Stretching Milk

With milk being so expensive, we were having a rough time keeping it in
the house with my five children, but we were getting plenty of instant
milk from the food pantry. So with a little experimentation, I found
that I can follow the instant milk recipe to make 1/2 gallon milk and
then add 1/2 gallon of whole milk to it to make a full gallon. There’s no
change in taste and it makes the regular milk last a whole lot longer.

Janet

Preparing for One-Income Living

My husband and I both graduated from college, but we knew long before I
graduated that we wanted me to stay home and raise our kids. Once we
decided to start trying to get pregnant, we stopped using my income. My
income was saved or used to make extra payments on our house, which we
bought when I was only 19. We sat down and decided what was a must and
what was a luxury. We got rid of all the luxuries and stayed focused on
the prize, which was me staying home with our children. This has been
the best decision we have ever made. I love being with my kids.
Carol from PA

Halloween Costume Idea

Here’s a cute family costume idea. If you have a daughter, she should
wear a Girl Scout uniform and the rest of the family should go as
cookies. This is very easy to do even if you don’t have a real uniform. The
Girl Scout wears a white shirt, a navy skirt, and a navy sash or vest
with patches on it. The cookies wear sweat suits with a sandwich board
over top. The sandwich board can be decorated to look like your favorite
kind of cookie, and the sweat suit can be whatever flavor filling you
want for the cookie (dark for chocolate, green for mint, and so on).
MX

Finer Finger Paints

You can pay big bucks for finger paints that are safe and non-toxic for
young children. I discovered that a few drops of food coloring in
plain (or vanilla) yogurt made bright, colorful, safe, fun paints that go
beyond merely “non-toxic” to being nutritious! As a bonus, my babies and
toddlers can safely join in the painting fun with their older siblings
without me having to worry about them putting paint in their mouths!
It’s a win-win for everyone!
Jeanne

Bank Check

After being charged for the wrong amount through my bank, I now keep
all my receipts for purchases, dinners, bills, etc. until I get my next
bank statement. I then check off the amount on my statement while
checking off my checkbook register.

I found one month that I was charged twice for the same debit. When I
called my bank, they said that they use a third party to post
transactions and they ran the debit through twice. They immediately credited my
account and let the third party know. This would have cost me at least
$40 and could have overdrawn my account. I mark a slash through the
receipts as I log them into my checkbook register. This way, I am sure to
account for all the spending that I do. I always know to the penny how
much money I have left after paying debts.

It feels good to know that with a few minutes, I can protect myself in
today’s busy world. I now have my daughters doing the same so they can
protect their money.
Missy W.

Handy Calculator

It seems that these days, most people travel with cell phones. Most
cell phones have a calculator function on them. When I go to the store, I
just go to the calculator function and add up everything as I put it in
my cart. To keep things really simple and fast, I skip the decimal
($4.26 becomes 426) or round up to the next whole dollar. This way, you
can see if you’re sticking to your budget before you get to the checkout,
and you’re more likely to catch incorrect prices faster if your grand
total is much higher than you expected, saving you time and money at
the checkout.
Dana B.

Matched Pairs

Okay, I confess that I love earrings! I have so many that it’s hard to
keep track of them. I went to Michael’s (or any craft store), and for
$3, I found a box of small (1″x1″) resealable bags. Now, I put one or
two pairs in each bag (same colors) and keep them in a clear shoebox. I
can dump it out on the bed and quickly find a matching pair!
Diane

Frosting Times Two

When you buy a container of cake frosting, remove it from the
container, put it in a deep bowl, and whip it with your mixer. The frosting will
double in size. You will get to frost more cupcakes or a cake with the
same amount, but it will give you less sugar and calories for each
piece by mixing it.
Joyce

Use All of It

I know of people who complain that their prepaid Visa gift card had $4
left and they’re not able to use it. Working as cashier in a grocery
store, I come across this frequently. First of all, you must know the
exact amount of your remaining balance. If you have a $4 balance and wish
to purchase a $5 item, you must ask the cashier to enter $4 debit. You
cannot do this yourself. Once that is done, you can indeed pay the rest
in cash or use another debit card.
Alice in NJ

A Family Anniversary Tradition

I’m planning a party for my sister and brother-in-law for their 25th
wedding anniversary. For about a year, my mom, my best friend and myself
have been going to antique stores and buying antique 25-year
anniversary plates and memorabilia. You can usually find them very inexpensively
and they come in all shapes and sizes. We will use them to serve food
and as decorations. Then when the next couple has their 25th wedding
anniversary, the plates are passed on.
Jan Z.

At Home Spa Wrap

Instead of going to the spa for a body wrap, save money by making one
at home. Boil some water and put one cup of your favorite herbs in it.
Place a towel or a wide ace bandage in the pot, let it cool so it won’t
burn your skin, wrap it around your stomach, legs, arms, etc., and then
cover up with some blankets. You have a cheap body wrap!
Dawn S.
Gary Foreman
The Dollar Stretcher