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Tips That Make You Feel Like a Genius
Secretly, I feel like a genius when I discover a secondary use for this or that — in case I run out of this, but have plenty of that! Like using a paper coffee filter to wash a glass top or mirror when I'm in a pinch for paper towels. Or using …Read more.
Supermarket Tricks That Makes Us Spend More
I've always thought of myself as pretty sharp when it comes to spotting supermarket trickery. I'm not even fazed by an end-cap display announcing, "Special." I know their ways. They hope we'll just assume that "special" means …Read more.
The Struggle to Actually Use up Gift Cards
My love-hate relationship with gift cards has intensified. What a pain, really. I'm one who just forgets to use them, and when I remember, I try to figure out how to use each one to the last cent. I was reminded of my situation recently when I …Read more.
Commingle Personal and Business Finances? Never!
Dear Mary: I am reading your book, "Debt-Proof Living," and have begun tracking my expenses. I have a home-based business. Should I include business expenses or just personal expenses in the tracking? — Lucy, Vermont
Dear Lucy: You …Read more.
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May Tip of the Month RevealedI always am searching for great tips from my readers. When I read today's first tip, which is from Sara in Minnesota, I was impressed with her resourcefulness. It is wonderful to hear how readers have thought to take what they already have and make it work for them in a new way without spending a dime. Sara did that, and that's why she has won the Tip of the Month for May. She'll be getting a free one-year membership to my Web site, http://www.DebtProofLiving.com, with access to my monthly newsletter, calculators and online community. Congratulations, Sara! TIP OF THE MONTH. The time between when I leave for work and when I return home can be 10 or more hours, which is too long to start a roast in the slow cooker in the morning. I always have wanted one of those slow cookers with a timer. The other night, I had a roast that needed to be cooked, and I thought, "I bet that timer that turns my lamp on every day at 6 o'clock would also turn my Crock-Pot on at 11 a.m.," and it did! Instead of having to buy a new slow cooker despite the one I have being perfectly fine, I solved the problem using something I had already. — Sara, Minnesota CHOCOLATE DELIGHT. I've discovered mini semisweet chocolate morsels. I've found I can use half a bag per cookie batch and still get chocolate goodness in every bite because they distribute better throughout the dough than the regular-sized morsels.
LAST DROP. I always am frustrated by pump spray bottles that don't pump when they get close to empty because the straw doesn't reach the last remaining bit of product. To solve the problem, I take the top off, remove the straw, and let the liquid from the straw drain into the bottle. I throw the straw away and put the lid back on. When I turn the bottle upside down and spray, I get those last drops easily! — Holly W., e-mail SCUFF STOPPER. I use magic sponges (such as Mr. Clean Magic Eraser) all over my house to remove marks on surfaces. When they wear out, I cut the remaining good pieces off and throw them in the glove compartment in my car. Then I use them to remove sap, gunk and bumper scuffs without damaging the paint. — Juli, e-mail SELF-RELIANT WARRANTY. I never buy an extended warranty. Instead, I self-insure all items that I purchase, from cars to electronics to appliances. Anytime a retailer offers an extended warranty or a maintenance agreement for a fee, I decline. Then I put that amount in a savings account for repairs or replacements. I have plenty of money in that account each year to cover the one or two items that go bad or need to be repaired. — Karen, Illinois 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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