THE DOLLAR STRETCHER

"Living Better...For Less"

November 3, 1997
Volume 2, Number 44

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"The Dollar Stretcher" does not assume responsibility for advice given. All advice should be weighed against your own abilities and circumstances and applied accordingly. It is up to the reader to determine if advice is safe and suitable for their own situation.

In this issue:

Introduction

Working Woman Time Savers
by Gary Foreman

Natural Decorations for Fall and Winter, the Frugal Way
by Louise Wulf

Your Frugal Success Team
by Lisa Reid

Eat Better, Spend Less
Soup in Honor of Starving Idaho Students
by Julie Davis

Tips, Quips, Quotes & Questions

NEW ON THE WEB THIS WEEK:

Homemade Christmas and Hanukkah Gifts
Reader's Suggestions
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/971030a.htm

Internet Service Providers
Readers 'Sound Off'
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/971030b.htm

Don't Toss It Out!
Advice from Mom
by Rae Osenbaugh
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/971030c.htm

Ask Bob
Caravan Stalling
by The Auto Answer Man
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/971030d.htm

Ask Bob
Finding a Trustworthy Mechanic
by The Auto Answer Man
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/971030e.htm

UPCOMING CHATS
http://www.talkcity.com
in the Finance Center at 8:30 to 9:30 U.S. Eastern Time

11/5 - My Spendthrift Spouse
11/12 - Quick Cleaning
11/19 - A Happier Thanksgiving

Introduction
by Gary Foreman
gary@stretcher.com

I want to thank all of you who've helped by responding with comments on your service providers. I'd send an individual thank you note to each of you but I managed to deleted them while editing the information for the web page. Guess that goes to show that not only ISP's do dumb things! The page is available at . I'll keep updating it as new responses come in.

Do you remember the expectant father looking for help last summer? Well, they've had an ultrasound and expect to have a baby boy. He's due in three months and will be called Andrew.

Have a new challenge for you . For many of us, Thanksgiving seems to be dominated by food and football. But well all know that neither one brings any real, lasting happiness. How about sharing your family traditions that help make Thanksgiving meaningful. Perhaps each member of the family tells why they're thankful for another member. Maybe you just want to say what you're grateful for. Sometimes our finances and schedules can make life miserable. Let's help remind each other of the good things that we have. You could share something that will bring a better holiday to another reader.

Oh, one last thing. Don't forget to forward a copy to a frugal friend!

All the Best!
Gary

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Working Woman Time Savers
by Gary Foreman
gary@stretcher.com

"When was the last time we did this? Is it really a year already? In school we were inseparable!" Mary thought that Suzy was right. Along with Jen, they made a great trio.

"Who has the time? I just read that working women end up with an average of ten hours less free time per week than housewives or employed men. I don't know about you guys, but the treadmill I'm on just keeps going faster!" Jennifer laughed as she spoke, but there was an edge to her voice that Mary noticed.

Suzy jumped right in. "What's killing me is that there's always something on my calendar. I close one appointment book at work only to open the one for home. It's crazy."

"I can solve that one." Just like in the old days Jenny was always ready with advice, wanted or not. "Back last January I started keeping one calendar for both home and office. I got tired of wasting time calling people back because my 'other' calendar was somewhere else. Now I can look quickly and even decide that the day's schedule is so tough that I'll want to just veg out in the evening."

"That's good, Jen. What opened my eyes was the week that I kept a log of where I spent all my time. I never told Joe, but he was right. I did find some things that consumed time without really 'using' it."

Mary saw the opportunity to learn something so she asked Suzy, "Tell me how that worked. What'd you do, keep a stopwatch?!"

"No! Just wrote down what I did on about ten minute cycles. One thing I found was that there were some people who could take a lot of time on the phone just telling me their problems. Almost felt like I was running a shrink's office."

"Oh, so you don't want me to call anymore!" Mary just couldn't resist a good needle. Suzy quickly responded, "Not you guys. I put you under 'entertainment'!"

"Well girls, one thing that works for me is that I never take a briefcase home." Since Jennifer was an attorney it was an unusual comment. "It keeps me from kidding myself that I can catch up at home. Forces me to be super efficient at work. I figure that I'm leaving one full time job for another. If I have extra energy at home I'll work on something that needs to be done there."

"I'll tell you one thing that I've brought home from work. That's having an organized desk at home. I keep all of our family records within an arms reach of that little desk in our bedroom. Bills, insurance, medical records. I got tired of looking for stuff everytime I needed to pay the bills."

Mary shook her head. "Organization's good, but I can't believe that super woman stuff. You know, the wife who works all day, has dinner ready at 5:30. The house is neat as a pin and even the spice rack is in alphabetical order!"

"You're right about that super-mom stuff, but I'd die if I didn't keep organized." Jenny had always been one for order, Suzy thought. "Back last year I reorganized the kitchen. Got rid of stuff that we never used and put seldom used things in the basement. Now I can actually get to the Tupperware without messing up a whole shelf every time. And you can laugh, but I put all the canned veggies together in one place and the soups in another. When I'm fixing dinner in a hurry every second counts. Makes it easier to put together the grocery list, too!"

Suzy, who had always been interested in cooking, pointed out that you could save more than a few seconds by planning meals two at a time. "I've got a lot of recipes that I can cook tonight's dinner and a second batch for the freezer. There's always a couple of choices in there when I'm in a pinch. With the microwave it's even faster than going to Mickey D's at rush hour and sitting in the drive through line."

"Ooh, I like that!" Mary was never a fan of fast food. "My favorite is the slow cooker. I love coming home to the smell that tells everyone that super's ready. No more of that 'when are we gonna eat Mom' stuff."

The three kind of migrated towards the kitchen. "What bugs me is housework." Jenny continued as they settled around the dinette. "I start with the intention of cleaning one room. But then I see something along the way that needs to be picked up. Next thing I know three things are started and nothings finished!"

This was Mary's strong suit. "It really all boils down to a schedule. If I spend about 15 minutes everyday the place looks picked-up. Then there's the once or twice a week chores like laundry and cleaning the bathroom. Thursday evening is vacuuming. I want to get it done so I won't let myself get distracted by the fact that something needs to be dusted."

"Don't John and the kids help?" Suzy was the mother of three. "Our kids started helping when they were about eight. It's not like they're slaves. But, they understand that it's not fair for them to sit around and watch TV while Mom kills herself!"

Mary, who was at the counter putting the finishing touches on some munchies, couldn't help but get philosophical. "Do you guys hear us? Remember the time that Jen's mother came to visit? She took one look at our apartment, mumbled something about the three of us being unfit for our gender and started to pick up the living room! And now we're busy trading ideas on how to keep a clutter free kitchen!"

It was to be expected that Jennifer, the lawyer, would provide the closing statement. "So we've gone from discussing whether Bobby had the best legs to how quickly can you make dinner." She winked at Suzy. "You know, Mary, I always thought that your John was the best looking guy in shorts."

Spotting a trap, Mary replied without hesitation. "Yep, that's why I married him!"

I read your article in Dollar Stretcher and was wondering if you had some ideas for decorating for Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas parties on a shoestring budget. Any information or ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks, CW

Thanks for writing. You don't say if this is for kids or adults, home or hall, inside or out, so I'll keep it general. I really believe in using Mother Nature for seasonal decorations. It's frugal, it lifts our spirits, it usually smells good, it gets the maker outside and it often teaches us something about our world. This is more of a challenge in areas that lack four seasons. but if we look hard, we'll find usable materials. Adapt these starter ideas to what your landscape offers.

-Choosing a theme helps. For example, Halloween ghosts can be made in any scale and hung from branches or the ceiling. Make small ones from 4 facial tissues: Lay one tissue down on the square and a 2nd one over it diamond-wise. Wad up the remaining 2 for a head, place the wad in the center of the first 2 tissues and tie a string or bit of yarn around the neck. Make big black eyes with a felt pen. Tie the ghosts to a tree branch, either suspended from the ceiling for a mobile or stuck in a flower pot or coffee can covered in foil for a table piece. Fill the pot or can with rocks so it will be heavy enough to hold the branch. Big ghosts can be made from sheets. Use wadded up newspaper or as cheap a vinyl ball as you can find for a head. Place these in ceiling corners, suspending the head and tacking two ends of the sheet to opposite walls, to make the ghost "fly". Add cardboard or foam board tombstones to walls.

Witches can be made along the same lines, adding yarn hair or a wig and a hat to a full size one. There are inexpensive witch hats with attached wigs that are perfect for this sort of critter. Use the widest, cheapest black fabric you can find or dye a sheet for the body. For small witches you can put on branches as with the ghosts, use yarn tassel dolls with a black felt hat.

-Remember that any arrangement that works on dining tables, can be adapted for mantels, end and coffee tables. If you're decorating a hall, use a large scale: big branches of fall leaves or evergreens in a corner or two helps fill the space and creates atmosphere.. Fall in easy for corners: use a few bails of hay, a cornshock and large pumpkins. For winter, use evergreen trees decorated with raffia bows, springs of berries, pine cones and whatever else you spot that will give color and variety.

-Check our the fall leaves in your area. Gather the most beautiful branches and preserve them for gorgeous arrangements. First, place the branches in buckets of warm water for several hours. Cull out the imperfect leaves. Mix two parts water with one part glycerin (available in your pharmacy, usually a small brown bottle in the first aid section and very inexpensive) in a saucepan. Bring the solution to a boil, then simmer it about 10 min. Allow to cool. Use a sharp knife or clippers, cut each branch at a sharp angle and lightly hammer each end, so that the branch will take up the glycerin solution. Put the container in a cool, dark place until all the mixture is absorbed (7 - 10 days or so) and there are beads of glycerin on the leaves. Wipe each leaf with a damp paper towel and then gently dry them off. Arrange the branches in large, heavy vases and they'll last several years.

Coffee cans wrapped in foil wrapping paper are great containers to use on the floor or long tables. Put some small rocks in the bottom for weight. For jars, bottles and vases that don't match, use seasonal colors/prints of fabric and tie with an elegant ribbon. Put a big, fat rubber band or scrunchie on one wrist. Then place the container in the center of a fabric square or scarf. Gather the ends of the fabric up at the top edge of the container and stretch the rubber band off your wrist and around the can, at the top, to hold the gathers in place. Now, fold any raw or too long edges down under the rubber band, toward the container so they don't show. A scrunchie in the right color/texture/print can stand alone. Cover your rubber bands with a bow. I like wired ribbon 'cause I'm not very handy, and it stays where I put it! Raffia is great, too, and gives a different look.

-Fill baskets and/or large glass bowls (huge snifters or fishbowls, for example) with fall fruits, vegetables, acorns, tiny pumpkins, etc. interspersed with seasonal flower blossoms. If you're using glass, wash the fruit and vegetables thoroughly, then fill the container almost to the top with water for more interest. Choose containers and contents in scale with your table(s).

Add a hodgepodge of candle holders and candles. Use what you find around the house, at thrift shops and garage sales. You're aiming for a variety of heights and sizes. Keep them all in the same "family" in feel. Many kitchen containers, (catsup, wine, mayo bottles, etc.) washed out and de-labeled, are very usable and lend themselves to making lamps. Add nylon wicks and wick holders (from a candle store) and fill the bottles to various heights with lamp oil (from Wal-Mart, K-Mart and the like). Lamp oil comes in different colors and scents, so you have lots of choices. Use lots of candles or lamps- cheap atmosphere and color. Scent, too, if you choose and it's appropriate.

At Christmas, use red and green apples, oranges, tangerines, lemons, etc. and add holly, evergreen sprigs and such. Again, wash the fruit so the water doesn't turn brown. Or fill the glass containers with Christmas tree balls sprinkled with artificial snow flakes that sparkles. Or tuck clusters of evergreen among the balls and put them in glass or baskets. This is a good way to recycle balls that are broken at the top, chipped or discolored on one side. Watch garage and thrift sales for these misfits and get a real bargain.

-"Snake" a runner down the middle of the table with leafy branches, pinecones, pumpkins (whatever sizes are most suitable!), squashes, persimmons, pomegranates, nuts, etc. You can add a fabric runner under your arrangement or just take several yards of a seasonally appropriate fabric (a gold brocade, a brown tapestry, a dark red or green satin for fall) and "rumple" it casually down the center of the table, folding the raw edges under as you go. You don't want it flat and smooth; you want depth and drama. Place your natural materials in the folds of the fabric.

-This clean, effective, fast, cheap and so simple table centerpiece is appropriate for fall and Christmas. Cut evergreen branches (I like to use pine 'cause it's so bushy you don't need much and smells so good) Lay them down in the middle of the table, hiding the ends underneath other branches as you go. Add tapers in low candlesticks- generously! The holders won't show, so you can use metal jar lids and use a bit of the candle wax to hold the candle. You can embellish this arrangement with Christmas tree balls, pinecones, red bows, "snow" sprinkles, etc. but I love it just as is.

-Keep your eye open for fall and winter materials as you travel around. Watch the sales and buy early for the best prices. The closer to the holiday, the more you'll pay. As you garage sale, thrift shop and consignment store browse, keep your needs in mind. Think "what else could this be used for'?

Have fun!

Louise is a regular contributor to The Dollar Stretcher. If you have a suggestion for an article please email her at wulfx@ibm.net.

Nobody becomes a success all alone. When stars stand up to receive their Academy Awards, they always bring their lists of people to acknowledge. Academy Award-winning actors get a lot of help before they make it to the top.

This is true for all successful people. In order to succeed, these folks have teams of helpers who propel them on their way. And they often intentionally set up their teams with this goal in mind. We can use this idea to help us successfully lead rich, full lives on small amounts of money. Your family is your primary success unit. Families must pull together - if we don't, the house falls apart and we don't eat! There's a basic survival motive there. And then, love for our family members is a good motive, too! The Osmond family, which produced Donny and Marie Osmond, is a truly supportive one. As the kids were growing up, they had family council meetings with each member having one vote and able to give an opinion in decision-making discussions. They were not paid allowances, but were taught that the family's money was a shared resource and was to be given out according to needs. Any family member could take a purchase request to the family council. Family support and affection was made manifest through the moneys that each member received to support his or her desired goal.

Of course, a family success team may look totally different from the Osmonds. The point is that members can talk about their goals and expect to receive encouragement from their "team". This is where a dad may say, "I want to start a new business." Or a mom may say, "I want to stop worrying about having enough money," and the family can look at what kind of money-saving support each member can give. Another important part of the frugal success team is friends. Friends provide what Amy Dacyczyn calls a "mutual mooching relationship." Cohorts who recognize and value each other's desire to live frugally can help each other tremendously. You definitely need someone (or a few someone's) on your team that you can call and ask, "Can we borrow your tent to take camping this weekend?" And to whom you won't mind lending your 5 gallon coffee maker when the occasion arises.

Also, use your team members to connect you with others. Barbara Sher, the author of Wishcraft, relates an experience where a psychologist demonstrated that if you put twenty people together and ask them who they know, together they can build a bridge of personal contacts to anyone in the U.S. This concept of putting the word out works especially well when you are trying to find someone who wants to sell something you want to buy. A friend of mine recently heard about someone at the edge of her network of friends that was trying to buy a piano cheap. So she just gave this person her piano. She was done with it, knew it was going to someone who would appreciate it and didn't want the hassle of selling it. Do you know someone who always seems to get great deals like this? I'm willing to bet he or she has a great network of friends, a support team.

Begin with an intention to be successful at frugality and become part of one or several groups that will help you do that while you help others to their own success. Not only will it get you where you want to be, it just plain feels good!

Lisa was formerly the head of Family Finances for Compuserve. She homeschools her 7 and 12 year olds and is working on a number of frugal living and publishing projects.

One of my favorite things about autumn is the return of soup to the dinner table. If I was a poet, I would write an ode to soup. On a cold fall or winter day, there is no food more satisfying than a hearty bowl of your favorite soup. Soup can often be a complete meal in itself. Or, if you prefer, serve soup with your favorite homemade bread or muffin. Another great thing about soup is it takes little preparation time, just mix the ingredients in a pot and let simmer away. Homemade soup is more delicious and nutritious than the canned variety so serve it often in the cold months ahead. There are so many recipes, and you can create your own simply, that you could eat soup weekly until spring without growing tired of it. So here is to the first of a month of soup recipes, all under $2.50.

I will admit, I ate potato soup before I attended the University of Idaho, but it really did become a staple of our family's winter diet there. It is so nutritious, low fat if you are modest with the toppings and warms the body and the potato loving soul. This version is quicker to prepare than your typical version.