Don’t you love finding treasures? Well, just this Monday I found a really great one.
Here’s how it happened: my local library had their biggest book sale of the year this weekend. $1 per book. But if you come on Monday after the sale, you can buy a bag for $1 and fill it up.
I look forward to that sale every single year. And, I always hold out for Monday, even though they’re pretty picked over by then.
Well, I went in with my bag and you know the first book I scored? Reader's Digest Household Hints and Handy Tips.
I’d never even heard of it, but on a quick thumb through it looked promising, so in it went.
Well I’ve been looking at it all week and man, this thing is a treasure. It’s full of thrifty, money-saving tips on everything from storing food to getting organized.
Want to know some of the tips in this little tome? Here are some of my favorites:
Food
- Storing cottage cheese upside down in its container makes it last longer.
- If your power goes out, then you’ll probably worry about losing the food in your freezer. Half-full freezers will keep food cold enough for 24 hours. Full freezers for 48. Many power companies will offer free dry ice to their customers to keep refrigerators and freezers cold.
- Putting a piece of plastic wrap on top of ice cream (under the lid) will prevent ice crystals from forming.
- Whole grain flours should be stored in the refrigerator to make them last longer.
- If you have extra egg whites, freeze them into cubes using your ice tray, then pop them in a ziploc bag. You can use them later on for baking. They’ll freeze better if you add a bit of sugar or salt to prevent coagulation.
- If you’re baking a cake and the toothpick (to test for doneness) is too short, use a piece of uncooked spaghetti instead.
- Overripe bananas don’t have to be thrown away. Mash them up and add some lemon juice (to prevent browning) and pop them in the freezer. They’ll work great for baking.
Cleaning/Home
- Old, defunct umbrellas make great drying racks. Just take the fabric off and hang them upside down in the laundry room.
- Empty coffee cans make great hat stands.
- If you’re going on vacation, you can keep your plants healthy and moist for up to a month simply by watering them well, and then tying them up in a clear plastic garbage bag. This makes a greenhouse and will keep the moisture in.
And That’s Just the Tip of the Iceberg…
This book is also full of frugal “how-to” projects like making a storage shelving unit for under the stairs, replacing a plug on a power cord, how to patch a crack in your basement wall…you name it. There is some great information in this handy dandy book!
The book covers areas like Getting Organized, Home Life (cleaning, maintenance, ect.), Family Life, Food and Nutrition, and Decorating.
I love this little book, and I’m sure most libraries will have a copy. You can also buy Reader's Digest Household Hints and Handy Tips
through Amazon as well.
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