Sunday morning

Well it's chilly but oh, so sunny this morning, almost like a mid-summer morning.

It's true what they say about sunshine affecting moods, I have already done one load of washing and hung it outside (for the first time in a couple of weeks) and have another one in the machine. I love the smell of clothes that have been dried outside in the sunshine. They really smell clean and fresh.

With the very light breeze blowing at the moment I'll be able to get them in just after lunch and do the ironing too. Not my favourite job, so if I can get it done on a warm (well almost, it's going to be 14 here today) afternoon it won't seem like such a chore.

Sunday dinner is always a roast in our home and tonight it is chicken. I alternate between chicken and lamb and occasionally throw in a piece of beef if it's not too expensive. We'll have roast veggies too - potatoes, pumpkin, carrot and onion with peas and corn and homemade gravy. Homemade stuffing too.

I've been on the grocery challenge this month and the pantry and freezer are looking good, far less cluttered and crowded. The shelves in the pantry are slowing showing up again and as they appear I'm wiping them down so they will be ready for re-stocking.

It's kind of satisfying to see nice clean shelves and canisters, waiting to be filled.

The great grocery challenge starts

As it is the first of June today I've started the great grocery challenge.

A look through the pantry and freezer and I am certain that we will get through the month without having to buy anything other than fresh milk and perhaps cheese and eggs.

This is going to really help me get the pantry and freezer cleaned out, both jobs I have been putting off. Mystery meals may well be on the menu towards the end of the month.

So I know what to re-stock the pantry with I've stuck an inventory on the wall. As each item is used up I'll add it to the list – but only if it's something we use regularly and will continue to use.

There are quite a few odds and sods hanging around, sample packs of soups, herbs, drink mixes, cereals (Hannah can take these on camps) etc to use up too. I think I'll spend the weekend with my recipe books out and find some new meal ideas to try and use up all these bits and pieces.

If you'd like to join us on the Great Grocery Challenge, it's not too late. Jump in here and introduce yourself, we'd love to hear from you.

Sunshine state bliss

Balmy Brisbane has been my base for the last two days and the sunshine and warmth were bliss after chilly and damp Melbourne. I met two of our incredible Cheapskates Club members, Rhonda and Gabee.Their warm welcomes and hospitality to Louise and me was so nice and their help with our research and story is very much appreciated.

Rhonda is a very talented Cheapskate with some great ideas. She's been able to become a stay at home working mum because of her frugal habits and her story is inspirational.

Rhonda told me that living the Cheapskates way gave her the opportunity to set up her business at home, rather than having to work for someone else.

She's also passing her knowledge on to her children. Her teenage daughter is following in mum's footsteps and has set up a jewellery making business. She is sourcing her supplies from all around the country, getting them for the very best prices she can.

Gabee has two little boys and her Cheapskates lifestyle lets her stay home with them too. While I was visiting with Gabee and the boys the mail arrived and she was very excited to get the electricity bill.

It's not often a bill goes down, but Gabee's had and she was proud as punch.

Will the mending never end?

In our house the mending pile just breeds. No matter how often it's done, or how much is done there always seems to be more.

Perhaps I should be grateful to have healthy active children who play sports and ride bikes and spend time outside and a husband who is fit and healthy enough to be able to work with his hands and tools in a physically demanding job.

I know I should be grateful and I really, honestly am. But that mending pile! Well there are times when I wish they all just sat in chairs and never moved.

Wayne came home with the front pocket and side seam of his pants ripped open. His phone was the cause – it caught on the edge and just ripped them. The sewing machine will get some use this week after all.

Some school shirts are missing buttons. Hannah can help me stitch them back on while we watch some TV and chat.

Then Thomas came out with some socks, actually a pile of socks that have holes in the toes and/or heels. Looks like I'll be darning for a few nights. And hopefully that will be the end of the mending pile.

At least until the next little accident

A proud mummy moment

Just as I was putting foil over the top of the casserole I was getting ready for the oven tonight Hannah came into the kitchen and stopped next to me.

She looked at me with a big smile on her face and said, “You don't waste a thing do you Mum?” Her compliment was so genuine it just made me beam.

And vow to keep on re-using foil until it falls apart.

Sunday savings

*Hannah and I hit a couple of garage sales today. We had a list of things we were looking for jeans for her, a larger food processor for me, and lamps for the lounge room and of course anything we could add to the present box.

We had a lot of fun for just $27.

We came home with:

*2 pairs jeans for Hannah - $2
*1 table lamp for the lounge - $5
*1 large Tupperware mixing bowl & lid $0.50
*1 large Tupperware square round & lid (this size is ideal for storing stock in the freezer) $0.50
*1 Baby Born travel cot (like new) - $2.50
*1 Brum magnetic car set in a tin case (new) - $2.50
*1 small “road map” carpet - $4
*1 large (new) “road map” carpet - $10

*A friend dropped in with some breadsticks for us so I’ve made up 10 parcels of garlic bread and popped them into the freezer. We love garlic bread so this will be a nice addition to some of our dinners. Best of all is the cost: about 30 cents for the butter and garlic powder, the bread was free! Gotta love free food and the good friends who share so willingly.

*I love the taste of butter and we are using it more and more but it can be a little pricey compared to margarine so I whipped it with some powdered milk, oil and water to make sandwich spread. Very happy, doubled the quantity for approximately 50 cents and it only took two minutes. Made garlic butter with some and put the rest into a butter dish to use on lunches this week.

*Made some instant puddings for lunches. Used powdered milk, cornflour, sugar and vanilla essence. Added boiling water and stirred to thicken. Worked a treat and everyone will be happy with a treat in their lunchbox.

*Took the school uniforms off the line while they were still a little damp and ironed them. No need to use ironing aid, they came up beautifully, even the boy’s trousers and Hannah’s skirt.

*Tackled some more mending. Where does it come from? The alternative was to spend $48 on workpants for Wayne. Ten minutes at the sewing machine and they are as good as new. Saved $48, very happy.

Soup weather

We have rain today and it is quite cool, cool enough to make we want soup. Soup is my very favourite winter warmer food and it's easy to make and really, really cheap too.

Out came my trusty crockpot (I just love my new one, it's a 6 litre so I can make lots of anything in it). Slow cookers are perfect for soup making, just set and forget for the day. The house smells so good when soup is cooking.

Anyway, I digress. Into the crockpot went some sliced celery (including the leaves), carrots and onions, diced turnip and potato, a tin of tomatoes I whizzed in the food processor, a couple of fresh tomatoes that were going a bit soft and some mushrooms that were getting a bit wrinkly.

I love the Italian soup mix ($3.90/kg from The Kitchen Pantry, Centro, Croydon, Vic) because it has a great assortment of beans and lentils. A cup of this soup mix thickens the soup beautifully and adds colour and texture. The beans and lentils are good for you too. Add 4 litres of water and let it simmer away until you're ready to eat it.

When I serve this soup I make Parmesan bread to have with it. Use thick sliced bread, one or two slices per person. Butter one side and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan. Grill until the butter has melted and the edges are starting to crisp, it only takes a couple of minutes and you have a really tasty side to go with your soup.

Enjoy

Sweet chilli chicken strips

We love sweet chilli chicken tenders, the pre-packaged chicken strips you can buy in the deli section of the supermarket but they are so expensive – almost $20.00 a kilo. Even on the markdowns they are too expensive for us so tonight I made them myself.

I already had the chicken fillets defrosting so all I had to do was cut them into strips and crumb them.

The bought product has rice bubbles in the coating so I added a handful of slightly crushed Ricies to 1 cup of shake-n-bake mix and then stirred through a teaspoon of chilli flakes (the kids don't like them too hot).

The next step was easy - dunk the strips in milk, the coating mix and into the fridge for half an hour to let the coating set. Baked on a greased oven tray in a hot oven for 25 minutes, with a couple of turns so they browned evenly and they were just delicious with our salad.

I'll definitely be making them again, and laughing at my savings too.

Sunday savings

*Hung the washing over the clotheshorses because believe it or not it's actually raining. Water is falling out of the sky. Hooray!

*Unexpected visitors for lunch so added some TVP to the curry and made a batch of cheese muffins to stretch it. Very pleased with this, the curry was leftovers from the freezer. Just what we needed for a wet, cloudy Melbourne Sunday.

*While I was on a muffin making roll I made it a double batch to freeze for lunches and whipped up a lemon meringue pie for dessert. I found a few frozen lemon juice ice cubes while I was digging in the freezer for the curry. Wayne loves lemon meringue so he's happy too.

*After our guests left I tackled the pile of mending. What do boys do that they rip the seat of their pants so often? All easy thank goodness. Trousers mended, ironed and back in the cupboards waiting to be worn.

*The house is feeling a little chilly so I put on a jumper and pair of socks instead of turning on the heater. It would have been easy to flick the thermostat but it's much cheaper to put on warmer clothes.

Anzac biscuits

ANZAC Biscuits

prep time: 5 Mcook time: 20 Mtotal time: 25 M

ingredients:

• 100g (4 oz) butter
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• 2 tablespoons of boiling water
• 1 and a half tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda
• 1 cup of rolled oats
• 3/4 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 cup (4 oz ) plain flour
• 1 cup (8 oz ) of sugar

instructions:

1. Combine all dry ingredients except bi-carb soda,
2. Add melted butter.
3. Stir in bi-carb soda mixed with boiling water.
4. Place in spoonfuls on greased tray.
5. Cook in moderate oven about 20 minutes.
6. Allow to cool.
7. Store in airtight container.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Window washing wonder

Well I gave in this morning and washed the windows! We have major roadwork happening in our area and the dust in incredible.

I've been staring at dirty, dusty windows for weeks and today it finally got to me. I had to clean those windows and without using the hose or a lot of water.

So armed with a 4 litre ice-cream container filled with hot water and a splash of vinegar, the banister brush and the squeegee from the bathroom and off I went.

We have a lot of windows in our house and I wasn't sure I'd get through them all with just the one container. I was wrong. My method of dipping the banister brush in the water, scrubbing the window then using the squeegee to clean it off worked like a charm.

I managed to wash the two kitchen windows, two laundry windows, the three in the meals area, the three in the dining room and the huge lounge room window as well and the windows in the front bedroom with just one 4 litre container of water.

When I was finished the water went onto the garden - every little drop helps these days.

My windows are sparkling, the sun is shining through them and theirs not a dust spot or streak in sight. Boy am I happy.

Homemade fun

Hannah has kept herself busy the last couple of days making a house for her Bratz dolls.

One cardboard box and some help from Dad with cutting out the windows and doors and she was happy.

She mixed up some paint for the walls (easy to make at home and very cheap) and scrounged some scraps of fabric from the sewing cupboard for the curtains and it looks really nice.

Who said we had to spend $100 on a doll house for her to play with?

Freecycle

Well today I bit the bullet and finally listed some things on Freecycle. We aren't using them anymore and they are just taking up space and gathering dust so it's best they go to a good home where they will be loved and used.

Freecycle is just great for passing things on when I don't know anyone who can use what I have to offer. There is always someone who is happy to receive our offerings whatever they may be.

If you haven't tried Freecyle (www.freecycle.org.au) go to the website and have a look around. You can list your unwanted goods and someone will come and collect them from you. Then you can search for things you may need and get them for free – a win-win for everyone.

Quick and easy dinner

Thomas is in heaven tonight. I made a huge dish of mac and cheese for dinner, with plenty of leftovers. It's his very favourite meal and as far as he's concerned we just don't have it often enough.

It's such a frugal meal too. Today the total cost for 12 serves was a low, low $3.63 or just 30 cents per serve.

I try to have at least two really cheap (ingredients wise) meals a week. They really help to keep the grocery bill down and under budget. When I come in under budget, I add half the surplus to the slush fund and half to our savings so I have real motivation to keep the shopping bill low.

Water wise habits

With water being so scarce (Melbourne's water supply is under 48% of capacity) and restrictions so tight I have become even more aware of the amount of water we are using in the house and what it is being used for.

Both showers now have permanent buckets in them to catch the overflow. I scrounged a great big, really old kitchen timer from my Mum and each shower is timed to be 5 minutes. I turn the timer as soon as the bathroom door closes, so they'll need to be really fast if they want to get any time under the water.

Instead of mopping the kitchen and bathroom floors every day, I have put some vinegar and water into a spray bottle and pinned a microfibre cloth to the mop head. Now I just squirt the spots and run the cloth over them. The floors are staying surprisingly clean, so maybe I've been working too hard all these years. A once a week mopping with hot, soapy water and the floor mop will do for deep cleaning.

I've cut washing back to absolutely full loads only. Soaking whites and stains is now done in a bucket rather than the laundry sink. This saves on soaker too.

Hannah has made cute signs and we have laminated them for the toilets:

“If it's yellow, let it mellow.
If it's brown, flush it down.”

We have dual flush toilets, but I've also put small bottles of water in the cisterns. I'll let you know if it causes any problems.

I've put a smaller basin in the laundry sink for hand washing. I found that the bigger the basin the more water we seemed to use. I've asked the kids to watch the water level – no deeper than the second knuckle on their index finger. That should give them plenty of water to wash in.

And don't think Wayne has escaped. This weekend he's going to do a “leak check” of all the taps and pipes, inside and out, and the toilets. As far as I know we don't have any leaking taps, but I'd like to be sure about the pipes and outside taps.

I've filled a jug with water and put it in the fridge. This is for drinking, no more running the tap until it's cool or turning the tap on then getting the glass under.

These are all only small savings, but from little things big things grow so add all these little things together and we will save a lot of water.

Some simple savings this week – January 4, 2007

It has been so hot here this week that we haven't been tempted to go out. Gotta love the savings when you stay at home! Not only do I still have almost a full tank of petrol in the car, but I've been using up all the odds and ends in the fridge and pantry rather than go out.

The kids wanted McD's for lunch yesterday; they were going to use their pocket money to buy it. Instead we did a freezer rummage and came up with bread rolls, frozen fish filets and some sliced cheese that is too strong to eat on it's own. It's perfect when it's cooked though.

Hannah made us all delicious (and hot) McHannah's Fish Burgers for lunch and they were delicious. The rolls were .40c each x 6, the fish filets were $3.90 (I checked my grocery tracker for the price) the lettuce was free from the garden and the dressing was probably no more than 50c at the very most. The cheese was free, given to us by a friend whose family didn't like it. So six huge, delicious fish burgers cost $6.80 – far cheaper than from the Golden Arches and much nicer too.

Dinner was free – we cleaned out the fridge, using up all the leftovers. I just put everything out on the table and everyone helped himself or herself to what they wanted. It was fantastic, cleaned out the fridge and made an easy dinner with no cooking for me.

There was great excitement earlier this week when we realised that the Officeworks sale had started. I love stationery, new notebooks, packets of pens, paper clips, glue sticks, rulers, coloured pencils, dividers and anything else related.

I did a quick stocktake in the filing cabinet and the desk drawers and realised that really apart from maybe a couple of glue sticks, there was nothing I needed. I could even fill the boys' school needs from what we had on hand. The temptation was there though.

I couldn't resist and went for a look. Wow was I disappointed. There was nothing I wanted, nothing to tempt me and nothing I needed. I left empty handed, I even put the catalogue back. Potential savings? At least $20.

I didn't feel like going out in the heat to do the grocery run today, so I called Wayne and asked him to pick up the milk, cheese and eggs on his way home. Not only saved me time and petrol, but I'm sure it saved me some money. He came home with 3 bottles of milk, one block of cheese and 2 dozen eggs. Grand total of $18.49 spent. By sticking to our menu plan and being careful to use what I have on hand I won't need to go back to the supermarket until next Friday!

I'm happy with the money I haven't spent so far this week.