July 27, 2006

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New Packaging = Savings

I have a tip for saving on toiletries. I have found it beneficial to check at the local $1 shops for deals on toiletries. When a company changes their packaging, they often clear out remaining stock from store shelves and they then end up in dollar shops! Big Lots is another good place to find close out products.
Mia D. in Joplin, MO

At the restaurants I worked at, we always used ice, salt and lemon juice to clean the coffeepots. After you swish for a few minutes, all you need is a good rinse and you are ready to go. To clean the coffee maker, just fill with white vinegar instead of water (do not add coffee) and brew. After one cycle of vinegar, run one cycle with just water. After that, you are ready to brew great tasting coffee again.
K. in Florida

The easiest way to deal with any problems in a hospital is to contact the risk management department. They are the people who deal with and prevent lawsuits, and trust me, more than the CEO, patient relations, medical records or any other department, they wish to prevent problems. When they talk, all of us jump.
RN Who Knows

Some folks save money by checking with bakery supply houses to buy oat bran in bulk. However, some may not have the strength, room or desire to store such a large amount. This idea does not save as much but still saves a lot compared to the original $3.70 per pound. A grocery store near me has some items available in bulk, including oatmeal at 49 cents per pound and oat bran at 99 cents per pound. For those unfamiliar with "bulk" products, customers scoop the desired amount of product from a bin into a bag or other container. Instructions are usually posted in the department.
ALJ

Whatever I make for dinner this evening will be lunch tomorrow. It's more economical to brown bag it and it's amazing how much I save by cooking a bit extra of the dinner meal for lunch. Nothing goes down the garbage disposal or in the trash can. Be creative. If salad is served with chicken for dinner, then make a chicken salad the next day.
Gwen

To clean my Revere Ware pots and pans from the early 1940s, I use vinegar and water. I place a pot or pan in a larger shallow pan or glass cooking dish. I fill the bottom with some water and vinegar in about a 1/2 and 1/2 ratio. Then, I put a little water in the pot or pan to weigh it down just enough to have the solution cover the copper. In about 20 minutes, it's clean. Always rinse the copper in cool water. Dry with a dishtowel and put the pot or pan upside down on your counter to dry thoroughly while you are doing something else. This works wonderfully.
Phyllis M. in Colorado

Here's a good reason to use a store's lay-away plan. Any store that I have used lets you bring your receipt back if an item goes on sale during the law-away period and gives you the sale price.
Bill H.

Save and crush your eggshells to create a border around your plants. Slugs know that if they crawl over this border, they will slash their bellies and die. This is good for the environment and your soil.
Elizabeth of Surrey, BC

I try to take my dog for a walk every day, even if it is just a short walk. I take along a small canvas tote bag that is washable. (I made it out of old blue jeans and put a couple pockets on the outside). In one pocket, I keep my cell phone and a small bottle of water. The other pocket is used to collect weed seeds that I bring home and put in a big plastic container for feeding the birds through the winter. The large part of the bag is for aluminum cans (55 cents a pound in our area right now). Why walk past "money" when you can get your exercise as well as pick up a few cents in recycling and save a few cents on birdseed?
J.

I recently found out that our electric company offers a discounted rate for anyone who uses a "medical life support device" in their home. They call this their Medical Baseline Allowance program. Out of curiosity, I went on their website to find out just what they consider a "life-support device." To my pleasure, I found that they include such things as a CPAP machine, the machine used by people with sleep apnea, and a nebulizer, the machine used by many asthmatics. I was quite delighted to find out that my family qualified for this discounted rate, as my husband uses a CPAP machine and both of us use a nebulizer. All I had to do was download their application form, fill it out, have my doctor sign it to verify that it was legitimate, and then send it in. The next month our electric bill was significantly lower. I sure do wish I had figured this out sooner! We could have been saving on our electric bill for years. I suggest everyone who uses any type of medical device at home check with their local electric company to see if they have this type of program.
Amanda K. of San Diego, CA

Kids ever bleed all over your clothes? My two-year-old son busted his lip and bled all over my red and white striped shirt. When I asked other moms how to get the blood stains out, the cheapest solution offered was to use hydrogen peroxide, something that most of us already have in our medicine cabinet. I tried it that night, which was nine hours after the accident, and the hydrogen peroxide fizzed right up. I then washed the shirt in cold water and regular detergent. Sure enough, the blood stains disappeared! You might want to test for colorfastness first in an inconspicuous area. My shirt was a 100% cotton t-shirt and it did fine, but you never know.
Dona P. in Denton, TX

The best way to handle teens and cell phones is to get a pre- paid plan and have your teen assume full responsibility for purchasing their minutes. This teaches the teen to budget their money and cell phone usage and the parent gets no unpleasant surprises on a monthly bill.
Deidre

After many years of trying just about everything on the market, I decided to stop spending enormous amounts of money and go back to being natural. I have worked in the beauty industry for years, and after using many products to keep my skin from aging, I have now reverted to a skin friendly diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and herbs. And I only use water on my face. I don't mean to be vain, but at age 63, I am mistaken for 30 years younger! I do facial exercises and only use a drop of camellia oil around eyes and on my neck. My skin is fine, unwrinkled and unblemished probably because I stay out of the sun. Since only using water as a cleanser, my skin has never looked better. A good idea is to wring out a soft towel in hot water, fold and leave it on the face for 30 minutes to lightly remove the dust of the day.
Anna