Handy and Helpful Information

Whilst perusing some magazine recently I came upon several bits of handy and helpful information. In order to preserve them in one spot so I can look closer at them, I've decided to put them in here so you can enjoy them also!

1. Support the troops with expired coupons. Commissaries on bases outside of the US accept coupons up to six months after the expiration date! So, instead of throwing away your coupons, log on to Overseas Coupon Program for a list of locations accepting donations.

2. Per Kiplinger's Personal Finance, if you want to get out of your cell phone contract without is costing you $200.00 or so, check CellTradeUSA or CellSwapper which allow customers to trade contacts online for free!

3. Getting out grout stains and mildew: Dip a toothbrush into a bowl of undiluted white vinegar and use it to scrub away the alkaline stains and mildew. Vinegar, unlike bleach, will not eat away at the silicone filling (the grout).

4. Cleaning the rust off old tools: Place the tools in a large plastic bin and add enough undiluted white vinegar to cover all the pieces. Soak overnight. Rinse and dry the next morning. The acetic acid bubbles away oxidation, making the corroded tools shine again!
NOTE: 7/4/08, I tried this method and it worked really well! It didn't get every bit of rust off that old nail puller, but it got most of it off! I will be using this a lot on the old rusty tools at my Dad's place! The next piece I do, I'll do "before and after" pictures so you can see for yourself!

5. Lifting out set-in stains: In a spray bottle, combine 3 Tablespoons white vinegar, 2 Tablespoons liquid detergent and 1 Quart of warm water. Shake and spritz the solution onto the stain. Let sit on the stain for 5 minutes, dab with a clean clth and blot dry. Wash as usual. The stain should come out.

6. If you want to get great seats for a show, check into Seat Quest. Just enter the event and the number of seats you want and the price range. It will produce a seating chart showing what's available for a variety of secondary sources.

7. Cancel those unwanted catalogs in your snail mail by logging in and registering with Catalog Choice. You select the magazines you don't want to receive and (supposedly) the site will keep them from being sent to you! You can also go to DMA Consumers and do the same thing.

8. Freebies:
Bottle of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce.
Sample Tide with Dawn StainScrubbers
detergent.
Six ounce sample of Healthful Life Purina Cat Chow.
Free sample of Flint River Ranchall natural dog
kibble.
Check out Kids Eat Free to see where in your area what restaurants will
let your tot eat free, when accompanied by parent/parents.
Check out the freebies at the Wal-Mart
website. The featured free ssamples change often so check back once a week to see what is being offered!

9. Join Baby Plays for $37 - $65 per month and the company will send
you toys. Once your kid is bored with them, you simply send the toy back to receive a new shipment!

10. To stop those annoying credit card offers, log into and sign up at Opt
Out Prescreen

11. When you need a refill at the pharmacy, check out your medication's website. Often the companies will post valuable coupons for the prescription you are getting. At Nasonex they have a $10 coupon off the allergy pills. You can print them and use them all year long when you need a refill.

12. According to AAA, the gasoline that most of us don't want to buy at those "cheap" stations, is just as good as the gas at the name brand stations. The EPA sets the standards for ALL fuel so the gas at those cheaper stations is guaranteed to be good.

13. Need some new plants, flowers and trees? Check out Free trees and plants, it is a non-profit organization that "rescues" greenery discarded by nurseries to make room for new stock. Or, contact your local nursery directly about picking up the stock they're about to throw away. If you use the site, you will have to pay for shipping.

14. Want to learn some basics of another language for free? Try out the BBC. They are on a mission to enrich people's lives with programs and services that inform, educate and entertain. They have 12 week class in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Greek, Mandarin, Chinese and more.

15. Google purchased Picasa which is a software download that helps you locate and organize all the photos on your computer. You can edit and add effects, etc and Google has added it as an enhancement to the whole family of Google products.

16. The website All Recipes now offers free downloadable cookbooks for many occasions. You can find it on the site under "Tips & Advice".

That's all I have for now!