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Thrifty Tip Contest
(June 18 - 24, 2011)

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

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Duration	Entries
June 18 - 24, 2011	55

Tip: Use Heating Pad When Letting Dough Rise

June 22, 2011

When I am trying to get a yeast dough to rise, I place a heating pad on low underneath the pan of dough. Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray and place a kitchen towel on top to keep the warmth inside.

Comment Was this helpful? 10

Tip: Recycled Cart for Rainwater

June 20, 2011

Take an non-working lawnmower and remove the engine. Make sure the lawnmower still has its wheels and handle. Build a wooden frame around the base large enough to anchor a barrel or large pail.

Comment Was this helpful? 13

Tip: Unique Place Settings Instead Of A Set

Sandi/Poor But Proud
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 969 Posts

June 20, 2011

Why do my dishes have to match? Why can't I find unique place settings that give each guest a set of their own? So, at the local St. Vincent dePaul, I found these plates, saucers, and mugs and gave them a new home.

Comment Pin it! Was this helpful? 24

Disinfecting Old Hats And ShoesI read recently somewhere that among the things you should NOT buy used are shoes and hats. Hmmm - I have been doing that for years with no bad results, but in this day of proliferating bugs, I suppose we all should be very careful.

7 Comments Comment

Reclaim Water From Shower For GardenOne great way to save water is from your faucets. By keeping a big bucket handy you can catch enough to water quiet a few plants instead of letting it go down the drain. When on water restrictions, this really comes in handy.

1 Comment Comment

Removing Blood StainsUse household ammonia (full strength) to remove blood stains from clothing. Try to catch the stain as quickly as possible, and launder right away in cold water. Stain will disappear.

3 Comments Comment

Saving Cards With AddressesMy father passed away recently and we were getting cards from all over and from people that my brother and I weren't familar with. Instead of trying to keep envelope with the card, I just tore off the return address and taped it to the back of the card.

5 Comments Comment

Test Power Cable Before Replacing ElectronicsIf you have high speed DSL internet service and your modem/wireless router fails, don't go out and buy a new one without checking to see of it's a faulty power supply cord first!

1 Comment Comment

Dish strainer in platic storage tub base

Use Plastic Tub Under Dish StrainerI have almost no counter space. I bought a small drainer but realized I didn't have the pan for it. While shopping lately, I came upon this tub for $.25 and thought it might work.

9 Comments Comment

Vinegar For Relieving Itchy BitesWe always put vinegar on itchy bug bites. Apply a little vinegar to a cotton ball and dab on the bites. Works like a charm almost every time, taking the itch away within a view minutes. We've never had a bad reaction.

1 Comment Comment

Chopsticks as Plant AnchorsI use pretty plastic chopsticks from the nearby Asian market as stakes for my houseplants. They don't warp or rot, and the chopsticks come in all sorts of pretty colors and designs for around $2.

The finished decorative shelf over a frosted window.

Fixing up a Viewless WindowI had these old, thread bare, smoky drapes. Because I didn't want to take down the ugly drapery rods, I chose to put up a board. I had this wonderful wallpaper boarder, and hot glued it to the board, along with the pretties I didn't want to worry about falling.

3 Comments Comment

Keeping Lettuce FreshBecause I live alone, it's less expensive to buy a whole head of lettuce or leafy green vegetable than in a plastic bag all by itself. When I get the head of lettuce home, I cut the core end off and remove any leaves that are bad.

5 Comments Comment

Laundry Basket For Car ClutterKeep a plastic laundry basket in the back of your car. They're handy receptacles for kids' backpacks, shoes, empty cans, etc., accumulated while running errands or commuting. Baskets also work great for quick trips to the grocery.

1 Comment Comment

Make Your Own PearliteIf you need to lighten potting soil, instead of using pearlite you can make your own. Simply grind some Styrofoam packing peanuts in a food processor for a few seconds and add them to the soil.

3 Comments Comment

Pin and Earring StorageI turn old linen calendars around so the back side is showing and put my lapel pins and earrings on them. They come with a dowel for hanging, so I hang them in my bathroom where they're handy when I'm dressing.

1 Comment Comment

Removing Rust From ToolsI forgot some gardening tools in a bucket of topsoil last fall and discovered them just a few days ago. The hand clippers were especially encrusted with rust.

2 Comments Comment

Removing Stains From Toilet BowlTo clean stubborn stains from your toilet bowl, first if you have a wet/dry vacuum, suck out all the water so you have a virtually liquid free bowl. Then, pour in hydrogen peroxide. It will get rid of all stains and lime.

7 Comments Comment

Simple Tips For Frugal LivingHere are a few mini-tips, which you all may already practice:

3 Comments Comment

Store Canned Foods Upside DownLiving in the South, it seems like dust will accumulate out of nowhere in no time at all, including inside my cabinets. No matter how diligent I am about dusting, before I can turn around, it's back!

4 Comments Comment

Understanding and Treating Yeast Problems in PetsI was going through earthclinic.com as usual, when I have something to share and I came across this article. It is a mini course in understanding Yeast Overgrowth, and Systemic Yeast Problems.

Use Butcher Paper as Gift WrapSometimes at Dollar Stores or Dollar Trees, they sell rolls of the brown packaging paper. One Christmas, I wrapped my packages in it and used nice, red plaid ribbons. Looked old-timey and traditional.

1 Comment Comment

Keeping Birds Out Of the GardenI love growing my summer garden in large containers. I keep them near my back door for easy reach from the kitchen. My only problem is that birds will not leave them alone. One perfect beautiful tomato after another pecked to pieces.

1 Comment Comment

Keeping Dogs Cool In Summer and Warm In WinterMy service dog is a Shih Tzu. I try not to take him out in the heat, but when I do I put him on my lap to keep him off the hot ground. I wrap a cloth around a cold gel pack for him to lay on and help him to stay cool.

2 Comments Comment

Buy Discounted Flowers and HouseplantsA few years ago while shopping in the grocery store, I passed by the florist area, and there was a bedraggled rose in a two inch pot for fifty-nine cents. I am no gardener, but I bought it anyway.

1 Comment Comment

Clean Yellow Croc Shoes

Cleaning Your Croc ShoesIf you wear Croc (plastic) shoes like I do, the best way to clean them is to wear them in the shower every time you take a shower. Then once a week, use a back brush on them with a little soap. They will stay looking new.

5 Comments Comment

Crafts Using Styrofoam Ice ChestsI have several of those Styrofoam ice chests. I decided to hot glue them to their own lid, then decorate them to make ottomans. I can even put something heavy in them before gluing the lid on and decorating to make little chairs for kids.

1 Comment Comment

Decorate Gifts With Recycled Greeting CardsI am often without wrapping paper for a special occasion. I also keep a box full of cards that I have received, rather than pitch them. When a holiday comes around, it is fun to take a paper bag or white construction paper and use pictures from old cards.

Completed Garden Stakes

Frugal Garden StakesI've been wanting garden stakes, but I wanted to make my own. So I finally came up with this idea. It's cheap and it works for me, just might work for you too.

2 Comments Comment

Kill Ants with Pam Cooking SprayPam kills ants on dog and cat food. I spray the food and bowl, and it kills the ants immediately. They are usually black kitchen ants. It will not kill other ants. It won't poison the dog or cat if they eat the Pam on their food.

8 Comments Comment

Kill Ants with Pam Cooking SprayPam kills ants on dog and cat food. I spray the food and bowl, and it kills the ants immediately. They are usually black kitchen ants. It will not kill other ants. It won't poison the dog or cat if they eat the Pam on their food.

New Life For Ceramic FigurinesI am partial to angel figurines and have actually found some nice ones in the dollar store, but they were a bit too colorful for me (pink cheeks and so on). So, I have sprayed them white or off-white craft paint to paint in the colored parts of the figurine.

Orange Spray Furniture Polish as Roach SprayPowerhouse Furniture Polish, the off-brand Orange type that you can buy at the store, kills cockroaches if you drench them with it. A mist of it won't work, they have to be soaked. They go into seizures and die.

2 Comments Comment

Reuse Plastic from MailingsThe magazines I receive often come in plastic bags, and I find that if I am very careful and cut them at the top, I can re-use them around the house. Same with the plastic bags samples come in and so on.

2 Comments Comment

Store Earrings in Ice Cube TraysI love earrings and was tired of not being able to organize them where they stayed together. Use ice cube trays!

2 Comments Comment

Vinegar to Remove Cherry StainsMy daughter loves cherries and messes. After leaving the cherry stains to soak into her shirt for a day, I was having a very hard time getting the stains out. In the end, I poured vinegar on the stains, rubbed the shirt together and, no more stains!

5 Comments Comment

A golden dog is camping by a lake.

Camping Tie Out for DogsThe doggy chain clamps wear out fast when big dogs are yanking the chains, so my husband bought some plastic coated wire and clamped heavy duty clasps onto each end - the kind with swivels on them.

Plastic Oatmeal Canister Lid

Crafts with Plastic LidsI keep clear lids from things like Pringles, Beef Jerky, etc. They are great for a lot of things.

Cut Scrubbing Pads in HalfScotch-Brite scratch pads and their "clones" are fairly large. I only use about half the surface for actual scrubbing, so I got to thinking. Why not cut the next batch of Scotch-Brite scratch pads in half?

4 Comments Comment

Vintage mirrors on shelf

Decorate With Vintage MirrorsFor me, old mirrors hold stories from the past and can bring a unique feel to any room. I like mirrors with personality - evidence that they've been a daily part of someone's life.

6 Comments Comment

Divide Potted PlantsSince we live in a condo, our gardening is limited to potted plants. When I get a new plant, I always make at least 2, sometimes 3, pots out of it. I divide them and re-pot them with new soil.

Homemade Stringed Instrument HangersA creative tip straight from hubby on hanging guitars, etc., is to take 2 very large office clips/clamps and clip them on a bookcase about as far from each other as the width of the top of the instrument above the fretboard.

2 Comments Comment

Old Knit Gloves as Bath MittThere are a lot of mismatched knitted winter gloves around the house that no one claims. They end up in the lost and found box. I have started laying them on the bathtub after washing them and using them as a bath glove.

1 Comment Comment

Peroxide to Whiten TeethMy mom told me that you can dip your wet tooth brush into a bottle of peroxide, then brush your teeth with it. Over time, your teeth will become much whiter. Just don't swallow the peroxide.

7 Comments Comment

Reclaim Water From Defrosting FreezerWe have a small dorm size refrigerator that we use for extras like sodas, water, and party food. It is not frost free, so in the summer it frosts up easily. When I defrost it, I try to catch all the water that drips off then I remove the big pieces as they become loose.

3 Comments Comment

A latch hook rug made from recycled fabrics.

Recycled Fabric Latch Hook RugI made a rug from a less-than-lovely knitted throw and some old t-shirts. Everything is machine washable, and I didn't have to run out and get rug canvas. I cut the t-shirts into small 1 inch wide and 3 inch long strips and created a latch hook rug.

2 Comments Comment

Reshape Summer Straw HatsDon't toss a good straw hat that has gotten out of shape over the winter! Almost all straw hats can be put back into shape by wetting them slightly, then gently pulling and pushing them into the proper shapes before letting dry.

Store Pills in Baby Food ContainersWe do a fair amount of traveling. Rather than carrying whole pill bottles, I use plastic Gerber baby food containers with lids and put enough pills to last the time that we are there

8 Comments Comment

Take Cell Phone Picture of Appointment CardsWhen I'm given a business card from my dentist, hair stylist, etc., with my next appointment time on it, I take a picture of it with my cell phone. This has helped me greatly, because lots of times I misplace the card.

2 Comments Comment

Turn Off A/C At Night To Save ElectricityIf you live in the Northern/Midwest states and it's 70-75 degrees F outside at night, you can turn off your air conditioner at night. Your apartment/condo will stay cold until morning.

2 Comments Comment

Use a Telescopic Window WasherIf you have a problem reaching for cleaning windows or anything high inside or out, purchase a telescopic window washer; the kind they use for cleaning bus windows. It works like a charm!

Use Boot Dryer For Damp ClothesPull something out of the dryer that's not quite dry? Lay over the top of the boot dryer to finish drying it. Lay wet washcloths, dishcloths, or damp clothes over it to dry before going into the hamper.

4 Comments Comment

Gray kitten with a colorful scarf.

Scarves For Pet Photo BackgroundsColorful silk scarves make excellent backgrounds for pet photos. These make the animals happy, since they like to feel of them. The colors just pop out when they are used as a background or the pet is laying on them.

2 Comments Comment

Using Dark or Light Baking PansWhen you are baking breads, cakes or cookies, if you prefer a darker bottom or crust, use darker pans to bake them in. The dark pans absorb more heat and will brown your food item to a darker color.

5 Comments Comment

Tote Bag for Bathroom RecyclingWe hang a cloth tote bag over the door handle in our bathroom and put all the recycleable items in the bag. Quick and easy, and you'd be surprised how quickly it fills up.

1 Comment Comment

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