Book Review: Tiptionary 2

Don't you love it when you learn a little trick that saves you five bucks, five minutes, or both? Mary Hunt, one of our favorite frugal gurus, has compiled 2,300 additional time and money saving ideas in her book Tiptionary 2. Released this past summer, this follow-up to her original Tiptionary is conveniently divided up into 19 sections, ranging from Automobiles to Pets to Cleaning to, of course, Money and Finance. We passed Tiptionary 2 around the office and ask each of the Sound Mind Investing staff to select some of their favorite tips.

Austin Pryor (Publisher):

• Shopping for insurance: The website InsWeb.com walks you through a series of questions regarding auto insurance and then presents you with companies willing to provide online quotes immediately. Try it, then select the cheapest. But don't agree to purchase it. Instead call your current insurance provider and tell them what you've found and that you're thinking about making the switch. Then wait. It's nearly guaranteed that they'll match the quote, but chances are good they'll even go lower.
• Cut electric bill by $30: Go through your home and replace all 100-watt light bulbs with 75-watt bulbs. This could easily save 300 watts a month—or around $30 a month on your electricity bill. You cannot tell the difference but by doing this your bill will be lower immediately.

Mark Biller (Executive Editor):

• Spots be gone: Tired of all those scuff marks and scratches on your painted walls? Pour a small amount of nail polish remover on a cotton ball, dab the spots, rub ever so gently and presto! Spots are gone. You won't have to pick up a paint brush for a long time.
• Telephone toys: If your kids act up and misbehave when mom or dad are on the phone, try this. Keep a large bag of small toys hidden until telephone time, at which time the toys are taken out of the closet and dumped on the floor. The children are excited with their "new" toys and mom or dad can have a pleasant conversation.

Andrew Pryor (Webmaster):

• Christmas card photo album: Save all the photos that come in each year's Christmas cards in a photo album. You will have a history of all your friends and families to look back on in years to come.
• Address labels at the ready: Cheap address labels are infinitely useful. Put them in the front covers of your books before loaning them out and on rolls of film before sending them in to be developed. Stick a label inside the battery compartment door of your camera. On forms that only require a name and an address, just add a label. Carry a few in your wallet or purse in case you need one.

Marcia Prather (Reader Services):

• Silk flowers: Pop those dusty silk posies into a paper bag along with a cup of table salt. Close the bag and shake. All the dust will stay behind in the salt. While you can recycle that salt, best you reserve it for flower dusting.
• Cleaner copper: A thin layer of ketchup smeared over copper cleans it quite well without any scrubbing. Just let it sit for about 5 minutes before rinsing. This is much cheaper than commercial copper cleaner and easier too, as the cleaners require scrubbing.

Matthew Pryor (Director of Operations):

• Kid's art wrap: Don't know what to do with all the drawings and paintings your kids bring home? Give them a rotation on the refrigerator and then turn them into gift wrap. Relatives will get two presents in one.
• Organizing household manuals: Owners manuals for everything from kitchen appliances to electronics, carpet, roofing and paint can be a real pain if you do not handle them at the very moment you get something new. This is the right way: The moment you get a new owners manual, start a new folder in your Household Manuals File. Place the manual inside along with the warranty and sales receipt. File it. Now you have all you need for filing a claim, ordering a part, proving ownership in the case of loss, or selling the item.
• Traveling in peace: Got little ones on a long plane trip? Take a roll of adhesive tape. They have so much fun playing with it, and it keeps them occupied for what seems like hours.

Hope you enjoyed this small sample of the types of ideas Tiptionary 2 contains, ideas that can make your wallet bigger and your to-do list go faster. At the low price of just $14.95, the book will pay for itself in one Christmas' worth of gift wrap alone.

• SMI's Money Saving Tips page
• Don't Cell Yourself 
• Book Review: Living Well on One Income in a Two Income World 
• Dress for Financial Success 

• Debt-Proof Living
• Good Advice Press

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