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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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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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