Thrifty Tips from the Readers 4/18

Thanks for all who submit tips like these.  Other readers are loving them.

Reusing Medicine Dispensers

How many of you have extra medicine dispensers.  The cup kind and
the syringe kind?  I have two young children so I have a lot.  I
have been letting them play in the tub with the extras and one
day it hit me that I could use them to dispense shampoo and
conditioner as well as meds.  I use the syringe for my son and
put about 1/2 tsp. in it and he just squeezes it onto his hair
when he shampoos.  I put my daughter's in the cups since she had
longer hair and need more shampoo.  Once she had dumped it I tell
her to put a little water in it and swish it around to get all
the shampoo or conditioner out.  This way they feel like big kids
and can wash their own hair with minimal help and I don't go
through as much shampoo and conditioner.
-By Anita from Normal, IL

Scanning Craft Patterns and Instructions

This pertains to instructions for just about any craft item. I
scan the instructions or pattern into my computer to enlarge and
then print it out.  This works especially well for cross stitch
or counted cross stitch because this way you can actually see the
graph better and easier to count.
-By Elaine from White Pigeon Mi

Masking Tape for Picking Up Small Items

Use masking tape sticky side out for easy clean up for small
items like broken glass, glitter spills, tiny paper pieces. It
makes a great lint brush, too!
-By Mandie from New Philadelphia, Ohio

Dog and Cat Hair for the Garden

If you have a cat or dog in the home then you are vacuuming their
hair off everything all of the time.  Empty your vacuum canister
or bag each time around the perimeter of your gardens.  The pet
hair scares away rabbits, gophers and other wild animals.  They
smell it and think there is danger so they head elsewhere for
their munchies!
-By Pattie from Bridgton, Maine

Furniture Polish - Olive Oil and Lemon Juice

Here is a great tip on saving money on furniture polish.

1 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 clean 16 oz. spray bottle

Combine the oil and lemon juice in the spray bottle. Shake well
before using.

Use a clean, dry cloth to buff and polish. Works wonders and
saves you money!
-By Sabrina from Council, N.C.