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6 Ways To Cut Pet Care Costs
As 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 …Read more.
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.
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Post Office Clerk Demonstrates New Flat RateToday's first great reader tip, from Shirley in Indiana, brings new meaning to the term "flat rate" and also earns Shirley a one-year membership to Debt-Proof Living Online (at http://www.DebtProofLiving.com). You are going to love this: TIP OF THE MONTH. Now that the U.S. Postal Service bases postage charges on the thickness of a letter, as well as its weight, use a rolling pin to flatten your thick mail as much as possible before mailing. I learned this trick from a postal associate who did this for me recently when my envelope was just a little too fat. She had a slot that it had to fit through to qualify for the basic rate. Rolling it did the trick to make it fit, and it saved me a few cents in the process. — Shirley, Indiana HEALTH CHECK. When someone in my household is sick or injured but I'm not sure whether a visit to the doctor is needed, I call the advice nurse at the doctor's office to talk over the problem. If it is after hours, I call the nurse available through my health insurance. He or she will discuss the problem with me and determine whether an appointment is needed. I also find out what symptoms to watch for. This saves a lot of time and money if an appointment isn't needed, and it's less stressful for kids who don't like visits to the doctor. — Courtney B., California GROWING SOLUTION. We love growing bamboo in our tropical garden, but it can take over the yard if we're not careful. SPRAY MIST. I have dry skin, so I use a lot of lotion. In an effort to save money, I tried switching to baby oil. I love it, but I do not love the mess and the waste that it makes when it comes out too fast. One day, I decided to pour the baby oil into an empty spray bottle. It works really well to spray only a fine mist. It doesn't make a mess anymore, and I don't use too much. — Heather S., California HAIR SPRAY CLOG. If you have a hair spray nozzle that is sticky with gunk, remove it and soak it in a dish of rubbing alcohol overnight. Rinse it with water, and replace it. The nozzle will work like new! — Kim, California PAN PROTECTOR. I put potholders between my frying pans to protect the pans from getting scratched. It also saves me space. I don't have to waste a drawer for potholders because I store them in my pans. — Beth S., Pennsylvania 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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