Of cheapskate coffee & caulking best practices
Volume III, No. 22 (January15, 2006)
Copyright © Deborah Michelle Sanders 2006
My L-rd, open my lips that I may declare Your praises.
-- Beginning of “The Prayer” for Jewish morning services; this is analogous to the L-rd’s Prayer for Christians, as being central to the service.
A continual report on my coffee usage. With the help of a new gold filter, I have been able to reduce my prior usage (for 12 oz water) of 1 scant teaspoon to ½ teaspoon! So easy on the budget! (I calculate that the gold filter will pay for itself within a year of not having to buy paper filters, & I know that it will last for my lifetime.)
If you have a cat, you know that litter is often sold with baking soda already mixed in. Compare the prices carefully. In most cases, it is cheaper to buy clay litter & baking soda separately. Just sprinkle the soda on the bottom of the litter box before adding in the clay litter. (Did you know that if your cat ingests too much of the clumping litters when she grooms herself, she may get sick.) DO NOT FLUSH clay litter.
A paperback cookbook can be read easily if you take a hanger meant for pants & skirts (with “clothespins”) & attach the opened cookbook to it. Then you can just hang the hanger on a cupboard knob & see the recipe easily!
Did you know that, with today’s water-based finishes for furniture, using sandpaper on them is the kiss of death? That’s right – the steel in the sandpaper will interact with the water to cause rust, your Big Enemy. Instead, use abrasive pads, which you can buy at any hardware store.
If your local newspaper offers free ads for items under a small amount of money, try asking for something that you need. For example, “Like to purchase used bridal gown, size 16.” You could get a bite that will save you big bucks. (Or, you can do the opposite & sell something for which you are willing to take an amount under the limit for the free ad.)
The easiest way to defat a cooked dish is with a perforated spoon. Just run it under the surface, & lift off the fat. This may work as soon as the dish has just finished cooking – or, you may find about a particular dish that you’ll need to refrigerate it first.
Do you use iron-on patches or interfacing, but get frustrated having to clean the iron’s soleplate from residue of the add-on’s? Ordinary aluminum foil will come to your rescue! Place a bit of aluminum foil under the area where you will be pressing. You can just pull it out once all is adhered.
When painting an intricate design, use a cotton swab such as Q-Tips® to dust the area where you will be painting, & then use another swab to actually paint.
A hint for seamstresses who make pillows or stuffed animals – wet your hands before trying to push the stuffing inside. The job will be MUCH easier!
Snow in your region? To get it off your car’s windshield, patio furniture, a garbage can, & such small areas, use a plastic or rubber dustpan, or a squeezee. To get it off your pavement (if it’s a relatively light covering), it’s much easier on your back to sweep it than to shovel it. If you do have to take out & use the shovel, coat it with cooking oil spray 1st. The snow will fall right off.
If you have a dishwasher, you’ll save on your energy bills if you turn on the kitchen sink’s hot water before starting up the washer. (Be sure to capture the water in a dishpan, so that it is not wasted.) The further away the hot water heater is from the dishwasher, the more money you will save this way.
To reduce wear-&-tear on clothing – not to mention pilling & accumulation of lint, turn them inside out before laundering. And, of course, you know how important it is to empty all pockets 1st!
You probably have some butter in the house (for baking), as well as the Smart Balance® that I hope you use for all other purposes. The butter has another use – preserving cheese. Just coat the exposed edges of the cheese with some butter. OR, another way to preserve the cheese is to cover it with cheesecloth that has been saturated with vinegar. Just keep the cloth damp.
The cheapest way to remove make-up is with plain petroleum jelly, like Vaseline®. After massaging it in, use one square of toilet paper to rub it -- & the make-up – off. If you use heavy make-up, you’ll need to use a regular facial tissue. (Petroleum jelly is cheaper than mineral or baby oil, which in turn are cheaper than the expensive specialized products that the cosmetics industry wants you to buy.)
Are you the proud owner of a grinder – for meat or for coffee & spices, but are frustrated as how to quickly clean it? Just run a raw potato through it!
Did you know about caulking that there is a “best practices” way to apply the caulk? In holding the caulking gun, the further you deviate from the optimal 45 degrees, the worse your results will be.
Copyright © Deborah Michelle Sanders 2006
My L-rd, open my lips that I may declare Your praises.
-- Beginning of “The Prayer” for Jewish morning services; this is analogous to the L-rd’s Prayer for Christians, as being central to the service.
A continual report on my coffee usage. With the help of a new gold filter, I have been able to reduce my prior usage (for 12 oz water) of 1 scant teaspoon to ½ teaspoon! So easy on the budget! (I calculate that the gold filter will pay for itself within a year of not having to buy paper filters, & I know that it will last for my lifetime.)
If you have a cat, you know that litter is often sold with baking soda already mixed in. Compare the prices carefully. In most cases, it is cheaper to buy clay litter & baking soda separately. Just sprinkle the soda on the bottom of the litter box before adding in the clay litter. (Did you know that if your cat ingests too much of the clumping litters when she grooms herself, she may get sick.) DO NOT FLUSH clay litter.
A paperback cookbook can be read easily if you take a hanger meant for pants & skirts (with “clothespins”) & attach the opened cookbook to it. Then you can just hang the hanger on a cupboard knob & see the recipe easily!
Did you know that, with today’s water-based finishes for furniture, using sandpaper on them is the kiss of death? That’s right – the steel in the sandpaper will interact with the water to cause rust, your Big Enemy. Instead, use abrasive pads, which you can buy at any hardware store.
If your local newspaper offers free ads for items under a small amount of money, try asking for something that you need. For example, “Like to purchase used bridal gown, size 16.” You could get a bite that will save you big bucks. (Or, you can do the opposite & sell something for which you are willing to take an amount under the limit for the free ad.)
The easiest way to defat a cooked dish is with a perforated spoon. Just run it under the surface, & lift off the fat. This may work as soon as the dish has just finished cooking – or, you may find about a particular dish that you’ll need to refrigerate it first.
Do you use iron-on patches or interfacing, but get frustrated having to clean the iron’s soleplate from residue of the add-on’s? Ordinary aluminum foil will come to your rescue! Place a bit of aluminum foil under the area where you will be pressing. You can just pull it out once all is adhered.
When painting an intricate design, use a cotton swab such as Q-Tips® to dust the area where you will be painting, & then use another swab to actually paint.
A hint for seamstresses who make pillows or stuffed animals – wet your hands before trying to push the stuffing inside. The job will be MUCH easier!
Snow in your region? To get it off your car’s windshield, patio furniture, a garbage can, & such small areas, use a plastic or rubber dustpan, or a squeezee. To get it off your pavement (if it’s a relatively light covering), it’s much easier on your back to sweep it than to shovel it. If you do have to take out & use the shovel, coat it with cooking oil spray 1st. The snow will fall right off.
If you have a dishwasher, you’ll save on your energy bills if you turn on the kitchen sink’s hot water before starting up the washer. (Be sure to capture the water in a dishpan, so that it is not wasted.) The further away the hot water heater is from the dishwasher, the more money you will save this way.
To reduce wear-&-tear on clothing – not to mention pilling & accumulation of lint, turn them inside out before laundering. And, of course, you know how important it is to empty all pockets 1st!
You probably have some butter in the house (for baking), as well as the Smart Balance® that I hope you use for all other purposes. The butter has another use – preserving cheese. Just coat the exposed edges of the cheese with some butter. OR, another way to preserve the cheese is to cover it with cheesecloth that has been saturated with vinegar. Just keep the cloth damp.
The cheapest way to remove make-up is with plain petroleum jelly, like Vaseline®. After massaging it in, use one square of toilet paper to rub it -- & the make-up – off. If you use heavy make-up, you’ll need to use a regular facial tissue. (Petroleum jelly is cheaper than mineral or baby oil, which in turn are cheaper than the expensive specialized products that the cosmetics industry wants you to buy.)
Are you the proud owner of a grinder – for meat or for coffee & spices, but are frustrated as how to quickly clean it? Just run a raw potato through it!
Did you know about caulking that there is a “best practices” way to apply the caulk? In holding the caulking gun, the further you deviate from the optimal 45 degrees, the worse your results will be.
posted by THE PENNY ORCHID -- "Thrift with Flair" at 4:35 PM
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