Dollar Stretcher: 'What my move taught me'

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Why buy water?

Most people buy bottled water because they don't link the chlorine smell. Here's a way to get rid of it without using one of those fancy filters. Just fill your jug at night before bed. Leave it uncapped. By morning, all of the chlorine will be gone.

Mandy

Inexpensive area rugs

Regarding the article on cheap area rugs, you can buy leftover pieces of carpet that are cut to size and then turn them over and seal the edges with a glue gun. I have one that I stenciled a border pattern on and it has lasted for 12 years now with just touch-up cleaning.

Sue

Grill clean-up

Here's an easy way to clean your indoor grill. Once you're through cooking and unplug it, take three thoroughly soaked paper towels and place them on the grill surface and close the lid. While you're eating, the warm grill will loosen any baked on food making clean up easy.

Pamela

Pre-retirement expense adjustment

I knew my retirement would shrink, so I wanted to be prepared. For the last two years, I've gradually tried to live on less. Each year, I'm trying to spend two to three percent less than the year before. I'm taking the extra money and putting it in my retirement account. It's taken some discipline, but it will pay off when I kiss my job goodbye in two years.

Tracey

A book lover's lament

I've been a book lover my entire life. I read two or three books every  week, and being a book lover, I hate to pass them along once I've read them. Therefore, I have bookcases in every room of my house. I've recently made a big change. Whenever possible, I buy and read a digital book. Not only are they cheaper, but also digital storage is a snap.

Tracy B.

What my move taught me

We moved last summer. Packing was a nightmare. Not only did we have a lot of stuff from when the kids were small, but we also had all kinds of junk that we had bought during our summer vacations. It always seemed like a good idea to bring back something to help us remember the trip, but the only time I remembered was when I was packing up the stuff to move or, worse yet, throwing it in the trash because I didn't want to move it. We'll be taking another trip this summer and the only thing I'm bringing back is memories and a few pictures on my phone.

Sue

My recipe book

I love to try out new recipes on family and friends. Keeping my favorites organized was becoming a problem until last summer. I decided to keep an old tablet just for my recipes. I'm in the process of making sure all of my old paper recipes are added. I've saved them by category and can search by ingredients. The tablet is easy to read and a swipe with a damp sponge keeps it clean. I'll never go back to the old way again.

Meredith

Worth the time and inconvenience

I can relate to your annoyance with car insurance commercials. I'd like to add to your suggestion of doing the necessary research to get the coverage you need. My step-son is an auto mechanic. He's worked on my husband's work vehicle, my vehicle, my son's vehicle, etc. He's pretty sharp. The very "idea" that a busy mom or anyone for that matter can take a picture of damage to a vehicle (after a fender bender or any accident), send it to the insurance company, and receive a check within days is disturbing. The amount of damage to the frame, under-carriage, or other parts of the vehicle cannot be seen with the naked eye. It's not worth the risk as the insurance company would like you to believe. Take the time (and inconvenience) of being without a vehicle for a few days to have it properly checked out, so the amount you receive will actually cover the necessary repairs. That's my rant for the day.

Carla K.

My safe

I read a tip about a safe and it made me think of something I learned a few years ago. Never put your fire-proof safe in your house, especially if you keep important papers in it. Bolt it down in the garage and put something over it. I hate to sound negative, but if you have a house fire, you will still be able to find it. If the house burns and it is on any floor, it will wind up in the basement amidst tons of debris and the chances of finding it are slim, even if it is a fireproof safe. A garage is usually one story with nothing on top of it so it will still be easy to find even if the garage burns. I know this from experience. I helped a friend dig her safe out of the basement of her burned-out house. We did find the safe, but it took hours and was not particularly fun. Don't let your important papers be buried in the expensive fire-proof safe in case of a fire. Put the safe in a smart place!

Cam

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