Dollar Stretcher Tips courtesy of TheDollarStretcher.com.
Email your time or money saving tip to [email protected].
No Down Payment
There are so many options and programs available that having no money
for a down payment should not create problems. Even borrowers with
troubled credit history can find 100% financing. If your rate seems a
little high, ask your loan officer about doing a pre-payment penalty or
an adjustable rate mortgage (aka ARM). I do a lot of 100% financing and
have found that most first time homebuyers are payment sensitive. By
doing a pre-payment penalty and/or an ARM, your payment is much lower.
Please make sure you ask the details of the prepayment penalty. For
example, some pre-payment penalties will allow you to sell your house
to someone other than a close family member and the penalty is waived.
However, if you win the lottery or refinance and pay the loan off
before the prepayment term is expired, you may have to pay a hefty
penalty. Also, ask your loan officer and realtor about doing a FHA
loan, "rolling in" 3% of your closing costs and using down payment
assistance, if necessary. All of these things should keep you from
taking much, if anything, to the closing table.
Billie
Sr. Loan Officer
Really Free Stuff
There's a free service, hosted on Yahoo, with a web site
www.freecycle.org/. You sign up to become a member, then you receive
one email each day listing all of the free items that are available in
your city, or surrounding suburbs.
So far, in one week I have picked up (from within a 3 mile radius of my home) a patio table and 4 chairs, crafts for my little girls to do outside, and 2 large dog crates (for rescues). Tonight I am going to pick up a plethora of educational software and a marble standing lamp.
Free
membership, free goodies, from computer equipment, cameras, clothes,
Lego's, you name it. And best of all the price is right!
Shelly
Fort Lauderdale
Released!
I thought I was really being smart buying an off-brand wrinkle releaser
at the dollar store. I hate to iron, and it uses electricity, etc.
Today I started spraying a blouse with water that I was going to get the wrinkles out by throwing in the dryer for a few minutes, when right before my eyes the wrinkles started to come out. So I went ahead and smoothed the fabric, just like the wrinkle release products recommend, and my blouse is now wrinkle-free. I tried it on several more of my blouses, and a shirt of my husband's that is part polyester and cotton. (The first ones were all cotton.) I had to use a little wrinkle release on my husband's shirt, but not as much as usual.
No
electricity needed, no hours standing over an ironing board, no adding
heat to the kitchen, and, best of all, no chemicals sprayed in the
kitchen.
Donna E.
Appliance Repair Made Easy
A great source of information on repairing your appliances is your
local appliance parts store. I recently repaired my own electric dryer
when the belt broke. I called the appliance parts store to locate the
part (after checking to make sure I knew the exact model name and
number). Not only did he have the part but he gave me great
instructions on replacing the belt that were not listed in my appliance
repair book. Cost: $20 and 15 minutes of my time.
Debbie P.
Cheap Clip
Why buy one of those fancy "Chip Clips" in the grocery store? If my
husband or I don't finish a bag of anything (not just chips), I use one
of those spring-hinged wooden clothespins to close the bag.
Works
just as well, and at something like $1.99 for a bag of 50, it's a lot
cheaper than the plastic ones that will break in a month!
Nancy
Dog Bed
I recently acquired a two-inch thick piece of foam, cut to accommodate
the size of my dog. I took an old vinyl tablecloth and made a
"pillowcase" to fit the piece of foam and sewed the ends together. I
placed my dog's eighty-nine cent rug on top of her new "pillow."
Now, if my dog has an accident, it's easy enough to wash off her "pillowcase," and it's inexpensive to replace her rug.
Regina
Super Window Wash
I saw an ad the other day for a spray that would remove spots from
windows. My windows have been looking pretty shabby and I thought I'd
give it a try, but I nearly choked on the $8.95 (plus shipping and
handling) that they were charging for a quart spray bottle.
It
occurred to me that since my sink scrub powder "hadn't scratched yet,"
it wasn't likely to start scratching my windows. I sprinkled a little
onto a wet rag, gave my windows a good rub down, and then washed them
as I normally do. Now my windows are spotless!
Doreen B.
Corbett, OR
Detergent Stretcher
My mother told me to use some washing soda with the wash and cut back on the amount of detergent that is used.
Cynthia T.
'Packrat' Cure
Here's my solution for reducing the amount of "stuff" in your home, when you fear you might need it later.
Find some good sturdy boxes, some paper and packing tape. Write a number only on the outside of the box. Box up all the things with which you're not sure you can part. Write a list of the things you place in each box, then seal the box with packing tape, and store it in your basement, attic, closet, etc.
After a year has passed, if you haven't had to dig into the box, you can safely assume you'll never need it again. Take the box to your local charity shop or a church clothes drive and get a charitable contribution deduction on your taxes.
If you have a strong will, open the
boxes and have a yard sale, but be warned! A friend of mine thought
this would work for her, until she opened the boxes and caved into
keeping everything again!
Mary in Kentucky
Demolition Derby
My honey and I were able to save a load of money by going to demolition
sales. In our area of Florida, a lot of folks buy property, planning to
tear down an existing building. However, before the dwelling is
removed, the pieces (flooring, toilets, faucets, etc.) are offered for
practically free.
You have to tear things out
and prepare them for use in your own home. It is a lot of extra work,
but in our case, we had more time than money. The pieces we have pulled
out of these homes are beautiful and we managed to have our dream home
built using 22% recycled pieces.
Ro B.
Kid-Safe Weed Killer
Instead of buying expensive weed killer, use ordinary white vinegar.
Put vinegar in a spray bottle and spray away. Weeds will die within 3
to 5 days. It is safer than commercial weed killer for pets and
children.
Kathleen H.
Sundry Tracking
I keep track of the date I open large sundry items such as cleaners,
cotton balls, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. I started doing this out of
curiosity because some things seemed to last forever even though I used
them constantly, such as bulk shampoo. By checking the date I first
started using an item, I can better gauge how many I need to keep on
hand or how many to buy when I come upon a sale.
This
has saved me money because I always seemed to buy extra items when they
were on sale and ended up with a lot more items than space. Now if I
come upon a sale and know that I have an extra item on hand (I keep a
spreadsheet of my extra items in my planner in my purse), I know I can
let that sale slide and wait for a sale closer to the time we should be
running out of that item.
Lisa
Instant Donuts
You can make your own donuts at home anytime with refrigerated biscuit
dough. Simply drop one biscuit at a time into hot oil (a deep fryer
works well, or use about a 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet). Brown lightly
on all sides and remove and drain on paper towels. Roll in powdered
sugar, cinnamon sugar or melted chocolate and serve warm. Yummmmm!
If
you purchase rolls of dough at four for a dollar, this treat is very
economical. You can also get fancy and cut out the middle of the
biscuit to make them look like real donuts, cut out the middle after
cooking and fill with jam, or simply serve them plain and warm. And
watch your family devour them!
Lucy K.
Lanesville, Indiana
Travel Memories
I take a small, unlined notebook, a glue stick, a couple pens, and
markers with me when I travel. Pick a notebook that is a little bigger
than a postcard.
Save any little bits of paper, such as receipts with store names, boarding passes, ticket stubs, restaurant sugar packets, etc. Every night, glue in your bits, and in a couple sentences, describe the highlights of the day. Also, glue in postcards and leave room for photos to be added when you get home.
I
have done this on several trips, both domestically and internationally,
and looking back through the books, I'm reminded of many situations
that surely would have slipped away without those memories!
Cheryl
From Kitchen to Compost
I got tired of running to the composter a couple of times per day to
get rid of the kitchen waste. So I started to put coffee grounds,
peelings, egg shells, etc. in a plastic bag in the freezer. Once the
bag is full, then I take it to the composter.
No
more smelly kitchen and the freezing makes the peelings, etc. break
down quicker once they are in the composter, so I soon have some
organic fertilizer to feed to my plants.
Liz M.
Do you have a good idea for saving time and money? Send it to Dollar
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