JAW Jaw...great minds think alike..well nearly..I use washing soda.

BAKING SODA great for fridges ..


used vinegar for my windows in the summer ..hubby thought I had been bottling beetroot..was disappointed!!
smell faded quickly .but I usually use a clear lemon spray bought at grocery.

I have to laugh...we pulled out the same treatment for clogged drains at the same time. One can tell what you and I have been doing recently.

Vinegar is great for so many things, too. I use to use half and half of that plus water to soak wallpaper and then strip it off the wall. Works really good if the wall was primed before it was papered. If not, you're screwed anyway.

I also use it to mop floors. It's cheap, gets stuff clean and like MA said, the smell goes away almost immediately.

I use aluminum foil to freeze things sometimes, if I'm out of freezer bags. I double wrap with it to keep it from coming loose when in the freezer. It works so long as you label whats inside.

Being a lover of all things Asian Food, I shop near my home at the new Asian market. Its sooooooo expensive, but Orchid is right, nothing like fresh veggies for your stir fry meals, but if you aren't a millionaire and know the value of quick frozen foods, you'll do just fine with frozen veggies etc. and not break the bank for a meal either.

get creative with leftovers, and use them before they spoil.

free cleaning supplies:
for scrubbing -- the plastic end squares from bread loaves. Non-abrasive and scrubs well. Also old toothbrushes.
cut-up old socks and underwear for dust rags and cleaning sponges.

I dilute ammonia with water to wash floors and counter clean-up. Ammonia is $1/gallon and goes a long way.

Meredith I had forgotten the many uses of Ammonia. Thanks for the reminder. Also, that idea of the square thing on the bread, great tip!

That same item is sold by Pampered Chef...and there you're telling us how to get one free. I love it!

I too use old socks to dust with. I don't cut them up though, I just slip them on like a glove and dust.

I wonder if anyone else does this...

Once I've printed something out, if I don't need it anymore, I recycle it and use it again. I just flip it over. Saves on buying so much paper. And if it isn't in shape to be reused, I cut it up for scraps to make notes and lay it by the phone.

The librarian here (me) would like to remind folks that buried deep in the website of most large public library systems are licensed research databases. Since some of you run small businesses or might do consulting on the side, do seriously check out what you can access for free if you have your library card or if you visit the library in person.

To illustrate since Dotsie lives near Baltimore, I checked the website for Baltimore Public Library. And buried deep (amongst other juicy, free meaty research databases with verifiable/authenticated info.) was this link which requires Baltimore library card number:

http://www.prattlibrary.org/findanswers/database.aspx?id=2604
Most likely this link for only Baltimore residents with library cards, gives you access to a meaty database or more full of extensive business directories and business research information all in 1 place.

Rethink what your public library website offers. Alot of library directors for all the big city library systems have become aggressive in purchasing annual licenses to such databases. Same for the university libraries...in your local area. However if you don't have a university library card, in many cases you might be able to search freely if you visit library in person.

Cookie, great tip. Absolutely! I'm going to do that. I get so tired in the winter time of walking across the carpet then one of my grandchildren will reach out to me and ZAP! So great tip and a money saver, too.

Orchid...I don't have enough good things to say about the public libraries around the country. If you women are not utilizing them, you're missing out on a very valuable and FREE resource. Plus I've never been in one of them yet where the staff wasn't pleasant and helpful. I love libraries...

When I was doing genealogy, I visited many in different states. It's the only place I know where you can go and the people working there, many of them volunteers, WANT to help you. Thanks for pointing that out Orchid.

JJ, I am a sicko about saving on paper. I do those things you say, and use newspaper borders for notes as well.

When I visited my brother in August, the first thing I did was go to their public library and get a temporary library card. Every 4 days my grandaughter and I would visit the library, play with the games there and get new picture books. It was a lovely walk along the beach, and on the way back we snuggled on a bench across from the harbour. We enjoyed the view and looked at our new gems once again before going home. Those were precious moments with my grandchild.

Cookie, that is a fantastic tip! I can't think of a new tip now...but love reading all of yours.

I love the smell of books and once thought of an MLIS. Recently, I've cancelled my netflix account and check out movies from the library. Last weekend I watched "Martian Child" and will soon view "Volver" and "27 Dresses", plus a few others on reserve. Since the main library is only 3 blocks away from my office, I walk there during lunch or after work. Oh, and I check out about 2 books monthly for lunch time reading! As for freebies, sometimes they offer lovely paper handle bags to carry your checked out items which make for great storage containers for the pantry of top of closet!

Thanks for the tip on socks! I've a bad habit of throwing them out - now I'll use for cleaning!