If you are a member of The Grocery Game (an online site that does all the work so you can be a coupon queen or king), you know that, from time to time, seasoning packets are so cheap they're almost free. Now, thanks to today's first tipster, I have a fabulous new use for at least one of those packets sitting in my pantry. Read on …

ITALIAN SAUSAGE. I use this quick tip to turn ground beef into "Italian sausage": Add one whole packet of dry Italian salad dressing mix to 1 pound of lean ground beef. Combine thoroughly, and use this "sausage" for meatloaf, sausage patties or any other way you would use bulk sausage! -- Toby, Oregon

RICE KRISPIES TREATS TIP. The next time you make Rice Krispies Treats, spray a spoon with cooking spray, and then use that spoon to mix the cereal with the melted marshmallows. Then spray your hands with the cooking spray before pressing the cereal in the pan. This technique makes cleanup easy, and the mix doesn't stick to the spoon or to your hands. -- Mary Ann T., e-mail

WEEDKILLER. To take care of weeds growing out of the cracks on my sidewalk and driveway, I pour boiling water on them. The next day, they are always brown and dead! No need to buy or deal with toxic weedkiller. -- Valerie B., e-mail

CROCKPOT CLEANER. I was cleaning my crockpot and having a hard time getting the stains out, when I had the idea to try the cleaner I use for my ceramic stove top. It worked like a charm and looks as good as new. -- Stacie, Texas

DISHWASHER SAFE. Whenever I have small items, such as reusable bottle caps or other tiny things that would end up at the bottom of the dishwasher, I simply put them in the silverware holder and cover them with one of those colorful net bath scrubbers that I get at the dollar store. That way, everything stays in place for the whole wash. -- Angee, Washington, D.C.

FRESH CORN. To cut the kernels off a corncob, try using your potato peeler. It is a lot easier than using a knife to slice off the kernels of corn. -- Name Withheld, e-mail

CONTAINER STORAGE. I put my plastic storage container lids in a one-gallon zip-lock bag according to shape and size. Then I set them in a stack of mixing bowls. The storage containers stack together nicely, whether they're round or square, because they don't have the lids in the way. When I need a lid, I just pull out the bag and grab the one that fits! -- Cathy H., California

Got a great tip about a clever way that you save time or money? Send it to mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723, and you could be our next Tip of the Month winner. Your tip need not be original, but it must be written in your own words. Winners receive a one-year membership to Mary's very popular Debt-Proof Living Online. Bonus points for tips Mary never has heard of before. 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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