"The reader's tips continue to give great ideas for saving and cutting back and not feeling deprived. Even though higher prices affect all of us, those who are now suddenly in a situation where their lives are drastically different will be affected to a much greater extent."
Susan in NYC
"I just gotta tell you that I think your website is the bomb! The Readers' Tips section is a favorite!
Thank you so much!"
Kathleen
"Thank you for this wonderful site. I am always happy when I see the Dollar Stretcher Tips is there. I have learned so many things.
Thank You."
Donna
The Dollar Stretcher Store
During these tough economic times, most of us are looking to cut back on expenses any way we can, but for many, the typical budget cuts, such as in our cable or grocery bill, just isn't enough. To really make significant changes in our budget and spending habits, many of us need new and creative ideas. And that's why The Dollar Stretcher relies on readers for some of the most creative and effective money-saving tips that we print.
"I just gotta tell you that I think your website is the bomb! The Readers' Tips section is a favorite! Thank you so much!
" |
We receive dozens of invaluable tips and advice from people who have found ways to stretch their dollars and save time while doing so and each week we publish the best of these ideas, those that we feel will be most beneficial to our readers during these tough times. Because we know that budget-cutting has become so very crucial to so many, The Dollar Stretcher is offering the entire collection of 2008 Tips for purchase in a convenient, downloadable eBook format. So you can easily find ways to help you save in a specific category of your budget, we have organized the tips into the following eBooks: Fabulous Food, All About Money, All About Autos, Family Fun, Holiday & Special Occassions, Health & Beauty, Frugal Home, and Everything Else. You can purchase just those eBooks that will most benefit you or purchase the entire collection in one convenient eBook (219 time- and money-saving pages!).
"Thank you for this wonderful site. I am always happy when I see the Dollar Stretcher Tips is there. I have learned so many things. Thank You." |
If you are a regular Dollar Stretcher reader, you have probably read most of our tips, but as you attempt to tighten your financial belt, you may find yourself trying to recall some of them. If you are a newer reader, you might wonder what great tips you have missed. Maybe you have friends or family members that you feel could benefit from some money-saving ideas. Why not get the Dollar Stretcher 2008 Tips eBook for yourself or someone you know who is struggling financially? Even the most frugal will find new and unique ways to save with these tips.
We also have available for download all of our Dollar Stretcher Newsletters for 2008. This monthly newsletter is a print publication previously available only by subcription. Each issue includes not only time- and money-saving tips, but also contains more than a dozen money-saving articles. Once again, you can purchase just those issues that interest you or get the entire collection.
Click here to visit the Dollar Stretcher Store and purchase The 2008 Dollar Stretcher Tips or Newsletter eBooks now.
Here is just a sampling of the wonderful money- and time-saving tips included in The 2008 Dollar Stretcher Tips eBook collection:
If we get a grease spot on our clothes from something we spilled while eating, I simply apply baby powder or cornstarch to the grease spot, and let it sit over night. I launder it the next day and the grease is gone. The powder or cornstarch absorbs the grease spot and takes it out.
Laura in Berwyn, IL
If you have renter's or mortgage insurance, it's a good idea to get other quotes at least once a year. I recently saved $400 on my homeowners insurance just by contacting several insurance companies. It was really surprising how much difference there was between companies and the types of coverage they offered. I ended up going with AAA (yes, they are not just for automobiles anymore) for my homeowners insurance. Shop around for your home and automobile insurance. It may pay you big dividends.
Rick J. in Bellevue, NE
Never buy green onions again! I use green onions in several recipes that I make. However, organic green onions are pricey and I can't always use a whole package before they go bad. You can always have fresh organic green onions if you simply take the bulb part of the onions with a tiny bit of green attached and plant them in a flower pot in a sunny window. I keep two pots in the kitchen and it is amazing how quickly they grow. Whenever I need green onion, I just snip what I need with shears!
Brooke A.
When the budget is stretched to the limit, the first thing to go for most of us is new clothes. But there is a way to fill your closet with a whole new wardrobe without spending a dime. Pickup a few bottles of wine and then call all your friends and invite them to a Swap Party. Tell them to bring some munchies and all the clothes they want to ditch. You can even tell your friend to bring a friend and so on. Once you have about 10-12 people together, you simply start trading clothes. By the end of the party, you and your friends should have a brand new wardrobe and a closet full of clothes you no longer hate. This is also a great way to update your kids' clothes too.
C.
After spending a lot of money on acne skin products for my teenagers' acne problems, I learned something that works well and for a lot less money. The same "antibacterial" hand soap I buy for $4 to $5 for a half gallon works really well as a face wash to prevent outbreaks. Use it twice a day and see the difference. It's as good if not better than all those fancy acne face washes and bar soaps.
Donna
I love flavored water, but it's expensive and the bottles are a waste. I make my own at home by the gallon so we have a never-ending supply. I make mine with SplendaŽ instead of sugar, so I don't worry about the calories or the effects on my teeth if I sip it all day. To make a gallon, add one packet of Kool-Aid, one cup SplendaŽ, and 2 T. lemon juice to a gallon of water. You can even get some flavors of Kool-Aid that are "invisible."
Nichol L. in Wittenberg, WI
I heat water on the stove until it's hot but not boiling. Then I carefully pour it into the sink (with the drain closed) where I've already stacked my scraped, dirty dishes with a little detergent. Let the dishes sit in the hot water. The heat of the water does most of the cleaning for me and it helps sanitize. By the time it's cool enough for my hands, dishwashing is a snap. I use much less water this way than running the tap until the water is hot.
M.
I have started buying the ground chuck because it's so much cheaper. I then divide it into half pound portions and freeze them. By using half the amount of meat in every dish I cook and increasing either the grains or veggies, my recipes taste just as good and I spend less per serving.
Melissa B.
With four basset hounds to bathe weekly, or sometimes twice a week when fleas are particularly bad, flea shampoo was getting pretty pricey at $3 to $4 per bottle. I have one hound that gets sick from most pesticides so I was trying to locate the coal tar variety shampoo at the local superstore. I started discussing the pesticide issue with another shopper and she said that most regular human shampoos and deodorant body washes kill fleas. I went straight home and tried out a body wash on the hounds and she was right! I soaped them up, left it on for a couple of minutes and the (dead) fleas rinsed right off. No more need to spend the extra bucks on flea shampoo when I can buy a bottle of body wash at the dollar store!
Michelle D.
Do your grocery shopping as early in the morning as you can. Overnight the stockers will have marked down items like bagged salad, bread, meats, etc. that will soon hit the expiration date. Many of these items can be purchased for less than half of their regular price. Many can be frozen for later use, or use them that same day. I do this all the time and the quality is always good.
Cindy in Maineville
The hose sprayer on our kitchen sink had become clogged with water deposits, leaving only a few jets for water to pass through. As I began to take apart the sprayer to clean it, I thought there must be a quicker solution. I filled a cup with vinegar soaked the sprayer head in it for 5 minutes. Viola! The sprayer looks and works like new.
Nick M.- Pullman, WA
Click here to visit the Dollar Stretcher Store and purchase The 2008 Dollar Stretcher Tips or Newsletter eBooks now.
