Shopping Ahead - Gifts

So I was quickly scrolling through Facebook  a few days ago. and a post popped up that Wendy had commented on. I assume I saw it because Wendy had commented. So I read Wendy's comment, and then the reply, then thought I'd better go and read the actual post, so I knew what I was about to add my 2 cents worth too (because sometimes I just can't help myself!).

The OP was about Christmas gift shopping, and the options were:
1. haven't started yet
2. will start soon
3. have started and almost finished
4. Christmas? It's not even been Halloween yet!

I'll quote Wendy "There's no emoji for almost finishing this years, 2019 and 2020 Christmas presents."

She had a reply that suggested that shopping ahead for gifts was not only risky but foolish because styles/tastes/sizes change, relationships change, people buy things for themselves etc. and was told that there was no way the poster would ever shop that far ahead.

Criminy! Don't these people have budgets to stick too?

Like Wendy, I have always shopped ahead, for everything (you've seen photos of my grocery stockpile!).

Even before we had children I was shopping ahead. I shopped toy sales and bought Duplo and Lego, and Thomas the Tank Engine toys and books on sale. I bought dolls and doll clothes during toy sales, especially the Baby Born range, and put it all away because I knew that one day we'd have children and they'd need and want toys.

I also shopped ahead for baby and toddler clothes, and I kept that up until the kids were in their teens and took over buying their own clothes. If I saw basics on sale, I'd buy multiple colours and multiple sizes.

I remember getting a great deal on Old Navy jumpers and buying one in every size from a 4 through to a 14 and packing them away in the boxes in the attic. They were on clearance for $4 each - there was no way I'd pass that bargain up! I couldn't even get them that cheap in the USA (we have family who are very good at buying and shipping things for me).

So I've always shopped ahead for clothes and presents, or the material and ingredients to make presents..

We raised our children to be happy and grateful for whatever they received as gifts, and they've never let us down by turning their noses up at anything. Of course I'd listen as they'd chat to each other and to me, and if there was something they especially wanted, I'd do my best to get if for them if I could. But if it wasn't possible, and there were some lean years for a while, then what they were given was it, and honestly they just loved getting the present, regardless.

We did have a funny moment one year. AJ had asked early in the year for a telescope. Now telescopes are not cheap (well the good ones aren't) and I researched and hunted around until I finally found one within budget. Boy was I excited! I wrapped that huge box and put it under the Christmas tree and could hardly wait until Christmas morning.

Come Christmas morning, AJ unwrapped the biggest parcel under the tree and just looked at it. Then all he said was "Oh, a telescope!"

I was shattered. I thought he'd changed his mind! Nope, he simply didn't think he'd get a telescope because he knew it would be expensive and he was sure it would be out of our budget.

Best gift for him ever! Best Mother ever! Best bargain hunter ever! And so on.

He still uses it, and gets it out often, setting it up in the front yard, often in the early hours of the morning, to gaze at the Milky Way.

Shopping ahead is essential if I want to give gifts I'm happy to give. I have a notebook that keeps a record of what I buy, how much it cost, who it is for and what box it is in.

All year long I'm looking at things and imagining whatever it is as a gift. It could be a tea cup in an op shop (I have a "tea for two" set put away for a special someone for Christmas this year) or a book or a puzzle. It could be a pretty basket that I can use to make up one of the many hampers for Christmas. I'm always on the look-out, and always conscious of our gift budget.

Just quickly on that note: we have a set gift budget, but often I find amazing gifts well under budget, that are worth more than what we've budgeted (hope that makes sense). For example the tea for two set was $10, and the budgeted amount was $25, but I checked online and it would cost $80 to buy new (great bargain!). I'm happy with that, and I've shifted $15 from the gift budget (what was left of the budgeted amount) to our savings.

If you find a gift under budget, great! You don't need to buy or make anything else to "bring it up to budget". Just move the excess to your savings or emergency fund and pat yourself on the back for beng such a savvy shopper.

So for me, Christmas 2018 is done and dusted, except for a couple of stocking stuffers for Wayne and the boys. All the other gifts have been bought or made and put in the present boxes.

Christmas 2019 is almost complete, and birthdays for 2019 and most of 2020 are done too.

My plan is, as always, to finish off the 2019 and 2020 gifts during the Boxing Day sales, and start on the 2021 gift list.

As a side note, I really want to put photos of the present box full of goodies up to show you, but most of the lovelies who will receive these gifts are blog readers, including my handsome husband and beautiful children, and I don't want to give away the surprises. If I can think of a way to get some up, without giving too much away, I'll do it, but it won't be until over the weekend now. Oh, the frustration!

The 2018 Boxing Day (non) Sales

Well,for the first time in I can't remember how many years, I haven't been near a shop since 8am Christmas Eve.

Now for a die-hard Boxing Day shopper, this is huge! I look forward to the Boxing Day sales from the 28th December every year. I save my mad money, my birthday and Christmas money, I shuffle the slush fund around so there is extra, the gift fund and the household funds get shuffled so that come Boxing Day I can get up as soon as the sun peeps over the horizon, dress in comfy clothes and shoes, eat a good, protein packed breakfast so I'll have the energy to battle other shoppers and then shop my list til everything is crossed off.

Well this year, starting as always in early December, I looked and looked and looked; in stores, online, in the junk mail to see if there was anything I/we needed, wanted, could use, would use, may use, could or would be a great gift so I could add those things to my Boxing Day shopping list and came up with nothing - nada - zilch!

My money is still in my purse, and it will be used on New Year's Day to buy the marked down groceries we will use.

The present box has birthday, Christmas, Mother's and Father's Day gifts until 2021, and upcoming engagement, wedding and 21st presents. The wrapping box is full to overflowing with paper, cards, ribbons, stickers, stamps and sticky tape. I've double checked the linen cupboard and towels, sheets, tea towels, hand towels, face washers, tablecloths, doyleys, are all in plentiful supply with new manchester ready to replace old. I definitely do not need any new dishes or glassware for the house. We don't even need any new camping gear.

I looked at the tech sales - nothing I need, and not really anything I want either, at least not enough to buy now.

I may have been tempted by shoes (I usually love the David Jones Boxing Day sale for my shoes) but I don't need them and I have shoes I've only worn a couple of times to get to still.

Hannah said I'm just being fussy and maybe I am but I don't like shopping, especially just for the sake of shopping and I am on a serious decluttering mission so bringing more "stuff" into the house isn't in the plan.

Buying things on sale is a great way to save money - duh! But if you're just shopping out of habit, and don't need or really want those things then that's a complete waste of money (and time and energy - shopping is hard work). 

And that applies all year round, not just for the Boxing Day sales.

Did you brave the Boxing Day sales yesterday? What bargains did you pick up? Did you shop with a plan or just randomly buy things you think you may use? Do you have a sale budget, especially for the Boxing Day sales?

Buying Produce Locally and in Season is Green and Saves You Money

To combine green living with frugal living, buy your fresh produce locally while it is in-season.
Buying locally involves buying your produce from local farmers' markets, produce stands and co-ops, rather than big box supermarkets. Buying in-season involves buying the fruits and vegetables that are ripening and being harvested right now. Both strategies save you money.

Grab these benefits by buying locally:
1.Eco-friendliness. Buying locally is more eco-friendly because the produce doesn't have to be shipped or transported into your local area by plane or truck. Grocery stores obtain their produce from all over the country and world, and the long-distance transportation translates into the use of more pesticides, gas, oil, and energy.

2.Local economy. You can also stimulate the local economy by buying locally, because you're supporting local farms and farmers rather than growers all over the world. When you buy locally-grown produce, every part of the process is local. You're supporting local growers, transportation, and merchants, which boosts the economy in your city and state.

Enjoy these benefits of buying in-season produce:
1.Taste benefits. When you buy your produce in season, you won't be disappointed with the taste. Fruits, especially, only ripen properly and taste their best during the seasons in which they thrive. When you buy produce off-season, the quality of the flavor will be compromised.

2.Cost benefits. Seasonal food tends to be significantly less expensive than out-of-season produce, primarily because far less effort is required to bring you in-season produce. In the proper season, fruit can grow on its own, requiring less time and labor. This translates into the most cost-friendly produce to stock your kitchen with.

3.More variety. If you follow along with the seasons rather than shopping for the same produce over and over, then you'll enjoy a much richer and more varied collection of different vegetables and fruit. From this variety of produce, you can find new ways to experiment and enjoy new recipes.

Buying in-season, local produce is one of the greatest things you can do when shopping for your family. You can provide your family with the best tasting, most nutritious food while also saving money.

Mega Grocery Savings by Savvy Shopping

Cheapskates Members know how to shop. They know how to find a bargain: the stores to frequent, the time to be there and which items to concentrate on.

These savvy shoppers are so tuned into getting a grocery bargain that they even know the time of day different items are marked down! And they make sure they are there to snap up the best deals.

There are some simple guidelines that will help you with your mark-down bargain grocery shopping, ensuring you’ll always get a good deal.

1. Know the regular price of the item
2. Check to see if it’s on your shopping list. If it isn’t, is the item something you use regularly?
3. Will you be able to use it before the Use By date?
4. If not, do you have the capability to freeze it, store it, dehydrate it, bottle it?
5. Will you be able to use it within a reasonable period of time? There’s no point in storing 15 cans of furniture polish if you only polish your furniture once a year!

Here’s some advice from Cheapskates Club Members:

Double Up 

When doing your grocery shop, for the week/fortnight. Double up on a staple, such as tea or sugar. Put them in a separate place, and in a couple of months, you will have nearly a whole shopping list of staples. I usually treat myself, with the savings, to something special. I also do the same thing with specials if I can afford to.
Contributed by Josie

Easy Ways to Cut Down on Your Grocery Bills 

Make sure you take a good look at your weekly supermarket catalogues before you head to the supermarket. This way you can save lots on washing powder, toilet rolls etc. If you need to buy nappies or wipes also keep an eye out in the catalogues (supermarket, Target, Kmart, Big W). I have compared just about every price in Sydney for nappies and wipes and I find the cheapest time to buy them is when Kmart have 15% off storewide or Woolworths have Huggies Bulk Box Nappies on special for $29.99. Also for meat talk to your Butchery Dept at your supermarket and find out when they reduce their meat (when it only has a few days left on the expiry date). The meat is still fine, and you just have to put it into the freezer. For fruit and veggies take a trip to your Asian greengrocer - they have a fantastic variety and are much cheaper (if in Sydney try Cabramatta) Hope this helps.
Contributed by Olivia

​Cash or Debit? Depends on the Total

When I go shopping for anything I wait until the total is rung up before I decide to pay by debit card or pay cash (sometimes I know beforehand). If the amount is rounded up when cash is paid, then I pay by debit because it is an exact amount and I therefore pay less. If it would be rounded down, then I pay cash. This saves me up to .02c every time I purchase....not much but it adds up. Living the Cheapskate way has meant that because I am so conscious of spending now I virtually don't have big issues to worry about. As the old saying goes "Look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves"....well nearly.
​Contributed by Wendy

Happy 15th Anniversary Aldi!

Today marks the 15th anniversary of Aldi opening in Australia.

That 15 years has just flown by. I remember watching A Current Affair with great interest, and seeing the opening of the first store in Sydney, hearing what people were saying about the products and more importantly the low, low prices and wishing I was there.

Most Australians were wary of this unknown, privately owned and very secretive German supermarket. But we all like a bargain so on opening day it was almost a stampede as shoppers flocked to be amongst the first to sample unknown products and prices.

I remember being almost green with envy at the prices and just busting to try Aldi out.

I remember being so excited when the Chirnside Park store opened here in Melbourne. It was still a distance to travel, but not so far that it was unreasonable. I didn't go the first day, but I was there the very next.

And I've been an Aldi convert ever since.

Not long after the Ferntree Gully store opened I took my mother for her very first Aldi shopping experience one Friday morning. Hannah still goes into hysterics at Grandma's reaction at the checkout.

"ALL THAT! YOU GOT ALL THAT FOR $86! ALL THAT!"

And yes, she was shouting - she was more excited than I was.

My grocery budget was tight and $86 for a month's worth of basic grocery items (flours, sugar, wheat biscuits, pasta, butter, milk, tinned tomatoes, tuna etc.) meant I had wriggle room in my grocery budget for the first time in over 10 years.

And shopping at Aldi still gives me wriggle room in my budget. Without Aldi's low prices, great range, amazing special buys and incredible 7 Day Deals we wouldn't be able to stick to our super-tight, extra stringent budget this year.

I am asked every week whether or not I really think Aldi saves shoppers money or is good for Australia. The answer is a resounding "YES" to both questions, so much so that I've run workshops based on Aldi shopping lists. I'm running a workshop just on Aldi in Adelaide in February - Aldi will be opening in Adelaide on 3rd February.

I'm a very proud and loyal Aldi shopper and I am so very grateful you came to Australia.

So Aldi, happy anniversary!

I can't wait to see how much I save over the next 15 years.

Pay for Rain Check Bargains and Never Miss Out

Rain checks are wonderful things, designed to let you buy things after a sale at the sale price. I always ask for a rain check when I can't get something on sale that I especially want. But sometimes when it comes time to redeem the rain check, you just don't have the money before it expires.

I don't like missing out on a great bargain, and I really don't like wasting a rain check so I pay for my rain check items when I get the rain check.

Last week Coles had 12 packs of Mission tortillas on half-price sale, $1.99 a pack. I like to make our tortillas, but at that price making them actually costs more in dollars and time. I went to three different Coles supermarkets during the week and couldn't find them anywhere. The last store had an empty spot for them. So, off to the service desk I went to get a rain check.

Which you'd think would be simple but it was quite a procedure. And then I had to beg to get rain checks for 12 packets (and then only after I'd explained I would have bought every packet on the shelf if they'd actually been on the shelf). In the end I was given two rain checks for six, with a two month expiry.

As soon as I walked in the door at home, I went straight to the kitchen, took out my slush fund envelope and put the $24 for the tortillas in it. Then I wrote the date, the amount and what it was for on the envelope and put the rain checks into the pocket in my purse so I have them on me when I'm shopping.

Now, when I'm in Coles and find the tortillas I can buy them with the rain check, knowing they are already paid for. After I buy them I'll reimburse my grocery budget with the money in the envelope.

It's simple really. You have the money to buy the item when it is on sale, so put that money away when you get the rain check - you are paying for your rain check items when you get the rain check. When you redeem the rain check you'll have the cash ready and waiting to pay for your bargains, your grocery budget will be safe and you won't have missed that great bargain.

Great Grocery Deals for Christmas

Christmas and the New Year holidays are almost upon us!  Most of us will do even more shopping this month than we did last. So how will you stretch your dollars to get everything on your list without going over budget?

Don’t worry, if you focus on what’s on sale in November and December, you’ll feed your family some great meals this Christmas and save money too.

With all those get-togethers, barbecues, parties and Chrismtas baking, you’re going to love the bargain pricing on these items:

·Baking supplies like cooking chocolate (Nestle Choc Melts and Choc Bits $2 a pack at Woolworths this week), cooking oil, flour, nuts, and yeast
·Broccoli ($1.99kg)
·Butter
·Cake mixes and frostings
·Cauliflower (I bought huge cauliflowers for $2 each this week)
·Cheese
·Chips, nuts, pretzels
·Chocolates
·Crackers and water crackers
·Custard powder
·Deli meats
·Dried fruits (Mixed Dried Fruit 1kg $4.99 at Aldi)
·Frozen Pies
·Ham ($6.99/kg at Aldi)
·Ice-cream
·Milk
·Mushrooms (I've seen them as low as $3.99/kg - up to $4.99/kg)
·Prepared custard
·Soft drink
·Sweet potato
·Turkey

You might be surprised at the great deals you’ll see on disposable baking pans, foil, baking paper and plastic wrap when you’re doing your November and December grocery shopping. Take advantage of the sales and stock up if you have the cash to save even more money.

Enjoy these shopping savings and own your Christmas!

Proof of Prices When Shopping

Proof of Prices When Shopping

I love the price book which we have just started. When going through the junk mail I make a list of what we need from each shop and staple it to the front of the brochure. I make sure I add the size of the product and the price. This way when I get to the checkout if there is a price dispute I can refer to the brochure straight away, as I found today that some items advertised in the brochure weren't actually marked down. I found this saves time and hassles.
Contributed by Cheryl

Being Aware saves you Big Time

When it comes to grocery shopping being aware is the thing that will save you the most money.

• Being aware that specials are not always specials.
• Being aware that "bulk" buys are not always cheaper.
• Being aware that supermarkets only want to part you from your money.

I believe that the best way to save money on your groceries is to pay for the things that are most important to you and for everything else get the best quality at the lowest possible price.

For example you can save up to 50% on staples by being aware. Flour is flour, sugar is sugar. (Generic flour and sugar are both products of Australia, saving you money and helping to keep Australian jobs.) Don't be tricked into paying extra for a brightly coloured pack or for the cardboard box – you just throw them away.

The Garage Sale Shopping Checklist

It's garage sale season, the best time of year to pick up bargains for the house, the garden, the kids and of course yourself!

I love garage sales and over the years I've picked up some amazing bargains - a Baby Born cot and bedding for $5! A Thomas the Tank Engine railway set for $7! Levis for $2 (and Wayne is still wearing them), Tupperware for no more than $2 (that's my limit for Tupperware), tapestry canvases for $3 (and they retail for anything from $30 up - my best buy was a canvas that was still selling in Spotlight for $89, I paid $6!).

I've bought pots for the garden, furniture for the house, curtains, clothes for the kids when they were small, clothes for Wayne and I, a video camera ($5!), books, puzzles, plants, toys, lamps, garden tools, camping gear - all sorts of things. The most expensive thing I've ever bought at a garage sale was a $12 leadlight light fitting that I just loved and it was brand new, never used, still in the packaging.

If you want great bargains, garage sales will provide them for you. But you need to be organised and have a plan - you won't get everything on your list the first time you go out.

It is well worth taking a few minutes to plan your garage sale shopping spree.

Plan your garage sale shopping trip. Start by mapping out the sales you plan to visit. I usually start with the sale furthest away from home, and work my way back. It just means that by the end of the morning or day, when I'm exhausted from all that bargain hunting, I don't have to travel a long way home.

Don't forget to set the alarm! You don't want to sleep in and miss the best bargains.

Have a shopping list. This rule applies to garage sales just as it does to regular shopping. I have a little list that I add to regularly as I find things we need or want. I also keep a list of gifts I'm looking for - garage sales are great for finding unwanted, brand new gifts at rock bottom prices.

Set a budget and stick to it. The easiest way to do that is to take just that money with you.

Get your money together. The day before go to the bank and get your spending money in change. It really helps the seller and you if you have the right money when you pay for your brilliant bargains.

Make sure the car is ready to go. Check you have enough petrol. Empty the boot so you have room for your shopping.

Pack drinks and snacks. The night before put some water in the fridge and pack some snacks. You'll need to stay hydrated and energised. I usually have three bottles of water and crackers and cheese and some fruit in a small insulated lunchbox for when the munchies hit.

Check the weather forecast. Make sure you have a hat and sunscreen if it is going to be hot, or a rain jacket with a hood if it's going to be wet (umbrellas are too cumbersome to handle).

Dress comfortably. Remember to wear comfortable clothes and shoes. It will be a long day and you'll be on your feet for a lot of it.

Leave the kids at home. If it is at all possible shop by yourself. Kids just slow you down - it takes time to get them in and out of the car. You need to keep track of them while you're digging through the things on display. They'll distract you by pointing out things not on your list. They need regular drinks and food, and that means toilet breaks. If you can leave them at home, you'll have a definite advantage over the shoppers with children in tow! Perhaps you can arrange to swap playdates with another family - you watch their children while they shop and they'll watch your while you shop.

And remember to have fun! You're hunting for bargains so enjoy the hunt and finding them.

Loyalty Cards Make Great Bookmarks

 

The one thing that is sure to drive me crazy is being offered a loyalty card. Everyone has them, from the coffee shop to the chemist to dress shops, shoe shops, hairdressers, supermarkets, even our local butcher has one. So does our local carwash. And the newsagent. Even takeaway food places have loyalty cards.

They give them away, free of charge, when you make a purchase. Get the card stamped X number of times and you can get a free whatever...or spend X amount of dollars and you can get a voucher for...wait for it...$5! to be spent in their store, of course. They never seem to want to give you the $5 in cash! These cards are a supposed reward for you, the loyal customer.

In actual fact they are a nuisance. How many do you have in your purse, wallet or handbag right now? They are annoying, you can never find the one you need when you get to the checkout. You need to spend time searching for it, only to miss out on getting the points because you only spent $9.98, and you need to spend at least $10 to collect any points.

These horrible little cards are promoted as a special bonus for you, the card carrying shopper because when you have a card you are entitled to great member only deals. If they really wanted to repay your loyalty, you wouldn't need a card and the great deals would be available to everyone. If you shop at many different stores you no doubt will have lots of these annoying little cards, one for each store you visit.

Don't be fooled: there is nothing special about these cards. Anyone can get one, you just need to say yes when it's offered to you.

You don't need to be loyal to the store just because the checkout operator gave you a silly little card to stuff into your purse. Pick cards you accept, preferably for stores you frequent regularly and then you'll be sure to use them and really reap the rewards, without carrying dozens of plastic cards all tempting you to spend more money.

A $75 a Week Meal Plan

We Armstrong's like our food. We eat well, with lots of variety in our meals (unless it's Thursday and then it's always pizza night!). So, when a journalist called me late yesterday afternoon and asked me for a meal plan for the $300 a Month Food Challenge I wasn't fazed at all.

The hard part was choosing which meal plans to send to them. Then they asked for a complete meal plan - breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. And they needed it right away.

Every month I do a meal plan, or rather a dinner plan, for my family (I share it in the Member's Centre). I'm sure I've told you before how Tom loves to look at the fridge and know what he'll be eating for tea (and how he stirs me when I change it on him :) ). We all do.  It's reassuring to me to be able to glance at the fridge and just know what I need to prepare for tonight, tomorrow, next week - the rest of the year actually, because I've done the meal plan right up to 31st December 2015, and it's on the fridge.

What that meal plan also does is help to keep our grocery bill low; really, really low. I budget $320 a month for groceries. Now some months I am on budget, some months I might be under by a few dollars and occasionally I go over. But at the end of the year, when I tally up the grocery tracking sheets, I always average $320 a month for groceries - we don't have the money to go over budget. Right now I'm using my grocery budget to build our grocery stockpile for the changes we're facing next year.

Well it took me 20 minutes to put it together for them, but I was able to come up with a meal plan that included three meals and a snack every day for a week. And bring it in under $75.

That was the tricky part. I'm used to working on a monthly meal plan and a monthly budget. That means I can share ingredients across a few meals, spreading the cost over the month. I couldn't do this for just a week so I had to choose cheap, nutritious meals and not go over the $75.

Here's the meal plan I came up with, it's plain, simple food. No frills or gourmet delights but it fills tummies, is reasonably healthful and very cheap.

	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Breakfast	Pancakes & Syrup	Weetbix & Milk,  1/2 sliced banana	Boiled egg, toast, fruit & yoghurt	Weetbix & Milk, sliced peaches	Boiled egg, toast, fruit & yoghurt	Weetbix & Milk,  sliced peaches	Baked beans on toast, fruit & yoghurt
Morning Tea	Muffin, milk	Trail Mix	Carrot & celery sticks, dip	Trail Mix	Carrot & celery sticks, dip	Trail Mix	Muffin, milk
Lunch	Toasted cheese sandwiches	Chicken salad sandwich,  carrot sticks, dip	Sausage rolls, muffin, apple	salad wrap, mandarin, Lunchbox Cookie	Cheese & Vegemite sandwiches, mandarin, muffin	Egg sandwich, apple,  yoghurt	Salad sandwiches
Afternoon Tea	ANZAC slice, milk	Pita chips, dip	Pita chips, dip	Pita chips, dip	Pita chips, dip	Pita chips, dip	Chocolate cupcakes, milk
Dinner	Roast chicken, baked potato, peas, corn, carrots, gravy	Rissoles, mash, peas, corn, carrots, gravy, apple sponge, cream	Spag bol, salad, Tinned fruit & custard	Grilled sausages, potato bake, peas, corn, carrots	MOO Pizza & garlic bread, Fruit & jelly	Tuna Casserole,  green salad, wedges	Tacos

This meal plan will feed a family of four for a week for $75. It will depend of course on:

1. Brands - always choose the cheapest, usually a generic, but not always. And sometimes a special isn't really a special - always check the unit price.

2. Portion control - remember if a recipe serves six, get six serves. Put the two spare into the freezer for freezer meals - they are free dinners and will really help keep your grocery budget low.

3. Cook from scratch - no buying pre-prepared or packaged or convenience meals or parts of meals. MOO yoghurt, muffins, biscuits, pastry for the sausage rolls, dip, pita chips, gravy, wedges, pancakes and pancake syrup. 

4. Making a shopping list, after doing a fridge, freezer and pantry check, only adding the ingredients you need to buy. If you only need 5 apples, buy just 5 apples, don't spend money on food you don't need.

5. Sticking to the list. If it's not on the list, you don't buy it. If you think you'll need it, find a substitute in the ingredients you already have.

6. Shop around - you won't find any one store with the lowest prices on everything. Be prepared to shop at a couple of different food stores/butchers/green grocers.

How to Build Your Stockpile Part 2

 Way back when I first started monthly grocery shopping and stockpiling, I realised pretty quickly that we use basically the same groceries month after month, with slight changes to the list to accommodate changes in season: the summer list is slightly different to the winter list. Otherwise I'm a very boring shopper :)

Boring it may be, but it makes it very easy to build a stockpile within my grocery budget.

Before I go shopping I always do a quick inventory of the pantry, fridge and freezer, then write my shopping list according to the gaps in the inventory.

When you start to build your stockpile I suggest you inventory  your pantry, fridge and freezer too. It will very quickly show you the gaps, what you have enough of and what you won't need to buy for another two years (or so….).

Doing the inventories will also give you a chance to tidy the pantry, clean the fridge and defrost the freezer. These three food storage areas need to be ready to start taking your stockpile as you build it.

If you need to rearrange things do; I've swapped the tea and coffee from the top shelf in the pantry to an overhead cupboard in the kitchen that just had vases (very ugly vases), odd glasses and a couple mugs in it. Those things have all been donated to the op shop. Now the cupboard holds 12 boxes of tea bags, four 500g tins of Nescafe (on sale this week for $14.99 at IGA stores), four boxes of hot chocolate pods and 24 boxes of coffee pods. And the pantry shelf is free to hold other things I use more often.

It is important to remember, as you start to stockpile, to keep things handy and like with like. If they are too hard to get to you'll forget where they are or worse still, just not bother to dig them out. And that's money down the drain, another reason to organise your food storage!

Keeping like with like just means keeping tins together, baking ingredients together, cereals together, condiments together and  on.

Once you've done your inventories, you'll be able to calculate how much of each thing you need to last the length of your stockpile. At the moment I'm aiming for 12 months of everything for my family of five.

There is a (perhaps) handy sheet you can download here (link courtesy of The Prudent Homemaker) that will tell you roughly how much of each thing you'll need per person for a year.

I'm not sure the quantities are quite accurate - according to this table I'd need to stockpile 104 kilos of pasta and 154 kilos of rice! As we eat lots of different foods, those quantities are not right for us, but they give you an idea of just how big your stockpile will need to be.

I've calculated that I will need 30 kilos of pasta - a huge difference. We eat one pasta dish a week (my boys love pasta!) and I use approximately 500g of spaghetti or noodles each time. That equates to 26 kilos a year. Adding a couple of kilos for pasta salads and casseroles brings the total for the year to 30 kilos - for the five of us. By the way, I have pasta covered - there is 37 kilos in the stockpile at the moment, enough for the next 15 months.

Twenty kilos of rice will be enough, that's what I buy each year now. Yes, we eat a lot of rice, in savoury and sweet dishes, mainly because I just like it and not just because it's cheap :)

Take a look at the sheet and see how the numbers compare to what you've estimated you'll need after doing your inventories.  You might be a little surprised, like I was, or you could be completely in agreement.

How much you need to stockpile will depend on your family's size, how long you want the stockpile to last, what you eat and/or use and how much of each thing you use and/or eat and where you are going to store it.

Next week I'll share the things I'm stockpiling, the quantities I've estimated we will need for one year and where in the house it's all going to be stored.

Do you know everything you need in your stockpile? Do you know how much of each thing you use now? And how much you'd need to build your stockpile to maintenance mode?

Scalloped Potatoes, and they're not $6.67 per kilo!

This is not the post I had planned for today, that one can wait, this one can't.

Yet again we're being convinced that buying our meals ready-made from the supermarket is better, easier, cheaper and more convenient, that we can't cook for ourselves and it's just not true. Convenience is not always better, especially in this case. It is expensive, tasteless and horrible.

As I was trawling the catalogues last night, looking for the specials, I noticed at the bottom of the Coles catalogue they had 600g scalloped potato (frozen) for $4, save $1. That equates to $6.67 a kilo for sliced potato, onion and a little cream. Ouch!

We love scalloped potato, I make it often and it doesn't cost anywhere near $6.67.

Don't think for one minute that making a dish of scalloped potato is hard or time consuming because it isn't. The time is in the cooking, which you'll have with a frozen convenience meal anyway. And while it's cooking you can be setting the table and enjoying your family's company, perhaps talking about how easy it was to save $4.10!

Here's my scalloped potato recipe with a price breakdown.

Our Favourite Potato Bake

Ingredients:
1kg potatoes, washed, peeled and thinly sliced - $1
1 large onion, thinly sliced - 15c
300ml MOO evaporated milk* - 30c
1 pkt French Onion soup mix - 75c
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
½ cup grated tasty cheese - 30c

Method:
Grease a large casserole or baking dish well. Layer the potato and onion, ending with a potato layer. Mix the evaporated milk and the soup mix well (I usually shake it a drink shaker) and pour over the potato and onion. Mix the grated cheese and the breadcrumbs together and sprinkle evenly over the top of the potato. Cover with foil and bake in a moderate oven for 1 hour. Remove the foil and cook a further 10 minutes until the cheese and crumbs are golden brown and the potato is cooked.

Total cost $2.50, saving:$4.17  - and that's being generous with the cost per kilo for potatoes.

MOO Evaporated Milk

Ingredients:
2/3 cup milk powder
1 cup cold water

Method:
Dissolve milk powder in cold water. This recipe makes the equivalent of one can of evaporated milk.

Variation:
Light evaporated milk: Substitute skim milk powder for full cream for a lower fat version.

Notes:
If you don't want to use evaporated milk, use 600ml of cream. This will increase the cost by 90 cents, making the total dish $3.40.

I pay no more than 80c per kilo for potatoes and that's when I simply cannot get them anywhere any cheaper. At that price I only buy enough to last a week and I keep looking for cheaper spuds. When I find them cheaper I stock up - I'll buy 20 kilos at a time and store them in hessian bags in the bottom of the pantry where they stay dark and cool. Twenty kilos lasts us about two months.

I MOO evaporated milk, using Aldi milk powder.

French Onion soup mix is also MOOed. For the costing of this recipe I used the price of a generic bought soup mix from the supermarket as not everyone MOOs.

Breadcrumbs are MOOed from leftover bread crusts, dried and then processed into crumbs.

I buy tasty cheese in 1 kilo blocks from Aldi for $6 and grate or slice it as it is needed.

Have a Chat to Find Other Options Before Buying Anything

Approximate $ Savings: $30-40

I mentioned to my husband that I was going to buy a heavy duty tin crusher so we could crush tins easily to make more space in our garbage bin. He simply said "why don't you just use the can opener to open the other end of the tin and then it can be easily flattened by hand before you put it straight in the bin" ... too simple and why didn't I think of that!! Sometimes it pays to mention intended purchases as there might be a cheaper easier and more logical way to go instead!

Contributed by Samantha

Saving Money on Groceries: Trim the Meat Budget by 30%

Are you spending way too much money on groceries? For many of us, the cost of meat is eating up a major portion of our grocery budget. The answer to this dilemma is simple – buy less meat! The trick to serving less meat is in the vegetables and other protein choices on the plate. Vegetarian options can stretch your grocery dollars while providing filling, healthy meals your  family will love and they don't have to be boring.

The next time you plan your menu for the week, instead of planning on enough meat to feed your family for seven days, substitute 2-3 vegetarian, or meatless, meals for your dinner. This one change can save you 30% to 50% on what you normally spend for meat.

If the thought of no meat shocks you don't despair! With the right recipes, you can even stretch bits of meat, like a small amount of left-over roast meat, to make a satisfying meal for everyone in your family.

Here are some meatless menu ideas your family and your wallet will love:

✴ Grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup and your favourite salad.

✴ Quesadillas: Grilled tortillas with cheese, tomato and bits of taco meat if you like.

✴ Cheese enchiladas, Spanish rice, and refried or baked beans

✴ Mexican style baked beans, corn bread, and a fresh garden salad

✴ Chef salad with lots of different vegetables, boiled egg and cheeses. Add bits of ham, bacon or chicken to suit your tastes.

✴ Mini pizzas, home-made with a variety of grated cheeses, Italian spiced tomato sauce, and other toppings as desired. Some great ideas include fresh tomatoes, chives, walnuts and spinach. Let everyone design their own concoctions.

✴ Tortellini stuffed with cheese and mixed with herb and garlic flavoured feta cheese, chopped tomato, kidney beans and a bit of olive oil. Serve on a plate of baby spinach.

✴ Roasted vegetable casserole with potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cream of mushroom soup, carrots and cheese. Add some left-over chicken if desired.

✴ Fried rice with soy sauce, bits of egg, corn, and chopped carrots. Serve with spring rolls.

✴ For a fun change, fix omelettes for tea using eggs, cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach. Bits of ham or bacon flavour it nicely while using only a small amount of meat. Put out a variety of condiments for everyone to choose from.

These menu ideas are just the beginning. Explore, experiment, and get your family involved in the process.

Make it fun! There's nothing like good old family time in the kitchen. Only your wallet will know that you're saving a lot of money in the process!

How to Haggle for Success

You wouldn't think of buying a house or a new car without first negotiating with the seller to make sure you pay the lowest possible price, and you always make an offer on potential market and garage sale purchases. so why not use those haggling skills for other purchases you make?

Haggling for success takes a little skill and some confidence. Here are my top 5 haggling tips. They'll give you the skill and confidence to haggle for success.

1. Know what you want.  Research your item and the price at different stores. Use catalogues, flyers, the internet and don’t forget to ask other people where they get their best deals.

2. Know how much you are prepared to spend.  Set your budget and stick to it. Take into account delivery time and delivery charges.

3. Start with the question “What’s your best price?”  Don’t get tricked into telling them what you can afford or how much you want to pay first, let the salesperson give you a price.  With that, you have bargaining power.  Always be polite and friendly.

4. Be prepared to haggle.  Ask another question “How much for cash?” if you are paying cash. Wait for their response and then ask for Seniors discount if it applies, or if they would throw in delivery, installation, etc. Always be appreciative of a discount – a dollar in your pocket is better than a dollar in someone else’s!

5. Value Add.  Ask how much if you buy another item eg a lounge suite and a flat screen TV, a washing machine and a dryer, a TV and a DVD player, a dress and a pair of earrings, shoes and a handbag, etc.

Download the free How to Haggle tip sheet