If there's one thing readers of this column enjoy, it's a good tip -- a clever and often simple way to save time and money every day. Over the years, we've turned it into a bit of a competition, inviting readers to send in their best tips, tricks and ideas. As a result, I believe we have the world's biggest repository of great tips! Don't we have enough, you ask? Never! Every day, my staff at Debt-Proof Central sorts through, categorizes and pulls out what we think are the best tips to print in this column. We honor one each month as the Tip of the Month. The winner receives a one-year membership to my hugely popular Web site (if I do say so myself), DebtProofLiving.com. Congratulations to Sharon B., this month's winner.

TIP OF THE MONTH: Our family implemented a savings plan on the electric bill that's been very successful. At the beginning of each month, we put an equal number of quarters in a different cup for each person in the house. If someone leaves a room without turning off the lights, TV, etc., the person who discovers it gets to take a coin from the offender's cup and put it in his own. At the end of the month, each person gets to keep what money is left in his or her cup. The first month, a lot of money moved between the cups. Later, everyone was more aware if they left something on when they left a room. The bonus has been significant savings on our electric bills. It also makes the kids aware of how much our household electricity costs. -- Sharon B., Missouri

GRATING BAR SOAP. We make your homemade laundry detergent, but no one has mentioned the problem we've had of easily getting the bar soap ground up. We used to grate it manually, but now we use a coffee grinder, which we fill with roughly cut, gravel-sized soap chips. (Fels-Naptha is the laundry bar soap of choice for the recipe.) After a 20-second "buzz," we have a perfectly uniform, powderlike 1/3 to 1/2 cup of soap. -- Stefan S., e-mail

MONEY EDUCATION. To teach my 9-year-old niece about the benefits of saving money and compound interest, we've started recycling soda cans and bottles. We put the money into a savings account for her college education. It inspires her to save every nickel as she watches her balance grow. -- Sally, New York

GAS SAVINGS. We have found a way to save money at the gas pump. It takes an extra step, but it's worth it to us. At Marathon gas stations in Eastern states, you can buy a $50 gift card, and they'll add $2 to it immediately for buying it. We do this in the store, buying it with a credit card that gives us 3 to 5 percent back on gas. Then we use the gift card to pay for our gas purchase. Having this gift card also classifies us as using "cash," so we get the lower price when that is available, too. -- Name Withheld, e-mail

Got a great tip about a clever way that you save time or money? Send it to mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723, and you could be our next Tip of the Month winner. Your tip need not be original, but it must be written in your own words. Winners receive a one-year membership to Mary's very popular Debt-Proof Living Online. Bonus points for tips Mary never has heard of before. Mary Hunt is the founder of DebtProofLiving.com and author of 17 books, including "Debt-Proof Living" and "Tiptionary 2." To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
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