chisue- if you get some epoxy or something like that, the kind that is sort of like putty, you can probably fix that handle and buy yourself some more time. You can open the liner on the door and access where it is supposed to be attached and fix it yourselves for about $4. :) We've done it several times, seems like the handle is always the weak link on microwaves for us and we are NOT abusive, it's just they are usually crap. Kath, good luck with your new inverter! I keep boxes and receipts together, or I put the receipt in the instruction book, with tape or a staple or paper clip.

Ed, just use more mix in your own bread/cake, and don't worry about giving any away. That's what I do, and it works fine. You can also store the stuff in the fridge or freezer for long periods of time without feeding it. Then let it warm up/defrost and start over whenever you want to make some more. :) Here's my recipe Amish Friendship Bread Note: Do not use any type of metal spoon or bowl for mixing Do not refrigerate If air gets into the bag, let it out It is normal for the batter to rise, bubble and ferment The datelines below can be used to help you keep track of the date or day you are at. If you keep the starter for yourself, you will be baking every 10 days. The bread is very good and makes a great gift. Only the amish know how to create a starter. Date: Day 1- Do nothing. This is the day you received the batter Day 2- Mush the bag Day 3- Mush the bag Day 4- Mush the bag Day 5- Mush the bag Day 6- Add to the bag: 1 cup flour 1 cup sugar 1 cup milk & mush the bag Day 7- Mush the bag Day 8- Mush the bag Day 9- Mush the bag Day 10- Mush the bag and follow the directions below Pour the contents of the bag into a non-metal bowl and add 1 cups flour, 1 ½ cups sugar, 1 ½ cups milk. Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cup each and put into gallon ziplock bags. Keep one for yourself and give the other 3 to friends along with a copy of this recipe. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To the remaining batter in the bowl (approx 1 ½ - 2 cups) Add: 3 eggs 1 cup oil ½ cup milk 1 cup sugar 2 tsp cinnamon 1 ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp vanilla ½ tsp salt ½ tsp baking soda 2 cups flour 1 large instant vanilla or chocolate pudding mix optional: 1 cup chopped nuts or raisons Grease 2 large loaf pans. Mix ½ cup sugar and 1 ½ tsp cinnamon. Dust the greased pans with half of the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Pour the batter evenly in to the pans and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture. Bake 45min to 1 hour. Cool until bread loosens from the pan and turn into a serving dish. Serve warm or cold. You can also make muffins using the same temperature but bake for 25 mins. (makes 2 dozen) Should the recipe not be passed on to a friend on the 10th day, be sure to tell the recipient which day the bag is on when presented to them. and here is the ancient recipe I used with the starter above I got from my daughters friend: Herman Cake Feed Herman on the 1st and 5th days. Bake on the 10th day. 1st day: 1 c Herman starter 1/2 c sugar 1 c flour 1 c milk Keep in large covered bowl in refrigerator. Stir daily. 5th day: 1/2 c sugar 1 flour 1 milk 10th day: You will have 4 cups of Herman. Use 2 cups for baking, 1 cup for giving and 1 cup for growing. Beat together: 2 c Herman 2 c flour 2 beaten eggs 1/2 t baking powder 1 c sugar 1/2 t baking soda 3/4 c oil 1 t ginger 1 t nutmeg add last: 1 c nuts 1 c raisins or other fruit (or 1 c applesauce) Pour in to greased 9X13 cake pan Sprinkle on before baking: mixed together: 1 c brown sugar 1 T flour 1/4 c melted butter 1 T cinnamon Bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes DO NOT OVERBAKE.

The primary thing to keep in mind is what works for one will not work for another so stay flexible. I really push people to read the Tightwad Gazette series. Get it at the library but I can justify buying it as a reference manual. No, don't buy it for an instruction book nor as a cookbook or as a manual of how to live your life. Use it as an inspiration to think differently. Instead of I need to go buy a new dresser, you'll think how can I repair, reuse, recycle or otherwise make use of this, sell, give away or whatever It's light reading. The recipes can give you an idea for things if you don't like it. There's a good simple sounding recipe for pizza crust in there too. I found it entertaining reading and occasionally pull it out and read it again. Here's a bread recipe I enjoy. It's a smaller loaf and something I can handle. Very tasty. One warning, it might give a strong beer smell as it's cooking so you might want to make it when you can open a window and vent a bit. I didn't notice it the first time or two I made it but did the last couple times. Might be it was holiday time and windows closed. BEER BATTER BREAD 3 cups flour 1-tablespoon baking powder 3 tablespoons sugar 1-teaspoon salt 1 (12 oz) beer @ room temp. 1/4 C melted unsalted butter, Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Add the beer all at once, mixing as little as possible; the batter should be lumpy. Pour the batter into a 9"x5"x3" loaf pan and brush with the melted butter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Makes 1 loaf. I've tried to cut down on paper products but still use them for convenience. I can't find anything that compares to the price of the 1000 sheet rolls of bath tissue. When you compare the generics and everything nothing compares in price. For instance, I bought 1000 sheet rolls for 33¢ per roll. Do the math, that's 33¢ for the equivalent of a 5-6 roll package! I can even buy Scott on sale for 40¢-55¢ per roll, again far cheaper. Couple that with concentrating on how much I use and there can be a noticeable savings. Another thing I try to do is look at the per-use cost. Buying huge quantities of perishables that won't get used is not cost effective. Sometimes it's better to throw some away than to buy the small size though. Canned veggies are a perfect example. However there too you can freeze leftovers too. TV, phone and long distance are areas many people can economize substantially. Many people would be far better off dumping their contract cell phones. Often it's a good idea to have a cell but I use a prepaid cell. I use a phone card and bought a digital converter box so I have no cable or satellite and don't miss it in the least. I did splurge and get DSL so I use that a lot for entertainment. I can use it for business too but mostly it was a splurge. I watch programs and videos online. If you do a lot of bread baking that is one item that the warehouse store can save you some money. I understand they sell it for a couple dollars a pound or so rather than the little packets or a couple ounces for $5. Again, it depends on how much you use and if you share it with someone it's a better deal. Yeast will keep almost indefinitely in the freezer if kept dry. Sounds like you're definitely on the right track. Try to look for waste. Cut down on or use leftovers. Turn off appliances when not being used. Close off rooms that aren't being used to save a/c and heat. Use the shades to your advantage. Open shades on cold days, close them on hot days. Again what works for some doesn't work for others. Sometimes I find the "fooling yourself into saving" methods backfire. For instance some will dilute shampoo to fool themselves into using less. But it's easier to measure a small dot when it's thick than when it's runny so that can backfire. The saving change thing works for some but I prefer to save the bigger bills and avoid the trap of the more I spend the more I save. But it works for some so do what works for you. Definitely having a grocery list is helpful and I agree that you need to be flexible on specials. Don't be too strict on a budget either. You might find massive specials so you don't have to go to the store for months. Use a price book of some sort. I log the things I always get a certain stores. When I see something quite cheap, I add it to the list and then when I'm making a trip to the X store I can look at the list and see what I need from there that is usually cheaper. The usual combine trips is a big saver. If you don't go somewhere, you don't spend gas money and don't spend money in the stores and no problem with impulse purchases. If you're in a colder climate, turn down the thermostat 1°. You won't notice it. Then a few weeks later, turn down one more degree and so on. Keep a sweater, sweatshirt or an afghan or blanket handy to cuddle up with when you watch TV. Hang quilts over doorways to zone heat/cool areas. You'll spend less and be more comfortable. Why heat and air condition your closets and unused rooms? There's a lot of people out there that will criticize, harass and insult you. Thicken up your skin. When people criticize me I ask them what their utility bills are and we compare them. Then I laugh at them. Something will motivate you. Perhaps it's the satisfaction of lowering bills, seeing your savings grow, compliments from a SO or whatever, but learn to appreciate those pleasures. An out of town (also frugal) friend was in town the other day and we splurged. Went to a fast food joint and had stuff from the $1 menu, came home and sat outside watching the stars and airplanes. A runway was closed so traffic was directed over me and that's unusual so we watched planes and talked, then it got late and we watched the stars and a planet and the moon and caught up on our chat. Had a thoroughly great time. Be flexible. Maybe something won't work for you but maybe you can gleen something out of it. For instance perhaps you don't want to use 1000 sheet bath tissue but learn to use less at a time. That's progress in itself. Compare notes. Share ideas. Have fun with it, don't try to make yourself feel deprived.

Ole joyful's ... ... operational ... ... joyful (partly) ... ... crying the blues, too, some ... ... has lived in 22 places or so (as he figured when it was question of the day) ... ... so, never bought a home ... ... invested in mutual funds (earlier) and stocks (later) instead ... ... O U C H! But ... stock prices go up ... they go down ... they go sideways ... ... lately it's been mostly D O W N ... ... so ... ... do I have enough years left to recoup? Not a very big problem, though: one wins a few , and loses a few ... I'm not complaining. Will post a thread to tell of recent adventures ... check on "Mortgage Woes" or some such, on "Money Saving Tips" (or "Household Finance"?) for some of it. ole joyful