Readers share how they save time, money Sparkling clean

My readers have no doubt that I am a big fan of finding every possible way to save time and money. And when they take time to send me their latest ideas and efforts, it pretty much makes my day! Check these out:

Teach the kids

In an ongoing effort to educate my 12-yearold, I have started a new tracking system. On a large whiteboard, I have a tally of income, expenses, and bills to be paid. I start off with my gross income, subtract taxes and insurance (boy, was that an eye opener for him — about 25% of my gross), 10% gross tithe, 10% gross savings, then a list of bills. Each time we spend money, my son writes it down. He also keeps track of his allowance on the white board. He's in the process of saving money for video gaming equipment and decided he could live without fireworks this past summer. He said his money would go up in smoke … no pun intended! — Pam, email

Seasonal savings

When on vacation, check out thrift stores in the towns where you're staying. Look for clothing pieces in particular. When I travel to New England, I find great summer stuff that's scarcely worn. The items are very inexpensive due (my guess) to the short summer season. The opposite is true in Florida, where I saw wonderful winter shoes, boots, coats, sweaters, etc. Winter wear in Florida had been donated even though the items were brand new. Not much need for winter clothes there. In both New England and Florida the cost of these items were so cheap.

— Debbie, Tennessee

Reuse again

I've discovered yet another great way to reuse dryer sheets. After I've used the same sheet for a couple of loads I attach it to the bottom of my Swiffer. It works just as well as the dry Swiffer sheets. — Jacquie, Iowa

I am a retired optician who had to wear white lab coats my entire career. They were always getting dirty, especially with ink. I discovered that by soaking them overnight in the washing machine in just enough water to cover them and a large scoop of dishwashing detergent, and then completing the washing cycle the next day, my coats came out clean. — Bob, email

Wedding band rescue

I'm in the jewelry business and on occasion we've had a female customer that comes in very late in her pregnancy with a wedding band stuck on her very swollen finger. Often times it is so stuck that the only solution is to cut off the ring and destroy it. I recently suggested to a woman with this problem to rub Preparation H on her finger and see if it would temporarily reduce the swelling enough to slip off the ring. It worked! It was painless, quick and saved her ring. I can't guarantee the same results every time, but it's worth a shot before calling the jeweler.

— Meira, email

Cook's secret

I have a great way to cook broccoli. Cut into florets (or peel and thinly slice the stalks, too), dump into a bowl and pour boiling water over the florets. When the broccoli turns bright green it's done. Usually this takes only a minute or two at the most. — Sue, California

Visit the utility company

When moving to a new location, go to the local utility company(s) and request a year's worth of utility bills for that address. Now you will know what the utilities will cost during the winter as well as the summer. We did that when we moved into our home and it really saved us. We knew to expect double the cost during the summer as opposed to what we were paying at our previous location.

— Shannon, New Mexico