These money-saving tips make life a whole lot easier and you will save money too.
Homemade carpet freshener, sharpen scissors, removing candle wax, weather stripping alternative, and more below.
Money Saving Tips
Make Furniture NEW Again
Need to repair a scratch or blemish on varnished furniture? Rub the area with cooking oil and a soft cloth.
To color in nicks or scratches in wood-stained furniture, cabinets and trim, rub the area with a pecan nut (yes the nut). The oil of the nut will re-stain the wood.
If your wood furniture has a water stain, simply rub mayonnaise on the stain and let it sit overnight. Wipe off the mayonnaise in the morning and the finish will be restored.
Sharpen Scissors
To sharpen a dull pair of scissors, cut through a sheet of sandpaper a couple of times. They will be like new…
This is another great money saving tip.
Re-Attach Loose Knobs
When putting loose knobs back on drawers, dip the screws in clear fingernail polish or shellac before resetting them. This will help the knobs stay tight much longer.
No-More Refrigerator Odor
To remove odors caused by spoiled food in your refrigerator, place a few crumbled brown paper bags in the back of the refrigerator. Change them with fresh bags whenever the bags begin to smell. In no time, the bags will have absorbed all of the odor.
Instant Air Freshener
To freshen rooms in your home, boil some water, and add cloves and orange peel. Set the pan in any room for a while; the wonderful citrus scent will permeate through the air.
Removing Candle Wax
If a candle drips onto the carpeting, don’t worry. Remove the wax by placing a brown paper bag over the area and gently running a warm iron over the bag.
Compost Ideas
In mid-February, start saving banana peels in a bag in the freezer. When it’s time to dig a ditch to plant tomatoes – dig it two inches deeper than required. Lay the peels end-to-end and cover with dirt. Then plant your tomatoes as usual. Vines till reach 8 to 10 feet high and the fruit is very sweet.
Perfect Weather Stripping Alternative
Do you have problems with weather stripping being too thick? Replace this with felt that you cut out yourself. You may add as many layers of the felt that you need to keep the air from coming in. It also works beautifully under doors and windows. Just stick it on with glue.
Grocery Shopping Tip
In the heat of the summer, or in the freezing cold, there is no need to “rush home” when food shopping. Place a cooler in your trunk (or in the back of a pickup) and either add a hot water bottle or some frozen containers in the cooler to keep food hot or cold. Shop to your hearts content.
Dirty Job Tip
Scrape your fingernails on a bar of soap before gardening or beginning a greasy job. No grease under the nails!
Frozen Car Locks
Heat your car key with a lighter or match. Insert the warm key in the lock and leave it in place for 20-30 seconds. Now you can get into your vehicle.
Wood Resin Removal
If you get resin on your hands when chopping or stacking wood, rub your hands with petroleum jelly. It disappears fast.
Rusty Nuts or Bolts
Apply iodine with a medicine dropper to nuts or bolts and wait a few minutes. Apply more if needed. Wait 15 minutes longer before loosening.
Rain Gauge Tip
It’s easy to read a rain gauge when you put a few drops of food coloring in the tube. Even if the colored water drys up, there is enough residue to help read the next rainfall.
Outdoor Lights
Put a bit of petroleum jelly on the base of a light bulb before turning it into the outside fixture. This will make it easier to remove when it burns out.
- If you have some money saving tips, please send me a note and I will post them.
- Check out my homemade cleaning products link below. It’s something you can’t be without!