Thrifty Top Ten

Entire books have been written about this one, I believe. It's been around forever, and people have had lots of time to think up new uses for it. So begin with pickles and salad, and then, when you're ready, you can start investigating some of the other uses you'll find at Versatile Vinegar.

2. Baking Soda

Cooking, cleaning (bathroom enamel and tooth enamel,) deodorizing also. Environmentally-friendly, too. Arm and Hammer is one of the best-known brands, and their website has tons of ideas for using their product.

1. Duct Tape

As near as I can tell, duct tape was invented some sixty years ago. And although it was originally used for, well, ducts, it has since blossomed into a truly classic multi-purpose product with a cult-like following. In fact, there is a profusion of web pages entirely devoted to duct tape and its many uses, including Duct Tape on the Web, from the High Octane Guys. (From personal experience, I've found duct tape to be extremely useful when a quick hem repair is needed, and it washes well also, although I wouldn't recommend dry cleaning. And it would also be helpful if duct tape came in a purse-size dispenser.)

So there you have it, my own personal Top Ten Thrifty must-haves. The products themselves aren't elaborate or terribly sophisticated by today's standards, and yet they have withstood the test of time.

The real key to their success seems to be human ingenuity. Whether by accident or design, it was people who discovered new and unexpected uses for simple products, and probably increased those products' marketability. It's the kind of creative energy that's capable of accomplishing great things.

It may even save my trusty butter knife from extinction.

(Links updated Dec. 15, 2001)

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