Unplugged!

I recently tried the experiment of unplugging all appliances that were
not being used, including cell phone chargers, and saved $15 on my
electric bill in one month.
Ilsa G.

Leftovers

Instead of saving leftovers in Rubbermaid or Corning containers, scoop
them into zip top bags and store in one of the drawers of your
refrigerator. They take up so much less room, and the family gets used to
looking in that one spot instead of moving things around on the shelves.
Things seldom get “lost” because they’ve been pushed to the back, and you
can see exactly what’s available. Use a permanent marker and label with
date and contents.
Barb C.

Free Gym Membership

Are you bored watching your child at swim class or other lessons at the
rec center? Use that time to exercise for free! Our local rec center
allows parents and/or siblings to swim or use the gym facilities free
while their children are attending class. We cannot use the entire pool,
but can still use most of it. We can also use it between lessons since
the siblings do not have lessons at the same time. They do not publicize
this and it is not applicable for every class, but a quick phone call
can confirm if your center will allow it or not. For the price of two
children in swim lessons, my entire family of five can get a workout. I
am still close enough to watch my children in class, and I am modeling
healthy behavior.
Susanne M. in Wheat Ridge, CO

Desktop Solution

I recently uncovered an old desk my parents had in storage that I could
use. However, the top was all scratched and chipped. I bought a dry
erase board panel, cut it to the size of the desk top using a veneer saw
blade in my saw, glued it on with liquid nails, and painted the desk.
Voila! I now have a smooth desk top that is a snap to clean. When working
at the desk, I don’t have to look for paper to write on. And my
daughter loves to draw on it. I spent less than $20 and have a “brand new”
desk that everyone loves to use. Also, by putting magnets on the back of
my leftover dry erase board, I now have a place on my refrigerator for
notes.
BF

CD Clean

I needed to clean some of my music CDs and a DVD (which didn’t work
when I first received it) and so I carefully used an optical lens cleaner
sheet (like you get from Sam’s in the eyeglass section). These sheets
are less than $6 for 180 (large ones) compared to $7 or so for about 20
in an electronics store. I had to unfold the section that I wanted to
use and gently wipe off the disk in the right direction (from the center
to the outside). Now, the DVD works and the CDs are clean. This is
quite inexpensive, and I figured that it was worth a try since the lens
cleaner was safe for my glasses.
Cynthia S.

Not One, But Five

I never make one cup of tea. With two bags and a teapot, I get five big
mugs of tea. If we don’t finish the hot tea, we put it in the
refrigerator for tomorrow’s iced tea. Also, I get tea from the local “deals
only” store for about a dollar a box or in bulk at the health food store.
One heaping tablespoon of bulk tea per pot is a thrifty alternative to
bagged tea.
Beth H.

Take the Savings and Run

When I use coupons, I ask the checker to let me pay the full pre-coupon
amount and give me the value of the coupons in cash. Last year, I
accumulated over $2300, which I have set aside for emergencies and special
family gifts. And, of course, I never buy anything I wouldn’t also buy
without a coupon.
Nancy in Santee

Family Auction

We are planning a family gathering/pig roast during Labor Day. We did
this annually for several years. One thing that we did to help with the
cost of the pig was have everyone bring a used item to auction off. We
had everything from children’s toys (never over 50 cents) to small
household appliances. After a few years, some people got donations from
their employers of gift certificates for various restaurants. After the
first time, everyone looked forward to the “auction,” especially the
kids.
Sue L.

Remembering Grandma

Last year my mother-in-law died suddenly. We didn’t know if she had any
insurance and we didn’t have the cash to pay the $7000 to $9000 the
funeral home told us it would cost to bury her. She already owned a plot.
My brother-in-law contacted a funeral home here about cremation. The
cremation and related services was about $1200. We did the memorial
service/funeral ourselves.

We printed flyers with the information about her on them. We created
the memorial book and customized it with the things she loved, so it
really reflected her. We printed the RESERVED signs for the pews at the
church. We asked a couple of friends who came to the service if they would
help with ushering people in and out. My son made a CD of music for the
before and after music. We found many pictures of her from different
times in her life and created a lovely display at the front of the
church. One of her passions was her Red Hat group, so we prepared a display
of her hats and things that she had collected around that.

I think some people in the small town may have been a bit taken aback,
but I though it was a lovely Red Hat funeral and befitted her. My son
commented that he felt a great deal of closure from the whole process.
Our family came together and worked together to create a time of fond
memories in what was a truly stressful time. We know that it was
unconventional, but that adds a little more to the whole experience. We stepped
out of tradition and created some new family traditions. In the
process, we probably saved at least $5000!
Penny H.
Gary Foreman

The Dollar Stretcher