Everyday Cheapskate

If you never have had a king-size zucchini show up mysteriously in the front seat of your car or a bag of tomatoes on your porch, you've not had a friend who's over-planted her garden. Trust me; everyone should be so fortunate as to have a friend like that. If you are that friend, perhaps you could take a cue from today's first reader tip:

TIP OF THE MONTH. We live in a rural area outside a big city. Because of the economy, many neighbors have begun gardening. One of these generous farmers has built a set of covered shelves at the end of his driveway. He sets out his excess bounty with a sign that says, "Pick what you want, pay what you want." He has a tin can sitting nearby for whatever you can afford. My kids and I find it exciting to go by each day and see what's available. This man's generosity saved us money last summer on produce. We're starting our own garden, and I hope to be able to follow his example. — Lisa F., e-mail

NEW BLACK. Black clothing matches everything, so my wardrobe features a lot of black pieces. However, black fades after a few washings. Once a year, I gather all of the washable black clothing in the house and redye the batch in our washing machine. The load comes out refreshed, and the color is a true black. I run the machine again, empty, to remove all traces of dye. — J. R., Connecticut

TEATIME. I brew iced tea and mix it with concentrated lemon and sweetener. As I work around the house, my tea with regular ice cubes becomes diluted.

I usually throw the watery mix away, wasting the drink. I started pouring my tea, fixed the way I like it, into ice-cube trays to freeze it. Now my ice cubes don't dilute a tall glass of iced tea when they melt. — Joan M., Pennsylvania

SAVE THE AIR BAG. I learned that putting a purse, briefcase or shopping bag on the front passenger seat of your car could cost you big-time. In an accident, the passenger-side air bag will deploy if there is weight in that seat. Air bags cost close to $1,000 each to replace, so having the extra air bag deploy can result in having your car "totaled" instead of repaired. That could add up to financial disaster if you are not prepared to buy your next car. — Kathy P., e-mail

HINGE HINT. Stop your door hinges from squeaking and your keyholes from sticking. Give these moving parts a good spray with nonstick cooking spray to lubricate them. WD-40 does the job, but cooking spray is an odor-free solution. — Adrienne B., North Carolina

SPECIAL SPARKLE. I use car wax on a soft white rag to polish my silver and gold jewelry. It does an amazing job to remove all the black oxidation and dirt that clouds jewelry. The wax easily wipes off, leaving jewelry sparkling and clean. — Lisa L., Oregon

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.

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