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Mortgage Insurance? Not on Your Life!
Dear Mary: I just bought a house, and I've been getting a lot of flyers about mortgage protection insurance. Is it something good for a new homeowner or just a waste of money? — Donna, email
Dear Donna: Great questions. "Mortgage …Read more.
Tips That Make You Feel Like a Genius
Secretly, I feel like a genius when I discover a secondary use for this or that — in case I run out of this, but have plenty of that! Like using a paper coffee filter to wash a glass top or mirror when I'm in a pinch for paper towels. Or using …Read more.
Supermarket Tricks That Makes Us Spend More
I've always thought of myself as pretty sharp when it comes to spotting supermarket trickery. I'm not even fazed by an end-cap display announcing, "Special." I know their ways. They hope we'll just assume that "special" means …Read more.
The Struggle to Actually Use up Gift Cards
My love-hate relationship with gift cards has intensified. What a pain, really. I'm one who just forgets to use them, and when I remember, I try to figure out how to use each one to the last cent. I was reminded of my situation recently when I …Read more.
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6 Easy Tips To Help Around the HouseOne of my favorite household tips I learned from readers of this column: Paper coffee filters work infinitely better than paper towels to clean windows and mirrors. They are absorbent and lint-free. Want to learn more? Read on as your fellow readers share even more household tips and tricks that will help you to save time and money every day. DISH DILEMMA. One thing I have found so important regarding my aged dishwasher is to remember that it fills with water on a timer, not according to water level like the clothes washer. If you use the shower, flush a toilet or use the sink while it's filling, it doesn't get the proper amount of water to clean the dishes. That makes a huge difference in the outcome. — Peg R., e-mail SOAP SAVER. I buy bar soap in multi-packs. I always remove the bars from their packaging and place them in different drawers and cabinets in my bathroom and linen closet. I enjoy the fragrance as the soap dries out, and the bars last so much longer in the shower, with no goopy mess. — Kathleen L., e-mail THRIFTY STICKY. I am too thrifty to waste money on specialty cleaning products unless they really pack a punch. There is one product I can't live without: Weiman Wax Away. Wax Away is intended to remove candle wax from surfaces where it has dripped, but by chance, I discovered that it is also the best all-purpose remover of residue left by price labels, tape or hair spray.
PLUMBING MAGIC. I got this hint from a plumber who knows his stuff: Fill your sink with hot water. Then pull the plug and pour dish soap down the drain as the sink empties. Doing that once a week will keep your drain running fast and your pipes clean. The dish soap required costs far less than a bill from a plumber. — Sharon S., e-mail TOP SWITCH. I save caps from various sizes and shapes of plastic bottles and use them to replace the tops of other bottles that don't suit my purposes. I recently replaced a squeeze-style margarine top with a thoroughly washed hand lotion cap because it would allow me to stand the margarine bottle on its lid. I routinely replace the caps of shampoo and body wash bottles with lids that have smaller holes. That alone saves at least half the amount of soap dispensed with each squeeze. — Gayle, e-mail Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. Include your first and last name and state. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including "Debt-Proof Living" and "Tiptionary 2." To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM
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