Stain Touch-Ups Instead of those expensive bleach pens, I use a cotton swab dipped into bleach. I dab it on just like the bleach pen, and it only costs a couple of pennies! Debbie

Summer Hair Care Summer can be hard on hair. This is especially true if it’s long like mine. Instead of using hair gel, I use the after-sun aloe vera gel. It makes my hair super shiny, soft, and full. Lyla

Gutter Maintenance Summer is the perfect time to clean and check gutters. If they’re clogged by leaves, water can back up into your eaves and cause expensive damage. While you’re cleaning them, you can check for any loose spots and caulk any leaks that you notice. Rudy

ICE Addition We’re all familiar with putting critical information on our phone under ICE, but my mom took it a step further. She’s retired and lives alone, so she’s often out of the house by herself. She added a thumb drive to her keyring. She used nail polish to mark it “ICE.” On it is a text file with contact information for me, a list of her doctors and medications, and her insurance information. If something should happen to her, it would be easy to contact me or her doctors to start treatment. It only cost a few dollars and might just save her life. My mom thinks it’s such a good idea that she wants me to get one. Robbie

Designer Note Board I wanted a dry erase board for our kitchen, but I didn’t want something that was plain and white. Then last weekend, I had an idea while I was out yardsaling. I saw a really ugly framed picture that was just the size I wanted. The frame and glass were perfect. I bought it for $2. When I got home, I took it apart and spray painted the backside of the glass with some red paint that was left over from a DIY project. I hung it in my kitchen. Red is an accent color in my kitchen, so it fits right in. A black marker shows up nicely against the red background, and the glass erases just like a white board. Plus, it only cost me $2! Ana

Too Many Tomatoes? Last year, I had a bumper crop of tomatoes. I didn’t have enough canning supplies, so I needed to get creative. I cored them and cut out any imperfections. Then I put them into the blender after unpeeling them. I poured the tomato puree into freezer bags. Now when I’m making chili, salsa, casserole or spaghetti sauce, I have a ready supply of tomato puree available. This year, I hope my garden produces enough for a repeat performance. Rachael

Better Without Insurance Our new insurance plan has a high deductible. In the past, I used to just take whatever prescription my doctor handed me straight to the pharmacy and let my insurance company pay for it. Now I ask if there’s a generic equivalent. The doctors think that since I have insurance, I’m not paying for the pills, but since we haven’t met the annual deductible yet, we are. Therefore, I remind them to prescribe the cheapest medication that will do the job. Abbie

Nearly New Furniture We were moving into our first home and didn’t have a living room or dining room set. On a lark, I stopped in the sales office for a new community that was just being finished. I asked them what they did with the furniture in their sales models. They told me that they sold it. I bought a living room set, a dining room set, and one bedroom set on the spot. Paid about a third of what the stuff would have cost at the store. We did need to rent a truck to move it, but that was a small expense compared to what we saved! Gwen

Doing What I Can At the beginning of the year, I resolved to bring my lunch to work to save money, but I never was able to get my lunch ready. In the morning, I didn’t want to be late, so I didn’t take time to make it. In the evening, when I had the time, I rarely remembered. Then I settled on this solution. If I’m bringing in leftovers, I prepare them as I clear away the dinner meal. I even put the containers in a plastic bag, so they’re all ready for work. If I’m not taking leftovers, I either make a sandwich or set aside a soda, fruit, and a yogurt cup. Some days, I still need to buy a sandwich at work, but at least, I’m saving a little bit each day! Brenda

DIY Reupholstery I had a chair that needed reupholstering. I signed up for a reupholstery class at a local community college. The cost of the class and supplies was much less than getting the chair upholstered by a professional. The class had all the equipment needed (heavy duty sewing machines, space to work, etc.) and an instructor to guide me through the process. I did this twice. At another time, I took a class to upholster a chair, and at the same time, I upholstered a matching couch at home. I brought the fabric for the couch to the class when I needed to machine sew a piece. At the end of the class, I had a matching sofa and chair set for my living room. The finished products turned out really nice. Joy

Kitchen Organization My sister-in-law just redid her kitchen and had all those pull-out shelves and drawers put it. I’d love to do the same, but we can’t afford it. Therefore, I did the next best thing. I bought some plastic bins that I can slide out of the cabinets. In some ways, the bins are even handier than her drawers. I can pull one out and set it on the countertop, making it easy to see what’s inside. I don’t have a new kitchen, but for just a few dollars, I’ve made it easier to use mine. Lucy

Milk on Sale Occasionally, my store has milk on sale. We drink a lot as a family, so I like to stock up. But, it only keeps so long in the fridge. Therefore, I freeze some. First, I use a little to give the milk room to expand as it freezes. When I’m ready to use it, I put it in the fridge the day before to give it time to thaw. I shake it good before using, and it’s just like I never froze it! Julia