VALDOSTA — If you haven’t discovered Pinterest yet then I am surprised you are reading a newspaper ... because you must live under a rock. Pinterest is the second best thing that I have ever discovered in my life. The first is a snuggie. Seriously, whoever thought of turning a blanket into something you can put your arms through to keep you warm while you work is a genius. Oh wait, that’s called a sweater. Unless you’re Sheldon Cooper, then you sense my sarcasm.

Pinterest is the holy grail of Internet applications. It has pictures neatly organized into categories that you share with the world! Not only that, you can pin your own pictures as well. Talk about a LOL cats bomb, because I repin funny cat pictures like no one’s business. If it’s cuddly and making obscene hand gestures, consider it your happy Monday email.

Because I love Pinterest so much, I have decided to share it with all of my budgeteer fans, which by the way, is rocking at a solid 90 on Facebook. Watch out, Lady Gaga! So, here is a convenient money-saving list that I creatively call: The things I found on Pinterest while my Internet was out and I had no other way to properly research this week’s column. Let’s begin.



1. The Homemade Miracle Cleaner

1 part Dawn Dishwashing Liquid in the blue kind only and 2 parts hydrogen peroxide. Mix together and spray or pour directly on any stain (old or new) and it will magically disappear. Also, if it’s a big stain, you can always add the mixture to a bucket of hot water and submerse your stained item in them. Now I’m not a scientist, but I assume that peroxide and dish soap manifest into Chuck Norris and as any piece of cloth knows, you don’t stain, Chuck Norris stains you.



2. Acne Is Bananas

First, eat a ripe banana because they are delicious and nutritious. Then, cut a small piece of the peel. Rub the inside of the peel gently over the area of the skin irritated with pimples for approximately five minutes or until the inside of the peel turns brown. Clean the skin around the area with lukewarm water but don’t wash away where you rubbed the banana because you want the banana to dry out the affected area. Repeat this three times a day. You will see clearer skin in just four days!

3. Class Up Your Dishes

If you have older dishes that have scratches all over them from years of forks and knives, don’t replace them just yet! Go to your local hardware store and pick up a bottle of Bar Keepers Friend liquid cleanser and a can of the abrasive version. For mild scratches, take a damp sponge and a little liquid cleanser and scrub the scratches with force. For more difficult scratches, add a little of the abrasive cleaner. Botta-bing-botta-boom, like new dishes!



4. Next Day Pizza

I love pizza! However, I hate re-heated pizza. It never tastes the same and the crust gets all soggy when you reheat in a microwave. Most of the time, I don’t even know why I save it if I don’t eat it all. I guess psychologically I’m giving myself the option. But don’t fret! Now I have learned that to reheat pizza without soggy crust, skip the microwave and grab a nonstick skillet. Heat on low until the pizza slice is warm and you have pizza like new!



5. This One’s For the Kids

Have you ever sealed a birthday card in an envelope only to realize you forgot to put in the gift card. Instead of ripping open an envelope and making it look sloppy with tape, stick the envelope in the freezer for about two hours. The envelope will pop right open. This is also great for kids. If you ever get a letter from your teacher for your parents and need to know how to formulate your lie, just pop that bad boy in the freezer and you just gave yourself a fair advantage in the argument with your mom about cutting off little Cindy’s pig tails.

That’s all for this week, budgeteers. These are just five of the hundreds of awesome things I have found on Pinterest. So seriously, get out and live a little ... and lock yourself in your room and pin incessantly.

Don’t forget to like me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BrittanysBudgetDiary and follow me on Twitter @VDT_Brittany.

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