Recently
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.
more articles
|
One Woman's TrashRecently, I spoke with Michael Bluejay, who is known as Mr. Electricity for his expertise in reducing home electricity costs. In that conversation, I discovered that Bluejay prides himself on producing hardly any trash. I'm not proud to admit it, but I'm sure I make up for all that he saves plus more. That got me thinking: What am I throwing away that I could reasonably reuse for another purpose? Riffling through my inbox gave me some great ideas. RUSTIC GLAM. I recycle old sheets by tearing them into strips and converting them into rag rugs using a method similar to crocheting. I make the rugs in various shapes and sizes, and smaller versions serve as coasters, potholders and hot pads. These rugs are machine-washable, and they won't come apart like crocheted rugs. As a bonus, the strings from the strips fit in with the rustic appearance of the rag rug. — Stephanie, Missouri RESOURCEFUL SCRAPBOOKING. Scrapbooking is expensive if you are a die-hard. Why not use the pages from discarded wallpaper books as scrapbook page backgrounds? They're free or very cheap from your local paint and wallpaper store, and they have many backgrounds and borders. They even come pre-pasted. Wallpaper books that showcase the latest wallpaper offerings come out every season. Stop into a store near you and ask to get on the list for the books they will discard. — Tammy W., New Jersey STORAGE SOLUTION. I reuse oatmeal and formula canisters to store art supplies for my young children. I wrap them with old wrapping paper and add clip art pictures on top to show what is inside because they are not yet readers.
FREE FIRE STARTERS. I make homemade fire starters from empty toilet paper rolls, used dryer sheets and lint from the dryer's lint trap. First, I tape shut one end of the empty toilet paper roll. Wide packing tape works best. I keep the roll with the laundry supplies and stuff the lint from the filter into the roll, along with the dryer sheet. I add to the roll until it is filled tightly. Then I cover the end with another piece of tape. I make these all winter so I have enough to start lots of campfires all summer. These starters work better than newspaper and kindling! — Karen T., Massachusetts MORNING MADNESS. To help my kids be more independent but still make sure everything gets done, I write to-do lists on large colored Popsicle sticks and place them in dollar-store art organizers with pockets. Each child has his or her own color, and the items listed include "brush teeth," "make lunch," "make bed" and "take vitamins." As they complete their tasks, they move the corresponding Popsicle sticks to another pocket. When the first pocket is empty, they're all done! — Crystal S., New Jersey 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.
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
