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Around the House
Do you have pets? I have found that I can save a significant amount of money by purchasing pet supplies from web sites. Dog's Health.Com - Human quality made for your pets. SitStay.com - EXTRAORDINARY Dog Supplies Animal Den $10 off Coupon - PetnetOutlet.com Click Here for All-Natural Pet Products
Here are some tips for removing stains from clothing:
Hairspray removes INK
Ever had a favorite piece of clothing get a stain on it that just won't come out? Instead of throwing it out, try dying it. You can get all different color dyes at the grocery store. I have saved several things this way. It's also great for kids T-shirts when they no longer come white. Tie-dye them. The kids love that.
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If your livingroom furniture is starting to look a little worn, or if you are changing the color scheme, slip covers might be an option rather than spending $1000s on new furniture. I used to think that slip covers over furniture was tacky. However, there are so many new designs that really look great! Slip covers have come a long way. They even come in leather now!
Have you noticed the higher prices in good quality paint? Go to a large hardward chain (Lowes, or Home Depot), they will have a discount rack. This is how it works, if someone comes in and orders a custom color and the color isn't mixed exactly right to suit the customer, they mix a new gallon and put the first on the discount rack. Sometimes the colors on the discount rack are so terrible and wierd, they bring tears to your eyes. But usually, it's a color that is very popular. I have bought top brand paint that was exactly the color I was looking for and paid ONLY ONE DOLLAR per gallon! That's a savings of about $30!
Save your old shower curtains. They make the best drop clothes when you are painting. Another great use for old shower curtains is to put one on the ground under a blanket for picnics or ball games. If the ground is damp, you stay dry.
Here's another painting tip. Instead of buying those fancy edging gadgets used for painting trim, take the straight edge of a cardboard box and put that up against the edge you don't want painted. This works great for me.
Spray paint is another of my favorite money saving tricks. If you are remodeling a room or changing the color scheme, don't go out and buy everything new. Here is a short list of some of the things you can spray paint with an accent color and no one will ever know you didn't go out and buy them (unless you brag about it and tell everyone like I do); lamp shades, lamp bases, picture frames, shelving, mini-blinds, and vases. I have even spray painted an old rocker! You can get a variety of colors at the dollar store for $1 per can.
For water stains on varnished wood surfaces, try rubbing the stain with mayonaise. For coffee tables and end tables that are beyond the stain removal phase, try sanding them down and painting them with a good quality cabinet paint.
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 Metal cookie tin, covered with fabric
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The metal cookie/popcorn tins that you get at Christmas time are great for
storing all sorts of items. They can be covered with different material to
make decorative storage tins. Cover several with material that matches your
kid's room and use them to keep toys. This is a great way to keep the toys off
the floor. I use wall paper border paste to apply the material to the tin.
If you'd like to change the look of your kitchen but don't have thousands of $$$ to spend on new cabinets, I've found a better way. Try painting the cabinets a different color. By changing the color of the cabinets and changing the hardware (hinges and knobs), you can make your kitchen look new and updated. It's simple, remove the doors and hardware from the cabinets, use a good quality primer on all surfaces to be painted. Then using a good quality paint (they have paints made especially for cabinets), apply two coats. You wouldn't believe the difference this can make to the look of your kitchen!
Stop throwing money in the trash every time you wash your hands in the kitchen. If you are still using paper towels in your kitchen, that's exactly what you are doing. Instead of using paper towels, keep a supply of old dish clothes (or old bathroom towels cut into squares). Use them a few times and toss them in the washer when you do your next load.
If the salt in your salt shaker is continually clumping together because of moisture, add a tablespoon of raw rice to the shaker. The rice will absorb the moisture, allowing the salt to flow freely. Packets of rice can be used anywhere you need a desicant. But, keep in mind that rice is the prefect mouse food...don't put them anywhere that they are likely to attract mice.
When remodeling our bathrooms, I found that new bathroom mirrors were way over our budget. So, I bought a couple of second hand mirrors and made those work. (see pictures) One of the mirrors was an oval shape. I took that one and used a hot glue gun to add a gold tone border. I purchased the border from a fabric store. The other mirror was an old mirror from a dresser. It was rectangular in shape with a slight curve on the top. I turned the mirror 90 degrees and hid the curvature with a potted ivy plant. Total cost for both mirrors = $22.00
Do you have a dishwasher? In the winter when the humidity in your house is very low, open your dishwasher at the beginning of the dry cycle and allow dishes to air dry. This puts moisture back into your house and saves you electricity in drying your dishes.
Have you ever found an extra sock in the laundry? For reasons unknown to man, washers and dryers, eat socks. When you are left with an extra sock and the other sock cannot be found. Don't throw that sock away. Extra socks make great dust clothes or paint rags when cut down the center.
What do you do with those plastic bags that your groceries come in? They make great trash can liners for bathroom trash cans. They can be used as an outer wrapper for freezing meat and other foods. They make great packaging material for shipping fragile items in the mail. If you have fresh cut flowers and your vase is a little too large, pack a couple plastic bags around the stems to make the flowers stand up properly. Use a wadded up plastic bag to sponge paint walls (better than a sponge because it doesn't soak up paint). Try saving a square tissue box after all the tissues have been used. Stuff your plastic bags down into that box for easy storage.
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