Imagine what it sould be like if every time you walked into the supermarket, you could be sure your favorite pricey name-brand products would be "Buy One, Get One 50 Percent Off."

What? That's not possible? Don't tell Pat, today's first tipster. He has figured a way to do that with his pricey breakfast cereal, week after week after week.

Cereal mix. The breakfast cereal I like is one of the most expensive on the supermarket shelf. So, I purchased two plastic containers with lids at Walmart. I buy one box of my favorite cereal and one of a cheaper version of it, mix them together and divide between the two containers. I get twice as much cereal for a reduced price.

-- Pat, California

Tag sale Xmas. I knew an extended family that one year at Christmas decided to buy all next year's gifts at garage sales. Everybody agreed, participated and had a whole year of fun doing it. Some excellent items were received -- tools, kitchenware, clothes, etc. Not all sales are good, but many are. And the earlier you get there, the better the quality. We tried it ourselves, and it was lots of fun and made for a very affordable holiday.

-- Mary, Oregon

Bulk beef. I buy 5 pounds of ground beef at a time, put all of it into a big pot, cover with water and set it over medium-high heat. As it cooks, I stir to break up the large chunks of meat, then continue until all the pink has disappeared. Next, I drain the beef in a colander. All the grease is in the hot water and goes down the drain with no problem.

-- Deidra, email

Twice the clean. While cleaning your coffee maker with vinegar, put a spoonful of baking soda into the sink drain. When the pot is done, pour the hot vinegar water down the drain. Now you've cleaned both the coffee maker and the drain very well.

-- Donna, email

Pickle polish. If you have leftover dill pickle brine, pour it into in a glass pie plate, and set a pot that has a copper-clad bottom into the brine. Allow it to set for 15 to 20 minutes. The pan will come out sparkling clean, requiring no scrubbing.

-- Gwen, Minnesota

Fridge tubs. I reuse the single-serve side-dish plastic tubs from Kentucky Fried Chicken to store small portions of pet food or leftovers. They come with a tight-fitting lid and are top-rack dishwasher safe. Even better, they're free.

-- Melanie, email
