Thrifty Tip Contest (April 16 - 22, 2012) | ThriftyFun

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Thrifty Tip Contest
(April 16 - 22, 2012)

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

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Duration	Entries
April 16 - 22, 2012	54

Tip: Help Your Cell Phone Return Home

mom-from-missouri
Silver Post Medal for All Time! 255 Posts

April 19, 2012

My young teens share a phone, so when they have events that my husband and I are not always at, they can call us if need be. Needless to say, it gets left or lost at times, each kid thinks another has it.

Comment Was this helpful? 11

Tip: Spring Cleaning Made Easier

April 18, 2012

Seems most everyone is spring cleaning this time of the year. Even for someone like me who keeps up on things, this is the time to do things forgotten or put off. Most of these things we all do. Organization is the key here.

Comment Was this helpful? 6

Tip: Keep Lettuce Fresh Longer

Linda from Bloomington, IL

April 17, 2012

I live alone. When I buy a bag of lettuce, I divide it up into serving sizes in quart size bags. In each bag, I place a single saltine cracker that I have wrapped in a paper towel, then press the air out.

Comment Was this helpful? 13

Tip: Mesh Bag for Cleaning Cookie Cutters

April 16, 2012

Use the mesh bag from your next turkey to throw your cookie cutters into. Place the mesh and cookie cutters in your dish washer making sure that the end is closed and placed over a prong.

Comment Pin it! Was this helpful? 8

Recipe: Recipe for a Happy Marriage

Vi Johnson
Silver Post Medal for All Time! 288 Posts

April 16, 2012

Just being sentimental. ;-)

Comment Pin it! Was this helpful? 14

No Fail Oatmeal Pancake MixGrind rolled oats in food processor until fine, but not a powder. Pour into mixing bowl. With electric mixer add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

1 Comment Comment

Caring for Withered PlantsWhen you have a withered plant that just has lost its oommppphhs, instead of throwing out that "flat" beer, give your plant a drink of the brewsky and watch it spring back to life!

Organizing Measuring Cups

Organizing Measuring Cups and SpoonsDo you have too many sets of measuring cups? I think I might. To sort it out, I found some medium size containers (I had lots of large yogurt cups) and labeled them by the different capacities of each cup, and then I broke up the sets into these containers.

polishing silverware

Polishing Silver With Baking SodaTo polish silverware and remove tarnish, use your Arm and Hammer baking soda, a bowl or pan to fit your silverware, and aluminum foil to line the bowl.

Storing Yarn in a Two Liter BottleI store my yarn in 2 litter soda bottles. Take an empty, clean bottle and remove the lid. Take a knife or large scissors and cut it in half, near the center of the label. Place your skein or ball of yarn inside the bottom half, take the end of the yarn and run it out the mouth of the bottle.

1 Comment Comment

Add Tomato To Microwaved Cheese SandwichesTo make your microwaved cheese sanwiches taste yummy, try this. Put your cheese on one side of the bread, then slice your tomato an put it right on the cheese. In 15 seconds you have a great cheese melt with tomato.

Back Scrubber For Washing FeetI keep a back brush that I purchased for a dollar at the dollar store in my shower, and use it to clean my heels and toes. A light scrubbing with it exfoliates and keeps calluses from forming.

6 Comments Comment

Homemade shelf behind the bathroom sink.

Building ShelvesAlthough I only have only a few examples to show you, I will share my many "cheap or free" ideas for building shelves. The first thing you need to determine is: Do you own or rent? If you rent, I would not put a lot of holes in the walls.

3 Comments Comment

Container Gardening using recycled containers

Gardening Using Recycled ContainersIf you are tight on space for gardening why not try recycling containers that you got with products. I use Tidy Cats litter buckets and pretty much any kind of container I can recycle.

Keeping Your Toothbrush Holder SanitizedIf you have a ceramic toothbrush holder with holes at the top for your toothbrushes, it can trap "gunk" at the bottom. Most of these holders have a little plug that you can take out to clean it. To keep germs down, poke an antibacterial wipe down into the holder to rest at the bottom. Drips will land on the wipe, and you can just take out the plug to remove it when you are cleaning your bathroom. No more disgusting gunk will accumulate.

Making Pet Beds From Mattress Toppers or Crib BumpersTake the crib bumpers and fold and layer them to the size bed you want to make or cut a mattress topper to the size of the pet bed you want to make. I had an old memory foam topper that was cut to make quite a few pet beds.

Milk and Pancake Syrup LaxativeOne things that works and it taste great is just regular white milk and pancake syrup. It will taste like vanilla flavored milk. Just give it some time and it will work with out any cramping or anything else.

1 Comment Comment

Peel Several Eggs at OnceInstead of spending several minutes peeling each boiled egg, just cut them in half with a sharp knife and scoop out the egg with a spoon. This is so much faster when you plan on cutting them up anyway.

1 Comment Comment

Preventing a Pot from Boiling OverMy friend sent me some tips her Aunt had shared with her. If you place a wooden spoon over the pot filled with water it will not boil over. I tried it several times and it's fool proof!

4 Comments Comment

Store Plastic Bags in Paper Towel RollKeep all your plastic bags in an empty paper towel roll. This makes it easier to access them, and keeps them organized.

Use Baby Powder to Stop StainsWhen ironing a white shirt, sprinkle baby powder under the arms before ironing. This will keep sweat from seeping through the shirt, and avoid stains.

WD-40 to Remove Labels from Glass JarsSlightly sand surface of label with sandpaper. Spray with WD-40. Label will come off easily. If not, put napkin on label and saturate with the WD-40. Let sit for as long as necessary.

BFF Puzzle NecklaceBuy an old puzzle from a garage sale or from the dollar store and find two pieces that you like. Punch a small hole on one side of the puzzle piece and insert a jump ring.

Getting Free Mulch and FertilizerI ask my neighbors to give me their grass clippings after they have mowed their lawn. They leave me bags of clippings that I use as mulch around my flowers and vegetable plants. As the grass decomposes it fertilizes the plants and it keeps weeds from growing.

Ornamental BananasWhether ornamental or not, all banana plants will produce flowers, and they can mature to fruit. Just realize that once your tree flowers, it will die, but they produce suckers or "pups" that will take their place. If not maintained, they will take over a space, so be prepared.

1 Comment Comment

Pack Outfits in Ziploc BagsFor each day you'll be away, pack a full set of clothes: top, pants, underwear, socks in a zippy bag. This keeps your suitcase neat, and it avoids the hassle of digging through clothes at your destination, or even deciding what to wear!

Plant Labels, Mini Cloche, and Drip Trays From Plastic Milk BottlesUse your old plastic milk bottles for cutting into plant labels. I use the straight sides. A permanent marker is best for writing on. Then the bottom can be used as a drip tray. Also if you just cut the bottom off, the top can be used as a mini cloche. You can make a handy scoop too.

Recycled Quilt BattingOld cotton and wool blankets, cotton towels and other pieces of cotton and wool make great batting for quilt projects. Cut the fabrics to fit you project, then make the quilt sandwich. Quilt it as you normally would. To finish it faster you can tie the quilt.

Removing Labels the Thrifty WayI do not remember where I learned this, but I am so glad I did. This tip has always worked for me. The easiest way to remove labels and sticker residue from glass jars is as follows.

20 Comments Comment

Using a spaghetti server for cooked cabbage

Spaghetti Server For CabbageToday, I tried the spaghetti server to take the cabbage from the steamer. It works better than anything else I have tried because of the longer handle.

1 Comment Comment

Using Ziplocs to Organize Remote ControlsKeep them all lined up together inside one plastic Ziploc bag. You don't need to take them out to use whichever one you want and keep a couple of batteries in the bag too.

Volunteer While Looking for WorkTime between jobs very important. Employers take note of how you spend your time. It is important to spend your time volunteering, working part time, or working full time at a position other than the one you are seeking.

2 Comments Comment

Add Blueberries Directly To Muffin TinsWhen baking Blueberry muffins, don't add your blueberries to the batter. Just fill your muffin tins using a teaspoon and alternate batter with individual blueberries until the muffin cup is 2/3 full.

Additions To Kids Frozen DinnersI always add extra nutrition to the frozen food for the kids, the fun foods, as I like to call them. I will add a piece of frozen broccoli to the dinner if it only takes a few minutes or cook, just stick it under the plastic.

Hood of Car

GPS Instead of a SpeedometerWe have an old car, and it needed a new speedometer. We were told by our friend who works on cars to just get a GPS and use it. GPS's tell your speed along with directions.

3 Comments Comment

Organize Playmobil Toys in Separate SetsI cut the box apart so that it can be folded into a gallon size ziploc bag and then I put all of the pieces in the bag with the picture, so my daughter can see which playmobil set is inside.

Saving for Big Ticket ItemsI am currently trying to save for a new sofa. I feel that by waiting, I'll appreciate it that much more. I decided that I want to spend no more than $700. So I divided $700 by 26 which is how many pay days are in a year for me.

SOS Pad For Bathroom Soap ScumBathtub, shower stalls, and doors are quickly and easily cleaned using an SOS pad. They eliminate a lot of elbow grease, but cut through grime and soap scum. No scrubbing or soaking. Even the off brand pads work just as well as the name brand.

6 Comments Comment

"After" Slumber PartyMy granddaughter just turned 7 and she wanted to have a slumber party with her friends to celebrate. But many kids her age have fears of spending a night away from home (and mom and dad).

3 Comments Comment

Don't Waste That HamThis past Easter I baked a bone-in ham, wrapped in foil, then unwrapped and covered with a glaze. Delicious! In the past, I had never bothered going to the trouble of using the ham bone for soup or whatever, so I usually just picked off as much ham as possible and discarded the bone.

Gap Insurance Coverage Could Have Saved ThousandsIf you have a loan on a vehicle like I did, make sure you add "gap protection" onto your full coverage policy. It was never offered to me by my insurance, and I sure wish they would have.

6 Comments Comment

Orange bag for garden gloves.

Garden Glove BagDH has been working on a shed for our back yard. He is making it from repurposed fence lumber. I was watching him work today since I'm not allowed to play with his power toys.

1 Comment Comment

Storing a Pancake Griddle

Hanging a Pancake GriddleI never have to worry about storage any longer for my pancake griddle. After I have used it, let it cool, and wiped it off, I put it in a sturdy 13 gallon garbage bag that has handles.

3 Comments Comment

Homemade ShampooTake 1 cup of water and add 1 Tbsp. of baking soda into an empty bottle. Shake well. Distribute evenly through your hair and then rinse. Follow with 1 cup of water and 1 Tbsp. of app;e cider vinegar as a conditioner.

Never Buy Used Mattresses or Upholstered FurnitureUsed mattresses and upholstered furniture are a plain and simple possible serious health hazard, not to mention creepy sounding, so it's best to avoid them.

18 Comments Comment

Peeling Cantaloupe, Honeydew, and WatermelonI cut honeydew and cantaloupe into 1/8ths, and watermelon into manageable narrow strips about 2-inches wide. I use a sharp paring knife to carefully follow along the edge of the rind and not leave any of the white part of the rind on the fruit strips.

Plant Old Winter PotatoesI always have wrinkly old potatoes left over from my winter "load-up" in the fall. I plant them in the garden, cutting them in pieces and making sure that each piece has one or two "eyes". I plant them 6 inches deep with the eyes facing up.

Remove Wine Stains on ShirtsIf you have a wine stain on your shirt, stretch your fabric over a bowl, cover the stain with salt and carefully pour boiling water over it. This will remove your stain.

2 Comments Comment

Removing Plantar Warts From FeetI had Plantar warts as a child and I had them removed by a doctor burning them off. They were under the skin and it felt like I was walking on pebbles.

2 Comments Comment

Save Mylar Balloons and Reinflate ThemIf you have no other use for the deflated Mylar balloons, simply save them to be reinflated on another occasion. If you insert a straw at least 6-8 inches in length up into the hole where it was originally inflated, you can press out the remaining helium in order to store the balloons flat.

Tennis Ball for Walker LegsYou can make a small slit in a tennis ball and put them on the tips of walkers. Often, walkers can catch on carpeting, especially in offices or homes that the users aren't familiar with.

Uses for Tennis Balls in the GardenA good gardening friend of mine uses tennis balls to make a gardening frame and found that the tennis balls are useful for bluetits too.

Using Tennis Balls in the DryerI use tennis balls in the dryer to help fluff clothes. They also cut down the drying time. In the preschool classrooms, they are helpful on the bottom of chair legs to alleviate the noise when moving.

Using Tennis Balls on Chair LegsA lot of people take a tennis ball, cut it in 4 directions and put it on the bottom of a walker to prevent dragging the legs of the walker. This also keeps the walker from damaging hard wood floors.

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