Dollar Stretcher Friday: Make Money on Alarm Systems, Renew Old Clothes, Furniture Refurb
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Leftover Hotdog Buns
When my daughter was toddler and preschool age, I found that leftover hot
dog buns were useful for any type of sandwich for her because the long
slender shape was easier for her to handle and eat.
Kay in WV
Paying for Your Alarm System
If you have a home alarm system, many of them have a referral program that
can either knock $100 off of your alarm system bill or directly earn a $100
check for every referral.
MR
Plant Sale
When looking for vegetable and flower plants for your garden, check with
your local high school or tech school. We’ve found that some classes have a
plant sale to sell off their growing projects. We picked up strong young
transplants of tomatoes, beans, peppers, and herbs for cheap!
B.
Lemons at the Ready
I love fresh lemons in tea or other summer beverages. When I get home from
the farmer’s market or store, I cut the lemons into slices and place the
slices into a zipper bag to be frozen. As needed, I just get several slices
of frozen lemon and place in my beverage. It keeps it cool as well as emits
its flavor. Also the frozen lemon ends are easier to grate for zest. Once
thawed, I use that in salads, soups, and stews. I never have lemons get
soft or go bad as mine are always sliced, frozen, and ready for use. This
technique is fabulous for cool, refreshing drinks.
S.
Cheap Drop Cloths
Next time you are about to paint indoors or out, look to your shower
curtains and liners. When you are changing them out, don’t throw them way.
Instead, give them a second life as paint drop cloths. They will absorb all
the spilled paint and will not cost you anything. Tablecloths purchased at
a dollar store work the same way.
Elizabeth H.
Oven Cleaning
We recently purchased a new self-cleaning electric range. I had heard that
using the self-cleaning option was quite expensive due to the high
temperatures the oven goes to, but I had to clean my oven! I turned it on
and the timer went to three hours and 30 minutes. Wow, no wonder it’s
expensive. After an hour, I went and turned it off. When it cooled down, it
was completely clean! All I had to do was use my hand vacuum to get up the
ashes. I also turned on the self-cleaning option when I had just finished
baking, so it wouldn’t have to work as hard.
S.
New Old Clothes
I have a favorite cotton sweater that I have worn and washed. I didn’t want
to reduce it to “wear at home” since it was in perfect condition, so I
bought two packages of dye at a dollar store. I followed the instructions
and now have a brand “new” sweater. I dyed it almost the same green as it
originally was. Now I will look at my other clothes to see if they are
dye-able and renewable.
G.
Take Along Some Vinegar
As we prepare to take a small vacation to the lake, I realize there is
something I can never do without on a trip, and that is white vinegar. I
recently bought two small spray bottles that I will fill with the vinegar
and take along.
When my daughter’s hair gets tangled from swimming, I just spray some
diluted vinegar on it before I comb it, and it works like a charm. Bug
bites? Vinegar comes to the rescue. It even works in a pinch as a
substitute disinfectant for hands. At the beach, white vinegar is what gets
poured on jellyfish stings too!
Julie S.
Inexpensive Sandboxes
For an inexpensive 8′X4′ sandbox, my husband purchased six landscaping
timbers. He stacked them two high on the sides and used one timber for each
end, cut in half in order to stack them as he did the sides. He mitered the
corners on all the timbers and anchored the corners with long nails. The
timbers are wide enough for the kids to sit on comfortably. The sand was
purchased at a gravel company where we shoveled it ourselves. It was much
cheaper than the pre-bagged stuff we found at a store in town.
To keep it from becoming a deluxe sized litter box, we simply use an 8′x4′
lattice panel that I had purchased but never used. It covers perfectly to
keep the cats out but lets rain in, which keeps the sand moist and
formable. Our three kids (ages 7, 7, and 6) just slide it off and climb
into the box for hours of fun! I have made hash marks on the sides of the
box. When the occasional squabble over “territory” develops, I draw the
proverbial “lines in the sand” with a stick. It divides the box into thirds
and everyone is happy again!
Wendy H.
Repurposing Old Furniture
Looking to make some room and organize my bedroom closet, I started to
condense the clothes from an old obtrusive wardrobe into my closet. I have
a tiny old bungalow type house. When I emptied the closet, my hubby started
to break it apart for the trash.
I had this brainstorm to take out the two drawers, which were like new. I
put slider casters on the bottom of them and slid them under my bed! After
my DH sawed off an inch, they fit perfectly, and my bed looks like a
captains bed. Now I have a place for my t-shirts and socks. It looks
terrific, and no one would know they didn’t belong to the bed!
For free, I used something we already had and repurposed those drawers to
accommodate my storage need! We are always excited to save money being
creative and frugal!
Mickey C.
Samantha Gregory
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