Condo Gardening
This reminds me of a book that I read a while back entitled Self Sufficiency in a Flat by Joy Spocynska. And whilst I think of it - how about a category for reviews of helpful books on TF?
Gluten Free Fried Chicken
Thanks for this - definitely inspired to try for myself, especially now that KFC in the UK are trialling Halal, which is not my thing.
Sweet and Savoury Breakfast Naans
Heres a link to the product that I actually used. http://www.pataks.co.uk/products/mini-plain-naans.aspx I meant that I was warming the naan breads in the oven, not the people.
Inexpensive Home Repair Materials?
I would definitely recommend trying Freecycle - you can either put in a wanted ad, or respond to items offered by others, and the only cost to you is transportation.
Cleaning Nicotine Off Walls
Ive had the same task in my ex-chain smoking aunts bathroom - I found that Wilkos antiseptic floor wipes, which come in Lemon and Lavender fragrances, did the job nicely. And they were half price and 50p a pack!
Don't Substitute for Butter
I love my butter. The problem that I do have is that unsalted tastes insipid, but slightly salted makes my ankles swell. Have been experimenting with adding low sodium salt to unsalted...
Dilute Full Fat Milk Instead of Buying Skim
I originally compared my diluted version to UK semi-skimmed (2% fat), but the title was edited by Thrifty Fun for an American readership. What youd lose by dilution would be half of the 3.5% protein content and half of the water soluble B vitamins. Vitamins...
Prevent Underarm Odor With Antibacterial Soap
I realise that you might not want to use a soap containing triclosan, but Wrights Traditional Soap has Tea Tree Oil as its active ingredient - provided that you are not allergic to tea tree oil, this should be acceptable. Some also question the chemicals used...
Hard Water Leaves Hair Waxy Feeling?
If you have any way of collecting it, youd be best off washing your hair with rainwater, which is naturally soft.
Stretching Leather Boots?
If they were expensive, it may be worth paying a bit extra to get them professionally stretched by a shoemender. At least a craftsman is likely to be honest with you if s/he thinks it cant be done.
Finding Financial Help for a New Roof?
It may be worth checking to see whether theres a firm that would be interested in leasing your roof to put solar panels on it, if it is south facing. You get cheaper electricity and the firm gets the feed in tariff for whatever you dont use. The solar firm...
Finding Free Furniture?
You could do worse than making a futon out of a couple of wooden pallets of the same thickness - at least youre not dealing with other peoples sweat, cat hairs etc. I saw this on a TV show where they were doing a room makeover on a very low budget. They used...
Finding Free Furniture?
Quick PS - you could also post a wanted ad to your local Freecycle or Freegle.
Getting Help With Utility Bills?
Our local utility company (in the UK) provides an online assessment tool so that you can work out whether you would be better off with a water meter. If your water isnt already metered, it may be worth checking whether your utility company will do the same...
Getting Rid of Mice in Apartment?
The smell of a cat will put mice off - you dont even have to own one, you could borrow one from a friend for a week. But do clear up the rat poison first, just in case the cat takes an interest in it!
My Frugal Life: Raising Five Kids
I use a camping dynamo lantern to light me upstairs, along passages etc - though it isnt strong enough for reading or close work, so I use an energy saving light bulb for that.
When Are You Being Too Frugal?
I found a useful rule of thumb in Richard Fosters Freedom of Simplicity - unless you really enjoy doing something yourself, or are very poor, think twice if it saves you less than you could reasonably get paid for the time that you spend
Removing a Splinter
Last time I had a splinter, I left it where it was and doused it regularly with iodine, to prevent infection. After a while, I found that it had gone - presumably with the layer of skin in which it had been lodged.
Hit the Power Button
The other thing that I do if my computer is jammed, is to click the Start button (Microsoft logo in the bottom left corner), then click the arrow on the right of the start menu, and click restart. That way, the computer shuts itself down and then switches back...
