Saving Freak

Homemade Stain Spray

Make your own stain-fighting spray for the laundry! I put 1/2 a spray bottle full of Tide laundry detergent (Tide is awesome at fighting stains). Then, I put a little bit of Dawn dishwashing liquid and fill the rest with water. Shake it up, and there you have it - your very own stain-fighting spray! I think that this fights stains MUCH better than the stain-fighters that I buy in the stores.

–Tammy from Fort McCoy, FL

Use Plastic Grocery Bags for Packing Material

Another good use for all those grocery plastic bags is to use them as packing material! When you send a gift, or when you make a move to a new home, these bags are great for wrapping glassware and other breakables!

–CKDavis from Flagstaff, AZ

Ask Your Cafe For Used Coffee Grounds

Many cafes will give out quantities of used coffee grounds for your garden for free! Our local Borders does this and it is wonderful for the garden, esp. acid loving plants like azalea, lilac, hydrangea, etc. All you have to do is ask!

–Carol from Landisville, Pa

Dilute Fabric Softener For Twice As Much

I love using fabric softener for my laundry, and one bottle of fabric softener makes two for me, and I’ll share how:

I saved one of my empty fabric softener containers and when I bought a new one the same size, I poured 1/2 the contents into the empty, saved, bottle and filled both bottles to the top with water. I use a 1/2 capful in each load and it lasts me for more than a month. Try it.

Note: Most fabric softeners these days are ultra brands or very thick and loaded with perfumes and work just the same when diluted.

–sbb1 from Umm al Quain, UAE

Multipurpose Bath Products

Did you know that you can multipurpose many bath and body products? For instance, I like to purchase scented bubble bath at the dollar store and use that for my hand soap. It’s not only cheaper than hand soap but, and here is what I like, it comes in so many more scent choices. Landers makes huge bottles that come in fruity scents, and my local Dollar Tree is now selling aromatherapy scented shower gels which can also be used. Hey, it’s not bath n body works, but way cheaper. And a great savings (and a little bit goes a looong way!)

–Carol from Lancaster, PA

How to Save a Scratched CD/DVD

Spray the entire surface down with Pledge. Wait about 10 - 15 seconds. Wipe of Pledge until the product is completely dry. Something in Pledge smooths over the imperfections making the DVD/CD playable again. It is amazing! With 2 girls under 10, we were always having “accidents” that ruined their favorite movies or music. This tip has saved us a lot of disappointment and money.

–Kristin from Leroy Township, Ohio

Cleaning and Polishing Leather with Banana Peels

Stop buying leather/shoe polish. To clean, buff or moisturize leather/pleather/vinyl or any shiny outerwear use a banana peel. Simply rub the inside of a banana peel over the item to be cleaned and buff with a soft cloth. I have done this to my husband’s motorcycle gear and it takes off dust, dead bugs, and buffs out small scuffs and scratches. I have also used it on kids shoes, purses, suitcases etc. It does work and no messy polish it deal with. I have heard that it works with potato peels too but have not tried that yet.

–Princesshammerhead from Saskatchewan, Canada

Add Baking Soda to Dish Water

Place a tablespoon of baking soda in your dish water when washing dishes by hand. It helps take off hard water stains and makes your soap last longer.

–Debbie from Bewick, ME

Use Fabric Softener Solution As Febreeze

If you’re looking for a really cheap, but effective alternative to Febreeze, try this: Fill a spray bottle with 1/4 parts fabric softener to 3/4 parts water. Works just the same. I stumbled upon this tip when I ran out of Febreeze once and couldn’t get to a store. I’ve been using this solution ever since.

–sbb1 from Umm al Quain, UAE

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It has been a while since I posted some thrifty tips.  So here is a round of really good ideas from readers.  I especially like the one for Mother’s Day.

Buy Vacation Gifts At Regular Stores

When traveling, on vacation etc, Don’t buy from the gift shop. Check out department stores, dollar stores, Walgreens etc. One can find a large variety of small gift items with the name of the location at very good prices. Just takes a little looking.

–Hairy Wolf from Memphis TN

Use Vinegar On Windshield Wipers

To extend the life of your car’s windshield wipers, wipe the blade with a rag that was soaked in white vinegar. This softens and refreshes the wiper blade. A cheap and effective treatment.

–Gail from Rapid City, SD

Using Newspaper Under Mulch

Mulching is a pain, so if you’re going to put all that work into making your beds look nice, why not make it LAST longer? I’ve found that putting several layers of newspaper down BEFORE laying a layer of mulch helps to keep the weeds out for at least one whole season! The newspaper is porous, so water and nutrients can still pass through and reach the plants, but it blocks the light so that weeds can’t germinate. As an added bonus, earthworms LOVE to eat newspaper, and will slowly “compost” it to enrich your soil.

–Katy from Nashville, TN

A Mother’s Day Memory Box

This is a great gift for the new mom or grandma or to start a new tradition. A Mother’s Day Box is a wooden box that will store all the Mother’s Day cards, pictures, dried flowers, etc., every year from the child (ren). Include a small journal for the mom/grandmother to put her special thoughts into.

Take a wooden box 12×8x8 in size, with a hinged top, On the lid write “MOTHER’S DAY MEMORIES” (or “GRANDMA’S MEMORIES”) then the child’s name. If possible, save room on lid for the child’s hand prints or you can put them on the front side of box. Have the child decorate the box anyway he/she would like. On the inside, place a small journal or diary so mom can write what they did that day, thoughts, etc. Every year mom can add the cards, pics, etc she received. Everything is kept in one place and it is nice enough to keep out on the coffee table.

–Christy from Fulton, MS

Free Sample of Dove Hair Therapy

Free sample of Pegtables dog treats (page loads slowly)

Free Sample of All Bran fiber drink mix

Free sample of Roots of Nature Remedies Strengthening Oil Moisturizer or Reconstructing Deep Treatment

Become a Biocare VIP and get free beauty samples

Free sample of Dove Hair Care Heat Defense Therapy 0r Intense Damage Therapy

Coupon for free ten day sample of Bare Essential (shipping not included)

Baking Soda to Clean Outside of Refrigerator

To clean the outside of your refrigerator and make it look like new, use baking soda. Take a wet rag, pour some baking soda on it and start cleaning. This cleans the textured parts of the frig, like nothing I have ever seen before.

–Sarah from Vandergrift, PA

Using Broken Tape Measure

Don’t throw out that broken tape measure! I used my tape measure that was broken. It would not retract back into the case, so I cut the tape into different lengths. I started with 12 inch, then made a 16 inch and a 24 inch piece long. Now if I have to measure, I just grab one of the pieces that is suitable for the job at hand.

–John P. from Haysville, KS

Buy Vacation Gifts At Regular Stores

When traveling, on vacation etc, Don’t buy from the gift shop. Check out department stores, dollar stores, Walgreens etc. One can find a large variety of small gift items with the name of the location at very good prices. Just takes a little looking.

–Wolf from Memphis TN

Use Vinegar On Windshield Wipers

To extend the life of your car’s windshield wipers, wipe the blade with a rag that was soaked in white vinegar. This softens and refreshes the wiper blade. A cheap and effective treatment.

–Gail from Rapid City, SD

I am sure some have wondered what happened to me.  Well my blog was doing very weird things and since the purpose of my writing is to help people not have hackers attack their computers I decided to stop writing until I could figure out what was giong on.  With the help of my hosting company I think I have some good security measures in place to help with the hacking problems I have had over the last few months.  That being said lets get back on track with a few Thrifty Tips!

Crayons Fix Nicks in Colored Leather Shoes and Boots

When I was a small child, I remember my mother raiding my crayonbox to color in nicks and scuff marks on her brightly coloredhigh heels. Well, these days it may be colored leather tennisshoes, a leather vest or fancy cowboy boots, but the idea stillworks. (Especially if you have a box of 64 colors!) First heat the area with a blow dryer, that way the color of thecrayon actually melts into the leather. Finish by buffing with asoft cloth or soft paper towel.
–Cyinda from Seattle

Save On A YMCA Membership By Volunteering

 I’d been reading a lot about the advantages of exercising inwater, but felt my lack of access was an obstacle I couldn’tovercome. Living in the Northeast, community pools are only openfor a couple months a year. And, I wasn’t sure how to fit a Ymembership into my family’s tight budget, especially since wedon’t actually qualify for a scholarship. (Never mind the moreexpensive health clubs with pools!) But … guess what? The localY is desperate for volunteers, and I was able to negotiate a freemembership in return for volunteering some of my time. Now I cango to all the water aerobics and other fitness classes I like, aswell as use their extensive facilities whenever I want! I just thought I’d post this in case others were in similarsituations. If you think you can’t afford access to a pool (orother facility), call your local YMCA and talk with them.Different departments may even yield different results; the dealI hoped to negotiate wasn’t available through the general Ycontact person, but *was* possible through the AquaticsDepartment specifically. Who knows? In return for a little of your time–about 3 hours a week for me–you may be able to get afree membership, too!
–Sterghe from Pennsylvania

Use Bread To Clean Up Broken Glass

An easy way to pick up small pieces of broken glass withouthurting yourself is to just scrunch up several pieces of any typeof bread, then use this ball of bread to pick up the pieces ofglass, by pressing the bread into the glass. This is especiallyimportant for those of you taking blood thinners!
–CKD

Vinegar for Cleaning Paint Brushes

 Vinegar wins again. I was replacing a few floor tiles. I uses afloor patch that is sort like a cement. I used a old paint brushto feather the edges. The floor patch dried on the brush andparts became hard. I did not want to throw my $1.00 brush away. Iam a bit thrifty. It has many other uses to come. I soaked invinegar water for a day and the brush cleaned up, no more driedfloor patch. I will get a few more years out of my paint brush.
–Shirley C. from Calumet City, IL

Temporary Wall Decor

If you live in a rental place that doesn’t allow painting or ifyou just don’t want to paint, try materializing a wall. Pour someStayflo (liquid blue clothing starch) in a bucket and soak asheet or material. Squeeze it a little and smooth onto your wall.It will dry just like wallpaper. If you get tired of it, just useyour fingernail to pick a corner. Wash it and it will be softagain and not ruined. The wall will be just as it was before.
–Mary from Houston, Texas

This last tip is a great one for college dorm rooms.  It allows a student (usually female) to customize a room that looks exactly like all the other rooms on their hall.

Avoid Buying Gas On Weekends Or Holidays

When buying gas, always make sure you purchase it a couple of days before the weekend, or before a major holiday. That’s when the big shots raise the prices; over the weekend when we have to run errands or during a holiday, when we travel to see our loved ones.

–Tammi from Patton

What To Look For At Garage Sales

When I go to garage sales, I always look for certain things first. I look for tools in good shape, vases of all sizes, pretty pieces of mismatched china, and anything copper or silver.  These items always come in handy. I use a beautiful china saucer for a soap dish. The extra dishware is great for potlucks or bake sales, I don’t worry about getting the item back. Some tools, and the copper and silver can be great finds. I love polishing them up to see what treasure I got.

–Barbara from Park Ridge, IL

Use Bubble Bath to Refill Soap Dispensers

I buy large containers of bubble bath or shampoo at the dollar store and use these to refill my soap dispensers in my bathroom.  In the past I used watered-down dish soap, but this made my hands dry, so I switched to Bubble bath or Shampoo as they don’t dry my hands out. It cost much less than buying liquid soap refills and helps me save money. Every penny counts!

–Cyinda from Seattle

Use Flour To Keep Pests Off Roses

Don’t like all those chemical dusting to put on flowers to keep the bugs away? Use plain flour instead. Just dust it on roses and etc., and it works well to rid plants of bugs. Flour makes it almost impossible for the insects to breath. Happy Gardening!

–Debra from Hampton

99.9% Silver to Keep Milk and Water Fresh 

The pioneers who traveled west would put silver coins in their water barrels to keep the water from spoiling. Back before there was refrigeration, people would put a silver coin in their milk jugs to keep the milk fresh longer. 

These days we have no REAL silver coins in circulation. But you can buy “Silver Rounds” from any coin store. A “silver round” is one measured ounce of 99.9% silver. It’s cast to look something like a silver dollar. These days they cost under $20, but can be used over and over again.

Real silver is a natural germ fighter. In tests, silver has kept milk fresh for 2 - 10 extra days. A Silver Round can also be put into water dispensers to keep not only the water fresh but also the spout clean. Keep milk and water fresh the natural way, by putting a 99.9 % silver round in your storage containers.

 –Cyinda from Seattle

Dull Scissors 

Need to sharpen your scissors? Take a 12 inch-14 inch strip of Heavy-duty Aluminum foil and fold to 8 layers. Now, just cut as many thin strips of foil as you can manage (25 is preferred).  Your scissors are now sharp! If using standard weight aluminum foil, just fold to 16 layers and proceed.

–Cajun62234 from Collinsville, IL

Removing Smells from Jars

This is an old 1940’s trick passed down to me by my mum and her mum before her. To remove strong smells from jars, saucepans, etc., put in one or to teabags (no milk or sugar please!) then add an inch of hot water (to activate the bag and make the water deep brown) - not too hot if item is glass or it may crack. In that case you could add half inch of cold water first. Gently stir and then top up with cold water. Leave for a couple of hours - or overnight if the pan does not have a pale colour inside that might stain. Rinse well and the smell will be gone. Works for pickle smells, garlic etc.

–Louise from Loughton, Essex, UK

Spray Wrinkle Releaser Recipe

I have created my own formula for “wrinkle releaser” for my dryer delays. I often don’t get to the dryer when it calls me so when I remove the clothing I use this spray to release the wrinkles.

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup liquid clothes softener*

or just use a 1:3 ratio for your size container.

Mix well and pour into a spray bottle and when removing the wrinkled clothing from your dryer, hang the item and spray generously on all sides; not necessary to soak ‘em though.  Shake the item well and in a few seconds the wrinkles disappear!  Much better than the name brand stuff and LOTS cheaper. (I even use it when traveling as I take my wrinkled clothing out of my suitcase.)

I have used it on every type of material — denim, cotton (even silk — but test before using on something precious)!

–Linda from Saratoga, AR

I have been having some problems with the site for the last couple of days.  I think it is all back to normal now but the time consumption made it hard for me to get my regular posts out.  I hope this will be the last of my hacker problems but who knows.  Here are some great tips from readers.

Use White Out for Tiny Painting Jobs

Need to do a small touch up job on something white but don’t have
the white paint or don’t want to open that big can?  For a small,
very small touch up job needing white, use White Out.  It works
great. I picked up a white stand at a garage sale with a couple
of nicks and I covered them with White Out and it looks like new
–By DEBRADJ from ILLINOIS

Cleaning with Odor-free Oven Cleaner

Odor-free Oven Cleaner is especially great for cleaning dirty can
openers and tops of kitchen waste cans. Spray the cutting blade
of the can opener, let set overnight, and in the morning, rinse
with hot water and a light scrubbing with an old toothbrush.
Spray the top of the waste container and let set for an hour or
two. The grime will ‘brown’ then rinse clean in the bath tub.
–By Cajun from Collinsville, IL

Affordable Dental Work

Is there a university medical center near you?  I have had my
entire mouth repaired (and I needed a lot!) at the Dental School
of the university at a fraction of what it costs in the
mainstream.  I went there because I wasn’t satisfied with my
dental care in the mainstream market.  I can’t say enough good
things about the care given at the school.  Dental students are
nearing their degree in dentistry and are very carefully
supervised by a teaching dentist with advanced degrees.  Truly,
the best decision I ever made in the medical arena. And yes, in
my experience they take credit cards, checks, and cash.  Nobody
hounds you to pay on the day of service. Make those calls!
–By Lois from Pennsylvania and Western NY

This one isn’t so thrifty but I would have eaten more eggs as a kid if my mom did this.

Write “Magic” Messages On Eggs

Mix a solution of white vinegar and alum (8:1 ratio). Alum can be
found in the spice section.  Using a small craft paintbrush,
write your message(s) on the shells of eggs. Boil eggs to hard.
The writing will appear on the whites of the eggs when they are
shelled.
–By Laura from Long Beach, CA

I think I finally have everything on my blog back to normal from when the site was hacked last weekend.  Thank you for your patience since the posts this past week were not up to what I consider my usual standard.  hope you Saturday is grand and here are a few Thrifty Tips.

Use Soda In Your Flower Arrangements

To make fresh cut flowers last longer, use 1/2 water and 1/2 soda, such as Sprite or any clear color soda. Your flowers will last for weeks and weeks and they will remain beautiful.
–By Dawn from Newburgh, NY

Donate Extra Cards To Schools

Have leftover holiday cards (Valentines, Christmas, birthday, etc.)?  Don’t throw them away, ask your local school if they want them.  They can use them in the lower grades to make great “cards” for mom and dad for future holidays and you’ll recycle too!
–By Debradj from Illinois

Tips for Long Lasting Carpet

When my husband and I purchased first purchased carpet for our home. The store that we bought it at had us attend a carpet seminar to see a movie about how carpet was made and to discuss the best carpet for our purpose. It really made it easier to decide what to buy.

The most beneficial thing that we learned was not to run around the house barefooted or in our stocking feet, there is salt in your body and it comes out through the feet and will stain your carpet quicker.

Also when you see a spot, clean it right away. This has worked for us over 31  years. We have only replaced the carpeting once, only because we were tired of the color. Keep a pair of slippers handy, so when you come into the house, you can take your shoes off and put on your slippers.
–By Lillian from Beaver Falls, PA

Walmart Will “Price Match” On Sale Patterns

If you live closer to a Walmart than to your local fabric store that is having a great sale on patterns (like JoAnn’s fabrics)… OR, if your local fabric store is “picked over” and doesn’t have many patterns left in your size, simply take the ad up to the register with you (after you’ve shopped) and Walmart will honor other stores ads for Simplicity or McCalls brand patterns (and other things too!)  Just be sure to bring the ad in with you and make sure the sale is STILL going on.
–By Cyinda from near Seattle

Beautifully Peeled Oranges

Place oranges in hot water for about 45 minutes - 1 hour; remove from water and let cool until you are comfortable handling them by hand. Take a tablespoon (or teaspoon) and begin peeling the orange from the navel, the skin should peel leaving all the white on the peal and virtually none on the orange. This is an old restaurant trick I learned long ago.
–By Cajun from Collinsville, IL