How and Why I Started Making Washing Powder

How I stared making Cheapskates washing powder for clean clothes that don't itch

Almost 27 years ago we were blessed with a beautiful baby boy. He was just gorgeous (and still is!), but after a few days he developed a rash, that turned into blisters. His little arms and legs were red, scaly and sore. He cried when we put him in the bath, and he squirmed and wriggled when he had clothes on.

Thankfully he was a summer baby and a singlet and nappy at home was plenty, but dressing him to go out was awful and I'd be crying with him. Our doctor diagnosed eczema and recommended changing our laundry detergent. Unfortunately the detergent he suggested cost almost a week's grocery money - just not viable for us.

And so began my search for a laundry detergent that would clean clothes without irritating.

It took a while, but finally I stumbled upon a recipe for a laundry goop (in the meantime AJ's clothes were washed separately, in just hot water, no detergents or soaps at all). It was a bit of a process to make, but it was cheap and it didn't irritate our skin. I was so happy.

By this time we had two mischievous little boys who loved to play outside. At the time the laundry was outside too, we hadn't renovated yet.

One day I could hear giggles and laughing and the sounds of fun - lots and lots of fun - so you can imagine my joy (not) when I found those two little boys covered from head to toe in laundry goop, as was the washing machine, the laundry door and walls, the floor - even the back verandah had a layer of goop on it. I cleaned it up and made another batch.

And, like they were on a cycle, it was rinse and repeat - they loved the goop so much they played happily in the new bucketful a few days later.

This is why I started making my own washing powder. Cleaning up two large nappy buckets full of goop took ages, although the laundry had never been so clean.

I looked at the recipe, read the ingredients and decided it could be made in powder form. Easy!

Small, experimental batches were made to research effectiveness, cost, ease of making and using until I finally stumbled upon the one I am, along with thousands of other Cheapskates, still making and using in every wash load today.

I still use just 3 level teaspoons to a full load of washing and we are still itch and irritation free and the clothes are clean too.

If you haven't tried it, do. It takes less than 5 minutes to make a batch and costs just 3c a load to use.

This has to be the cheapest and best value laundry detergent around.

Cheapskates Washing Powder

Ingredients:
1 bar soap, grated
1 cup washing soda (Lectric Soda is the most common brand in the laundry aisle, or sodium carbonate if you want to buy in bulk)
1/2 cup borax

Mix together and store in a sealed container.

Use 3 scant teaspoons per load for a top-loader and 1 scant teaspoon per load for a front loader.

You can use up the small slivers of toilet soap you collect if you like, ordinary bath soap or laundry soap. This recipe is ideal for using up all the leftovers you collect in the family bathroom.

This detergent won’t produce masses of suds, but it will get your clothes clean.

Costings (as at 19/09/2017):
1 bar laundry soap - 50 cents
1 cup washing soda $1
1/2 cup borax 60 cents
Total $2.10 for up to 90 washes (3 cents a load - actually a little under, I round up, the fraction is too hard for my addled head).

These prices are based on what I found at Coles, using generic laundry soap, Lectric Soda and Bare Essentials borax. You can get the cost down by using soap slivers and buying the washing soda in bulk. I buy washing soda in 5 kilo buckets from Aurora Cleaning Supplies in Dandenong South

Optional:
Give the washing powder an extra boost if you wash really dirty or greasy clothes by adding one small box of bi-carb soda to the mix.

Cheapskating on Autopilot

There are some days I wish I had more hands!

These days the things I do to save us money have become such ingrained habits that I don’t even realise I’m doing them – they’re all done on autopilot. So, when I was asked to talk about the everyday things, I had to stop and think - really think - because most of them I just do without conscious thought.

*I automatically check for the markdowns in the meat cabinets as I zip through Aldi, Tasman and now Australian Butchers.

*I automatically put the veggie water into a container in the fridge to use as a soup base or to make gravy or stock later in the week.

*I automatically put the leftovers from dinner into a container and freeze it for a future easy meal (we're a family of five and most of my recipes make at least six serves so there's always at least one left). These then become free meals for nights when we're running late or can't be bothered cooking.

*I automatically hang the washing outside in the sunshine and wind. The sun is a free stain remover and deodoriser, the washing smells divine after being sun-dried.

*I automatically go to the op shop/$2 shop/discount shops first – 9 times out of 10 I find what I’m looking for.

*I automatically turn lights off when I leave a room.

*I automatically dress in layers so the heater can stay off longer.

*I automatically open the drapes wide on winter days when the sun is shining to warm the house, and automatically close them again as soon as the sun starts to go down about 5pm.

*I automatically close the drapes and windows tight early in the morning during summer to keep the heat out and open them wide as soon as the sun has gone down to let the cool in.

*I automatically look for the ‘specials’ at the fruit and veg shop – and plan our meals around them.

*I automatically look for items to put into the Present Box – it’s nearly always full of gifts, cards and wrapping.

*I automatically cook more than one thing at a time in the oven – all shelves are used while the oven is on.

*I automatically turn the gas off once the pot has come to the boil and let the veggies sit to steam.

*I automatically put the veggie peelings into the compost.

*I automatically do the mending as soon as it becomes necessary.

*I automatically ‘turn’ sheets when they wear out.

*I automatically overlock the frayed edges of towels, face washers and bathmats as the hems unravel.

*I automatically put old sports socks into the cleaning cupboard to use as dusters etc.

*I automatically use microfibre cloths and Miracle Spray for cleaning – instead of hundreds of other more expensive cleaning products.

*I automatically split the toothpaste tube and get at least another two days' worth of toothpaste out of it. I do this with all tubes - make-up, hand cream, even the condensed milk we use when camping.

*I automatically cook from scratch rather than order home delivery or go out for take-away.

*I automatically recycle plastic bags – use the grocery bags for rubbish, rinse out and dry the fruit and veg bags to use in the fridge and freezer (I don’t recycle plastic bags that have had meat or chicken in them).

*I automatically wash and dry the foam trays that some foods come on to use as plates for pot-lucks, mixing paint or glue when crafting etc.

*I automatically put foods into Tupperware containers rather than using plastic wrap – I’ve had a 100 metre roll of plastic wrap for at least 6 years!

*I automatically turn the sauce bottle upside down, rinse out the tomato soup can and scrape the cream bottle and peanut butter jar with a spatula.

*I automatically use the butter wrappers to grease cake tins.

*I automatically check the price of petrol – and fill up when I see it at its lowest for the week.

*I automatically compare prices and sizes – carrying a calculator makes working out the per gram price easy if it's not on the label (and it's easier than fiddling with the calculator on my phone).

*I automatically catch the cold water in the showers and use it in the washing machine.

*I automatically save used tea bags to use as firelighters.

*I automatically add fruit and veggie peelings to the worm farm and compost bin.

*I automatically save coffee grounds to add to the compost and worm farm.

*I automatically darn holey socks before buying new ones.

*I automatically save paper bags to be re-used.

These are just a few of the things that I do on autopilot. I don't do them all every day or even every week, but I do them without thinking.

They all save us money, some only a few cents at a time, but at the end of the day, it all adds up. If I can save just $1 a day, I’ve saved $365 in one year!

And that’s three days that I don’t have work – it’s three more days I can spend with my family!

How to Cut Back on Household Expenses: Heating

There’s nothing cheap about running a household as all facets of it require us to spend money. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t find an affordable way to run your household. In fact, you may be surprised to find that you’re spending more money than necessary in several areas of your household expenses. Below are a few areas where you may be able to cut back your household expenses.

We all spend money heating our homes during the cooler months, which can add up to quite a bit of money over the year. There are ways to reduce these expenses though and they are all simple things anyone can do.

·Use ceiling fans – Use ceiling fans to force warm air down. Some ceiling fans have a reverse switch, others you need to reverse the blades to drag the hot air down from the ceiling.

·Close unnecessary vents – Many of us have vents in our homes that don’t need to be open because we’re seldom in the room. Close those vents and you’ll instantly save money.

·Close doors to rooms you aren't using. - There's no point in heating rooms you aren't using. Keep the doors closed most of the time. Open the doors one day a week to air the room and keep it from getting damp.

·Change filters regularly – Stay on top of changing your airconditioner filters regularly. You should be changing them every 30-60 days during heavy use.

·Open curtains and blinds – During cooler months, keep your curtains and blinds open during the day. This allows the sun’s rays to naturally heat up your home. Close curtains and blinds during hot summer months to keep cool air in.

·Close curtains and blinds - During cooler months close the curtains and blinds as soon as the sun starts to go down. Warm air will be trapped in the house and they'll block the cold coming through the windows.

·Use space Heaters – Space heaters  are a great way to supplement your central heating, which helps lower energy costs.

·Bring out the throws and knee rugs - Cover up of an evening with a throw or rug and keep the thermostat on the heater turned down. You'll be warm and cosy without affecting your heating bill.

·Check around windows and doors for draughts - You'd be amazed at just how much cold can sneak in through gaps around windows and doors. Seal them up with specialist tape you can get from any good hardware shop. It's a simple DIY job, the tape isn't expensive and it will save you a lot of money all year round.

·Use draught stoppers or sausages - A sausage against exterior doors will keep draughts out. Again, they'll not only keep cold (or hot in summer) air out but save you money.

I Love Coffee

My favourite beverage - freshly brewed coffee

Everyone knows I love my coffee. I'm a coffee snob and proud of it. I see absolutely no point in suffering a disgusting brew just to save a few cents, I'd much rather ditch something else so I can afford good coffee.

And that is what I do.

I've always had a coffee machine of some kind.

When we were first married we inherited Mum's old Sunbeam coffee percolator. It was great, it's in the laundry cupboard and I still use it occasionally.

We were given a plunger for a wedding present (I'm still using it) and that made beautiful coffee for one or two quickly.

Over the years I've collected stove top percolators from op shops in different sizes. I've even bought one that we keep in the camping box so we can freshly brewed coffee while we're away (thanks Nino for that great idea!).

We were given a benchtop expresso machine with a milk frother. It made great coffee but it was a pain to clean, I didn't use it all that often.

And then a few years ago Mum gave me an Aldi Expressi machine and a couple of packets of pods for Christmas. I was torn, really torn. I loved the coffee it made, but I was a little concerned about the cost (duh! it's about 37c a cup! and the impact of all those empty pods in landfill).

The coffee won. It makes great coffee, quickly and easily and cheaply - it's still about 37c a pod and then the 3/4 cup of milk costs approximately 18 cents so a cup of coffee ends up costing 55 cents (beat that *insert your favourite coffee stop chain*).

I still worry about the impact of the pods, but I do my best to lessen it. I save the pods and empty the coffee grounds out of them once a week or so. The grounds then go into the compost or the worm farm or the bokashi bucket or are dried to use in pin cushions (they keep the pins and needles nice and sharp). The empty pods have a little tiny hole in the base so you need to think about how you're going to use it but they can be used for so many things:

1. tiny seed starters - no need to block the hole for this one

2. in the bath or sand pit - they're a good size for little fingers to handle

3. in doll houses - they make great doll sized buckets, vases, upside down they can be tables or stools, glued to the ceiling they can be light fittings - use your imagination

4. they can be used to make a Christmas wreath - see this video below. It uses regular sized plastic cups but anything you can make with regular sized cup you can make in miniature with empty coffee pods (maybe a miniature wreath for that doll house front door).



You can imagine my joy when I learned that Aldi were going to release a new, even stronger, flavour in the already extensive range (I like the decaf pods too - No. 7 but still a lovely flavour). I was just jumping and bouncing all over the place (that could be the caffeine, I like to think it was excitement) waiting to try it. Did I mention I like a really strong coffee?

Well it's here and I've just tried my new favourite brew. It's everything I could want in a coffee:

• flavourful 
• aromatic
• quick - 90 seconds and I'm enjoying my coffee
• cheap - 57 cents a cup
• convenient - made in my kitchen at home, easy clean up too.

It's Aldi's new Expressi Calabrese 13, the strongest brew in the range.

Oh my giddy aunt but it is good. Wayne caught me standing at the Expressi machine breathing in deeply as it brewed this morning. The aroma is enough to give you a caffeine buzz I'm sure. And the flavour - it's the best tasting coffee I've had in a long, long time. And I drink a lot of coffee.

Some of my coffee pod stockpile - where can I stash a few boxes of Calabrese pods?

One thing I'm wrestling with though. In light of our budget changes and living off our stockpile for the next 14 months, I have a cupboard full of Abruzzo pods, but now I want Calabrese. Maybe I can ask for some for Christmas?

Some of the coffee pod stockpile - I'm looking for somewhere to stash a few boxes of Calabrese pods

They're $5.99 a packet of 16 (and have been this price since the Expressi pods were released I think - I don't have my price book handy but if not they haven't gone up in a long, long time - well done Aldi) so I'll whisper in Santa's ear later on and let him know there will be room in my Christmas stocking for some Calabrese coffee pods.

Seriously, if you love a good coffee, you'll love the convenience and the price of making your coffee at home. If you usually buy a coffee on the way to work or while you are shopping or after you drop the kids at school or after gym or whenever, get a good travel mug (we have lovely bamboo travel cups I picked up from House for around $6 each a couple of years ago - they are biodegradable if we ever decide to toss them) and start brewing your coffee at home, if for no other reason than the money you won't be spending on coffee that you will have for something else.

Wow, that was a long and convoluted sentence but you know what I'm saying.

My morning cup of coffee costs 57 cents - the same size from my local coffee shop is $4.80! Straight away I haven't spent $4.23 out of my mad money! That's $4.23 I have to spend on something else I can enjoy (and over the year that's $1,543.95 I'm not spending on coffee! And on just one cup of really good coffee a day!)

On our current budget that's our living expenses for four months!

Brewing coffee at home with my Expressi machine and now my new favourite flavoured pods I can afford to be a coffee snob.

Are you a coffee snob?
Do you use pods or do you prefer another method of brewing your favourite beverage?
Do you have an Expressi machine? What's your favourite flavour?

FYI: I have no affiliation with Aldi at all, other than as a loyal and very happy customer and I have been since the Chirnside Park store opened here in Melbourne. 

The Week that was

I rearranged some flowers in a favourite vase, put some shells in an antique dish and the clock on a new doyley on the TV unit to pretty up a blank corner

This week has been quite odd. When I think quickly not a lot has been accomplished, but sitting down to make a list I've been pleasantly surprised to see just what I did this week to save money, time and energy and care for my home and family.

Firstly, I've cooked dinner every night except last night when the boys made us pizza for tea. Not that I don't normally, but I know it would be odd for some families to have homecooked from scratch dinners every night of the week.

What I have cooked has used freezer ingredients. I'm still trying to eat down the freezer, although it doesn't look that much emptier. On the upside I haven't added anything to the freezer this week, not even leftovers for freezer meals.

On that note there are lots of freezer meals to eat so I'm encouraging them for lunches. That wouldn’t normally happen, as they make an expensive lunch, but I would like to get them down to a more reasonable supply and this biting, cold wind has meant the boys are hungry at lunchtime and want something warm. Wayne's been taking his in a food thermos as he's been on the road all this week.

I worked outside most of Sunday and it wasn't until I came inside that I realised just how cold it was - only 8 degrees! No wonder my nose was red. But I did get a lot of weeding done, still more to do though. The back garden is now bare - all my winter crops have been harvested, the only thing left is the catnip for making bug repellent for summer.

Mulched the front garden beds. I've been thinking for months about what to do with these and I've decided on a lavender garden with roses behind it. My mother-in-law had the most beautiful lavender garden, with hundreds of different varieties so she had lavender all year round. The fragrance was gorgeous, the colour in the garden so pretty and it attracted butterflies and birds to the yard. It was lovely to brush past it and then get a gentle wafting of that light lavender scent.

Sliced the roast lamb on Sunday to give us another roast dinner and two slices for curry or soup or French shepherd's pie. Put the bones in the freezer to make soup stock, I love soup made from lamb bones it tastes so much richer than beef bones I think. That's 20 serves and four meals from one leg of lamb, bringing the cost down to $3.91 per meal or 78 cents per serve. I try to keep the meat portion of our meals to an average of $5 per meal, or $1.20 per person. Do you have a meat budget?

Made a chicken and vegetable pie from scratch, using two sheets of bought pastry, half a chicken fillet, 1 cup mixed frozen veggies, a sprinkle of celery salt and tarragon and a MOO white sauce. Tasted amazing and only cost $2.60 to make. It cut into eight serves so just 32 cents a serve. Another budget meal and it used pastry, chicken and frozen veggies from the freezer to help with the freezer challenge.

Stopped off at Pellegrinos on my way home from dropping Hannah at the station and bought 3 kilos of bananas for 99 cents a kilo and 20 kilos of Thorpedale potatoes (the best potatoes in Victoria I think) for 90 cents a kilo. That's 10 cents a kilo over my regular top price, but these are superior potatoes in every way. I'm wondering if I shouldn't buy another 20 kilos and store them.

20 kilos of Thorpedale potatoes, just 90 cents a kilo, ready and waiting to be stored

Spent Thursday at the hospital with Mum having some tests done and an iron infusion. Saved on buying morning tea by accepting the lovely nurse's offer to make me a cup of tea and she even brought some biscuits on the side of the saucer. I took water to drink and my kindle to read while I waited.

Finally hung a little embroidery I did a long time ago. It has been framed and sitting on the kitchen dresser forever until I decided where I wanted it. It's now  hanging in the laundry and looks lovely.

The washing was dried on the clotheshorse next to the fire every day this week, even on the sunny days. I put it over in the morning and most of it is usually dry by tea time, just the heavier things to dry overnight. My dryer is still a convenient wall-hung storage cabinet :)

Heavy work clothes drying by the fire

Spent more time in the garden on Tuesday. Tom was home to help me move heavy things and prune the higher branches of the trees. It's looking tidier and I'm itching to start planting but it is still far too cold. I'll start more seedlings in the blanket bag hot house this week so they'll have plenty of time to establish before the soil warms up.

Gratefully accepted some lemons and some pears. Lemons have been juiced and  frozen. Juiced some more oranges from our tree to make cordial (froze some of the juice for later). Grated the zest and froze it in ice-cube trays for flavouring later on. Orange zest is lovely in icings, marinades, salad dressings, bread crumbs.  Scraped the flesh out of the oranges and whizzed it then bagged it for orange cakes.

Made six batches of lemon butter, using lemons gifted to me. I've been saving pretty jars for gift giving and they look lovely. Used sugar, butter and eggs from Aldi, cost for 12 jars of lemon butter $5.85.

Made 4 batches of orange and grapefruit marmalade for gifts using the microwave marmalade recipe from the Recipe File. The oranges and grapefruit are off our trees.  Only cost was the 2 kilos of sugar. Aldi sugar, $1.80.

One batch of orange grapefruit marmalade and a double batch of Six Minute Lemon Butter

Made a triple batch of 50:50 Cordial. Bottled it in recycled canning bottles. Again the only cost was the sugar, citric acid and tartaric acid. Sealed the bottles in a hot water bath as I want to keep this cordial for summer. If we were going to be using it straight away I'd have just kept it in the fridge.

Joy suggested caramel tarts as my contribution to afternoon tea yesterday. The butternut snaps were on sale for $2 a packet at Coles and I used MOO condensed milk to make the caramel. Cost $3 for 18 little tarts or 16 cents each - a very frugal treat indeed, and really easy to make.

Knitted a soap sack from lovely soft bamboo yarn leftover from another project, so basically free. This is to go with a matching face washer and hand towel and a pretty soap for a gift.

Soap sack knitted in bamboo yarn, crocheted edge on a facewasher and a pretty soap ready to be wrapped for a gift

Started making Christmas cards, but was side tracked by the August card challenge. It's masculine cards so I switched over to making some manly and boyish cards.

Used a discount voucher to fill the car up with petrol for 115.5 cents a litre at Woolworths in Bayswater, the cheapest I've seen it in a while. I had the discount applied to my card after last week's great bargain shopping session and was very happy to use it.

Kept the central heating off and the fire burning all week. The house has been warm, even in the mornings.

Checked the catalogues this week and apart from peanut butter there wasn't anything else I would normally buy on sale so it was an easy shop - milk, bread, mushrooms ($6/kilo!), and 6 jars of peanut butter.

Saved the string from the bag of potatoes to use for craft. Cheaper than buying twine and just as pretty and it's authentic!

String from the 20kg bag of potatoes, perfect for crafting

Took four bags of Wayne's clothes that are too big for him to the op shop. They were happy to receive them all washed and ironed. I am happy to be able to put things away without having to jam them in.

This week I've been on a power saving binge. I've been walking around turning things off at the wall, making sure only necessary lights are on, checking globes to make sure they are the right size for the task. Our power bill seems to have gone crazy since May. I worked out we are averaging $34 a week in electricity and I only budget for $30 so something has to be trimmed.

Had a lovely, very frugal afternoon yesterday with nine lovely friends making cards, learning how to make a shirt card and how to put an insert into a card and generally sharing ideas, tools, materials, tips, yummy food (what an afternoon tea!) and lots of laughter and good conversation.

Avoided a gym membership by getting plenty of exercise gardening, vacuuming, scrubbing showers, mopping floors, carrying grocery shopping and stretching to put washing over the clotheshorse. Yes, I realise I'm scratching here but I didn't spend money on a gym membership and I did get a fair amount of exercise :)

How have you saved money, time and energy this week?

The Week that was

Some of the flowers from the beautiful bouquet Wayne surprised me with this week

This week has been busy with a capital B!

Lots of frugal tasks accomplished, some started and still in progress and others on the drawing board. The beautiful day last Sunday meant I could nag gently ask the boys to spread another layer of mulch and compost in the front garden beds for me.

I also took cuttings of the lavender to strike new plants. I love this lavender, the fragrance is beautiful, so if I can strike even one more plant I'll be so happy.

Transferred the small amounts of moisturiser and toner left in the bottom of the bottles that I couldn't get out easily into the new bottles. Now I can use every drop.

Kept the fire stoked and the ducted heating off. House has been warm, most noticeably in the early mornings.

Shopped around for firewood. We haven't been wood cutting this year so we've been buying it. Found a tonne delivered for a price Wayne was happy to pay. The boys moved it all around to the woodpile for me then raked the small bits off the grass and put them into a kindling pile.

Closed the blinds and curtains as soon as the temperature started to drop in the afternoons and kept them closed a little longer in the mornings to keep the warmth in.

Then on the couple of beautifully sunny days I opened the drapes on the  north facing windows right up and let the sun stream in. It was so warm we were able to let the fire burn down. I put the clothes horses in front of the windows to dry the towels and bath mats.

Accepted a petrol discount voucher from Mum and used it to get petrol for $119.4c yesterday. I haven't been shopping for 7 weeks so I didn't have any vouchers.

Opened some new soaps and put them through the linen cupboard and the shelves in my wardrobe to harden before using. They'll also freshen the cupboards and help to keep any bugs that dare to try invade away.

Rearranged some droopy flowers into a smaller vase to get another few days of prettiness out of them.

Spent an hour with my garden book planning the spring garden and working out the sowing and planting schedule for spring.

Sorted my card supplies and tidied them up then made some Christmas cards and a few gift cards to match the Christmas themed wrapping paper for this year. Started getting ready for next week's card making afternoon :)

Stocked up on shampoo for 50 cents/500ml bottle on Thursday (on clearance at Coles). Eighteen bottles is enough for two years of shampoo for my family, and all for the grand total of $9.00.

12 bottles of 50 cent shampoo and 4 bottle of half-price bodywash ready to add to the stockpile. 6 bottles of shampoo have been put in the bathroom cupboards

Stocked up on Shapes and CCs for the Christmas hamper and stockings, both on half-price sale at Woolworths this week. They are safely stashed in the box in my wardrobe until needed in December.

Ate out of the freezer all week. The freezer challenge is going well and my freezer stocks are dwindling, slowly, down. It will be at least another 4 - 5 weeks before the freezer is empty enough to even think about re-stocking but by then I'll be in Christmas and holiday planning mode.

The freezer is still full,even with the freezer challenge. Lots of veggies, bread, fruit, chicken and roasts. No mince though!

Printed the meal plan for the rest of the year out and stuck it on the fridge. No need for anyone to ask what's for dinner now, but I know they will :)

Picked mandarins, oranges, grapefruit and lemons off our trees. Made grapefruit and orange and lemon marmalade and lemon butter and froze the lemon zest. The mandarins are beautiful and taste so much better than what I've been buying.

Mended a pair of shorts, a pair of Wayne's jeans and sewed buttons back onto a couple of shirts and one of my caridgans. No more mending pile!

Made some no-bake slices for snacks. No oven has meant no baking. Normally not a problem and I'm sure it is purely psychological but since I've not been able to bake everyone has been craving biscuits and cakes and muffins!

Continued to use up the UHT milk left over from our holiday instead of buying fresh milk.

Saved shower water and the "cold" hot water from the kitchen to water the plants and clean the floors.

Cut down two bathmats that had gone to holes to make pot holders for the kitchen.

My oven was fixed yesterday and I've been baking up a storm! The new fan is so fast,I had no idea the old one was so slow. Baking time has been slashed by 5 - 10 minutes on the things I made yesterday, and that has to mean a power saving.

Experimented to create a slice we had while we were away.It was so delicious, totally not good for us in any way, but so good. Just thinking about it starts us drooling. Everyone has given it the thumbs up so I'll get the recipe typed up and take some photos and post it over the weekend.

The Piglet - a treat we had while we were away. I've never had one before so I created my version of the slice we enjoyed. Thomas said it will be hard, but he'll force himself to eat it so no one else has to suffer the joy agony of The Piglet.

Best of all, apart from picking up the grocery specials on Wednesday morning as I took Hannah to work and Thursday shopping with Mum, I've stayed home, saving on fuel, my time and money.

That's about it, or at least all I can remember. Living frugally is a habit so lots of the things we do are automatic but I'd hate to see how much our budget would blow out if we didn't do them.

34 Ways to Save on the things you use Every Day

1. Buy in bulk.

2. Compare weekly ads for best prices.

3. Go generic, avoid brand names.

4. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables at your local farmers' market.

5. Scout for coupons and discount offers.

6. Shop according to what's on sale.

7. Buy fruits and vegetables that are in-season.

8. Buy re-usable cloth serviettes instead of paper.

9. Use rags or tea towels instead of paper towel. 

10. Buy everything for the week in one trip.

11. Plan ahead for purchases you know are coming up.

12. Plan your weekly menu in accordance with sales and the food you already have in the house.

13. Use frequent shopping cards.

14. Shop at garage sales and secondhand stores (op shops).

15. Read the fine print on credit card offers.

16. Negotiate lower interest rates on your credit cards.

17. Keep a budget for your household.

18. Ask yourself if you really need an item you wish to purchase.

19. Make more meals from scratch.

20. MOO your household cleaning products.

21. Take advantage of samples.

22. Cut down on utility bills - use less water, turn off lights, hang clothes to dry, and more.

23. Check the clearance section first.

24. Reuse items and buy reusable batteries.

25. Avoid grocery shopping when you’re hungry.

26. Search for less expensive insurance from top-rated companies.

27. Take advantage of Internet sales and discounts.

28. If possible, avoid taking children with you to the supermarket.

29. Implement the $100/24 Hour to cut down on impulse shopping.

30. Make your own organic weed killers.

31. Brew your own coffee and lattes.

32. Take your lunch.

33. Avoid vending machines - bring your own drinks and snacks from home.

34. Buy off-season - shop at the end of summer for summer items, the end of winter for winter items or after Christmas for holiday items and use them during the next year.

Trimming the Fat

There comes a point in our journey to frugality where it seems as though there is nothing left to save money on. You're paying half what you used to pay for groceries, the electricity bill has been slashed and the phone bill is almost non-existent. In fact you only have a landline because it's a part of your Internet package. The problem is that the budget is still not working and you don't quite know why.

We all have extras that we spend money on, those things that we regard as essential, when they aren't really. They are optional extras, in which case we can trim these expenses and find some give in the budget.

Things like cable TV, monthly trips to the hairdresser, movie hire, car detailing (personally I love paying $28 twice a year to get my car detailed but I pay for it out of my mad money, it really makes me smile), and dry cleaning are not really essential to living. Just by trimming one or two optional expenses you are saving money, the savings if you can trim more is huge.

These could be the optional extras in your budget:

Cable TV
• Can you switch to a cheaper plan?
• Could you do away with cable entirely?
• Scale back to the basic channels?
• Do you need a set-top box or hook up in every room?

Phone Plans/Internet
• Do you need caller ID and call waiting?
• What about voice mail?
• Could you cancel your long distance, and use a phone card instead?
• Do you need a landline and a mobile phone?
• Are you on the best mobile plan for your usage? Do you get free time, text, sms etc?
• Could you switch to a cheaper mobile plan?
• Get rid of text messaging or other features?
• Can you bundle your landline and Internet connection?
• Do you need the Internet plan you are on at the moment? Can you switch to a less expensive plan?
• Is it possible to bundle landline, Internet and mobile phones to save money?

Eating Out
• Could you eat at home more often?
• Pack your lunch, instead of buying?
• Bring your coffee from home?
• Pack snacks when you know you'll be away from home for an extended period?
• Bring drinks and snacks to work, instead of relying on the local coffee shop?
• Can you dine out for lunch (often cheaper) or afternoon tea rather than the more expensive dinner time?
• Do you use vouchers, buy one get one free coupons etc when you do eat out?
Clothing
• Could you set a clothing allowance or lower your existing allowance?
• Could you swap clothes with a friend?
• Shop second-hand?
• Repair clothes, instead of replacing them?
• Skip dry cleaning?
• Revamp what you have - dyeing, new buttons, shorten hemlines etc?
Subscriptions and Memberships
• Are there seldom read magazines that you could cancel?
• Do you need to get the paper delivered every day?
• Is your mail movie rental subscription a must?
• Do you have a gym membership that you aren't using?
• Could you cancel your membership to clubs that you no longer have time for?

Entertainment
• Could you rent movies instead of watching them at the theatre?
• Go to free concerts and events, instead of paid events?
• Borrow books and movies from the library, instead of buying them?
• Listen to the radio instead of buying CDs or songs?
• Find a cheaper hobby?
• Scale back your holidays?

Services
• Could you cancel your lawn mowing service?
• Change your own oil?
• Have your hair cut less often?
• Do your own waxing, manicures and pedicures?

Decide which optional extras are essential to you, worth keeping and make you happy. The leftovers are the ones that are keeping you in debt and they are the ones you can easily lose to save money. The money you won't be spending on these things can be put towards your payment push or to building an emergency fund or savings or….whatever you choose because you will have the money to be able to make the choice.

And you won't be paying for things that you don't really want either.

The Swear Savings Jar System

This is an article from the July 2013 Cheapskates Journal that I thought I'd share with you. I've been reading a lot about the downside of saving coins this week, so I thought I'd share a "positive" with you.

Cheapskates Club members can login to read the entire Journal, and any back issues.

The Swear Savings Jar System

It's the start of a new financial year so I thought it time to come up with a fun, simple and effective way to save.

There's no need to completely adjust your lifestyle in order to save for either a short or long-term savings goal. You can slowly, but steadily add to your savings by using the swear saving jar system to add to your savings each and every day of the week.

Remember the "swear jar"? You may have had one at home or at the office. It was the jar you dropped your fine into if you swore or cursed.

Well the savings jar is a modified version of the swear jar.

Instead of dropping money into the jar each time you curse, you drop money into the jar each time you mention (or have recurring thoughts of) your savings goal. As long as your savings goal is important to you, you're going to express quite a bit of verbal lust, and then enjoy the game as you focus on your savings!

If your goal is less than $500, you may be able to use an average sized jar or cereal canister. However, for a more sizeable goal, many people prefer to use an oversized flowerpot or a large tin can (a recycled 500g or even 1 kilo coffee tin is good) to stash their savings.

How to Implement the System

First and foremost, it's important to understand that simply dropping coins into a jar will take you ages to achieve your savings goals. You may want to up the ante and start placing notes into your jar.

Generally, $5 notes are small enough that you may be able to comfortably drop one into the jar once or more each day without feeling a financial pinch. But if finances are tough, you can start by placing $1 into your jar each time you mention your goal.

Three simple rules will see your savings jar grow each day:

1. Choose your denomination. Choose your denomination between $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 and stick to it.

    • If you need to drop $10 into your jar and only find that you have smaller notes or coins, place as many notes and coins as necessary into the jar until you reach $10. It is okay to place different notes into the jar as long as you're putting in the amount you planned.

2. Set a minimum. If your goal is something you wouldn't talk about on a daily basis (such as a new verandah), set a minimum deposit for each day.

    • For example, if your denomination is $20, vow to drop a minimum of $20 into your jar at the end of each day, regardless of whether or not you mention your goal. At the end of just the first month, you'll have saved a minimum of $600 into your jar. Emptying the coins from your purse or wallet each evening will help you reach your daily limit quickly.

3. No cheating. Make it a strict rule that you must make a deposit into your jar each time you mention your goal. If you let yourself off the hook once, you're more likely to do it next time and thereafter.

    • If you routinely talk about your goal throughout the day and feel that a $5 or $10 donation to the jar is a bit steep, it's best to stick with a $1 denomination. If you talk about your goal five times per day, you'll still have $5 at the end of the day and up to $150 at the end of the month.

The saving jar system works because it's user friendly and risk free. Yes, you may be placing a considerable amount of money into the jar, but it will motivate you to ramp up your efforts as you see your savings mounting every single day.

Unlike financing the purchase you're saving for, if for any reason you were to encounter a financial emergency you'll be able to dig into your savings jar and continue your efforts once you're on a positive financial footing.

And best of all, again unlike financing the purchase, you'll actually own it when you get it!

Oils Aint Oils

Some questions have been asked lately about why I use olive oil or coconut oil in my cooking.

So I'll tell you: oils aint oils.

Not all oils have the same health benefits or work as well in cooking.  And most definitely not all oils, no matter how they are marketed to us, are good for us.

I use olive oil for roasting vegetables because I love the flavour it gives them. I use it in savoury muffins, breads, scones and dressings because I love the flavour it gives them. It is also a good oil - one that generally hasn't been corrupted by manufacturing or GMOs - and the health benefits are many. I use EVOO for dressings and drizzling over salads.
Olive oil is very low in Omega 6 fatty acids (good to avoid) and very high in flavonoids (good for us). Buy your olive oil in cans or dark glass bottles and store it in a cool, dark cupboard for the best shelf life. Even so, use it within six months of opening it. It comes on sale regularly, so keep an eye open. For the best olive oil try and find locally produced oil from locally grown olives - you'll taste the difference straight away.

I use sunflower oil for frying. Olive oil doesn't do well with high temperatures, it has a very low smoke point, so it's not a good oil to use for frying. Sunflower oil on the other hand is light, can handle the higher temperature required for frying and has a nice neutral flavour. I also use it in sweet cakes, muffins, puddings and some marinades because of it's neutral flavour.

I use sesame oil (sparingly, it is very strong) in stir-fries and fried rice. It has a delightful, nutty flavour and really brings out the flavour of Asian style dishes. A small bottle will last a long, long time so I buy the smallest bottle I can find, otherwise it goes rancid and gets wasted, and as sesame oil is rather expensive I'd rather not waste it.

Unrefined, virgin coconut oil. I love the flavour it gives baking - just the tiniest hint of coconut. I also love the health benefits. Coconut oil is very high in fat, so if you are watching your weight eat it sparingly, but it's also very low in Omega 6 fatty acids (the really bad ones you want to avoid like the plague). This is a great oil, solid at room temperature. And you can whip it up and use it as a moisturiser after your shower, it's wonderful on dry skin.

As well as going into my soap, rice bran oil is good for stir fries as it less temperature sensitive than other oils. It's also good in bread.

And lastly butter. We don't do margarine in our house so butter is used as a spread, in baking and for sautéing. A little butter goes a long way and gives a rich flavour to gravies and sauces, and helps to thicken them naturally.

All the oils I buy, except the olive oil, are in small bottles and I keep them on the top shelf of the pantry, where it's cool and dark. Heat and light damage oil, so try and buy your oils in smaller (600ml max) dark glass bottles and store them like I do, in a cool, dark place or the fridge. 

Some chefs recommend storing oil in the fridge - it may go cloudy and thicken if you do. Don't worry, it's fine, a few minutes at room temperature quickly brings it back to normal. Our pantry doesn't get that hot, it maintains a fairly constant temperature year round so I don't bother with the fridge.

To use oil I put it into a spray bottle and simply squirt the pan or baking dish, rather than pour oil into it. For example when I do rosemary and garlic vegetables or even just baked potatoes, I put them in a bowl, squirt them a few times, add the herbs, toss them through and then tip the lot into the baking dish. The vegetables brown up beautifully without swimming in a sea of oil. To make wedges I do the same thing, adding paprika instead of herbs and roasting the potatoes for 30 minutes in a 220 degree oven (turn them after 15 minutes).

Using a spray bottle saves a lot of oil and saves a lot of money. I also use a pastry brush, just for oil. It comes in handy for brushing the inside of muffin cups and cake tins instead of using baking paper or cooking spray (which stains pans and leaves a sticky residue on them if it's not thoroughly washed off). It's also handy for brushing meat and vegetables while they're cooking.

Oil is expensive, but that doesn't mean it has to put a strain on your grocery budget. Shop and use it wisely and you'll be able to enjoy the benefits without the huge cost.

Disclaimer:   There is a ton of differing information available about oils and their health benefits. These are the oils I use. Bear in mind I'm not a chef or a nutritionist, I've chosen to use these oils after researching about them. These are the oils that fit within our budget, and that suit our attitude to a healthful diet. Do your own research and make your own decisions.

Sometimes I Just have so much to share

There are days I have so much I want to share with you I just don't know where to start or what order to put things in.  Some things deserve a post on their own, but how many posts can I subject you to each day?  Some things become stories and articles for the Journal, but even then I struggle to fit everything in. Some things become Tip of the Day posts and emails, and again I struggle to fit everything in.  I can share some things in the Members Forum, but again it is a struggle. I can add a little to each newsletter (it's one reason why I do a weekly newsletter and not a monthly one, there is just too much information to share - and if you haven't subscribed to my weekly newsletter, Bright ideas to save you money, you can do so here).  

This morning I woke up to an interview with Lloyd Nicol from Team UOW, talking about winning the Solar Decathlon held in China (Datong to be precise) with their design for a retro-fit of an existing house.  How cool is it that it is possible to completely retro fit your house to be energy efficient from the very frame up and out!  I really want to let you know about this project (if you don't already) because it is so exciting. You can read more about Team UOW, the project, their amazing house, the competition and their win here. 

And there's the bedroom makeover we did for Hannah's birthday. Her room is just gorgeous, and we did it all on a rather tight budget and still managed to buy beautiful bed linen, a new bed and mattress, a new dressing table, shelves, bedside table, lamp, curtains and wall art.  Her bedroom has gone from a rather boring beige and little girl décor to a beautiful, grown-up shabby chic for under $600!

On top of those two exciting happenings there are the usual day-to-day savings. I was rather excited this morning to hear labna being touted as a super food for women (on Today, Channel 9 this morning) and used as an ingredient in a beetroot salad. Labna is so easy to make and is very frugal and versatile, especially if you make your own yoghurt. That segment reminded me that perhaps it was time to remind you all not only how to make and use labna but how easy, convenient and economical it is to MOO yoghurt.

Thinking about making yoghurt reminded me that I haven't shared my new ginger beer recipe, or the instructions on how to make it. MOO ginger beer is so much better than bought (even better than Bundaberg) and of course it is a fraction of the price. I started the ginger beer plant on Sunday so we'll have some ready when the weather warms up.

That's just four things I want to share with you, and there are more.

While I was getting the meat out of the freezer for tonight's dinner, it reminded me that it had been a while since I defrosted the freezer or updated you with how the freezer organizing is going. And that reminded me of bulk meat buys, where to buy, the top prices I am prepared to pay, how to package and store that meat to get the very best from it.

Of course bulk buying made me think of the question from Christine, asking for a copy of my shopping list and by default that had me thinking about stockpiling and how I build my stockpile, what I stockpile, where I buy those items and the top prices I am prepared to pay.

Can you see my dilemma?  There are just six thoughts since 6am this morning. There will be more throughout the day.

I need your help. I have all this information and thousands of ideas and hints that really work, but I need to know what you want to know so I can share it with you.

Please leave a comment below and tell me what you want to know about. It might be cleaning. It might be how to tackle the laundry. You might want to know the vegetables you can grow that will have the biggest impact on your budget. You might want to know how to keep the cost of travel down. Perhaps you are interested in how we can be well dressed on $200 a year. It could be that you are craving a simpler, more self-sufficient life and want to know where to start.

I'm waiting, with bated breath and coffee in hand, to find out how I can best help you live life debt free, cashed up and laughing.

5 Ways an Ice Cube Tray Can Save Your Grocery Budget

Every household has at least one lurking in the freezer to the back of a kitchen cupboard. It may come out in summer, but once the weather cools down it's forgotten again.

The humble ice cube tray can do so much more in the kitchen than make ice cubes.

Freezing your leftover food into cubes will save you a lot of money. Food cubes are all the rage at the moment (have you seen the frozen smoothie cubes and the frozen baby food cubes in the supermarket? Have you seen the price of them!) so save yourself time, and money and make your own with food you know you use.

Here are five ways you can use your ice cube tray that will help to keep your grocery budget on track and save you money, time, energy and waste.

Tomato Paste - Just about everyone knows this tip, but it's too good to not include. Recipes always seem to need just one or two tablespoons of tomato paste but those little tubs and jars hold so much more. You can put it in the fridge, but it does go mouldy very quickly. Spoon the leftover paste into your ice cube tray and freeze. One block is the equivalent of one tablespoon so next time you cook you can easily take one or two tomato paste cubes and add them to your recipe. And no more mouldy tomato paste.

Gravy - The standard for any roast, often there is a little gravy left in the bottom of the gravy boat. Don't throw it into the compost, freeze it in ice cub trays. You then have gravy you can quickly thaw and heat for sandwiches or potatoes or anything else that needs gravy. Use the gravy cubes as the sauce for pie fillings or add a little water or vegetable broth to thin it down and use it as stock.

Leftover coffee or tea - If you have a little left in the coffee or tea pot freeze it. Those cubes will come in very handy in a few weeks when the weather warms up to make iced coffee or iced tea. Use them to flavour icings or to replace some of the liquid in muffins and cakes.

Herbs - Whether you grow your own or buy them, herbs don't keep well in the fridge. Chop them and then freeze them in water in ice cube trays ready to just add to your favourite recipe. Mint, chives, parsley and basil all freeze well in cubes, ready to add to soups and sauces. No more limp herbs and no more money in the bin.

Stock - When you make stock freeze some in cubes. You can then add one or two to rice or pasta or couscous to add a little flavour, or use it to flavour gravy and sauces. They are also handy when you have a recipe that needs just a little stock.

Some Ideas for Storing and Using Your Cubes

You need to be a little organized when you freeze food in cubes, or you'll just end up with a huge pile of UFOs (unidentified frozen objects) in your freezer, and that just defeats the purpose doesn't it?

After your cubes are frozen, pop them out of the trays and put them straight into ziplock bags or Tupperware or other freezer containers for long-term storage. This will keep like cubes with like and reduce the chances of freezer burn or stray cubes in the bottom of the freezer.

I'm a huge fan of the Sharpie and I suggest you use one to label your bags of cubes. Don't write directly onto a freezer container though, it won't come off. Stick some masking tape or a freezer label on the seal and one side and write on the label. I use two labels because if containers are stacked in the small fridge freezer compartment I can't easily see the lid, ditto if they are stacked in the chest freezer I can't easily see the side. Being able to see what's in the container means I don't have to do the freezer shuffle to find what I want.

Some measurements to make using your cubes easy:

• 1 regular sized ice cube compartment holds 2 tablespoons of liquid.
• 2 cubes is the equivalent of 1/4 cup of liquid
• 4 cubes is the equivalent of 1/2 cup of liquid
• 8 cubes is the equivalent of 1 cup of liquid

Knowing this makes it easy to pull out the right number of cubes for your recipe.

I'm sure you have other ways an ice cube tray can keep your grocery budget in check, share them below!

Just a Typical Tuesday

Well almost. Today started out as a typical Tuesday. Up with the alarm, breakfast and lunches made. Kitchen tidied, dishes and floors done, rubbish out. A load of washing on.  Hannah to school, home via the post office.  Nothing unusual.

Until I decided to make some cinnamon scrolls. Now I've made these scrolls so often I don't even get the recipe out anymore and they are always good. So what went wrong today? They didn't rise. At all. Oh the dough rose the first time. It doubled up beautifully, a round shiny ball in the bowl. It was the second rising that failed.  They didn't rise, even a little, during the baking either.  Oh my they were sad.  Hard, little lumps of rolled up dough.  They were so bad I couldn't think of a single way to rescue them.

Custard and ice cream wouldn't disguise the disaster they were.

Whizzing them into crumbs and sprinkling over fruit wouldn't disguise the disaster they were.

Not even soaking them in egg and milk for a bread and butter pudding would disguise the disaster they were.

There was nothing for it. They had to go, so go they did. Straight into the bokashi. Hopefully they'll eventually turn into lovely compost and at least give something back.  Either that or in a few hundred years some future explorer will be digging around and find these odd, scroll shaped, petrified things. Perhaps he or she will even do a futuristic Time Team 3 day dig to find out all about them (and us)!

While the cinnamon bricks were cooking I made up a kilo of brown sugar. It's the easiest thing to make, just white sugar and molasses, but it does take a long time to mix the molasses into the sugar. I dumped it all into the mixer, set it on low and let it mix away for about 20 minutes. Result was beautiful brown sugar, identical in colour and almost identical in texture as the bought stuff.  You can mix with a fork, but it takes a long time so be prepared and be patient.

I just love being able to make something instead of buying it. Knowing that I don't have to rely on supermarkets to supply food for my family is so liberating.  These days the grocery trolley only has basics in it, although even shopping at Aldi it's getting harder and harder to get just basic ingredients. I've noticed that they are now stocking the shelves with more and more convenience packets and meal kits, and less and less of the basics which is a shame.  Packet meals, sauces, casserole bases and so on may be convenient but they are only good for one, perhaps two things.  Get out your basics and you can make just about anything, sweet or savoury, frugal or extravagant.

After that the rest of the day was really ordinary, just the way I like them.

Oh, don't forget to do your Census tonight. Wayne did ours as soon as he came home, it's already by the front door waiting to be collected.

Patience pays off when it comes to bargain hunting

 Tom's "new" desk - my apologies for the quality of the photo - I just couldn't get it right!

A few weeks ago Thomas asked if he could have a new desk. It seems that with his studies this year his desk just wasn't big enough. He needs more space so he can spread out his books, computer and still do the drawings for his assignments. I've been thinking about his question for ages, looking at desks, checking freecycle and the local paper, I even logged onto the Ikea website to see what they had to offer. Everything was either too expensive, too small, too big or too flimsy.

Until yesterday. I took the car to pick Mum up from the bus stop and I am sure it wasn't there when I left, but 10 minutes later as we turned the corner to come home it was. A lovely solid timber computer desk. I was so excited I ran into the house to tell Tom about it. Of course he was not at all interested - he was busy, so I nagged suggested that Wayne go down and have a look at it. It was on the nature strip, only three doors down, it wouldn't take him long. Smart man that he is he thought my suggestion worthwhile and off he went.  He was gone so long I almost sent a search party out for him.

It's a great desk, in really good condition, so he knocked on the door and asked if we could have it. The people were grateful to see it go (it's still another week until hard rubbish collection) and they were hoping it would go quickly.

So Tom and Wayne wandered down and carried it home. It has cleaned up beautifully. I bug sprayed it - just to be sure, I really don't like bugs, especially in my house, and washed it with soapy water. When it was dry I polished it with furniture wax and it has come up, not like new, but almost. There are a couple of scratches on the top and one of the drawer handles was missing. A desk mat has covered the scratches and Wayne found a large ring to use for the drawer handle. It will do fine until we find three matching handles.

Thomas is very happy with his new desk. And best of all, one thing came into the house and two things went out. He put his old desk and the matching shelves on the nature strip and just a few minutes ago a car pulled up, out jumped a woman and she picked up the desk. We thought she'd decided not to take the shelves - but no, she was back a few minutes later and picked them up too. Guess I thought she had more room in the back of her car than she really did.  I hope they've gone to a good home.

I am so glad we waited. We could have gone out and bought a new desk as soon as he asked for it. Or I could have bought any number of others that I've looked at, but they would not have been as ideal as this one.

It's big enough, solid enough and the price was just right - absolutely free!

Sometimes I think we are so used to instant everything that we don't wait. As soon as a want pops into our minds we have to have it. Waiting for a want has paid off big time, much to our delight.

A Set of Good Spatulas

There are lots of kitchen tools and gadgets around, most of them pretty gimmicky or only good for one particular function.  Things like tea bag squeezers may seem useful and cute in the shop, but get them home and you really do wonder why you bothered.

One set of kitchen tools I couldn't be without however are my spatulas. I have 5, all different sizes and shapes and made from different materials.

There's the Tupperware pot spatula, just perfect for beating a batter due to the cut-out in the centre.  I'm not sure if they're still available, this one is about 20 years old (Tupperware just keeps on going doesn't it?).  Then there's the soft plastic spatula that fits the curve of my favourite mixing bowls. It does a great job of scraping every last drop of cake batter into the tin.

But my very favourites are relatively new. I have three silicone spatulas, all different sizes and shapes. They were a spontaneous buy, I hadn't planned on them at all. I was in Big W with Mum, looking for cookies sheets and we were checking out the silicone bakeware.

The smallest is just perfect for scraping out cream bottles and jam jars. The medium size cleans a mixing bowl perfectly. The largest is spoon-shaped and ideal for spooning pancake batter into a hot pan and cleaning out large mixing bowls. And they are three of my favourite kitchen money-savers.

It's amazing just how much cream is left in the bottle after pouring it out. I use the smallest spatula to get every last drop of cream out of the bottle, sometimes as much as 1/4 cup - that's around 35c that would have gone into the bin if I didn't scrape.  We use one bottle of cream a week, so over the course of a year that's $18.20 I am not throwing away.  With that one use alone the spatula has paid for itself many times over!

I scrape out all jars - pasta sauce, peanut butter, jam etc. And when I open a tin of baked beans or tomato soup it's always scraped out too. Australians waste billions of dollars worth of food each year, and a lot of it is the food left in jars, bottles and cans. A spatula can help reduce that waste!

Vegemite jars are never recycled until they have been scraped and then swished with warm water (not hot, it will explode) and used to make gravy.  Peanut butter jars are scraped out for sandwiches and then swished with a little warm water that I add to a curry, stir-fry or satay dish for extra flavouring.  Scraping the mixing bowl can get two extra cupcakes from a batter, that's around 40c that's not going in the bin.  I even use a spatula to scrape the pot when I've made mash - with two hungry boys - sorry young men - to feed there's never enough mash!

These little scrapes are all small, quite insignificant on their own. But add them up and it's hundreds of dollars a year that isn't going into the bin or into the supermarket's profits.  I'm always asked how I keep the grocery bill so low, this is one of the main ways.  I make sure we use every last drop of everything and don't throw good food out - that really is just money in the bin.

My spatulas make it easy to save money.

Meet the Bargain Bunch

I've been called lots of things since I began Cheapskating, but I have never been called Queen of Cheap. Until tonight that is. Tonight I became a member of the Bargain Bunch, along with five other Australian Bargain Queens: Fiona Lippey, Pamm Durkin, Anita Bell, Cynthia Mayne and Michelle House.

I had a lot of fun yesterday with the crew from A Current Affair. They are the most patient people, never rushing me and never, ever complaining (within hearing distance anyway) about how many times I muddle and mix my words or talk to quickly or forget what I was going to say (it's happening already!).

So, with all the fun and frivolity, I just knew the story would be a good one and it was fantastic.  Five other fabulous Australian women and myself all had the opportunity to share our ideas for living the Cheapskates way.

If you didn't get to see the story, you can watch the video here: http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=7950206

My top five ways to save money are:

1.Look high, look low. Skip the middle of the shelves - eye level. That's where you'll find the most popular and expensive branded products.

2.Stick to cash. Go to the bank or ATM once a week, withdraw all the cash you need for the coming week and put it in your purse or wallet.

3.Don't be afraid to haggle. You wouldn't pay sticker price for a car or asking price for a house. It's just a question "is this your best price?". You can haggle for just about anything including white goods, furniture and jewellery.

4.Stick to your budget. That means sticking to the allocated amounts for each category. If your weekly petrol budget is $60 and you put $65 worth of petrol in your car, that category is $5 in the red and you need to find the deficit somewhere else in your budget.  Be aware of how much is allocated to each category as well as your budget total and you'll find it much easier to stick to the allocated amounts.

5.Be organized. Know what you need to spend your money on and only spend it on those things.



Saving money is easy. You just need to do it.

Homemade v Jars

For a long time I wasted an awful lot of money buying jars of sauce. If I felt like "chicken tonight" I'd just stop off at the supermarket on my way home and pick up a jar of sweet'n'sour sauce or honey mustard sauce or cacciatore sauce and some chicken and we would have Chicken Tonight. Just like the ad said, it was easy as cooking the chicken and dumping the jar of sauce over the top.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I could make a sweet'n'sour sauce or something as exotic as a honey mustard sauce. They would be way to complicated and time consuming. The jar was the best way to go.

I am a child of the 70's when  the marketing gurus were really pushing convenience.  No one made their own sauces any more. It was much more sophisticated and modern to use jars. Cooking from scratch was old fashioned and denied women their freedom or some such nonsense. I was a thoroughly modern wife and wanted to stay that way. I know, I should have known better. But I didn't. I believed the ads.

And then Disaster Struck and I had to figure out how we could maintain our lifestyle on no income and without going without the things we liked.

Out came the recipe books and I was gobsmacked - and that doesn't happen too often - at just how simple those rather expensive jars of sauce were. And how easy it was to make a version that left the jars for dead.

Hmmm...

I was thinking of this as I cooked dinner tonight. Another menu plan deviation, but I felt like "chicken tonight". Honey mustard to be exact, with hassle back potatoes, green beans and roasted corn cobettes.  I was thinking how easy it is to make a really delicious honey mustard sauce and just how much cheaper it is than buying a jar, about $2 cheaper all up. That's a lot of money, even if you only used one jar a week. $104 a year, around a week's grocery money, gone on just jarred sauce.

My honey mustard sauce is delicious, much nicer than any bought version we have tried and it takes around 3 minutes to make.  Sometimes it would take me that long to get the jar open!

The recipes for my version of honey mustard chicken and sweet'n'sour sauce are in the Recipe File.

So what homemade versions of "jar" sauces do you have?

Sharing the good life

This afternoon I spent a fantastic couple of hours at the Box Hill Library, sharing lots of tips about living the Cheapskates way with a room full of people, all eager to find out more and oh, so very willing to share their knowledge.

It was so much fun. We never realise just how much we knowledge we have until we start to share. One lovely young mum, who had the most gorgeous new baby girl, shared some tips she had picked up for living on one income with a stay-at-home mother of three almost grown children who was finding it really hard to make ends meet.

And there was the lady who excitedly told us all about a fantastic factory outlet she found for business suits, shirts and ties (it's in the Discount Outlet Directory) and told everyone to jump online and register to be advised of upcoming sales.

So many people stayed behind to talk and chat to me and I loved meeting them and hearing their stories. I was so inspired by the single mum who is currently unemployed but still managed to save enough for a deposit on her own home. And by the older lady who grows all her own veggies and fruit and bottles them the old fashioned way, in a stovetop Fowlers outfit. And never buys jam because she makes it from the plums and nectarines off the trees in her back yard.


I took along some washing powder and the ingredients to make some as a part of my talk. It's getting harder and harder to find borax and washing soda, so I like to show everyone the packaging. That way they know what to look for when they are shopping. The washing powder recipe is my most requested recipe - even above the shake'n'bake or the basic biscuit mixes so I love to be able to share it with everyone.

I also absolutely loved the sharing of ideas. It really makes my day to see people sharing their hints and tips with others, helping each other out and making life that little bit easier for someone else. That really is the Cheapskates way to living the good life.

Cleaning Out the Margarine Container

Something I do, that I'm fairly certain not everyone does, is to scrape the margarine container to get every last gram out of it. When the butter knife won't pick up any more marg,  I use a thin, silicone spatula (I love those silicone spatulas) and scrape it around the container, making sure to get into the edges. Tonight I scraped enough out of the "empty" container to add to the mashed potatoes for dinner!

Scraping the marg container (or Vegemite jar or whatever) may not seem like it's saving you a lot of money but if I can get one extra use out of everything, then over time it adds up.