Having just come from a beach vacation, I found a way to save on those souvenirs that we all feel that we need to bring back to friends and loved ones. I noticed a thrift shop just about a half block from where we were staying. So on one of the days when we had done a lot and wanted to take a break from sun and sand, I went shopping. I found a lot for a little. I found mugs from the area for 25 cents, books to read for 75 cents and a lot more. I would have paid a lot more at a regular store and not had half as much fun.
Nancy G.

My son-in-law started doing this while he was in college. He would go to the supermarket deli and buy the cheese ends. He would have several types of cheese for a dollar or two. With this, he would make a cheese sauce for baked macaroni and cheese that was unique and never tasted the same way twice because the combination of cheese was never the same.

He also would buy cold cut ends and grind them up to make “chopped ham” for sandwiches. He could eat for a week on less than $10 and never get bored because of the taste changes. It’s a little more expensive now, but it’s still very inexpensive. We love his macaroni and cheese!
Fran M.

I started using pump type hand soap bottles in my shower. I just cleaned them and peeled the labels off. They sit nicely on a shelf in my shower holding my shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and baby oil. I have noticed that I use much less of these items and they last a lot longer. The pump bottles regulate the amount very accurately as opposed to just dumping some in your hand.
Theresa H.

I took a low-paying job when I returned to the work force five years after the birth of my first child, and I had to endure a lot of comments about the mediocre wages. However, the benefits I’ve accrued over the past 19 years have made my job worthwhile.

Since I work for the local university, all three of my children have received free college educations. One of them was at a private college that participates in a tuition exchange program. The university offers free use of their libraries and other facilities, discounted tickets to student productions and concerts, free public transportation anywhere in the county with my staff I.D., and a 401K where they match my contribution 1.5 times. Also, I should mention the flexibility in work schedules, a casual atmosphere that does not require an extensive wardrobe, and an environment of youth, energy and learning.

While I could never support my family of five on my salary, the benefits over the years have more than compensated.
Frugal in Pittsburgh

I discovered that reading all the circulars and ads in the newspaper created a lot of unnecessary spending. I would browse through the ads and find a lot of things I “needed” and then I would go to the store to buy them. Most of these items wound up in the thrift store. I gave up my weekly ad reading and have saved a bundle. Now, when we actually need something, like a dishwasher or a vacuum, we check out the ads for the particular item to compare prices. No more “wish book” browsing for us, creating needs that are really wants.
JD in St. Louis

I have 2″ faux wood blinds throughout my home and used to just hate cleaning them. Not anymore! Now, I make two loops out of rope and hang them on two nails attached to my patio overhang just shy of the width of my blinds. I bring the blinds out one at a time and hang each end in a loop. I spray each side with a biodegradable cleaner like Simple Green or Now, let it sit for a few minutes, and then rinse with my garden hose. It’s also a good time to wash the window while the blinds are down. The blinds air-dry nicely in just a few hours.
Eileen C.

If you buy a product like Orajel or Numzit to soothe your teething baby and find that you haven’t finished the tube, save it for when your kids get their permanent teeth. I can’t tell you how many times this has made a painful time for them more bearable!
Loralee
 
 

Don’t forget about the Interstate motel coupon books. You can usually find them in the lobbies of rest stops, Shoney’s and McDonalds. These coupons for walk-in guests are often the best budget buys on the road. Do grab one of each booklet, though, because a particular hotel sometimes posts different prices in different booklets. In addition, using an Interstate guide to compare all the hotels at a certain exit lets you scope out their quality and safety before renting a room.

I have found this strategy to be the most effective for one-night stays. Hotwire and Priceline charge a fee per reservation, not number of nights. While this helps the weeklong vacation traveler, the fees for one-night online reservations give the Interstate guides the edge.
Meredith P.

For the best way to clean kitchen grease, dissolve Electrosol or other dishwasher detergent in hot water. Wearing rubber gloves, use this to wash walls, over-the-stove hood, especially the grill that sits on the hood, and anything else that is greasy. I’ve done this to wash the wallpaper, and it doesn’t even need rinsing. Nothing removes the greasy film better, faster and cheaper! How did I discover this? The dishwasher overflowed onto the floor one day and I discovered how white the floor was in that spot.
Ronnee

If you have any expired coupons, visit www.ocpnet.org/welcome.shtml Help our soldiers stationed overseas by sending your expired coupons to a military base of your choice. Soldiers stationed overseas can use coupons that are not more than six months beyond the expiration date at the commissary!
Rachelle R.

To keep wasps from building nests in the backyard, hang stuffed paper lunch bags under eaves or from trees. I stuff mine with plastic grocery bags and then tie them at the top. Yes, sometimes they do need replacing, but it’s worth the effort. The bags represent nests so other wasps get the message that this zone is already occupied.

Also, toilet pucks (the kind you drop or hang in your toilet tank) can be purchased at your local dollar store and placed here and there around your yard as a further repellent. Wasps really dislike the odor. If you can put up with your backyard smelling like an air freshener, you will enjoy a wasp-free summer!
Eileen A.

Whenever I go to a store with a weekly flyer in hand and find that the store doesn’t have the advertised product, I simply ask for a raincheck. The raincheck is usually good for at least a month. This gives me time to gather coupons for the same product, and when the store finally gets the item, I usually save 80% or more and sometimes get it for free!
Mary, RI

Six years ago, I began working in a hotel and discovered something very interesting. What happens to all those sheets that get stained in a hotel? They throw them out, but not before washing them at least three times. They get washed, and during folding, the stain is discovered. Then it is treated with a stain remover and washed again. Stain still there? Then the sheets are presoaked and washed yet again. Then what? Once all that has failed, it is determined to be a discard and it is thrown into the garbage. Most hotels throw out garbage bags of sheets every month. They don’t throw out towels as they are used as rags for housekeeping. But sheets aren’t absorbent enough for that. Sometimes, there are stains, burns rips, etc.
 
These sheets are always huge and are of very good quality. With these, I made a cover for the frame of my futon and it looks great in my living room. To make curtains for my daughter’s bedroom, I purchased $1 worth of dye from the dollar store for that and dyed them purple. So my daughter’s curtains cost $1. I made curtains for my kitchen, keeping the sheets white to allow light to go through but still give me privacy. To this, I added some lace that had been acting as a topper for my kitchen blinds for years. A simple wash and they looked new. I also made curtains for my hall window. Also, I made nightgowns for my daughter and me and jammies for my son. I am also embroidering several squares with birds to make a quilt for my son for his birthday. The sheets can be also used as a lightweight interfacing if so desired. I also used a bunch of the sheets to cover the walls of my family room, which were concrete. I simply stapled the sheets to the rafters. It gave a wonderful homey feel to the room. The kids think of it as a wonderful tent. Discarded sheets can be used for so many things. Most times, it’s simply a small stain in one area. This can be worked around so easily.

Everyone has hotels in their area. Buy the manager a cup of coffee and make the deal. They’ll gladly call you every month to come and pick them up. Of course, they make great drop cloths. And once you’ve gotten paint all over them, make slip covers. The paint makes them look hand-painted. Mix the colours and have fun.
Gail

Gary Foreman

The Dollar Stretcher
gary@stretcher.com