Saving time gives peace of mind

Any time I can eliminate or lower my stress level when traveling, I'm a happy camper. I am always on the lookout for travel tips and tricks. Now I can't wait for my next flight so I can try today's first great reader tip!

Arrivals For Departures

Dear Mary: I travel a lot, and sometimes if I'm in a time crunch getting to the airport, I pull into the arrivals instead of the departures to reach my terminal. This saves a lot of time, even though I may have to take my luggage up the elevator. I figure this is a viable option if the only other choice I have is to miss my flight.

— Gary

Homemade Chocolate Squares

Dear Mary: Instead of buying expensive baker's chocolate squares, I mix 3 tablespoons of baking cocoa with 1 tablespoon of oil. Doing this gives me homemade chocolate squares. And since most recipes call for the squares to be melted, not only have I saved money; I've saved time, too.

— Helen

Absorbent Tub Backrest

Dear Mary: I have the best tub backrest. It's more comfortable than the inflatable ones, and it's cheaper than the ones designed for spas. It's a baby bath sponge! Designed for laying a baby on its back, it's large enough for my entire back. It sticks to the tub and stays warm as long as the water does. I toss the sponge in the washer periodically to freshen.

— Lauren

Hanging Space

Dear Mary: My laundry room is long and narrow. I put up a tension shower rod, and now I have the perfect place to hang clothes immediately after I pull them from the dryer. — Betsey

Crystal-clean Windows

Dear Mary: I discovered the best window cleaner. I add 1 tablespoon of Cascade automatic dishwasher rinse agent to 2 gallons of water. I apply this with a new sponge that has no soap residue. Now my windows shine with no spots. When I first started doing this, my windows were really dirty and it took two applications to get rid of the grime. — Debbie

Keep A Spare

Dear Mary: One year after living through my first hurricane season, I decided to pay closer attention to essential nonperishable items for our home. We make sure we always keep at least one spare of the following in our stockpile: toilet paper, feminine products, dry pet food, paper and ink for our printer, essential school supplies and an emergency cash stash.

— Maggie

Practical Moving Material

Dear Mary: We're a military family, and we have moved several times in the last few years. After my first move, where I purchased bubble wrap and saved stacks of newspapers, I got smart. Now I pull out sheets, towels, tablecloths and T-shirts. I use them to wrap dishes, knickknacks and other fragile items. Everything is clean to begin with, so I just fold the linens and towels after I've unpacked. — Janice

Mary invites you to visit her at Everydaycheapskate. com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at https://www. everydaycheapskate. com/contact/, “Ask Mary.” This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of Everydaycheapskate. com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book “Debt-proof Living.”