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6 Ways To Cut Pet Care Costs
As I write, a big, beautiful, brindled English bulldog is underfoot, sleeping soundly, as bulldogs do. I cannot claim ownership, but Newcastle ("Newkie" to his family) visits often. He's my granddog — and as precious as they come. So …Read more.
Fun (Cheap) Birthday Gift Ideas for Kids
Several months ago, I got a message from Elaine G., who recently had joined a moms group. With all of her newly minted friendships, she and her little one are getting invitations to lots of toddlers' birthday parties. Her dilemma took me back to …Read more.
What You Need To Know if Your Bank Fails
If it seems that more banks are closing this year than normal, you are absolutely right. Since January 2009, 106 banks and 19 credit unions have failed in the U.S. That's more than four times the number of closings in 2008. It's the most since the …Read more.
Make Your Own Sanitizing Wipes
Dear Mary: I would like to find a recipe to make hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes. Do you know of one? — Delores, e-mail
Dear Delores: I have been thinking about the same thing, now that we're learning that products like Purell are …Read more.
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A Surefire Way To Slow the Flow of WaterFor years, I've been encouraging readers to send in their best timesaving and money-saving tips, and we've pored over mountains of reader-submitted tips. It's not easy for readers to come up with ideas that my staff at DPL Central and I have not heard before. Now and then, however, it happens. This past month, we received so many great new tips that it was downright difficult to settle on a winner! Read on to see whether you don't agree. TIP OF THE MONTH. My kids always were running the water at full blast while doing dishes, brushing their teeth and doing other chores at the sink. It was difficult to get them to remember to turn off the faucet when they didn't need it, so I slowed the flow by turning down the shut-off valves under each sink. I found that you can adjust for more or less flow by turning on the water all the way at the sink and then slowly turning the shut-off valve toward the off position until you get the desired flow. If the shut-off valve for the shower is accessible, you can slow down that flow the same way. My water bill has decreased significantly since I slowed the flow. — David R., Massachusetts KITCHEN BROKER. A friend of mine recently remodeled his kitchen. Ripping out his existing kitchen was going to cost him approximately $600. Instead, he placed an ad in the local newspaper offering his entire kitchen for sale. He described what was included (cabinets, countertops, appliances, sink and faucet), and he specified that the buyer would need to remove these items from the kitchen. MATCHING QUEEN. I have an easy tip for matching linens. When I take sheets out of the laundry, I fold them and stuff all the pieces of each set into one of its pillowcases. Then, when I make the bed, all I have to do is pull a pillowcase out of the cabinet, and everything is there, already matched up! — Lauretta B., e-mail NEGOTIATING GURU. Recently I had two emergency room visits and two surgeries in three months. Even with health insurance, my portion of the bill came to more than $3,000. I had the money in savings to pay the bills in full, but I wanted the providers to cut me a break. It is expensive for offices to rebill patients month after month, so I called the hospital first. They reduced my bill by 22 percent, provided I paid it immediately. By the time I was done speaking to all the providers, I had negotiated $710 in discounts, averaging more than 17 percent off my bills. You have to pay immediately for negotiation to work, but if you have a contingency fund, you should be in good shape. — Lesa, Washington 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. 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 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
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