EC Mailbag Reveals Great Ideas by Mary Hunt on Creators.com

Recently

Debit Cards and Motorcycles Just Aren't Safe For decades, I've pleaded with you to not use debit cards because they are not safe. And for years, I warned my sons about the dangers of riding motorcycles because they are not safe. Has anyone listened and taken heed? Debit cards are more popular …Read more. Overspent and Overloaded? You Need Margin Bill Smith sits down to his most dreaded chore — paying bills. Every month, it's the same story: Pay the most urgent, and leave the rest. There's never enough money, no matter how hard he works. Jane Miller flies into the school office …Read more. Bounce Back From Bankruptcy Dear Mary: Please give me some pointers on bouncing back from bankruptcy. Will this have any effect on future employment opportunities? — Henry, email Dear Henry: Live on cash. Have only one credit card, and if you use it, pay it in full every …Read more. With Knowledge Comes Savings Many things that we buy are simply not negotiable. The salesperson at Macy's won't negotiate with you over the price of that newly arrived collection. The supermarket checker won't haggle with you over the price of eggs. But a ring at your local …Read more.

EC Mailbag Reveals Great Ideas

Each week, I rummage through the mailbag at DPL Central and find all kinds of things from my dear readers. You'd never believe some of the letters and messages I find in there. Some are silly, others mind-boggling but always I find great new ideas, tips and tricks that will either save me time or money

SPRITZ AWAY THE BROWN. Avocado halves often get brown if not used immediately. I quickly spray the inside with cooking spray, which is more effective in preventing the brown than lemon juice. — Tim, California

MAKE EVERYTHING FIT. If you like to rearrange your furniture from time to time, create on your computer or draw a floor plan of your house and pictures of your furniture drawn to scale. This way, you will at least be able to see if things will fit in a new location before moving them. This is especially good if you don't have much space, and it may keep you from a real dilemma, as when friends of mine discovered on moving day that their queen-sized bed wouldn't go through the door of their new flat. — Roger, Ukraine

SKIP THE MESSY STEP. When baking a cake, skip the messy instruction that says to dust the greased pans with flour. Instead, cut and place a round of wax paper in the bottom of each of the pans. Now grease the pans as normal. The finished cake will come out easily when inverted. Simply peel away the waxed paper. — Gail, Washington

PHOTO FABRIC SWATCH. I am redecorating and realized that I never got a fabric swatch when I bought my couch three years ago.

It has no removable cushions or armrests that I can take with me to the carpet and home improvement stores, which made it difficult to match the color. I solved the problem by taking a picture of the sofa's upholstery with my digital camera. Using photo software, I adjusted the color until the printed picture matched my couch perfectly. Now I have a "swatch" of the fabric to carry with me. — Angela, Wisconsin

VITAMINS FOR YOUR NAILS. Several years ago, my fingernails were in very bad condition, and a friend suggested taking flax seed oil capsules. Within several months, my nails were beautiful and in great condition, and have remained that way. I take one 1000 mg capsule a day. — V.G., Iowa

GET A GRIP. I hate having to hunt for those rubber disks whenever I can't open a jar lid. My rubber dishwashing gloves work just as well, and I always know where they are. — George, Iowa

PROCESSED SHREDDED CHICKEN. I like to poach chicken for soups and tacos, but shredding the chicken by hand is often time-consuming. I discovered that the cooked chicken shreds perfectly in my food processor using the plastic dough blade. — Jamie, Arizona

Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2099, Cypress, CA 90630. Include your first and last name and state. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 23 books, including her 2013 release "Cheaper, Better, Faster: Over 2,000 Tips and Tricks to Save You Time and Money Every Day." To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

Comments

0 Comments | Post Comment

Already have an account? Log in.

New Account
Your Name:
Your E-mail:
Your Password:
Confirm Your Password:

Please allow a few minutes for your comment to be posted.

Enter the numbers to the right:
Creators.com comments policy