From the category archives:

Thrifty Thursday

Thrifty Tip: Make That Fabric Softener Last Alot Longer!!!

by Jenni on February 8, 2012

I came across this post from another blogger and wanted to share it! Fabric Softener is costly but there is something that you can do to make it stretch alot further!!!

Grab any bowl (non metallic) and pour some liquid fabric softener in. Add a washcloth and allow that to soak up the softener. Squeeze out the excess liquid softener and pour back into the bottle that it came from for later use. Hang the washcloth to dry for 24 hours and then it’s ready to use. Just throw it in the dryer with your laundry and reuse over and over (100+ loads!!!) instead of fabric softener sheets! This will save TONS of money over time !!

Thanks for this tip, Couponing to Disney

Blessings~

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Frugal Electrical Cord Organization Method

by Jenni on January 3, 2012

If you’re like me when something quits working at your computer desk, you have to crawl underneath and just start pulling plugs while hoping for the best !!! I saw this electrical cord organization method and thought it was just the coolest! Now, I’ll be sure to keep my hot dogs and hamburger bun ties!

Thanks for the tip, Be Different Act Normal and Money Saving Madness

Blessings~

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Thrifty Thursday 5/13 – Thrifty Ideas to Save You Money

by Jenni on May 13, 2010

Today is Thrifty Thursday! This is the day that I like to share thrifty tips for your household to save you money!! I have a few small tips today that might help a little.

When you go to fast food restaurants, do you save the napkins, condiments, and/or plastic utensils?? Well, I never used to. When I got home with the food I’d just throw it all away with the stuff still in the bags!! {eeeeeek} Now, I keep all that stuff. I have a section in my kitchen where I keep these items. Now, when I run low on papertowels or ketchup…I’ll have extra stashed! Also, the plastic utensils would come in handy for the kids to pack for their lunches at school!!

One other tip that I wanted to share is a little more complex. If you have never heard the phrase “freezer cooking” or “once a week/month cooking” then you might be interested! I will say that this probably doesn’t work for everyone but some folks find that it saves alot of TIME and MONEY!

The idea is to take 1 day and cook up enough meals for a week or some even cook for the whole month. I think I’d rather start out with a week…hahaha. But, you cook a week’s worth of meals and freeze them in either freezer bags or containers with lids. Mark them with a date and name of the meal. Each day when it’s time to eat, just thaw and reheat and voila! It saves time daily from cooking in the kitchen and also you’ve ensured that the groceries you’ve bought will be eaten and not go to waste!

I personally haven’t tried this method of cooking but I have been interested in learning more about it the last few weeks. It has been talked about alot on television shows. One in particular “The Biggest Loser” which is one of my fave shows!! I think that this method of cooking works extremely well for people who have large families or households where both parents work outside the home! If you’d like to learn more about it, check out FrugalMom.net. Also, I found several interesting and “normal everyday” recipes for bulk cooking and freezing here at MomsBudget.com .

If you already cook and freeze this way, I’d love it if you would leave a comment below this post giving us any tips or recipes that you use!! Or if you know of any other great websites to visit that talks or teaches about this subject!

Blessings~

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THRIFTY THURSDAY 5/06 – Thrifty Ideas for Your Household

by Jenni on May 6, 2010

Today is Thursday and that means “Thrifty Thursday” here on Sweet Pennies from Heaven. This is the day that I like to share some thrifty and interesting tips and ideas with you. Today is a little lacking on ideas as I have been trying to enjoy some time outside since it’s so beautiful. Thanks to my niece Shelbi for sharing these with me.

How many of those chip clips have you bought?? How many of them have broken or gotten lost?? Personally I like to use clothespins, but another thrifty idea is using bread bag ties. Instead of throwing them away, put them in a drawer and grab one the next time you can’t find a clip or clothespin!!

This is an energy saving tip. Keeping your freezer full will keep it from running as often which means, less energy! If you’re freezer isn’t near full then try filling bottles or milk jugs with water and filling in the spaces. You’ll notice your freezer running alot less often. My fridge/freezer is very noisy anyway and so I don’t like hearing it run all the time!

Try freezing your candles before burning them. Apparently that keeps them burning longer. It’s a good idea to try anyway because candles can be so expensive. Another thing that I like to do is wait until the candle only has a couple of inches left in the bottom and then instead of burning it, I’ll put it on a candle warmer. They last a really long time that way too. Candle warmers are also great for people with cats or small kids. I found mine at Walmart for about $5 in the candle section.

If you have any thrifty tips that you’d like to share, just add them in the comments section under this post. We’d all love to hear!

Blessings~

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THRIFTY THURSDAY 4/29 – Fun and Thrifty Ideas

by Jenni on April 29, 2010

Well, I’ve spent quite awhile on this website today called ThriftyFun.com. I recommend that everyone checks this place out. There is a ton of useful information for normal {and thrifty} everyday things! There’s alot of tips and advice for you gardeners out there too!! You could spend hours on there and never read it all.

Visiting this website is the one and only tip I have to share today. You can subscribe to their newsletters and receive a thrifty tip each and every day right in your inbox!! I spent so much time on there that I didn’t have enough time to find other tips for you today…eeeek!! Have fun reading and Enjoy!

Blessings~

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Thrifty Thursday 4/22 – Thrifty Ideas to Save YOU Money

by Jenni on April 22, 2010

This is another post in my Thrifty Thursday series! Today, I wanted to share these cool ideas with you! If you have any thrifty money saving ideas, please share them with us. You can leave them in the comments section at the bottom of the post. Please know that I am not a doctor, nor am I a veterinarian…hahaha. These are just some tried and true tips from others. Some of these I have used myself.

How many of you are dog lovers?? Well, here are a few tricks that you can use so you don’t have to spend a fortune anymore!!

I know this sounds GROSS but it’s something that most dog owners deal with…ear mites! It’s so easy for dogs to get ear mites because of moisture and hair that grows inside the ears. If you take your dog to a groomer then they can help reduce the problem by pulling the hair out of their ears. If you groom your own dog, it’s really simple to do this yourself. Just sprinkle a little baby powder inside thier ears and then grab the hair and pull. It usually comes right out with not too awful much fuss from your pooch!

Also, another remedy for the ear mites is corn oil…such as Wesson or any other brand you may use. Just put a couple of drops inside your dog’s ears (works on cats too), massage it in, and use a cotton ball or qtip to remove the wax and residue. Try this for 3 days in a row and you should see a marked difference. The oil soothes the irritated skin, smothers the ear mites, and makes the healing process a little quicker.

One thrifty way of ridding your dog of fleas, is Dawn Dishwashing liquid. Flea shampoos can be sooo expensive, especially if you buy it from the vets office. Just shampoo your dog in the Dawn Dish liquid and then rinse really well to avoid skin irritation and see if you don’t notice a difference. You may still need to use a collar or the drops on the neck. I can tell you that I have used the kinds from Walmart and they do work. I have a short haired dog though, and fleas are alot easier to rid on those than long haired dogs!!

Don’t you hate that “wet dog” smell. It’s totally offensive…hahaha. Well, I have a suggestion. Try using a fabric softener sheet! When your dog comes in from outside, just wipe him/her down with a fabric softener sheet and that should help the offensive odor. You can also use these in between baths to keep them smelling a little cleaner. Don’t bathe your dogs often…it’s not good for their skin!

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Thrifty Home Remedies:

Try using Colgate toothpaste as a salve for burns or scrapes!! I haven’t tried this but I’ve heard it works. If you try it or have tried it, let us know! We’d love to hear.

Stuffed up noses?? Well, I’ve read that eating 1 or 2 of those “Curiously Strong” Altoid Peppermints can take care of that problem. They are fairly natural…at least a lot more natural than any over the counter medications that we take!!! Who really knows what’s inside of those meds?? Another thing you can do is add alot of pepper to your foods! That I can say works!

Have you tried everything under the sun to help a sore throat? One good tip is mixing a 1/4 cup of vinegar with a 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 table spoon 6 times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria and the honey is a natural medicine. A spoonful of plain pure honey also works great for a nagging cough. I used honey last year for a nasty cough myself and it works!!

Do flies drive you crazy?? There is no explanation that I can find for this next tip, but it’s worth a shot. I’ve read that it does work. I can’t wait to try it!! If you have those pesky flies that like to come in everytime you open the door, try hanging a Ziploc bag filled about half way with water and 4 or 5 pennies somewhere around your entrance doorways. I have no idea why this would work, but I’ve heard that even the Amish use this trick!!

Once again, if you know of any good thrifty tips or tricks, you’re more than welcome to share them with us!!

Thanks to my niece Shelbi and my Dad for sharing some of these tips!!

Blessings~

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Thrifty Thursday 4/15 – Thrifty Tips to Save you Money

by Jenni on April 15, 2010

This is the beginning of my Thrifty Thursday weekly series. I want to dedicate Thursdays to general thrifty ideas to save money. If you have any thrifty ideas that you would like to share, please do!!

Brita Water Pitchers are a great way of saving money because bottled water can be very expensive in the long run. Plus, the fact that there are alot of people out there who don’t recycle. This would keep alot of plastic bottles out of our trash cans. I posted a few days ago and the benefit of using a Brita Water Pitcher. You can view that post here! You will find a $4 coupon in that post plus where the cheapest place is to buy one!!

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Cornmeal is something that alot of people have in their pantry. It’s a staple in most households especially if you are the family that cooks instead of the family that goes the “fast food” route! Don’t get me wrong, our family loves the $1 menu too!!!! One thing that you can use cornmeal for other than cooking, is for an ANT repellant! Apparently, the ants cannot digest the cornmeal! This is a safer way and a more thrifty way versus buying poisons that can harm your pets or children! I haven’t personally tried it yet because we haven’t seen the line of ants for the year, but they’re sure to show up any day now!!! I wrote a post about this several days ago, you can view it here!

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How many of you have tried all things under the sun and haven’t yet found the thing that makes MOSQUITO bites stop itching??? Well, I have to sincerely thank my mother for this trick!!! Years ago, she found that ANBESOL or ORAJEL works wonders. It’s numbing effect totally makes the itching stop in it’s tracks! My family can attest that mosquitos absolutely love me! I haven’t yet found the best repellant for mosquitos, so if you know of one…..PLEASE let me know! I always just use the sportsman OFF but it’s not healthy to use! But, the Anbesol and Orajel do work to make the itching stop. You do need to reapply a few times though.

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Shop Thrift Stores! I know years ago thrift stores were dark and filled with old and smelly clothes that were a hundred years old. Now, there are still alot of those out there and those are great to go to if you are into vintage clothes or furniture or even some antiques and collectibles.

But, there are alot of Thrift Stores who sell ONLY nice namebrand clothing and accessories at very LOW prices. They are definately worth checking out. It beats paying those high prices at the department stores. Plus, styles of clothes never change or rotate that fast so you would always find styles that are still in if you are the fashionable type, that is!!! Read here about a post I wrote on Thrifty celebrities. You’d be surprised at the Hollywood celebs who shop Thrift Stores!!! I know I was!

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If you are needing a new side table or that entertainment center just doesn’t go with your new paint and/or wallpaper…..don’t go out and buy new ones!!! Paint it, or strip it and stain it!! My style of decorating is more primitive and antique. I love to find an old peice of furniture and paint it to make it look shabby chic or use sandpaper around the edges and make it look old and worn.

There is so much that you can do with the peices of furniture that you have to make them look totally different! I’ve redone bed frames, tables, chairs, and alot of other things. Also, if you have an old bed that is sitting in your attic, basement, or garage that you don’t have rails for you can totally turn that headboard or footboard into a bench!! Granted, you have to have someone who knows how to do woodwork….eeeek. But, the sky is the limit with furniture!!! Just look at this before and after picture:

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Teeth Whitening has been and is still the big rage!!! Well, you don’t have to go out and spend $30+ on those Whitestrips. Even if they are on sale and you have a coupon, the cost is still too high!! Just do what our parents did….dip your toothbrush in a box of baking soda!! You can still add your toothpaste ontop of the baking soda!

Also, you can gargle with hydrogen peroxide!! GASP!!! If you look at ingredients in those expensive Whitestrips, you’ll find hydrogen peroxide!!! So, the baking soda and the bottle of Peroxide will last you forever and they’re ALOT cheaper than the Whitestrips. PLUS, they aren’t as abrasive! Those Whitestrips make my teeth really sensitive to hot and cold after awhile!