Instant Potatoes As Non-Toxic Rat BaitMost rat baits are toxic to other animals if they happen to chew or chomp on a dead rat. This is a deadly but non-toxic method to kill rats by using Instant Potato flakes or powder.

 

Free Flat Tire Repair at Discount TireFlat tire repairs due to a nail can charge anywhere from $10 to $20. Discount Tires offers free flat tire repairs, no matter where you bought your tires from. There are over 900 Discount Tire locations in the United States. If you ever have a flat tire with a nail, try Discount Tires. If you do not have a Discount Tire around, you can call the bigger tire retailers and ask if they provide complimentary services.

 

Kill Fleas FastOur pets are like members of the family and we want to protect them. But, it is inevitable that our dog and cats will attract those pesky fleas. Flea collars, sprays, ointments, and pills aren't 100% effective all the time either, so what can we do?

 

Preparing for a Life with Less IncomeI am planning to retire in the next three to five years. I have been thinking a lot about making sure I am in the best financial situation possible. I realized that it is really my second time planning to live on less income. 35 years ago I left the workforce to raise my family. That was temporary; this is probably going to be permanent. A lot of the things I did then to prepare for less income I am doing now.

 

Our Throwaway SocietyIt always amazes me how much other people throw away. I did not grow up with much, and I always took very good care of whatever I had, as I knew my parents worked very hard for it. I thought I set an excellent example for my children, until the other day.

 

Mid Winter Flower Bulb BargainsI certainly don't need more flowers. I can barely keep up with all I have now. So, why do I continue to buy more? Lack of self restraint, I guess; though I tell myself it's something more colorful.

 

Clean Hair from Vacuum Brush RollHave you ever looked underneath your vacuum brush? Or notice your vacuum isn't functioning at full capacity/strength. Or perhaps the roller is stuck and not suctioning well. If so, see if there is hair stuck like mine. Easy to fix.

 

Scrapbooking on a BudgetI have tons of pictures in photo albums but I recently met up with a new challenge, scrapbooking! While shopping this weekend I found a scrapbook at a tent sale for $2.00! It has 100 or more pages, is leather but has one drawback, it says Disneyland on the front.

 

Free Stained Glass PatternsWebsites with free stained glass patterns.

 

Use T-Shirts as Car Seat CoversWith several dogs in and out of my car several times a week, I needed something to protect the front seats from their rubbing fur and other stuff onto the upholstery. Seat covers were absurdly expensive so I now use the cheapest t-shirts I can find or use old ones.

 

Egg White To Draw Out BoilsA way to treat and draw out boils is to crack an egg, take the egg white and put it on the boil. Put a bandage on it and leave overnight. When you wake up, you will see a big change. Do this as often as you like until the boil has gotten the core out.

 

Shop the Dollar Tree to Save MoneyI am an avid shopper and I research a lot. Do something for yourself and you will see what I mean. Go to Dollar tree and then search anything you like. The lotions and body washes are just as good as the national brands.

 

Train Your Dog With A Choker Chain CollarMany years ago, when I lived in Philadelphia, I took my Boxer puppy to our local SPCA, which held puppy training classes on a certain night of the week. I wanted Rodney to learn basic commands. The instructor, a canine police officer, ran the class.

 

Link: Play Online Games That Donate To CharitiesSimply enjoying playing some online games at these two links will help generate donations for women in need of mammograms or help for animal rescue shelters! The sponsors will donate up to 10 cents per each minute of play.

 

Eating a Cupcake With Less MessA while back I brought cupcakes to my friend. She did the strangest thing before eating one. She broke the bottom off of the cupcake and plopped it on top of the frosting, like a lid.

 

Create Display Shelves Above WindowsSome time ago someone posted an idea to use shelves over windows. I had commented that I did the same thing only I used wooden door gingerbread trim to make the side brackets so that I could hang my curtain rods through them.

 

Food Containers for Ornament StorageI have submitted something similar here so I will just share this. Today I took my tree and ornaments down so I could do a project. I have been keeping these wonderful grape boxes for a while now. I also have this apple box from 2016 and wanted to share how you can use food containers for all kinds of things.

 

Use A Sanitary Napkin As A Wound DressingMy friend recently had breast surgery for cancer and when the drainage tube was taken out she had an infection. She was told to keep a clean bandage on at all times.

 

Keep Children's Puzzles OrganizedI get 3 laundry bags for $1 at Dollar Tree. They are perfect for storing puzzles. If the puzzle gets knocked over, the pieces remain in the bag.

 

Use Coffee Grounds as Pin Cushion FillingHere is yet another way to recycle up your used coffee grounds. Fill a pin cushion with them! Use cute scraps of fabric and simply sew together right sides together leaving a small space open.

 

Product Review: Zout Stain RemoverI want to share with my fellow Thriftyfun readers a product I have been using for years. "Zout" is the most amazing stain remover. My husband had back surgery and blood leaked through his bandages onto several different articles of clothing. "Zout" took it out.

 

Hiking Opal Creek (Oregon)Last weekend, my family and I had the opportunity to hike in the Opal Creek Scenic Area and Wilderness. It is located east of Salem, in the Willamette National Forest. Opal Creek runs through thousands of acres of protected old growth forest, crisscrossed with over 30 miles of hiking trails.

 

Trace Patterns Off Computer ScreenDon't despair if you don't have a printer or ink to print patterns off the net. Tape a sheet of paper to the top of your screen, and trace the pattern with a pencil. I have done this many, many times, and am well pleased with the results.

 

Downsize the Saved MagazinesFor those magazines you just can't throw away, now is the time to downsize them. Go through them and honestly remove only the pages you need and put them into an empty photo album, so you can see what each page offers. Organize them into categories, crafts, gardening, etc.

 

Easy Homemade Stain RemoverIf you mix 1 part Dawn dish washing liquid with 2 parts hydrogen peroxide you have the best spot remover! This is probably the only cleaner you will ever need. Either spray or pour on the spot and watch it disappear.

 

Washer Fluid Spray Bottle for Ice Free WindowsLiving in a very cold climate I found this to be a very useful tool for winter days. Purchase a gallon jug of the re-fill windshield washer fluid and fill a small spray bottle with the liquid.

 

Making a Mosquito TrapBecause mosquitoes are attracted to the CO2 we breathe out, I started looking for ideas that used CO2 as the bait for the mosquito trap. I did think of dry ice but it does dissipate fairly quickly.

 

Thrifty SouvenirsWhile doing our frugal travel to Arizona this summer, I realized that part of my travel fun is visiting local second hand, thrift stores, and even garage sales. Often I see regional team, theme parks and other tourist stop items are available there used.

 

Replace Lights On Christmas Wire DeerIf you have lights on your wire lawn deer that stop working, don't toss the deer in the garbage, just change out the lights. Take a strand of 100 white wire lights and replace the old lights.

 

Water Down Expensive PerfumeNice perfume can be very expensive, so most of us don't tend to buy it, but I found if you go to freebie websites like hunt4freebies and freestufftimes.com you can get free samples of expensive perfumes in the trail size bottles.

 

Shred Wax Paper to Lubricate ShredderDo you use a paper shredder for disposing of sensitive documents like I do? After a while, the blades need a little lubrication. Run a piece of waxed paper through the shredder to make it work like new again!

 

Epsom Salts To Melt IceEpsom salts and sugar, mixed 1 to 1, will melt salt and ice. It does not hurt the plants or ground,nor will it hurt birds, dogs, or cats. It can be used to pre-treat sidewalks and driveways and roads.

 

Restoring Old Photos At No CostI have seen several articles on ThriftyFun pertaining to the restoration of old photos. They were well written and often showed before and after pictures depicting very impressive results. In most cases those results were obtained by using a 'paid for' computer software.

 

Cleaning Flexible Watch BandsFor those who love their twist-o-flex watch bands, and for those who might have expandable bracelets, this is a life saver.

 

Using Expired Cottage CheeseA few times, after finding the cottage cheese container buried in the back of the fridge, well past its expiration date, I've tossed it out. Recently, I got ready to toss out another container, but had a 2nd thought.

 

Keep Shower Curtain Lining from BillowingI have a Dollar Tree shower liner. It's almost not worth it but my shower curtain is lace, so, for now, I have to have one.

 

Using Cooking Bags In Your CrockpotCan I use "oven cooking bags" in my crockpot?

 

Dilute Full Fat Milk Instead of Buying SkimIf you are concerned about the fat levels in full cream milk, the most cost effective solution is to dilute whole homogenized milk 50/50 with water, rather than buying semi-skimmed. This means that you get twice the amount of milk for the same money.

 

Clean Blinds With Magic EraserI admit I am a bit of a clean freak. I hate dust, streaky glass, spotted stainless steel and appliances. Therefore, I was in quite a state with dirty/dusty blinds (36 windows worth) and an ivory leather couch (what were we thinking) that was dirty and dingy.

 

Begin The New Year with Something You LoveMany people make New Years promises, as I call them, only to find them failed by the next few months. I don't do those for one reason. Many promises begin with the promise to fail. I started learning that you have to find something you love in order to make it with joy.

 

Peppermint Oil to the RescueI found myself using my peppermint oil 4 times this holiday season.

 

Juice Containers to Fill Empty Freezer SpaceWe drink cranberry juice. To fill in the empty spaces and build up the bottom of our chest freezer, I freeze water in the 64 ounce cranberry juice containers. They lay flat and fit perfectly between the dividers. This helps to keep the freezer full.

 

Prevent Your Car Doors from FreezingSpraying the rubber gaskets on your car doors with PAM or similar cooking spray will keep the doors from freezing shut.Just spray and then rub in with paper towel.

 

Refreshing Wipes and Keeping Them MoistWet wipes are just as great for personal adult use as they are for babies. I buy them initially in a container, and then refill the container with the refill packets.

 

Reuse Healthy Choice Steamer BasketsIf you are trying to eat healthier and steam vegetables in your microwave, a bowl from Healthy Choice steamers works well time after time. You will also be recycling at the same time. I love not having to drag out my strainer all the time.

 

Packing Tips for MovingCall around for prices on boxes and special wrap for dishes. If you use newspaper on your kitchen dishes you will have no choice but to wash them before they are put away.

 

Ready Made Salads In Ziploc BowlsLike many couples with no kids in the house, we don't eat as we should. Here's a way to get a few more veggies in. Take one bag of salad lettuce and divide it into 6 bowls with lids.

 

Clean Your Coach Handbag at HomeAfter reading the tip about throwing your Coach bag in the washer I thought I'd give it a try. I had found the purse as I was cleaning up after the last tenant moved out of the rental property I own.

 

Make Frozen Lasagna Taste HomemadeThis is a tip I thought I would share since I did this over the week-end and my dinner guests loved the lasagna dinner. They all thought it was homemade! Little did they know, I purchased the Stoffers large frozen lasagna when it was on sale at my favorite store.

 

Refrigerate Jar Overnight to Remove LabelsI made an alarming discovery today quite by accident. I am a compulsive recycler so I save all my spaghetti sauce jars. I use the same brand all the time so they match.

 

Cornbread for BirdsOne of the winter favorites for birds (which include chickadees, blue jays, juncos, starlings, cardinals and sparrows, as well as others) is corn bread.

 

Rustic Outdoor Cat TreeHere is a very simple outdoor cat tree. While this doesn't sit outside it is made for outside (Our Havana Browns are strictly indoor cats). The base is a cutoff piece of Mesquite stump.

 

Rain-X For The ShowerOne of the best things to use in the shower to help keep away the soap scum build up and mold, is Rain X. Yes, you would normally use it on your windshield, but if you use it in your shower, it has the same effect.

 

Roach Control IdeasNo need for expensive, smelly, and toxic cockroach killers that leave a residue. Spray cockroaches with any ammonia-based cleaner (e.g. Spray 'n Wipe). Ammonia is deadly to living things. And you clean your bench/floor at the same time! The ammonia smell dissipates quickly.

 

Laundry Bottle Craft IdeasCraft ideas using laundry detergent bottles. Cut the top half off a plastic clothes detergent or fabric softener bottle leaving as much of the handle as possible. The bottom half of the bottle will become the boat.

 

Pickle Juice to Control Blood SugarI read in a magazine that taking 2 oz. of apple cider vinegar before meals helps control your blood sugar. Tried it - YUCK! But I did try sugar free (made with Splenda) pickle juice from Vlasic. This has worked like a charm.

 

Make Your Own 2% Milk At HomeI do not pay for the store to water down my milk, as in 2% and such. We found that we can do this at home. Buy whole milk and add cold water to it. Since this is a matter of taste, you will have to find what suits your family best.

 

Tea Towel Apron and Hot Mitt SetI purchased two packages of tea towels from Overstock.com when they had advertised $1.00 shipping. The apron wasn't that difficult to sew. I had enough fabric left over to sew a pair of hot mitts.

 

Copy And Paste Text To Print InformationMaybe I'm doing something wrong, but printing things I see online out, like recipes on Thrifty Fun, is always a hassle. I know how to highlight the selection I want printed, but, pretty often, a lot more gets printed, wasting paper and that expensive ink.

 

A&D Ointment As Night CreamA wonderful night moisturizing cream, possibly in your medicine cabinet! I stumbled across a wonderful, cheap nightcream. A & D Ointment.

 

Trash Bag as Cape for Cutting HairBeing homebound with the Covid-19 virus for over 2 months and needing haircuts before the virus, I think our hair grew faster than ever. My husband was getting desperate for a haircut and it will be another two weeks before his hair appointment. He decided he would let me cut his hair.

 

Shake Bottle With Dish Soap Or DetergentRinse obvious debris out of the bottle. Then put two tablespoons of powdered, automatic dishwashing detergent in the bottle. Or place one tablespoon salt, and one teaspoon dish soap in bottle. Add very hot water until 1/3 full.

 

Monthly Coupons at GoodwillI frequently shop at Goodwill for clothing, household items, etc. I found that for only $5 I can get a mailing of monthly coupons for $5 off if you spend $10.

 

Silverware Cabinet HandlesThe knobs and handles for kitchen cabinets are so expensive unless you want to settle for plain old wooden knobs. Here is how my husband and I were able to have something a little fancier with lots less money.

 

Preventing Lumps in PolentaIn the directions for cooking polenta, it says "add cornmeal to boiling water very slowly to avoid clumping". My mother taught me another way when I was a youngster.

 

Cleaning a StovetopThis morning, the weather was cool and I thought it would be a good time to clean the top of the kitchen stove. The large eye gets used a lot and over a period of time the stove top looks awful with baked on grease around the stove eye. To remove it, I use Easy Off Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner.

 

Thrifty Tips on CleaningYou can save on cleaning products by using white vinegar and newspaper to clean your windows, windows come out sparkling clean. You can also use white vinegar for washing your floors, add 1/2 cup white vinegar to last rinse cycle of your wash to control static cling.

 

Using Vinegar for CleaningHere are a few suggestions for when cleaning or deodorizing with vinegar. Make sure you're using white vinegar not apple cider. Use vinegar in the rinse cycle of your washing machine because many detergents leave a residue that we don't realize.

 

Use Fleece Throws for Warm CurtainsFor really frugal and warm curtains, I purchased two of those fleece throws that are on sale for under $5 and used the inexpensive gold clips. The two throws fit a 76 inch picture window nicely, and they come in dark colors also nice for wintertime. Mine came with a nice cloth bow tied around it which I used for tiebacks.

 

Painting Crafts for Nursing Home...Looking for craft ideas to engage retirement home residents. Here are a few suggestions to engage them in conversation whilst doing crafts.

 

Use Microwave to Help Remove RX LabelsAfter many times of trying to remove labels from empty pill bottles to remove my identity from them before discarding them, I hit on a new way tonight. I was standing at my kitchen sink, next to the microwave. I filled my empty pill bottle with water, sat it in the microwave, heated the water in the micro for a few seconds or minutes.

 

Overwintering Mexican Heather (Cuphea)My border bed is a lot less than I had hoped for. I blame that on poor planning and not thinking ahead. Hopefully, with proper planning and lots of referral notes, there will be a dramatic improvement next year. I hope to avoid all these problems next year by overwintering a tray of the Mexican heather cuttings.

 

Use Cooking Spray Instead of WD-40When bothered by squeaky or rusty hinges, you probably have the quick cure right in your kitchen. Any cooking spray will work just fine, and most of us have a can of that on hand.

 

Ammonia To Whiten ClothesI found a way to whiten and brighten my clothes without bleach or Oxyclean, which I am allergic to. I take a bucket of approximately 1/2 gallon of very warm to hot water and 1 cup of lemon ammonia.

 

Toning Down the Kerosene Smell From a HeaterI know it might be a little late in the season for this, but my sister taught me a little trick. If you use a kerosene heater to cut down on heating bills, like we do, and you can't stand the kerosene smell, put a pan of water on top of heater, and the smell will be gone!

 

Using Crockpot Insert in the OvenYou can use your removable crock pot/slow cooker stoneware insert in an oven. Be sure the insert does not have any cracks or breaks in it. I normally coat it with a cooking spray for easy clean-up. I don't use the lid, for fear it would crack or break.

 

Homemade Glass ShelvesI just recently discover a great way to make a "homemade" bookshelf, by stacking glass or plexi-glass on glass blocks. Glass blocks come in a great many styles and colors.

 

Use Pantyhose to Catch Washing Machine LintA washing machine repairman told me to put a pantyhose leg on the pipe that drains into our slop sink. I was surprised to see how much lint it caught. All that lint would eventually clog our drain, and plumbers are expensive!

 

Use A Butter Knife To Get Rid Of HiccupsTo get rid of hiccups, pour cold water in glass and put a stainless steel butter knife into the glass. As you drink the water, the hiccups disappear almost instantly!

 

Felt Hand Sanitizer OrnamentIt seems like we have all been tackling germs this year with gallons of hand sanitizer! Another unforgettable staple this year that surely needs to be remembered for years to come.

 

Pinesol To Keep Pests AwayKeep a spray bottle of half Pinesol/half water under your sink spray outside garbage cans or anywhere you have a pest problem. Animals like rodents, opossums, raccoons, etc. don't like the smell.

 

Animal Feed at Day Old Bread StoreHere is such a money saver you need people to share with! If you go to a day old bread store and ask if they have any "Animal Feed" racks of bread for sale.

 

What You Can Buy for 21 DollarsWhat You Can Buy for 21 Dollars. Living on next to nothing is what I do on a daily basis, so when I get 21 dollars from a paycheck, you can believe I am frugal with it. This is my tip for you on what to do with 21 dollars.

 

Finding the Best Thrift ShopsGo to the best town (most expensive real estate) and comb the thrift shops. Rich people throw things out too and sometimes new or near new. The quality may be better and you still pay thrift store prices. By JANET

 

Cleaning Swiffer DustersTo clean Swiffer dusters, which I really like, simply swish the dirty duster in a sinkful of sudsy, warm water, rinse, and roll in a paper towel to blot out excess moisture. Reattach to handle, fluff, and allow to air dry.

 

Repairing White Base Fuse Light on Pre-lit TreeI had a row of lights out on my pre-lit tree and found the light in the white base called (non replaceable) by the manufacturer, was blown. I looked online, but couldn't find anything on this fuse light.

 

Little Black Bugs Could Be ScabiesI had little bugs crawling on me, in my hair and in my clothes. I kept finding black specks that didn't move. I would notice glitter on my face in the sun light. I didn't realize this was scabies. I washed, sprayed and bombed; nothing seemed to work. Unfortunately, I gave scabies to my friend. She told me the only way to get rid of these bugs was to get ivermectin.

 

White Vinegar to Remove Calcium...I saw this tip in a video on the internet and had a chance to try it out on an old faucet that had years of calcium buildup on it.

 

White Vinegar for Masking Tape ResidueUse white vinegar to remove residue left by masking tape on window glass where the tape has been left on for too long or has dried out quickly due to strong sunshine.

 

Reuse Glass Candle Holders As GlassesI found that once a candle, for example, Glade, has been used and there is the left over amount of wax in the glass, that they can be used as nice drinking glasses for orange juice or even that evening mixed drink with ice.

 

Getting Help During the Coronavirus in OregonThis page lists some resources which can help you deal with the financial impact of the Coronavirus as we all work through this pandemic together. There is a lot of conflicting information on the Internet right now so it's important to verify with trusted sources when you can.

 

Make Hats from Leftover FleeceAfter altering 3 pairs of fleece pants for my mother-in-law, I was left with 3 pairs of pant leg bottoms (about 7 inches each). I made these hats from them. The pom-poms are made from left over yarn I had.

 

Flour Tortilla NoodlesCut flour tortillas into strips with your pizza cutter. Use them instead of noodles when you make "Chicken and Noodles". Nobody will ever guess that they aren't homemade noodles.

 

Embroidery Floss OrganizerMy embroidery supplies always ended up in a tangled mess stuffed in a shoe box somewhere. Until I noticed the flat, little plastic thingies for sale at the craft store to wind your floss around. Then I noticed the price. Puh-leeze!

 

Use Super Glue to Stop Nail SplittingI have a fingernail that always splits in the same place. There seems to be a ridge in the nail. If I get busy and don't keep the nail filed and buffed, the nail splits all the way to the quick.

 

Removing Ink Stains from Your Coach PurseI had ink stains on the inside of my Coach bag. I had never tried to get them out, until the other day. I had an alcohol swab and began to rub and rub. Eventually all of the ink marks came out. I couldn't believe it.