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The initial investment in window film isn't really cheap, but it will pay for itself the first year. We noticed about 5% drop in our cooling bills. We were more comfortable a few degrees lower, as less escaped.
It isn't like replacing windows, but it really helps! Consider
how a car feels in summer with tinted windows and then get
into one that doesn't have them. There's a big difference in
how they feel right off, and how quickly they cool later.
Janice
editor's note: You'll find more suggestions here or join the discussion in The Dollar Stretcher Community.
Anyone wanting to attend graduate school should speak with representatives of the school, and with current students and recent graduates of the specific program (not just the whole university) about funding options. Have conversations with many people in many roles.
I was able to attend a very expensive private graduate school
through a combination of fellowships and assistantships, but I
had to talk to dozens of people to get the information I
needed and gain access to these. The effort was well worth it.
I have the graduate degree that I wanted from the school where
I wanted to go and borrowed only a modest amount of money to
make up the gap in my expenses.
Meta
If you are coming back from a trip and have a large amount to
exchange, go to a commercial bank. If you're a member, they'll
generally change your money for free. If you're not, most
banks charge a flat fee. It's a lot less than going to a
currency exchange, and you haven't lost all of your money
especially if you're planning on never going to that country
again.
ZS
Buy tennis shoes/sneakers in the children's department. A
woman's size "8" is the same as a boy's size "6." This has
saved us half the price for name brand footwear.
Letania G. in Beltsville, MD
My husband, who tends toward the Spartan, still loves luxury
and gets a real jolt of pleasure from being surprised. He is
also over 60 and does not need anything. So for his birthday,
I went to our town's fanciest deli and bought him five slices
of birthday cake: peanut butter and chocolate, white cake with
raspberry filling, deep fudge chocolate, cream-filled lemon
cake, and rum torte. He loved all of them, and he shared some,
too!
MG
editor's note: Many of us have given up a lot because of the economy. So we're looking for "Little Luxuries" that we can share with everyone. If you have an inexpensive way to make yourself feel good, please send it by gary@stretcher.com. We'll share the best ones in future issues.
I'm a debt free single mom who owns her own home. I have become a whiz at budgeting out of necessity. Lately, I had really been struggling to save but invented a nifty trick. When my paycheck comes, I deposit into checking only enough to cover my regular monthly bills, which I have automatically deducted. I next deposit $250 into my savings account. With the money left over, I get cash. I know that there are 15 days between paychecks, so I divide the sum by 15 and pay myself the correct amount each day from my cash envelope. It turns out for me to be $30/day.
No more running out of money before payday! It has made me
much smarter and I put more thought into my finances. I write
the date on the envelope before I take out the money to help
me keep track. I drive my bank crazy by asking for 15 tens and
15 twenties every pay day, but I am now able to save $500 a
month!
Trina Z-B in Loganville, WI
It's summer, and if you've got kids, then you've got damp
clothes! I had an old shower curtain rod in the attic that I
was going to hang a valence on after we redid our bathroom.
Then I had an "aha moment" and put it up just inside our
regular shower curtain to make an instant drying rack for
anything wet. I put bathing suits, cleaning rags, socks, and
the kids' towels after bathing on this rack. It all drips into
the tub and stays hidden behind the shower curtain. There's no
mess and it's an easy hide from company.
Tricia K.
I organized a toy exchange with some of the other moms in my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. We each picked out several toys that our kids don't care about (toys they no longer use, toys that we have duplicates of, junky little fast food toys, etc.) and put them in a box; we then swapped boxes.
Whenever I need a "new" toy for my son, I grab something from
the box. This is especially helpful when we go on long car
trips. I give my son a special "new" toy every few hours to
keep him occupied. The best part about the toy exchange is
that it is free! And, it can work with older kids, too!
Esther B. in Rincon, GA
I stumbled into this because of my grandson. He loved camping, so still in need of a vacation, but not able to afford to one, he sparked an idea.
Camp Cousins was born! And it has grown by leaps and bounds. For what one night in a motel would cost, we get four or five days in a campground. We always get one with a pool, and swimming for campers is included in the rent. We make all kinds of crafts. All craft supplies are purchased at garage sales! Most prices vary from 25 cents to a dollar.
We bring all the food from home. I make cake layers ahead and carefully pack. I precook pasta. One year our theme was tie dye. So we had tie dyed pasta salad and cake.
Exercise is always included in our activities, and the kids do not even seem to notice. Besides swimming, we hike, bike, go climbing, and play very active games. There is always a moral lesson of the day, a play with your food time, and cake decorating.
On the last day, I award blue ribbons and small prizes (also
from yard sales) for various categories. Each child earns one
for things like all-around best camper, best crafter, best
cook, etc. Everyone has a ball. Recently, we renamed it "Camp
Cousins and Friends." I have actually had strangers come up to
me and tell me that they have heard about it and their child
wants to go next year!
Annette E.
editor's note: Many of us have given up a lot because of the economy. So we're looking for "Little Luxuries" that we can share with everyone. If you have an inexpensive way to make yourself feel good, please send it by gary@stretcher.com. We'll share the best ones in future issues.
A huge way people get taken advantage of in travel scams is to get a free vacation to visit a potential vacation investment. People are wary of the hard sell tactics used by these hucksters.
What they frequently don't realize is that the "free" air
travel and three-night stay will result in a Form MISC-1099 to
the IRS for the full value of the air fare (not discounted)
and hotel stay that will create a large federal and possible
state income tax liability. I have had clients owe taxes in
excess of what they would have paid out-of-pocket for a nice
vacation if they had shopped for bargain fares themselves and
not had to waste a vacation day listening to the hard sell of
condo investors and time-share sellers.
Arlene C., CPA
To save a little money when every dollar counts, I called my
gas company and asked if they charged for turning off the gas
and turning it on again. They said that there was not a
charge. We only use gas for the furnace and the pilot light is
electric. They were charging me every month for not using any
gas but for the line, taxes and such to the amount of over $20
per month. I now have them shut off the gas on the first of
May and turn on when needed in the fall. Be sure to check with
your gas company about the charges.
Jean H.
I have always cut my celery stocks into chunks and plunged
those into cold water in the fridge to get the celery to
stiffen back to its original state after becoming limp. I
wondered if I could do something similar to revive some
lettuce that I had. My romaine lettuce had become terribly
wilted, but not brown on the edge of the leaves. I tore the
wilted leaves from the rest of the "stalk" and stood them with
the torn/cut ends in a glass of water in the door of the
fridge for a day. The water was about two to three inches deep
in the glass. I was shocked and pleased to see that the wilted
leaves came back to their original crispy fresh state. I have
even resurrected the same lettuce leaves more than once with
this method. I hate to waste food and I'm not fond of wilted
lettuce leaves in salad so this was a delight to discover. Not
only did I not waste the food (and money I spent on it), but I
also could enjoy it more in its revived state.
Dawn F. in Spokane, Washington
My dog kept digging in my flowerbed next to my house. A friend
of mine told me to put chicken wire over weed prevention
covering and secure it with stakes or rocks. My dog could not
dig in my flowerbed anymore. This also works on stray dogs or
cats that get into your flowerbeds.
Velma
Here's one of my little luxuries. With the warm weather here in Kentucky, I make a pitcher of lemonade from scratch, use a crystal pitcher from a yard sale, and kick back on my front porch.
1 cup sugar
5 cups cold water
1 cup lemon juice
Dissolve sugar in lemon juice and half of the water. When fully dissolved, add rest of water. For extra flare, serve over crushed ice with a slice of lemon. Makes 6 1/2 cups
As a kid, I remember visiting the elderly ladies in my neighborhood and sitting on their front porches with them as they enjoyed fresh lemonade. It was always a special thing to savor the sweet and sour in the heat of summer.
A friend balked at the price of my little treat as the cost of
lemons is roughly $10 for three gallons of lemonade. It's true
that it may be high but an easy cheat is using bottled lemon
juice from the store, which is about $3 a bottle. Either way,
sometimes when life is tough, lemonade is the answer.
Sarah in KY
editor's note: Many of us have given up a lot because of the economy. So we're looking for "Little Luxuries" that we can share with everyone. If you have an inexpensive way to make yourself feel good, please send it by gary@stretcher.com. We'll share the best ones in future issues.
Here's probably the most basic but best tip of all. Learn to
do it yourself. Even if you live in, say, New York City, there
are things you can do. You can rewire a lamp, fix a leaky
toilet or faucet, etc. None of these require a ton of tools or
a ton of expertise. I learned and so can you. The Internet has
great references as does any public library. Most people who
have these skills are happy to teach somebody else. And if you
have a car, change your oil, check tire pressure, and add
power steering or transmission fluid. This is no more
difficult than pouring water into a cup. Sure, it's a bit
greasier, but it's not hard.
Molly
A place to find storage is over the doors and windows. A
simple shelf laid across two brackets can allow space up to 18
inches deep. You can store seldom-used items in attractive
boxes, baskets, tins, bags, etc. I have used Christmas bags
and tins plus some ribbon and no one had a clue it was dried
beans and various noodles that needed a home. I plan to add a
shelf about 16 inches or so below the ceiling along two walls
of the family room for storage.
Deborah Z.
Sometimes it's difficult to screw in a light bulb because it
won't turn easily in the socket. The job will be a breeze if
you first rub its base with a very thin film of petroleum
jelly. It'll then go in without a problem. Of course, never
put your fingers or anything else into the socket itself. You
might experience a bad shock or worse!
Phil L.
editor's note: You can also use an oil like WD-40 or 3-in-1. A secondary advantage is that it makes it easier to remove the bulb when it finally burns out. Especially if it's used outdoors.
If you use community washing machines and dryers, little
things tend to get lost. Many women have garment bags they use
to wash bras and such things so they won't snag delicate
fabric. I have recently taken to washing my socks and
underwear in them as well. This way, I leave with as many
socks as I walked in with. Also, if a small article of
clothing ends up with my wash, I'll know it's not mine and can
take it back to the lost and found table.
Sarah S.
This evening I realized I was having one of those little
luxury moments. It was a lovely evening and DH and I took our
evening coffee out on our deck on the side of the house under
the cedar trees. We just sat quietly and enjoyed ourselves and
watched the antics of our humming birds on the three feeders
we have placed in the tree branches. Our cedar trees are in a
tight group and shade our deck. They also provide homes for a
whole lot of humming birds. The cost of homemade coffee and
food for the humming birds is negligible, but the peace and
enjoyment provided is enormous. Quality time spent with Hubby
and a cup of good coffee is a luxury. The birds and good
weather is a bonus!
Pat in Kitchener
editor's note: Many of us have given up a lot because of the economy. So we're looking for "Little Luxuries" that we can share with everyone. If you have an inexpensive way to make yourself feel good, please send it by gary@stretcher.com. We'll share the best ones in future issues.
What would you do with an extra $100? One lucky Dollar Stretcher "tipster" will win a $100 check each month just for sending in their favorite time or money saving idea. It could be you. Just click here to submit your suggestion. If we use your tip in any of our publications, we'll send you the next three issues of our print newsletter as a "thank you" and you'll automatically be entered into our monthly $100 drawing!
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