A while back I ran into this cool site that is devoted to the wondrous and wacky world of duct tape.
Duct tape was first created and manufactured in 1942 to keep moisture out of World War II soldier’s ammunition cases. Because the tape was made using cotton duck cloth, the tape was originally known as “duck tape.”
After the war was over, the tape was used in the housing industry to connect heating and air conditioning duct work together. The color was eventually changed from the Army’s camouflage color to silver to match the duct work and people started referring to duck tape as “duct tape.”
Today duct tape is used for almost anything you can think of, from making lawn furniture and removing lint from clothes to patching holes in boats and using it to help lift and separate when a bra is not practical.
In fact, if your personal finances are in need of a bit of a fix, duct tape can even help you there.
But, Len, how in the world can duct tape fix my personal finances?
It’s really not rocket science, people. Here are four ways you can use duct tape to “fix” your personal finances.
1. As a Tool to Help You Stop Overspending
Do you find yourself having trouble, um, sticking to your budget? Well, here is an elegantly simple wallet lock I made using duct tape to fix that problem.
(By the way, yes, that’s my wallet. I’ve had my faithful friend for six years and I don’t plan on getting rid of him anytime soon. After all, I think a nice old wallet is like a comfy pair of slippers. I bet a lot of men would agree with me. I’m babbling again.)
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2. As a Clever Way to Smuggle Cheap Snacks
A reader named Katie at Aunt Dinah’s Duct Tape Diner noted she saved money every time she went to the movies by wearing baggy clothes and then duct taping snacks including “soda, candy and large bags of Cheetos” around her ankles, stomach, and other, um, places. As an added bonus, Katie noted that it “also makes for hairless ankles once the tape is removed!” Yee haw! I wouldn’t recommend trying this same money-saving trick at the airport though. Er, unless you’re the type that really enjoys surprise body cavity checks.
3. As a Money-Saving Green Insecticide
Do you realize how expensive a can of Raid is these days? Thank God another clever reader at the Duct Tape Diner known as Jeff discovered that he could use duct tape to make an Earth-friendly green insecticide and save lots of money in the process. I’ll let Jeff tell his story: “One night I was outside with my family enjoying the beautiful night air when, all of the sudden, a bunch of mosquitoes started eating us alive! So ya know what I did? I went and got a tennis racket and wrapped it with duct tape, sticky side out, and flung it around at the mosquitoes! Believe it or not, it took care of most the pest problem!“ Brilliant! Don’t let the naysayers fool you, people; American ingenuity is alive and well.
4. As an Aid to Building a College Scholarship Fund
Believe it or not for the past ten years Duck Brand duct tape has held an annual contest known as Stuck at the Prom where they give away college scholarships to high school prom couples who are judged to have created the best prom attire made entirely of duct tape. I’m not kidding. (The happy couple you see here were the second place winners from 2009.) Of course, the couple is also required to attend the prom in their unconventional attire but considering the stakes, I think it’s more than worth it. This year Duck Brand is giving away over $28,000 in scholarships to the lucky winners. Now that’s something to quack about!
So there you have it. Yet more proof that duct tape can fix just about anything, even your personal finances.
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Ha ha, what a brilliant article to start my Monday with.
I love the mosquito trap… I hate those little buggers!
My wallet is staying with me until it dies!
.-= Forest´s last blog ..Using Tomato Ends For Your Spaghetti Sauce Recipe =-.
I love it! And I’m sure my son is terrribly disappointed that he already has his tux reserved for prom, when he could have gone in duct tape.
.-= Jackie´s last blog ..How to Get Out of Debt =-.
@Forest: Ha! Glad I could make your Monday! (I thought the mosquito trap was an absolutely awesome idea too.)
@Jackie: If you haven’t already done so, you have got to check out the Duck Brand web site. There are some absolutely beautiful tuxes and dresses in there! Still, duct tape attire has got to be very uncomfortable, don’t ya think?
Love it! I had a friend in high school that made wallets, blazers, etc all out of duct tape. I was always jealous.
It can be used to stretch across the mouths of youngsters whining for the next big techno-gaming doo-hickey.
There may be laws against this, however.
@Adam: When researching this post, I noticed there are a lot of places that sell duct tape wallets, purses, and handbags. Some of it looked really cool!
@Matt: You know what, Matt? I like that idea! As for the laws, we can always work to find suitable loopholes later.
I love duct tape. It’s great to carry in the car, or take with you when you travel (banged up baggage can be easily taped back together!), or for camping! So many uses. I wonder if the person who invented it is still receiving residual income?
.-= Little House´s last blog ..Tuesday Tips, Week 7 =-.
I doubt it. The tape was invented by Johnson & Johnson way back in WWII, so I strongly suspect the inventor has passed on to that great tape roll in the sky.
Combining the insectide & clothing idea. Next time I enter one of those “money chambers” (money flies around and you catch what you can), I’m going in with an sticky-side out duct tape suit!
.-= FinEngr´s last blog ..Everyone Loves a Little Gossip! =-.
There you have it! LOL Yet another great idea for duct tape.
Now I’m going to spend the night wondering what Jeff did with the duct-taped tennis racket AFTER using it…. ew. Doesn’t sound very cost-effective (unless he puts a new layer of duct tape on it before every “use”).
.-= RainyDaySaver´s last blog ..Fix-It Friday: Drywall Progress =-.
I think you’d be surprised how much sticking power duct tape has! If the stickiness is weak, I estimate you might only get four or five wrappings per roll of tape. Quality duct tape is about $3 per roll I think. Not sure how many mosquitoes I can kill with a can of Raid. I may have to do a scientific experiment this summer when I get back to the East Coast!
They are some funny tips. Duct taping your wallet would certainly make things harder. I have a friend who keeps their credit card frozen in a block of ice in the freezer – another effective way to curb spending!
That is clever – not to mention that it gives new meaning to the term “cold hard cash” too.
If you’re a duct tape fan, gaffers tape fan or just a tape fan, check out thetapeworks for every kind of tape in every kind of color.
I have never used a wallet. I received a money clip in high school as a present and have used one ever since. I like not having to sit on a giant full wallet and putting my spine off-kilter. The money clip takes up very little space and holds just what I need it to.
As far as duct tape goes, I think that racquet idea sounds good. I may have to try that if we are ever out during the high season. But we also have a bat-house in our backyard, and bats love mosquitoes.. I wonder if any bats actually live in there. Maybe I should patch those holes to make it look nicer. I know, I’ll use some duct tape.
I’ve used duct tape to keep my drivers mirror on my car for years. I also used it to keep my backseat window from sliding down on its own. Lets just say this car is a beater.
Fun article.
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by Len Penzo: 4 Ways Duct Tape Can Fix Your Personal Finances http://tiny.cc/j90r2 (More proof that duct tape really can fix anything.)…
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