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My husband wears Dockers, or a similar type pair of slacks, daily to work. Long before the pants are worn out anywhere else, he has a hole in the back pocket where his wallet is. I now iron mending tape to the inside of the pocket before the pants are ever worn. We have saved a fortune.
Terry K.
A great way to soften and deodorize clothes is to pour one teaspoon baking soda into a liquid softener dispenser (The ball type that opens during the rinse cycle) then slowly pour vinegar up to the fill line. It will bubble but not overflow if the vinegar isn't poured too fast. Clothes will soften and be odor free without perfumes and chemicals! If you really like the softener fragrance, store cut pieces of sponges in a clean mayonaise jar filled with liquid fabric softener. Squeeze out the excess so that it doesn't drip and throw in the dryer with the wet clothes like a dryer sheet. When the clothes are dry just drop it back in the jar to use in the next load.
Lisa
Is buying Christmas cards and postage putting an additional strain on your holiday budget? Here's an idea. Just after the holidays, prices for holiday items go down by as much as 75%! Stock up on cards. Instead of waiting till November or December, start addressing the cards right away. Do one or two a week and put the postage on. Come December all you have to do is add the personal touches to the individual cards and you are ready to roll! A few stamps a week hardly have an impact on your budget. If the postage rates change throughout the year, it should not make a huge difference. This not only saves money, but also a lot of time!
Heide K.
I am always looking for new Christmas traditions to start for my family. This year I had a brainstorm when I was just falling asleep. We have put up a stocking for Jesus. I sat down with the kids and talked to them about how Jesus said, "If you love me keep my commands." and that the two greatest commandments were, "Love the Lord with all your heart," and "love your neighbor as yourself." We talked about how we could do these things in our everyday life and wrote these suggestions down on a slip of paper. We put them in a box along with extra slips of paper and every time one of us does these things, we sign it and put it in the stocking for Jesus. On Christmas Eve we will open the stocking and read together all the gifts our family gave Jesus this year. So far, we are all enjoying doing this and it is teaching my kids how simple it can be to live for God.
Heather T. in Federal Way, WA
One time my son knocked over a bottle of shampoo and it leaked all over the bottom of the tub. The next morning when I got in to take a shower I rinsed it off and the tub was sparkling clean where the shampoo had been sitting. Now I use cheap shampoo and rub it all over the bottom of the tub and let it sit overnight. The next morning all you do is rinse the dirt down the drain. Make sure everyone knows it's there because it is very slippery.
CMF
editor's note: you might want to put something like a sign or something else in the tub just in case someone forgets.
I have found that flannel sheets on our bed are great, and polar fleece blankets and clothing to be the warmest fabrics. I bought remnants of fleece fabric that were blanket sized and didn't have to hem them since it doesn't unravel. I got three nice sized blankets for $4 each this way. We like to use these for covers while watching TV in the evenings. I also cut some smaller pieces of navy fleece into scarves and fringed the ends. I found a flannel duvet cover for our comforter so we really feel snuggly even without extra blankets. By wearing a fleece shirt under my all weather coat, I do not need to invest in a heavy winter coat and I'm warm outside even when the temperature is 10 degrees!
Ann
After the first snowfall of the season, my 81-year-old father noticed that snow in one spot on the roof of his house melted before the sun hit it. He asked me to investigate. Crawling through the attic, I discovered an opening through which I could see light and feel a warm draft from the basement. It was the result of shoddy construction or perhaps was left following the replacement of an old flue pipe. For several years, Dad had been heating the whole outdoors with heat from the basement. A couple of patches and a layer of insulation later, Dad is looking forward to lower heating bills from now on.
Linda C.
This Christmas I'm giving family members a photo album on disc. I borrowed my mom's collection of old family photos, and combined them with informative captions, such as the person's full name, age, location when the photo was taken, and any other interesting information about the person. Then I photographed them with my digital camera and uploaded them on my computer. (The photos could be scanned instead of photographed.) I will download the photos and send them to my brothers and sisters. The cost is very little, but the preservation of our family history is (to us) priceless.
Michelle S. of Phoenix
I have several nieces and nephews to give Christmas gifts to. I avoid spending a lot of money and time running from store to store by choosing a common theme for all of their gifts. This year's theme is books. I will visit a local bookstore and be able to purchase books for each according to their various ages and interests. I have also assembled arts and crafts kits in the past. Another year I gave drawing supplies that I purchased from a office supply store, which included a package of white copy paper. (This is a favorite and we have given it as birthday presents, too.) Next year I may do baking kits from, you guessed it, the supermarket.
Lorraine
I swear by my hot water bottle for comfort in the winter. It warms my feet at night in bed and stays warm all night under the covers. The next day, I pour the water out into a large can, which sits on my heater/radiator to humidify the room. It is also nice for keeping warm while watching TV. Low tech and low cost.
Jennifer
I shop at Goodwill from time to time and noticed they had perfectly brand new wallpaper in double rolls for 50 cents to $1. These rolls measure 33 feet by more than a foot and a half wide. I bought several and used them to line my drawers in the dresser, vanity and now my pantry and kitchen cupboards too. They could also be used to wrap large gifts at a super savings cost. What could be better?
Carol S
Last year, I purchased Christmas fabric after Christmas for about 75% off along with various types of items to use as drawstring. This year we are making Christmas bags for our gifts that will last as long as I will ever use them. I am teaching my daughter to use the sewing machine. And this will eliminate paper waste, reduce cost, and save time. It's wonderful to slip a gift into a pretty bag made of fabric that can be used over and over again without tearing or wrinkling.
Clare M. in Maryland
If you already have an electric mattress pad or blanket on your bed, turn it on while you are getting ready for bed, then turn it off once you get into bed. By the time it cools down, your body heat will have warmed the bed and you will save a little electricity.
Heather T. of Brighton, MI
It's amazing to me that I never thought of this before, but better late than never. Instead of buying wrapping paper for all of your holiday gifts, why not use the circulars you get from the numerous stores to wrap the gifts? It dawned on me that I was spending money on paper that was going to be ripped off and thrown in the garbage! Instead, I collected all of the newspapers/flyers/circulars from Target, Kmart, TRU, etc. and used them to wrap gifts. Not only am I not spending a dime on paper, but it also gets me out of having to put them all together and placing them in the recycle bin! Now my family is doing the job of getting rid of the paper for me!
Eileen C. of New York
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