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Fun (Cheap) Birthday Gift Ideas for Kids
Several months ago, I got a message from Elaine G., who recently had joined a moms group. With all of her newly minted friendships, she and her little one are getting invitations to lots of toddlers' birthday parties. Her dilemma took me back to …Read more.
What You Need To Know if Your Bank Fails
If it seems that more banks are closing this year than normal, you are absolutely right. Since January 2009, 106 banks and 19 credit unions have failed in the U.S. That's more than four times the number of closings in 2008. It's the most since the …Read more.
Make Your Own Sanitizing Wipes
Dear Mary: I would like to find a recipe to make hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes. Do you know of one? — Delores, e-mail
Dear Delores: I have been thinking about the same thing, now that we're learning that products like Purell are …Read more.
7 Simple Ways To Stretch Food Further
Buying groceries on sale and cooking meals at home are excellent ways to keep the cost of food under control, but there are other things we can do. Here, for your enjoyment, are simple ways other "Everyday Cheapskate" readers make food and …Read more.
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6 Ways To Cut Pet Care CostsAs I write, a big, beautiful, brindled English bulldog is underfoot, sleeping soundly, as bulldogs do. I cannot claim ownership, but Newcastle ("Newkie" to his family) visits often. He's my granddog — and as precious as they come. So even though I don't technically have any pets, you can be sure that I am always on the lookout for tips, tricks and ideas to keep down the cost of the care and feeding of animals: BLANKET BOUNTY. I donate my used sheets, towels and blankets to the local animal shelter. A towel for a small dog or cat makes a warm, soft place to curl up. My mother is handy with a sewing machine, so we both look for towels and bedding at yard sales. We take large blankets and create soft, warm pads for up to four animals out of them. — Cindy, Iowa COUPON CARE. I am a devoted coupon clipper. Whenever I see pet food coupons offering free or very cheap cans or bags of food, I purchase these items and donate them to our local animal shelter. I feel good about helping homeless animals without putting a strain on my budget. — Kim H., e-mail VACCINE BOOST. I buy dog food at the local feed store because I like the product it sells. I recently found out that the store does pet vaccinations more affordably than my vet. The only vaccination it cannot do is the one for rabies. I recommend checking with pet and feed stores the next time you are shopping for a good price on animal vaccinations. PAPER TRAIL. I use my shredder to shred my junk mail. Then I use it as bedding for my three rabbits. They love tossing it around and nesting their cages with shredded paper. Before I shred, however, I remove colored magazines and glossy fliers, as they don't work well in animal cages. Recycling my paper this way is a great money saver, and it's fun for my rabbits. — Susanna C., New York FUZZ FIXER. I use a clean dog's brush to remove all the animal hair that attaches to my area rug during the week. It takes just a few seconds. It's easy and cheap because I do not have to buy sticky sheets or disposable products to remove the hair. It's also a lot quicker than taking out the vacuum. You can purchase a dog brush at the dollar store for only $1. — Janice F., e-mail KEEPING CLEAN. Nontoxic bug and squirrel repellents keep your dogs (or your neighbors' dogs) from doing their business on the part of your yard you'd like to keep clean. Black pepper is nontoxic, so I sprinkle a little of it in certain areas to keep my Rottweiler in the part of the yard reserved for her. — Lois M., Arizona Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. Include your first and last name and state. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including "Debt-Proof Living" and "Tiptionary 2." To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS.COM
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