The Best of Frugal Hints and Tips
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From Mellisa
WHEN THE KIDS STAIN THEIR SOLID COLOR CLOTHES, I GO TOTHE SEWING BASKET
AND PLACE AN IRON-ON TRANSFER OVER THE STAIN. SINCE THEY'RE OLD ENOUGH,
I LET THEM PICK OUT THE PATTERN AND THEN THEY PAINT USING FABRIC
PAINTS. THE SHIRT DRIES, AND VOILA! A "NEW" SHIRT IS CREATED. IF THE
STAIN IS DARK, USE DARKER FABRIC PAINTS.
Here's some smart tips from Susan Straley of Wisconsin.
We wrap presents in newspaper. We have been doing this for years and
many of our relatives have caught on and do it too.
I stopped buying tennis shoes. They just don't last long because they
get all scruffy looking. Besides, I couldn't find any good ones that
were not made with slave or child labor. So I bought some Red Wing
boots (Red Wing, MN -- Union labor!) and put in a heel cushion. I can
run, walk, hike and bike in them, wear them in the snow and rain, mow
the grass and go to the movies all in the same shoes. I have had them
two years now and the still look good. I may have to replace the soles
next year...
I sold my car and started taking the bus. (My husband still has his for
family and business use.) I save money even though my car was paid for.
Now, if I need a car I rent one (usually once or twice a month) it's
still cheaper than maintenance and gas on a car. We still have one car
in the family though. The geography of the neighborhood isn't right for
living totally car free.
Great Reminder from Julie Withstow of Florida
Remember to buy a years worth of paper, pens, office supplies while they are on sale for "Back to School!"
Excellent tips from Bonita Hawley!
Hi! I save lots of money by making my own greeting cards. I make an initial
investment by buying Microsoft Greetings Workshop or any other...and I make
all my Christmas cards, birthday, thank-you notes, party invitations and will
be making family calendars to give to my children for a Christmas gift. The
computer program has more than paid for itself and I have many years to use
it. Another gift idea is to make a heating pad to give...which is made from
a square of left over material sewn on all sides and leaving a small hole to
put in about one or two pounds of field corn. You then sew up the hole and
give as a gift with instructions to heat it up in the microwave for 2 minutes.
The corn won't pop because it is field corn (bought at a feed store or animal
superstore) and the heating pad will stay warm for a long time. It is also
flexible enough so that you can move the heating pad to your back or under
your leg...wherever you need the heat. A frugal tip for Christmas is to make
your own gift paper...I get my groceries packed in brown paper bags...I then
take the bags apart and iron them to get out most of the creases...my children
and I then stencil the brown paper with shapes that I have made from kitchen
sponges...stars, Christmas tree, etc. We dip the sponge lightly in craft
paint, which is poured onto a meat tray that was saved from the grocery store.
After we let the paint dry, I hang the paper by clothes pins on a hanger so
they won't get creased until I am ready to wrap my presents. I also use
raffia to tie on the boxes and this looks very nice with the paper.
Thought these might help.
When I go to a store, especially the grocery store, I carefully watch
the clerks and the amounts that I am being charged. I have caught
many mistakes, everything from being charged incorrect amounts, clerks
not taking off my coupons, and even not being given back the correct
change. It is much easier to correct a mistake at the register than it
is after you have already paid for the item. Before I leave the
register, I always make sure that all the items I bought have been
bagged--many times the baggers have left items laying off to the side.
I buy cheap red clay pots at discount stores and hand paint them in
bright cheery colors. When my houseplants need cutting back, I always
root the cuttings so that I have extra plants on hand. Not all these
plants live, but most do. This way, I always have an instant gift on
hand if I need one to give to someone that is ill, for a teacher,
hostess gift, etc.
My best advice is to plan carefully. I think when we plan things out,
and are prepared ahead of time, we do not have to run around like mad,
trying to find things that we need at the last minute and we don't have
to over-spend because we just don't have the time to comparison shop. I
realize we cannot anticipate every need ahead of time, but things like
Christmas, birthdays, back to school shopping for the kids, etc. can
easily be planned out ahead of the rush.
That's all for now.
Kim in NC
Window Cleaner
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 Pint rubbing alcohol
2 T liquid dishwashing detergent
2 T ammonia -- (2 to 3)
Optional: Blue food coloring
Place in gallon Container. Fill container with water and stir. Pour into
spray bottle for easy use. Store out of reach of children.
Lorene Jajtner
One thing I have learned living in Texas, is that in summer, you really
get hot. You can be inside and still be hot. I figured that to save
air conditioning bills during the heat wave is to just hang your clothes
outside to dry. I save alot of energy when I don't have the heat of the
dryer to try to cool the house too.
Molly Bond, Louisville, KY
I take all of my old clothes or possesions of any value to my local
consignment store. I make a little bit of extra money each month.
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