Tips from Dollar Stretcher
Here are a few tips from my friend Gary over at Dollar Stretcher!
Enjoy! Tawra
No More Sticking Noodles
I actually stole this tip from my husband, so I have to give him credit for it! Whenever my family enjoys a pasta dinner, I first spray both the colander and pasta utensil with Pam cooking spray. This makes clean-up a snap by keeping the noodles from sticking!
Sheri S.
Crazy Credit Card Practices
I recall a recent conversation with my credit card company, AARP Visa. I pay my balance in full every month (sometimes ahead of the due date) but noticed a $12 interest charge.
Me: I paid my balance in full, ahead of the due date, but I notice $12 in interest. How come?
AARP Visa: Interest is charged based on month-to-month average daily balance. It has nothing to do with the due date. Paying by the due date simply keeps you from paying late fees and other penalties. Paying in full by the due date has nothing to do with how interest is calculated. It's in the fine print.
Has the whole world gone crazy?
C. B.
Carrying Empties
I have a tip for air travelers. You aren't allowed to take liquids into the airport anymore, and you can only buy drinks once inside and through the security checkpoint. When I was traveling with my two young daughters, I didn't want to spend $2.50 a bottle for water to drink! So I figured out how to save a lot of money. I brought empty bottles to fill at the drinking fountain once we got through the security checkpoint.
Sue, in cold upstate NY
School Pix
My son was sure that the only photo that would be accepted in the Year Book would be a professionally taken black and white photo. I took out that little book that came with my digital camera and played with the black and white setting with great success. I called the school to find out what the dimensions needed to be for the proper photo size and face in the photo. They told me how big the nose could be in a photo of a certain size and how much clearance they needed above the head. A little bit of time and a few sheets of photo paper was all it took.
We did a second photo shoot for my son for the pictures to give to friends and family. We have photos that we love and not more than we need. With a little practice, you can do it too.
Karen
Credit Cards Overseas
My husband and I will be visiting a friend in England and discovered that many credit card companies will charge extra fees or surcharges every time you use it overseas. I called my companies and learned that my ATM/Visa card does not charge any fees, while the other Visa charges an 1% fee every time it's used for a transaction. This can really hit you if you aren't aware and you could end up running up major fees. The better bet, in my case, is to use the ATM/Visa card that doesn't charge fees to get cash out as soon as we land, and save the other that charges fees for emergencies only.
Also, be sure to let your credit card company know that you will be using the card outside the country. Otherwise, the card will very likely be rejected when you try to use it. This is for your own safety, but it could really hinder a trip!
Kellie S. in Birmingham, AL
Old Pantyhose
I use old panty hose legs to scrub delicate china. It gives enough abrasion to get the item clean without the added worry of ruining the piece.
Jill
Picture Perfect
It's hard to position a nail in exactly the right spot for hanging a picture. So here's a handy and easy tip. Stick some double-face tape on the head of a thumbtack and stick it directly under the picture's mounting bracket. Hold the picture right where you want it and push on the top of the picture frame to make your mark with the thumbtack. Now you have a little tiny mark to guide you for placing the nail in the right spot.
Linda from Georgia
Bath Mats
I hung a small towel rack on the wall of our bathroom, just above the heat vent and only about 18 inches off the floor for the bath mat to dry on. After showers, instead of hanging the mat over the shower curtain (which makes the shower curtain damp and never results in a dry mat), we just hang it on this low towel rack. This saves on laundering the mat and helps it (and the shower curtain) wear longer, too.
Karen
Remember to Be Grateful
The cure for wanting and spending? Gratitude. As I remember to be grateful for what I have, I find myself feeling appreciative in a manner that snowballs. It's as simple as saying, "I am grateful for (fill in the blank)." The more grateful I am, the more content I become. I turn away from the urge to spend on anything.
Some days, the itch to hand over money prompts the reminder to count my blessings once again. Try this reminder trick until it becomes instinctive. Place gatekeepers in your life to prompt you at key times. These could include a rubber band around your paper dollars or a sticker on your wallet. It should be something to encourage a pause for reflection. Like so many things in life, this is another one of those concepts that is as simple as it is powerfully transforming. I am grateful for my ability to say no and grateful for the respect I show to my finances in my life presently.
Traci T.
Enjoy! Tawra
No More Sticking Noodles
I actually stole this tip from my husband, so I have to give him credit for it! Whenever my family enjoys a pasta dinner, I first spray both the colander and pasta utensil with Pam cooking spray. This makes clean-up a snap by keeping the noodles from sticking!
Sheri S.
Crazy Credit Card Practices
I recall a recent conversation with my credit card company, AARP Visa. I pay my balance in full every month (sometimes ahead of the due date) but noticed a $12 interest charge.
Me: I paid my balance in full, ahead of the due date, but I notice $12 in interest. How come?
AARP Visa: Interest is charged based on month-to-month average daily balance. It has nothing to do with the due date. Paying by the due date simply keeps you from paying late fees and other penalties. Paying in full by the due date has nothing to do with how interest is calculated. It's in the fine print.
Has the whole world gone crazy?
C. B.
Carrying Empties
I have a tip for air travelers. You aren't allowed to take liquids into the airport anymore, and you can only buy drinks once inside and through the security checkpoint. When I was traveling with my two young daughters, I didn't want to spend $2.50 a bottle for water to drink! So I figured out how to save a lot of money. I brought empty bottles to fill at the drinking fountain once we got through the security checkpoint.
Sue, in cold upstate NY
School Pix
My son was sure that the only photo that would be accepted in the Year Book would be a professionally taken black and white photo. I took out that little book that came with my digital camera and played with the black and white setting with great success. I called the school to find out what the dimensions needed to be for the proper photo size and face in the photo. They told me how big the nose could be in a photo of a certain size and how much clearance they needed above the head. A little bit of time and a few sheets of photo paper was all it took.
We did a second photo shoot for my son for the pictures to give to friends and family. We have photos that we love and not more than we need. With a little practice, you can do it too.
Karen
Credit Cards Overseas
My husband and I will be visiting a friend in England and discovered that many credit card companies will charge extra fees or surcharges every time you use it overseas. I called my companies and learned that my ATM/Visa card does not charge any fees, while the other Visa charges an 1% fee every time it's used for a transaction. This can really hit you if you aren't aware and you could end up running up major fees. The better bet, in my case, is to use the ATM/Visa card that doesn't charge fees to get cash out as soon as we land, and save the other that charges fees for emergencies only.
Also, be sure to let your credit card company know that you will be using the card outside the country. Otherwise, the card will very likely be rejected when you try to use it. This is for your own safety, but it could really hinder a trip!
Kellie S. in Birmingham, AL
Old Pantyhose
I use old panty hose legs to scrub delicate china. It gives enough abrasion to get the item clean without the added worry of ruining the piece.
Jill
Picture Perfect
It's hard to position a nail in exactly the right spot for hanging a picture. So here's a handy and easy tip. Stick some double-face tape on the head of a thumbtack and stick it directly under the picture's mounting bracket. Hold the picture right where you want it and push on the top of the picture frame to make your mark with the thumbtack. Now you have a little tiny mark to guide you for placing the nail in the right spot.
Linda from Georgia
Bath Mats
I hung a small towel rack on the wall of our bathroom, just above the heat vent and only about 18 inches off the floor for the bath mat to dry on. After showers, instead of hanging the mat over the shower curtain (which makes the shower curtain damp and never results in a dry mat), we just hang it on this low towel rack. This saves on laundering the mat and helps it (and the shower curtain) wear longer, too.
Karen
Remember to Be Grateful
The cure for wanting and spending? Gratitude. As I remember to be grateful for what I have, I find myself feeling appreciative in a manner that snowballs. It's as simple as saying, "I am grateful for (fill in the blank)." The more grateful I am, the more content I become. I turn away from the urge to spend on anything.
Some days, the itch to hand over money prompts the reminder to count my blessings once again. Try this reminder trick until it becomes instinctive. Place gatekeepers in your life to prompt you at key times. These could include a rubber band around your paper dollars or a sticker on your wallet. It should be something to encourage a pause for reflection. Like so many things in life, this is another one of those concepts that is as simple as it is powerfully transforming. I am grateful for my ability to say no and grateful for the respect I show to my finances in my life presently.
Traci T.
posted by Tawra Jean at 2:21 PM
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