It’s sad to throw away Christmas cards. There’s a bit of guilt when you don’t keep some of them. Hoarding them in a box for years seems as wasteful as tossing them out. You can save some as keepsakes or reuse a few. How have you reused cards? Here are a few ideas. GIFT TAGS: [...]
DEAR SARA: What do you do if you don’t have your oven? For the past two weeks, I have not had an oven, and my mind has ventured onto other options. The computer board of my oven went out, but the stove is still operable. Fortunately, and hopefully, it is getting fixed today (praying here). [...]
Homemade mixes are popular gifts. Many are given in decorated mason jars. But you can use various containers such as bowls, mugs, reusable plastic or glass containers, boxes (such as Chinese takeout food boxes), tins, cellophane or fabric bags, or ask to buy coffee bags wherever whole-bean coffee is sold. Some containers will simply need [...]
The best bargains can often be found after Christmas. If you didn’t get what you wanted from your holiday wish list, it’s likely that you’ll find it for less during year-end and clearance sales. Also, many couples have started a tradition to wait until after the holidays to exchange gifts because it’s more affordable. There [...]
DEAR SARA: Do you have ideas for repurposing a hanging three-tier veggie basket? I have two wire three-tier vegetable baskets that I never use. I bought them and didn’t like how quickly the vegetables went bad and ended up just refrigerating them instead. Now, they are stuffed away all lonely, wanting so badly to become [...]
Sometimes you might forget to measure a precise amount of a product. You tend to eyeball it and use more than is needed. This is especially true with pourable products. If you read the instructions for laundry detergent, you’ll discover it’s a lot like using shampoo. If you have less to wash, you can use [...]
Clothespins have multiple uses. They’re long-lasting and cheap to buy. Most people use them to hang their laundry to dry or as a chip clip. Do you have a creative way to use them? If you have a few stashed away, bring them out and put them to good use. Here are a few ideas. [...]
Are you an expressive woman who somehow took a wrong financial turn and have no idea how to find your way back?
DEAR SARA: I want to make cinnamon butter. Do you have a recipe? — Phaedra, Ohio DEAR PHAEDRA: Making compound butters is easy. For cinnamon butter, it can be as simple as adding cinnamon to the butter and combining it with a fork or mix with an electric mixer. Or try mixing butter, honey, cinnamon, [...]
Sandwiches often get soggy when packing them for lunch. You can butter the bread, but that adds unnecessary calories. You can add condiments between your meat and cheese instead of it spread onto your bread, or use whole grain bread instead of white sandwich bread. The first reader tip has another suggestion. REUSE PLASTIC BABY-FOOD [...]
Christmas is the season of fun and celebration. The enjoyment doubles when you don’t have to think of how to pay back debts after the season is over. So, if you want to plan a Christmas party, then assess how much your financial situation permits you to spend and plan a budget on its basis. Here are a few tips which you can follow to plan a Christmas party on a tight budget.
Congratulations to DixieJ. You’ve won a BISSELL Steam&Sweep. Enjoy!! Special thank you to BISSELL and to everyone that entered.
photo by laurenatclemson This year, you might cut back on gift giving, but there are some people you simply don’t want to cross off the list — for example, the people who have done a great job or provided excellent service throughout the year, such as teachers, your mailman, your child’s school-bus driver, a childcare [...]
It’s back-to-school time. Kids often come home from school and go directly to the kitchen in search of a snack. Finding an after-school snack that won’t ruin their appetite for dinner can be a challenge. Fresh fruit and raw cut vegetables are healthy, but can become boring. Try including hummus with cut vegetables or dip [...]
photo by Natalie Maynor Eco-frugality can be confusing. Maybe there are things you’d like to change to do your part, but it seems complicated, time-consuming or too expensive to start. One example is switching to organic food or vegetarianism. It can sometimes cost more, so it doesn’t seem frugal. The key is to take it [...]
DEAR SARA: We’re a family of five, with three cats and two dogs, as well. My problem is hair. Our laundry comes out of the washer with bits of critter hair still on it, and it comes off in the dryer. How do I get this stuff to stop sticking to our laundry so that [...]
photo by mokeneco Do you throw away your orange peels? They can be used in a simmering potpourri, as zest in cooking, rubbed onto your skin as an insect repellent and used in compost. The first three reader tips share additional ways to use them. ORANGE PEEL BATH: Create a wonderfully thrifty, immune-boosting bath. Vitamin [...]
