Everyday Item Offers Winter Protection

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Mary Hunt in Tips 14 Comments

I don’t live in a place where I need to protect my car or home from the damage of snow or cold, but we have thousands of EC readers that do. Send your tips and suggestions for using everyday items in the winter, and I’ll include them right here in Everyday Cheapskate.

Car Snow

WINTER WINDSHIELD PROTECTION. Use the same sunshield that you use to keep your car cool in the summer to protect your windshield from snow in the winter. Put the sunshield on the outside of your windshield, and use your wipers to hold it in place. Now you won’t have to worry about brushing snow and ice off your front windshield on a snowy day! Rita, email

YOU CAN HAVE A V8. I make my own V8 type vegetable juice by putting a 48-ounce can of plain tomato juice in a pitcher and adding 1 teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning. Stir thoroughly. Beth, New York

SHAKE UP THE NUTS. I love Blue Diamond nuts, although I find that the salt sometimes overwhelms the nuts. To get rid of some of the salt, I rub five or six nuts between my hands for a few seconds. After doing this a few times, I get rid of a lot of the salt. I then add plain roasted or smokehouse nuts to the flavored nuts and shake the can to mix the nuts. Bobbi, Texas

ICE TEA FREEZER-CLOSE. Heat 2 cups of water in the microwave and pour into a pint size freezer container or freezer jar. Add enough tea bags to make either half a gallon or a gallon of tea. Let steep and remove the bags. Add sugar and/or lemon if desired and mix well. Seal, label and freeze. When you want iced tea, take the container from freezer, put the frozen tea concentrate in the pitcher and add water. This method is especially good if you need to transport tea. Take it frozen and add water on arrival—no messy spills. Lydia, email 

CRAYON ERASER. A used dryer sheet works beautifully for removing crayon from most flat surfaces. Bob, Nevada

WRINKLE-FREE PLASTIC. When packing for a trip, place garbage bags or old dry cleaning bags between your clothes. Doing this prevents the clothing from getting wrinkled. If any wrinkles do appear they will be minimal and can easily be removed by the steam from a shower. Evelyn, Minnesota

FANCY TOOTHPICK HOLDER. I needed something to hold toothpicks, so I cleaned out a short votive candleholder. It is just the right size and looks good, too. Tara, email

SNAPPY BOOKMARK. Metal snap hair clips make great, inexpensive bookmarks. You can snap the point of the clip so it points directly to the place on the page where you stopped reading, and the clips hold onto the pages without ripping them. You can buy a sheet of them at the dollar store. Raquel, Florida

Question: What’s your favorite tip that helps protect your car or home in the winter? Post it here. 

Exclusive Bonus!

The Best of Everyday Cheapskate Subscribe to email updates today and you’ll receive a link to download my brand new e-book, The Best of Everyday Cheapskate, FREE.

You’ll enjoy excerpts from each of my bestselling e-books to help you get onboard with saving time and money every day! 


Posted on January 2, 2013 by Mary Hunt in Tips 14 Comments
  • Beck

    I always carry jumper cables, an air compressor – comes in great to air up a tire until you can get it fixed somewhere, snow/ice scraper, kitty litter in case you get stuck. I have my kids carry small shovels I need to buy one for my car. I leave my car in a metal pole barn so I don’t have to worry too much about cleaning it off. You can use an old tarp or blanket to throw over your windows so they don’t get snow or ice on them. I always carry a blanket in my car in case I get stuck in traffic I can keep warm. It is a good idea never to let your car get below half full when snow and ice are on the road if you have to sit in traffic a long time you don’t want to panic over being low on gas. Some people swear by canned de-icer the type that comes with a scraper. Be sure to keep windsheld washer fluid full in your car so when snow and ice melts the car throws it right on your windshield you have to wash your windsheild a lot.
    While I love having seasons I do get tired of snow and cold… Mary you are lucky not to have to deal with it. You have a great place to live!!!

  • Ruth

    I installed an interior car warmer, and though costly, it’s been worth every penny. The car warmer and the block heater are connected to the same electrical cord, and are plugged in every night, and not only is the car warm to get into, it keeps the windshield clear. Booster cables, air compressor, shovel, blanket, and windshield scraper are also part of my winter arsenal, along with extra winter boots, gloves, hat and scarf.

  • HLS

    I had some leftover nylon fabric from a sewing project. I sewed a few magnets into the edges and voila! — a snow screen that sticks to the metal frame around the windshield. Plus it folds up into a very small unit for storage.

  • Emma

    I live in Minnesota where we have a lot of snow. Snow on the roads will pack into the wheel wells and under the edges of the car. Built up snow pack can be very heavy, and cause gas mileage to be diminished because of the added weight. Before parking my car in the garage I knock off as much of the snow pack as I can. This also keeps the snow pack from melting and leaving a mess on the garage floor.

  • Mark

    I use a synthetic oil (like Mobil 1) in my car engine making the engine much easier to start. Jet engines have use it for over 30 yrs. It always starts. I also have a spare battery pack & jumper cables just in case the battery goes dead.

  • Amy

    To keep ice and snow off of my windshield, I go to a carpet store and ask for the discontinued carpet samples. They will either give them to you or charge a dollar or two for each. Two samples cover the windshield well. I slip them under my wipers and they usually have enough weight to them to not blow off overnight.

  • Rich

    This may take a while but the best way to protect your vehicle in winter is to clean out your garage and put your vehicle in there. Harder than it looks, isn’t it.

  • amiesaunt

    I used to live in CT and had to park outside. Instead of using sunshields or carpeting on the windshield to avoid snow/ice, I used a few sheets of newspaper which were easily discarded.
    For frozen door locks, heat the key with a cigarette lighter.

  • Lisa

    This is a clothing tip. Every New Year’sDay turn all the hangers in every closet backwards. As you wear the clothes and put them back after they are washed put the hangers in the usual way. Then next New Year’s Day see what you didn’t wear in a whole year! As the year goes on I tend to notice that I haven’t worn something and ask myself why? Is it a bad fit, do I not have something to wear it with, etc. If I need to get something to wear it with and I want to, good. If not, out it goes.

  • bc

    Please do not use metal hair clips as bookmarks on books that have any value.
    You are likely to damage the pages.

  • Sylvia Hebel

    If you get stuck in snow or on glare ice and your wheels spin, take the floor mats out of the car and place them so that if you back up, it creates traction. In cold climates, a survival kit in your car trunk may save your life. I should include a sleeping bag, boots, extra outdoor socks, and a candle and a can that cannot tip over, to place it in. Matches, and also some food that can be eaten, like energy bars, etc. If you get trapped in your car, do not run it if the exhaust is blocked, but you can run it to warm the car and then turn it off so that you do not get carbon monoxide poisoning. I love where I live, and drive many miles alone, and there is not always cell phone service for emergencies.

  • Kristin G Shaw

    Sometimes we have exceedingly stubborn ice on our windshield. What has worked great is to simply pour water on the window. I’ve tried hot as well as cold. It melts the ice and/or makes it detach from the glass. Sometimes you have to do it a couple of times (you can use a gallon jug or anything else). This works like a charm. I’ve never had a problem with cracked windshields/windows even when using hot water. I think the ice cools it down right away. But use your own judgment.

  • RanchMommy

    Use an old towel or sheet, spread it across your windshield and close it in your doors to make snow and ice removal easy. In Wyoming, if it isn’t anchored down, the wind takes it, this keeps it there. I completely agree with the other posts about a survival kit, bare minimum, blankets, food, water and a light/heat source. Also, DO NOT get out of your car, it is very easy to get lost in a blizzard.

  • Diana

    I have told countless people about this tip……just cover the car on a night when frost will hit with an old sheet that covers the entire glass area. In the morning, just pull it off and the glass is clean, clear and no mess!!!!