|
|
|
There is nothing wrong with painting or staining the floor. In fact, if you stain the floor properly, it can look like it was laid with an expensive stone.
First, you need to etch the concrete floor. There is an
etching product that you can get at your local hardware
superstore. This is a critical step. Then, you apply a semi-
transparent concrete stain. You can use one of those
inexpensive pumps that you find in the garden section to apply
this. You pump the air into the canister and then squeeze the
trigger. Work in small areas and roll it a bit with a paint
roller to blend it a bit. Let it dry and top coat it with the
appropriate product, sold near the stain. There should even be
a brochure on the subject right by the stain (if you go to
Home Depot). This will look amazing!
Shiloh
Read the full thread here or the edited answers here
Whenever I need moving or storage boxes, I check with the
dairy department of the local supermarket and ask for "egg
boxes." These corrugated cartons have hand grip holes at each
end and are a great size for most household goods. The only
thing that I would not do is fill the carton with books
because of the weight. They are uniform in size and easy to
pick up and move.
Mary S. in Wooster OH
Here's probably the most basic but best tip of all. Learn to do it yourself. There are things you can do like rewire a lamp, change your bulbs to compact fluorescent, fix your leaky toilet or faucet, etc. None of these require a ton of tools or a ton of expertise.
You weren't born knowing how to walk, were you? Neither was I,
but I learned how to walk and how to do home
maintenance/repairs and so can you. The Internet has great
references as does any public library. Most people who have
these skills are happy to teach somebody else, so just do it!
And if you have a car, change your oil, check tire pressure,
and add power steering or transmission fluid. You can pour
water into a cup, can't you? It's no more difficult than that.
Sure, it's a bit greasier, but it's not hard.
Molly B.
Looked at from another point of view, low interest rates are a
disaster to those who have saved money through self denial and
thrift. Low interest rates punish folks who have saved and
reward the profligate who continue to buy, buy, buy with
borrowed money. Low interest rates encourage spending and
discourage saving. Why keep a CD that is generating 2%
interest? With income taxes and inflation, a person who saves
money is losing value every minute he has any savings in the
bank. Low interest rates mean low income for retired people
who saved money and expected to live off the interest. They
are suffering. Our government policies of low interest
discourage people from saving, which is why we have (I think)
the lowest rate of saving in the industrial world.
Karen K.
Gary's reply: For the most part, I'd have to agree with Karen. Low interest rates do tend to lower savings rate. And the people who suffer most are those who save the most. One way to counter that is to make sure that once you have an emergency fund in place, diversify your savings. Not all of your savings needs to be earning interest. Some should be invested in hard assets (like real estate) or business ownership (like stocks). Those things are not limited to a low interest rate.
I know we all like to save money, but I've heard of a few
people in the past that have not gotten their preschool aged
children tested for learning delays because they're afraid of
the cost. Please, if you think your child is not up to par
(speech, social, or motor skills), contact the organization
within your own state. Every state is required to test your
child for free and offer services on a sliding scale if there
is a need for them. For children under age three, there are
specific organizations for it. Past age three, your child
would be seen by your local school system and they will
provide services free of charge in most cases. If you think
your child is struggling, please do something about it now, as
it will be much more time consuming, difficult, and costly in
the future to address these problems.
Jayme
I started going to rummage sales for clothes for my son, but I
found myself furnishing my three-bedroom home with finds from
the sales. You can find good furniture and appliances for
pennies on the dollar as well as clothes for your family. A
good 80% of our clothes come from rummage sales. And people
comment on how my son can wear name brand clothes on my
income. Get to the sales early because the good stuff goes
fast. While there, I keep an eye out for old jewelry. I never
pay more than 50 cents for any one piece. I then sell it to
companies that buy old jewelry. Every little bit helps.
Kathy P.
Ever wonder how to save money and dispose of stinky diapers
without having to smell them all day? The trick is using zip-
closed food bags. I always save these bags after they have
been used. In fact, my next baby isn't due until late fall and
I am already saving zip-closed bags for all of those diapers
we will be disposing of. (I am giving them a quick rinse and
then air drying them before I put them away.)
Julie R.
Although petite clothing is proportioned for shorter women, many stores either carry only a few petite lines or none at all. In addition, some petite clothing is also designed for women with small frames. The wrists and shoulders will be too narrow, for instance. Unless you are good with a sewing machine, alterations make new clothes even more expensive.
A great solution is to go to the thrift shop and disregard sizes. Depending on the cut and fabric, clothing, especially t-shirts and blouses, often shrinks "up" and gets shorter when not washed with special care. Many people wear something once and then end up donating it when it suddenly becomes too short. This makes thrift shops a gold mine for us petites.
I recently got nine summer tops, all top brands, for $32
because they had shrunk just enough to be too short for the
average woman but just perfect for me. Although I wear a
medium, many of these started as large or extra large sizes.
This tip also applies to skirts, but not often to dresses and
pants, although it's worth a try, especially with cottons and
linens.
Gerry
Most dog beds I have seen are expensive and do not seem to be
very washable. I wanted something I could clean well, not just
try to vacuum and spot wash, and I didn't want to spend the
money to get one with a removable cover. Besides, moisture
could still soak through to the cushion, which isn't always
machine washable. I decided to get portable crib mattresses
for our dogs. I can wipe the mattresses clean and throw the
sheets into the washing machine. They are about $20 each, or
you could try to find used ones. An alternative for smaller
dogs is to use an outdoor chair or lounge cushion.
Lorraine in NH
editor's note: you might also want to save on "Homemade Dog Biscuits"
If you buy low-cal frozen meals (Lean Cuisine, etc.), take a moment next time you're at the store to look beyond those specialty items for other things that fit into your calorie guidelines.
Often, the less expensive brands of regular frozen dinners are actually in the same calorie ballpark, which is usually somewhere around 300 calories or so. However, while the "diet" meals are often $3 to $4, the bargain brands of regular frozen dinners are usually about $1. Read the labels to compare.
No, the cheaper meals aren't as fancy and not exactly health
food either (but neither are many of the low-cal meals), but
the amount of food is about the same. If you enjoy basic meat-
and-potatoes comfort food, give one of them a try and save a
few dollars in the process. Your wallet doesn't have to shrink
along with your waistline!
Diva
Weeds that grow between bricks on your walkway or sidewalk are
unsightly and can easily be killed without weed killer. Simply
boil water in your teakettle and pour it on the weeds. This is
better for the environment, too.
Kristel W.
Instead of candles when the lights go out, use a wireless LED puck light. They are available most anywhere these days. I got a pack of three at Costco that even came with the AAA batteries that the lights required (3 batteries per light) for $12.99.
We have had two power failures within the last two weeks that have lasted for several hours into the evening. These little lights have been wonderful! They are compact and easy to carry. My lights have a high and a low setting, and they can be set down and used as background lighting for moving around.
These are safe for kids to carry and there is no worry for
fires to start as a result of falling asleep with a candle
burning or going through batteries with a regular flashlight.
They are even safe to use for the child that is scared of the
dark and needs a light on in their room for those nights the
power is out.
Billie B.
Before placing your online/catalog order, always phone the retailer to verify you are receiving the best price possible on your purchase. This might sound highly unnecessary, especially if one can see that the retailer is already advertising big online/catalog discounts. However, retailers may offer additional discounts when phoning in the order, so it never hurts to verify.
A high-quality discount supplement retailer, which sells
product via their website and Amazon.com, notes their prices
as already discounted. However, upon phoning and inquiring as
to whether I was receiving the best price possible, they
mentioned to me that my phone-in order qualified for
additional discounts. They then deducted $9.95 from each of
the supplements I ordered, which saved me nearly $20.
I.D.
Experienced gardeners know this well, but the rest of us
mortals may need a small reminder. While tending to your
plants in this growing season, remember to allow some
plants/flowers to go to seed in order to collect the seeds for
next year. Like a botanist, you can pick and choose what grows
best and tailor your garden to your needs and desires.
Remember to mark the seed packages. Trust me, your memory will
never stretch that far. Also, be sure to store in a cool, dry
and dark place. In the midst of winter, start your babies
growing. Also remember that towards the end of summer, most
places put supplies on sale, which you might need for your
growing project. Your garden can be almost self-sustaining.
Cristina
Although I rarely buy fast food, when I do, I save the straws
from my sodas. I take them home and wash them really well.
Then I use them when I travel to keep my necklaces from
tangling. I slide a necklace through each straw and clasp it.
My necklaces remain tangle-free.
Jennifer H.
Everyone ends up with an abundance of dryer lint and toilet
paper rolls. I stuff the dryer lint into the empty toilet
paper rolls (very tightly) and I have instant fire starter for
campfires. You can also use tightly rolled newspaper inside
the rolls if you don't have enough dryer lint. This works for
"kindling" every time for us when camping!
Patti N.
Every hurricane season, I am amazed at the number of people spending money (and energy) buying bottled water. The stores make out like bandits as soon as a hurricane watch is issued!
Sure, you need about a gallon of water per person per day if a hurricane hits and the water supply gets contaminated (by either flooding or temporary loss of power to water treatment plants), but tap water is safe to drink before the hurricane hits.
Starting June 1st, save your milk jugs and clean them out well with soap and water, then store empty. (Hang a rope from the rafters of your storage shed or garage and string them up by the handles to save space.) As soon as a hurricane warning is issued (landfall is expected in your area within 24 hours), fill the empty jugs with your tap water and store them in a safe place. Put a couple in your freezer to fill up empty spaces.
If the hurricane passes you by, the water in the jugs is still
good for about two weeks.
Anita B.
editor's note: more suggestions for inexpensive emergency supplies here
What would you do with an extra $100? One lucky Dollar Stretcher "tipster" will win a $100 check each month just for sending in their favorite time or money saving idea. It could be you. Just click here to submit your suggestion. If we use your tip in any of our publications, we'll send you the next three issues of our print newsletter as a "thank you" and you'll automatically be entered into our monthly $100 drawing!
If you'd like to receive our Dollar Stretcher Tips ezine, click here to subscribe.
Dollar Stretcher Tips is a weekly feature of The Dollar Stretcher.com. If you missed last week's tips click here.
To subscribe, check the newsletters you wish to receive, enter your email address and then click Subscribe.
Each month one TDS reader will win $100 just for telling us your favorite time or money saving idea. It could be you!
Click here to share your idea.
Recent winners are:
- Matt from CO
- Joan from CT
- Joanne in New York
- Barbara from CT
|
Money problems? Struggling with credit card debt? What you need to know about bankruptcy? Trouble repaying student loans?
|
Sign up for our free eNewsletter Dollar Stretcher Tips.
Looking for an answer to a frugal living question? Click here to ask a
Dollar Stretcher Stretchpert!
Copyright 1996 - 2012 "The Dollar Stretcher, Inc." All rights reserved unless specifically noted.
Contact the Dollar Stretcher at:
Dollar Stretcher
PO Box 14160
Bradenton FL 34280
Voice 941-761-7805
Fax 941-761-8301
"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.
| About Us | Privacy Policy | Writer's Guidelines | Sponsorship | Media | Contact Us |
Dollar Stretcher Community
Forums
Blogs
Also In This Week's Issue
In The Dollar Stretcher Community
Reader Favorites
Newsletters
Email
Print
Contact Editor
RSS Feed
Share
Leave a Comment
