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The Infamous Mystery Means
Dear Mary: My husband has two jobs — he is an artist and a salesman. He earns commissions from both jobs, so we never know what our income will be. I work part-time and am paid hourly. How do we go about setting up a budget? — Carol, …Read more.
Handy Tools Ease the Pain
Manufactures have been making a name — and a profit — for themselves creating tools and gadgets to help consumers get a "better grip" on countless household tasks. And I'm not knocking it. But I love it when I don't have to …Read more.
Let the Decluttering Begin
I know it's time. It's been time for at least five years, possibly longer. I need to clean my kitchen. Now, before you send the Health Department to my address, let me explain. What I mean by "clean" is that I need to clean out and …Read more.
A Glimmer of Hope to Cling To
Think back to a low point in your life. Don't struggle with this, just try to recall when you were going through a difficult season and life seemed bleak. Now recall that first glimmer of hope you clung to as you could see that things were beginning …Read more.
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Cheapest Parent Wins 2nd Award!This month's Tip of the Month was won by virtue of the fact that it's a tip we never had heard before. Sure, we've received thousands having to do with laundry and ways to soften dryer loads cheaply, but this one left us smiling: TIP OF THE MONTH. When my daughter was in college, she and her friends had a "Whose Parent is the Cheapest Contest." I won hands down for, among other things, figuring out how to make my own dryer sheets. I tore old towels into 2-inch strips until I filled an entire laundry basket with them. I put them into a bucket, poured in cheapie liquid fabric softener and tossed them like a salad until the strips were thoroughly damp but not drenched. Then I hung them over plastic hangers and allowed them to dry completely. Altogether, it took 20 minutes and about $1.50 to make six months' worth of strips. As a bonus, the whole house was filled with a wonderful fragrance! — Lois H., Maryland BRIGHT WHITE. I have a dry-erase board on my refrigerator. It gets a lot of use and becomes stained and hard to clean. To make it look like new again, I polish it using any brand of whitening toothpaste. I add a dab to the board and rub it in circles with a dry paper towel. Then I wet the towel to remove any remaining toothpaste. By the time I'm finished, the board is clean, and it even smells good. — Barbara, California STEAMED HEAT.
SAVVY PACKER. If you are packing for a move and plan to store items wrapped in newspaper for an extended period of time, be careful, because ink from newsprint can stain fine china, dishes and other items. I recommend checking with a local newspaper printing plant for end rolls. The rolls come off their presses with blank paper left on them, but it's not enough to continue printing. They are usually 3 to 4 feet long with yards of paper still attached. I used to get them from my local newspaper for free. End roll paper makes great disposable tablecloths for picnics, too. — Tammie, Pennsylvania Do you have a great tip? Share your timesaving and money-saving savvy by e-mailing your tip to mary@everydaycheapskate.com. Use "Tip of the Month" as your subject line, and include your full name and home state, along with your well-written tip. You will win a one-year membership to Mary's Web site, http://www.DebtProofLiving.com, if your tip is chosen as a "Tip of the Month"! 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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