Post Office Clerk Demonstrates New Flat Rate by Mary Hunt on Creators.com

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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.

Post Office Clerk Demonstrates New Flat Rate

Today's first great reader tip, from Shirley in Indiana, brings new meaning to the term "flat rate" and also earns Shirley a one-year membership to Debt-Proof Living Online (at http://www.DebtProofLiving.com). You are going to love this:

TIP OF THE MONTH. Now that the U.S. Postal Service bases postage charges on the thickness of a letter, as well as its weight, use a rolling pin to flatten your thick mail as much as possible before mailing. I learned this trick from a postal associate who did this for me recently when my envelope was just a little too fat. She had a slot that it had to fit through to qualify for the basic rate. Rolling it did the trick to make it fit, and it saved me a few cents in the process. — Shirley, Indiana

HEALTH CHECK. When someone in my household is sick or injured but I'm not sure whether a visit to the doctor is needed, I call the advice nurse at the doctor's office to talk over the problem. If it is after hours, I call the nurse available through my health insurance. He or she will discuss the problem with me and determine whether an appointment is needed. I also find out what symptoms to watch for. This saves a lot of time and money if an appointment isn't needed, and it's less stressful for kids who don't like visits to the doctor. — Courtney B., California

GROWING SOLUTION. We love growing bamboo in our tropical garden, but it can take over the yard if we're not careful.

When someone offered a used bathtub for free on Craigslist, my husband picked it up. We dug a deep hole in the ground, dropped the tub into it, filled the tub with soil, and planted bamboo in it. Now the bamboo stays put, and you can't see that it's contained by an old bathtub. — Pattye S., Washington

SPRAY MIST. I have dry skin, so I use a lot of lotion. In an effort to save money, I tried switching to baby oil. I love it, but I do not love the mess and the waste that it makes when it comes out too fast. One day, I decided to pour the baby oil into an empty spray bottle. It works really well to spray only a fine mist. It doesn't make a mess anymore, and I don't use too much. — Heather S., California

HAIR SPRAY CLOG. If you have a hair spray nozzle that is sticky with gunk, remove it and soak it in a dish of rubbing alcohol overnight. Rinse it with water, and replace it. The nozzle will work like new! — Kim, California

PAN PROTECTOR. I put potholders between my frying pans to protect the pans from getting scratched. It also saves me space. I don't have to waste a drawer for potholders because I store them in my pans. — Beth S., Pennsylvania

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. Include your first and last name and state. 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.

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