Cleaning glass fireplace doors

Got hazy glass fireplace or wood stove doors? Make a paste of baking soda paste mixed with the same amount of ashes and a little water. Apply with a cloth, then wipe off with newspapers.

Manual Grain Mill: A Practical Appliance

A hand operated grain mill is a practical kitchen appliance. In a pinch, you can grind popcorn for corn meal; grind peppercorns more easily than a pepper mill, grind coffee beans, wheat, barley and even make bread crumbs if your bread is dry.

Thawing Food Cheaper

The microwave is a great time saver, and cooks food with less energy and heat waste than a conventional oven, but don't put off thawing foods just because you can do it faster in the microwave. It's still cheaper to thaw meats in the refrigerator (or, in some instances, in water)

Shower Time!

Try to take your shower between sunup and sundown to avoid having to use the bathroom light. Light bulbs in a bathroom should last years, even if they're not the long lasting kind.

Dish Cloths from Old Socks

Cotton or cotton blend socks, when they're worn out, make excellent dish cloths. Sew a couple together if they're too thin otherwise. And, no, it's not gross. Unless you don't wash them first.

Soup stock from garbage

Save onion skins, potato peelings, carrot trimmings and everything else from your vegetables when you prepare them. Wash the vegetables first, then trim and put the trimmings in a bag in the freezer until you have a gallon or so. Plop them into a pot of boiling water and boil a half hour to an hour, until everything is tender, then strain the broth and freeze it, drink it hot or use it to make soup. The taste is excellent and it's loaded with vitamins and minerals.

Free guitar picks

Lost your guitar pick? Any old credit card will work. Cut it to shape and file the edge with a nail file until it's smooth and uniform.

Separators for hamburger patties

Lids to plastic containers are perfect for making hamburger patties for the freezer. Just insert one lid between each patty and freeze. All you have to do is bend the lids slightly and each patty will pop loose.

Free rubber spatulas

Got a supply of mismatched plastic containers? Don't toss them. Cut them with a pair of sturdy scissors to make "rubber" spatulas. Shape them however you want, making them large enough to handle comfortably. Make a few for yucky things so you can toss them instead of washing them.