10/4/24: Dollar Stretcher Tips

Simple Snack 'Rolls'

This idea is from my smart, cooking-loving, frugal husband. He took a loaf of bread and a bowl of leftovers. He rolled out the bread with a rolling pin 'til it was pretty thin. He placed a good spoonful of the leftovers — in the first case, potatoes and peas — in the middle of the slice of bread and rolled up the bread. He laid them seam side down and they stayed rolled. He put them in the toaster oven til they were golden brown. The kids ate them up!!! This idea lends itself to much exploration. Spread the bread with butter, mustard, salsa or whatever before putting the smooshed up leftovers in.
JD in St. Louis

Related: 10 Creative Ways To Repurpose Leftovers (and Frugal Too)

Sweet Smelling Slippers

My husband's slippers always smell like, well, feet! So we put a used dryer sheet in each slipper and now they don't smell anymore!
Wendy

Related: Natural Homemade Room and Fabric Deodorizers on the Cheap

Cheap and Effective Carpet Spot Cleaning

A carpet professional told me that a great spot remover and stain remover for carpeting is Windex. I went to the store and bought the original Windex window cleaner (there are several varieties). I sprayed it on several stains in the carpet, including a stain where my cat had gotten sick and I could not get all the stain out before. It came out easily! I used a plain white paper towel to rub out the stain. It worked great!

Just make sure you test your carpet in an inconspicuous area first.
Dianna

Related: Cheaper Carpet Cleaning Solutions

Save the Screws!

The next time you have a pair of sunglasses broken beyond repair, salvage the screws before you throw them away. The screw fell out of my daughter's sunglasses the other day, and I was able to repair them with a screw I had saved from a pair she had broken last summer.
DPB

Related: How Can I Save Money on Eye Care? Tips for Seeing More Savings

Why You Should Consider an Umbrella Policy

I would like to add to the tip about the umbrella policy.

If you intend to rent out any portion of your home, you should speak directly with your homeowners insurance agent/company. They will probably want you to have an endorsement (or sometimes called a rider) directly on your homeowners policy specifically for this situation. It will cover your increased liability and possibly some damage caused by that renter.

An umbrella policy is not just for those renting out a portion of their home. What this does is kind of provide an “umbrella” of liability protection over all your other personal policies. For example, perhaps you own two cars and your home. You may have a typical 100/300 coverage on these auto and homeowner policies. That means you have up to $100,000 coverage for each person in an event where you are liable, with a maximum of $300,000 for each event. The umbrella policy will increase your amount of coverage for events for which you are found liable. These generally start at $1 million for each claim up to $5 million depending on the policy you choose.

The bottom line is that many people may need to consider an umbrella policy even if they are not renting out any part of their home. The good news is that these are generally among the most reasonable of all insurance policies to get.
HL

Finding Ways To Save on College Costs

Our youngest child just started college, and, of course, the costs are crazy. However, we’ve found several ways to cut costs here and there that really add up.

We got her a 14-meals-a-week meal plan (she never eats breakfast anyway), we’re buying used textbooks when needed, got a discount on car insurance when she left her car home, and a used 3-tiered metal cart on Facebook Marketplace for her dorm. She knows that whatever “spending money” she wants is what she earned over the summer. I also got university “merch” on Facebook Marketplace for her dad and me to wear. 
Annie

Related: Cybersecurity Expert Shares How To Avoid Being Scammed On Facebook Marketplace

Easy Pest Treatment

Here's a tip for a free way to get rid of fleas, ticks and spiders in your house. Gather crab apples (also called horse apples) when they fall, usually about this time of year. Cut them in half and place them around your baseboards. These insects hate the scent of them and will leave in a hurry. I once freed a mobile home of flea infestation using this method. It works really well!
Glynda

Related: Natural Methods To Get Rid of Spiders Inexpensively