A fruity way to be frugal

This blog has waxed poetically about the many uses of vinegar, baking soda, salt and even vodka. But this might be a new one: Using a banana to polish your shoes.

This video at Lifehacker shows how you can make your shoes shine with a peel. Apparently, the potassium contained in this "yellow crescent of unparalleled beauty" is the main ingredient in shoe polish. The steps are easy:

1. Peel the banana.
2. Eat the fruit and save the skin.
3. Rub the inner lining of the skin on your shoes.
4. Buff with a soft cloth.
5. You're done.

Sounds simple, but excuse us if we don't rush out and try this on our best pair of dress shoes. Volunteers?

• Bing: What happens when you smoke banana peels?

Lifehacker is a gold mine of low-budget, but often high-tech, ways to make your life easier. The site's light dash of humor helps, too.

Some of our favorite Lifehacker posts include:

• Avoid looking like a tourist
  
• Learn how to throw a knife
• Make a lost screw finder from a blank media spindle
• Mix your own liquid Tamiflu for kids
• Web site Theme Park Maps lets you plan your attack before you get there
• Build a "Beeping Thing" to prank co-workers
• How to build a DIY dorm-legal A/C
• Use a candle to keep doors and windows from sticking
• The first-timer's guide to building a computer from scratch
• Make your own homemade butter

This is a sampling of what Lifehacker has to offer. Kudos to its editors and users for the useful tips.

Have you tried any of these ideas? Do you have a favorite do-it-yourself Web site? We'd love to hear about them.

Related reading:

• 72 ways to save on electricity
• 'Cheaper than cheap': Tips for ultra-frugal living
• The awesomest compilation of weird and crazy jobs ever