volume 7 - issue 2 spring/summer 2012 · difference between those who manage to stay afloat and...

Volume 7 - Issue 2 Spring/Summer 2012

You can contact SPRINGBOARD® by mail, phone, fax or email; we are always here to help.

Mail: SPRINGBOARD®Nonprofit Consumer Credit ManagementP.O. Box 5438Riverside, CA 92517-5438

Phone: 1-877-Wise-Plan (1.877.947.3752)E-mail: [email protected] Fax: 1.951.781.8027Website: www.Springboard.org

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Defining Financial Freedom

We hear a lot these days about the peace of mind that comes from financial freedom.Like many consumers, however, you may be wondering exactly what defines financialfreedom and how it is achieved.

First, financial freedom is not determined by how much money you make on a week-ly, monthly or annual basis. Nor is it determined by how quickly you can get a hold ofcash or how quickly you can spend it.

At Springboard, we define financial freedom as living within a realistic budget and notacquiring revolving debt to maintain your lifestyle. In this regard, financial freedom isattainable for consumers of all income levels, including consumers of very modestmeans. For example, maintaining a lavish lifestyle with revolving credit card debt andlittle or no savings for emergencies is not financial freedom. On the other hand, livingwithin your budget, paying off credit cards at the end of each month, if you choose touse them, and being able to set aside money for emergencies and retirement is whatfinancial freedom looks like.

Achieving Financial Freedom

Now that you know how financial freedom is defined, you may need some help realiz-ing your goal. Springboard recommends three important first steps as you start yourjourney:

(1) Commit to educating yourself on effective wealth building strategies. Know thedifference between good debt versus bad debt. Examples of good debt include: buying

cont. on pg. 2...

IINN TTHHIISS IISSSSUUEE

3 Older Is Better

5 Controlling Garage Clutter

7 Magical Oats

9 Finding Senior Discounts

11 The Benefits ofTough Times

13 Avoiding the Black Hole

14 Size Does Matter

15 Color Clothes andCheaper Detergents

17 Working at Home

19 How to Get GoodDeals on Wine

22 Buying Scratch and Dent Appliances

24 My Story: MyNew Used Car

25 Frugal Stews

28 You Can BakeProfessional LookingCakes

29 Readers’ Tips

Springboard and The Dollar Stretcher do not assume responsibility for advice given. All advice should be weighedagainst your own abilities and circumstances and applied accordingly. It is up to the reader to determine if advice issafe and suitable for his own situation. Produced for Springboard by The Dollar Stretcher, P.O. Box 14160, Bradenton,Fl 34280. Copyright 2012 Dollar Stretcher, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dollar Stretcher

Financial Freedom cont...

a home and pay ing off the mor tgage before retirement; participating in a work-related retirementprogram; and automating your savings (what youdon't see, you probably won't miss). Having anemergency fund may be the most impor tant difference between those who manage to stay afloatand those who are sinking financially. Similarly,examples of bad debt include: habitual financing ofnew cars, spending tens of thousands of dollars inyour life time. Avoid emotional economics. Don'tentertain self-defeating attitudes like I've alwayslived paycheck to paycheck, my family was poor so Iwill be poor, and I'm not good with math. This type ofattitude encourages hopelessness.

(2) Create a realistic budget. Involve the entire family.Budgeting exercises are a great way to teach youngchildren about important financial concepts.

(3) Track your spending for 90 days. If you track yourspending faithfully, there will be some surprises.You'll learn that you are spending money in ways younever realized. Once you are armed with this information, you can construct a new, more effectivebudget.

Springboard offers personal financial education andassistance with money, credit and debt managementthrough financial education programs and confidentialcounseling. Visit us online at www.Springboard.org orvisit our Financial Instructional Training Academy (FIT) athttp://credit.org/courses/. Our FIT Academy is an onlineeducation platform for consumers that teaches personalfinance and money management skills. All of our onlinecourses are complimentary and available 24/7.

Todd Emerson, President and Chief Executive Officer

Why I don’t buy “newer and better”

Older Is Betterby Lynn Bulmahn

living better...for less

Advertisers often tell you some-thing is new and improved. Ibeg to differ. Often, older items

or designs are better. Secondhand ischeaper. Frugal shoppers shouldunderstand this principle and make itwork for them.

Today, my microwave oven died. Mayit rest in peace. I can’t make the “on”button on the touch pad work anymore.I bought it about five years ago for $20at a church garage sale. It’s a 1980smodel.

This is the second microwave to “die”of the same cause. Before this one,I’d bought a brand new microwaveand paid full price. It lasted abouttwo years. I was out a lot moremoney when it went on the fritz. So Ifeel satisfied I got my money’s worth(and then some) from my $20microwave.

Still, I wish I’d never gotten rid of myold Amana Radar Range when Imoved. It had dials, not touch key-pads, and I bet it’s still running today.

Today’s events remind me of a lot of“old” or old-style appliances and prod-ucts that are arguably better than newmodels.

For instance, when I moved into myhouse in Florida, the kitchen stove was“digital.” Its touch keypad, too, went

out. Thanks to the homeowner warran-ty, I got it fixed. It didn’t stay fixed. Asecond repair was needed withinweeks.

Long story short, “digital” means “com-puterized.” Computers break downwhen they get too hot. When I cookedon that electric range, the heat affect-ed the digital works.

The appliance salesman advised meto buy a warranty for my stove. Heexplained that I’ll need to have it fixeda lot of times. What happens when thewarranty expires? The salesmanturned beet red and began stammeringwhen I asked that question.

My solution? Forget the warranty!Forget the digital stove! I junked it. Iwent to a rent-to-own-store and askedfor a “bottom of the line” model stove,the kind landlords put in rental units. Ibought a new one with knobs and dialsto turn instead of touch pads. It worksmuch better than the fancy digitalstove. Because it lacks digital parts, Ican cook up a storm, and heat won’thurt it.

My burglar alarm system requires alandline phone. Today’s models aren’tas sturdy as older ones manufacturedby the phone company. The vintageBell telephone I bought at a thrift storeis virtually indestructible. It still works ifthe electricity goes out.

cont. on pg. 4...

Older cont...

If you’re lucky enough to have aMaytag washer and dryer manufac-tured in Newton, Iowa, you own atreasure. According to a laundromatowner, those Maytags have the samedrives as commercial laundry appli-ances. They are built to last! (Alas,Maytag was sold, and the Newton fac-tory closed. How tragic!)

My present Maytag laundry set camewith my house. I wouldn’t want to“upgrade” to something more recent.Mine has features newer washerslack, such as a warm rinse option.

I’m content watching shows on my 20-and 30-year old TV sets. I just addeddigital adapters. They work great.They don’t take up too much room. Noburglar would steal them. And, I don’thave to replace any expensive bulbsafter a year or so.

When I go to estate or garage sales, Ialways look out for older items, espe-cially American-made ones. Tools,scissors, furniture, linens, householditems, cleaning equipment, gardeningtools, and kitchen items manufacturedyears ago are incredibly durable.They’re better built, heavier, and stur-dier than the poor-quality importsflooding today’s market.

There’s just no comparison betweenmy dad’s solid old Craftsman toolsand the lightweight imports sold at


Harbor Freight. The old SunbeamRain King lawn sprinklers were heavymetal; most sprinklers sold today areflimsy plastic. I still use my inherited1940s set of kitchen knives. Sharpand well made, those knives probablywill be slicing, cutting, and choppinganother 70 years from now.

I’m usually able to buy an older itemfor less money than a new one. Evenif I have to pay premium prices, it’sworth it. Older USA-made productslast just about forever. Someday,you’ll be able to buy them at myestate sale!

Has your garage turned into acatch-all storage space forsports equipment, holiday

decorations, the kids’ outgrown toysand gardening supplies? Are theboxes stacked so high they are per-manently in danger of toppling?Can you even squeeze your vehi-cles in to park them? Clutter couldbe the culprit.

Professional garage organizers likeDave Galt of Premier Garage inNorth Dakota will come in and cus-tomize a system designed with yourneeds in mind. He even uses a 3DCAD program that lets you visualizeexactly what your new space willlook like. He said, “Surprisingly,most garages can be completelyorganized for under $1,000.”

If you long for a well-organized garagewith plenty of storage space and evenroom to park, but don’t have extramoney laying around, try these easy tipsto de-clutter your space.

1. First, clear out everything. It is agood idea to p ick a n ice long weekend, so you don’t have to rush.

2. Mark off the room you need to parkyour cars wi th mask ing tape.Remember to leave room on thesides for opening doors. Manygarages have a seam in the floor touse as a guide.

Time to organize all that stuff!

Controlling Garage Clutterby Chantal King

cont. on pg. 6...

l iving better...for less

3. Decide what else has to stay. Youcan make piles for selling items,donating and trash.

4. Look at your available storage. Ifyou have room along the sides, aset of narrow shelves can hold avariety of boxes or bins. Put thingsyou don’t need as often on thehigher shelves, out of the way.

5. Ut i l ize overhead s torage wi thhanging bike racks, shelves thathang from the ceil ings, or useexposed rafters for l ightweighti t e m s l i k e s l e d s , h o l i d a y

decorations, or anything else thatis only used occasionally.

6. I f y o u ’ v e a l w a y s w a n t e d aworkbench but don’ t have thesquare footage, buy or make onethat folds flat against the wall. Allyou need are some sturdy hingesand folding legs. The standardheight is 30 inches or counterheight.

7. Organize tools with a hanging wallsystem. You can buy a versatileready-made system, or createy o u r o w n w i t h i n e x p e n s i v epegboard, hooks, and nails. Wheneverything has its place, you willinstantly be able to find it whenyou need it.

8. Group l ike i tems together. Forinstance, all your gardening toolsand supplies could be on a shelf orsent outside to an attractive pottingbench or shed. Outdoor furniturec u s h i o n s c a n b e s t o r e d i n waterproof deck boxes, which isactually handier for those backyard cookouts. Hang bike helmets withthe bikes, and the hockey gear in asturdy duffle bag on a hook.

9. Arrange things by season. Forexample, make sure the lawnmower and b ikes are in goodworking order and easily accessiblein the spring. In the winter, the snow

Garage Clutter cont...


blower and shovels take centerstage. Grabbing what you needwhen you need it is one of the perksof a well-organized garage.

10. Keep a trashcan handy so yourspace doesn’t become a garbagedump. Get in the habit of clearingout the car after each trip, so emptyfood wrappers don’t pile up.

11. Keep a big basket or tote in eachvehicle, so that everything getscarried inside after every trip. Youcan also pack it for the next day toeliminate the morning madness.

12. Now that your garage is clean andc lu t ter f ree, keep i t that way.Whenever you bring something in,take the old one out. Put thingsaway in the proper place to avoidthings piling up again.

Garages protect our vehicles and pro-vide extra storage space. Don’t let yoursbecome cluttered and unusable. Usethese inexpensive tips for controllinggarage clutter and you could have thebest garage on the block!

Rejuvenating beauty treatment using oats

Magical Oatsby Nicole Palacios, BSc


Oats are a staple in most kitchens; you can usethem to whip up oatmeal for breakfast, addthem to muffins and pancakes for texture or

fiber, or make oatmeal cookies. But what else can youdo with that bulk bag of oats in your pantry?

You may have noticed that beauty products often con-tain oats. The grocery stores are full of oatmeal scrubs,masks and lotions. So, what is so magical about oats?

“Oats have a long history of being valued for skin care.The ancient Greeks and Romans documented the useof oat baths to heal skin ailments,” states the Aveeno website<www.aveeno.ca/en/active_naturals_oats.asp>. EvenCleopatra used oats in her beauty regimen; oats werecultivated in ancient Egypt, according to WebMD. Oatscan do a multitude of things for your beauty regimen,including exfoliating, cleansing, moisturizing and actingas an anti-inflammatory. And they do all of it naturally.

So if you want to save some money and make yourown beauty treatments from oats, here are some quickand easy solutions to try:

Oatmeal Mask

You will need:

3/4 cup oats1/3 cup warm water Optional ingredients: honey, lemon, egg, olive oil,banana

Make sure to remove any make up or grease/grimefrom your face by washing it first.

Mix the oats and water together to make a nice smoothconsistency. Spread the paste gently and equally overyour face and neck, leaving your eyes clear. Relax andwait for the mask to dry before washing it off.

cont. on pg. 8...

Oats cont...

Oatmeal Scrub

You will need:

2 Tbsp. oatmeal (grind it in a blender or coffee grinderto make flour-like oats)1 grapefruit

Squeeze the juice and pulp out of the grapefruit andmix with the ground oatmeal to form a paste. Scrubover your face and/or body for a few minutes in a mas-saging motion. Rinse off with warm water first and thensplash on cold water.

Oat Bath

You will need:

1 cup of oatmeal, ground in a blender or coffee grinderBath water

Sprinkle the oats under the running water, making sureto break up any clumps. Water should be milky looking.You can add more or less depending on the consisten-cy of the water.

Spend at least 15 minutes in the oat bath to get themost benefit from it. Oat baths are great for such con-ditions as chicken pox, poison ivy, eczema, sunburn,dry skin, and insect bites.

With a kitchen full of ingredients, it can be simple andcost-efficient to whip up a beauty aid like a facial maskor scrub, thanks to the versatility of oats. So skip thebeauty aisle at the grocery store and make your owncost-efficient beauty regimen at home!

Nicole Palacios, BSc, is a freelance health and fitnesswriter in Vancouver, Canada. www.perfectfit.ws


Senior discounts add up for aging baby boomers

Finding Senior Discounts by Lee Doppelt


expenses) that you can’t avoid. Most ofthese pertain to managing your homeand possessions. Your yearly real estatetax may be one of the biggest expensesyou have. The good news for seniors isthat many counties offer a discount tohomeowners of a certain age.Contact your county assessor ’soffice to see if and when you may be

eligible for thisoften-substantialdiscount.

Seniors can oftensave money oninsurance. Autoinsurance ratesare usually lowerfor seniors withg o o d d r i v i n gr e c o r d s . T h eAARP websitestates that sen-

iors can save $357 per year on autoinsurance, as a member benefit. Someinsurance companies offer discounts toseniors who have passed a qualifyingsafe driver class. Contact your insur-ance agent to determine if you deservethis lower rate.

And while you’re reviewing your insur-ance needs, assess whether it’s stillappropriate for you to carry life insur-ance; if you no longer have dependentsand debts, you may be wise to cancelyour life insurance policy. Additionally, ifyou’re no longer actively in the work

When you were a child, youalways wanted to look olderand actually be older; then

sometime in your thirties, getting olderstopped appearing quite so desirable.But, you’ve heard that good things cometo those who wait. Warren Buffett,American business investor and philan-thropist, shares his wisdom,“Someone’s sittingi n t h e s h a d ebecause someoneplanted a tree along time ago.”Buffett, who is wellpast h is youth,knows that thereare many benefitsfor those whom a d e s m a r tmoney choices intheir youth.

Senior discounts exist for many of theproducts and services you currently pur-chase. Different stores, enterprises andorganizations have chosen a differentage that is considered “senior.” Ages 50,55, 59 1/2, 60, 62, 65, 70 1/2 have sig-nificance, depending on where you areshopping or what you are trying toaccomplish.

Seniors can save money on some oftheir fixed expenses.

No matter how frugal or simple a life youlive, there are certain expenses (fixed

cont. on pg. 10...

Senior Discounts cont...


force, you may not need disabilityinsurance either.

An enticing opportunity exists for peo-ple over fifty who are contributing totheir Roth IRA. The Internal RevenueService (IRS) allows a larger yearlycontribution, up to six thousand dol-lars annually. Check the IRS website<irs.gov> to learn more about RothIRA contributions.

Seniors can save money on theirvariable expenses, too.

Travel is an area where big savingsexist for seniors. If you’re booking anair trip online, many airlines have alower fare for those over 62. Perusethe airline website carefully beforeyou book a trip and pay too much.

Additionally, Amtrak trains offer sen-iors lower fares, typically a 15% dis-count. For example, a round trip rideto New York City from Chicago is$194, but it’s $164.90 for seniors. SeeAmtrak.com to view other schedulesand fares. If you use your city buses,you’ll likely find opportunities for sen-iors to commute for less. Rental carsmay also cost less if you’re of a cer-tain age. Just ask!

Seniors can enjoy food and entertain-ment for special lower prices. Someof the fast food places sell coffee toseniors for a quarter; that may be

cheaper than home-brewed coffee.Movies, theaters and concerts oftensell tickets cheaper to seniors. Theydon’t want to insult you by asking ifyou’re a senior, so you need to beproactive and ask. Many restaurantshave a section on their menu for sen-iors.

There are other places that offer sen-ior citizen discounts. Your bank mayhave special checking account offersfor seniors. Even the place that doesyour routine car oil changes or cutsyour hair may offer a senior discount.Get in the habit of politely askingwhen you purchase services.

Have you noticed actress and come-dienne Betty White on television late-ly? Well into her eighties, she looksfabulous and has a thriving revivedcareer. Treat yourself and your moneyand possessions with respect whenyou’re younger, and you are position-ing yourself for spectacular goldenyears.


How stretching our dollars has made us better

The Benefits of Tough Timesby Gary Foreman

Let’s just skip the standard intro-duction that the economy is tough.We’ve all had to adjust. You know

all that. What I’d like to focus on hereare the things that have gotten betterbecause of the bad economy. Let’s lookat the silver lining of living more frugally.

The first thing that comes to mind is thatwe’ve simplified the holidays, especiallyChristmas. Until a few years ago, theholidays seemed to get bigger and moreexpensive each and every year. Morepresents to buy and bigger parties toattend. The recession has put manyfamilies on a new path.

Because we don’t have as much tospend, we’re forced to consider what’simportant and what can be eliminated.Just that thought process has beenhealthy for us. In thinking about what’sreally important, we’re much more likelyto appreciate the people who mattermost in our lives.

We’ve also been forced to think aboutwhat would please the person that we’rebuying for. We don’t have the cash toskim through catalogs and online shops,but we can find something that they’dlike that doesn’t cost much if we putsome thought into the gift. This remindsme of a phrase “It’s the thought thatcounts.” And, many of us have discov-ered that’s true. The thought that we putinto a gift is more important than thecost of the gift. And because we’re think-

ing of the gift, it’s more valuable to therecipient.

On the other side of the calendar, we’vechanged the way we vacat ion.Vacations are more about family andless about theme parks now. We haven’thad the money to let someone entertainus for the whole vacation. Instead we’veused the web to discover smaller muse-ums and historical spots. We’ve beenexposed to things that we never wouldhave known about if we were waiting inline for the newest coaster atMcThemePark.

We’ve learned that you don’t need anew car to be happy. Extending the lifeof an older car for another year or twoisn’t such a bad thing. For the cost of asingle car payment, we can improve thelooks and comfort of an older car. A newset of floor mats costs much less than awhole new ride. We’ve become comfort-able not worrying about shopping cartsscratching our new car.

We’ve learned to do new things for our-selves. For instance, we’re cooking.Sure, we miss some of our favoriterestaurant foods, but we simply can’tafford them anymore, so we do the nextbest thing. We’re learning how to recre-ate them for ourselves. We’re usings i t e s l i k e C o p y K a t R e c i p e s<CopyKat.com> or Top Secret Recipes<TopSecretRecipes.com> to duplicateour favorites. Or we may be asking

cont. on pg. 12...

Tough Times cont...

friends for their tricks for making disheswe enjoy. In either case, we’re spend-ing more time in the kitchen and enjoy-ing the feeling of accomplishmentwhen we see smiles at dinnertime.

Some of the things we’ve learned havestretched our capabilities. Many of usdidn’t know that we could change theair filter or oil in our car all by ourselvesor that we had the ability to do simplehousehold repairs. We’ve discoveredthat a Google search or a visit toYoutube.com would reveal step-by-step instructions for simple plumbingand electrical repairs.

We’re spending more time sharing withfriends. It could be the ladies gettingtogether for a manicure party or theguys sharing a six pack in front of theball game. We’ve found ways to avoidthe nail salon or sports bar and still notfeel terribly deprived.

We’ve also noticed that the mostexpensive isn’t necessarily the best.It’s true that sometimes you do getwhat you pay for, but often you can dojust as well with something that’s a lotless expensive. We’ve learned thatprice shopping can be a very profitableactivity.

We’ve also learned that we don’t needto brag about owning the most expen-sive whatever. Now our tweets aremore likely to be on the most recent

bargain that we’ve snagged instead ofa Pinterest shot of our latest bling.

We’ve red iscovered date n ights .Somewhere along the line we forgot thatsome of the best evenings with that spe-cial someone happened when we wereyoung and didn’t have any money tospend, so we invested our ingenuity.Now that we’re older and don’t have anymoney, we’ve recognized that it’s betterto focus on our mate than on a four-starrestaurant. Snacks under the stars workfine for me.

We’ve discovered alternate sources thatwork just as well as the more expensiveitems they replace. The book from thelibrary reads just as well as the one fromAmazon or Barnes & Noble. And, free orless expensive sporting events at ourlocal park or high school can be just asentertaining as the big leagues.

I’m sure that you’ve found other benefitsof the recession. Sure, it’s tough ifyou’ve lost your job or worry about los-ing your home. I don’t mean to minimizethat. It’s terrible, but even in the tough-est of circumstances, there are somegood things to be found if you look forthem. And, when times are tough, it’sespecially important to have somethoughts to cheer you up.

Gary Foreman is a former financial plannerwho currently edits The Dollar Stretcher.



When I was working, I had emailunder control. I would check itthree or, at most, four times a

day. Since retirement, I check it at leastfive times before noon. There are dayswhen I feel I am living in my email box,doing everything from personal commu-nication with friends to sending outqueries and articles to editors. It doesn’thelp that I am a self-employed writerwith the computer as my constant com-panion.

If we let it, the internet could take overour lives. That is where many of usshop, meet people, communicate, work,play, and waste time. It is easy to go onthe internet to do research or checkemail and then get caught up in othersites, often wasting an hour, morning orentire day. This black hole of productivi-ty can prove disastrous, especially forthe self-employed and unemployed.

Consider the following tips on how to setlimits and use the internet more powerfully:

~ Use onl ine t racking tools such a s To g g l . c o m a n d Ya T i m e r(www.nbdtech.com/yaTimer) to keeptrack of internet usage. Free andpaid versions of these tools are available. Do this for a week and youwill get a good picture of how youactually spend your time. It can bean eye-opener to discover that youmight be spending more time onemail or at a particular site.

~ Plan your use of the in ternet .Schedule blocks of time for email,doing research, completing work-related tasks, and simply browsing.Do not simply jump on anytime youfeel like it. If necessary, disconnectfrom the internet if you need to focuson a particular task. In his book, TheP o w e r o f L e s s , L e o B a b u t a introduces the idea of an “offlinehour,” which could be extended to an“offline day.”

~ Do not check email first thing in themorning. This early check could easily dictate the rest of your dayand offset any of your personal andbusiness priorities. Instead, set aside20-30 minute blocks of time andcheck your emai l tw ice a day,preferably at 10:00 a.m. and 4:00p.m. These times allow you to dealwith any urgent morning emails andfinish before the end of the workday.

How to keep the internet from wasting your time

Avoiding the Black Holeby Joanne Guidoccio

cont. on pg. 14...

Black Hole cont...


~ Work your way from top to bottom,one email at a t ime. Open eachemail and deal with it immediately.Reply, delete or archive for later reference. When replying, l imityou rse l f t o no more than f i vesentences. This forces you to beconcise and limits the time spent inthe email box. Before deleting anyemai l , ensure there wi l l be no negative consequences.

~ Turn off email notifications. Most programs have alerts like a sound,pop-up message, or blinking iconthat let you know when you haver e c e i v e d a n e w e m a i l . T h i s interruption can be disruptive andgives power to anyone who wants toemail you.

~ Let your family and friends know thatyou do not appreciate receivingchain and joke emai ls . I f theycontinue sending them, create a filterthat sends these emails straight intothe trash.

At the risk of sounding risqué, I’vetitled this article with a definite pur-pose in mind. When shopping for

household products, particularly papertowels, taking time to read the fine printwill potentially aid you in saving moneytwice! An impromptu visit to my grocerystore proved that to me in spades.

The store was running a promotion ontwo popular national brands of papertowels. A six pack of “Mutiny” brandmega-rolls was priced at $7.99, which,in all honesty, is pretty decent. Plus, Ihad a $1 off coupon to boot. Stackedjust to the right of the “Mutiny” towelswere eight pack rolls of towels whosebrand name rhymes with “shot” (youknow the one). The price was $6.99,meaning at first blush, factoring in mycoupon, the price for either item wasidentical. Right? Wrong! As I stated ear-lier, size matters! And here’s wherereading the “fine print” really paid off.

According to the package label, totaltowel area for the six rolls of “Mutiny”was 333.5 square feet. The otherbrand’s total towel area was 454.0square feet. Yikes! It shouldn’t take anMIT grad to figure out which I pur-chased. I bought the one with 36 per-cent more towels. Remove my $1 offcoupon from the equation, and purchas-ing “Mutiny” would have represented aneven more unfavorably lopsided trans-action. I’d have spent about 16 percentmore for roughly a third less product!

Read the “fine print” and save money

Size Does Matterby Rich Finzer

Do you really need expensive brands to get clothes clean?

Color Clothes and Cheaper Detergents

living better...for less

Do the more expensive laundry detergents like liquid Tide® tend to preservecolor in clothes better than the cheaper detergents like Era® or All®?

Jane

Are You Buying the Detergent or the Name?

We don’t use Tide® because it is tooexpensive. We feel that they are notselling detergent, but they are sellingtheir name. Many other liquid deter-gents work well and cost a fraction ofwhat Tide® sells for.Karen

Cheaper Detergents Work Just Fine

I always buy All® when it is onsale. When loading clothes inthe washer, don’t overloadthe machine. I havefound that over-crowding a washercauses clothes towear faster andfade. Use coldor lukewarmwater for col-ors. I stilluse hot fors h e e t s ,u n d e r w e a r ,a n d t o w e l s .Adding a cup ofwhite vinegar tothe rinse water

every few days removes excess soapfrom clothes and prevents color fading. Ialso hang items from the dryer after 20minutes on a low heat setting to preventfading. I always turn jeans and shirtsinside out when washing to prevent fad-ing in the washer.

Nancy

Detergent Does NotCause Fading

I always use cheapdetergents, both liquidand powder. The onlytime I notice fading iswhen I hang clotheson the clothesline.To combat fadingwhen using thec lo thes l ine, Ialways hang

the c lo thesi n s i d e o u tand try to useample pins to

hang pants andshirts evenly. Ihang my hus-band’s good workclothes inside onthe porch or in

cont. on pg. 16...

the shade to prevent fading. I see noreason to spend extra for detergent,especially if the clothing isgood/decent quality to begin with.Whether bought new or second hand,decent clothing is something thatpays for itself. Cheaply made discountclothing never fails to let me down.Cheryl

Wash in Cold Water and Air Dry

I refuse to buy the premium deter-gents. I know some people swear byTide®, but in my opinion, even withsale pricing and coupons, it’s justmore than I want to spend on soap. Ithink the trick to keeping colors “true”is washing in cold water (on delicate ifrequired) and air drying wheneverpossible. I started cold water washingand air drying years ago to savemoney and found that our clothinglasted much longer overall.Deb from Chantilly, VA

Brand Loyal to Tide®

A long time ago, I read in ConsumerReports that Tide was the best laun-dry detergent at getting clothes clean.I’ve been brand loyal ever since. Istock up when there are sales andcoupons. I also use only a smallamount for each load. I probably useabout a third cup for a large load and

less than a quarter cup for smallloads. A big jug from Costco goes along way.A

Made the Switch to Homemade Detergent

I personally use homemade and loveit. Tide® is harsh on my skin. I had anallergic reaction once, and they toldme it was from the detergent. All® andERA® are both good. Gain® smells thebest of any, but they all clean aboutthe same. I was never brand loyal andused whatever brand I had a couponfor and/or was the cheapest. Iswitched this year to homemade, andit is the least expensive and cleansjust as well. I have found that myeczema is better this summer thanever, and I think it is from the lack ofharsh chemicals in detergents.Ronda

Color Clothes cont...


You’ve seen the signs along thehighway. Work at home. Earnone thousand dollars a month.

Call this toll free number. Sounds likea terrific idea, especially if you’re astay-at-home parent caring for youngchildren or for an aging family mem-ber, or you live in a rural setting withlittle commerce or industry, or youhave a disability, which makes com-muting to work a challenge. Thosejobs may or may not be real jobs, sobe cautious.

But before you abandon the idea ofstretching dollars by adding a secondincome that can be earned from thecomfort and ease of your home, youneed to explore other avenues.Though many of the work-at-homeopportunities involve paying cash inadvance, supposedly for training thatwill never bring you any income, theretruly are many legitimate ways to beemployed from home by solid compa-nies, and receive an hourly or piece-rate pay. When you do an internetsearch using key words such as“work at home jobs,” you will likelyfind several exciting opportunitiesthat may be perfect for you.

There are also many income earningopportunities working from homethat are within the education arena.

Capable employees are needed tograde standardized tests from home.

A variety of standardized achieve-ment tests are administered to yourchildren during their years in ele-mentary, middle, and high school. Inrecent years, more frequent testinghas been done since the passage ofthe No Child Left Behind (NCLB)legislation of 2001; one aspect ofthis law is to improve schools byassessing student progress in math,reading, writing, and other academicsubjects. Most of the components ofthese exams, multiple choice ques-tions, are scored electronically. Butcertain test items, such as essayquestions, must be evaluated andgraded by a human being.

You can do an internet search to dis-cover these opportunities, such asMetritech at metritech.com. Somemay require a bachelor’s degree ora teaching certificate, but this variesfrom company to company, so youneed to read the requirementsbefore completing your online appli-cation, which asks for your creden-tials, resume, and commitment tothe number of hours you’ll work. Ifaccepted, you’ll be trained online,with guidelines and rubrics for cod-ing test items. Some of this work isseasonal, such as eight to twelveweek sessions in the fall; otheropportunities involve year-roundwork. People who grade tests saythat they enjoy the flexibility andextra income.

Legitimate work-at-home job opportunities exist in the education arena

Working at Homeby Debra L. Karplus, MS, OTR/L


cont. on pg 18...

Working cont...

Test questions are written at homeby people like you.

Companies that create standardizedtests revise the exam from year toyear. They do this by maintaining apool of new test items. That’s whereyou come in; search online foropportunities to become an itemwriter for companies, such as TheACT at act.org or Pearson at pear-sonassesments.com. When applyingto be hired, you’ll be asked to noteyour preferred subjects, strengths,and skills from a checklist includingEnglish, math, and science.

The process of item writing is notquite as simple as you might imag-ine. Online training is the first step.You’ll learn how to format questions,titles of specific acceptable refer-ence books, list of words that youcannot include in your questions,methods for preventing your submis-sions from being culturally biased,and writing tips for the questionstem, key and distracters. You’ll alsobe asked to send a signed statementof confidentiality. After you’ve beentrained, you’ll receive assignmentsfor a certain number of test items,topics, and a deadline for submittingthem.

Online tutors can earn moneyhelping students online with aca-demics.

If your child has ever struggled inschool, you may have joined one ofthe online tutoring services. Youwould have paid about $35 for amonth of help for your student. Thisassistance was available any hour ofthe day, seven days a week, includ-ing holidays. The tutoring program’swebsite indicated that services wereoffered by well-screened experts inmath (algebra and geometry), sci-ence, English (reading and writing),and social studies (history and geog-raphy) for students of all levels inthese subjects.

So, who are these experts? They’repeople like you who passed onlinetests in every area where they choseto provide tutoring. These opportuni-ties are available at different times ofthe year, so search periodically.Online tutors say that the chance tohelp improve students is very satisfy-ing, and that the paycheck is anadded bonus. Check out tutor.com foropportunities to tutor online at homein a variety of subjects.

Work-at-home opportunities have abad reputation because, frankly,some of them are scams, but you candirectly or indirectly have a positiveimpact on the educational prowess ofstudents of all ages. Explore themany different ways to help children,while earning money. It’s definitely awin-win situation.



Great grapes for less!

How to Get Good Deals on Wine by Eric Mohrman

W ine ranges from a luxury to a necessity,depending on whom you ask. Whether yousip it nightly or only uncork for the occa-

sional dinner guests, bottles noticeably raise thetab for groceries. Prices are going up, too, espe-cially for domestic bottles. As SmartMoney recent-ly reported, most California wineries aren’t boost-ing production to meet increasing demand. Theresult, of course, is heftier price tags. Prices forpopular Napa Valley Cabernet grapes, for example,shot up 35 percent in 2011.

If you don’t particularly care whether your dinnerguests ever come back, or if you’ve lost your tastebuds in some unfortunate mishap, there are winessold in bottles as big as your head for $4. Foreveryone else, there are thrifty ways to get gooddeals on pleasantly palatable products. As forwhich low-cost wines are the tastiest bargains,that’s best left to individual taste; product reviewsare readily available online, but ultimately, sam-pling is the only way to learn what suits you. Hereare a few ways to keep wine costs down no matterwhich varietals and vintages you favor.

Begin where most shoppers start when looking tostretch their dollars, and that’s with coupons andsale or buy-one-get-one items. If your state per-mits wine purchases in supermarkets and drugstores, their circulars likely offer coupons forwines from time to time. More often, though, winesales go unadvertised beyond the shelves. Takea stroll down the wine aisle and look for saleitems.

Buy wine in bulk if you go through enough to makeit worthwhile. Cases are commonly discounted 10to 20 percent. Just in case it needs saying, only

cont. on pg. 20...

Wine cont..

purchase large quantities of wines you alreadyknow and love. Warehouse clubs provide bargains,too. These deals may even be available if youaren’t a paying member. In many instances, theirliquor stores are attached but separate and open tothe public. Stock up during the fall and winter,when prices drop a bit.

Save time and money by shopping for wine online.Numerous websites offer deep discounts on fre-quently rotating highlighted products. Visit web-sites such as WTSO.com, invino.com, andLot18.com for wines reduced 50 to 70 percent offretail prices. As an added bonus, you’ll introduceyourself to wines you probably wouldn’t encounterotherwise.

Skip familiar California wines for something moreaffordable from a different wine-producing region.In most instances, the quality matches. SouthAmerican wineries are bolstering standards andgaining global market share. Try a ChileanChardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon, for example;the country’s climate is similar to California’s, so itsgrapes have similar characteristics. Shiraz fromAustralia is just a different name for California’sSyrah, and many brands are reputed for qualitysurpassing their low prices.

Syrah from California is usually a decent deal, too,simply because it isn’t as well-known as the state’sChardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Aswith picking products from less familiar regions,choosing less familiar varietals provides bargains,too. Malbec grapes yield a full-bodied wine withwhich Argentinian wineries are garnering world-wide praise. Malbec pairs well with red meats anddishes with bold flavors and makes a good alterna-


cont. on pg. 21...

tive to Cabernet Sauvignon. Try a SpanishMonastrell (aka Mourvèdre in France) or aUruguayan or French Tannat in lieu of your favoriteZinfandel.

An adventurous spirit serves you well in savingmoney on wine. Don’t be afraid of bottles fromplaces and grapes you’re not acquainted with. Ofcourse, it’s advisable to do some light research toget an idea of what you’re buying. Next time you’reshopping for wine, jot down the names of a fewlow-cost products you’ve never tried and look intothem. Write down the results of your experimenta-tion so you remember which bargains are worth-while and so you don’t repeat missteps. All thesetactics reduce the cost of your wine habit, no mat-ter how devoted you are to it.

Wine cont...


BB is right. Often you can find great deals onbrand new appliances at scratch and dent sales.The trick is first finding a store that sells scratchand dent and then findingan appliance with flawsthat won’t affect youruse. Let’s see what wecan do to help.

Finding scratch anddent appliance storesisn’t that difficult, but itwill take a little digging.If you’re still using theyellow pages, you canl o o k u n d e r “ a p p l i -ances.” You may find a“scratch and dent” sub-section. Also checkunder “outlet stores”a n d “ w a r e h o u s estores.”

Call the new applianceoutlets listed and ask ifthey sell scratch and dentitems or if they have a clearance center thatdoes. If they do sell scratch and dent, tell themwhat you’re looking for. Within a minute or two,

they’ll tell you if they have any-thing that matches.

You can alsosearch on l ine.Use the sameterms but addthe name of yourtown or the near-e s t b i g c i t y .A g a i n , m a k e

some calls to seewhat’s available.

Talk with the sales-people in the storesyou visit. Theirinventory changesall the time. If youlet them know whatyou’re looking fora n d l e a v e y o u rphone number, youmight be surprisedwhat they’ll find foryou.

Expect to save 25 to 40%depending on the damage.

You could snag a bargain!

Buying Scratch and Dent Appliancesby Jan Roland

cont. on pg. 23...


I ’m looking to replace some appliances in my kitchen. My appliances are oldand on their last legs. The trouble is that I really can’t afford new appli-ances, and I don’t want to put them on my credit card. I’ve heard that you

can get great deals on “scratch and dent” appliances. But, I don’t know whereto look for them or what to look for once I’ve found the appliance. Can you helpme find scratch and dent appliance dealers near me? Baffled in Buffalo

Scratch and Dent cont...

Many times the problem will bea tiny dent in a side panel or ascratch in the paint.

Look any prospective purchaseover carefully. Check to makesure that all knobs, racks,shelves, etc. are with the appli-ance. Often parts are scav-enged from a scratch and dentunit.

And remember, just becauseyou found one problem doesn’tmean that there aren’t others.The time to find the scratchesand dents is while you’re in thestore. Ideally you’ll find some-thing that will be hidden by awall or cabinet in your kitchen. Many times these items aresold “as is.” Make sure that theappliance works. Find outwhat, if any, warranty you getwith it.

Don’t hesitate to bargain withthe salesperson, especially ifthe item is last year’s model.The worst that can happen isthat they refuse your offer.

Not all scratch and dent appli-ance stores offer delivery.Make sure that you knowwhether delivery is availableand whether you’ll be chargedfor it.


Don’t forget to consider other alternatives.Stores that rent or lease furniture and appli-ances often have used units available for sale.One plus is that often these appliances still havethe balance of their factory warranty available.Call ahead to ask what they have.

Also, many people report good experiences buy-ing from used appliance centers. Some offer asix-month or one-year warranty on their appli-ances.

Naturally you’ll have a better chance if you don’tneed to buy the appliance today for deliverytomorrow. But, even if you do need it now, itcan’t hurt to spend an hour or two looking for ascratch and dent appliance bargain. That little bitof effort could save you hundreds or allow you tobuy the upgraded appliance you’ve alwayswanted.

How I afforded my choice of used cars

My Story: My New Used Car contributed by JW


The rewards for being thrifty aresometimes few and far between,at least the big rewards. But, I got

a big one this week. My trusty oldSubaru station wagon was biting thedust, and my driving needs wereexceeding its reliability. It needed $1200of struts right now and I’d never doneany major engine repair in the 208,000miles I’d driven it. At 208,000 miles and18 years old, it just wasn’t worth fixing itup to be the reliable car I needed it tobe.

So, I gritted my teeth, set abudget and my car-buying priori-ties, and wentto see used cardealers. The first onetook one look at mein my dirty thrifts t o r e c l o t h e s(dirty because I’d been out doing field-work for my job all day) and commentedon how I couldn’t afford anything on hislot and to try Craigslist! I want to go backwith my current car and re-enact thatscene out of Pretty Woman. I have noth-ing against Craigslist. However, I wasbothered by his implications that I wastoo poor to be on his lot and that poorpeople shop on Craigslist.

I’ve had that 1994 Subaru wagon fornine years and haven’t made a car loanpayment in eight of those years.Instead, I put a car payment in the bank

every month. It comes right off the topas part of my savings plan. It wasn’talways easy to skim that money offbefore expenses, before trips, beforeluxuries, and before turning downrequests for money from spendthriftfriends (all of whom make more moneyand live higher on the hog than I do). Itwas hard. Sometimes it was financiallydifficult and sometimes it was emotion-ally difficult.

That is why I showed up in thrift storeclothes. I don’t buy new

clothes. I buy usedclothes. That iswhy I showed up

in an 18-year-oldc a r w i t h n e a r l y

300,000 miles onit. I don’t do cos-metic repairson my cars. Imainta in the

engine and sus-pension, not the

paint job. Because I had that old car andthe cheap clothes and because I do somany other thrifty things, I had enoughmoney to buy a car without a loan. Thatfirst car dealer just saw the low costchoices and assumed poverty. That washis mistake.

Several salespeople at other lots sug-gested that I didn’t need to see the engineor take the car to a mechanic before Ibought it. I quickly left those places.

cont. on pg. 25...

My Story cont...


Finally, I found the dealer who had localcars for sale with full maintenancerecords. By being careful with mymoney and diligent in my car search, Igot a certified three-year-old vehiclewith a drive-train warranty for threemore years and 56,000 more miles.

This is the first time in my life, about 24years of owning cars, that I’ve had awarranty and a car that looked “new”rather than outdated. I don’t care aboutthe looks, but the warranty is amazing. Ididn’t think I’d get it this time, but this carwas $3000 less than a car the sameyear without a warranty and with anelectronically adjustable driver’s seat.For $3000 savings, I’m sure I can mud-dle through with the manual seat.

As I was trying to drive away in mybrand new used car, the salespersonwas telling me how to preserve thetrade-in value. I laughed. In at least 10years and 200,000 miles, I’d just get$750 like they gave me on my old car.

On Monday, I will put the first car pay-ment toward the new car in the bank,and I’ll be wearing thrift store jeanswhen I do it.

My Story is a regular feature of The DollarStretcher. If you have information that canhelp others save time or money, please sendit to: My Story c/o The Dollar Stretcher, POBox 14160, Bradenton FL 34280.

In the “old” days, when you wereserved stew for supper, it meantthat Mom was hoping she could

stretch the leftovers to make onemore meal. Those were hard times.Well, guess what? For many, we’vegot hard times right now! Fortunately,stews have been elevated in recentyears to almost gourmet status,thanks to the discovery of Europeanmenus and enterprising chefs.Today, stews have become afavorite. There are countless ver-sions of this ubiquitous meal. Here’sto the discovery of economical, yetalways tasty dishes, using onepound of meat, poultry, or fish toserve four.

Using meats like pork, veal, lamb or,of course, beef, and even fish andseafood, the lowly stew results in ahost of delightfully savory dishes.Add the usual vegetables like car-rots, peas, potatoes and onions. Butalso, you might try mushrooms, cab-bage, zucchini, broccoli, driedapples, apricots, prunes, raisins,dried cranberries, pineapple, andeven sweet potatoes and dried cher-ries. Obviously, don’t use all at thesame time but add enough to harmo-nize with different meat or seafoodingredients. Explore the broad gamutof spices, liquids, and wines. Thereare many to experiment with, buttake this move slowly with sparingamounts and with many tastings.

Great meals for less!

Frugal Stews by Liz Linderman

cont. on pg. 26...

Stew cont...

Let’s start out with the most familiarstew:

Beef for All Seasons!

To your usual beef stew, add red winefor your liquid, mushrooms and cab-bage in addition to your other familiarveggies, a pinch of cinnamon, a tea-spoon of sugar, a pinch of allspice,about two cloves of garlic, mincedand a fistful of chopped parsley.

C’Mon, Be a Lamb!

Although it’s often called Mutton Stew,don’t use mutton. It tends to be toughand gamey. Use only spring lamb for

this almost-Irish Stew. Cook up yourtypical veggies until soft but notmushy. Cook maybe 10 minutes onmedium heat, stirring occasionally.Remove from pan. Brown lamb cut incubes in hot oil for about five minutes.Add apples, raisins, small pearlonions, salt, and pepper. Cook forabout one to two hours on medium tolow heat until lamb is tender. Your liq-uid here could be chicken broth, applejuice, dry white wine, or even water.

Chicken Little — or Big!

Start out with your basic veggies. Nowhere’s where you can substitute.Instead of white potatoes, cut up


cont. on pg. 27...

peeled sweet potatoes. Cut up chick-en in larger pieces. Brown in hot oiluntil golden. Sprinkle with at least atablespoon of garlic powder and tea-spoons of salt and pepper. Choosechicken broth as your liquid, or trypineapple juice or sherry wine. Addcanned pineapple chucks. Freshpineapple is a bit too tart. Dried cran-berries are an interesting touch. Trythem in the broth.

Fishin’ for Something Swell!

Although fish and seafood are firstcousins (shrimp, scallops, crab, evenlobster), they don’t always swim in thesame ocean. This means that theycan take on different veggies, liquids,or spices. Long time cooking doesn’trate here. Most fish and seafood likea quick hop in the skillet, a fast turn,and then a heating up for about 15minutes over a low heat. So, cook theveggies first only until tender. Add thefish or seafood; again cook until ten-der, only about five minutes on eitherside. For the liquid, sherry wine isdivine or try a fish stock (usually avail-able in gourmet food stores). If not,try a cup of New England clam chow-der, diluted with a cup of water.Perfect add-ons include lots ofonions, a bay leaf, a teaspoon offresh lemon juice, basil, thyme, twocups of peeled canned tomatoes, orsubstitute tomato juice for the abovementioned clam chowder.

I Veal So Good!

Ah, yes, veal! You might think it’snuts to take a pound of wonderfullyexpensive veal to make into a stew,right? But listen up. A pound of vealwith a bounty of veggies, spices, andwine can easily turn into a marvelousmeal for six! Cook up your basic veg-gies until soft, adding portobellomushrooms, zucchini and red pepperall cut into thin strips. Leave out thepotatoes. You’re going to serve angelhair pasta with this. Sherry wine isthe foremost liquid for this kinglydish. Roll the cut up veal in bread-crumbs, salt, pepper, and garlic pow-der. Brown lightly in hot oil. Add yourveggies and wine and heat on medi-um heat only until hot, which is abouta mere ten minutes.

These are only a sampling of thedelicious stew varieties you can cre-ate with an adventurous spirit anddifferent stew ingredients. So “Here’sStew Ya.” Enjoy!

* All measurements are arbitrary depend-ing on individual tastes and quantities tobe prepared.


Stew cont...


How to get that bakery look in your own kitchen

You Can Bake Professional Looking Cakesby Wendy Hummeldorf

Ihave fond memories of the birthdaycakes my mother made. She madepig faces out of round cakes and but-

terflies decorated with Lifesavers.Unfortunately, most kids today thinkstore-bought cakes are better. At $20 ormore, they can be a budget killer, butwith a little help, you can make profes-sional looking cakes in your ownkitchen.

If your child has his/her heart set on aspecific bakery cake, most bakeries willsell you the sets of plastic decorationsfor $10 to $20. Plus, the store’s decora-tors are usually happy to give tips onhow to put the cake together. If theyhave a display cake, take pictures. Ifnot, ask if they can make you a copy ofthe display book page.

Cakes with a character on them areanother option. My favorite ways totransfer pictures onto cakes includefrozen buttercream transfers or pokingwith a pin. With both of these, you aretracing over a picture, so you don’t needartistic talent.

Frozen Buttercream Transfer

This is great because it can be done inadvance. Also, it is easy to get a smoothfinish.

Tape your picture under a piece of glassor other transparent surface. I use anacrylic cutting board. Place a piece of

wax paper on top of the glass. Your lay-ers from the bottom will be picture,glass, wax paper, and frosting. Trace theoutline of your picture onto the waxpaper with icing. A round tip, parchmenttriangle, or plastic bag work well for this.Add any highlights, such as lines in hair.Now fill in. For highlight lines, you canput your fill in color right over the top ofthe lines. Make sure that your fill colorstouch the edges of your outline. Toensure that your transfer looks the wayyou want it to look, pick up the glass andlook through it at your transfer. Whenthe transfer is done, gently smooth outthe back of the transfer. The colors willblend together, but that’s fine as no onesees the back. Put the transfer into thefreezer for at least two hours. If storingfor longer than a few hours, cover theback with plastic wrap or foil.

Place the frozen transfer on top of theiced cake and carefully peel off thewaxed paper. It is much easier to placethe transfer and remove the paper if thetransfer is completely frozen. If yourtransfer breaks, put the pieces togetheron the cake. When the transfer thaws,smooth the break with a knife or yourfinger. It’s a good idea to save extrafrosting from the transfer for touch upsonce the transfer is on the cake.

Poke with a Pin

Lay your picture on the frosted cake andpoke around the outline of the design

cont. on pg. 29...


Cakes at Home cont...

with a pin or toothpick. Remove the pic-ture and connect the dots. If you’re hav-ing trouble seeing the pokes, poke holesin the outline of the picture before plac-ing it on your cake, place the picture onthe frosted cake, sprinkle with cocoa forlight cakes or powdered sugar for darkcakes, remove the picture, and connectthe dots. Fill in the outline.

To write on the cake or create decora-tions, you will probably need somethinglike a decorating bag and tips. The pro-fessional version can be expensive andrarely turns up at yard sales or second-hand stores. However, you can do a lotwith some basic items. The least expen-sive option is to use parchment papertriangles folded into a cone shape with ahole in the small end. As an alternative,cut the corner out of a plastic baggie. Amore advanced option is the candy orcookie kits that are available for holi-days. Most include disposable bags foricing and a round tip. If you only haveone tip, the round tip is a good choice;you can write with it and make dot bor-ders. The tips in these kits are light-weight plastic, so if you get multiple tips,you can cut them into different shapes.For example, cut the tip down to make alarger round tip or cut triangles aroundthe opening to create a star tip.

Lastly, be creative. What you lack in skillcan be made up in creativity so don’t beafraid to experiment.

Readers’ Tips

Save the Nail Polish

If you want to save your nail polish fromgoing bad and getting too thick, place itin the refrigerator. I keep a little contain-er filled with all of my nail polishes in therefrigerator, and they last for years. Theliquid stays consistent and does not dryout or get too thick. Lori

Protect Your Microwave

An appliance repairman told me thatmost microwaves fail because theswitch that allows it to start breaks. Thisis caused, for the most part, by slam-ming the door. The switch is inside thedoor panel. Our old microwave withtouch pad is over nine years old and stillgoing strong. Gently shut the door. Don'tslam it! Deb S.

Leftover Hotdog Buns

I always have leftover hot dog buns,especially during BBQ season. Leftoverhotdog buns make great French toaststicks for breakfast (use with your typi-cal French toast recipe). They alsomake great garlic bread sticks. I butterand garlic them and sprinkle cheese ontop. Then I bake them in a 375-degreeoven for 15 minutes. My family loves itand can't tell they are old hot dog buns!Lydia

cont. on pg. 30...


cont. on pg. 31...

Natural Fabric Softener

Vinegar is a natural fabric softener (1/2cup a load usually works). We use thisfor our baby's cloth diapers becausefabric softeners take away theirabsorbency, and it works great. Thevinegar also helps to remove soapresidue.Allison

Delaying Online Checkout

I am a registered purchaser on well-known online stores like Lands End, OldNavy, etc. I recently did some online"window shopping," clicking on severalitems that I was considering buying.Since I was logged in, my shopping cartwas saved, even though I never com-pleted the purchase. After about a week,I received an email with a 40% offcoupon code if I wanted to complete mypurchases.Rachel

Better Vacation Dining

If you like to splurge on a good mealduring your vacation, make it lunch.Most restaurants have nearly the sameselections for lunch as for dinner, butlunch is usually less expensive. Smallerportions may be attractive too, sinceyou may not have facilities for a doggybag.A.

Inexpensive Gift Idea

Check out the end caps at all stores youvisit. An end cap is at the end of an aislewhere almost all stores put their clear-ance items. I bought two Winnie thePooh cake pans with cupcake liners andpaste food coloring for $5 each at Targeta few years ago. Last fall, I found littleplastic zippered pouches with a varietyof Burt's Bees® items inside for $2.34each. Burt's Bees® items never go onsale. I bought two, and the friend I waswith bought the remaining eight. Theymade great Christmas presents. Christine

Puppy Treats

As the owners of a seven-month-oldpuppy, we are still in "training" mode athome. But instead of training our pupwith "treats," someone at the local petstore suggested we just use a differentflavor of her dog food. Basically any-thing that's different from her regularfood is a "treat," and we just use one tinylittle pellet at a time to train her.

We bought a five-pound bag of a differ-ent flavor dog food with a coupon for $9,and by using it as "treats only," it will lastus a long time. We also don't have toworry about upsetting her stomachsince it's the same maker and samebase formula, just a different flavor. Ann F.

Readers’ Tips cont...


Readers’ Tips cont...

Finding Frugal Bed Sheets

I've done really well buying sheets atthrift shops. You have to keep looking,but many really nice sheets do eventual-ly get donated, and you will get thesame sheet for $4 that typically costs$20 retail. Sometimes the set is soldtogether, and sometimes the pieces arenear each other but priced individually.Sometimes you can mix and match, asin a print sheet with a coordinating solidcolor.

I'll never buy sheets retail again. Theprice is so dramatically different, and Ihave found some truly wonderful sheetssecondhand.Anne

Low Cost Make-Up Remover

There are hundreds of make-upremovers on the market that are costlyand some are potentially harsh to theskin. Instead of throwing your moneyaway, use everyday baby shampoo.Just apply a small amount on a cottonpad with a little water to safely andeffectively remove your make-up. Thebest part is it even works great on eyemake-up since baby shampoo does notirritate eyes. It is gentle to your skin, andyou may already have it on hand. I keepa travel size in my medicine chest andthat lasts about six months. For around$.99 a bottle, it can't be beat! Jaimie L.

Preventing Food Spoilage

Use zipper bags for all your dry and coldfood. This method will save you tons offood waste throughout the year. Morethan 40% of all food produced inAmerica is not eaten, according toresearch by former University of Arizonaanthropologist Timothy Jones. Closer tohome, the average four-person house-hold wastes about $600 of food eachyear. Therefore, use zipper bags for allyour dry and cold food and make $600extra cash per year.H.

Baby Shower Memory

Use wrapping paper from baby showergifts to line the drawers of baby's dress-er. I did this in 1975 and that paper stilllines the drawers of the old dresser thatnow is where I store wrapping paper, giftbags, bows, and ribbons. Not only doesit recycle the wrapping paper, but also itmakes me smile whenever I see it.SC

More Lipstick

I invested in a good lipstick brush for $5at my local beauty supply store. Whenmy lipstick is too low to apply, I use thebrush to get the stuff in the tube out. Iget at least another month out of eachlipstick.Deb

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volume 7 - issue 2 spring/summer 2012 · difference between those who manage to stay afloat and...

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