The Saint Jude's Ranch for Children in Nevada has an innovative recycling project that turns your old greeting cards into needed funds for the ranch. Saint Jude's receives used greeting cards from all over the world. The children cut out the front covers and remake them into new cards. The trimmings are sold to a chipboard manufacturer, so every part of the card is reused. The new cards are then sold as a fundraiser for the ranch, which is dedicated to helping abused and neglected children. You mail cards to:

Saint Jude's Ranch for Children
100 Saint Jude's Street
Boulder City, NV. 89006

To purchase cards, write to:
Saint Jude's Ranch for Children
P.O. Box 60100
Boulder City, NV. 89006
Ana J.

New Year's Resolution

Resolved: to be mindful that all you have is all you need. Sometimes the hardest part of making changes is just becoming more aware. Thus, every January, I find it an eye opener to pick a week and vow to spend no money for the entire week. Okay, Okay. I know you saying "what about gas for the car, electric for the house, oil for the furnace?" Become a real ecology nut for the week and see what you can do. Car pool. Wear an extra sweater. Use up your holiday candles.

Remember this is an experiment in awareness, not perfection. Simply do your best to spend no money. Use what you have. Start with your brains. Instead of meeting a friend for lunch out, invite her over - surely you have food left over from the holidays. Plan your menus around what's on hand. Clean out the refrigerator and make soup. Read the articles on Dollar Stretcher, again. Read your frugal saving books, again. Go to the library and borrow videos. Get your exercise shoveling snow, walking the dog, cleaning out the pantry to see what's there. Make no toll calls; email your family and friends-you're already paying for your ISP.

When your inner voice says you need to go to the store for whatever, stop and listen again. Remember that the Bible story of feeding the multitudes with four loaves of bread and that Hanukah story about the oil lasting eight days, are both teachings on all you have is all you need. Give it a try. I find it soul mending as well as leaving some extra cash in my pockets.
Sue G. in Sparta, NJ

Wrapping Paper

Reuse wrapping paper after the holidays by starting a stash! Take the paper from the gifts (and the tissue paper used to cushion or wrap the inside of the gifts) and iron it with a cool (low setting). Iron on the wrong side of the paper. This works really well for tissue paper and ribbons as well as the regular wrapping papers. Use a box or large plastic bag especially those that come with a zipper that you received a comforter or some other larger item in. Then as you receive additional gifts through out the year add to your stash. You recycle, save money, your stash is always available to you so no running to the store and the paper and ribbons look beautiful.
Haley D.

Inexpensive Art

You can buy cheap greeting cards, the kind with no words on the front, and frame them. They look great with mats in frames. I make mats on my computer with card stock paper. You can also buy them already made. I look for frames at yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores, and they have cheap wooden ones at the local dollar store, or at Wal-Mart or k-mart. The wooden ones can be spray painted whatever color you like. One can of spray paint($1 at the Dollar General Store) will paint lots of frames and some other accessories as well, and they will all match.
Melissa

editor's note: you might even find some of the cards half price this time of year!

Gift Tags

Here's another great way to use old Christmas cards. I do this every year and everyone enjoys my "original" gift tags for Christmas gifts. I have lived all over the United States and send out 97 Christmas cards each year. I get that many, too. At the end of the season, I cut up the Christmas cards into tag-sized pieces using all the pretty designs on the cards. I put them in a plastic bag and put them away with the other decorations. When the next season arrives, I have plenty of wonderful and totally free gift tags for my gifts.
Kathleen A.

It's All Mobile

I am using my cellular phone in place of having a regular home phone. I signed up for a $40 per month plan with SunCom, which is an AT&T affiliate, that gives me 600 minutes and includes free evenings (considered 8 pm to 7 am, Monday through Friday) and free weekends (8 pm Friday to 7 am Monday). I also pay no additional fees for long-distance minutes. Since I work weekdays, the only time I would probably use the phone when it would cost me anything is between 5 pm and 8 pm, Monday through Friday. With 600 minutes, that gives me 20-30 minutes for each of those days. I can call wherever I want and talk however long I want for free after 8 at night and all weekend long. My home phone follows me wherever I go (I also have free voice mail on the cell phone) and telemarketers don't call. Plus I still have the convenience and security of a cell phone. Why pay $20 to $50 a month for home service, plus however much more for long-distance service?
Sue Ann W. in Green Bay, WI

Pretty Fillers

I no longer buy tissue paper to stuff around bagged presents, nor do I spend money on pretty fillers for my basket gifts. I use my own paper shredder to shred brown paper bags. It works very well and looks pretty in co-coordinated bags. I often buy bags on sale in the craft departments or at a craft and hobby store--much cheaper than many decorated gift bags. The brown shreds look especially great in baskets! You can shred other paper, also-- either white or colors--mixed or solid. It is wonderful--not only is it free, I am recycling, too.
Kay

Editor's note: Please send your tips to tips@stretcher.com. If we use your tip or reply to 'Can You Help' in any of our publications we'll send you the next three issues of our print newsletter as a 'thank you'.

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"The Dollar Stretcher, Inc." 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.

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