10/25/24: Dollar Stretcher Tips

An Inexpensive Room Deodorizer

When my mom came to visit me at college, she was pleasantly surprised at how nice my room smelled. She even asked me about it. Well, because I'm a college student on a tight budget, I use dryer sheets tacked to the vent in my room. When the air conditioning or heat comes on, it blows the dryer sheet and spreads a wonderful scent throughout my room. A small box of dryer sheets costs less than the expensive plug-in deodorizers you buy at the store, and my room always smells great!
Elisabeth

Related: Natural Homemade Room and Fabric Deodorizers on the Cheap

DIY Lunch Meat

My husband and I stopped purchasing processed lunchmeat. It is so expensive. In the place of lunchmeat, we buy chicken or meat whenever it goes on sale. Meat and chicken can be sliced, cubed or shredded with many different seasonings for a daily filling lunch. I purchase chicken breast on sale. Six boneless chicken breasts are more than enough for a week, plus extra for dinner.
Noel

Related: How To Reduce the Cost of Lunch Meat

An Ounce of Prevention: Part Two

This is a continuation of tips that ran in Tuesday's issue.

1. Remember to sweep porches, patios and garages often. This keeps dirt out of your house, where it can scratch floors.
2. Consider a few specialized cleaning tools. I bought a duster with an extension wand, so I don't have to use a ladder to clean ceiling fans and high shelves. The duster works well for ordinary cleaning too.
3. Vacuum carpets and rugs often to prevent dirt from wearing them down before their time. I use an inexpensive robovac for this while I clean other parts of my house.
4. Nicks in engineered or wood floors? They can be filled with wood putty and stained to match the rest of the floor, then varnished. There are plenty of DIY videos on the internet. I have saved thousands by not replacing my worn floors. Clean often to prevent scratches from small bits of dirt.
5. Dents in wood floors can be raised by placing an ice cube on the floor to melt. When the floor is saturated, use a hot iron over a thick cloth to help raise the grain back to normal.

Barbara in SC

Related: Maintain Your Appliances and Save: 10 Simple Tasks

Finding Fast Food Deals

Yes, fast food is getting more expensive. You can save money by only ordering a sandwich or a side but not both. Various chains like Wendy's have a $5 bag deal, which helps. Some places like Culver's let you order from the kids menu. But, my favorite is definitely Taco Bell. They still have a $1.50 menu with tasty choices like the spicy potato soft taco or cheesy bean n' rice burrito. I love these. They also have box deals around $7. Best of all for me, they have free senior drinks.
Amy

Cheap Shredder Maintenance

Several years ago, I bought an inexpensive paper shredder at a warehouse store (Costco). I had boxes of sensitive paperwork to shred. Following the directions that came with the shredder, I successfully got through thousands of sheets of old bank and tax documents. I've mentioned this to several friends who've told me their shredders burned out after little use. When questioned, I learned they didn't use the 'lubricating' sheets required to keep the shredder running properly. Mine came with one such sheet and I ordered a 5-pack for a few dollars for the project ahead. My shredder never overheated or slowed down. I worked it hard. It was a cheap one too. Still going strong.

If you're unaware of the lubricating sheet, please look into them. Office supply stores and Amazon have them. With the end of the year coming and getting rid of heaps of receipts, I'll be running the shredder again.
JD in St. Louis

Forming Money-Saving Habits

A friend was at my house when I was throwing clothes in the washing machine. I poured in the detergent and started the machine. Since the detergent was the last cup in the bottle, I screwed the cap back on and turned it upside down over the drain in the kitchen sink. My friend asked curiously, "Why do that?" "Just a habit," I said. "If you turn it upside down and let it drain into the cap for about an hour, there's generally enough still in the bottle to do one more wash."

Later, I thought about this. I guess there was a time when I didn't do this. But that's what being frugal is all about. It's about getting into a habit and routine of doing just a little extra. There are a lot of habits in our lives, some good and some bad.

I have a hanging basket where we toss used envelopes and other clean scrap paper in our house. We all reach into the basket when we need to jot something down. Saving and reusing this paper that would've gone into a landfill is "just a habit."

My son has nagged me into remembering to take reusable cloth bags with me to the grocery store. At first, I grumbled, but now I don't even think about it. When I park, I automatically reach for a few of the cloth bags we keep tucked inside a larger tote in our car.

You get the idea. Saving money and resources is pretty easy when you "get the habit."
CC

Related: 6 Simple Habits That Make a Financial Difference