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Readers' Tips

Preparing for a Layoff

I also work from home and bring in $200-$300 a month. When my husband's company closed at the beginning of this year, they had given us warning. They paid him severance pay (1 week for each year he'd worked there) plus vacation pay he had coming. In all we had two month's salary plus his unemployment to work with until he found another job.

One thing we did was immediately cut back unnecessary expenses - eating out, buying other than groceries and "have-to-have" things, clothes and other things that could wait till later and save up as much as possible. We also checked into his 401(k) to see if we could take that out instead of rolling it over (don't do this unless it becomes absolutely necessary - you'll never save that money back up). Look for odd jobs that either of you can do in your spare time (I took on babysitting my niece). Get prospects lined up for new jobs, but don't jump at anything available. You don't want him to lose any benefits he may have coming from his current company and if he can't stand it an quits, he's lost his unemployment benefits, too. Another thing it forced me to do was check my rates on insurance, etc. and to decide what bills were unnecessary. I changed my auto insurance to a company that charged me over $200 a year less and took options I didn't use off my phone service. I called credit card companies to see what kind of deals I could get on balance transfers and not only lowered some interest rates, but it didn't hurt so much when I could only make the minimum payment. We made it through the layoff, and he ended up with a job he likes making $2 an hour more than he was before. Sometimes that push out of your comfort zone is what you need to make your life better.
Kristi B.

Editor's note: more suggestions on how to prepare for an expected layoff at www.stretcher.com/stories/99/991213a.cfm

Substitutes for Sodas

Being a single mom with 3 growing and "always hungry and thirsty" older teens, I can understand the dilemma of the "Soda Wars". Some of my tips are these (they work--I tried all of them).

Challenge your family. If they are willing to try alternate drinks such as juice, tea, water etc. the money saved from "soda" can be put aside for a special family time such as ordering a pizza and renting a video. Also challenge them to develop their own drink ideas. When my children were younger, they experimented with mixing different flavors of kool aid and quite often were very successful. The only rule was it could not be wasted. Flavors not high on the list of drinking were frozen and made into home made popsicles.

Challenge them........they quite often provide very satisfactory and creative solutions on their own.
Vicki T.

Editor's note: more suggestions at www.stretcher.com/stories/99/991213b.cfm

The Best Window Cleaner

My employer moved us to a new building a year ago and since all the windows were new we hired a window washing service to clean them inside and out. The young man doing the work said that their secret ingredient is Dawn dishwashing detergent. He said a tiny bit in a bucket of water is all you need and he is right. He said that some people like to add a little bit of ammonia to make the water "slipperier" but it isn't necessary. But he also said that it is Crucial to use a squeegee, not paper towels, newspaper or rags; a good rubber squeegee. So there's some free advice from a professional. A frugal idea, too!
Gigi H.

Free Garden Supplement

We rang the local stables and asked if we could pick up some horse manure. They were more than happy to get rid of it and it makes excellent mulch for the garden saving you money on watering.
John F.

Dad Was Right

My husband recently started his own business and he put me in charge of saving him some money. You were getting a little upset about the amount of money we were paying for car insurance. So, one day I decide to shop around on the net. I search several insurance companies and the rate were varied. The next day I decided to call Progressive because I had some questions. In 15 minutes the representative gave me a quote that was $400 less and we currently paid, it the coverage was the same. When I called I had all my information ready and that made it easy and fast. So, we are now saving $400 a year on our car insurance. Like my dad always says it pays to shop around.
Tanya B.

Save Twice This Winter

Here's a helpful hint now that winter is here: During the months when the heat is on inside, I hang my washed clothes to dry in one of my kid's rooms. I have a drying rack and hang the clothes up in the morning--they are dry by the next morning. This process solves two "problems." One, I eliminate the need for a humidifier (which harbors bacteria if not cleaned properly and often). The moisture from the wet clothes humidify the air naturally and safely. Second, I save money on reducing the use of my electric dryer as well as not having to use a humidifier all night as well. This process works well for us--hope it can for someone else out there, too!
Donna G.

'Stocking' Stuffers?

Take your old socks for which you can't find a mate, in Christmas colors. Or dye the white ones. Dye costs very little. Cut out a round bottom from cardboard or use the bottom of paper or Styrofoam cups or even an old jar lid, whatever you have on hand to fit the sock. Put in sock at the toe as a base. Add Dry beans, or any thing you have on hand that is of that nature.(I found the beans work the best) Fill to where sock is ribbed, tie off with a rubberband. This can be draped to the side or pull the bottom of the ribbing down around the top of his head and glue down with fabric or craft glue to make a smaller hat. On the face in the middle, pull out a nose with the beans, it will be round, tie off with rubber band. For the eyes and mouth use your imagination! Buttons, Felt, Fabric Paint, or whatever suits you! Makes a cute decoration or a Holiday paper weight!
Mary G

Band Instruments

If you have a child going out for band and wish to rent an instrument instead of buying one, be sure and check with the school before going to a music company. We rented a trombone from our school at a cost of $30.00 for the entire school year - that's how much a music company wanted for just one month! This is a great way to go about it when your child signs up to play a musical instrument for the first time and neither of you are positive that s/he will wish to continue with it in the future. Happy playing!
Tracy in Watauga, TX

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