Tips, Tricks & Good Ideas

[Angela273]

Also, Bounce sheets work really well if you have static in your hair... just rub it over your hair!

Thanks, I had not heard of that before.

[addie123]

If you have a pot or pan with stuck on or baken on food, soak it in hot water and 1 dryer sheet overnight...the oils in the dryer sheet will lift off the cooked on food.

If you run out off mousse, use a small amount of shave gel instead...does a great job!

I always throw the used Glade plug in (or whatever brand) refill in my clothes drawers when I change them, it makes everything smell yummy.

A bit of toothpaste (paste, not gel) will get blood out of clothing (rub it in, launder as usual)...very handy for a mid-month accident.

Grocery shopping on Wednesdays and Thursdays will give you the best deals: stores gear up for Friday and weekend shoppers, so meats and produce will be reduced mid-week...perfect for right-away meals, or freezing.

Love, love, love this thread....thanks OP!

[thor9]

I think we've exhausted the bounce dryer sheet - but great ideas to those who have contributed so far to this thread.

Any now, moving on, here's a few tips & tricks (all borrowed) for Coke or Pepsi …. Did you know?????
To clean a toilet:
Pour a can of cola into the toilet bowl. Let it sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains.
To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers:
Rub the bumper with a crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
To clean corrosion from car battery terminals:
Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
To loosen a rusted bolt:
Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
To bake a moist ham:
Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan; Wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.
To remove grease from clothes:
Empty a can of Coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains.
If all else fails, drink the darn pop!

[frankienitka]

Make your own baby wipes. Simply cut a paper towel roll in half so you get 2 TP size rolls. Put one in a plastic container with a lid, pour no more then 3/4 of a cup of hot water with 1 to 1 1/2 table spoon of liquid baby soap mixed in. Adjust the water according to the type of paper towel you use but I found Bounty to be the best. Let the paper towel roll soak for a couple of hours. It should be moist but not drenched. Great for kids with sensitive skin.

[thor9]

bump

[PIONEET]

never buy self tan again just use coconut butter in a couple of days of use you will see results amazing

[muggos0101]

Save backs of bills, envelopes, and junk mail for scrap paper.

Grow your own food, I would grow more if I had a garden but just on my apartment balcony I have grown many herbs and even some tomatoes and carrots. And I live in Calgary... there will be frost for a while but I have a table by my window full of sprouts right now.

I also remember a couple from my grandma. She would always save butter foils to grease baking trays. Anytime she boiled/steamed veg she had a jar in the freezer she stored the water in. It was basically a small amount of veg stock each time, then she would make gravy with it like once a week. She didn't have the largest repertoire but when the gravy was that good you didn't mind eating the same thing every week

[janetta]

- FREE COMPOST FROM THE CITY OF TORONTO!! -I live in North York and the city provides free compost at their recycling facilities. I've already got a few bags for my garden. It totally beats paying for it...especially if you need lots to build a new garden!

-Save egg shells and egg cartons if you plan on growing your own veg from seed! Plastic egg cartons are great for starting seeds! Cardboard ones are alright, but sometimes roots will grow into them.
The egg shells are great for tomato plants as they provide calcium and protect from blossom end rot. Wash and dry them. Crush them, sprinkle them around your plant and mix in.

-Save the jars from your Classico pasta sauce. They're airtight mason jars!!
I keep my crush egg shells in one.

-Instead of buying new hip nail polish colours, mix your old/not so favourable colours together to create something new. I recently made a translucent peach/coral that's on my nails right now!

-Buy generic medicine whenever you can (Unless you have coupons and get them for nearly free or free!). The ingredients are the same, you're just not paying for the brand name! Ask your doctor when he's writing your prescription up- they've got generic options for a lot of meds these days...not just Aspirin!

-5 minute showers. Saves me time and money.

[frankienitka]

never buy self tan again just use coconut butter in a couple of days of use you will see results amazing

Ok, you've got to explain this one to me. I'm white as a gost and spend a fortune on self tanner. I've never heard of coconut butter.

[grannyg]

I think we've exhausted the bounce dryer sheet - but great ideas to those who have contributed so far to this thread.

Any now, moving on, here's a few tips & tricks (all borrowed) for Coke or Pepsi …. Did you know?????
To clean a toilet:
Pour a can of cola into the toilet bowl. Let it sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains.
To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers:
Rub the bumper with a crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
To clean corrosion from car battery terminals:
Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
To loosen a rusted bolt:
Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
To bake a moist ham:
Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan; Wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.
To remove grease from clothes:
Empty a can of Coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains.
If all else fails, drink the darn pop!

I dont drink coke/pepsi because if it can get rust off stuff. what is it doing to you stomach....

[kshearer]

Is it bad that I'm enjoying a delicious Coke right now? My tummy feels squeaky clean!

[carebearhamm]

I buy no name vinegar (about $3) and it will last me about a month.
I use it instead of fabric softener, and I also reuse my cleaning spray bottles and fill half with water half with vinegar. They make great all purpose cleaners, are cheap and are one less thing you don't have to keep track of in the flyers. I think it's also pretty green as it's non-toxic so if little ones get access to the squirt bottle it's not dangerous

I use vinager in the dishwasher - makes the water softer and less detergents (i have hard water on the farm).

[carebearhamm]

starbucks gives away used coffiee grounds (free) for your garden and it works great!!! I add it to my potted plants and i don't use fertilizer (yucky stuff).

[alenushka]

For cheap entertainment, you can bet a library card. We use ours, and you can order any movies online and they let me know when they are available and bring them to my chosen location for me. They've had 95% of the movies that my husband and I watch, including all the popular hollywood movies. We used to spend lots of money on watching movies every month, but now we pay $12 a year to watch as much as we want. Sometimes you have to wait a little while to get the movies, but it's worth it.

[buzyb34]

Dollar store laundry bags with the zipper. cut out the zipper and you got a great dish cloth. very similar to the $10 one from norwax. Also the lid from the spray pam works great as a scrapper for stuck on food on tables and counters and even the stove, and the BEST scaper for my stoneware.