I love to cook. Whether it's dinner during the week, baking for the holidays or cooking for a crowd, I enjoy trying new recipes and making the family favorites. And I am always looking for ways to cut the fat and keep the flavor. Today's first tip got my attention:

Flavor, not fat. In the South, we like to cook our veggies in bacon drippings. However, with health and weight issues, it's frowned upon. I wondered why I liked the bacon flavor so much and suspected that it was the "smoked" flavor. Now when I cook vegetables, I add a couple of drops of liquid smoke instead of bacon drippings. It tastes great; just be careful not to add too much.

- Susie, Oklahoma

Style conversion. I had a red dress I liked, but when the styles changed, it was too short. One day, I slipped a gray skirt over the dress, and it looked great. The top of the dress made a beautiful blouse, and the skirt took the place of a slip.

- W.W., email

D.I.Y. food sealer. My do-it-yourself food sealer requires only a plastic bag, aluminum foil and my iron. I place a piece of aluminum foil over both sides of the end of the bag I'm sealing. Then I run a hot iron over the foil. Just make sure there's foil on both sides of the plastic so it doesn't stick to the ironing surface. No expensive sealing gadget required.

- Shellie, Texas

Hire the kids. I hired my kids to clip and organize the grocery coupons. It's a great way to teach them about saving money.

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They're in charge of clipping, organizing and accompanying me to the store. Whatever savings we receive from the coupons we use, it's theirs. My kids have quickly learned the unimportance of brand loyalty.

- Lenore, California

Dental floss for sewing. Dental floss works great for sewing up holes in stuffed animals. I take clear dental floss and sew up the rip just as if I were sewing with thread. The floss threads through a needle just like regular thread. It's invisible, very durable and will not rip out again. I have sewn up many dog toys and my kids' stuffed animals, and they are still going strong.

- Kay, Illinois

Send tips to mary@everydayâ cheapskate.com.