Readers' Tips

I use the 12-pack Coke packages to sort my canned goods. I also have deep pantry shelves. After I have used the carton that the sodas came in, I use the empty carton for my pantry. I have one carton for my soups, another for beans, another for canned tomatoes, etc. I can see pretty quickly when I am running low on anything, and I do not have to hunt all over the pantry to find that one last can of corn.
Jackie

editor's note: more suggestions on ways to organize your pantry

Rain-X is a great product for encouraging rain to "sheet" from your windshield, but it is kind of expensive. However, there is an inexpensive alternative commonly known as isopropyl rubbing alcohol that is readily available for less than $1 a quart, versus $3 for four to six ounces of Rain-X.
Charles K.

At our house, there are always left over veggies. I save them no matter what they are. I put them in small freezer bags, and when it comes time to make soup, stew or casseroles, I have a variety from which to pick. The summer veggies are the best and I try to hang on to all that is possible. Never wasting a morsel.
Scott N.

I was just going about my usual routine of filling up things in the house when it dawned on me. If I set up a system, I could save time and be sure everything was filled and we didn't run low at an inconvenient time.

Now at the first of the month, I fill the liquid soap dispensers in the kitchen and bath and the dish detergent in the kitchen. I also restock the bar soap in the shower and toilet paper in the bathroom. After one run through in the house, I am good for a whole month.
Nancy G.

Here's a trick that greatly reduces "accidents" with juice or other drink boxes. If you lift the side flaps (short sides), this gives the child "handles" to hold onto, so they don't need to squeeze it while drinking. This has greatly reduced spillage with my daughter.
Susan B.

I have three children that are ages 12 to 16 and all in need of the usual start-of-school clothing. We do not encourage, nor do we buy, the "in style" things, but our children do have good clothes. Once they are home, the city water can bleach them out because of the chlorine added for sanitation reasons, and general wear and tear on clothes fades them quickly. Even though the tag may say the clothes are color fast, I treat the clothes before they are worn to secure the color.

Sort clothes as you usually would and place in a washer that has been filled with cold water and one cup of regular table salt. Allow clothes to soak for a minimum of 30 minutes. I have been known to allow them to soak overnight. After soaking, add your usual detergent and wash the load as usual. I have accidentally missed a colored shirt here and there, and over time, I noticed a huge difference in how the color holds with this one simple step
Debra B.

Whenever I put food in freezer bags for the freezer, I first wrap the item carefully in plastic wrap. This allows me to reuse the freezer bag. When it is empty, I rinse out the bag before using it again.
Lala

Double the portion you make on Saturday and Sunday, and use the leftovers for two week nights. This works for many types of foods, such as roasts, casseroles, stews, soups, shepherd's pie, etc. Another option would be to triple the portion you make. Then, use one batch during the week, and freeze two for following weeks to add variety.

Another way to save time is to prepare meal ingredients the night before, while watching TV. You don't even need to be in the kitchen to slice meats or chop vegetables for a stir-fry, stew, or pasta dish. Store all the cut veggies in a plastic container filled with water to keep them fresh. Store meats in a resealable bag. If desired, put the prepared meat into a marinade. Upon coming home, you only need to dump the ingredients into a pan. For a stew, dump them into the slow cooker in the morning and dinner is ready to serve when you get home.
Evelyn

Even if you clean the lint out of the filter after every load of clothes, dryer sheets leave a film that covers the mesh in the lint filter. The film on the screen can cause the heating unit in your dryer to burn out. To test this, pull your lint filter out and run hot water over it. Our lint filter held the water.

To correct the problem and save drying time, wash the filter with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush or any cleaning brush. My husband did this and our dryer is working better than it has in years. It is suggested that you clean the lint filter after every load and use the hot soapy water and brush every six months.
Cindy

I get most of my non-food items at Wal-Mart in my hometown. In a neighboring town not very far away, there is a Wal-Mart Super Center. Recently, my mom and I were in the vicinity of the Super Center, and my mother suggested doing some shopping. For some reason, my gut instinct told me this store was pricier than the one in my hometown. The one in my hometown is just a regular store. I suggested to my mom that the first thing we do is check out the price of cat litter. I have not been able to find this item cheaper, or even at the same price, at any other store, even other Wal-Marts. The price of cat litter was well over a dollar more than I'm used to paying! Then, just for another test, I decided to check out the price of bathroom tissue. The price was the same as my hometown store, but my hometown store puts this item on sale quite often for about $1.12 less. I decided that I wasn't spending any of my money at this Super Center, and we left.

This makes me think of three points. First, I began keeping track of prices in a price book about six months ago, and this tool really works to help save money. Second, don't assume that all the stores in a franchise or chain have the same prices, even stores in the same area. Finally, there are a number of people who automatically think these Super Centers are cheaper. I can't figure out the reason. Is it possible that some people get so excited and mentally sidetracked over the opportunity to do one-stop shopping that they don't realize they are paying higher prices?
Jackie F.

I like making my own greeting cards, but I do not like buying the expensive papers that are sometimes used. Now, I just go into my card-making program and enlarge a "background" graphic to cover the sheet of paper. I print it out and cut it to the size. It looks like the expensive paper bought in craft stores!
Pam

I buy sliced French bread at the day old store, brush garlic butter on the slices, divide the slices into dinner size portions, and then freeze. This is much cheaper than buying frozen garlic bread at the grocery store.
Ann H. P.

Phone companies, cable companies and others who provide essential services often have discounts for seniors and the disabled, but they seldom advertise this. I get $7 off my home phone bill (which now totals only $11.14 a month) and used to get about the same off my cable bill too.

All it takes is a phone call to inquire and a quick trip to show proof, which can probably be mailed in as well. A Medicare card is good documentation. They will accept other things as well.
Barbara

Rather than buy those expensive "Breathe Easy" strips for use when sleeping, try a regular size Band-Aid. Just put it on the nose area where one would apply the "Breathe Easy" strip and it works just as well for nighttime congestion! Additionally, and most importantly, Band-Aids are much less expensive!
Nancy

Use common household mothballs to rid yourself of snakes. A friend who worked for a pest control company said they often charged customers in lake homes for treatment to keep snakes away. The "treatment" involved tossing mothballs around their homes, behind bushes, in the flowerbeds, etc. I've since found that by putting them under houses and in storage buildings, as well as around the yard, it stopped snakes from being found there again. Apparently, they don't like the smell either!
Mary

Join a gym and go there each time the urge to splurge hits. I did this and have dropped 65 pounds in one year. I no longer need asthma medication and have more energy. Also, my thinking is clearer than ever in my life. The money spent on the membership fee is offset by greater health, and I feel really good about myself. There is nothing that I can buy while on a Stairmaster, but there's everything to gain with time to focus my thoughts on my long-term savings and life goals.
Ellen in San Diego CA

Keep your greens longer. I've been surprised at how long I've been able to extend the life of my greens. I separate the bunch, wash them, clear out any excess water, wrap them in paper towels (Toss around the outside, and put a few sheets in between.), and store them in a large airtight container. While it may not be ideal to keep in the fridge for a month, the couple times when they've gone three to four weeks, I've found them to still be crispy and fresh.
SN

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