Whether it’s Brita water or any water that tastes good at first but bad after it sits you’re not alone. I was being driven nuts by the yucky taste of water that started out so pure tasting. Especially the glass of water I leave on my nightstand for wake-up sips.

At first I thought it was my Brita filter being too old or damaged. So I changed it despite having changed it not all that long ago. And the water tasted fine — at least right from the pitcher.

Feeling happy again to taste real water, I poured a big glass of it (something I like to do). And I let it sit, sipping now and then. But after about an hour it turned to yuck again. Having had a kidney stone not too long ago, I’ve been extra careful about getting enough water. But I was also getting sick and tired of my water tasting so bad after a while. And what if it’s not safe to drink anymore?

I decided I needed some answers.

Why does water tastes bad after it sits?

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There are lots of products out there designed to help touch up wood scratches and blemishes. But if you have shoe polish lying around you might be amazed how well that works on your wood furniture or floors. At about half the price or even better than you’d pay for specialized products.

How I learned this wood scratch trick

When I was an undergraduate I majored in theater. And one of my good friends back then and to this day wound up working with furniture. When a medium brown 200-year-old wood trunk had been scratched during a move, he suggested I try brown shoe polish (which I had) to fix the blemish.

I didn’t have much faith in this working, but it made a big difference. And since then I’ve used this trick many times on all kinds of things. I now have brown and tan shoe polish that pretty much cover (no pun intended) the woods in my home.

Now if there is a deep scratch or blemish, shoe polish alone is not going to bring it back to looking new. But in my experience it can get it looking way better.

How to fix those wood scratches

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Now some of you may be saying “what’s mirepoix?” And others more savvy in the ways of cooking are saying “Big deal! I always make my own mirepoix.” But I’m writing this for anyone shelling out money for packages of frozen mirepoix veggies.

A friend of mine, an avid cook, told me she had been buying packages of frozen mirepoix mix to use for quick additions to recipes. She has some tendinitis, so saving herself all the chopping is a big plus.

DIY frozen mirepoix

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No one wants to waste money. It’s too hard to come by. But wasting money on food that’s supposed to be healthy for you — well, that feels like an outright sin.

So what exactly is “healthy food”? And exactly when, if ever, should we be spending our hard-earned money on it? Let’s start with the definition of healthy food.

What is healthy food?

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Need help with a clogged bathroom sink drain?

Well, not THAT kind of clog.

What worked for me

I’ve only tried this on my bathroom sink. But with just some cheap shampoo and hot water, my clogged bathroom sink drain was running clear within minutes. And, in this case, I didn’t even need to add the pot of hot water that I had prepared. Or spend extra money on pricey drain de-cloggers.

I just poured about two tablespoons full of shampoo [Read more…]

I know this is a personal finance blog, but sometimes I like to share household tips. Especially ones that save you money on extra gadgets. This is the easiest, most fail-safe method I’ve ever found to open a jar. And for someone like me, with tendinitis in my hands, it’s also a sanity saver!

But in one way it can also save you money, since you won’t need to buy a fancy-schmancy store bought jar opener. And you won’t even need any tools. You’ll just need hot water, a counter top or table, a towel, and your hands.

How to open a jar without special tools

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I love simple money-saving hacks for everyday problems. One of my favorites is baking soda mouth rinse. Why? It’s a great way to keep tooth acid from adding to your dental bills!

Now you might be wondering what I’m even talking about. What’s the big deal about acid on your teeth? Well, it’s a dentist’s best friend. Or at least a great way for him to pay for that new boat he’s always dreamed about.

Some facts about tooth acid

Many of the foods you eat and things you drink are acidic. That means after you’ve finished eating or drinking, a layer of acid may stay behind.

And that acid can eat away at your enamel, your body’s natural guard against tooth decay. As we are reminded every time our dentist gives us the bad news “You’ve got cavities!” … prevention is well worth the effort.

Chewing your food really well can help, since saliva can neutralize the acid. Also, rinsing with water is a quick hack, especially if you’re away from home and can’t easily get to some baking soda.

How can baking soda mouth rinse help?

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No matter which brand of dishwashing liquid you buy, you know that more often than not when you squeeze the bottle a lot more of the soapy liquid comes out than you need. Well … you can save money by simply adding water to the container as you use it.

I know that doesn’t sound like major savings, but why waste your hard-earned money that way? You’re only making the manufacturer richer. And even if you tell yourself “I’ll be more careful next time,” it happens again. And again. Money down the drain — literally!

What I do instead

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Time to replace your toothbrush? Good oral hygiene includes making sure you aren’t brushing on bristle fumes. But why throw the old ones away if there are uses for old toothbrushes?

Always looking for ways to recycle and reuse, I started saving my old toothbrushes about a year ago. And since then I’ve found a number of ways to use them — after they’ve lived out their initial purpose. And you get to save money by not spending on extra doo-dads.

8 uses for old toothbrushes

• Plastic combs — Simple as it may sound, old toothbrushes are great for cleaning between the teeth of plastic combs of any size. I used to try getting inside using Q-tips or a scrubbing cloth. But it wasn’t easy. Then I tried using an old toothbrush, and now it’s a snap.
• Drain strainers — My bathroom and kitchen sinks have drain strainers. And they like to collect bits of black stuff that I did my best to scrub clean. Old toothbrushes to the rescue!
• Bathroom sink drains  — The same is true for the bathroom sink drain. I used to find this black goop deep inside, that my cousin assured me was normal. But it led to clogged drains. Now I hold the end of an old toothbrush and swish around. Then I clean it well, and use again. But be careful to hold the handle tightly or it will get stuck!!

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Before spending money on a new pillow, you might want to try something I just did. I used needle and thread to make a soft pillow firmer. Seriously!

I have neck issues that pretty much make my continual search for the right pillow into a sacred quest. And far too often, I’m disappointed. You know … it’s the Goldilocks thing. This one is too soft. This one is too hard. But when will the just right pillow finally arrive?

My Goldilocks pillow

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A friend just called me asking for the name of a good plumber. He needed someone to help fix a small plumbing leak under his kitchen sink. So I asked him “Do you have gum and string?” He thought I was kidding, but I most definitely was not!

When I was young, I used to watch my dad fix things around the house. He rarely told us what he was working on at any given time. But when I saw him chewing gum, I knew there was probably a leaky pipe somewhere. And I knew he was not spending money on a plumber!

Why my dad fixed a plumbing leak this way

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