A fabric dryer sheet has many uses besides adding fragrance and removing static cling from your clothes in the dryer. They are multitasking little fibers new and recycled! Here are numerous penny saving ideas to stretch your dryer sheets.
Use the fragrance sheets to freshen the air in your home by placing over the heating/air conditions vents.
Tape one to the top of your ceiling fan to spread the aroma.
Place an individual sheet in a drawer, or hang one in the closet.
Place a couple of sheets in the bottom of the dirty laundry basket.
Tuck one under the seat of your car and in the glove box.
Leave several in the RV or camper while it's in storage.
Stick a sheet in with your vacuum bag.
Leave a sheet in your luggage before storing.
Place a sheet among seldom read books or photo albums.
Stick a sheet in all of your shoes!
Roll up a dryer sheet in your toilet paper roll. Each time you spin, it releases a little freshness into your bathroom.
Slightly wet a sheet and use it to scrub the scum, soap build up and minerals out of your shower.
Fabric softener sheets are designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television and computer screen with a used sheet to keep dust from resettling.
If you are a fiber artist, run your sewing needle through a sheet prior to sewing, to prevent the thread from tangling.
Use a used sheet in your fiber art.
Take a used dryer sheet, spray insect repellent into it. Then dab on the back of your neck, legs and arms.
New dryer sheet are great for repelling mosquitoes on your patio, just hang a sheet near by and mosquitoes will leave you alone. Take some along on a picnic so the ants will not invade your party.
Place a sheet in the bottom of your trash cans before you add a trash bag. The dryer sheets will absorb any liquids that get through as well as adding a pleasant fragrance.
Here’s an idea I have read about, but haven’t tried: Use fabric softener sheets to clean baked on foods from cooking pots and pans. Place a dryer sheet in a pan; fill with water, and let sit overnight. The next day the stuck on food can be wiped away! The antistatic agent apparently weakens the bond between the stuck on food and the pans surface.
When you think your dryer sheet is finally used up, use it in flower pots to cover the hole in the bottom to keep dirt from coming out!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Eat Out Without Sabotaging Your Budget!!
I love to eat out! I know, I know, cooking at home is probably half the cost of eating out, but for me, if I can’t eat out once in a while, life wouldn’t be worth living!
According to the National Restaurant Association, wholesale restaurant food prices rose 7.3% in 2007, the largest increase in three decades. I don’t even want to know what the increase will be in 2008. If you’re like me and want to eat out once in a while, here are a few tips for saving a little dough and not completely blowing your budget.
Watch for coupons. When you are scanning that Sunday paper for those valuable grocery coupons, keep an eye out for dinning coupons. Purchase an “Entertainment Book”, or join Restaurant.com for some great values. Do a Google search for on line printable coupons. When we are going to eat out, my husband will say “Where do you want to go?” and I always say “Let me see what restaurants we have coupons for.”
Split a meal! Typically, restaurants serve huge portions. Order one meal and split it with your partner.
Control yourself!! Eat half your meal, and box up the rest. Today’s left overs are tomorrows lunches!! Now your meal price was just cut in half!
Always order Water! Most beverages are around $2.00 each, for a family of four, that’s $8.00 just for beverages!
Always, always, skip dessert! With desserts running around four bucks each, who need them? Save the calories, save the fat, save the dough!
Go with the lunch bunch! Lunches are always cheaper! At our favorite Mexican restaurant, for the exact same meal, lunch is $2.00 an entree cheaper!
Choose wisely. You don’t have to go to the most expensive place in town to have a great meal or a good time. Choose a moderately priced restaurant and save.
Sign up and join the club! Sign up for restaurant emails, I get tons of coupons and even free meals by signing up for e-mails from all my favorite places to eat, including fast food. Many establishments have reward programs that offer point’s for dollars spent that can be redeemed for free meals or complimentary items such as an appetizer or dessert. Don’t forget to join the birthday clubs, most offer a free entree for the birthday person!
According to the National Restaurant Association, wholesale restaurant food prices rose 7.3% in 2007, the largest increase in three decades. I don’t even want to know what the increase will be in 2008. If you’re like me and want to eat out once in a while, here are a few tips for saving a little dough and not completely blowing your budget.
Watch for coupons. When you are scanning that Sunday paper for those valuable grocery coupons, keep an eye out for dinning coupons. Purchase an “Entertainment Book”, or join Restaurant.com for some great values. Do a Google search for on line printable coupons. When we are going to eat out, my husband will say “Where do you want to go?” and I always say “Let me see what restaurants we have coupons for.”
Split a meal! Typically, restaurants serve huge portions. Order one meal and split it with your partner.
Control yourself!! Eat half your meal, and box up the rest. Today’s left overs are tomorrows lunches!! Now your meal price was just cut in half!
Always order Water! Most beverages are around $2.00 each, for a family of four, that’s $8.00 just for beverages!
Always, always, skip dessert! With desserts running around four bucks each, who need them? Save the calories, save the fat, save the dough!
Go with the lunch bunch! Lunches are always cheaper! At our favorite Mexican restaurant, for the exact same meal, lunch is $2.00 an entree cheaper!
Choose wisely. You don’t have to go to the most expensive place in town to have a great meal or a good time. Choose a moderately priced restaurant and save.
Sign up and join the club! Sign up for restaurant emails, I get tons of coupons and even free meals by signing up for e-mails from all my favorite places to eat, including fast food. Many establishments have reward programs that offer point’s for dollars spent that can be redeemed for free meals or complimentary items such as an appetizer or dessert. Don’t forget to join the birthday clubs, most offer a free entree for the birthday person!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
3 Yummy Meals Under $10.00
Chili Pot Pie
Shopping List
1 lb. Ground Turkey - $3.50
16 oz. Can of Tomato Sauce - $.99
15 oz. Can of Black Beans - $.69
15 oz. Can of Whole-Kernel Corn - $.69
2 packages (8.5 oz. each) dry corn muffin mix - $.89
Taco Seasoning - $.79
12 oz. Can of Evaporated Milk - $1.19
2 Eggs - $.99
Total - $9.73
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
Cook ground turkey in a skillet until all is browned. Drain any fat off of meat. Stir in the taco seasoning, tomato sauce, corn, black beans and 3/4 of the can of evaporated milk. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for five minutes. Stir occasionally. Pour mixture into baking dish.
In a medium bowl, combine corn muffin mix, eggs, and remaining evaporated milk. Stir and then spoon the mixture evenly over the turkey mixture.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Homemade Pizza
Shopping List
Ready-to-cook Pizza Crust - $2.13
Pizza Sauce - $1.25
Shredded Mozzarella - $2.50
1lb ground beef $3.50
Onion cut up $.50
Total $ 9.88
Open the pizza crust container and spread it out on a cookie sheet. Follow the instructions on the package. Top the crust with pizza sauce, ground beef, onion, and cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly.
Turkey Meatballs & Spaghetti
Shopping List
1 lb. Ground Turkey - $3.50
Spaghetti $.99
1 Can of Spaghetti sauce $.99
½ cup of bread crumbs - $.50
1 Large Egg - $.39
A dash of salt
A dash of pepper
Total: $6.37
Bring two quarts of water to a boil, add spaghetti and cook for 10 minutes.
Combine turkey, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, & egg in a bowl. Shape the meat mixture into one inch ball-size meatballs, placing them in a skillet to brown. Cook, turning often until meatballs are cooked clear through.
Drain Spaghetti, add sauce and meatballs.
Shopping List
1 lb. Ground Turkey - $3.50
16 oz. Can of Tomato Sauce - $.99
15 oz. Can of Black Beans - $.69
15 oz. Can of Whole-Kernel Corn - $.69
2 packages (8.5 oz. each) dry corn muffin mix - $.89
Taco Seasoning - $.79
12 oz. Can of Evaporated Milk - $1.19
2 Eggs - $.99
Total - $9.73
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
Cook ground turkey in a skillet until all is browned. Drain any fat off of meat. Stir in the taco seasoning, tomato sauce, corn, black beans and 3/4 of the can of evaporated milk. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for five minutes. Stir occasionally. Pour mixture into baking dish.
In a medium bowl, combine corn muffin mix, eggs, and remaining evaporated milk. Stir and then spoon the mixture evenly over the turkey mixture.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Homemade Pizza
Shopping List
Ready-to-cook Pizza Crust - $2.13
Pizza Sauce - $1.25
Shredded Mozzarella - $2.50
1lb ground beef $3.50
Onion cut up $.50
Total $ 9.88
Open the pizza crust container and spread it out on a cookie sheet. Follow the instructions on the package. Top the crust with pizza sauce, ground beef, onion, and cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly.
Turkey Meatballs & Spaghetti
Shopping List
1 lb. Ground Turkey - $3.50
Spaghetti $.99
1 Can of Spaghetti sauce $.99
½ cup of bread crumbs - $.50
1 Large Egg - $.39
A dash of salt
A dash of pepper
Total: $6.37
Bring two quarts of water to a boil, add spaghetti and cook for 10 minutes.
Combine turkey, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, & egg in a bowl. Shape the meat mixture into one inch ball-size meatballs, placing them in a skillet to brown. Cook, turning often until meatballs are cooked clear through.
Drain Spaghetti, add sauce and meatballs.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
When is Cheap Too Cheap?
I asked some of my friends “what are some of the wackiest things you have ever done to save money”. Here are a few of the more “interesting” ideas:
When you go to a fast food restaurant, always take a hand full of ketchup, salt, pepper, mayo, napkins, etc. This person said she never buys these items!
Never buy toilet paper, use news paper or magazines like they did years ago. (eeegads!!)
Eat dog food.
Marry a man who is handy and can do repairs around the house!
Never buy sandwich bags, instead use the plastic your newspapers come in, use bags from frozen veggies, or bags that cereal is packaged in.
When you go to a fast food restaurant, always take a hand full of ketchup, salt, pepper, mayo, napkins, etc. This person said she never buys these items!
Never buy toilet paper, use news paper or magazines like they did years ago. (eeegads!!)
Eat dog food.
Marry a man who is handy and can do repairs around the house!
Never buy sandwich bags, instead use the plastic your newspapers come in, use bags from frozen veggies, or bags that cereal is packaged in.
Go around on garbage day and pick things out of the trash to sell on Craigslist.
Here is my favorite: For wedding flowers one lady said she went to a cemetery the night before her wedding and picked up the fresh flowers.
I may be cheap, and I may be frugal, but I’m not sure all of these money saving tips are for me!! Hope you found them as interesting as I did!!
Monday, May 5, 2008
I Won't Tell Anyone That They're Fake!
Love flowers, hate to water and weed? I have always been an avid gardener, always giving my plants and flowers lots of tender loving care. However, the cost of plants and water has caused me to reevaluate my love of being a novice horticulturist. For the last couple of years I have “planted” fake flowers. I can purchase enough fake flowers at the dollar store to fill all my flower boxes for $20.00. If I were buying “real” plants, I’d get about three plants for this price.
The “flowers” can be plucked out of the ground in fall, washed down with the hose, stored and “replanted” in the spring! Every few years I will have to replace some of the faded flowers, but in the mean time, I have a beautiful flower bed that is much cheaper to “plant” and maintain than real flowers. The best part is that from the street, no one can tell that their fake!!
The “flowers” can be plucked out of the ground in fall, washed down with the hose, stored and “replanted” in the spring! Every few years I will have to replace some of the faded flowers, but in the mean time, I have a beautiful flower bed that is much cheaper to “plant” and maintain than real flowers. The best part is that from the street, no one can tell that their fake!!
Friday, May 2, 2008
Save On Hair Cuts
If you enjoy going to the stylist, beautician or barber to get your hair cut, skip this post! If you’d rather save some money on hair cuts, read on! Learn to cut your own hair or at least learn to cut your children’s hair. We all know that going to a salon is not cheap. Where I live the average kids cut is $12.00. If you have two children and each get their hair cut once a month, that’s $288.00 on children’s hair cuts a year. The average adult price range is about $20.00 monthly. That is $240.00 a year for one adult. One adult and 2 kids total $528.00 a year, plus tips. For me, that is a lot of money!!
When my kids were growing up, I always cut their hair. I used to pay for my own cuts, but I was always unhappy with the cut and would go home and cut it over myself! I finally decided that I might as well "just do it" myself! It is not difficult to learn and the thing about hair is that it will always grow back!! Here are a few links that will guide you in learning to cut hair.
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/8663_cutting-hair-scissor-cut.htm
http://www.hairfinder.com/howto/how_to_cut_hair.htm
http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/598_cut-style-mens-hair.htm
http://www.howtodothings.com/fashion-and-personal-care/a2795-how-to-cut-your-own-hair.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Cut-Kids'-Hair
When my kids were growing up, I always cut their hair. I used to pay for my own cuts, but I was always unhappy with the cut and would go home and cut it over myself! I finally decided that I might as well "just do it" myself! It is not difficult to learn and the thing about hair is that it will always grow back!! Here are a few links that will guide you in learning to cut hair.
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/8663_cutting-hair-scissor-cut.htm
http://www.hairfinder.com/howto/how_to_cut_hair.htm
http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/598_cut-style-mens-hair.htm
http://www.howtodothings.com/fashion-and-personal-care/a2795-how-to-cut-your-own-hair.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Cut-Kids'-Hair
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