Tip Hero

36 Money-Saving Tips from the Readers of Tip Hero

2009-12-31T05:10:00+00:00

My friend Nick and I created Tip Hero to give folks a forum to share money-saving tips with one another. We reasoned that folks out there had a lot of good tips that could help people save some money. Personally, I always hated hearing about some great money-saving tip after the fact. For example, before starting Tip Hero, I purchased a whiteboard for $100 from an office supply store. A little while later a friend told me that I could have saved $90 by buying melamine board -- the same material whiteboards are made of -- from Home Depot or Lowe's for ten dollars.

It's been well over a year since we started Tip Hero, and the best part has been the great tips all of you have sent in. I took a little time this week to read through the hundreds of reader-submitted tips that were sent in during 2009 and decided to highlight some of them in this post. Although the list is numbered, this isn't a "best of" list -- just tips that caught my attention for one reason or another. The tips are listed in no particular order.

I'd like to thank all of you who submitted tips and comments to Tip Hero this year. 2009 has been a tough year for a lot of folks, economically speaking, and your money-saving tips really make a difference in people's lives.

1. Here's a cheap root touch up tip submitted by Teresa V. Instead of buying fairly expensive, one-time-use root touch-up kits, Teresa uses Just For Men for beards and moustache coloring gel and saves nearly 70%.

2. An anonymous reader wrote in with this little tip they use to teach their kids to save: Pay Your Kids to Drink Water at Restaurants

3. I thought Joy was pulling my leg when she wrote in with a tip on how she outsmarts mosquito by offering them a beer, in response to our question: What do you reuse to save a buck?

4. I love the personal stories readers submit. Gale Osborn shared with readers about the year she had no money for Christmas and how it was the best Christmas ever.

5. With five kids at home Juliann goes through a lot of hand soap. Once she realized how much excess hand soap dispensers waste she used Twist Ties to Slow the Flow of Liquid Soap.

6. I honestly didn't know you can freeze milk until Mike the Shopper wrote in with this tip.

7. We have a lot of readers with green thumbs and an anonymous reader shared their tip for saving on potting mix

8. smokehouse1501 shows how to Use Every Bit of Mascara and Save Money

9. Are One-Way Flights Cheaper Than Round Trips? nsama16 shares how he saves money by booking separate one-way flights on different airlines.

10. UrbanSherp shares how she got an unbelievable deal on expensive office chairs by asking about floor models.

11. An anonymous reader shares a simple tip for getting great deals on shoes by Checking Shoe Bottoms at Thrift Stores Before Buying

12. Joy in Tip 3 showed us how to outsmart mosquitoes with beer and Muffins Mom wrote in to tell us how to rid the house of fruit flies with vinegar.

13. We love inexpensive homemade recipes that can take the place of expensive brand name products. Lisa wrote in with her recipe for making Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

14. Another reader wrote in about how they save 50% by making their own half and half.

15. We love it when people write in with tips from their profession. We were delighted when Sandy, a dental hygienist wrote in with some money-saving dental health tips

16. Michael Coutts wrote in with this ingenious tip. Instead of purchasing expensive landscape cloth, herbicides or spending hours on your knees pulling weeds, use good old fashioned newspaper to control weeds.

17. In the "why didn't I think of that?" category, a reader wrote in explaining how he got tired of getting ripped off buying bottled water at the airport and decided to bring an empty water bottle to the airport and have it filled up once past security.

18. We love home remedies at Tip Hero and thankfully many of you have wrote in with your favorites. In this tip Susan shares her home remedy for acid reflux & indigestion. I've personally tried it and it works for me as well.

19. Rinchen contributed several great tips this year. One of our favorites was hosting a 'Dustcatchers' clothing swap.

20. One Tip Hero reader wrote an interesting post on the economics of living close to family.

21. An anonymous reader shared their tip on an inexpensive alternative for liquid hand soap.

22. g.johnson who manages a handful of rental apartments knows a thing or two about painting. He shared his 8 Money Saving Painting Tips with Tip Hero readers.

23. One of my all-time favorite reader submissions was from Michelle who reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas in a follow up post on the The Year We Had No Money for Christmas.

24. One mother shared her tip for helping her daughter cut costs at college.

25. Another painting tip. frugalgramma shared with readers how Hair Conditioner Extends the Life of Your Paintbrush

26. Mellie shared a neat little tip using coffee filters for plant pots.

27. We love Gale Osborn around Tip Hero. She's always sharing great tips and comments on the site. In this tip Gale shares her recipe for making homemade bath soap using a food processor.

28. Charlie over at Pay Less Food submitted a number of great tips this year including 3 Great Tips For Reducing Food Waste

29. PNS shared a tip from her plumber about the benefits of using less detergent.

30. Many of our readers see little money-saving tidbits on TV and share them with our readers like this interesting tip on vodka.

31. Frugalgramma also shared a great DIY Trick for Fabric Softener Savings

32. We can end up spending a fortune on our hair. One reader shared her inexpensive super-hydrating conditioner recipe and another reader wrote in about how extra virgin coconut oil is the best hair hydrator.

33. one Tip Hero reader told us about how she would keep nail polish in her bathroom cabinet and it would get too thick and gunky to use within a couple of months. Her solution: keep nail polish in the refrigerator to save money.

34. We love all the simple little tips readers submit like this one from Elaine Van Leuven about how to salvage oven heat by placing a pan of cool water in the oven once it's turned off after cooking dinner. When you finish dinner just grab the pan from the oven and you have warm water to clean your dishes with.

35. grammaj shares how she started saving money with this tip on reusing tea bags.

36. Finally to close out the list here's another 7 great money-saving tips from our readers.

If you come across any money-saving tips in 2010 please think of sharing them on Tip Hero. You can submit tips here. Also if you have any frugal-minded friends, please tell them about Tip Hero in hopes they might have a few tips to share. I know we can all help one another save a little extra money in 2010.

Thanks Tip Heroes, and have a great 2010!

Photo credit: Elvire.R.

12 Sources for Free 2010 Printable Calendars

2009-12-29T21:02:00+00:00

A new year is almost upon us so I thought I would do a roundup of free printable 2010 calendars available around the web:

1. I always like to have a small calender that I can stuff in my wallet and whip out when the need arises. Thankfully, An Italian graphic designer has come up with a wonderful small calendar that can easily fit in your wallet or purse. For an explantion of how the calendar works click here, to download the calendar click here. Please note: in order to print at correct size you will need to make sure your printer settings are set to "Fit to Printable Area" under the page scaling option.

2. Calendar labs features a wide variety of 2010 calendars you can print for free, click here. You can also create your own custom printable calendar here.

3. TimeandDate.com will allow you to create your own custom printable calendar. Just pick the year and country. It will create a full year calendar complete with moon phases and holidays. click here

4. Here's a stylized 2010 calendar from Don't Eat the Paste Blog click here

5. Here are some pretty neat printable 2010 calendar pockets you can make click here

6. About.com has little minature printable 2010 calendars that fit inside CD cases. click here

7. Here's a floral design monthly calendar you can print. click here.

8. Vertex42.com offers a selection of both yearly and monthly 2010 printable calendars. click here

9. Barefoot Blessings has free 2010 monthly printable calendar featuring birds. Also available in Spanish. click here

10. Canon has a variety of different types of calendars you can download and print for free. click here

11. Here's another great source for free printable calendars. click here

12. Here's another site that offers printable calendars as power point slide downloads. click here

If you know of any other sites where you can find free printable calendars please share in the comments below:

Photo credit: Grafish Design Blog

Other Money Saving Tips:

Message Board to Reduce Food Waste

2009-12-29T20:01:00+00:00

The biggest issue in my house is that we simply forget that we have certain things to eat and by the time we realize it, they've gone bad. It's the carrots that get covered up or the casserole leftovers that get shoved to the back that get wasted in my house.

So we are trying a wipe off board on the fridge to remind us what needs to get used. One section of the board is for leftovers which I update every time I cook and we have something put in the fridge, and one section is titled "use ASAP".

I update this each week when I bring the groceries home. It has really cut down on our food waste!

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Compare Prescription Drug Prices and Save Hundreds

2009-12-29T20:00:00+00:00

I like to pick up my prescription drugs at Fred Meyer, my local supermarket, because it's closer to home and I can pick them up while I'm shopping for groceries. The problem was that Costco's Pharmacy offered better prices than Fred Meyer on some prescription drugs. I asked the pharmacist at Fred Meyer if they would match the Costco price and they said they would. The last time I did this the Costco price was $37 lower than the Fred Meyer price on a particular prescription. The pharmacist at Fred Meyer matched the price and I saved a bundle. I've done this on a number of occasions and it has helped me save several hundred dollars on prescription drugs.

If my local supermarket pharmacy will match prices than maybe some of the other chains like Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid will as well. It might pay to put together a list of phone numbers for local pharmacies and call them up to see if they will match the prescription price of their competitors. If you have several prescriptions you are typically going to only have those go through one pharmacy. Through price matching you can make sure you're getting the best price for each individual prescription.

Editor's Notes:

1. Costco often has the best prices on prescription drugs. What many people don't know is that you do not need a membership to Costco to buy prescription drugs from their pharmacy. When you go to Costco and you're met by the greeter at the entrance just let them know you're not a member but want to use the pharmacy and they will waive you in. Here's a great account of how a reader of the Bargain Babe blog saved a bunch of money on one of her prescriptions. Costco prescriptions pay off

2. There can be a HUGE differential in the prices local pharmacies charge for the same prescription drugs. Recently the Attorney General of Michigan did a price comparison for Tamiflu among pharmacies in the state and discovered prices ranging from $28 to $605. Michigan Attorney General Prescription Drug Prices

How do you save money on prescription drugs? Please share your thoughts in the comments blow.

Photo credit: Amanda M Hatfield

Other Money Saving Tips:

How to Use Your Dryer to Save on Heating Costs

2009-12-23T19:21:00+00:00

Did you know that, second only to refrigerators, clothes dryers are the biggest energy users in the home?

That's right. Clothes dryers cost, on average, $80 a year to run. But that bill can run a lot higher if you're a neatnick, have kids, or have pets that shed all over your clothing, blankets and washable rugs. In fact, if you have an electric dryer, you are literally "blowing" hundreds of dollars a year (out the nearest wall, ceiling or floor).

Unlike refrigerators, which run at a fairly constant temperature 24/7, clothes dryers have "peak" seasons: early spring, also known in some locales as "mud" season, and midsummer, when frequent changes of sweaty clothing are not only socially de rigueur but essential to physical comfort.

Winter is another peak drying season. In most areas of the country, clotheslines � the newest "green" trend � are worthless, and warming cold clothing, or drying wet outerwear, are equally useful techniques to stave off chills that can precipitate colds and flu.

Winter is also the time when heating bills max out for most people. Home heating season, which can be a minor financial setback in places like Arizona, cause major panic attacks in the Northeast, where a combination of cold temperatures and high heating costs leave residents dreading winter.

If you live in a cold climate like New Hampshire, Minnesota, or Montana, you can do a number of things to reduce your heating bill. You can insulate and weatherstrip, both of which are initially expensive but are good long-term solutions. You can close off unused rooms and heat only living areas. You can even bypass your local propane or heating oil dealer and burn wood in a woodstove (though of course you have to pay for the stove, which is another long-term fix with high initial costs).

Use Dryer Heat to Supplement Furnace Heat

You can also use dryer heat to supplement furnace heat. This is a double-whammy for wattage use: (1) offering clean clothing and (2) providing a warmer home with the addition of much-needed humidity in homes where forced-air heat leaves air so dry it encourages sinus problems and allergy symptoms in susceptible individuals.

This latter problem can also be solved by a humidifier (costing between $30 and $90, plus about $10 a month to operate), but humidifiers also introduce unwanted germs via standing water and a constantly wet filter.

How to Use Dryer Heat to Warm Your Home

Waste dryer heat � from electric dryers only, please (gas dryers can cause carbon monoxide buildup) � is easy to incorporate.

1. First, split your flexible, extendable aluminum (not plastic) dryer vent hose into two sections above the top of the dryer by simply cutting it in half right through the metal spiral. If your vent hose isn't long enough to split, buy a second shorter hose for about $7 and attach this to the wall/ceiling/floor cutout vent area, making sure to block or cap it so that dust, spiders and mice can't get in. Note: rodents won't chew through plastic.

2. Next, fasten the vent section from the dryer to the top of the dryer or to a nearby wall, using drywall screw anchors, a bent coat hanger or any handy method to keep the end of the vent close at hand. Leave the top two inches free for a lint filter.

3. Cover this vent with one leg of a pair of pantyhose (save the second leg for rotating lint filters). The open end of the leg will fit snugly over the vent, and should be changed whenever lint buildup inside exceeds an inch at the bottom or one-quarter inch in thickness. To clean the pantyhose, simply turn it inside out, remove lint, and wash it with your next load. Use the other leg as a spare in the meantime.

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Reconnect the Vents in the Summer

To reconnect the vents in summer, cut the dryer end of the vent, from the top down, into four or six flanges, and manually crimp it to make it smaller than the outlet vent. Fit this into the wall/floor/ceiling vent and fasten with box tape. Don't use duct tape, as this will dry and become impossible to remove without tearing the duct.

Use a Fan to Redirect Heat

Lastly, because the humidity from an electric dryer can cause mold to build up in your utility room if you aren't careful, buy a fan and stand it on top of the dryer, directing vent air out of the room through a doorway and into the room(s) adjacent. This also works to prevent possible damage to your furnace's electronic ignition assembly, which can fail if air is too humid.

If your dryer is in the basement, dryer heat can still transfer warmth to other floors and inject much-needed humidity into the air, which will naturally migrate upstairs. In fact, the only case in which this dryer-heat recovery method might have adverse effects is if you notice mirrors and windows in your home developing large amounts of condensation and/or frost. That means you are producing more humidity than the home can handle, and you need to reattach the outside vent to the dryer vent for a few days or weeks.

Other Money Saving Tips:

How to Earn Free Gift Cards

2009-12-22T22:51:00+00:00

Check my wallet right now and you'll find a Target gift card, a Regal Cinemas gift card, and there's an iTunes card on my desk waiting to be used. I didn't buy any of these cards. I got them for free using points programs such as MyPoints and Visa and you can get some, too.

Points programs are designed to get you, the buyer, to change your buying habits to benefit the company that's running the program. To reward you for this behavior, they give you points that can be redeemed for prizes. In the past, these were tangible items such as toasters and radios but thanks to the invention of the magnetic strip, gift cards are now all the rage.

One of the best general points programs is MyPoints. This company rewards you in two ways. On the lowest level, they give you points for "reading" promotional emails. You simply click the Get Points link at the bottom and your account is credited 5 points for the effort. You get more points if you follow through with a sign-up or purchase. Many offers have a flat return of X number of points per visit, while others offer you more points for every dollar you spend with the promoted retailer.

MyPoints also sweetens the pot by offering exclusive deals when you shop through their links. They get a kick back from the retailer, you get a great deal and points, so everybody wins.

When it comes to redemption, most $10 gift cards will cost you about 1400 points. My Points offers gift cards for chains such as Regal Cinemas, Target, Amazon, Borders, restaurants such as Claim Jumper, Chili's, Baja Fresh and specialty retailers such as Pottery Barn, LL Bean and Williams-Sonoma.

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Once you cash in your points, your card will arrive in a few weeks. Watch your mail carefully as the envelopes are unmarked and usually look like junk.

Another type of points programs are those run by banks and credit cards. These are very basic points per dollar programs that reward you whenever you buy something with your card. Unlike MyPoints, you must make a purchase in order to receive the points so if you don't do a lot of spending with a credit card, this may not be the program for you. However, if you do purchase a lot of large ticket items for yourself or for your business, points in these programs can add up fast.

Similar to the general credit card programs are the niche card programs. These are sponsored credit cards that reward you with points for a specific retailer for dollars spent anywhere. For example, Borders Visa gives you points for shopping anywhere, but bonus gift cards and higher point rewards when you shop in their stores. Amazon has a similar program, as does Best Buy and dozens of other large retailers.

With so many different kinds of points programs available, you may be tempted to try them all. Don't do it. In order to make the most of your program, you want to accumulate points quickly and that means consolidating most of your shopping so it benefits one or two programs.

If you sign up for MyPoints, use an email address that you check often. Nothing beats getting points for clicks, but the emails are a limited time offer so you have to keep up or you lose out.

Finally, beware of scams. Stick with the big players and never do business with a program that requires you to pay a fee or give them your credit card number. Legitimate points programs make their money from the retailer when you make a purchase or visit a site, so there's no reason they should be taking money from you.

Ready to get your free gift cards? Sign up for a points program today and with a little planning and a little patience, you'll be dining out on someone else's dollar a few months from now.

Photo credit: StartedByAMouse

Other Money Saving Tips:

Electric Bill 47% Less Than My Neighbors

2009-12-22T15:02:00+00:00

I have always enjoyed the low mood lighting at some of the fine restaurants and upscale lounges that I have been to since the time I was a child.

So, why not enjoy that same relaxing lighting at home?

I have put low watt bulbs & dimmers on my lighting fixtures to create a soft, low light condition in the evening hours. I sometimes add candlelight for additional effect. Your eyes adjust to the low light; your home is transformed into a magical environment. Add candles & music to create your own magic !

I like the effect so much, that I would do this even if there wasn't a cost savings.

The city, in a report to homeowners which I just received with my utility bills states that my electricity consumption is 47% less than my neigbors.

Other Money Saving Tips:

16 Surprising Uses for Your Microwave

2009-12-22T15:00:00+00:00

Our microwave is the MVP of our kitchen. It's also a money-saver, using less than two thirds of the energy it takes to cook foods with a conventional oven. While we've heard of some unusual ways to use your microwave, like zapping your sponge in the microwave for two minutes to kill 99% of its bacteria, we were pleasantly surprised by the list of 16 unusual uses for microwave ovens that DIYLife came up with.

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Here's a couple of our favorites from their list:

2. Sterilize garden soil - "Non-gardeners may say "huh?", but keen gardeners know sterile soil is best for starting seed. Spread small amounts of soil on a flat tray and heat 'till it's steaming."

3. Revive dry mascara - "Gunky mascara giving you blobby lashes? Heat the tube on high for 30 seconds, then test consistency and heat longer if necessary."

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6. Get more juice from citrus fruits - "Before squeezing or putting through a juicing machine, zap your citrus fruits for 10 or 20 seconds. Aim to warm them, not heat them. This will help you get every last drop of juice out."

10. Save crystallized honey - "A great trick to know about since quality honey is expensive! Simply heat the honey until the crystals melt."

#16 might be our favorite, the five minute cupcake. Yum!

Check out the full list here: Unusual Uses: Microwave Ovens - 16 Sweet Ideas.

Do you know of any unusual or non-conventional uses for your microwave? Please share with the Tip Hero community by posting a comment below. And thanks for being a Tip Hero!

Photo credit: SmartGoat

Other Money Saving Tips:

ING Direct One-Day Black Friday $121 Bonus

2009-11-27T15:30:00+00:00

ING Direct is offering a $121 cash bonus for people signing up for a new ING checking account. Just open an Electric Orange checking with Reference Code EOSAVE, make three signature-based transactions with your checking account's debit card within 45 days, and ING will deposit $121 in your account after 50 days. Find full details here:

http://www.ingdirect.com/blackfriday/

Create Your Own Money Saving News Channel in Google

2009-11-22T18:58:00+00:00

Google is one of the most powerful tools in my frugal toolbox. I've written about how I use Google Alerts to Save Money and 9 Ways I use Google to Save Money. I want to share with you a new way I use Google to save money.

Web Search: Free Budgeting Spreadsheets

I recently created my very own custom money-saving news channel in Google News. I'm always interested in learning new ways to save or stretch a buck and I find myself combing through lots of news stories. Now Google gives you the ability to create your own custom news channel based on your interests. So I decided to setup a custom news channel around frugality and money-saving tips. Setting up a custom news channel is very easy and only takes a minute. Here's what you need to do.

Step 1. First you'll need a Google account in order to save your preferences. Once you have your account, go to Google News. Then, on the right side of the homepage near the top, click on the "Add a section" link.

Step 2. You'll now be on the custom news directory page. You'll see a list of custom channels other folks have created. To create your own channel, click on the big blue button on the right side of the page that says: "Create a custom section".

Step 3. After clicking on the "Create a custom section" button, you are now ready to create your own custom news section. You'll see a form with several fields. Under the field labeled "Section title", give your news section a name. For example, I named mine "Money Saving News". Under the next field labeled "search terms", enter keywords related to the content that you want to appear in your custom channel. For my channel, I used a number of keywords, such as: frugal, money saving tips, penny pinching, saving money, coupons, energy savings -- and more. Use as many keywords as you want. Next, you'll want to select your edition. If you live in the United States, select "U.S." If you live in Canada, select "Canada". And so on. Under the "Source location" field, you can narrow it down even further by state (this is optional). I decided to keep mine at the national level, so I left the field blank. You can also choose to share your custom channel with others by clicking the check box at the bottom of the form. Go ahead and click the "Create" button. Now you've created your very own custom news channel in Google News.

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Step 4. If you want to select where your custom news channel appears in the list, just click the "edit this page" link in the upper right-hand side of the page.

Step 5. To edit your channel, select your channel and click the "edit this section" button on the right-hand side of the page. You'll be able to add or remove keywords, as well as change the edition.

Creating your own custom money-saving news channel is fast and easy. It allows you to cut through the clutter and go straight to content in which you have a high degree of interest. One feature I wish Google had (and hope will add in the future) is the ability to use negative keywords. This would give the user greater control over what types of content appears in his/her channel.

Note that you can create several custom channels. I've created one for "Freebies & Samples" too. Another idea: Create a local news channel for sales, deals, coupons, or money-saving tips.

For more Money Saving Tips please visit Tip Hero