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I've used bubble wrap on my windows. I sprayed the window with water and then stuck the bubble wrap to the window. Plenty of light still comes in, and I think it helps with the cold.
Lisa
editor's note: For more on Insulating Sliding Glass Doors, please click here.
People need a combination of fats, protein, and carbs to fill them up and keep them satisfied for several hours. This is why eating just toast or pancakes won't satisfy someone for the long haul. They are mainly carbs.
However, if you add protein and fat, those basic breakfast foods become stick-to-your-rib meals. Peanut butter on any toast or quick bread is a great, cheap way to add both protein and fat to round out a breakfast. Eggs are literally pennies apiece and can be scrambled and then cooked in the microwave and added to two pieces of toast for a quick breakfast sandwich.
Tuna fish is also inexpensive. Half a can mixed with some mayonnaise and added to bread is an inexpensive breakfast.
Leftover roasts can be turned into beef and gravy toppings for biscuits (like a sausage and gravy type item.) You don't have to eat breakfast food for breakfast if you can get used to the idea.
You may be saving money if you stick to smaller, simpler meals but not if you get hungry again three hours later. I eat big meals and fewer of them. I never have to snack or take more frequent meal breaks. Plus, I don't have to stop what I'm doing to make time to eat.
Barbara
Additional Dollar Stretcher Resource: More ideas for hearty, stick-to-your-ribs breakfasts
Instead of buying expensive dusting cloths or sprays, try a used dryer sheet. Often times, while folding laundry, I'll snag the used sheet and run it across the bookshelves and wooden dressers. They're great at picking up dust. Plus, they always have a little scent left in them, which makes the whole room smell nice. They work well on electronics too, but just around the edges. However, I don't use them on the TV or computer screen because they may leave streaks or residue.
Rebecca S. in Maryland
Add this to your list for freshening bathrooms. Use Polident® or other dental cleansing tablets in the "smokers" or mint versions. Drop one or two in the toilet and it will quickly make your bathroom smell nice (and help clean it as well).
I have a friend who has irritable bowl syndrome, and it was embarrassing for her to use bathrooms at church or in other public places. I suggested this to her, and she was amazed how much it helped. She carries them in her purse. You can find these at dollar stores.
Amber K.
Additional Dollar Stretcher Resource: More ideas on air fresheners
I like buying in bulk on big sales, particularly non-perishables (like canned fruits, etc.) and toiletries (from toilet paper to soap and shampoo). It saves me money and adds to my supplies. If I do need some extra money (for an emergency or unexpected cost), I have it in those little bits I save off my budget by buying things when they're on a great special. Sure, I might have one to three month's worth of bathroom supplies, but when it's at less than half price (and I budgeted for the normal price), that's a fair bit of money saved with little effort.
TW
One of the most useful and cost-saving appliances I have in my kitchen is a deli-style meat slicer. It has a revolving blade, a sort of sliding deck that you put the meat on, and a knob to adjust the thickness of the meat. I received it as a Christmas present, so I don't know what was spent. However, they are selling at full price for $129.99 around here. I'll use this figure to calculate the most conservative savings.
When you buy sliced meat at the deli, it costs about $11.39 per pound around here, even on sale. Usually you don't buy a whole pound, so the price doesn't seem much, say $2.99 for a packet. Maybe you buy two or three packets per week to have a variety for sandwiches.
You can buy a boneless beef roast on sale for $4.99/lb or a ham for $3.99/lb. You might be buying this already for a Sunday dinner. It's very easy to buy one a bit larger and add a few minutes to the cooking time (say an extra half-pound or pound).
Now you take your fully cooled leftover roast and slice it thin with your slicer. Makes for great sandwich fillings with no added salt and preservatives! By saving up to $5 per week using this method, you will have the slicer paid off in about six months; after that, it is all "gravy" savings (pun intended) of $250/year.
Evelyn S.
Instead of purchasing expensive (and potentially toxic) bathroom air fresheners to get rid of bathroom odors, invest in a book of paper matches. Lighting a match in a bathroom will eliminate odors, save money, and reduce the garbage created by empty air freshener containers.
Mary
Additional Dollar Stretcher Resource: More on homemade air fresheners
Instead of buying commercial "lint catchers" available for filtering your washing machine waste water, just use old stockings that are worn, stretched, or developed runs. Both knee-high and regular nylon stockings work great for this, and having finer mesh, they actually catch more lint from going down the drain than the commercial catchers. When using a regular nylon pair, use the extra leg to tie around and hold the first leg onto the waste pipe, or the bottom part of the current leg. For knee-highs, you may need to use a large twist-tie or cable tie to hold it on.
As stockings wear out, I simply tie them onto the water pipes near the washer, so they are always handy to replace the lint catchers as they fill up over time. Naturally you'll want to check them periodically to replace them when they're dirty. You wouldn't want to block the water flow and cause a flood!
Donna F. in NY
Trying to get rid of smoke car odor? Mix together the cheapest apple sauce and cheapest cinnamon that you can find into a really thick glob (like really thick bread dough). It will take about 1/2 cup apple sauce and 1/4 cup cinnamon. Roll it around to mix. Put it in an old small margarine tub. Punch a few holes in the top with a pen and then stick it under the seat in your car.
This is the same recipe used to make cinnamon Christmas ornaments. I took some of the stuff with me in the car and rolled it under a seat. When the heat kicks in, or the car sits in the sun, the whole car gets a great cozy cinnamon smell to it.
Sues
Additional Dollar Stretcher Resource: More on smoke odors
One money-saving habit I have been doing a lot lately is signing up for free samples. Obviously, you get a free sample, but beyond that you get to reuse the packaging it comes in! Many samples I've received recently are mailed in bubble wrap envelopes. I open them carefully and save for items I sell on eBay or for sending gifts to relatives and friends! I figure I save a buck. Plus, I get a free sample!
Sarah B.
Many families are struggling with their grocery bills. That can be tough when you have a pet in the family, too. If you must buy your pet a "cheap" dog food, my Vet says to buy the puppy version because it has more vitamins.
Melanie B
I used to buy cream rinse for my hair after I had shampooed. It conditioned my hair quite well. However, it also cost money. It wasn't a lot, but it is the nickels and dimes that do our budget in. Now, I use a water and white vinegar solution at one part vinegar to four parts of water. I do not rinse out the vinegar and water solution from my hair. This leaves my hair and scalp with no soap residue. My hair seems to have more life after using this solution, and it leaves it soft, shiny, and very manageable. There is no smell of vinegar left in my hair.
When I have finished applying the vinegar and water solution to my hair after shampooing, my hair does not feel nice, but when my hair is dry, it is soft, shiny, and full of life. It feels very clean and well conditioned for a fraction of the cost of cream rinse. This solution also really cleans your scalp.
I buy white vinegar in a large container as I also use it for cleaning windows and mopping my laminate floor. There is just a myriad of things that I use white vinegar for.
Luella N.
To save money, I quit spending money on things that are wasteful, such as expensive portraits. When my children were younger, I spent a lot of money on professional pictures. I have lots of pictures just lying around from those days. Now, I use my camera and take pictures of them outside (mostly) in front of pretty trees or at the park on a swing (there are so many possibilities).
Then I can edit the pictures on my computer software and only print what I need instead of having to buy a package. I can crop the pictures, remove red eye, and make black and white photos. In my opinion, they look so much more natural and pretty than the pictures from the photo places. With a decent camera and computer (which most people have), anyone can do this. If you want an entire family portrait, just ask a friend, family member, or neighbor to help out.
A.
There is a way to change the color or pattern of your vertical blinds, and it is very easy! Find some fabric that you love or that matches your new decor and then cut it into strips the same length and width as your blinds. Then use starch to stiffen them. Once they are dry and stiff, you just insert them into the vertical blinds just as you would the replacements that are more expensive! We have done this not only in my mother's house but in friends' houses as well, and it worked without any problems. It only cost them the starch and the fabric.
Emily in Oklahoma
Additional Dollar Stretcher Resource: More on updating vertical blinds
Decorating a new home? Do not overlook secondhand sources for electrical items. Our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore (building supply thrift store) sells ceiling fans (with or without lights) for as little as $25, depending on the style. That's less than half the cost of a new one. Habitat makes sure the fan works and is not a fire hazard. I've bought lamps for as little as $7 from local thrift stores. I inspect them carefully to make sure the wiring is okay. The ones I've bought are as good as new, but much cheaper.
LB
When mowing the lawn with the lawn mower, cut hearts in the lawn and put your beloved's and your initials below the heart like "JD + JS." My husband did this for me some 20 years ago when we were dating. It's my most cherished romantic memory.
Jannet in Hawaii
Additional Dollar Stretcher Resource: More affordable Valentine's ideas
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