10 Ways to Use Egg Shells

To most people an egg shell would be rubbish, tossed in the bin and sent to landfill. Some keen gardeners may compost them or use them as snail repellent. Folk with chooks may grind them and add them to their chook's food as shell grit. But most people just toss them.

I have a little dish that sits on the sink and whenever we use an egg, the shell gets rinsed in cold water and then put into the dish. When I need egg shell for something, it's right there, ready and waiting to be used.

Egg shells are surprisingly useful. Here's a list of 10 ways I use egg shells around our home.

1. Use egg shells to whiten and soften linen. Soak greying linens in boiling water with the juice of a lemon and two or three ground egg shells added. Let them soak overnight, then rinse and hang in the sun to dry. The linens will be white and soft, no nasty chemical whiteners or softeners needed.

2. In the garden to keep snails and slugs off seedlings. Just crush the egg shell and sprinkle it around the tiny plants. Snails and slugs won't travel over the sharp edges so your plants will be safe - from those predators at least.

3. Add them to chook food. Egg shells are a great source of calcium and grit, two things hens need to produce nice health eggs. Wash the egg shells and when you have a few grind them, either in a blender, with a stick blender or with a mortar and pestle and add it to the chook food.

4. Boil the shells in your coffee. At home we have a coffee maker but when we're camping we use an old fashioned stove top percolator. Adding egg shells to the percolator with the coffee grounds takes away the bitterness than can happen when coffee is boiled accidentally.

5. Use them to feed tomato plants. Calcium rich, crushed egg shell is a good source of this mineral for tomato plants. Tomatoes need calcium to prevent blossom end rot, a common tomato problem. Put a couple of egg shells in the hole before you plant your tomato to give it a boost. Then through the growing season grind egg shells, sprinkle them around the base of the tomato and water in.

6. As tiny seedling starters. Rinse out the egg shells, poke a couple of tiny drainage holes in the bottoms and fill with potting mix. Plant your seeds and when they are ready to be transplanted, gently squeeze the egg shell to crack it and then plant it intact in the ground.

7. Compost them. Nothing more needs to be said.

8. You don't compost? No problem, crush them, sprinkle over the soil and then lightly rake them in.

9. Turn them into ornaments. Rinse them well and let them dry. Then let your creative streak go to town. Paint them, add glitter and sequins, fill them with cotton wool, add little tiny ornaments, cover them with braid, glue on a ribbon hanger - use your imagination!

10. Add them to the bird feeder. Crush them up and mix in with the bird seed to give the wild birds that visit your garden a treat.

So how do you use egg shells? Share your idea in the comments below.

Use Your Slush Fund

Once you've set a grocery budget it's important to stick to it, or the whole reason for having one is pointless and you've just wasted your time.

But what do you do when you find an item you use regularly on a really fantastic special? How can you stock up without busting the budget? You use your grocery slush fund.

Build your slush fund with leftover grocery money and use it for stocking up on those bargains that are just too good to pass up.

You'll still be on budget dollar wise and ahead in your stockpiling.

Dishwasher Cubes

When Aldi discontinued the dishwasher powder I used (and was very happy with) and replaced it with one at double the price I was more than a little annoyed. I was downright peeved!And so began the search for a dishwasher powder that really cleaned the dishes, without leaving them streaky or milky or covered in a residue.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of recipes on the WWW for dishwasher powders, and more than a few in the Cheapskates Tip Store, so to save money, time and energy (mostly mine) I spent an afternoon experimenting in the kitchen with the basic ingredients from the most popular recipes.

What I discovered was that I couldn't make a dishwasher powder that satisfied my inner cleaning fanatic. Nor could I make a dishwasher liquid or gel that met said cleaning fanatic's standards.

I did however discover a mixture that did a great job, but it solidified after a couple of hours. Sadly, once it was solid, it was too hard to get out of the jar. That's when inspiration struck (or the caffeine kicked in) and I realised that if the mixture set like cement in the jar, it would just as easily set like cement in a mould, preferably an ice cube mould, to make dishwasher tablets (or cubes or butterflies or rabbits or whatever shape your ice cube mould is).

And when this mixture is used in the dishwasher, just like a bought dishwasher tablet, it works. It works beautifully. It doesn't leave the dishes greasy or filmy or streaked. They are clean and sparkling and everything a cleaning fanatic could want when it comes to clean dishes.

I included the recipe and instructions in this month's Cheapskates Journal, along with a printable tip sheet, but it's so good I just have to share it here too.

MOO Dishwasher Cubes

You will need:
3 cups water
1-1/4 cups washing soda
3 tbsp liquid castile soap* (orange or peppermint is nice for dishes)
1 litre bowl or jug
Stick blender
Silicon ice cube trays (they need to be flexible to get the cubes out without breaking them)

Step 1. Put the water and the liquid castile soap into the jug. Stir to combine. Add the washing soda and stir thoroughly until it is dissolved. The washing soda needs to be thoroughly and completely dissolved. The mixture will thicken and turn milky - don't worry, it's fine. Keep stirring until the washing soda has completely dissolved.

Step 2. Leave for 1 hour then whisk again. Give your arms a good workout. Whisk and whisk. This goop needs to be mixed up really well. Leave for two hours, when the mixture should have turned to a gel and started to set.

Step 3. Whip with a stick blender until the mixture is creamy and smooth and really thick.  Spoon into the ice cube tray. Level off the top of each cube. Leave overnight to set then turn them out of the mould. Use one tablet per load of dishes. Keep the tablets in a dry, air-tight container.

I've just looked up the price of commercial dishwasher tablets and let me tell you now I am so very glad I never, ever bought them. The cheapest I could find was 58 cents each. Some of the fancier tablets, with added stuff, cost 84 cents - each. If you do a load of dishes every day, and I'm sure most families would, that adds $5.88 a week to your grocery bill! Yikes!

MOO dishwasher tablets are much more budget friendly at just 12 cents each!

Costs: $2.41for approximately 64 cubes, 12 cents each -  a definite price winner
Washing soda (1kg @ $3.78) = 1-1/4 cups $1.21
Liquid Castille soap (1 litre @ $19.95) = 3 tablespoons (60ml) $1.20

Helpful hints:
*Do not be tempted to use regular liquid soap or detergent, it is far to sudsy to use in a dishwasher. Liquid castile soap is very low sudsing and gentle and safe to use in your dishwasher. I used Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile soap because that is what I had. I buy it from my local health food shop; it's available online too, but you'll pay postage. Check a few different health food shops and even some soap shops to compare prices.

*Do not be tempted to swap the washing soda for bicarbonate of soda, the recipe will not work. Washing soda and bicarbonate soda are two very different substances.

*Scrape dishes and pots before putting them in the dishwasher. There is no need to rinse anything before it goes in.

*Clean your dishwasher regularly - schedule it for once a month when you clean the drains.

Chunky Mediterranean Salad

Ingredients:
Salad:
3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved*
1  cucumbers, diced
1 red capsicum, seeded and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
1 large white onion, diced
2 cups lettuce, roughly chopped (use a mix of leaves if possible)
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1  can chickpeas ,rinsed and drained

Salad dressing:
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
juice and zest of 1 large lemon
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp ground sumac
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To garnish:
1 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Method:
In a very large bowl, combine all salad ingredients. Toss gently to combine.

To make the salad dressing whisk all the ingredients together. Pour over the salad and toss to combine.  Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

To serve, gently toss the salad again to refresh the dressing. Sprinkle pinenuts over the top. This salad is best made the day it is to be eaten. Refrigerate leftovers and use within 24 hours.

*If you don't have cherry tomatoes cut large tomatoes into quarters. Cut each quarter into three chunks.

Waiter's Apron from a Simple Tea Towel

I love aprons and always wear an apron when I'm working in the kitchen. They keep my clothes clean and give me somewhere to wipe my hands and they can double as pot holders.

This fun apron is quick to make, you need about 20 minutes, and costs under $5. It's fun to wear, super easy and would make a cute gift. If you're doing the handmade Christmas challenge you could easily whip up a half dozen in an afternoon and cross a lot of gifts off your list.

You will need:
1 striped or plain cotton tea towel
3 metres matching or contrasting bias binding
Matching or contrasting thread
Sewing machine

Step 1. Unpick the hem from one long edge of the tea towel. Press it flat. This edge will become the waist edge of your apron.

Step 2. Find the centre of the raw edge of the tea towel and the centre of the bias binding.  Match the centres and bind the top of the towel.

Step 4.  Find the centre of the raw edge of the tea towel and the centre of the quilt binding.  Open the binding out and match up the centres. Pin the binding in place over the raw edge of the tea towel. Starting at one end of the tea towel stitch the binding in place.  Fold the binding over and press flat.

Step 5. Using a medium zig zag stitch, top stitch the binding in place, starting at one end of the binding, stitching across the top of the towel, and along the other end.  This will create a waist band and ties.  The ties will be long enough to wrap around your waist and tie in front just like a waiter's.

The Yummiest Home-made Ice-cream Ever

If there's one thing my darling loves (other than me and the kids of course) it is ice-cream.  He'd eat it for breakfast, lunch and tea and throw in a few scoops for snacks if he could.

He can't. Mainly because I won't buy it (bad ice-cream is expensive and not good for us, good ice-cream is just plain expensive). And up until now making it has required a very special occasion. Mainly because making ice-cream the old fashioned way is hard work and we don’t have one of those new fangled ice cream machines.

But now I've found this recipe and made a couple of adjustments to suit our way of eating and frankly I'm out of excuses. It's not hard. It's not expensive. And as a treat it's not even that bad for us.

It has two main ingredients - that's it. Cream and condensed milk. You can add in whatever else you like: choc chips, strawberries, honeycomb, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, raspberry sauce, coffee, vanilla - whatever your taste buds scream for.

SO how do you make this wonder of ice-cream wonders?

Tip 600ml of cream into the bowl of your mixer. Get your skinny scraper and scrape that bottle clean. Get every last millilitre of that creamy goodness into that bowl. Then beat the hec out of it. Beat it until it is stiff and fluffy and can stand up on it's own.

Now take a can condensed milk (I use the MOO equivalent - 1-1/2 cups) and add your goodies. I scraped a vanilla bean into it to make vanilla ice-cream. Mix your goodies in so they're evenly distributed.

Tip that condensed milk into the whipped cream. Grab that scraper again and get it all.

Then use that scraper to gently fold the condensed milk mixture through the whipped cream.  Sorry, no pictures of these steps, Hannah and I were too busy licking the bowl to take photos.

Pour it into a freezer-safe container, cover it with clingwrap or the lid and freeze. At least two hours. I know waiting will be hard, especially if you licked the bowl and had a sample of just how good it's going to be, but it won't be ice-cream if it's not frozen now will it?

As soon as it's frozen dive in. Before anyone else gets a taste, because once they taste it, it will disappear.

You could make it a really decadent dessert and eat it off a chocolate spoon!

Homemade Ice-cream

Ingredients:
600ml cream
1 can condensed milk (or MOO equivalent)

Method:
Add cream to a large bowl and beat until stiff. Fold through the condensed milk. Add any goodies at this stage. Pour into a freezer-safe bowl and freeze for two hours.

MOO Condensed Milk

 
Condensed milk is a pantry staple and so useful. Apart from being a good way of preserving milk, it makes amazing caramel that can be  used in slices and sauces and dips and to make caramels. It's good straight from the can too. I didn't say good for you, just good.

It's also one of the more expensive pantry staples, running at around $2.70 a can. That can really bump the cost of a recipe up.

Condensed milk is also one of the easiest things to make. Truly. It is. No special equipment or ingredients needed. You've just been brainwashed into thinking it's too hard to make.

And MOO condensed milk is cheap too. This recipe makes the equivalent of two cans, keeps for seven days in the fridge and up to three months in the freezer and costs about $1.60 to make. Two cans for around a quarter the price - that's what we Cheapskates like.

MOO Condensed Milk

Ingredients:
1 cup boiling water
2 cups milk powder (skim or full cream)
2 cups white sugar
125g butter (you can use margarine but butter is better)

Method:
Put all the ingredients into the bowl of your food processor. Process for three minutes and check.

All the sugar should be dissolved. If the mixture is still a little grainy, process for another minute. Check again, and continue to process until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into a clean jar and chill for one hour before using. It needs to be chilled after mixing to give the mixture time to thicken.

That's it. Two cans (or the equivalent of) Moo condensed milk for just $1.60

Amazing Things Happened When We Started Living the Cheapskates Way

When Disaster Struck I was devastated. It felt like our world had crumbled around us and life would never, ever be good again.

That feeling lasted about six months. In that time we discovered we were expecting our gorgeous daughter. We were living in half a house (because we'd ripped the back off our house to start renovating). AJ was getting ready to start pre-school. Interest rates went up, and up, and up and still that mortgage had to be paid.

It was when we were at our lowest point that I said "NO MORE!"  We were not going to live anything other than the life we had planned. We were not going to lose everything we had worked so hard for. We were not going to give up, roll over and spend the next 60 years miserable.

That's when I became a dyed in the wool, true Cheapskate. The pity party was over and plans were being made.

I won't lie to you and say it was easy. It wasn't. There were times when my babies were eating Weetbix for dinner yet again or when I had to call the gas company and arrange a payment plan for the bill so we'd have heat when I just wanted to run away.

But then good thing started happening. Little changes Wayne and I were making started reap benefits. Shopping once a month and only once a month with a detailed list meant our grocery bill was under $200 and no one was eating Weetbix for dinner.

We were eating healthier too. I didn't have the money to buy convenience or packaged foods, so our pantry, fridge and freezer were packed with ingredients. I learned to cook from scratch (really from scratch - not the "just add water and mix" from scratch). 

Knowing the meals we were eating were truly homemade and healthful made time spent in the kitchen well worthwhile. The food we ate was preservative and pesticide free and often organic. It was enough to have me doing the happy dance around the kitchen.

Another benefit was fewer trips to the doctor. As a family we had fewer illnesses, caught fewer bugs and just generally seemed less susceptible to viruses and colds. The money we weren't spending on doctors and medicines helped pay the bills.

Not having any money, and there were times I didn't even have 5 cents in my purse, helped us decide what was important and what wasn't. We decided to focus on the things that were important to us as a family and ditch everything else.

Suddenly we were saving money, more than we had ever saved when we had two incomes. Our income was around one third of what it had been and yet the simple changes we were making out of desperation were working. We were living life pretty much as we wanted. The bills were being paid. And we were building savings. And we were happy.

Every time I went to town I'd stop at the ATM and get a mini statement, just to make sure we hadn't miscalculated or were dreaming.

By simplifying our lifestyle and ditching the things we didn't really care about we had reaped numerous rewards.

We are homebodies. We love our home and our family and like nothing better than being home together. While before DS we'd be out most weekends, after DS we started staying home. We'd invite friends over for a barbecue in the backyard. The kids would play in the sandpit and on the swings, on hot days they'd run under the sprinkler while we grown-ups watched from the back verandah.

Instead of going out of town to playgroup every week we had playgroup at our house.

And birthday parties became fantastic affairs, with the house decorated with balloons and streamers and the backyard full of hidden treasures and homemade piñatas waiting to be whacked.

Life was simple. It wasn't always easy. We still worked hard. We started growing as much of our food as we could. I learned to bottle and freeze and dehydrate to preserve excess food. I also thanked my mother over and over for persisting in teaching me to sew. We may not have had any money but we were all well-dressed. I've used those sewing lessons from Mum many times over the years to give hand-me-downs a frugal makeover or to stitch up something new from scrap fabric. I've even managed to master breadmaking. Those first few loaves made great bricks. These days my bread is delicious and I've progressed to naan and crumpets and English muffins and pita as well as rolls and scrolls. And they're all good, and frugal.

We were building community along with our family and it was good.

We discovered that living the Cheapskates lifestyle does not necessarily mean giving up everything. It just means scaling down to a more manageable place so that you have more time, money, and energy to enjoy your newfound simple life - focusing on the things that are important to you and ditching the rest.

Buy Nothing New Month

I'm sure you are all aware by now that October is Buy Nothing New month. I've mentioned it in this month's Cheapskates Journal and on the Cheapskates website.

The month where you can shop, just not for brand new items. When you do your shopping, deliberately looked for used, second-hand, recycled, re-purposed, pre-loved (or whatever else  you want to call them) items.

You'll not only be saving money but you'll be stopping a lot of stuff going to landfill. Even better though is you'll be a living example of just how easy it is to live without buying new all the time. You will be a prime example of how to shop for a sustainable lifestyle.

Now there are three things you can buy new, for safety's sake:

    1. Food
    2. Medicines
    3. Petrol/diesel/gas or whatever fuel your vehicle uses.
   
As you wander aimlessly around the shopping centres use your phone to capture the things you look at, the things you want to buy. That new jacket - take a picture of it. The pretty Christmas dishes - take a picture. New bed linen - take a picture. You get the idea - if you think you are going to buy it, take a picture.

Then head to your local op shop. Wander around. Look on all the shelves and in all the corners. Check out the window. Go through the boxes and baskets. Sort through the racks. And keep your phone handy because you want to be able to check the photo when you find the jacket or platter or bed linen.

If the item matches or is so similar it doesn't make any difference, and the price is right then you've found a bargain, gained what you wanted and stayed true to Buy Nothing New month.

You're not limited to op shops (although they are a great resource for buy nothing new) but what about garage sales? Trash'n'treasure markets? Car boot sales? Fetes with white elephant stalls? Freecycyle? Friends and family? Gumtree? eBay?

The options for buying not new things is limited only by your imagination. Before you buy anything this month, first ask yourself if you really need it and secondly ask yourself if it has to be bought new.

You can find out more about Buy Nothing New month here. 

This year Buy Nothing New month has teamed with the Australian Conservation Foundation for Green Spring Clean. It's the easiest spring cleaning you'll ever do - simply list the stuff you don't want, don't use or don't need. The proceeds from any sales go to ACF and you get a very handy tax receipt for your donation! Win-win!  You can find out all about Green Spring Clean here

Whip up a Batch of Chocolate Spoons

The shops are starting to put out their Christmas stock and of course it's all so pretty and cute I just had to browse. So you can imagine my delight when I saw tall mugs containing a sachet of hot chocolate mix, a tiny packet of mini marshmallows and two chocolate spoons on the shelf in Big W. And I was so excited I forgot to look at the price!

I was excited because they reminded me of a tip sheet I produced way back in 2006 on how to make chocolate spoons, and of course just how delicious they are stirred into hot chocolate or a nice strong coffee.

You can use plastic teaspoons, they are cheap at $2 for 50 from $2 shops, but they are much nicer if you use stainless steel teaspoons. You can get new ones from $2 shops and discount department stores for about 50c each, but this is Buy Nothing New month so visit your local op shop and see what you can find. You could easily create a very cute crazy spoon set by mixing the designs.

You will need:
Teaspoons
250g block of milk or dark chocolate - your preference
Flavourings - orange, strawberry, almond, mint, again your preference and optional

Step 1. Put a sheet of silicone paper on a baking tray. Sit a bread and butter plate upside down on the tray.

Step 2.  Melt the chocolate, add any flavourings if you are going to use them.

Step 3.  Dip the bowl of the spoon into the chocolate. Hold it up so that the chocolate drips off, leaving a layer on the bowl of the spoon. Lay them on the tray, resting the handle on the upside down bread and butter plate so the chocolate doesn't run down the handle. Refrigerate to set.

Step 4. Once the chocolate has set, gather them into bundles of six, pop them into a cellophane or paper bag with the handles sticking out and tie closed with a pretty ribbon. Alternatively you could make hot chocolate mug sets similar to the mugs I saw, using Mexican Hot Chocolate mix
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2013/07/mexican-hot-chocolate-mix.html

These spoons are really nice to use when you have a cup of coffee - the chocolate will melt and flavour the coffee while you stir. A little touch of luxury and decadence for just a few cents.

Total cost approximately $4.50 for 40 spoons - 3 cents per spoon!

How to Clean the Toilet

It may seem like a no brainer but it's a question I've been asked a few times so here goes.

Cleaning the toilet really is as easy as slurp, brush, flush, just like the ads say. The difference when you clean the Cheapskates way is that you are not spending hundreds of dollars a year on stinky, over-powering, nasty-laden commercial cleaners.

Instead you'll be using water, vinegar, bicarb soda and for stubborn water marks and hard water build-up citric acid. And a couple of cleaning cloths. That's it. Your whole toilet cleaning arsenal shouldn't cost you more than $10 for the year!

Every Day Cleaning:
If you clean your toilet daily (and if you have toilet training toddlers or little boys you'll need to clean at least daily) you won't ever need to deal with stains. It takes two minutes - really, I've timed it - to keep your toilet sparkling clean all the time.

Step 1. Take 1 cup of white vinegar and pour it into the bowl. Use the brush to scrub the sides. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Step 2. While the vinegar is sitting take your damp cleaning cloth and some vinegar diluted 50:50 with water in a spray bottle. Spray the cistern, seat and lid and around the outside of the bowl. Don't forget the pipes at the back if they are visible. Starting with the cistern and working down, wipe over the outside of the toilet, paying particular attention to the hinges around the seat. Rinse your cloth often.

Step 3. Flush the toilet. See it sparkle.

Vinegar is a mild disinfectant, you won't need to use anything else if you clean the toilet every day.

For Stubborn Stains:
Step 1. Sprinkle the bowl with bicarb soda, making sure you get it on the stain.

Step 2.  Pour 1 cup of white vinegar over the bicarb and while it is fizzing scrub with the toilet brush. Flush.

For Hard Water and Mineral Stains:
To clean a toilet with hard water stains and mineral build-up is an overnight chore.

Step 1. Last thing at night flush the toilet. Pour 1/4  up citric acid into the bowl. Leave overnight.

Step 2. In the morning put 1 cup white vinegar into the cistern.  Scrub the bowl with the toilet brush, paying particular attention to the stains.

Step 3. Flush. This will flush out the cistern and the bowl, leaving both clean and shiny.

For Really Stubborn Stains:
If the water stain or mineral build-up is particularly stubborn you'll need to go into cleaning over-drive.

Step 1. Turn the water to the cistern off and flush. Then empty the bowl of water. You can use a cup or a sponge to do this.

Step 2. Sprinkle 1/2 cup citric acid over the stains. Go away for half an hour.

Step 3. Come back and using a scrub bud scrub that build-up. It should be disappearing before your eyes!  Flush and admire your handiwork.

If your toilet is particularly stained or the build-up is thick you will probably need to repeat this process a couple of times. Don't be discouraged, you will get rid of those stains and your toilet will sparkle.

To Clean the Floor:
This method is good for cleaning urine stains on the floor (common when toilet training).

Step 1. Spray the floor with white vinegar.

Step 2. Sprinkle with bicarb soda. While the mixture is fizzing use the toilet brush to scrub the floor, paying particular attention to the grout if you have a tiled floor.

Step 3. Wipe it up with a wet cloth, followed by a damp cloth. Make sure you get all the mixture off the floor.

There you have it.  Simple, frugal and green ways to keep your toilet sparkling, clean and sanitary. It couldn't be any easier.

Saving Interest on Your Home Loan

Approximate $ Savings:    For me - $1,146 p.a.

Around the same time every year I reassess our home loan. I look at the interest rates different banks are offering and then call my bank (one of the big 4), explain that as a family we are looking at ways to cut back our spending and ask if they can match their competitors rates. I explain that we've been loyal customers for a number of years and that we don't want to refinance with another institution which is why I'm calling them first. Last time I called they agreed to cut our rate giving us an annual saving of $1,146! Not bad for a couple of phone calls and a few minutes filling in paperwork.
Contributed by Erica Avenell

Easy Whole Chicken and Stock in a Crockpot

 

Ingredients:
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1 ½ tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 whole chicken

Method:
Rinse your chicken and place into a large crockpot, breast side up. Mix the seasonings in a small bowl, then sprinkle them over the chicken and rub them into the skin. Wash your hands! Cook on HIGH for 3 - 4 hours. Check chicken is done with a meat thermometer or by piercing the thickest part of the thigh. If the juices run clear the chicken is done. If they are pink, cook for a further half and hour and test again.

When the chicken is cooked remove it from the slowcooker. Leave the juices in the bottom. Remove all the meat from the chicken and return the bones to the crockpot. Add an onion, a carrot and 2 celery stalks, all roughly chopped. Add just enough water to cover. Cook on LOW overnight. You will have the most beautiful chicken stock. Strain the liquid. Put the vegetables and bones into the compost. Use the stock within 3 days or freeze it in 1 cup portions to use in the future.

Easy, Pretty and Practical Food Covers

We had our second barbecue of the season this weekend, with lots of good company and of course good food. And naturally, along with the good food came the hoards of flies and other beasties, buzzing around trying to get their share.

Quite frankly I didn't feel like sharing with them so I pulled out my stash of food covers. Remember back in the late 70's, early 80's, those shower cap style food covers were all the rage? I rather think they really were just disposable shower caps (they looked very much like the complimentary shower caps you get in motels) and they were ugly, disposable (so added to landfill) and expensive.

A couple of years ago I decided to make my own. They are pretty, practical and washable. And they are so easy to make, no special sewing skills required.

You will need:

Scraps of cotton or cotton blend fabric, a little larger than the size of the bowl you want to cover

Matching thread

Bias binding, matching or contrasting colour

Narrow elastic

Sewing machine

Step 1.  Put the fabric wrong side up on your work surface. Put your bowl upside down in the centre of the fabric.

Step 2.  Measure 8cm from the rim, all around the bowl. Using tailor's chalk or a very light lead pencil, draw a circle all the way around the bowl, joining the marks you made. You should have a circle marked 8cm from the edge of the bowl. Remove the bowl and cut out the circle of fabric.

Step 3.  Bind the edge with the bias binding. Then place the circle wrong side up in your sewing machine, with the edge under the presser foot. Lay the elastic  on the edge and sew a few stitches, using a zigzag stitch. Stretch the elastic and continue sewing to zigzag it to the edge, adjusting the elastic and your hand as you sew, making sure you keep the elastic on the edge, until you have sewn right around the circle. Fasten off.

That's all there is too it. They take less than five minutes to make, use fabric scraps you already have in your stash so they are frugal and they are re-usable!

Make them to match your kitchen or your picnic set. Make a set to give as a kitchen tea or housewarming gift. Add them to a picnic set to add a handmade touch to a bought gift.

Some beautiful craft patterns, and they're all free!

Here's a list of beautiful craft patterns, sewing, crochet, beading, quilting and more from Interweave - and they are all free!  There is a catch however - you may need to subscribe to a mailing list to get them. It's up to you how you deal with this catch. You can sign up, collect your pattern and then enjoy any newsletters etc you are sent. Or you can sign up, collect your pattern and then unsubscribe when you get your first newsletter (I suggest you get at least one so you can see what's on offer - you may really enjoy it). Either way, having an email folder just for these emails will help keep them under control, you'll always be able to find them and they won't be cluttering up your inbox.

Market and Tote bag patterns

Beaded jewellery patterns

Weaving patterns

Papercraft patterns, ideas and tips

Quilt embelllishment ideas e-book

7 patterns for crocheted gifts

Have a lovely Sunday everyone.

Use Old Quotes as a Bargaining Tool When Haggling the Price Down

This tip is for those wishing to undertake some home improvements that we all know with large jobs can be quite costly.

Everyone knows you should get at least 3 quotes before making a decision. My tip takes the idea of seeing if competitors can do better further. We wanted to get solar heating installed for our pool.

We originally obtained 2 quotes after the pool was built and found them to be quite pricey. The first was $2,990 and the second $3,150.00. We simply could not afford this so we filed away the quotes and kept them for when we could .

It has taken us 2 years but we finally have the money so started the quote process again, assuming as it has been 2 years the price had probably gone up. We called out the company that originally quoted $3,150.00 (the company that quoted $2,990.00 was no longer in business) and we showed the original 2 quotes we obtained and was told they could do better than that.

True to their word they quoted only $2,900 - $90 less than our cheapest quote 2 years before and $250 cheaper than their quote all because we asked. What we learned was that companies will better their own quotes if you have it in writing and keep quotes when the cost is more than you can afford as they are a bargaining tool when you have saved the funds.
Contributed by Kay

Natural Air Cleaners

With the striving to be environmentally conscious, many homes are now so heavily insulated that the air quality can actually be toxic!

Freshen your home by opening windows and doors wide on mild days. Let the breeze blow through to circulate the air and let some fresh air in.

Another easy and decorative way to clean the air in your home is with plants.  Houseplants are natural air cleaners, turning carbon dioxide into oxygen and absorbing other toxic pollutants such as formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia and others I can't pronounce correctly, let alone spell!

Because different plants absorb different chemicals it's a good idea to have a variety of plants throughout the house. Tropical plants work especially well indoors because they are accustomed to the indirect light and warm environment in most homes.

How many plants to do you need? Research by NASA suggests a minimum of 18 houseplants throughout the average 4 bedroom home.

Do away with horrible artificial air fresheners. Switch to indoor plants and enjoy naturally clean air.

How to Avoid Rent

If you are trying to save a deposit for a mortgage, paying rent really slows you down. If you set yourself a time limit to save that deposit, then perhaps one of these methods of saving rent will get you into your own home sooner. 

1.  Find a live-in elder care position and help someone stay out of a nursing home. There’s always someone desperate for reliable help, and often there are no qualifications needed other than compassion. It may be an elderly relative or a complete stranger who becomes a good friend.

• Sue and Darren lived in the granny flat attached to an elderly couple's home rent free in return for lawn mowing and grocery shopping. In two years they were able to save enough to put down a 25 per cent deposit on their home. It wasn't their ideal living arrangement, but it was temporary and they had a goal with a time limit. Do they miss it? No! Do they regret it? Absolutely no!

2.  Help renovate a house in exchange for lodging. Put your building, carpentry or decorating skills to use to help someone else and help yourself at the same time.

3.  For short-term stays, become a house sitter or pet sitter.

*for house sitting try http://www.aussiehousesitters.com.au/ or http://www.australianhousesitter.com.au/

*try http://www.petsittersguide.mobi/australia/ for pet sitting jobs

4.  For long-term stays, become a caretaker.

• Barbara has a holiday home on Phillip Island that she uses just six weeks a year now she is on her own. The rest of the time she has a paid caretaker live-in to keep the gardens tidy and maintain the house. The caretaker goes on holiday when Barbara needs the house, a win-win for them both.

5.  Share a house or unit.

6.  Consider living in an onsite mobile home.

7.  Move into cheaper accommodation.

The last three suggestions may not appeal to you, but they are only temporary. You will be motivated to save harder and faster than you've ever saved before to build that deposit for your new home. Think of that future home every time you start to hate where you are living (or who you are living with). You can do anything, even live in less than desirable housing, when you have an action plan.

With the money you save on rent you'll be able to power ahead with your saving and be in your own home sooner.

Step-by-Step to Making Up Ginger Beer Part 2

Your ginger beer plant is ready to divide and use to make up your drink.

You will need:
2-1/2 cups sugar
3 cups boiling water
Juice of 3 lemons
Strained liquid from the ginger beer plant
3-1/2 litres cold water
Clean plastic or glass bottles and caps - 2 x 2 litre bottles, 5 x 600ml bottles*

Step 1. Dissolve the 2-1/2 cups sugar in the boiling water. Add the juice of the lemons and the liquid from the ginger beer plant. Add the cold water and stir thoroughly.

Step 2. Pour into the cleaned bottles and cap tightly. Leave in a cool, dark cupboard for two weeks to brew before using.

You will know the ginger beer is ready to drink when you can't push the sides of the bottle in (if it's plastic) or you can see little tiny bubbles forming on the sides (if it's in a  glass bottle). Chill to serve.

Step 3. Take the ginger beer plant and halve it. Put one half in the cleaned jar. Add 1 cup of cold water, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground ginger. Feed every second day. The plant will be ready to divide and make up on the 7th day.

What to do with the remaining half a plant: you can share it with a friend or neighbour, or you can run two plants simultaneously to increase the amount of drink you are able to produce each week. Or add it to the compost.

*Bottles: you can use soft drink bottles and caps as long as they are well washed in hot soapy water and rinsed in very hot water. Alternatively you can buy bottles and caps from discount department stores in the home brewing department (and they can be re-used over and over as long as they are properly cleaned). If you know anyone who drinks beer in bottles ask them to save the bottles for you. You can buy new caps for them from Big W or Kmart or a home brew store.