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Thrifty Tip Contest
(April 23 - 29, 2011)

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

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Duration	Entries
April 23 - 29, 2011	51

Tip: How Do I Thin Nail Polish?

dorothy wedenoja
Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 170 Posts

April 26, 2011

I had some nail polish that was getting too thick to use, so instead of throwing it away, I poured nail polish remover in it. I just poured a little at a time. Shake it good and if it's still too thick, add a little more. Do this until you can put on your nails smoothly.

Comment Was this helpful? 10

Tip: Make Your Own Bath Salts

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

April 26, 2011

All you need is 1/4 cup Epsom salts and 1/4 cup sea, kosher, or rock salt stirred together in a glass bowl for one unscented bath soak Of course, you can mix up oodles of extra to place in glass jars with tight fitting lids.

Comment Was this helpful? 18

Tip: Keep Lemon Juice Spray Handy

April 25, 2011

Fill an inexpensive spray bottle with lemon juice and keep it in the refrigerator. Use it to spritz onto cut produce to keep fresh and crisp. Also great for spritzing as a finishing touch on cooked vegetables, chicken, and salads.

Comment Was this helpful? 13

Frozen Water Bottle For Cooling FoodsWhen cooking food that calls for it to be immediately cooled with ice, I used a bottle of frozen water that I usually keep in my freezer to take along for a cold drink all day.

Give Up Designer CoffeeIf you are spending $3 for a cup of cappuccino every morning, this adds up to $21 a week or $1092.00 a year.

3 Comments Comment

Preventing Rust RingsTo keep the unsightly 'rust rings' off your bath tub, put some clear nail polish on the bottom of your shaving cream container.

1 Comment Comment

Refreshing Suede ShoesSpruce up your "buck"/suede Timberland boots you've been stomping around in this past winter by cleaning them with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and a stiff brush.

Salt to Clean Up Raw EggIf you drop a raw egg on the floor, simply cover it with salt. Let it stand for a few minutes and it will solidify, making it easy to clean up.

Store Coupons with CashI am the world's worst, I think, for remembering to use my coupons when I shop! I have tried lots of different things, but nothing helped. I finally came up with a way to remember!

2 Comments Comment

Cleaning Between Car SeatsClean the crumbs, dirt, and coins dropped between the two front seats of your auto by using the long brush you clean snow off of your auto with. This makes vacuuming the front of your auto much easier.

1 Comment Comment

Keeping Cooked Cauliflower WhiteLemon juice or vinegar in water where cauliflower is cooked makes it keep its white color.

Store Food Waste in FreezerWith prices now so high, this idea is not only frugal but also helps to save our land fills and helps to organize the trash. Of course I reuse my Ziploc bags over and over after rewashing them several times.

4 Comments Comment

Ziploc to Cover Opened CansUse a plastic Ziploc bag and rubber band to cover cans when opened. You can reuse the Ziploc baggie by rinsing the outside and putting it back in the drawer for use.

1 Comment Comment

Cookie Cottages From Tin CansWhen using the coffee plastic cans or even the metal ones, I make cookie cottages out of them, and give them as gifts, with home made goodies inside.

2 Comments Comment

Dishwasher Tablet for Burned On FoodTired of scrubbing roasting pans or burnt food in your favorite saucepan?

Easy PunchTry this refreshing punch kept cold with frozen pineapple juice.

Elastic Hem for Long PantsTrack suit slacks are made so the leg ankles nearly always drag on the ground causing wear and tear.

Fix Rhinestone Jewelry with Missing StonesI have some old rhinestone jewelry that was nice but missing some stones and they were too small to replace. So I had the idea of applying pearl nail polish to the sites where the stones were gone and then sprinkling the area with silver glitter.

1 Comment Comment

Photos of Spa Baskets

Frugal Spa Gift BasketTo make this Frugal Spa Gift Basket I purchased body wash, body cream, shampoo, conditioner, facial mask, and bar of lavender soap from a Dollar Tree Store.

Ice Cream Scoop for Measuring Sticky IngredientsWhen baking, I use my ice cream scoop to measure shortening or peanut butter. It is the type with a lever you push and it goes around the inside edge of the scoop to empty.

Insulate Tube on CPAP MachineSleep apnea is a dangerous condition. It's linked to heart failure and a myriad of other health problems. I have been diagnosed for about 2 years now and am using a CPAP machine.

6 Comments Comment

Make Your Own Recycled Knitting BagWhen taking your knitting project with you, a container for a wine gift holds your yarn and those long needles and looks stylish. It can be covered with gift wrap, but most are already pretty.

1 Comment Comment

Mix Leftover CerealTired of throwing out cereal when there's not enough for a bowlful? Make "mystery cereal". Get a nice large plastic container with a lid and just pour those odd bits of cereal into it.

Shop Second Hand For FabricI have been second-hand shopping for several years. I got a beautiful ski coat with real fox fur on the hood for $5. I have also bought shoes that were just like new.

4 Comments Comment

Use Sanitizing Bleach SprayThe one tip I can't live without on a daily basis is I keep a 48 ounce bottle of a mixture of 1/4 chlorine bleach and the rest water. I find myself using this bottle several times/day.

2 Comments Comment

Frosting in Ziploc bag.

Use Ziploc Bag For FrostingWhen making powder sugar frosting, why wash a bowl and utensil to stir with? Slip a plastic bag in a coffee mug and turn the top edge down over the rim of the cup. Put your ingredients in and zip the bag closed, mixing the frosting by hand.

3 Comments Comment

Do What You Might Forget FirstBeing thrifty is easier when you're organized. When I have more than one thing to do, I try to do the thing I'm most likely to forget first and leave the things I'll definitely remember for later.

1 Comment Comment

How Do I Get My Toddler to Take Medicine?When my two year old daughter was sick with an ear infection, her doctor prescribed oral medication that she hated the taste of and gave me a real hard time when getting her to take it.

3 Comments Comment

Hydrogen Peroxide to Clean MicrofiberIf you have a microfiber couch that has spots or water marks, but can't remove them, try hydrogen peroxide. Dampen the area with a cloth, let dry, and brush with a soft brush. It cleans and leaves no stain.

3 Comments Comment

Insoles for Knitted SlipperTo make the soles of knitted/crocheted slippers last longer, pick up some shoe insoles a little bigger/wider then the slipper soles and sew on. I don't trim, if needed, until they are on the slippers.

Keep Chocolate From MeltingI came up with this idea on Easter. To keep our children's chocolate from melting on our long drive home, I put frozen Popsicles on the bottom of a Styrofoam cooler.

2 Comments Comment

Link: Bookcrossing.comThis is for all the people who love to read. A scrabble buddy of mine told me about it. I haven't actually done this since I have 2 daughters-in-law who share my reading tastes, so I pass my books to them.

Product Review: Dyson DC 23 Turbine HeadI have bought the Upright Ball Animal Dyson vacuums for myself and as a gift for my daughter in the past. I love Dyson, that is until this fiasco. The Dyson DC 23 Turbine Head was on sale - it's normally $399.00 and I got it for $234.50, which is about $234.00 overpriced.

4 Comments Comment

Using recycled plastic containers for seedlings.

Reuse Plastic Containers for SeedlingsWhen I buy my chicken in bulk, they come in big plastic containers. The containers make perfect seedling trays for the green house and they're free. I also use all the plastic containers that tomatoes, plums, etc. come in.

Use Banana Peels When Transplanting Roses?I am getting ready to plant a climbing rose bush. Will banana peels help if I put them under my rose bush before I plant it?

1 Answer Answer

Use Winterizing Plastic As Craft Shrink WrapI save the leftover plastic and tape used for winterizing your windows to use as shrink wrap, rather than the expensive shrink wrap you buy at your local craft stores.

Where Can I Buy Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth?For those of you who are interested in this and wonder what the difference is, food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) is safe to eat and spread around the house, etc. Pool grade or the kind in pool filters, and is not safe to be around at all and is dangerous.

5 Answers Answer

Bunny Tails

Craft: Bunny TailsCut enough string, yarn, or twine to wrap around the waist of the one who will wear the tail. In the middle of the string, start gluing the cotton balls in a clump.

Diapers for Potted PlantsBefore planting your hanging baskets, window boxes, or tomato plants go and buy cheap pack of diapers, open one up, and place in the bottom of the container.

4 Comments Comment

Fixing a Sticking DrawerHave a drawer that doesn't open and close smoothly? Remove the drawer and clean the wooden rails that support the drawer. Clean off any dust or dirt with a damp rag. Then, rub with a candle stub (over the wood rails) a thin layer of wax.

1 Comment Comment

Grocery Prices Jump 10 CentsMy most favorite remark about food and the economy is that each time I go into the grocery store, the prices have jumped 10 cents on any item.

3 Comments Comment

Keeping Cats from Clawing Carpet and FurnitureWe had a new leather rocking chair that our cats loved to scratch. We tried the water, the scolding, and even aluminum foil around the base of it. All to no avail. To "cure" our cats of the leather chair fetish, we put several coins in the bottom of an empty can.

2 Comments Comment

Link: Cootie Catcher Directions?Do You Remember Cootie Catchers? In no time at all, school will be out for the summer and the children will need to be kept busy. Well, here's one fun printable toy for children that, even we older geezers who used to make them when young, would have fun with!

4 Answers Answer

Street side of homemade curtains.

Make Your Own Blackout CurtainsInstead of paying $50 and up for blackout curtains, just go through old clothes and find opaque large skirts, t-shirts, or button-up shirts and sew them all together to fit your window. It helps if you have a sewing machine, but it can still be done by hand.

2 Comments Comment

Place Mat to Keep Counter CleanThe white grout on my kitchen counter top is a nuisance to clean. I now put a plastic place mat on it in the two places I use for food prep - beside the coffeepot, which always drips anyway, and above the dishwasher, where I often pour, mix, etc.

2 Comments Comment

Spaghetti Spoon For Attic Stair StringIn my home we have an attic with pull down stairs, and it seems that the string is always just out of my reach. So instead of pulling out my step stool every time, I get spaghetti serving spoon out of the drawer and use that to grab the string.

1 Comment Comment

Tracking Electronic Bills By Payment AmountsAlways use an odd amount for transferring money electronically or paying bills. For example, if transferring monies, use $99.98, or $100.01, or $100.02, but never the same amount during a 6 month period.

Vinegar to Clean the BathroomTo remove build up from lime and water deposits on the tub, shower heads, and faucets use vinegar. Use paper towels soaked in pure white distilled vinegar and line around the tub, allow to sit for 30 minutes then remove paper towels and rinse.

What to Ask For When Buying a Car From a DealerIf you're thinking about buying a new or used vehicle, ask for these few things and you will save hundreds of dollars.

2 Comments Comment

Reuse Plastic Easter Eggs As Cat ToysPlease recycle your plastic Easter eggs. Place a pebble or piece of dog food inside the plastic egg and close. This makes a great cat toy for the shelter cats.

Drawings of the shapes and lines to follow.

Teach a Child To SewYou can teach a child as young as six years old to sew with supervision. Get a piece of regular ruled school paper. Take all the thread from your machine including the bobbin. Put the paper under the needle and drop pressure foot.

2 Comments Comment

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