How to keep using an old rice cooker?

I've been using a rice cooker that is over 2 years old. The non-stick coating of the pot has totally worn off. Once the non-stick coating comes off, the rice tends to stick to the pot resulting in wastage.

There is an easy way to keep using your old rice cooker pot without the rice to stick to the bottom of the pot. Just cook your rice as you'd normally cook. After the rice is cooked, don't try to scoop out rice immediately. Rest it in "warm" mode for 10-20 mins. Then the rice will come off easily.

If that does not work, when your rice is cooked, switch off your rice cooker so that it does not keep warming the pot. Or remove the pot and put it on top of a cold surface (such stainless steel bench). Leave it there for about 8-10 minutes. You'll be able to remove rice without it sticking to the bottom of the pot.

You can now keep using your rice cooker for a few more years perhaps!

The man who lives without money

Thought this might be interesting: http://www.abc.net.au/environment/articles/2010/04/12/2870334.htm

There are few things in the article that we can apply in being frugal. Enjoy!

Allow advertising material in your mailbox

I used to put a sign outside my mailbox that says "Junk mail not allowed" or "Advertising material not allowed". This was quite effective and I did not receive any advertising material in my mailbox. It was a lot easier than regularly having to clean up the mailbox.

But the downside to this is I was totally unaware of great deals some retailers were offering.

So I decided to remove the sign and keep the advertising materials flooding in again.

If you want to save money and learn about the great deals on offer, allow the advertising material in your mailbox.

Lower your phone and internet costs

Phones (including mobiles) and internet are so widely used these days, they have become part of our lives. With plenty of competition among the service providers, the phone (landline as well as mobile) and internet plans are getting cheaper. However, you can always find ways to lower your phone and internet costs. You gotta think carefully before choosing a plan by finding out your weekly or monthly usage.

Mobile phone plans are usually pre-paid or post-paid. The best plan for you depends on your usage. If you already have a pre-paid or post-paid mobile plan and would like to move to a better plan, first find out your usage before looking for a new plan. Go through your usage history as far back as it is relevant and determine your usage pattern. Your service provider usually sends you your monthly usage with your invoice. Don't throw away your usage data as it comes handy when you want to change your provider. If you don't have your usage history, you may still get all your usage history by logging into your service provider's website and going to your account information section.

A few frugal habits to get rid of debt

Guest post by Anya Bennett

The post recession U.S has seen a lot of debt burdened people striving to meet their daily needs. If you are among those unfortunate folks, you can certainly shed off you debts by living a frugal life. If you have acquired a loan on credit card, student loan or other loan, you can easily get out of it by living more frugally. By undertaking a good debt management plan, you can easily make significant changes in your debt levels. To avoid debt, make sure you never spend more than you earn.

Learn to take care of your stuff

Saving money does not always mean hunting for big bargains and discount offers. You should also learn to take care of your stuff so that they last longer. Then you won't have to purchase a similar item again for years.

Usually, the better the quality, the more expensive the products are. But don't be deterred by the expensive price tag. Sometimes it's better to spend a bit more on expensive products that last longer than something that breaks down after being used for a few times. Read my article on buying pricey products to maintain frugality.

I will briefly cover the following important points:

• Carefully handling of your stuff
• Keeping the receipt of purchase
• Being tech-savvy
• Knowing your consumer rights

Buying pricey products to maintain frugality

Being a true frugal means you should think about saving in the long run. People try to buy cheap products to save money instantly and regret later that they have wasted their savings on something that was poorly built. Generally cheap products have poor quality. You may buy something cheap and may have to replace it in the next few months. Then you are wasting your time and money. If you spend on something a bit pricey but solidly built, then obviously it will last longer and you will be able to use it for years without any hassle.