Dollar Stretcher Tips
Dollar Stretcher Tips courtesy
of TheDollarStretcher.com.
Email your time or money saving tip to Tips@stretcher.com.
Lathered Up!
I like to use regular hand lotion when I shave. It lubricates
and moisturizes my face. Occasionally, I'll use a skin conditioning
lotion that contains the fragrance of my favorite cologne.
If you prefer the soapy lather, you can simply
work up a lather in your hands using regular bar soap and hot
water. Soaps like Dove that contain lotion are particularly
nice.
Vance
Permit Fee Pirate
Make sure you are informed about permit fees when working with
contractors! I recently called around to get bids for having
our garage demolished. I also called the city to find out about
any required permits and I found out that I would need an $85
permit.
When I obtained my first quote, I asked if
that included the permit fee, and he told me the permit fee
was $500! He agreed to take $500 off his quote if I went and
got the permit myself. That's incredible! $415 for a trip to
city hall! I'm so glad I asked!
Caroline S.
Women's Wide Shoes
I need a "wide" sized shoe. I wear a ladies size 8W.
I discovered that I can wear a boys size 6. Not only is it wider,
but also it's generally half the price. So if you wear ladies
size 6, 7 or 8, check out the boys department sizes 4, 5 or
6 and save some money.
Iris D.
Poison Ivy Cure
My husband is a horticulturist and is exposed to poison ivy
regularly. Quite by accident (we were treating and cured our
dog's mange with lemon juice), we found that fresh lemon juice
completely eliminates poison ivy overnight without burning the
skin. I have very sensitive skin and this worked for me without
irritation.
Suzy H.
The Tiny Bathroom
We have five people in our house and only one small bathroom.
There was never enough space on the towel bars for each person's
towel, let alone enough space for them to dry quickly enough
to avoid that damp mildew smell from setting in. I went to the
local Home Depot and purchased nice brass double coat hooks,
a pretty white decorative chair rail, and some bright drywall
screws. I went home and measured the areas for the new towel
racks. Then I installed the coat hooks to the chair rail every
six inches, with a bright screw between each hook, and affixed
the whole thing to the wall with Liquid Nails adhesive behind
it for extra support.
Now everybody has their own hook, and we even
have a few extra hooks to accommodate other things like galvanized
pails to hold tooth paste, hair brushes, and other bath things.
It updated the look of the bathroom and made it more functional.
Becki W.
Tons of Toys
If your kids are like mine, they have tons of little toys. I
bought small food storage containers from the Dollar Tree. They
are clear with colored tops. All small toys are put into them
by "theme," such as skateboards, motorcycles, etc.
We also have large plastic containers for toy
boxes. The small containers stack nicely inside the large ones,
and they do not need to dump the whole box to find that one
small toy.
My son has a bunk bed. We removed the bottom
bed, and he has tons of storage space underneath. The plastic
containers stack nicely and they are out of the way. If you
add some curtains, you have a great fort!
TB
Pet Problem
I have 5 cats and 2 dogs and accidents do happen. I use equal
parts of vinegar and water added to a spray bottle with 2 tablespoons
of dish soap. When the animal has a mess, blot up as much as
you can with white paper towels, shake the sprayer bottle, spray
the spot until it is wet, blot up again with white paper towels,
and let dry. This takes the smell out and the animals will not
go potty there again. I have tried a lot of various treatments
for this and this really works.
I also use it as a cleaner around the house.
It is good for cleaning windows, mirrors, chrome, and stainless
steel sinks.
Penny
Travel Trick
Every other year or so, my husband and I travel to the Midwest
to visit friends. We fly there and stay in motels in a couple
of areas. When we get there, we head for Wal-Mart where we get
one of the cheap styrofoam ice chests for a little more than
a buck.
At Wal-Mart, we also pick up cans of soda,
juice, and snack food at good prices. Sometimes, we go to a
grocery store and get lunch meat and cheese, keeping it in our
ice chest in the motel room. By having snacks on hand, sometimes
we only eat a restaurant meal once a day. I always pack two
big gulp cups, which we fill for refill prices when out and
about. We always avoid buying snack foods at the gas station
marts where prices tend to be high.
In places like Hawaii, where things are pretty
expensive, we go to a grocery store and get milk and cereal
(we stay in a condo). By having the cereal for breakfast, we
usually get by with one meal out per day.
Linda T.
Using Soap Scraps
Find a 3" x 5" x 1" sponge. At the center of
the 1" side, make a slit (be careful). Then insert the
soap in the slit. When wet, I always have a soapy sponge. This
is great in the tub and shower as you never have slippery soap
getting away from you.
Pat
Precision Pumps
I started reusing pump hand soap bottles in my shower. I just
clean them and peel the labels off. They sit nicely on a shelf
in my shower holding my shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and
baby oil.
I have noticed I use much less of these items
and they last a lot longer. The pump bottles regulate the amount
very accurately as opposed to just dumping some in your hand.
Theresa H.
Re-Usable Swim Diapers
Today, in most parts of the country, both public and private
pools and water parks require that any non-toilet trained child
or those three and under wear the disposable pool diapers. These
are sold under several brand names. In general, they cost more
than a $1 a piece.
While at the beach last summer, our youngest
was required to wear these at the pool. By mistake, I put a
used wet one in the dryer with the towels and bathing suits.
It came out exactly like it did from the package. To be sure
this was not a fluke, I intentionally wet it again and put it
in the dryer alone. Again, I got the same results. I would not
wash them with any objects other than towels or other objects
lacking buttons, Velcro, or zippers.
I continued to do this throughout the trip
and at home that summer. I had to purchase one package for the
entire summer. They held up great and never tore.
Linda
Lawrenceville, Ga.
No-Risk Borders
I recently saw a beautiful hand-painted flower border in a decorating
magazine for little kids. I thought I might try this myself.
I was afraid of getting paint on the walls, hating it, and being
forced to repaint the entire room. So I grabbed my little girls
washable watercolors just to practice. Any time I messed up,
I just wiped it off with a damp cloth and started over.
It literally took me about 15 minutes and the
cost of the washable watercolors is under $3. I used a real
artist brush that I already had instead of the one that came
in the paints. I intended to redo it in some other more permanent
paint when I was finished, but it turned out beautifully. Now
as she gets older and wants something different, I can just
wipe it all off in a minute. And she still has watercolors to
paint with!
LK
'Used' Baking Soda
Don't throw away those "used" boxes of baking soda
from your fridge! I use the "expired" baking soda
for cleaning the kitchen sink and counter tops. I've also used
the expired baking soda mixed with water to clean the corrosion
around my car battery receptors. Disconnect first.
You can also use the leftover baking soda to freshen cat litter,
sprinkle on carpets before vacuuming, and absorb fresh stains.
They say ants won't cross a white line of powder, so pour a
fine line around the outside of your house. There are many uses
for that "used" box of baking soda.
KW
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