Feb 15-Mar 31, 2020 Archives • Everyday Cheapskate

Homemade Coffee Creamer for ALL

I absolutely LOVE Mary’s homemade coffee creamer, but in my house, everyone likes a different kind, and making all the different bases just got to be a real pain and made the fridge overrun with all the different creamers.

To combat this, and the fact that I often like different flavors on different days, I took her recipe (I LOVE the heavy whipping cream, but it will work with half and half or milk) and I added the vanilla AND the sweet almond oil (it only takes a little of the almond). Then, instead of adding the sweetened condensed milk to the cream, I put it in a squeeze bottle, and WA LA, I can make my coffee as sweet as I want it and my husband can put as little in as he likes.

I also often add a flavor with it….maple syrup, chocolate sauce, or ice cream Carmel topping in each cup…..all to taste yet not all the chemicals and yuck in the store-bought creamer!! TRY IT….it will uncomplicate things immensely!

Celery CPR

I hate to waste food and especially fresh produce. Here’s a great tip to avoid tossing out your limp, lifeless celery.

First cut off the bottoms of your celery stalks. Then put all of the celery stalks in a large container or pitcher of ice water. Let the celery sit in the water for a couple of hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

You will be amazed at how it firms up and how fresh it will taste.

Duct Tape To the Rescue

March 18, 2020/0 Comments/in Repairs and Maintenance Feb 15-Mar 31, 2020 /by judy

Per Mary’s recommendation, I recently purchased a Shark Lift-Away Navigator vacuum.

A few weeks ago the vacuum began to lose suction because of a ripped hose. The company has a great 5-year warranty. The only caveat is that you can only use the warranty one time.

After checking around, I found that I could purchase a new hose for $35 on Amazon. Before buying the hose, I decided to try the trusty duct tape. It worked great! The vacuum has the same strong suction as before, and has delayed (or even eliminated) the need for a new hose.

Baby Powder Saver

February 29, 2020/Updated April 2, 2020/7 Comments/in Kids and Babies Feb 15-Mar 31, 2020 /by Beth* R.

Baby powder comes out of the container too quickly, doesn’t it? It’s a manufacturer’s trick so we’ll go through it faster and have to buy baby powder more often.

Beat them at their game with one simple hack. Before you open any powder for the first time, cover half of the holes with a strip of decorative duct tape. Now YOU are in control of how much you use each time.

If you like my tip, remember to click ❤️!

Oops, too much!

February 29, 2020/4 Comments/in Food & Recipes Feb 15-Mar 31, 2020 /by Beth* R.

If you sprinkle instead of measuring spice when you’re cooking, sometimes the herb or spice can come out too quickly. (Especially things like celery seeds!)

Before you open that herb or spice for the first time, cover some of the holes with a small strip of masking tape. You’ll never accidentally use too much again.

If you like my tip, remember to click ❤️!

Baked on Grease–YUCK!

February 26, 2020/Updated March 23, 2020/1 Comment/in Cleaning Feb 15-Mar 31, 2020 /by Marsha Lane

Cooking sprays caused my glass baking dishes to look disgusting. Yeck! I found a simple way to clean them with minimal scrubbing!

Simply soak the dish in a solution of 5 parts water and 1 part household bleach. (For me, I soaked one end of the glass dish during the day and the other end overnight.)

Then run it through the dishwasher and it’s sparkling clean and ready to use!

Save $ on Paper Towels

February 26, 2020/Updated March 23, 2020/0 Comments/in Bright Ideas Feb 15-Mar 31, 2020 /by Beth* R.

I prepare fresh produce almost every day. It always seemed wasteful to throw away paper towels when the only thing they were used for was to drain freshly washed vegetables like diced potatoes or lettuce. The veggies are CLEAN.

Sometimes I let veggies dry on a cookie rack over a newspaper. However, paper towels are necessary when I cut the veggies into small pieces.

I thought of a way to use them at least once again. I let them dry and keep them in a repurposed baby-wipe container under my kitchen sink. Whenever something is spilled on the floor, I grab one of these dried (yet still clean) paper towels to wipe it up.

I have nearly cut my paper towel use by a half.

If you like my tip, don’t forget to click ❤️!

A Second Life for Hearing Aids

February 25, 2020/Updated April 2, 2020/1 Comment/in Bright Ideas, Miscellaneous Feb 15-Mar 31, 2020 /by Janice

It came as wonderful news to discover that hearing aids can be recycled and passed on to a second user. Here’s how:

My Mom purchased her hearing aids from Costco. (Costco has the best prices and the most freebies—sorry Sam’s Club, I’m your loyal shopper otherwise.)

After we lost Mom, I hated the idea of discarding those precious and expensive items. When I checked, I learned that Costco can reprogram those “mini computers” to match a new user. For members, the reprogramming is free.

Now, my Mom’s younger sister will have hearing aids for the price of a Costco membership. It is a wonderful feeling to share a part of my Mom with her sister in this way.

If you do not know someone, maybe you can resell, gift, or donate them to the Lion’s Club. Whatever you decide, do not let them go to waste.

By the way, you do not need to be a member to have a free consultation at Costco. If you decide to buy, you can join after making the purchase decision.