photo by AzAdam
DEAR SARA: I ended up with several small bottles of tonic water. I feel bad throwing them out. What can tonic water be used for other than in mixed drinks? I don’t like the taste of it! — Becca, Texas
DEAR BECCA: Tonic water contains quinine. It can help digestion and ease muscle cramps. Since you don’t like the taste, you can use it to clean stains. For example, …

photo by ivoryelephantphotography
The first three tips share ways to reuse milk jugs. How do you reuse them? Many people recycle them, but a large percentage are still hitting landfills. So it’s important to reuse them when possible and recycle instead of simply throwing them away. I shared additional ways to reuse milk jugs last year. I’m looking for more ideas on how to reuse milk-jug caps, too. If you have …

photo by D’arcy Norman
Not everyone is frugal. Often, you might think frugality is nothing more than good old common sense. Sadly, what appears to be obvious for some people isn’t even a consideration for others. Maybe you’ve heard frugal suggestions yet have never applied them. Frugality is in the news on a regular basis. But is it sinking in? One reader, Lisa in Texas, shares: “I saw something the other …

photo by Liane
In previous columns, I’ve mentioned organizing recipes and coupons, creating a price book to track product prices, a garden journal and menu planning. A frugal notebook is a place to organize all these useful tools. It’s easy to put together and cheap, too. All you need is a binder, page protectors, dividers, index cards and a few printable forms, such as a calendar and checklists to get started. …