A lot of us wear eye glasses and know the little nose piece that is cushioned can get awful dirty and stained. Just put them in a tall glass at night when you go to bed with a few drops of liquid soap (I use Dawn). Rinse them the next morning, and they will be squeaky clean. If really dirty, it may take several soakings to get it all off.
Janice H. in Somerset, KY

Opening and closing a refrigerator wastes a lot of cold air. Keep the refrigerator full to minimize air loss when opening it. Or, if your refrigerator isn’t full, fill it with empty bottles to minimize air loss.
DM

When you harvest leaf lettuce, leave the bottom two inches of each plant, cutting off the top leafy part. If you water, you will get another crop of lettuce. You can do this over and over and have a constant supply of lettuce as long as you keep the plants watered. You can grow basil and mint and harvest part of the leaves and more will grow back as well. The same is true with rhubarb, which isn’t just a spring crop if you keep it well watered and fed.
Karen K.

If your vinyl mini blinds are just dusty, take an unused dryer sheet and rub over the mini-blind. The dust just falls to the floor in clumps and can be vacuumed up. If the blinds are dirty, take outside on a day that isn’t too windy. Place top of mini-blind over nails nailed into wide tree or fence. Spray blind with “Scrubbing Bubbles” bathroom cleaner. The dirt starts to foam up immediately. Let sit for a few minutes and hose off with water, no scrubbing required.
PJC

A great way to save money on costume jewelry that has become tarnished, instead of throwing it away spray paint it. A lot of the new costume jewelry is red, blue, black, white etc. This works great on hoops etc. A quick coating of paint and you have a new pair of fashionable earrings.
Angie M.

I have small grandchildren and we enjoy sitting outside on the porch. I had been using tiki torches and various citronella candles to shoo away the mosquitoes, I always worried about the kids burning themselves or knocking them over. (The kids are drawn to the flames like moths.) I found that putting a portable fan and allowing it to oscillate keeps the mosquitoes away. They can’t land! It also provides a refreshing breeze.
Linda C.

My husband and I were on vacation. Since most rental places do not rent smoke-free cars, we had to come up with something fast to get the cigarette smoke out of the car. We went to the grocery store and bought a potato, sliced it in half, and put one half in the front seat and one half in the back seat. The next day the smoke smell was virtually gone.
Theresa in NE

I love Dead Sea bath salts, but they can be very expensive, often $15 or more for a pound. However, craft stores sell a kit for making scented and colored bath salt gifts. You don’t even need to buy the kit; the stores sell refills, and you can get a two-pound jar of Dead Sea salts for around $7. The craft stores usually include in their weekly ad a coupon for 40% off any item not on sale, which reduces the price even more.

I don’t mind the plain salts, but you can also buy small bottles of fragrance or color. It just takes a couple of drops to customize your salts. For a quick gift, the same stores sell small decorative jars. Fill them with bath salts, add color or fragrance if you like, and tie with a pretty ribbon. If you don’t need the minerals for which Dead Sea salts are famous, you can do the same thing with Epsom salts. This is a nice soak for tired or sore muscles, and it’s available at drug stores for even less money.
Melissa D.

My three-year-old son loves bugs. Me, too! So we were checking out some bug collecting supplies, but everything was quite expensive. I checked out my local dollar store and found a very large light plastic jug, perfectly clear, with a lid that had a handle. After putting a few small holes in the top, we had a butterfly house. It also works for other creatures; I currently have two slugs in it, munching on carrots.

For smaller catchers, those little tiny Ziploc containers work great. They’re clear enough to see the bug. Plus check out the school supply section for magnifying glasses. I did spring for a net, though. I spent a whole $1.99. Everything was so cheap that I made two sets, one for here and one for Grandma’s house. As an added bonus, everything, except the net, can be stored in the big jug! Please note that these supplies are more for catch, observe and release, not for permanent collections.
M.A.

My husband and I refinanced our mortgage a few years back. Not only did we get a great interest rate, but we refinanced from a 30 year to a 15 year loan. We will have our home paid for by the time we are 53. We will save thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. We refinanced on one income. The monthly payments are still reasonable. I didn’t think we could swing a 15 year loan nor did I think it would make a big difference in the long run. Was I ever wrong! Best decision we’ve made in a long time.
A.

For a sample copy of The Dollar Stretcher newsletter, send $2 to: Dollar Stretcher Sample, 6695 Cortez Road W., Bradenton FL 34210. Copyright 2007 Dollar Stretcher, Inc. Visit The Dollar Stretcher for even more tips & ideas!

I learned my lesson yesterday about coupons. I had $5 to $6 worth of coupons to use at Wal-Mart, and when I got home, I looked at the receipt and realized the cashier never entered my coupons so I was out the money and the coupons! It would have cost me more in gas to drive back to the store to complain than the coupons were worth. Now I will not only pay attention to the change I receive from cashiers, but I will also make sure they enter the coupons I give them. No more feeling rushed through the line for me.
Shannon in PA

Please tell your readers to make sure to find out if their HSA plan will rollover from year to year. Mine does not, and the monies saved must be used by March of the following year or are forfeited. It’s still a useful plan for covering deductibles, but be careful or you can lose money.
Cresanna

Keep your eyes peeled for weekly flyers from pharmacy/grocery stores with pharmacies inside. Many of them are competing for your prescription business and will have promotions for a free gift card with a transferred or new prescription.

I frequently transfer my prescription back and forth, pay my prescription cost of $5, and end up with a gift card for free groceries or items at Walgreens or CVS in the amount of usually $25-$30! I’ve probably amassed close to $300 in free groceries/merchandise this way and always feel great about the savings.
Christina B.

I stockpile meat when it is on sale. I could never find anything in my upright freezer, so I bought four plastic bins (we used to call them dishpans) at Wal-Mart and labeled each one with a different name: beef, pork, poultry, and vegetables. We put each on a different shelf in the freezer and divided the items into the appropriate bin. Half of the shelf is still available for larger items, such as turkeys or a large roast. Wire bins would be better, but I could not find them at the time. I have one that I got at garage sale. I use it for miscellaneous items, so I can see what is in it at a glance.

I also date everything that I put in my freezer. When I buy new items, I move the older dates to the top. Because I buy meat only on sale, I am often able to share what I have in my freezer with my grown children.
Sharon C.

Manual can openers always seem to get balky over time. When mine no longer operates smoothly, I spritz the gear area with flavor-free cooking spray before each use. The “lubrication” makes turning the handle much easier, and the cooking spray is safe to use. I always make sure to wash the can opener thoroughly afterwards.
Lynn in Dallas

I have just found a dynamite way to save money. Volunteer in a thrift store. The one I work in is “manned” mostly by women except for one man who comes in on the weekend to check out the electrical donations and make small repairs. We have some folks who work two four-hour shifts per week and are on call for emergencies. We also have some that only work a few hours occasionally. But we all get the 10% discount and sometimes 50%. The problem I have now is that I am spending too much money! Of course, I’m very well dressed, have a couple of pieces of jewelry I have longed for, and have canes and a walker for bad days. All bought at extremely low prices.
Judith D.

Don’t forget to visit yard sales in upscale neighborhoods. I recently came across one in my area that offered several new unopened lotion gift baskets, similar to the ones that retail for $20-$30 at those body lotion stores at the mall. They were marked for $5 each, so I bought all that the woman had for sale. The next time an unexpected emergency present was needed, there was no need to shop out of desperation, which often results in a more expensive gift.
Cindy

Bathroom space at a premium? Place each family member’s personal grooming items into a small drawstring bag or, for the children, a sand-pail. Keep each person’s items in their own bedroom; they can carry their bag or pail to the bathroom and then back to their bedroom when finished in the bathroom. It cuts down on the space that is needed in the bathroom and frees up space for the towels, tissues, etc.
WC

A lot of company websites have a sale of the day or web only sales. If there is something you see that you like in a catalog, check out their website. If you are willing to be patient, you will often be able to get it at a greatly reduced price. I got a pair of Ugg slippers for $35. They are usually $70.
Mary Z. in Woods Hole, MA

I have a terrible time remembering the names and dosage of the medications I take. In the event of an emergency, I would not be able to notify medical personnel of my medications. I’ve found that the pharmacy prints extra labels with the name and dosage of each medication along with my physician’s name, address and phone number. I place these stickers (about the size of a return address label) on a card in my wallet. If there are any dosage changes, I just place the new sticker over the old. This helps me keep track of all my medications.
Mary in St. Joseph, MO

For a sample copy of The Dollar Stretcher newsletter, send $2 to: Dollar Stretcher Sample, 6695 Cortez Road W., Bradenton FL 34210. Copyright 2007 Dollar Stretcher, Inc. Visit The Dollar Stretcher for even more tips & ideas!

Here is a double dose of tips since I wasn’t able to post last week! Enjoy!

Instead of Cash

Instead of keeping cash for emergencies in my car/billfold/house, I keep travelers checks. Most places will accept them in an emergency. Yet, they are just hard enough to spend that I am not tempted to use them just because I see something that I want. Plus, they never expire and can be replaced if lost. CB

Autopay Caution

I pay some of my bills automatically with a credit card that gives me cash back. I recently became aware that when anything changes on a credit card, such as a new expiration date, then you have to notify the appropriate billing departments of the changes. Otherwise, you may be hit with late fees when charges to the credit card are denied. This will happen even if the credit card number is the same and your credit is good.Some billing departments will let you know when a card expiration date is coming up and advise you to “resubscribe” to the auto payment. Some are happy to collect late fees. Sandy G.

Rainy Vacation Days

We take a trip to the beach twice a summer. We spend one week with my in-laws and one week with my side of the family. The kids love the beach and the pool, but sometime during the week, it’s going to rain or the kids are going to want to do something different. A couple of years ago, I thought I would head off the situation before it started. I surfed the Internet for free things to do in the area where we vacation. Tara G.

I’m Looking for…

I have several small grandchildren, and I like to buy a lot of their toys and play clothes at garage sales. However, with the high cost of gas, even that is not always cost effective. Now I post on our local library and grocery store bulletin board exactly what I am looking for (certain toys, clothing, etc.), and I have people calling me before their garage sale. I can get what I want without a lot of driving. The added benefit is that I have met other grandmas doing the same thing. Paula B.

Capricious!

After reading the catalogs and seeing a lot of capri pants offered for sale, I noticed that they gave the inside seam measurement as 20 inches. That gave me an idea. I had several pair of slacks that I didn’t like wearing because they were a little shorter than I liked. I pulled out the scissors and cut them to 21 inches inside seam. Then I folded the hem twice (1/2 inch) and hemmed them. I now have four pair of capri pants that cost nothing but the time to hem them. Pat in Kitchener

Coupon Control

I heard a great tip the other day. Make sure you eat before cutting coupons. Then the Oreo, potato chip, etc. coupons won’t be nearly so desirable to cut out. And if you don’t cut them out, you’re less likely to buy them. Carol

Homemade = Savings

I recently got sick of being in debt so I picked up a job delivering pizzas at night for a major pizza chain. They would kill me for saying this, but I was able to figure out how much people are paying for pizza versus if they made it themselves.If you order a pizza from us, you usually pay $15 dollars for two mediums (even with a coupon) with two toppings. I sat down and did the math. If you went to the store and purchased the pre-made pizza crust (about $3 for two), one can of sauce ($1.40), cheese ($2), and toppings (which of course can vary), you would save at least $5 to $10. Make your own pizza crust, which can be done in a bread maker or just by hand, and you save another $2 or so. And you can customize your pizza and get better toppings (a lot of the toppings in the restaurant are frozen and thawed out!). When you add in tip (which I hope you do) for the driver, you’re paying $20 for two medium pizzas that you could have made yourself for half of that! Not that I don’t want to be busy, but I couldn’t believe the costs!
Matt in Colorado

Handy Bags

We wash and reuse our resealable plastic bags, as long as there was no raw meat stored in them. But storing them after they’ve been washed and allowed to dry was a problem. They overflowed the “bag drawer” whenever the door was opened. Trying to stuff them back into the original box was futile. In desperation, I found three large storage containers, labeled each one with tape and a marker “Gallon,” “Sandwich Size,” and “Snack Size.” Now, when putting away bags, I simply stuff the bags into the appropriately marked container. My kids can pull what they need easily for packing lunches, and putting away leftovers is much easier when we don’t have to hunt for the correct size. Ann S.

Cooler Times Two

I live in Central Florida and just realized that I can have an ice cold drink after having the cooler in the car all day if I just place my small cooler inside a larger cooler. I find that one cooler just doesn’t do the trick here in our heat. Coolers are easy to find at yard sales and flea markets cheaply. This is especially refreshing after a day in a theme park. Sue in FL

Shopping with a Purpose

When I feel like shopping and know it is not good for my budget, I go shopping for gifts that I will need in the next several months. That way, I can satisfy my urge to go shopping, get nice things, but do not feel bad afterwards. Of course, I occasionally buy things just to please myself, but gifts are a good thing to shop for, as they are not overly expensive things. I just buy things like books or cosmetics. Jana

Going Cashless

Long ago, I received some very good advice about money from a local frugal businessman. He and I were discussing living on $5,000 a year and his first piece of advice was to carry no currency, no checks, and no credit cards at all. I thought about it and realized that I had a cell phone, a vehicle and the nearest help for a true emergency was minutes away. What did I have to lose? I have been doing this for several years now, and it has cut down on my impulse spending tremendously! On payday, I fill my tank, buy groceries (with a single check I put in my purse for that purpose) and pay the one bill I have each week. I also keep enough cash at home to pay my daughter’s allowance and lunch money for the week.Brenda T. in Frederick, MD

Look-a-Like Luggage

We recently returned from a trip. Retrieving our luggage is always hectic, especially when most of the suitcases are the standard black color. I have done a lot of painting with acrylic paint on fabric so I decided to paint pretty flowers on my black suitcases. I used chalk for the original sketching and then acrylic paints to make big, bold flowers on all sides of the suitcase. They really stand out and are easily recognized when they tumble down the airline chute. I sprayed them with a fixative acrylic spray to protect the paint. I am very pleased with the results. Mary Esther

Graduation Celebration

When my nephew graduated from high school (20 years ago), I had hardly any money at all and didn’t know what to do for a gift for him. I wrote out 12 checks for $10 with each dated a different month. Actually, I gave him $120 for graduation. He was thrilled with it, and it was easier for me to give. Joann S.

Easy to Reach

I have small children that are constantly throwing or dropping items behind dressers or under the bed where I cannot reach them. My solution was to attach pantyhose with a rubberband around the vacuum hose. Turn on the vacuum and th
e items can be pulled out without being sucked into the machine. This has saved my back on many occasions. C.

Summer Cookouts

Cover a cotton ball or swab with a light coating of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) and use as a fire starter in your open fire or fire range. This is much cheaper than traditional fire starters. And they hold their flame for about five minutes, which is plenty of time to add that dry wood.Ang
Savings StashedWhen I use coupons or a store rewards card, there is usually a total of what was saved on that shopping trip. I’ve started taking that amount and keeping a list of what was saved for the entire month. At the end of the month, I put the money “saved” by using coupons or the rewards card into a savings account. The amount varies from month to month, but it’s built up a nice emergency account. Heidi P. O. in Pittsburgh, PA

International Cuisine Saves Cash

A good way to save money is to learn to cook ethnic foods. Thai, Mexican and Indian, in particular, are cheap to make and so tasty with the spices that you really benefit, especially with vegetarian options. I’m not a vegetarian, but those dishes, along with ones with a little meat like a stir-fry, will save you money on your grocery bill. Allrecipes.com has a lot of good ideas, or you can get a (used) cookbook from Amazon. Erica C. in Chicago, IL

Traveler’s Alert

If you are like me and do not fly much, you sometimes are not sure what you can take and not take on the plane. I had knitting needles with me on one trip and they were allowed, but then on another trip, they were denied and my boarded bag had already gone to the bottom of the plane. Now, I carry a big self-addressed envelope with me so I can mail the items back to me without a financial loss. Susan W.

Sewer’s Secret

Need a few buttons for a sewing project? Don’t buy them at the craft store where they are expensive. Go to your local thrift store; they generally sell clothing items for less than a dollar. Search through the shirts for buttons you like. Cut off the buttons and use for your project. This is much cheaper than buying them new. Also, keep the fabric from the clothing item in your scrap bin for future projects. Melissa J. in Independence, KS

Bedclothes Storage Solution

My linen closet is small, and I find it so hard to keep things wrinkle free, especially pillowcases and sheets. So when my last guest left and the linens were ready to put away again, I decided to fold them in a manner that was the width of the bed they are used on. I then made the bed and placed the linens at the head of the bed. The pillows then went back on along with the coverlet. Not only is this a good place to store them, but also they stay fresh, and it makes the pillows look real fluffy. Alice