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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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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.
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