Dollar Stretcher Friday: Garage Sale Selling Strategies, Reduce Dryer Costs, and Eyeglass Savings
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My DIY Moisturizing Soap
I buy cheap liquid soap, and I add almond oil (olive oil is also good, but
the smell of the almond oil is better). That’s how I get moisturizing soap
at minimum cost!
Michelle R. from Santiago, Chile
Easy Corn on the Cob
To cook corn on the cob without a lot of mess and work, microwave two ears
for eight minutes with the husk on. Remove the corn from the microwave, cut
the base off, hold onto one end, and slide the corn out of husk, silk and all.
GW
Garage Sale Selling Strategies
I just finished having a big garage sale, getting rid of most of my
baby/tot gear as I retired from daycare. I found that if I said “make me an
offer,” I generally received more than what I had hoped to get. You might
want to try this route. It worked for me.
Julie
Ahh, Cool Air!
Fill a gallon jug with water and freeze it. Set the frozen water jug in a
shallow dish in front of fan and turn the fan on. This is especially good
at night beside the bed. The shallow dish lets condensation drip without
marring any surface.
RPB
Tired of Lawn Chores?
Do you hate to mow grass as much as I do? Don’t forget you can plant other
things in large areas of your yard to cut down mowing. Groundcovers such as
English ivy, jasmine, fern, daylilies and other plants can cover large
expanses of your property. They may need a slight trimming once a year or
less, but that’s not as bad as once a week. You can also put in rock
gardens, large flower beds with mulch, decks, patios or walkways and other
structures to take up some of the lawn area. Less grass to mow equals less
work for you each weekend!
N2W
Stubborn Sticky Price Tags
Here’s an easy, free way to remove price tags, stickers, etc. Just use your
hair dryer. Aim it at the label for several seconds and the heat of the
dryer activates the glue on the label and dissolves it. The label or tag
will come off easily. If it doesn’t come off with the first try, keep the
hair dryer aimed at the label a little longer and try again. This works
great on picture frames and mirrors, too.
Sherri
Cheaper Birdfeed
We like to feed the birds at our house, but the birdseed was getting very
expensive. At my local farm feed store, I found that I can buy chicken
scratch in 50-pound bags at half the cost of regular birdseed. It contains
almost the same type of seed as birdseed mixes. We throw in a handful of
sunflower seeds, and we keep up our hobby at a “cheeper” price!
Karen in New Haven
As Simple as Vinegar
Since I started using a vinegar/water mix in a spray bottle to wash down my
counters, table, stove, etc., I have not found any ants inside my home. I
used to use brand name cleaners and put out ant traps, but the ants would
still be found from spring until late summer. So why spend the money when
vinegar costs so much less?
Cheryl
Reduce Dryer Costs
Recently I had our clothes dryer repaired. The repairman gave me a great
tip. Dryer sheets leave a residue on the lint catcher, which reduces
airflow. This causes the appliance to run less efficiently, making it more
expensive to run. He suggested soaking the lint catcher in hot water and
scrubbing it with a toothbrush on a regular basis to keep those energy
bills down!
K.
Eyeglass Savings
Make sure you know the warranty on your glasses. This may vary by insurance
provider and eyeglass vendor, of course, but it’s worth knowing the
details. Last year, I ended up breaking my glasses beyond repair and
usability. When I called my eye doctor to get an emergency pair made,
expecting to pay entirely out of pocket, she said that since it had been
one day short of a year since I got them, the replacement pair (frames and
lenses) was totally covered within warranty as long as I had at least one
lens to exchange (which I did).
Tony C. in Holly Springs, NC
Laundry Detergent Performance
I have found that the performance of any soap is determined by several
factors. The hardness of the water is a biggie. For that, I use a
tablespoon of baking soda in my powdered detergent. The size of the load is
another. Don’t overload and try putting a towel in with regular fabrics,
being as the different texture helps with cleaning the other clothes.
Another factor is the type of washer.
I have a front loader and find that if I use half of the recommended amount
of Wind Fresh along with generic color-safe bleach, I get excellent results.
There’s no need for hot water unless you’re sanitizing things that may have
been subject to mold growth or candida yeast.
Nancy P. in Amarillo, TX
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Samantha Gregory
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