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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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Housecleaners' Best Friends: Baking Soda, Dryer Sheets and Hair SprayI never get tired of receiving tips from my readers that they have tried and found to be true! Whether it's a tip that has been handed down from a loved one or a tip that was discovered quite by chance, the excitement is contagious when I open my mail and feel their enthusiasm. As you can see, this week I received many enthusiastic letters. SHINY SINKS. For an easy, cheap and green way to clean my enamel sink, I scrub it with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. After rinsing, I add the stopper to the drain and pour hydrogen peroxide into the sink to cover the bottom. I let this sit for 15 to 20 minutes and use a sponge to clean the sides of the sink if it's needed. Any stains usually disappear. There's no odor, and it's non-caustic. — Juli F., e-mail SPICK-AND-SPAN PAN. Many years ago, my aunt told me to put baking soda in a pan that had burned, add some water and have it simmer on the stove for a while. If it's a dish, you can let it sit after you add the baking soda and water. Doing this easily removes the burned particles. — Geneva D., Florida SCUFF-FREE. I clean houses part time, and I have another great use for baking soda. I discovered that using a baking soda paste (add a few drops of water to the baking soda) gets black scuff marks off floors beautifully. Test the paste in a corner first, but this is safe on most vinyl flooring. It also works on walls but can cause the paint to come off, so test first, and be careful. CRAYON CLEANUP. My toddler loves to sit at the table and color with crayons. When the crayon markings end up on the table or other hard surfaces, I rub them with a used dryer sheet. Doing this cleans up the marks easily, with no residue, and the dryer sheet can be reused many times. — Erika T., e-mail MAGIC MARKER. I recently found out that you can remove permanent marker from surfaces using hair spray. I had metal filing cabinets that my mom had labeled with permanent marker plus several plastic drawers for organizing my kids' room that they had "decorated" with Sharpie pens. My sister was visiting and had some hair spray in an aerosol canister. She sprayed some on a napkin and then rubbed over the marker. It came right off, which saved me from replacing the items. — Mary Ann D., e-mail CLEAN CARPET. Cornstarch is great as a quick carpet cleaner. Just sprinkle the cornstarch on the carpet, especially in front of sofas, chairs and entryways. I usually use my wire mesh sifter from the kitchen to get a fine dusting. Leave it on the carpet for one hour, and then vacuum. This works really well. — Ann P., 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. 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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