By now, my faithful readers know I love it when you send your best timesaving and money-saving tips to me. In fact, we reward one tipster each month with a one-year online membership to my very popular Web site (if I do say so myself), Debt-Proof Living (www.DebtProofLiving.com). Congratulations to this month's winner, Tanna!

TIP OF THE MONTH WINNER. Our family loves to camp, but with four children younger than 6, packing and keeping track of clothes can be a problem. I've learned that if I pack an outfit for each child, including underwear, in a zip-lock storage bag, all I have to do is pull out a package for each child and take them to the showers. Their dirty clothes go right back in the same baggie. No mess in the suitcases! -- Tanna, Kentucky

SUPER FROZEN WAFFLES. I made a bunch of waffles to freeze for later, and as they were cooling, I realized that if I stacked them on top of one another, they would become soggy from the steam. So I placed a large coffee filter between each pair and froze them in one large freezer bag instead of individual ones. -- Susan, Florida

COLORING-BOOK STORAGE. We used to keep our kids' coloring books in a big box, which caused a big mess every time they wanted to color. I recently purchased some inexpensive magazine racks and put the coloring books on them! The kids can pick out their own coloring books without making a huge mess. -- Rachel H., e-mail

MULTIPURPOSE PAPER. Three years ago, I bought a large roll of butcher paper from Sam's Club, and I use it for everything. My grandchildren use it for their art projects. I wrap all presents with it and use stickers and colored ribbon to make them stand out. It's sturdy enough to wrap packages for mailing and makes a great colorable tablecloth at a kid's birthday party. I put it on my table if I am going to make a mess, and it is so easy to clean up afterward. My roll only cost $25, and I still have bunches left. -- Rose H., e-mail

QUICK-MIX DRESSING. The ranch dressing that is pre-made doesn't taste nearly as good as the kind mixed at home, but I hate the large awkward container or bowl in my fridge. So I marked out the measurements of the mix on an empty bottle of dressing. Now I pour the ingredients in the bottle and add the powder. I put the lid on, shake completely to mix it, and have a perfect container to fit in the door of my refrigerator! -- Kymberli C., e-mail

BUTTON SAVER. For shirts with buttons, I put a dab of clear fingernail polish in the middle of the button over the threads. The polish helps prevent future loose or lost buttons, especially on my husband's dress shirts. -- Sarah W., Kansas

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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