Readers' Tips
How Much Emergency Fund?
I would start with an accounting of how much you spend and on what each month. After developing the list, line out the items you are willing to do without while unemployed. Total the monthly expenses of the remaining items. While there are various suggestions on how many months of expenses, I think you should be prepared for at least nine months of expenses. To the nine-month total, add a month of expenses for every year you are over 45, as people in this age bracket have an increasingly hard time finding a new job. This is your target emergency fund level. Certainly judicious use of unemployment benefits will allow you to go longer should you need it, but those benefits will expire one day. If you find work before exhausting your emergency funds, you will have the balance to start replacing money used.
While this is a conservative method, unemployment with no
money to support yourself is just ugly. We all read about
people whose unemployment benefits are about to or have run
out. You do not want to join that legion!
Richard
editor's note: For more on Emergency Funds, please click here or check out the discussion in The Dollar Stretcher Community.
Broken Picture Frames
I have often had to replace broken glass in frames. I take my frames to my local glass store. The staff is always helpful. They can often use scrap pieces of glass for small frames, pieces that they otherwise wouldn't be able to use. They cut the glass for me, make sure it fits my frame, sand any rough edges that could cut skin, and polish it up. They charge very little. I generally pay between $1 to $3 to replace glass. I've also taken old picture frames to them and had pieces of mirror cut to fit. This is a very economical way to add mirrors to your decor.
The best part of this is that I'm supporting a local business
and using less gas by staying close to home. And, I can catch
up on local "news" while establishing friendly relations with
fellow townspeople!
HC
Ceramic Cooktops
For those who use a glass ceramic top stove, get into the
habit of turning off the burner early. When reading my user's
guide, I discovered that these stoves retain their heat much
longer than other types like gas or electric. You will know
the stove is still hot by watching the glowing indicator
light, and you can save some money and electricity by using
the remaining heat to your advantage.
Ruth F. in Wyalusing, PA
Faux Shopping
I found that one way to get the enjoyment of shopping without
blowing my budget is to go through a variety of catalogs that
I have sent to me. Since I'm not in a store, I can't
instantaneously spend money, but it's almost as good because
I'm looking at all sorts of new products. I mark the items I'm
interested in and then file the catalog away for later. When I
come back, I find that much of what I thought I wanted was
just plain silly, and by shopping catalogs, I can find the
best price for the very few items I actually end up
purchasing.
Kamia
Drafty Fireplaces
We have solved the drafty fireplace problem in a different
way. We live in So. California and do not have a real need for
a fireplace. Our local utility companies offer a free analysis
of the house. They installed a styrofoam sheet that fits right
up the chimney. It stops the draft. It has a cord with a
handle so that it can be pulled out, but we never have a fire
anyway. I'm sure that has saved us a bundle over the last five
years.
Ginnie
editor's note: If your utility company doesn't offer this service, you could make your own fireplace stuffer. Just don't forget to remove it before you start a fire!
Don't Lose the Heat
My mom taught me this growing up, and now that I have my own
home, I continue to follow this. During cooler months,
whenever I use the oven to bake something, I open the door
when I'm finished (and the oven is turned off), and let the
oven "cool down." While I don't really need the oven to cool
down quicker, all that heat isn't being used anyway, so just
having the oven door cracked open for 10 to 15 minutes puts
out extra heat that otherwise goes to waste. Sometimes in the
morning when the house is cool and I don't want to turn up the
heat, I'll bake some cinnamon rolls for breakfast just to be
able to heat the house a bit with the extra oven heat.
Stacey S. in Muncie, IN
editor's note: Don't use this idea if you have children or pets that could get burnt.
Easy, Cheap Baby Food
I made my own baby food for years. The recipe my pediatrician gave me was very simple, which included one starch, one protein, and one veggie. Usually, I bought boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders on sale. Occasionally, if I made chicken or steak for dinner, I'd reserve a portion to cook for the baby. Then, I'd get frozen veggies and maybe about one cup of cooked rice or pasta. I cooked the meat by boiling it with no seasonings. (You can also do this with fruits.) I put it all into a blender with some water for consistency and pureed it.
When it reached the consistency I liked, I poured it into ice
cube trays and froze them. When the cubes were frozen solid, I
popped them into a large resealable bag. Mealtimes then
consisted of one or two cubes placed into a microwavable dish
and warmed. The cubes were very easy to take with us whenever
we went out too. We saved tons of money over the years, making
our own baby food, and it couldn't have been easier!
Erin
Year at a Glance
Here's my tip for saving time. Purchase a 13-pocket expandable file at any discount store. Use the labels to mark each section with the months from January to December.
Each month, when you pay a bill, mark it paid and file it in the appropriate folder for that month. Also, you can add an envelope to each month to hold all receipts for the month. When you are done with the year and have filed your taxes, you can place a copy in the last section of your folder. Mark the year on the front of the folder. Now you have all the most important financial information for the year in one place. You can store three to four years of these folders in one storage box.
My life is so much easier since I began doing this about eight
years ago. If I need to retrieve a bill or a receipt, I can
find it quickly. I also spend much less time cleaning out my
filing cabinet.
Cheryl R. in Silverdale, Washington
The Grocery Butcher's Secret
To save money on meat purchases, I study my store and find out what time they put out the marked down meats. One store puts it out in the evening, about an hour before closing, and another does it first thing in the morning. I make sure to shop at those times and only buy the marked down items. This helps me stretch my dollar.
When I get home, I separate the larger packages into
appropriate size packages and freeze them. In doing my
shopping this way, I sometimes end up with an excess of one
kind of meat over another, but it's still a big savings. It
also evens itself out over a period of time because different
things go on sale at different times. I wisely use my computer
to look up new recipes so I can be inventive with what I make
so we don't get bored with the food choices. It was a
challenge at first, but it works so well. Now, it's automatic.
S.
Premium Package Wrapping
I sew, which gives me leftover fabric and materials. When I
need a bow or to tie up a present, I use my pinking shears to
cut strips of fabric and use that. You can even use leftover
larger pieces of fabric to wrap your gifts. It definitely
gives a personal touch. With the holidays coming, this is a
great help.
Ruth
editor's note: For more creative gift wrapping ideas, please click here.
Cheaper Big Planters
I love planters for flowers (large ones), but the ones I
wanted at Wal-Mart were over $22. I bought two large plastic
laundry tubs at Dollar General for $7, but they were an ugly
blue that I didn't like. They also had rope handles. I removed
the rope handles and spray painted them a warm mauve color
with dollar cans of spray paint. I then drilled holes for
drainage. So for $14 plus $2 for paint and some labor, I saved
major bucks!
Bobbi C.
Grout Cleaning Surprise
I recently rented an apartment that had a lovely marbled
ceramic tile in the kitchen. However, the grout was really
dirty. I tried many cleaners and it still looked the same. On
a whim, I tried OxiClean® and water to clean the grout.
Using very little water and a lot of OxiClean®, I created a
paste-like mix and scrubbed the tiles and grout with a floor
brush. To my amazement, both the tiles and the grout came
clean. Even more amazing, and a little disturbing, the tiles
were also stark white. In comparison to the many other
cleaners I have tried, this is a great and moderately
inexpensive way to do a really great job in cleaning tile.
Curtis B. in Chicago, IL
Buying a Car?
Trying to decide which model/year of a used (or new) car to
purchase? Check with your automotive insurance agent and your
trusted mechanic before committing to buy. Some cars cost more
to insure and/or service because of their size, brand name,
theft history, etc. I know someone who bought a luxury brand
made by one of the big three auto makers and ended up selling
within two years because repair parts cost almost double, and
the insurance was also much more expensive than a similar body
style car with all the options.
Joan
Cold Flooring
My house is over 50 years old. I just bought it and part of the house is a finished basement. I had planned to buy a heated rug to put over the hallway floor down there, but something else came up.
It has been very cold here and I was not looking forward to
another winter of cold feet. I remembered that the Harbor
Freight® store near where I work sold anti-fatigue floor
coverings, the kind that gyms usually put under their
treadmills. I got the idea to put one under the rugs that I
have in the basement hallway. So far, they have worked really
well. Plus, I got them at a discount. They were much cheaper
than the electric rug would have been.
Phyllis
editor's note: For other ways to stay warmer this winter, please click here.
I Nearly Got Pinned!
Recently I needed safety pins of a specific length to sell
items at a consignment sale. After much searching in stores, I
found the size I wanted at Wal-Mart in the quilting section,
but they were expensive (only 30 or 40 pins for $2.76). I
needed over 100. I decided to search in other areas of craft
supplies and found the same safety pins in packages of 100 for
$1.38 in the beading section. Instead of being at eye level
(where they were in the quilting area), they were nearly on
the floor on the bottom hanging rows in slightly different
packaging. Three packages of the pins in the quilting section
would have cost me over $8.28, but because I took time to look
carefully, I saved nearly $7.
Laura in Arkansas
Easy Spider Control
This time of year we have so many spiders coming in the house.
A friend of mine told me to hide Bounce® dryer sheets all
around the house and the spiders would disappear. I tried it
and I have not seen a spider inside the condo since. I just
put them behind a couch or under a bed out of site. This is
much cheaper and healthier than bug spray.
Anita W.
Oatmeal's Ready!
We won't spend the money on instant oatmeal, but my kids get up and start their day at different times. I have found a way to have a hot meal ready in the morning, no matter what time they get up. I make oatmeal in my slow cooker. I load it the night before. After buttering the crock, I add maple extract, brown sugar, cinnamon, grated apple, oats and liquid (water/fruit juice combo).
Since my crock is old, it doesn't have a timer. If I let it cook all night, it turns into slime. So, I went and bought a lamp timer like you use for turning on lamps while you are on vacation. I set it up with my crock on low so that it will start cooking around 4am. By 7am or 7:30am, the oatmeal is ready to eat.
When my family was bigger, we used the full size crock, which cooked about five cups dry oats (enough for about 15 servings). Now that only three or four want oatmeal in the morning, I use my little 1 1/2 quart pot. The small crock will make two cups dry oats (enough for about five servings).
It is easy to make oatmeal a new habit for your family. You
can make it with flavors you love; it is quick, economical and
healthy. It saves time and smells great when you wake up. I
think it is a real winner all the way around!
Jeanette K. in Cottage Grove, OR
editor's note: If you use a timer, please make sure that it's rated to handle the load that the slow cooker will put on it. You don't want to start any fires. That's NOT the way to cook oatmeal!
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