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T I G H T W A D T I P S
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| CHILD
SAVINGS TIPS |
 Tightwad
Hideout for Kids!
The best fort that your kids will ever own is the imagination
playhouse. With only a few blankets, pillows, tables and chairs, your
house will turn into a Star Wars space ship, an enchanted castle or a haunted mansion.
Construct this instant and safe, no-cost indoor play yard the tightwad way.
First gather the materials in the middle of a clean floor. Use available tables and
take the chairs and place them end-to-end to make tunnels from against the table. Be
creative and add a few twists and turns. Next cover the table and chairs with lots
of blankets and sheets. A few weighted pillows on top of the chairs, or some
strategically  placed large spring paper clips or clamps will help keep
the many blankets in place. Your mess will then resemble a huge igloo that
kids can go into and adults can't approach and interfere! Kids love the private
enclosed area. Ambient light should be enough for their imagination, but a
flashlight can be fun too. Their place can be almost anything they imagine.
Lay down a blanket and you'll be surprised how easy it is to begin their nap inside their
imaginary cave. |
| HOUSEHOLD
SAVINGS TIPS |
 Sock Dispenser
Socks have a life after death. Take old socks and put a hole at the
toe end. Sew a ring of elastic into that hole with needle and thread. Next get
a small screw and large washer and screw the sock into a  kitchen
sink door or a similar location. Place rolled-up plastic bags into the sock on one
end and use it as a dispenser for trash bags. Or, instead of using a ton of paper towels,
use small clean rags the size of wash clothes. Bundle them each into a knot and put
them into the sock dispenser. When you need a paper towel, reach for a rag instead.
Toss the dirty rags into a plastic bag and send them with the laundry.
Dispose of any rag with chemicals or painting products into a closed metal
container. They can spontaneously ignite as my friend found out one day, and one
garage later! Save a bundle on paper towels and trash bags. |
| GARDEN
SAVINGS TIPS |
 Scoop
Scrap Savings
Recently it dawn'd on me, that I could save money recycling old plastic
liquid detergent bottles into something useful for the garden or playground. Larger
and thicker warehouse size product containers are best for this use. After using the
last bit of liquid detergent, take a utility knife or sharp industrial scissors and cut a
diagonal cut from the handle to the bottom edge, forming a handled scoop. Remove the
label and make measured markings on the outside to indicate liquid measurements.
When mixing garden chemicals or poisons use the scoop to make accurate measurements, then
open the pour spout and drain the mixture as needed. As a scoop for solids, it's
perfect for scooping sand and dirt in the garden. Kids love it as the perfect
accessory for building sand castles at the beach. Save the cut bottom portion to use
as a sturdy holder for spillable workbench items or to use as a resting spot for paint
brushes. |
| HOUSEHOLD
SAVINGS TIPS |
 Old Toothbrushes Never Die...
They Just Scrub Away!
Never ever toss away old tooth brushes! They're the perfect tools for
detailed cleaning and polishing work. Apply some metal polish and 'go to town'
cleaning small parts or tricky corners. When polishing the car, use old soft
toothbrushes to scrub out crusty dried car polish stuck between car emblems or window
washer jets. To get corners and tricky grout areas of a shower or bathtub, apply
some cleanser and brush the grime away. Apply a little heat to the plastic brush
head and bend in the middle about 90 degrees, you'll loose some bristles, but then you'll
have a cleaning brush for bottles and other hard to reach areas. For routine
cleaning, drop them into the dishwasher. No workbench or tool chest should be
without a few brushes sitting with the pens and pencils. You'll wonder how you got
along without them!
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| HOUSEHOLD
SAVINGS TIPS |
 Soap Grafting Savior
What do you do with those small bits of used soap? If you're a tightwad,
you don't throw them away! Use a small cotton change purse to store the bits or
small soaps saved from hotels. I purchased a brand new, all cotton change purse
(without liner) from a recent trip to a flea market. Made in Guatemala, purchased in San
Antonio, Texas... The total price was $1.25. Better yet, make your own using a nylon
zipper. The attractive purse foams-up soap very nicely and is much more attractive
then grimy bits of soap ends. Pull off the metal pull tab with plyers, it will still
open and close, but it won't be rough on hands. Wash the purse to eliminate any dyes
before using. Never buy handsoap again! Freebees are only a motel away. |
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HOUSHOLD
SAVINGS TIPS
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 Plastic Grocery
Bag Bonanza
  If you don't know what to do with those annoying plastic grocery bags, read
on! I've ceased purchasing trash bags for the last few years now, and I've never
missed paying out the money. Use the bags for small trash cans, by tying a small
knot in one or both handle ends and by stretching the bag over the lip of the trash
container. Use larger knots for smaller trash cans. To improve the appearance,
fold the excess knotted ears under the trash container lip to make everything look nice.
Once the trash is filled, remove the bag and tie the two bag handles together to form a
sealed trash ball for easy disposal. Store used plastic grocery bags for use
later. Wrap the plastic bags into small knots for easy storage. Follow three
steps: The first step is to fold and twist the bag into a long rope. Next,
fold the bag 'rope' in the middle. Finally, make a simple knot out of the whole
thing. The bag should look like a little ball. Use an old sock to store dozens
of these bags for instant use later.
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SPECIAL
NOTICE...
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