Recently
How To Stay On Track When Paying Off Debt
Dear Mary: I read your book "Debt-Proof Living" and was excited to implement your Rapid Debt-Repayment Plan. We did well the first month, but we have fallen off the wagon and are behind on payments again. Even though I feel discouraged, we …
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. …
How To Take Advantage of the New Tax Laws
So you think the new administration's stimulus plan and economic initiatives have nothing in them for you? You might be wrong, says Kelli B. Grant, who is the senior consumer reporter for SmartMoney, in a recent article for Good Housekeeping …
It's Not Easy To Win the Rebate Game
A recent letter from Elle S. in Texas stirred up my personal ire on the subject of rebates. I detest them! It's a game in which the deck is stacked against the consumer. Always.
Elle writes: "I purchased my Sprint phone in May 2008. I should …
more articles
|
Readers Come Up With Fresh IdeasRecently, I challenged readers to send in their best ideas for how to use "this for that." Every now and then, something new shows up that we never have thought of before. Today's first fresh idea, which we named the Tip of the Month, is an example:
TIP OF THE MONTH. I am frugal and always have been bothered by having to throw away sticks of deodorant when there is inaccessible product remaining in the bottom. Recently, I left a used stick in my car. When I returned, I found my car faintly smelling like scented deodorant. I left the freshener there for three weeks before it finally gave out. It was infinitely better than those fresheners that hang from the mirror that smell like the inside of a public restroom. -- Meredith S., e-mail HOT HOUSEWARMING. A fire extinguisher is my favorite housewarming gift whenever someone moves into a new home. It is my go-to welcome gift. -- Mary P., Pennsylvania GREASY DEALINGS. If you have a grease stain in your clothing, rub a little dish detergent into the stain before washing. I have saved so many clothes this way. It even works if the item has gone through the dryer once or twice. -- Anastasia L., New York FINGER SAVER. When I am peeling potatoes, I always seem to peel my nails or get my fingers by accident. Now I stab the potato with a fork and peel them that way. No more nicked nails! -- Katrina, e-mail CARPET CLEANSER. RESCUE RESOURCE. If you get laid off, go to your state or local department of labor. To help you find a new job, some states provide valuable resources, including assistance updating your résumé, upgrading your skills, organizing your job search, and preparing you for an interview and salary negotiation. Those are usually all without charge. My county even maintains a room full of computers and printers where you can search online job listings, write your résumé and cover letter, print them on premium paper, and then drop them in a box to be mailed by the county free of charge. -- Gail G., 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 DebtProofLiving.com and author of 17 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.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
