Save money by using fewer paper towels; make your own all-purpose cleaner; learn your way around the local thrift store.

Try this at home: Make your own cleaner and keep toxins off the table.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—With the Nickel Pincher on vacation this week, we’re taking a look back at some of our favorite bits of advice from her column over the last few months. Like Jean herself, we hope you find these nuggets of wisdom both entertaining and edifying. –Rodale.com editors.

#1: Clean without paper towels. In the kitchen, the humble cellulose sponge is tops for wiping up splatters, soaking up spills, and even scrubbing the occasional dish. I like cellulose sponges with a scrubby fiber pad on one side (very useful for loosening dried-on spills). Skip the soft synthetic foam sponges—they don’t hold up. And be sure you avoid any with label claims such as “kills germs,” “antibacterial,” or “antimicrobial.” Hot, soapy water kills germs just fine, and doesn’t add dangerous poisons into the environment. As paper towel marketers are fond of pointing out, sponges can become breeding grounds for bacteria. So at least once a day, or whenever you finish mopping up something particularly nasty, drop the sponge into the top rack of the dishwasher so it will get sterilized the next time the machine runs. Or if you can’t wait, put the rinsed, moist sponge into the microwave and zap it on high for 3 minutes (be careful, it will be really hot when the oven beeps, so let it sit for a few minutes or grab it with tongs).

#2: Make pizza on the grill. Cooking pizza on a grill is easy. First, sear the bare crust on the hot grill, then flip it over and add sauce and other cooked toppings (not too much, or they won’t melt/heat through) while the second side sears. Finish cooking by moving the completed masterpiece to a cooler section of the grill, and close the cover to wrap the heat around it. Use tongs to rotate the cooking pizza frequently and to lift up and check the bottom of the pie for doneness. You are aiming for an even light brown with darker grill lines, as little black as possible, and nicely melted cheese with piping-hot toppings. Slide the finished pie off the grill onto a cutting board, drizzle with a little olive oil, if you like, slice, and serve. Shortcut: Instead of using raw dough, use split whole wheat pitas, whole wheat tortillas, or a prepared commercial pizza crust or flatbread. My favorite toppings are a thin spread of spaghetti sauce (or ricotta, for white pizza), fresh basil leaves, and roasted red peppers, topped with thin shreds of a local smoked mozzarella and a bit of roasted garlic. (I buy both cheeses, made with 100 percent grass-fed milk, at a local farm.)