Weekly Dollar Stretcher Tips or April 14, 2016

Here are your Dollar Stretcher Tips for Thursday April 14, 2016.

Mosquito Season

Here’s an easy way to take the itch out of a mosquito bite. Just wet a cotton ball or cotton swab with rubbing alcohol and put it on the bite. When I’m hiking or camping, I keep a small bottle in my backpack and just dab it on!
Ross

Preventing Pantry Waste

I run a local food pantry. We stock newer items in the back just like a store does. This way, the new items are in the back and the older items are in the front. There’s no more expired food to throw out. This saves money and time.
Judy in NY

Burglary Prevention

There have been some burglaries in our neighborhood, but I don’t worry. Our doors all have deadbolts, and under each window, we planted thorny bushes. No one is going to crawl through a window at our house when we’re not home!
Rudy

Small Bathroom Update

One way to give your bathroom a new look is to use peel and stick tiles on the floor. As long as you carefully clean the floor first, they adhere well. They’re cheap and easy to install. All you really need is a ruler, marker, razor knife, and a little time.
Joanne

Softer Skin

Want to have soft skin? Try this body scrub. Take some regular sugar and add enough baby oil to make it moist (not wet). If you want, add a drop or two of your favorite essential oil. Scrub before you step into the shower. When you step out, your skin will be smooth!
Kathy

Daily Inspiration

This year, I purchased one of those daily inspirational calendars. I was throwing away the page each day when it occurred to me that I really liked the quotes that were included on each one, so I’ve been cutting them off and putting them in an empty jar. When the calendar runs out, I’ll still have a jar full of great quotes to greet me each day!
Becky

Buying Good China

I always wanted good china for special occasions, but could never afford any. Then I happened to see some at an estate sale. It was missing a few pieces, so the price was low. I quickly googled it and found that it was a common pattern, so I bought it. That was two years ago. I’ve since found more of the same pattern on Craigslist and in another estate sale. I also look any time I’m in a second hand shop, garage sale, or thrift shop. Usually I just find a plate or two. But I’ve accumulated a complete service for eight. With extra pieces, I don’t feel bad about using them. If a piece gets broken, I already have a replacement for cheap!
Gwen

Removing Food Stains

I keep a spray bottle of hydrogen peroxide and blue Dawn dish soap by my washing machine. The mixture is about half hydrogen peroxide and half dish soap. I spray it on and very lightly rub it in with my fingers. It always removes the stains. Occasionally I have to treat the stain twice, but it always comes out. I’ve even sprayed stained items that had been through the dryer and the stains still came out.
Betsy

The Sharing Society

A good friend and neighbor and I have been sharing a lawnmower for years. After an extremely harsh winter and a realization of our ages, we also bought a snow blower together. We share the maintenance costs and certainly bought a better model since we were sharing the initial cost. And the neighbors appreciate the snow blowing as we walk it down the block to each other’s home.
Steve F.

The One Way Trip Trick

Whenever I pack for a trip, the first thing I do is bring out the bag in my closet I have for clothing to be donated to Goodwill. If I have items in that bag that I can wear for layers or as pajamas, I pack them. By doing this, I can reduce the weight of my checked baggage on my return trip. When I make my way back to the airport, I just place the clothing in a bin for charity donations. The bins are usually located around shopping centers in major cities. If I buy gifts or souvenirs while I travel, this plan also saves some space in my checked return bag.
Heidi B.

Part-Time Income

My husband and I have found the perfect part-time job. It is flexible and pays well. We are banquet servers for the catering company at our city’s convention center. We set up, serve, bus tables after the meals, and tear down the job at the end of the event. We simply went to the little catering office at the convention center and submitted an application. Quarterly, we give them our availability and only work a few days a month. We are paid minimum wage plus a percentage of the job as a gratuity. We always bring home (after taxes and union fees) at least $20 per hour.
Jenny

Electronic Clutter

Spring cleaning revealed something to me. My house is full of electronic clutter that we’ll never use again! Scattered around are old TVs that don’t work properly, old video games, last generation cell phones, and even a VCR that we’ll never use again. I’ve decided to get rid of all this stuff over the next four weeks. The TV will go on Freecycle. Perhaps someone knows how and wants to fix it. We never will. The old video game system will go to a women’s shelter. I’m going to check out one of those sites that buys old phones, too. I might even make a few dollars!
Liz

 

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