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Thrifty Tip Contest
(November 1 - December 31, 2017)

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

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Duration	Entries
November 1 - December 31, 2017	37

Tip: Comparing CFL And LED Lightbulbs

likekinds
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 523 Posts

November 7, 2017

I have three 48 inch double fluorescent lamp fixtures mounted under an upper kitchen cabinet. I use them to start seedlings during late winter. Over time, all the 40 watt lamps have dimmed. Even when new, these 6 lamps did not produce near the light my plants needed. At a cost of $30.00 to replace all lamps. I decided to go a different route.

Comment Pin it! Was this helpful? 7

A bottle of coconut oil.

Buy Close Outs To Try New FoodsWhile shopping at Dollar Tree I saw a 7 oz. jar of coconut oil. I figured, for a buck, what have I got to lose. While I haven't cooked with it yet, I have smelled and tasted the oil. Well, not really. That's because it has virtually no smell or taste. Yea!

8 Comments Comment

Christmas Gift for your Mail CarrierI think I found the most unusual gift this year for my mail carrier, Pete! While I was at the Post Office the other day, I bought him and his wife a book of stamps and put it in a very cute Christmas card. I think it will be his most unusual gift EVER! What do you think? They need stamps just like you and I.

3 Comments Comment

A piece of recycled cardboard from a tissue box, wrapped around an appliance cord.

Corralling Cords of Kitchen Counter AppliancesI like the printed designs on Kleenex boxes, they're almost too cute to throw out. I'm sure this sounds like "what" in the world does Kleenex boxes have to do with kitchen appliance cords? Well, when the tissues are used up I cut the side of the box off and use the cute printed wide strip as my "cord holder".

2 Comments Comment

A bottle of soda in a gift bag holding a refrigerator door open.

Propping a Fridge Door OpenI have a lovely fridge in a nice newly remodeled apartment. However, the owners deemed we old folks are too forgetful to close the fridge door so it closes on my head. Literally, if I don't pull my head out fast enough, sometimes hitting it on the freezer handle, it closes on me.

4 Comments Comment

An unopened eye makeup to give away.

Doing Good Deeds with FreecycleI have been a member of Freecycle for a long time. Freecycle is an organization that keeps usable items out of the landfill by giving them to other members. I have both given and received many items.

2 Comments Comment

A planter placed so that packages can be hidden behind it.

Planter to Hide PackagesLiving in a strict HOA community, we're unable to plant anything out in front or put anything like a bench. Instead, we placed a planter and it's a spot where delivery people usually leave our packages. That way, from the street it won't be obvious that we have a package if we're not home yet.

A Christmas wreath on a door.

Bring Wreath Inside at NightI bring my wreath inside at night because I don't want it to get wet from moisten air or spider webs from forming. Also, there has been a rise of thieves stealing holiday decor in the area.

A webcam on a computer covered up by a Post-It note.

Cover Webcam with Post-ItThere are reports where webcams can be hacked and you could be spied on, recorded or even the hacker has the ability to view your keyboard strokes for your passwords and personal information.

Eraser to Clean PhoneUse an eraser to clean off the phone, just like you're erasing something on paper. Then go over it with a soft cloth.

An empty shelf for an item on sale.

Get a Raincheck for Out of Stock ItemsIf an item is out of stock, don't forget to get a raincheck. I went to CVS today and as you can see the entire sale items are wiped out. The deal is if you purchase a select Conair Hair Styling Product for $15, you get $10 Extra Bucks (essentially a coupon to shop back at CVS).

Tennis shoes with newspaper stuffed inside for drying.

Newspaper for Drying Wet ShoesTo dry your shoes bunch newspaper together and stuff in the shoes. They will dry faster.

A temporary hem fix with tape.

Quick Temporary Hem FixI was in a hurry this morning and snagged the hem of my slacks with my big toe. It ripped out a good portion of the stitching. I needed those black slacks and didn't have time to get a needle and thread and fix them.

3 Comments Comment

A stuck on label on a to-go coffee cup.

Removing Stuck-on LabelsNothing I'd tried worked in removing this label's glue. And I mean I tried everything, yet that's as far as I'd gotten with it, being left with that large gluey patch. Well, this morning, I tried something different, and it worked, after all this time of not being able to get the label glue off and not using that to-go-mug.

7 Comments Comment

A soda bottle and rubber band being used as a phone stand.

Soda Bottle Rubber Band Phone StandWrap elastic around one side of your phone, loop it over the bottle and attach it to the other side of the phone. Then you can do things on it or watch something.

A basket that is camouflaging a wall thermostat.

Camouflaging a ThermostatI don't use my radiant heaters. So the thermostat just seems to sit there, being annoying. And truth be told, quite ugly. So, today I sat about disguising it. If you have a small basket and something cute to set on it (or not), you have won the day. I had two colors/sizes so I showed you both. N-JOY!

A collection of broken items to be fixed or upcycled.

Make a "Fix Me" Box or BasketI recently moved. All in all, I didn't lose much but for the things I did, I made this. Gather all the broken things: cups, earrings and magnets that need their backings, little odds and ends that are worth saving but you don't have time for.

Protecting Your Bike Against LossIt seems to me that the best way to ensure against loss is to ALWAYS lock up your bike to some immovable object with a good cable bike lock. Put the cable through BOTH wheels. When you have it at home, lock it up in a place not easily accessible by strangers.

A designer bracelet found at a thrift store.

Shop Thrift Stores FirstI go to my local thrift store at least once a week. You never know what you are going to find. Today I found an Alex and Ani bracelet for $1, which my daughter will love. This bracelet would have cost $28 new.

5 Comments Comment

A wire hangar bent to hold smaller sized baby clothes.

Wire Hangars as Baby Clothing HangersDon't waste money on baby hangars. Just bend wire ones!

Keeping a Cat from Licking and Scratching Its Wound - orange tabby wearing a harness

Keeping a Cat from Licking and Scratching Its WoundMy cat would not stop licking and scratching its wound behind its neck removing fur and causing scabbing. I got one of the dog harnesses that is fabric with Velcro and it has really helped and now his skin is healing wonderfully! Plus my cat does not hate it at all. It's worked out better than a cone!

7 Comments Comment

An umbrella given away at a store's grand opening.

Attend Store Grand OpeningsAmazing Savings just opened near me. To celebrate, they gave out umbrellas. You did not have to buy anything. This was not advertised, but I have had similar experiences in other stores, so I went just to see. Who can''not use an umbrella?

1 Comment Comment

Draw A Line for Ants with CoffeeIf ants are coming in a particular spot, draw the line - with used coffee grounds. If you put an ant in the corner of a box and then make a line with coffee grounds about an inch or two out, the ant will not cross that coffee ground line. They will die of hunger/thirst in that corner before they cross it.

1 Comment Comment

A frame with an easel back that has a loop to hang on the wall.

Hanging a Frame with an Easel BackI moved to a place where I don't have many places to sit photos. So I decided to hang some on the walls. This is a good example. Just make a yarn loop, tie it tight, and hang it around the easel. Make sure it doesn't come up too far but isn't too short, either.

1 Comment Comment

A liner from the inside of a cereal box.

Save Liners from Cereal BoxesOpen them up, wipe them down and dry them. Use in place of waxed paper. They are especially useful cut into squares and used to separate hamburger patties.

2 Comments Comment

A large and small cupcake as part of a promotion.

Splurging on a Sweet TreatI follow brands that I like, for instance, Sprinkles Cupcakes on social media (Instagram/Facebook) and occasionally, they will post promotions like:

A bottle of bright nail polish.

Strong FingernailsFor stronger and healthier nails, soak for 3 minutes a day in a solution of 1/2 cider vinegar and 1/2 alcohol.

3 Comments Comment

Canning Rings being used to raise laptop and allow air circulation.

Canning Rings to Raise LaptopI just moved. My laptop is now my main computer. Last night, I had it on for a while, on top of a wooden box with a drawer in it. I heard a 'whirring' sound. I went to check it out and felt the heat from underneath.

9 Comments Comment

Instant Relief for Acid IndigestionMix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 1 cup of water. Drink immediately. It helps with sour stomach, nausea and acid stomach only seconds after drinking.

7 Comments Comment

Gifts wrapped in corrugated cardboard with white string.

Corrugated Cardboard for Christmas Shipping and WrappingIf you want to help our environment as well as save money then stop using wasteful, polluting bubble wrap and tape for wrapping and posting your gifts. Look instead at using almost free and stylish products like corrugated card and old fashioned string. Corrugated cardboard can be found at any supermarket, where they throw their used packing materials.

1 Comment Comment

Dentists Buy Back CandyDo you have a lot of candy left over? Or too much candy for your kids? Many local dentists will buy back candy from the kids for $1 a pound.

Hold Bra Straps Together with Paper ClipsHook a paper clip onto the back of your bra straps to hold them together. That way, the straps will not go down your arms.

3 Comments Comment

A wooden serving bowl that has been oiled with mineral oil to preserve it.

Preserve Wooden Bowls with Mineral OilUse food-grade mineral oil to keep your wooden bowls and spoons from drying out. This bowl is almost 40 years old and has no cracks or splinters. You can put a paper towel between tools if you stack them.

2 Comments Comment

A hammer claw being used upside down to remove a nail from the wall.

Remove Nails with the Hammer Claw Facing UpWhen you take out your nails, face the claw up. This might be a bit harder if they are up high and you don't want the nails to fall.

3 Comments Comment

Use Hot Glue On Slippery ShoesI have had shoes with no traction left on the bottom of my shoes. This can be very dangerous for falls. Just add some hot glue dots to the bottom, and this will give you traction.

2 Comments Comment

Uses for Swimming Pool NoodlesOther good uses of swimming noodles are the sides of narrow garages, so that when you park too close for swinging the vehicle door wide open, it hits the noodle, not the wall.

A formal strapless dress on a hangar.

High School Dance Dress Shopping TipsMy cousin reached out to me a few weeks ago because she needed thrifty tips on how to save money for her homecoming dress.

2 Comments Comment

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