Today's first tipster reminds us of those six little words that, when put together and spoken courteously, can reduce the cost of all kinds of things, from Internet service to cable TV to, well … medications for your favorite pet. Here are those words: "Can I get a better deal?

"PET MEDS. If your pet takes regular medications, ask the veterinarian whether you can get a discount for buying them in bulk. I used to get 60 pills for $32 until my vet offered me a discount for buying in bulk. I now get 100 pills for $22. Go figure. It never hurts to ask. -- No name, e-mail

BAG HOLDER. The house I moved into had a Dixie cup holder on the wall in the kitchen. But instead of using it to hold cups, I found it is the perfect place to store plastic grocery bags. I put them in the top and simply pull one out of the bottom of the dispenser whenever I need one. -- Lori B., Oregon

FIRE STARTER. Don't you hate it when you have to start a fire, and little bits of newspaper are flying everywhere? Next time, air-dry orange peels, which contain flammable oils that burn longer, and use those instead of the paper. The lively fragrance is a bonus. -- Katherine B., Oklahoma

NUTCRACKER. I found a way to crack nuts by using a plastic grocery bag (the kind used for fresh vegetables) and a meat tenderizer.

I put the whole nuts in the bag and hit the nuts with the smooth side of the tenderizer. Then I just pick out the nuts and dump the shells in the garbage. These plastic bags last a long time. Even when I had to crack 10 pounds of shelled nuts, the bag still held up. -- Usha G., e-mail

INK CREDIT. If you have an office supply store near you, ask whether they will give you a credit for bringing in your old ink cartridges when you come in to buy a new one. I have found that some stores will give you a credit of several dollars for up to three cartridges at a time, and they will recycle them. I find this to be a great deal to help cover your office supply expenses. -- Joanne H., California

COOKIE SCOOP. If you are making a huge batch of drop cookies and want to save some time, use an ice-cream scooper with a spring lever to scoop out the cookies and put them on the baking sheet. You won't even have to get your hands dirty. Scoops come in a variety of sizes, too. -- Marilyn T., Wisconsin

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 www.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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