Every one can learn from others experiences and we also learn from our own mistakes. Below is a list of common sense ideas that will save you from being injured or it can save you a lot of money because you had made a wise decision. Please practice these ideas. In the long run you will be glad that you did.
1. Buy Steel Toed Safety Shoes to wear while you work. You will never know when a large rock, or a heavy peace of wood, or heavy metal could fall onto your toes and injure them. Or you may step on a nail. The few extra dollars that you may have to spend on these shoes can save you hundreds of dollars in Doctor's Bills or being treated at the hospital for a badly injured foot. You can't say: " That will never happen to me." because it can happen and it comes when you are not expecting it. So be wise when you buy your next pair of work boots.
2. Always wear Safety Glasses as you work outside. It will prevent the wind from blowing dirt and sawdust into your eyes. It will prevent eye injury if something should beak loose and fly into your face. Most of us have had this already happened to us and we say we were lucky for not becoming injured. A second or a third time may not be so lucky. Learn from your mistakes. Even a mechanic should wear Safety Glasses. It will prevent tools from being poked into the eyes like a screw driver. It does happen. Believe me!!
3. Wear ear plugs or other ear protectors that will cut down the noise that we get from lawnmowers, tillers, motorcycles, heavy equipment, chainsaws, fireworks, industrial equipment, and rock concerts just to name a few of the common noises that we have to cope with almost everyday. When you get older you will be glad that you had followed these safety measures. You will have saved yourself a lot of money in the long run and you will still be able to hear when you get older while others have to wear hearing aids.
4. It is wise to wear a carpenters belt while you are working outside. It will save you a lot of time and space by having tools and nails at your finger tips when you need them rather then always retracing your steps to get what you need.
5. Do you have extra plywood to be used for another day? Store them flat out side with supports every 12 inches. Then cover them with a tarp. If you stand them on end outside, they will warp. But if you stand them on end indoors then that should be OK as long as no moisture can not get to them.
6. When storing nuts, bolts, screws, nails, washers and other hardware I use the empty plastic oil bottles or empty antifreeze containers and I cut the sides out of them. This is great for organizing your hardware by putting these plastic containers to good use rather then throwing them away. The long necks and handles makes them easy to pull out to find what you need. You can also put a white tape by each container and write on it what each container is. My oil containers are double stacked to save space.
7. If you do not want to pay a few hundred dollars for a many drawer tool box, you can pick up old cabinets with drawers and stack them in your work shop. You can get these real cheap at thrift stores or yard sales and they are good for storing just about anything. I even put my case lot food into them. It makes the food handy and available when you need it.
8. Do you need a cheap work bench. Buy an old cabinet with drawers and/or cupboards and nail a piece of plywood to it. You now have a work bench. An old desk with drawers will also work. Then you can buy some old cabinets to put on the back side of your wood bench to store your wood working tools, screwdrivers, wrenches or anything else you may need. After you have organized your tools and everything is at your finger tips, you will be glad that you did it this way and this simple workbench will last you a long, long time. By the way, the only person you are pleasing is yourself.
9. An indoor-outdoor work light that uses a regular light bulb and is also called a strobe light, this will plug into any outlet. Most of these work lights have a clamp on them and they can be moved into any direction. These make great lights for any work table and they cost less then ten dollars. I have seen these lights at thrifts stores and yard sales for only a couple of bucks. A mechanic's light will also work as a good work table light.
10. Color TV's are nice to have but did you know that they use 3 times more energy then the black and white ones.
11. If you are going to buy more tools and power equipment in the near future, check with the adds at the mail-order companies and/or ' Harbor Freight ". These companies are very competitive and their prices are very low.
12. When you run into a rusted part and you cannot get it apart. Wrap a cloth around it and saturate it with WD-40. Let the cloth stay on all night long. Then loosen the part.
13. You will save a lot of money on your electric bill if you put your refrigerator and freezer on the back porch, in the garage or in the basement. some people will make an outside shed on the north side of the house to put the refrigerator and freezer in it. But remember they will use much more energy in a warm room compared to a cool one.
14. Remember that when you buy another refrigerator that the frost-free ones will use 50% more energy then the regular ones.
15. Growing shade trees around your house will keep it cooler during the hot summer months. Window fans use way less energy compared to air-conditioners. Because heat rises, open up attic and second story windows to let the hot air out. They also make special windows that can be installed that will automatically keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. In the long run because your house will be using less energy, these windows will pay for themselves and you will have them for many years to come.
16. If you are gluing any wood parts together you can use rubber bands as clamps. They can be bought in many different sizes at a hobby store and when you are not using them, just hang them on a nail by your work bench.
17. Make a homemade wood polish by mixing one third cup of each of the following: boiled linseed oil, turpentine and vinegar.Apply this mixture to your furniture with a soft rag and wipe it dry. Then polish it with another soft rag.
18. This is a home made window washer and it will leave no streaks. Mix one half of a cup of cornstarch to two quarts of water. Spay this on to your windows and wipe it clean.
19. A good and effective way to clean cutting boards is to rub onto them a paste made of baking soda and water. This will both clean and deodorize the cutting boards. If the cutting boards are extra smelly, leave the paste on it for several minutes. This will get rid of all smells. A 2nd way to clean a cutting board is to rub household vinegar all over it.
20. If you end up with crayon marks on your painted walls, never fear, toothpaste is near. Just scrub the walls with it and rinse. IF your kids don't seem to learn then make sure you have plenty of toothpaste on hand. But teach them kindly that coloring books and paper is so much better then the walls.
21. You can get a lot more juice out of your lemons and limes if you soak them in warm water for a few minutes before cutting them open.
22. When buying bananas, separate them when you get home and leave a one inch nob at the end of each banana. This will prevent them from ripening so fast.
23. This is a baking powder substitute. For every teaspoon of baking powder use one fourth of a teaspoon of baking soda and three-eights teaspoon of cream-of-tartar.
24. Putting a piece of bread into the cookie jar will keep the cookies soft and moist. This also works with brown sugar that is sitting in an enclosed container. The bread will prevent the sugar from getting hard.
25. The following is an easy trick into getting most of the gas out of cooked beans. After soaking the beans, throw away the water. Then boil the beans for 15 minutes and again throw away the water. Then cook the beans until they are tender, this will get rid of most of the gas.
26. Encourage your pop-corn to pop more easier by sprinkling the pop-corn with warm water one hour before popping.
27. When you store your grains for a long period of time, put into the container a dried piece of hot pepper and/or a Bay leaf. This will prevent all kinds of bugs from bothering your grains and beans.
28. If you do not have a root cellar you can make an easy homemade one by digging a hole and putting a chest freezer that does not work into the ground. Slope the ground around it for easy water run off. This makes a handy root cellar for storing vegetables. If a chest freezer can not be found then use a large ice chest or a Styrofoam ice chest. Bury these into the ground where the sun does not shine much, and better yet put a roof over them.
29. Are you having a hard time cracking those hard shelled nuts? Then try a small bench vise. This is great for cracking all kinds of nuts. There is a second easy way to crack those hard shelled nuts and that is to run a car over them on cement. Put a 4x4 piece of wood on each side of the tire and run the car back and forth over the nuts. Be sure to put a clean rag onto the cement, add the nuts then use another clean rag to put over the nuts. This will keep your nuts clean and it will prevent the shells from flying everywhere.
30. For those of you who are corn-on-the-cob eaters. An easy way to remove the silk from the corn cob is to run a damp paper towel or napkin length wise down the ear. The silk will cling to the paper making it's removal very easy.
31. Would you like to see pealed garlic last for a long time. Put them into a glass jar of olive oil. Because the air can not get to them they will last for a long long time.In fact they will keep for several months. The garlic flavored oil does taste great on salads.
32. When storing onions in your frig, be sure to cut off the sprout end. This will make the onion last so much longer in your frig.
33. To prevent onions from making you cry while cutting them up, wear goggles. You can leave them in your freezer for 15 minutes or in your refrigerator for one hour before cutting them up.
34. Do not peal your potatoes and carrots for eating. Most of the vitamins and minerals are found in the peelings. Just wash them clean, slice them up and then cook them.
35. Do not throw away the water when you cook vegetables. This juice is full of vitamins and minerals. Save this juice to make soups and/or beef stews. It will make the soup so much healthier.
36. Boil your potatoes in a wired french-fry basket that will fit into another pan. When they are done, you can pull out the wire basket and it will drain on it's own with no problems. I see these wire baskets quite often at thrift stores.
37. When a recipe calls for a cheese cloth to strain soup or teas, don't panic if you do not have one. A nylon sock will also work.
38. Hang a ruler in your kitchen or put a small measuring tape in your drawer. When a recipe calls for a 9 inch pie pan or a 9 x 12 inch cake pan, you will be able to measure it to know that you have the right sized pan to do the job. These measuring tools come in handy for other projects also.
39. Do you have a lid that is too tight on a jar. Turn the jar upside down and you turn the bottle while hot water is running onto the lid. This will most generally loosen the lid. Also buying a set of rubber gloves for your kitchen will help to loosen a tight lid.
My friend had an Uncle that had big hands and he could loosen any tight lid. His name was Rex. Rex is no longer with us. He is now living in the happy hunting grounds. When my friend can not loosen a lid, he will call upon Uncle Rex for help. I also have made Rex my uncle. When I get a tight lid I will look up into the sky and say: " Uncle Rex, I need help. " and the lid will suddenly become loose. I have called upon Rex several times and the lid will always come loose. Who knows, maybe he could become your uncle also.
40. Would you like to save 30 or 40 bucks a month? Turn off your water heater when you are not using it. It uses a lot of energy to keep that water hot. If you have an insulation blanket around the heater it will keep the water hot for over 24 hours. Our water heater goes on and off 3 or 4 times a week. Remember that when it is night time outside, everyone will be in bed fast asleep and no one will be using the water heater. So why leave it on if you are not using it. By the way, you can get an electrician to rig up a toggle switch inside your house so that you can easily turn the water heater on and off. The money you have saved can go into a savings account. When you leave the house for one to several days, turn off your water heater.
41. Do you have chlorinated water coming out of your water taps? Do not drink chlorinated water. It is bad on your heart, your kidneys and your liver. It also speeds up your aging process. People who drink chlorinated water have a 90% higher chance of getting Cancer. So you need to do the following. Put that chlorinated water into wide mouth containers or water pitchers and let them sit for 24 hours. This water is now fit to drink and it will taste so much better and be more healthier to drink This water is unchlorinated.
42. Is it difficult for you to climb steps because your legs ache or they are weak and not as strong as they use to be. Never fear! There is a safe and easy way to climb up and down those steps and you will have more strength to do so. That secret is to go up and down those steps on all fours just like a dog or a cat. In other words, instead of using just 2 feet you also use your hands. When I go up the steps on all fours I use my fists and not my hands. When you come back down the steps, you come down the steps backwards on all fours. In this way you can come down slowly and carefully and you will not feel dizzy. Try it. If it works for me, then it will also work for you.
43. Take time to shop at yard sales and thrift shops. They often sale next to new stuff for a cheap price. Christmas gifts can bought at these places throughout the year and stored away until Christmas comes. Buying these next to new items will save you a lot of money compared to the new stuff. Oh there will be sales to where the new stuff can be bought fairly cheap and that is OK. I too an always looking for these special deals.
44. This is a very good substitute toilet bowl cleaner. Use Baking Soda and vinegar. Sprinkle Baking Soda all over the toilet and then spray vinegar on it. This makes an excellent cleaner and deodorizer for your toilet. When you leave the house for a few hours add a fourth cup of bleach to your toilet. This will automatically clean your toilet while you are gone.
45. An easy homemade cleanser to be use on extra dirty dishes, appliances, corning ware, sinks and tubs and this cleanser is non-abrasive, use a concentrated detergent and Baking Soda.
46. If you ever spill grease on your floor, do not panic. All you have to do is pour ice-cold water onto the greased floor or put ice cubes on it. The grease will harden up and you will be able to scrap it off the floor easily and safely.
47. Would you like to save one or two hundred dollars every month? When you go to work, ride the buss or go in a car pool. Not only will you save yourself a bunch of gas money but you will also prevent wear and tear on your car or truck. But be wise and put this extra money you have saved into a savings program so when you need a little bit of extra cash, you will have some.
48. Do not park a refrigerator next to a stove. The heat coming off of the stove will cause the frig to use more energy.
49. Install in your bathroom a low-efficient shower head. It will cut down your water use by 50%.
50. Most of your clothes can be washed in cold water using cold-water detergents. Extra dirty clothes will need a warmer water, but in the long run look at all the money you can save by washing most of your clothes in cold water.
51. Insulate your water heater with a Water-Heater Blanket. These can be bought at Home-Improvement Stores. These special blankets will help to keep your hot water HOT for a much longer period of time.
52. If you will take the time to vacuum under your frig and on the back side once a month, your frig will work so much better and it will use by far less energy.
53. When you decide to plant trees in your yard for good looks or shade, plant nut or fruit trees. Because the prices on fruit are always going up in the stores, the mature fruit and nut trees will provide all the produce you want and over the years it will be for free. This includes peaches, pears, apples,plums and apricots just to name a few of the possibilities. Again I say that all of this fruit will be free for the taking over the years.
54. Many of us have a clothes dryer. They are really nice to have but they do use up a lot of energy. If you would like to save some big bucks, then hang your wet clothes out side on the sunny days. The cool breeze that is blowing on them will make your clothes soft and fluffy and fresh smelling. Plus your electric or gas utility bill will be much lower.
55. When I was younger I lived in California, USA for two years and I was told about those who could easily pick your pockets. They can pick every pocket except your front pockets. So from that time fourth I have always put my wallet into my front pants pockets with the smaller bills and wear a money belt around my waist whenever I had to take the larger bills or you could put your larger bills into your shoe. To this very day I still put my wallet in my front pants pocket while other men put them into their back pockets and they loose their wallet from time to time. So be wise in the way that you carry your money when you go places.
56. Raw peanuts and raisins are added to the boiling water for a few minutes before adding the rice. This will give the rice an unusual but excellent taste.
57, When you pick green tomatoes out of your garden before a frost, you can speed up the ripening time by putting those green tomatoes into an air tight bag with apples. They are both creating ethylene gas as they sit in that air tight bag which speeds up the tomato ripening time.
58. For all of you who grow radishes in your garden, you can eat the radish tops also. Wash the leaves and cut them up to be put into your salads, soups and stir fried foods. This will give your food a peppery taste. These radish tops are rich in vitamins and minerals. Don't eat the radish tops from a store. You have no idea as to what chemicals were sprayed onto them to help them to grow.
59. Would you like to keep your refrigerator from becoming smelly? Put an open box of baking soda into your frig. This will stop all smells. Putting baking soda on your body after a bath will prevent body odor. Also by putting some of this into your shoes it will put a stop to stinky feet. Leave an open box of baking soda on the counter of your kitchen, it will help to clear up any bad kitchen smells and IT WILL STOP ANY FIRE THAT MAY ACCIDENTALLY BE STARTED. Keep a box of baking soda near the stove so that you can grab it when you need it.
You can also use Charcoal Briquettes to stop odors in the frig. After a time you can reheat them in an oven and use them over and over again. Maybe you can double this idea by putting both of these into the frig to stop all odors.
60. If the water fixtures on your sink or tub gets dull looking from soap suds, soak a rag in vinegar and wrap it around the fixture. This will loosen up the soap suds and you will be able to polish up those fixtures again.
61. It is best to have three kinds of cutting boards in your kitchen for safety reasons. One is for fish and meats, one is for onions and garlic and the third one is for fruits, vegetables and baking products. Wash them after using them and write onto them Meat, Onion and Other.
62. Do you have some silver containers that are tarnished and you have no silver cleaner? Try some toothpaste and coat the silver object with it. Work it into a foam and then rinse it off with warm water. If your silver object has intricate grooves then use a soft bristled toothbrush and again work it into a foam before a warm rinse.Baking Soda will also work. Just sprinkle it onto a damp rag and rub the tarnish off followed by a warm rinse.
63. Do you have an Ant problem in your house? Make a mixture of half and half water and vinegar and wash or spray your counter tops, cabinets and the floors with this mixture. You can also sprinkle baby powder on the ant entrance ways. Ants will not walk through baby powder.
64. Grass stains are common in children's clothes. To remove them rub diluted rubbing alcohol on the stain followed by a liquid laundry soap. Then put your clothes into the washing machine.
65. When the weather is sunny and dry outside, hang your clothes on a clothes line instead of using the dryer. This will save you a bunch of money. Or you can hang them on your back porch, or in a large shed, in the basement, or in the bedrooms being they are not generally used during the day. Just string up some clothesline and take it back down when you are not using it.
In Italy most people will hang their clothes on a clothesline rather then use a dryer because it saves them money. Try it and your gas or electric bill will be much less.
66. Remember to turn off any lights you are not using in your house. Also dimmer switches will use much less energy then the regular switches. Remember also that that pure white walls inside your house will reflect more light then dark walls.
67. If your car or truck battery gets some acid on the terminals, make a paste of baking soda and water. Then put this onto your battery.
68. When your radiator on your car or truck gets a small leak and it will not hold water, dump some black pepper into it. The small pieces will swell up and plug up the holes as the water circulates. Even a car mechanic will tell you to do this. If the black pepper does not work then you may have to put in a new radiator. But this black pepper will plug most of the holes. When you go on a long trip, take a can of black pepper with you just in case your radiator starts leaking.
69. If you grow a garden every year, you could save yourself over a thousand dollars on your food bill. Plus anything you eat from an organically grown garden will protect you from Cancer. If you know nothing about gardening you will find a lot of books at the local library on the subject or one of your neighbors will gladly come over to your house and help you to get started. The worst part of growing a garden is keeping the weeds down. The weeds will grow faster then your garden plants and they will prevent them from growing. So it is important to pull the weeds all summer long. But the eating of your produce from the garden after all that work, this is the best part of growing a garden. Gardening can be fun if you are always trying new gardening methods and growing the new varieties of garden seed. Believe me, it is a wonderful hobby.
70. It is very important to open up a savings account at a bank. As a general rule put 10% of each paycheck into the bank. If this does not look possible then try at least 20 dollars. When ever anything breaks down and you may need money for car parts or parts for home repairs, you will have money in the bank to take care of it. If the savings account should some day amount to several thousand dollars then you could borrow from your yourself for another car, a new stove or a new frig. In this way you will not need to get a loan from a bank. But what ever amount of money that you pull out of the bank, do not cheat yourself. Slowly put it back into the savings account again so that the next time you need money you will have some.
71. Make bacon really tasty and grease will not pop out of the fry pan. Dip each piece of bacon into sweet milk and then roll it into flour before frying them. The bacon will not shrink as much and the brown grease is excellent for making gravies.
72. For the most beautiful potatoes you have ever cooked, add one teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to the water. This will make the potatoes a snowy white in color.
Please read my article on Google Search: " Uncle Bob's Home Remedies-Remedies For Cuts, Wounds and Nosebleed ". Also read ' Uncle Bob's Home Remedies-The Facts About Cancer That Doctors Do Not Want You To Know About ".
Live longer and Healthier with these old fashion home remedies that will make you feel better physically, mentally and spiritually
