This Week’s Readers’ Tips

by Dollar Stretcher Reader Contributors

Each week we publish a new batch of money-saving tips from our frugal readers that can help you stretch your dollars and live better for less.

Tricks For Eggs

- For hard-boiled eggs, cover with cold water, bring to a boil then put the lid on, and turn off the heat. Let sit 15 minutes then rinse in cold water until cool enough to handle.
- To peel hard-boiled eggs, crack all over with the back of a teaspoon. Run the spoon and egg under cold water. If the cooked eggs were refrigerated with shell on, run egg under hot water, crack all over and then run under cold water. Slip the scooped side of the spoon under the shell and membrane then rotate the egg to remove the shell. This could take some practice, but it’s quicker than picking the shell off with fingers.
- Get a head start on cracking the shells by shaking up the drained, covered pot of eggs if there’s room and not too many of them.
- Sometimes, I get lucky and the hard-boiled, cracked egg pops out of the shell with gentle squishes in my hand if enough water gets under the membrane. Try it under water in the pot.
- To cook scrambled eggs, use a spoon if you don’t like cleaning cooked egg out of a fork or whisk.
- For an English muffin egg sandwich, beat an egg, a little butter and some shredded cheese in a 2-cup glass measure. Microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time until firm. You may have to stir once or twice. Put the egg round between toasted muffin halves.
- Beat an egg into your oatmeal before cooking for a protein boost.
- Discard shells in the trash or compost — never in the garbage disposal. I learned that the hard way when water and eggshells shot out of the other drain of my double sink!

Lorraine in NH

Rejuvenated Light Fixtures

I had been looking for some replacement outdoor light fixtures for our house, as our white ones were looking pretty dated and worn. I was painting the garage door when my daughter asked if I was going to paint the lights, too. Cool idea.

I bought some black Tremclad® paint and removed the glass globes to wash them thoroughly. After giving the fixtures two coats of black paint, they look like we bought brand new fixtures.

I’ve mentioned it to people who have worn out brass fixtures. It gives you the chance to update them for very little money, and it was very easy to do.
NP

Freezer Burned?

Sometimes large chunks of freezer-burned meats can be salvaged.

When the chunk of meat starts to thaw, I trim the freezer-burned sections off with a sharp knife and then let it thaw and cook as usual.

I was able to save some chicken breasts using this method, and I have also done this with other meats that are in chunks.
Mary

Cheaper and Healthier Cooking Oil Alternatives

For extra nutrition and to stretch my dollars. I keep 1/2 cup servings of pureed bananas, homemade applesauce (sugar-free), pureed carrots and pureed cooked kidney beans in the freezer. When I make a cake or quick bread, I substitute either bananas or applesauce for some or all of the oil.

Of course, I purchase all of my fruits in bulk at greatly reduced prices, so this doesn’t cost me a lot. I use the pureed carrots and cooked beans to add to pasta sauce, meatloaf, meatballs, soups, etc. My family is getting extra nutrition, and it makes everything go further. This works very well for my two grandsons, who are picky and won’t eat veggies. They end up eating them and don’t even know it!
M.L.

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Outdoor Furniture Protection

My friend taught me this trick. To protect your outdoor furniture and decorations, paint them with flat, clear spray paint. It’s great for everything from wrought iron furniture to small lawn ornaments.
Maggie

A Painless Way To Build Savings

Here’s an easy way to get in the habit of saving money.

Seven years ago I began putting 1% of my paycheck into a savings account for emergencies. The next year I increased it to 2%. Then 3% the year after. Each year I added 1%. It doesn’t seem like much and never did it hurt. I figure I’ll stop when I get to 10%.

The money didn’t add up much at first, but now it’s growing fast. Wish I had started this when I was a teenager!
Jordan

Cheaper Eye Make-Up Remover

I can’t bear paying good money for oily eye makeup remover pads when they’re so easy to make.

I use an old T-shirt, which is soft and lint free naturally, cut it up into squares, and trim the edges if I’m feeling energetic, put these into a small container and soak them in baby oil. Voila! Hundreds of pads for virtually nothing. If I’m travelling, I just pop a few into a small ziplock bag.

It warms my frugal heart as well as keeps my eyes in good condition.
Brenda

DIY A/C Maintenance

Besides cleaning/changing your air filters, there are some other simple tasks that will keep your A/C unit running well and help avoid service calls.

Make sure that the outside compressor isn’t buried in plant growth. It needs circulating air to work properly. If possible, keep it in the shade. Finally, add a little bleach to the lines that carry condensation outdoors. You should find a place on the line near the air handler designed for this.

These simple steps can reduce the cost of keeping your house cool this summer.
Neil

A Spoonful of Savings

I noticed that a can of veggies was too much for just the two of us, and we always had a tablespoon or so left. It was not enough for a serving but too much to throw out.

My solution is to keep a resealable plastic container in the freezer. All leftover veggies go into it. It is surprising how fast the amount adds up. When I have a suitable quantity, I make soup. I have even made pot pies in the past.
Molly

Tips for Reducing A/C Use

We already had blinds on our windows, but closing them against the sun in warm weather wasn’t quite enough to keep the house cool. I added thermal curtains over top of the blinds, and that has made the difference.

For windows that also had curtains, I hid the thermals underneath them with a second curtain rod and double curtain rod bracket mounting plates. (The inner curtain rod has two inch clearance and the outer has three inch clearance.) For windows that just had blinds, I hung the thermal over top with a valance to dress it up a little.

I found the curtains drastically marked down at an Ollie’s Bargain Outlet. I purchased them much longer than needed so that, after hemming, there was enough left over to piece together for two more windows. Additional curtain rods were just a couple dollars each at Walmart, their Mainstays Basic brand.

Also, those static window cling shade films really are worth it. Just slightly dampen the window with plain water to apply the film and smooth out any wrinkles and bubbles. The film is much less expensive per square inch if purchased in a roll and cut to fit.

Lastly, we create an airstream through the house using box fans wedged in windows. The shaded side is set to blow in, and the sunny side to draw out. And it’s easy to switch their direction when the sun moves around.

All these tweaks allow us to avoid a lot of A/C use.
Maria in Northeast PA

Wasp-Proofing Your Yard

To keep wasps from building nests in the backyard, hang stuffed paper lunch bags under eaves or from trees. I stuff mine with plastic grocery bags and then tie them at the top. Yes, they do get fragile after two or three weeks and sometimes need replacing, but it’s worth the effort.

The bags represent nests so other wasps get the message that this zone is already occupied.
Eileen

Container Gardening Tips

I use containers to plant vegetables each year. There is a good article in Dollar Stretcher about how to set them up. These important tips will help.

Line the bottom of containers with a porous material like coffee filters (for tiny pots) or cheesecloth for large containers. This keeps soil in the container while allowing it to drain from the holes in the bottom.

Raise your containers off the patio or balcony by setting them on bricks or blocks or using plant caddies. This is especially important if they are on a wooden deck. The deck needs to be able to dry. The higher containers will also be easier to reach, important if you have arthritis or other issues that make bending or kneeling difficult.
Barbara

Do you have a money or time-saving tip you’d like to share? Just email your tip to andrea@thedollarstretcher.com.