LEAKY LOGIC. I used to have to clean messy leaks from meat that I thawed in the refrigerator. Then I put a plastic shoebox-sized container in the fridge, and I put my thawing meats in that container to catch any spills. When leaks occur (they often do), I just clean the box in our dishwasher. -- Pam, Illinois

STEAM HEAT. My husband needs five shirts and five pairs of pants ironed each week. We came up with a timesaving measure to have neatly pressed clothes for his workdays. When the clothes come out of the dryer, we hang them up neatly on the hanger and hang them on a rack on the back of the shower door. Steam makes all the wrinkles disappear, and I don't have to spend time ironing. -- Kayla C., e-mail

WATER SMARTS. I turn my electric hot water heater off when I go out of town. I also have a timer on it that can be set for several cycles. The best part, however, is that my hot water heater is in the attic, so the summer heat makes it possible for me to leave it off all summer long. If we have a number of cloudy days, I can turn it on five minutes before my shower, and it is warm enough for me to take a nice shower. -- Marsha A., Georgia (Editorial note: This technique should not be used with a gas water heater. You would have to call the gas company to relight the pilot. However, you can lower the temperature.)

FILTER SAVINGS. Have you ever noticed that there is a huge difference in cost between cone coffee filters and the basket-shaped ones? I had some of the basket ones when I switched to a cone-style pot, and I tried them. I set the basket filter on the counter, measured in the coffee, gathered the top, and set it in the proper spot carefully. Basket filters work just as well, and I get 200 filters for $1.89. Cone filters are $4.50 to $5.50 for 100. -- Name Withheld, e-mail

STICKY SOLUTION. On a whim, I used some Soilove (SoapsGoneBuy.com) on a sticky lump of gum stuck to the bottom of my shoe. The whole messy thing came off easily! I've been using Soilove to pre-treat stains on laundry, so this was a welcome discovery. -- Sue S., Washington

HURRICANE HURRY. Years ago, I moved from earthquake-prone California to hurricane-prone Florida. I made an emergency checklist for my husband and me so we don't pack things we don't need and leave behind items we do need. This is helpful, especially when we have to leave in a hurry! I had to use this list recently, when Hurricane Fay came to visit. I managed to pack everything in a hurry, even items for my cat. -- Jennifer E., Florida

Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. 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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