More ideas from Dollar Stretcher

Cheaper, Healthier Spread

To save money and have a healthier spread, use the following recipe to enhance and stretch your butter.

1 cup warm water
1/2 to 1 tsp. lecithin granules (found at health food store and acts as emulsifier for water and oil)
1 cup olive or canola oil
1/2 to 1 tsp. salt, as desired
1 pound butter (room temperature)

Soften lecithin granules and salt in warm water and add oil and butter. Whip until creamy and no lumps remain, store in containers in fridge. Makes a nice creamy spread, and when cold, it still spreads easily. Carol M. in Hamilton, MT

Just a Shake

A quick shake of your clothes before putting them in the dryer saves time and money, which are two things that I never seem to have enough of. When you transfer the clothes to the dryer, give them a hard shake, even the socks. Because they are now untangled and more fluffed, they dry much faster and there is considerably less ironing needed. Rebecca D in Pensacola, FL Note from Lucy: I always shake my cotton shirts that I hang outside and they dry faster and have less wrinkles..

The Trader

I am saving money on plants this summer by trading with friends and neighbors. We all have plants like irises that need to be divided or shrubs that can be propagated. I have a big yard and can't afford much for landscaping. This works out for everybody. T. P. in MO

Night at the Spa

My husband and I are both very busy these days and it seems like our best times to talk are in the evenings after we've put the kids to bed. Recently, my lower back was aching so my husband got a bottle of lotion and rubbed my back for me and we just talked like we were on a date. It was wonderful! I was so relaxed and felt great. The following night, I rubbed his back with lotion and again we talked. He agreed that it was a wonderful stress reducer and he felt great the next day.

You could make this as romantic as you would like. Light some candles, get a "mini" of a favorite lotion from a bath and body store, or add a glass of wine to share. We do this once a month now. Not only is it quality time with my husband, but also it is very frugal and I always feel so rested and re-energized. Angie

Note from Lucy: My husband has a bad back and when it goes into spasms, I massage it with a few drops of lavender oil mixed into a base of sweet almond oil… The lavender helps to relax the muscles and it has a nice sweet odor. Lavender is also considered sensual….. I bought my sweet almond oil at HEB, in their health food section and I ordered the lavender oil over the Internet. Make sure you get essential oils, not fragrance oils…There is a big difference.

Cheaper Than Window Cleaner

To wash all the windows, mirrors, and TV screens in my house, plus to wash the inside of my car windows, I use windshield cleaner available at discount chain stores for $.99 to $1.09 per gallon. I then pour enough cleaner, using a funnel, to fill an empty quart size spray bottle. This comes to $.25 per quart of glass cleaner! Plus, I feel if the windshield cleaner is strong enough to clean my car's windshield of bugs and insects, it is certainly strong enough to clean the glass in my house. L. S. in Sheboygan, WI

Have a great week everyone.....