Last week, my lovely wife bought a book…
Over the past twenty years that I have been writing this column I have always looked for ways to improve the quality of my writing and also to be certain that I leave you, the loyal reader with something to think about.
Last week, my lovely wife, bought a book which is collection of handy uses for everyday problems. It has such interesting tidbits as how to use a gallon milk jug to bail out a boat. Also you can fill empty milk jugs up with water, freeze them and use them to keep your coolers cold while traveling. The water in the jug can then be used to drink once it thaws. You probably never thought about coating your recipe cards with hair spray, but if you do then you can wipe them off more easily.
Here’s one more’dried orange and lemon peels are much more effective to use as kindling than newspapers. They last longer and smell better. Well, isn’t that special’
So, since this book costs about fifty big ones, I’ve decided to start my own collection of ways to improvise and save money, then when I get a large enough collections of these wonderful ideas, I can put them together and get the book published and make some real money.
Can tops.you know those things you have left over from opening a can with a can opener’ My suggestion is you file down the rough edges, hammer the dents out and what do you have’ A shiny coaster for your favorite beverage. Stylish and useful and best of all’ free.
Next time you go to the store, grab some of those boxes that soup cans come packaged in. You know the ones that are about 2-3 inches tall. Take these home and cover them with tinfoil. What do you have’ Why, serving trays that you and your whole family can use while watching your favorite program. Then when the kids spill spaghetti on them, no problem, and no mess, just wad them up and throw them away. Saves time, effort and washing those nice TV trays in your closet that you hate to use.
One of your best friends has a new baby’ Why get those extra metal coat hangers out of your closet along with some pliers and in no time at all you’ll have a mobile to hang over the new kid’s crib. Imagine the look on your friends face when they unwrap your gift for their little bundle of joy and the pleasure it will give the baby to watch those little bits and pieces of metal floating around overhead. It boggles the mind, doesn’t it’ Make a couple while you’ re at it’ you can always pack them away in case they have another child anytime soon.
Not sure what to do with those old pair of panty hose’ Confused over whether or not to throw them away or try to use them for some good purpose or another’ Well, here’s a thought. After you’ve washed them thoroughly.take come fingernail polish and decorate them with various designs then cut off them off and use the legs to store your ripening fruit such as apples and bananas. Your friends and neighbors will be amazed at your creativity and you won’t be throwing things that you can use into the landfill.
About this time of the year our family is in a quandary about what to do with those empty toilet paper rolls. Well, not any longer. We’ve been saving them all year long and we’ re going to out them to good use this holiday season. We don’t advise you to use these for anything around the table of in the kitchen, but you can get the entire family to get together one cold night, put on a fire, make some popcorn and decorate those tubes to put onto the tree. Gosh, it just makes my heart zing to think of how wasteful I’ve been over all of these years. We could have been making a toilet paper roll memory for many years gone by. By golly, I’ m going to fix that this year.
Finally, last but not least are a couple of practical uses for those plastic wrappers the paper comes in. First of all you can use them when you’ re out walking Fido as a pair of gloves when you need to pick up after your puppy has gone pooh-pooh. This makes you a good neighbor. Secondly, you can use them as little plastic booties for your dog’s feet when it is raining or snowing. Just put them on and use a rubber band to hold them in place. Then when your dog steps in the mud or in a mess left by some other inconsiderate neighbor and their dog, you just have to pull them off your dogs feet and throw them away’ no fuss, no muss. Keeps your pet happy and your carpets clean.
Well, that’s all I can think of today. I’ll keep adding to this collection as they occur to me. If you have any suggestions that you think I need to know about, feel free to send them to me.
Until next time.