A former (divorced with kids) co-worker of mine joined together with another gal in the same situation and they moved into a larger home than either one could have afforded on their own. There was built-in childcare and two moms to split the cooking, cleaning and expenses.
Anna D.
 
 

Simply washing your hair, rinsing out shampoo and using club soda as your conditioner will take the chlorine green out of your hair. Just pour it on your hair, massage it in and then rinse.
Jessi

I’d like to share an idea for an anniversary party. Scrapbook the event with the help of all the guests. Take Polaroid pictures at the event, have plenty of scrapbook materials and watch the creativity pour out of your guests. It is amazing! I have seen it done at two baby showers and a first birthday. Everyone gets so involved! It is fun, memories are captured, and most importantly, the work is done.
Malena M.

I had a discolored circle (from a rusty can) on my kitchen countertop. It had been there for at least two years and nothing would remove it. I read about the cleaning ability of toothpaste, so I tried it. The stain is gone! It rubbed right off. Toothpaste has just enough abrasive content to remove deep stains but not enough to scratch the surface.
Christy D.

I have six cats, and needless to say, those expensive jars of cat treats don’t last long. I began saving some of the empty jars and buy cat food in a bag. Meow Mix has recently come out with their “indoor formula” that has greens for indoor cats, mixed with all the other flavors that cats love. My cats absolutely love it. I feed them their regular food of Iams, but fill the empty jars with the Meow Mix. When treat time comes, they are happy. They love it more than the original treats and I’m saving money, too.
C. B. in Memphis, TN
 

I use coconut oil for so many things. Not only do I use it in my cooking as intended, but it is also great for a make-up remover and moisturizer (face and body). I had very dry cracked heels. After using coconut oil every night, I can wear sandals again! They look like “normal” feet now. I have very long hair. After washing it, I put a little coconut oil in my hands, rub it in really well and pat it on my hair. Then, I dry as usual. My hair is soft and shiny with no frizzies.
Dottie C. in Ft. Worth, TX

You are going to laugh at this, but it does work. Fill clear plastic bags with water and tie them up around the yard or patio. Flies don’t come around and mosquitoes don’t like it either. Flies have a compound eye. They see the reflections of the bag and think that it might be a predator so they stay away.
K.

I live in an apartment that gets direct sun from dawn to dusk. I’ve tried many things to help keep the place cool, but the most successful was buying auto foil covered windshield screens that cost $1 each. They have foam insulation on one side and foil on the other. They lowered the indoor temperature by a whopping 10 degrees. I hang three of them from the top of my patio doors vertically and put the other two horizontally against the bottom. They come with elasticized loops for hanging and suction cups for attaching to windows. I hung others on the bedroom windows. They’re the best at beating the heat.
Andie from Canada

I have very hard water. To keep the dishwasher clean, I let it fill, open the door and add a cup of vinegar. I just pour it in. As a bonus, the dishes come out streak free. Doing this every second or third load is keeping my dishwasher clean and shiny.
Paul

My husband is having surgery at a hospital in another city. I checked the discount sites online for hotel rooms. The average price was $109 a night. I found the hotel closest to the hospital and went to their site. It was also $109 a night. I called their local phone number and asked about a discount for the hospital. The same room is $52 a night. It never hurts to ask. All they can do is say “no.” This time, it saved me $57.
Melinda of Ocala, FL

I am a working mother who hates to iron. Since I especially get short on time during the weekdays, I discovered that the various wrinkle release sprays on the market worked great in helping me to avoid ironing. But, I quickly discovered that it was quite expensive to buy the sprays, since I was going through almost a bottle each week. Since I am a chemical engineer, I figured that I should be able to figure out how to make my own wrinkle release formula.

After looking at the product information on the company website, and comparing the formula with that of the fabric softeners that they sell, I discovered that the wrinkle release sprays are simply highly watered-down liquid fabric softener. I did some experimenting until I found the correct ratio of fabric softener to water. To make the spray, take half a capful of fabric softener and put in a 16 to 24 oz. spray bottle, and then fill to the top with water. Spray the garment, then smooth out and allow to dry. I often spray lightly, then head to work. By the time I get there, my clothes are dry and wrinkle free. I have been using the same bottle of fabric softener to make wrinkle release spray for a couple of years now and have saved hundreds of dollars.

Any brand of liquid fabric softener will work. If you don’t want an intense smell, then an unscented version is preferred.
Laurie H.
 
 

My son was moving to his first house while attending college. We had some furniture and household items that I had been saving for him, but he still needed many items. I budgeted $500 to furnish his home. He likes things to be visually appealing, so I thought I might have a tough time! Before starting to purchase things, I used a strategy that I had read about in “The Tightwad Gazette” years earlier. I started putting out the word. I told all friends, relatives and coworkers that I needed household items. I would pick up any offered item and take the things that I couldn’t use to a local thrift shop.
 
I didn’t know what would happen as we’ve had several hurricanes in the past few years in our Florida town and many people’s homes and furniture were destroyed. I shouldn’t have been concerned. I received enough items to furnish several homes. I was even offered a beautiful slate pool table. Most of the items were in excellent condition or just needed a coat of paint. I couldn’t believe it! Checking the local newspaper’s free ad was also a great resource and several other things were found on the curb.
 
The total that I spent for living, bedroom, family and dining room furniture was $65. This was all done in a period of several weeks. After purchasing some decorating and household items, I was about $400 below my original budget. I guess it never hurts to ask!
Cathryn M. in Florida

One way to get great quality time with the kids on Saturday morning is to teach them how to cook for the week. Get up early Saturday morning and cook all of your entrees for the week. Also, cut up all of the fixings for salad and store them in an appropriate container. You can marinate the chicken while you cut the onion, garlic, and whatever else you may need. Have the kids pull the lettuce into bite-sized pieces and put it in a storage container for the week. The older one may be able to cut tomatoes, prepare the grapes, or peel the cooled boiled eggs. They can also help to stir the ground meat, sauces, roll meatballs/individual sized meatloaves, and package everything according to the portion size you allow, of course, with supervision.

Once you get into a routine (about four to six tries), you can start to use that time to ask them about the things that you really want to talk about during the rushed week (friends, family, their dad, what education means to them, etc.). It can quickly turn into a double treasure. First, you’ll have the crazy dinner rush during the week beaten back. Also, you’ll get the time together that you crave.
Crystal