Dear Mary: I recently moved into a new apartment. The refrigerator has an ice-maker, but the ice from it tastes musty. I let the bucket fill up. Then I emptied it, cleaned it and let the maker start over, but it still smells. We don't use ice every day, so sometimes it sits for several days. It is not practical to turn the ice-maker off because it takes too long to make ice when we do need it. How can I rid the ice of its musty taste? — Julie F., Ohio

Dear Julie: I have a feeling that you need to replace the filter that sits between the water source and the ice-maker itself. That filter needs to be changed routinely, in the same way you change the filter on your furnace and air conditioner. Look in the refrigerator's owners manual for specific instructions on how to do this. You should be able to pull the appliance out from the wall, follow that waterline back to where it's hooked up (probably under the sink) and find the filter in the process. If I were you, I'd go straight to RepairClinic.com to look up the instructions for your particular make and model and find the exact replacement filter. RepairClinic.com stocks millions of parts for nearly every appliance out there, no matter the age or scarcity, along with instructions for how you can make most repairs yourself.

Dear Mary: I love your tips, but I live in a small town, and many of your tips concerning double coupons, sale ads and other grocery-saving tactics do not apply to me. We have a Wal-Mart and a grocery. Wal-Mart offers bargain prices but no sale items, and neither it nor the grocery doubles coupons. I would love to get the bargains you have available in the larger cities, but in Middle America, the competition is not there. Do you have any suggestions that can accommodate us? — Glenita B., e-mail

Dear Glenita: Stores that double the values of manufacturers coupons are becoming rare these days, but that is not the be-all and end-all for cutting your food costs. You are fortunate to live close to a Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart does have weekly sales on groceries. In fact, you can track these sales online at any number of Web sites, such as MyGroceryDeals.com and TheGroceryGame.com, or go to http://www.walmart.com, and click on "Local Ad" to see what's on sale this week in your Wal-Mart.

Another way you may be able to cut your food costs is to join a CSA near you. CSA stands for community supported agriculture; when you buy a share in a particular farm, you get to share in that farm's harvest. This is a remarkable program gaining popularity across the U.S. You can learn more when you read the June issue of the Debt-Proof Living monthly newsletter, at http://www.DebtProofLiving.com. You also can type in your ZIP code at http://www.LocalHarvest.org to find a CSA close to you.

Do you have a question for Mary? E-mail her at [email protected], 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 "Can I Pay My Credit Card Bill With a Credit Card?" To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.