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Submitted by Garen Daly on Mon, 2008-12-01 06:00.

Everyday, the Frugal Yankee reads something or hears something to help us spend less and enjoy life more. They are frugal tips and we collect them. This page is dedicated to them. We'll be adding more regularly, so please check back.
If you got a tip let us know. Just leave a comment below or send us an email at Tips@FrugalYankee.com. We like to share!

TIP DU JOUR:
Be a bit more careful with gift cards this year. Many retailers are teetering and if they go belly up, that gift card all of sudden has a new use, fodder for a shredder. Some stores to avoid are Circuit City, Linens 'n Things, Gap and more. We'll have a list up over at WHAT'S NEW.

COUNTRY WISDOM
Tucked up in the north country of New Hampshire is an octogenarian fellow who has raised a big family, lives on 200 acres, still heat his house with wood. He has forgotten more about country living then I'll ever know. Here are a few of his thoughts.

HOW TO...
Sometimes we just need a little help figuring things out. The HOW TO...section has just that.

BATHROOM: Keep your shaving razor sharper and longer with a little post shave care. Simply, dry the blade, that'll prevent rust from dulling and nicking up the blade. Then take an old toothbrush and brush off as much of the stubble stuck between the blades and the casing. With some of those brand name blades costing $15.00 or so a package, the savings will mount up.

BATHROOM:Speaking of razor shaving, saving your old soap bars. When they get too small for using normally, toss them into your shaving mug for lathering soap.

BATHROOM: Bacterial sopas are better than regular soaps. Not true, All soaps clean and anti-bacterial soaps could possibly increase resistant bacteria. The trick for hand washig is to do it at least fro 30 seconds.

BATHROOM:Store your toothbrushes to air dry. Placing them in containers will increase the amount of bacterial growth.

CARS: Be careful where you drive. 50% of traffic deaths between 1998 and 2003 were on rural, non-interstate highways, yet these roads only account for 28% of all traffic. Narrow lanes, sharp curves, teenagers.

CARS: If you fear one of your car's fluids is leaking, throw a clean piece of cardboard underneath it near where you think it may be. Then take the cardboard out and bring it to your mechanic. Tell him where it came out. He'll do the rest.

CARS: You heard it before, but now is one of those times to check your tire pressure. With cold nights hitting, the air in your tire loses volume. The rule of thumb is that for every 10 degrees lower, the pressure in your tire loses 1 to 2 psi. Also the best time to check is in the morning.

EMERGENCIES: Keep a regular old plug phone around. One that doesn't need electricity to work. It uses electricity within the phone lines. So if things get dicey and there is no power and the cell is dead, you can probably use that old phone to keep in contact with the world.

FAMILY: Looking for a fun cheap way to wrap kids gifts? Try using the Sunday funnies.

HEALTH: Celery has negative calories! It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with.

HEALTH: Got heartburn? Solution: lose weight. It isn't necessarily the foods you eat but your weight which adds increasing intra-dominal pressure, conributing to heartburn.

HEALTH: When cold weather is approaching or is on the scene, here is a tip from Germany - drink cocoa. New research from Germany suggests high flavanol cocoa helps blood vessels function better. The study was done in conjunction with exercise and medication, but the statistical improvement was highly significant. The amount consumed was 3 cups a day for 30 days. What this means is simple, improving the blood vessels will enhance cardio-vascular health, a major concern for many people including diabetics. (Source: The Week)

HEALTH: Having trouble falling asleep, try this cozy little tip. Put on a pair of socks. It seems socks will stablilize your core body temperature and aid the fallikng asleep process. Use a cotton blend pair, regular cotton socks wick away moisture and don’t work as well.

HEALTH: How long should you brush your teeth? 2 minutes, 2 times per day, but not over 3 minutes. This could lead to gum damage, but good dental health is good for your overall health. Same is true for your pets.

HEALTH: Allergies making you miserable, here is a quickie for you. Take a shower before you hit the sack. Any allergens will wash off and make your night time sleep a little more bearable.

HOUSE: Here's another soap saver. Take your old soap bars, place them in a sachet cloth, tie them up and toss them into your seasonal clothing bin or even in a dresser drawer. Your clothes will smell clean and fresh, like a freshly showered body.

HOUSE: Have you heard how shower some curtains give off deadly carcinogens and get vaporizeds Then we inhale it and make ourselves sick? Reports say this is true so check yours out. If you decide to change your shower curtain, here are two things you can do with it besides adding to the landfill.
1) Use it as a paint tarp or 2) Cover your cord wood with it

HOUSE: Use empty luggage to store blankets, seasonal clothes, or gift items purchased in advance during sales.

HOUSE: Use a bungee cord to keep your trash cans lids on. The wind won’t blow thwm off and even better, racoons can’t unclasp them.

KITCHEN: When you boil potatoes or pasta, save the water. Use it in soups and stews, or cool it and use it to fertilize your house plants.

KITCHEN: We've talked about this before, but the best way to clean a sponge is by nuking it or running it through the dishwasher. Both methods will kill 99% of the bacteria, yeast and mold. If you nuke it, be sure there is sufficient water in the sponge or on the dish you use to hold the sponge. there have been times when dry sponges will ignite in a microwave.

MEDICAL: Microwaves can be used to emergency disinfect clothes, such as a child's cap that another kid has put on, as long as they have absolutely NO metal in the zippers, buttons, rivets etc. ALWAYS place a cup of cold water next to the article to absorb the heat and microwave on high until the water is steaming.

MEDICAL: Got a fever? Suck on a popsicle. It fells good, adds fluids. Great for kids.

MEDICAL: When you are slathering sunscreen on your body, be sure to put a little extra around any scars exposed to the sun. Seems like scar tissue is particularly vulnerable to getting cancerous.

MEDICAL: Ever burn your mouth with a pizza? Take a 50-50 solution of water and hydrogen peroxide. Swish it in your mouth, spit it out. The solution will clean dead skin off the burn and accelerate the healing.

MEDICAL MYTH: Your temperature is 98.6º. In fact temps range from person to person and from time of day to time of day.

MEDICAL: Here’s someting you would not think of as a good medicine kit item - an exacto knife. It’s good for digging out splinters, cutting bandages and making incisions. Obviously sterlize it before your use it.

MONEY: Look at your credit card bills carefully. American paid $30 billion to credit card companies in fess last year. That is over and above interest, so they are zapping you with late fees, over limit fees and more.

MONEY: Don't buy gift cards on line. Lots of them are used to money launder and they are bogus.

MONEY: Thinking about buying a diamond for the squeeze? Or maybe looking to invest some mmoney in a commodity? The prediction is diamond demand will double in the next 8 years while supply will only increase 50%. Blame petrodollars, and good marketing.

MONEY: Have some extra cash and thinking about investing in stocks or land or whatever. The best investment you can make these days to pay off high interest credit cards. With rates as high as 30% this is a no-brainer.

NUTRITION: Be leery of those ‘frappucino’ coffee fdrinks you find in coffee shops. The Starbucks Venti Mocha Coconut has 710 calories and 26 grams of fat. That’s the equivalent of eating two Quarter Pounders!

NUTRITION: Cooked carrots have more antoxidants in them than raw carrots. The theory is cooking breaks down the cleuular structure and releases all those goodies

NUTRITION: Some basic tips on how to lose weight: 1) stop drinking soda; 2) write everything you eat down; 3) pay attention to portions; 4) erase mistakes with additional exercise.

OFFICE: If you do a fair amount of shipping and you have a paper shredder, consider using your junk mail, shredded, as filler for your shipping.

OFFICE: If you're thinking one of those highly advertised wi-fi get internet connection anywhere cards are for you, think again. They are only a smart buy if you spend a lot of time on the road AND do a lot of web work. Otherwise, pay as you go on access sites makes more sense.

OUTDOORS: In bug season, don’t wear blue, wear white. Insects are attracted to the dark colors, especially blue.

SAVVY SHOPPER: Are you a car renter? If you are you know it is best to fill the gas tank up before you return it to the agency. These days, some car rental places are charging $8.00 a gallon to fill it up.

SAVVY SHOPPER: Spring facshions are here and if you're mulling over a new pair of shoes or sneakers, buy them in the middle of the day. Your feet actually enlarge somewhat from morning until evening. You'll get a better fit.

SUPERMARKETS: Did you know the average American family will spend $32.96 at the grocery store if they use cash. If they opt for credit, the same family will end up spending $43.49. Turns out with credit or debit cards we tend to be freer with the bucks. When it is cash out of pocket, we more frugal. Guess which way we prefer to pay for our groceries?

SUPERMARKETS: Supermarkets work on a 12 week cycle when it comes to sales. Figure that fact in when you are doing our bulk shopping. Of course, this doesn’t work for seasonal items.

SUPERMARKETS: Looking to save money at the grocery store. Here’s one place you can start. Pay cash. The July 08 issue of Money reported If you spend cash at the grocery store, you'll spend $32.96 oaverage. Use credit: $43.49. You’re more frugal when you see the cash versus some bank transfer. Oh, one other bit of advice, don’t buy groceries witha credit card unless you will be paying it off in the first billing cycle. The interest you pay on the credit will offset any savings you may have gotten.

PESTS: Mice can be a problem as cold weather starts. If you don’t have a mouser, try and close up as many holes in your foundation as possible. For those big holes, try using steel wool to black them from getting in. After they are in, traps, poison and a good mouser are your choices.

WEIRD: If you think you’ve found a dinosaur bone, lick it. If it tastes like chicken...., nah. If your tongue sticks to it, it’s a fossil.

WEIRD: Crocodiles and alligators are surprisingly fast on land. Although they are rapid, they are not agile; so if you ever find yourself chased by one, run in a zigzag line. You'll lose him or her every time.

WORKSHOP: Unplug your battery powered tools. The batteries only lose about 10% of their energy a month and re-charge fairly quickly.

WORKSHOP: Turn your paint can upside down. The solvents will head to the top and when your ready to use, it'll be easier to stir.

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