There's still more left in the tube
Dear Heloise: With rising costs, I am always looking for a way to save. Well, I realized that although my toothpaste tube or my expensive tube of body cream seemed empty, I decided to cut the tube open two inches up using a good pair of scissors. As I suspected, there was still plenty in the tube, so I scraped it out and placed it in the bottom portion of the tube, while using the top portion to close it.
You can’t use the regular opening, so I just pull off the section I cut off and dip in my toothbrush or scoop out the body cream with my fingers. This makes each tube last at least one other month. This can be done with any soft tube. Open it up to see how much is still in there. -- Ann B., Bristol, Connecticut
BAKING WITH COFFEE CANS
Dear Heloise: In response to the recent hint about reusing coffee cans: I baked pumpkin bread in mine for years. I used 4 cans filled halfway, and I would bake them at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 1/2 hours, depending on individual ovens. Let it stand about 15 minutes before taking the bread out to cool thoroughly. -- Monique B., via email
REHEATING CHICKEN
Dear Heloise: I would like to share this invaluable tip about reheating chicken. To me, chicken has an odd, terrible taste when reheated, and usually gets tossed after the first meal. A few days ago, I bought a huge chicken. Normally, I would have tossed it again, but I didn’t have anything in the house to eat. So, I decided I would just suck it up and reheat it.
For some unknown reason, I decided to spray the pan and the chicken before putting it in my little convection oven to reheat it. Much to my surprise, it was really good! No nasty taste, and the chicken was moist, as good as the first day I had it. I still wasn’t sure the spray oil was the reason it tasted so good and fresh, so I tried it again two more times. And, it works! -- Faye L. Cosma, Howland Corners, Ohio MAINTAINING FLOORS Dear Heloise: The best care for all your home’s floors is the “no shoe” rule. If all family members remove their shoes upon entering the home, all floors remain in much better condition, and the rest of the house has less dust and debris. -- Billy Landry, via email
SELF-SUFFICIENT KIDS
Dear Heloise. Parents should try to instill self-sufficiency in their kids. I see that many of today’s children are given everything from their parents who have accumulated their own wealth. From cars to education to houses -- kids are never taught to be self-sufficient. It has created a sad situation for many families. -- Cindy Moore, via email
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.
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