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6 Oddball Moneymaking Tricks

From batteries to salaries, see six quirky ways to save or make more money with very little effort.

from Reader's Digest | August 2009
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© 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
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Turn a C into a D

Stuck without a D battery? The MacGyver fix: Put a C battery in the slot and add three to five quarters to mimic the size of a D.
--Source: lifehacker.com

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Self-Check Your Way to Savings

Use the self-checkout line at the super-market. Your impulse buys will drop by 17 to 32 percent. (Not incidentally, this translates to an annual weight loss of 3.1 pounds for men and 4.1 pounds for women.)
--Source: Consumer Reports

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© 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
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Skip the Drying Cycle

Save electricity and time by “flash-drying” your dishes. John Dries, an appliance-engineering consultant, told the New York Times that homeowners should open the door to the dishwasher after it shuts off. “Dishes are at their hottest point,” he said, “and give up water moisture the fastest.”

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Seal the Deal

When negotiating salary, let the employer make an offer. Repeat the number and be silent. A higher number will often materialize to fill the void and seal the deal. More details are in Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute, by Jack Chapman, and on getrichslowly.org. Watch Chapman demonstrate his tips on youtube.com.

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© 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
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Clean with Cold Water

Rinse grease residue (but not pans of it!) down the sink or garbage disposal with cold water, not hot. The Family Handyman points out that hot water merely “melts” grease until it reaches distant areas of your plumbing, where it solidifies, builds up, and eventually causes clogs. Cold water, however, solidifies the grease early on so it floats down the pipes harmlessly.

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© 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
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Search for a Freebie

Go to alternativeto.net and type in the name of the software you’re thinking of buying. You’ll get a list of substitutes—some of them free—with user ratings.
--Source: veryshortlist.com

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Your Comments

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Sam-Lockwood/100002688421060 Sam Lockwood

    A “D” cell battery is 6. 6 mm taller than a “C” cell, and a quarter is 1.75 mm thick….and since D cells are commonly used in pairs, it will take $2.00 worth of quarters and 2 “c”cells to fill the space….put another way, though it might get you a few more minutes of light in a dire emergency, you’ll be money ahead using that money to buy the correct battery to begin with unless the price difference between the two sizes becomes greater than $1.00 each.

    • Neonharp

       DUH ….When the ” C ” batteries are dead , you STILL have your quarters !!!

    • astra

      The opening line “stuck without…..” implies this trick is intended to be used when one already has the wrong size battery, not when one is SHOPPING for batteries. Therefore Neoharp’s point prevails……if you ALREADY have a C battery and are considering shelling out money for a whole new pack in a larger size, you could just stick some quaters in there with ones you already have, and regardless of whether it took $1 or $10 worth in change, you still have the quarters when you’re done…..so you have spent NOTHING extra. They’re still your quarters, and you used batteries you already had rather than buying more.

      • K_tin12dm

        hahahaha 

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Sam-Lockwood/100002688421060 Sam Lockwood

    A “D” cell battery is 6. 6 mm taller than a “C” cell, and a quarter is 1.75 mm thick….and since D cells are commonly used in pairs, it will take $2.00 worth of quarters and 2 “c”cells to fill the space….put another way, though it might get you a few more minutes of light in a dire emergency, you’ll be money ahead using that money to buy the correct battery to begin with unless the price difference between the two sizes becomes greater than $1.00 each.

  • Anonymous

    Sam Lockwood:

    I wholeheartedly agree with you.

  • Nion244

    C batteries cost the same as D but deliver only about 40% to 50% as much energy.

  • Nion244

    C batteries cost the same as D but deliver only about 40% to 50% as much energy.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/H4IUQYNZRC77FPY22Q4CQGS32Y Anonymous

    The employee never actually wins a salary “negotiation.”  If the employee “wins,” it’s only because the employer wanted to lose. 

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/H4IUQYNZRC77FPY22Q4CQGS32Y Anonymous

    The employee never actually wins a salary “negotiation.”  If the employee “wins,” it’s only because the employer wanted to lose. 

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/H4IUQYNZRC77FPY22Q4CQGS32Y Anonymous

    The employee never actually wins a salary “negotiation.”  If the employee “wins,” it’s only because the employer wanted to lose. 

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/H4IUQYNZRC77FPY22Q4CQGS32Y Anonymous

    The employee never actually wins a salary “negotiation.”  If the employee “wins,” it’s only because the employer wanted to lose. 

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/H4IUQYNZRC77FPY22Q4CQGS32Y Anonymous

    The employee never actually wins a salary “negotiation.”  If the employee “wins,” it’s only because the employer wanted to lose. 

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