2 Unrelated Q(uick)-Tips

Both of these came to mind after I wrote a dog-tip post and a beverage post this week.

Q(uick)-Tip #1

You may know about this as it is a Frugal mainstay, but just in case you don’t it’s worth repeating here. One of our favorite Summertime beverages is Sun Tea. It is very easy to make, and inexpensive. All you do is fill a one gallon glass container with water, with 3 or 4 tea bags. I usually use Lipton, or a combination of Lipton and peppermint or spearmint tea. Place the jug in a hot, sunny spot in your back yard; do this early in the day. The tea will be perfect by late afternoon or early evening.

This will remain tasty for about four or five days, refrigerated. After that is seems to acquire a bit of an acidy aftertaste. This is the most refreshing beverage on a hot sunny day. Goes great with those summer barbecues, too.

I’m still using a big multi-package of Lipton tea I bought at Sam’s Club three years ago. So I can’t tell you how much this beverage costs me per gallon (or serving), but I’m certain it is much less than the pretty typical $1.95 that restaurants charge for a glass of iced tea. I can tell you that nowadays Sam’s Club sells this same 312 tea-bag package for $7.76, which is .02/bag. So, not including the costs of the gallon of water, a jug of Sun Tea will set you you back .06-.08. Not too shabby (and something to think about when I’m drinking that $1.95 glass of iced tea at Applebee’s).

One time my parents made the most expensive jug of Sun Tea known to mankind. When my sister was a little girl, she grabbed the almost full gallon container to pour herself some tea. She wasn’t very big, though, and she dropped that slippery, heavy glass jug right on her big toe. Poor little thing! She had to be rushed to the emergency room for some stitches. But that wasn’t all. Turns out there was still glass in there, and she had to have surgery a few years later to repair that damage. I don’t think my parents have recovered the cost of that most expensive jar of Sun Tea yet, even thought it’s been over twenty years since the follow-up surgery (and they drink this frugal beverage regularly). So be careful when handling that jar. It can be dangerous!

Q(uick)-Tip #2

This tip comes in handy if you have an older pooch. My little gal Sparky was having a lot of trouble with her back legs this winter. After a few visits and some x-rays, the vet couldn’t find anything wrong with her, and just chalked it up to “old age” (she will be nine years-old this year). He sent me home with a big bottle of pain pills, to use “as needed” (for Sparky, not me).

The pills helped a bit, but she was having a lot of trouble getting around. I felt so bad for the little thing. Because her back end was so wobbly, I noticed that she was having trouble bending down to her feeding bowl. I thought about getting her a raised diner, which are metal holders that elevate a dog’s feeding and water bowls to a height that allows them to stand and eat at a more comfortable level. They range in price from $18.00-$40.00, depending on size and fanciness (for instance, you can get scrolled wrought iron or utilitarian stainless steel). Sparky isn’t very big or very tall, so I knew I could find just what I needed at the lower price range (and she wouldn’t care how fancy it was!). Since it would save a lot of stress on her poor back end, it was worth it to me.

But before I ordered it, I looked around my house to see if I had anything that I could substitute for the raised diner. Frugals will often do this - look around to see what they already have that will do in a pinch before buying something. After a little bit, I realized I had tons of something that would work great, and could be exactly customized for Sparky’s needs. That turned out to be BOOKS! - in all shapes and sizes.

After a little experimentation, I found that my copy of The Joy of Cooking was just perfect for this purpose. This is not one of my favorite cookbooks either (because I am lazy, and this cookbook is not for lazy cooks), so I’m glad it’s finally being put to good use. Twice a day, every day, I put The Joy of Cooking on the floor, Sparky’s food bowl on top of that, and voila, problem solved. (Actually, when I look at this photo, I think that her bowl could still be a little higher. Maybe I’ll slip an Agatha Christie in there, too).

So before you buy something you really need, just take a little looksee around the homestead. Look at things for their possibilities, not for what they were necessarily created for. You never know, it could save you a few bucks. (Oh, by the way, Sparky is doing a lot better now. Maybe it’s because it’s warmer now, I don’t really know. But she’s getting around much more easily than just a few months ago. What a relief!).