Not all companies are starved for business these days. In fact, some are setting records for increased business. Repair businesses and thrift stores are doing great during these turbulent financial times. It makes sense. After all, you don't need a Mensa membership to know that it's almost always cheaper to repair than replace. You can clean silver with a commercial cleaning product for a fraction of the brand-new price tag. Which leads me to today's first column of a fun collection of random tips.

WINDSHIELD REPAIR. Call your insurance agent to report a small crack in your car windshield. Many insurance companies will fix cracks or for free (provided they're smaller than the size of a quarter) in order to prevent larger claims in the future. Some companies will even send a repair person to your home to make it convenient for you.

CORD CORRAL. To corral a group of cords under your desk or behind a TV, buy a plastic shower rod cover. Cut it to your desired length. Then spread it open and enclose the cords. You can even match it to your carpet color to make the cords less visible.

COUPONS FOR KIDS. Turn grocery shopping into a game for kids. Pick out which coupons you plan to use and give them to the kids. Let them try to match the items on the coupons to the items on the shelf. At checkout, let their reward be the money that you saved from using the coupons.

FRESH SCENT. Scented candle stubs from used candles will keep your car smelling fresh. Put the wax pieces in a can or a small container and leave them in your car. On a warm day, the wax will melt and fill the car with a nice fragrance.

FIRE STATION FUN. Throw an affordable children's birthday party at your local fire station. Some stations allow their facilities, including the kitchen, to be used for parties for only a small donation to a local charity. Parties are supervised by firefighters and may include a tour and a chance to sit in a firetruck.

MAGAZINE CO-OP. Get your neighbors or a group of friends together and share magazine subscriptions. Set up a workable rotation so everyone gets to read their favorite.

REUSE MOUSE PADS. If you have more mouse pads than you know what to do with, use them for other things around the house. They are great furniture protectors for indoor clay flowerpots. Just cut the pad to fit the size of the pot.

SILVER CLEANER. To clean tarnished silver flatware, line the bottom of a large dish with aluminum foil. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of baking soda on the foil, and pour about an inch of boiling water into the dish. Place the silver pieces on the foil under the water. The tarnish will disappear as long as the flatware is touching the foil.

SQUEAKY CLEAN. Clean the inside of your dishwasher with two packets of unsweetened lemon Kool-Aid. Pour the packets of Kool-Aid into each of the dishwasher's detergent cups and run it empty on the longest and hottest cycle. Lemon Kool-Aid is loaded with citric acid, which is just what you need to remove the soap residue and hard water minerals that collect inside the dishwasher.

Mary invites questions, comments and tips at [email protected], or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.