This week, my supermarket has brand-name cake mixes on sale for $1 each. And by the time my three coupons were doubled (some stores still do this), I ended up paying 78 cents each for the three mixes. And just in the nick of time, here comes a great tip from a clever reader for how I can make my cake mixes even better:

CAKE MIX FIX. To make a boxed cake even better (any boxed cake), my friend Ida taught me to add three things: 1/4 cup of butter, softened; 1/2 cup of flour; and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. It really does make a superior cake. -- Toni D., e-mail

CUTTING ONIONS. I got so fed up with the tears when cutting up onions one day, and this idea came to me: I put my cutting board on the stove (while the burners were off, of course) and turned on the range's vent fan. I now chop my onions tear-free! -- Sarah S., e-mail

FROST-FREE DOORS. My late mom had a great tip for preventing car doors from freezing shut: Put a piece of newspaper in the door, and shut the door on the newspaper. You still can lock the door and protect your car, and the door will not stick and freeze up! It works every time! -- Becky W., e-mail

DE-CLUTTERING. CatalogChoice.org is a Web site where you can opt out of hundreds of catalogs you no longer wish to receive.

It is a free service, and the company will not sell your information to any online marketers or e-mailers. Their service saves the environment and saves you money because there is no longer that temptation to buy. -- Ann P., e-mail

HEART-SHAPED CAKE. Baking a heart-shaped cake is easy! Just bake your cake in one square cake pan and one round cake pan. After it cools, cut the round cake in half. Turn the square one to form a diamond, then place one half of the round cake along each of the top two sides. Just make certain the sizes of the two pans match, e.g., an 8-inch square pan with an 8-inch diameter round pan. -- Kate, e-mail

TIP OF THE MONTH CLUB. Got a great tip that saves time and money? It just might help you to win a one-year membership to Mary Hunt's Debt-Proof Living Online ($29 value). Send your best tip along with your name and e-mail address to mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. The DPL staff will test, assess and judge the tips, choosing one to be the Tip of the Month. You can learn more by clicking on Mary's Web Desk at www.DebtProofLiving.com.

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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