy after your small children have Popsicles or drink Kool-Aid and have the "Kool-Aid smile. You can easily remove this color by washing their mouth and lips with warm water and a tarter control whitening toothpaste.

Save Money By Shopping OnlineI have been buying a lot of things I need online from a popular online auction site. I mean, things like wool socks, sewing patterns, vacuum cleaner bags, craft supplies, printer ink, tools, you name it.

4 Comments Comment

Saving money in a jar.

Saving Money In A JarWhen we know we are going to have to provide for a wedding or new baby that is on the way, we start saving. We take a pint canning jar and start unloading our change and any tips we get.

2 Comments Comment

Cleaning Permanent Marker Off Walls?How do I get black permanent marker off the walls?

5 Answers Answer

Freeze Leftover HamAfter cooking a ham, if you have lots of left over meat, slice and put in plastic bags. Store in the freezer. The next time you are in a hurry, take the ham out of the bags and microwave.

Make Paninis Using Foreman GrillWhen we don't have any leftovers for lunch, we have a sandwich. I got tired of a cold sandwiches, so I thought why not make a panini? Not having a panini press or sandwich maker, I thought I would try my George Foreman Grill.

2 Comments Comment

Baby Powder To Stop AntsIf you shake baby powder around where ants come into the house, they will stop coming. Their feet get stuck in the powder but you don't kill them. Never kill black ants as they keep the white ants at bay.

Buying Smoke Free Items OnlineI've seen a lot of complaints about items purchased on eBay smelling bad. It happened to me too. So now, before bidding, I contact the seller and ask, "Does this item have any odors of tobacco products, pets, or cooking on it?".

3 Comments Comment

Dishpan as Litter BoxWhile shopping in a department store, I noticed that basic litter boxes for cats cost more than a dishpan. The litter boxes were priced at over $6.00 each. The dishpans were priced at $1.29 each.

1 Comment Comment

Egg Shells for TomatoesWhen planting tomato plants in your garden, put a crushed egg shell in the bottom of the hole with a little soil over it before planting the tomato plant. It will benefit from the calcium in the egg all season.

Fixing a Slow Tub DrainFor slow drains in old houses, pour a bottle of bleach down the tub drain once a month in the evening. In the morning, heat up a tea kettle and pour one gallon of water down the drain.

7 Comments Comment

Gift Idea: "Cookie Emergency" PostcardIf you have children attending college out of state and you want to send them a unique gift, here's an idea I have used. I made postcards from the fronts of greeting cards, addressed them to myself, cut out a cookie shape and glued it to the left of my name.

1 Comment Comment

hulling strawberry

Hulling a StrawberryNow that strawberry season is here in Florida, I want to share a tip to hull them quickly and with nearly no waste. Use the small end of a melon baller. This technique works so slick!

1 Comment Comment

Imaginative Wall Storage IdeasI store all my dry foods in glass bottles, often in quart sealers. I ran out of room, so I opened up a small blank wall by cutting into the drywall. This exposed the 2x4s. Between each blank space, I installed shelves made of 1x4s.

2 Comments Comment

Keep Sweet Potatoes From Staining PotIf your cooking pans become discolored inside when boiling sweet potatoes, try rubbing the inside of the kettle with cooking oil before adding the water and potatoes. Then the clean up won't be a problem.

Perfume as Room FreshenerGet too many perfumes for your birthday? Was that last "blind buy" a nightmare? Use your unwanted fragrances as room fresheners. Perfume is much more concentrated than room deodorizers, so a little squirt will do.

4 Comments Comment

Poor Man's InsolesIf your feet hurt and you need new shoes or different ones, try this tip! Place your foot on some cardboard and trace them (both feet separately). The hardest part is cutting them out.

4 Comments Comment

Q-Tips for Cleaning a KeyboardI use a moist Q-Tip all around and between the keys. Then I use the crevice tool of my vacuum to suck up the dust that is left over.

1 Comment Comment

Reshaping Old GlassesGlasses, reading glasses, sun glasses - I have lots and something always goes wrong with one of them. Of course, you can replace the screws, but you can also reshape them gently.

4 Comments Comment

Reuse Plastic Yogurt CupsI have started using empty yogurt cups for scoops. In the past, I had used everything from big spoons, child-size cups, and store bought ones. After they are empty, wash and dry them and use for pet food, flour, sugar, coffee - anything you need a scoop.

5 Comments Comment

Roll Clothes When PackingWhen packing shirts or blouses (or even shorts and slacks), in your suitcase, instead of folding them flat try rolling them up. They will not wrinkle nearly as much, and you will actually be able to fit more clothes in your suitcase.

5 Comments Comment

Use Clothes Pins for Chip ClipsInstead of buying bag clips, I use a clothes pin to keep the bag closed. I also use clothes pins on hangers to hang skirts and pants.

1 Comment Comment

Brown Ground Turkey For "Faux" HamburgerThe economy is tough, so we are eating more ground turkey instead of ground hamburger. It is always difficult for me to get the turkey to taste less like turkey and to get brown.

Crispy Crumbled BaconWhen a recipe call for crumble bacon, if you cut up the bacon before you fry it, the bacon will turn out more crispy.

Dress Up Plain ShoesIf you have clip on earrings, they are great to dress up plain toed shoes. Just clip them on where you slip your foot into the shoe. You now have a pair of glamorous shoes that would ordinarily be plain.

2 Comments Comment

Freeze Individual ServingsMy husband's job keeps him away from home for weeks at a time, so I'm usually cooking for just myself. I came up with this method of preparing them, and then freezing them.

3 Comments Comment

Homemade All Purpose Cleaner?I am looking for "recipes" for all purpose liquid solutions cleaner for general bathroom, kitchen, etc. Please help.

3 Answers Answer

Pin to Identify SeedsWhen starting flowers from seed, I mark each hydrated pod with a push pin to identify which pods contain a particular flower. For example, yellow for marigolds, red for zinnias, blue for petunias, etc.

Removing Tea Stains From PitchersHere's an easy way to remove those brown tea stains that accumulate in plastic pitchers. Alternate using the pitchers for tea with tomato juice or pineapple juice. The acid in the juices eat the stain off the plastic.

4 Comments Comment

Saving Money on Printer InkTo save up to 30% on ink when printing, use the narrowest font possible. I never would have thought of this on my own.

Using The Dishwasher For Household CleaningUse the dishwasher to wash baseball caps. Place caps on the top rack and wash them without losing their shape. Don't use your dishwasher's heat drying option. Allow caps to air dry.

2 Comments Comment

Vaccinate Pets at HomeA old neighbor of mine, that used to live on a farm, showed me how to vaccinate my dog myself. I had never heard of this before, but the vaccinations were much cheaper than a vet visit.

8 Comments Comment

Add Compost In the FallLet Mother Nature help you with your spring planting! If you add compost to your garden beds every year like I do, you may (or may not) know that usually the bags recommend that you let the compost "mellow" before you plant into it.

Aspirin Paste for Antiperspirant StainsA paste of aspirin will work to get rid of yellow antiperspirant stains (and other protein-based stains). This is in addition to the age-old white vinegar/meat tenderizer remedies.

Attach Plastic Bag To Vacuum For TrashWhen you are vacuuming, tie a plastic grocery bag to the handle of your vacuum cleaner. That way, you can pick up any large items that your cleaner won't, then make only one trip to the trash can to throw it out.

2 Comments Comment

Christmas Club Account for TaxesIt looks like December is so full of extra payments and of course those dreaded taxes we have to pay. Don't stress over them. Go open a Christmas Club now, to pay your taxes when they come due in December. It is well worth the effort.

2 Comments Comment

Cleaning a Shower HeadTo clear a clogged shower head, boil it about 15 minutes in a mixture of 1/2 cup vinegar and 1 quart water.

Collect Samples For Frugal GiftsA drug store near my house gives out lots of samples: lotions, moisturizers, shampoo and conditioners, foundations, even perfumes. I save these items and use them as package ties or greeting card inserts.

Cornbread for BirdsOne of the winter favorites for birds (which include chickadees, blue jays, juncos, starlings, cardinals and sparrows, as well as others) is corn bread.

3 Comments Comment

Growing Sweet Potatoes in a BarrelYou can grow sweet potatoes in a wooden barrel. Cut off your sprouts, leaving a medium amount of potato on the sprout. Get your wooden barrel and place some small size rocks in the bottom of your barrel.

Homemade Recycled Easter BasketFor a quick, easy, and cheap Easter basket, rinse and clean an empty liter soda bottle, cut a 1 inch "ring" at the top of the body of the bottle (after the spout), and cut in half. Trim the rest of the body of the bottle to the height of the "basket" you'd like.

1 Comment Comment

Homemade Rust RemoverI haven't tried this tip, but I read about it in the local paper. If you have rust on a bumper, just wad up some aluminum foil and pour some cola on the bumper. Rub with the foil, it should remove it.

1 Comment Comment

Monitor Portion SizesThe portions we eat are too big most of the time, and our children's are also. We serve most things cut small, and say to come back for more, if you eat all the food from the first serving.

Removing Sticky Residue From ClothingFor gum or tar on clothing, spray WD40 on and wash. To remove oil or grease from clothing, cover with baby powder or cornstarch, then spray with stain remover. Wash as usual.

1 Comment Comment

Reuse Birthday CandlesBirthday cake candles don't usually burn long enough to melt the candle, especially kids cakes. I reused them by cutting the black part of the wick off, cleaning the cake off the candle, storing them, and there you go!

1 Comment Comment

Reviving Your Limp CeleryIf you have left over celery, it loses it crispness. Place it in a pan of water, with a sliced raw potato. Leave soaking for three hours. When you remove the celery, it will be crisp and fresh tasting.

Shop at Beauty Supply StoresI no longer color my hair, which saves us some money. But, when I did color my hair, I would buy my supplies at a beauty supply store. Much cheaper than the drug store brands.

3 Comments Comment

Store Cords in Toilet Paper RollsAnother use for a paper towel cardboard holder is to put your appliance cords in them. Even if the cord doesn't disconnect from the appliance, it will protect the cord and keep it from getting tangled in the drawer.

Use A Pizza Cutter To Cut FoodMy husband had a stroke. It was hard for him to cut up his food, so I started using a pizza cutter to cut his food into easy to handle small pieces. I also use it for my young grandchildren that are not sure how to use a fork yet.

1 Comment Comment

Use Oil To Protect Paws from SnowHere in the Black Hills of South Dakota we have lots of snow. To keep our dog Link's paws from being too raw, I take olive oil and rub into his paws weekly. It creates a barrier to keep his feet from cracking and hurting.

2 Comments Comment

Add Rice To Avoid Clumping in ShakersWhen your salt shaker doesn't want to work for you, you can solve the problem by adding dry rice in with the salt. This way your salt won't ball up in little balls. I always put rice in the shaker every time I refill it up.

1 Comment Comment

Freeze Leftovers for SoupIf a leftover food is good for a soup, wrap it, write on it what it is, and freeze it. Some things will need to be chopped fine before use, but add a lot of flavor.

1 Comment Comment

Tomato EquivalentsHere's a super easy recipe equivalent chart for tomatoes:

5 Comments Comment

Published by ThriftyFun.
Desktop Page | View Mobile
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
Generated 2022-08-24 07:25:52 in 4 secs.
© 1997-2022 by Cumuli, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
https://www.thriftyfun.com/tf/contest/000/449.html