No Spend Challenge

I think it’s time for a No Spend week. Can you live without spending for a week? We haven’t had a No Spend challenge for a while and this is just for one week, seven short days.

The rules are simple: no spending unless it is essential. You can pay your regular bills that fall due this week and buy your groceries (as long as you stick to the list), as long you have the cash to pay for them.

Because this No Spend challenge is going to be a little different. Cash only. No credit cards, no debit cards, just old fashioned cash.


Here are some tips that will make your spending freeze easier:

Register
Register in the comments field below and tell us how much you are hoping to not spend. Then keep us up to date with your progress. This is important, we all want to know how well you are doing and if you post regularly you'll be able to see how we are getting on too. Bookmark this page so you can find it again easily.

Have a Plan
Planning is the key to surviving and thriving during a spending freeze. Planning ensures you cover everything you need to get through: lunches, groceries, drinks, having enough petrol in the car etc. Planning and knowing what's happening will let you prepare ahead of time and find no spend alternatives to those "spend, spend, spend" situations.

Get Your Cash
After you've planned your no spend week go to the bank and get the cash you'll need. Remember, no plastic this week. You might find it easier to actually go into the bank and get your cash in a variety of denominations. Divvy up the cash according to your anticipated expenses (aren't you glad of those smaller denominations now?) and put each amount into a labelled envelope or ziplock bag. Then when you need to spend, you can take the money from the right bag.

Stop Spending
Seriously, stop spending money - no clothes, magazines, toys, makeup, computer bits and bobs, shoes etc. For seven days use your money to pay the essential living expenses (mortgage/rent, utilities, food - bare bones basics, fares/petrol) and see just how much is left over at the end of the week. You must bank the leftover money - it is not saved until it is safely in the bank it is just not spent.

Track Your Spending
If you track your spending already, fantastic. Pat yourself on the back. If you don't, start today. Get a notebook (any notebook or piece of paper will do) and write down every cent you spend for the next seven days. Write down what you bought and how much it cost. Do this so you can see exactly what you are spending your money on.

Good luck. I can't wait to see how you do.

Prevent Hot Air From Rising

Now the cooler weather is upon is, stop  the heat (and your money) going into the ceiling by covering exhaust fans you don't use.  For in-ceiling exhaust fans in spare bathrooms, the laundry etc, make a cover to stop hot air escaping.   The disc can be made from something as cheap and simple as newspaper or cardboard and easily placed inside the fan by removing the plastic cover, inserting newspaper disc and clicking the cover back into place.  This stops hot air escaping, keeping your home warmer and your heating bills down. Remember to remove it when the weather warms up and before you use the fan.

Contributed by Melina, Upper Ferntree Gully

Keep Receipts Organized

An easy way to keep the hundreds of receipts in order every year is to have a file for each credit card, bank account, cash, etc. File the receipts for purchases, statements, etc., in that particular file. When you need to go back and retrieve receipts to return an item or to claim a repair under warranty you'll be able to find it immediately. You may not always remember what month you purchased an item but you can usually remember how you paid for it. At the end of the year, put all the statements, receipts, etc., for each account in its own manila envelope and label it for the year. Makes retrieving and organizing receipts much easier than keeping them in a box somewhere. It also makes getting ready for taxes a little less stressful.
Contributed by Sharon, Dapto

What's for Dinner - It's a Surprise!

Approximate $ Savings: $30 a week

We have a weekly "surprise meal day" at our place, which involves creating something out of all the bits and pieces in the fridge and pantry. Food never goes to waste - last nights leftover chicken becomes tonight's chicken pasta or pizza - that way we don't feel like we're eating the same thing, and we're using up our leftovers in the process. Having a surprise meal just once a week has cut our weekly grocery bill by around $30 - hard to believe, but we are not buying as much food, we are not throwing out perfectly good food that hasn't been used and we are not tempted by takeaway. Might I add, our weekly rubbish bin is never full - not buying what you don't need means there's less waste - a great way to help the environment as well as your hip pocket!

Contributed by Glenda, Wonthaggi

Crafty Workmates Get Together to Share Skills

Approximate $ Savings:   10-$200
 
At my work there are a few crafty ladies and some that are also renovating or decorating a home, so we have put together a little club. Once a month we meet at someone's house (we take it in turns) and we bring books, ideas and different skills that we can all share. One of the benefits is if someone is stuck for a solution to a decorating problem, or how to finish or start a project then we have the group to help with ideas. The savings are made when we share reference books, patterns and instructions. Most of the time if I want to learn a new craft some one has already done it and they can pass on the information and skills without me having to pay for classes and books. It is also a great time to catch up and have a coffee with friends.
Contributed by Kellie, Gordon

Fix the drips

Now that summer is over it is time to check all your outdoor taps, hose connections, watering systems and pipes for drips and leaks. A single dripping tap can waste as much as 2000 litres of water a month, adding significantly to your water bill and depleting precious water stores. Check them now, before winter hits and you won't be outside as often to notice drips and leaks.

Keeping the activity level sane

I am a big fan of keeping kids busy and out of mischief with basketball, hockey, swimming, ballet, music, drama and of course homework, lawn-mowing and bedroom tidying. Unfortunately most of those activities cost a lot of money and time.  If your children have an expensive and time consuming activity every afternoon and on weekends, now is the time to question whether they really need them. Assess each activity, sport and class to see just how much they are really getting out of them. If you cut one activity will it be devastating to your child, limiting their future prospects and crippling their social life? Or will it mean he/she has some quiet time at home with you, folding the washing or peeling veggies, learning from you how to budget their time and money?

Plan ahead

Buying off season can save you big bucks as anyone who has bought an air conditioner in July can tell you! Businesses are less inclined to discount when demand is high. Instead of shopping for coats in winter and swimming pools in summer, buy when demand is low so you hold the upper hand. Look ahead and plan your purchases and increase your buying (and negotiating) power.  Shopping at the end of the season reaps huge discounts too, store managers are anxious to move last years leftovers to make room for new stock.

Deliberately Shopping for Discounted Food

This money saver can literally cut your food expense in half. Every food store, especially Woolworths, Coles and IGA, has 'reduced to clear' items that are located all over the store and mostly have to do with items that are nearing their "Use By" or "Best Before" date. Such items are easily spotted by a sticker or a clearance tag. The savings are made when you build your menu around the clearance items. Commonly reduced foods are salads and fresh fruit at half or less than half price, fresh juice (I have purchased five litres of Daily Juice for as little as $1.00), cheese, and fresh and pre-packaged chicken and meats that are often reduced to less than half the marked price. Desserts are often shamefully reduced too. The list is endless and the food quality is not compromised in the slightest, it is just that the food needs to be eaten or frozen before its  expiry date.
Contributed by JT, Sandy Bay

Keeping a Money Journal

At the end of every month I list in a journal things I have done to save money for that month, it may be something as simple as using cold water for washing, washing the dishes by hand etc. I also list things where I haven't saved money and how I can improve on this the following month. This technique gives me a monthly guide to encourage me to keep going with what I am doing, incorporate new tips  (these can be obtained from the Cheapskates Club website of course) and to reflect on over-spending and learn from it so I don't do it again. As I know myself so well, I can find flaws. For example, I seem to get caught up in the Christmas spending easily and by writing down what I have done I can be prepared not to make the same mistake again. It's like a journal for your spending/saving and it's nice to look back on and see how you grow with wisdom and willpower!

Contributed by Pauline, Clare

DIY Donuts Are The Best

MasterChef eat your heart - or donuts - out! This Cheapskater's donut recipe is simple, delicious and best of all cheap!

Donuts - jam, cinnamon, glazed - what sort of donuts do you like? Here is a great recipe to try and if you have a bread machine even better! Otherwise you have an added bonus and get a work out while you knead the dough! This recipe makes twelve donuts. Freeze any extra (not likely in our family) and zap in microwave when needed.

Add to breadmaker:
300ml milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 x 60g Eggs
3 tablespoons sugar
4 cups white bread flour
2 teaspoons yeast

To complete:
4 tablespoons strawberry jam
Vegetable oil for cooking
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Method:
Add the first six ingredients to the breadmaker. Set the bread machine onto the setting "dough" and head off for about and 1 and a half hours while it does its magic. If you don't have a bread machine, knead the dough for about 20 minutes, leave for about 10 minutes, then knead for another 20 minutes. Leave to rise.

After dough cycle has finished, tip dough onto a floured bench and divide up into donuts. An easy way to do this is to divide dough in half with a sharp knife, then halve each piece, continuing until you have twelve pieces. Place donuts onto a greased tray and cover them with a damp tea towel.  Leave for about an hour to rise in a warm room. If you want a donut with a hole use a small round cookie cutter to make a round shape or an apple corer and cut out the centre of the donut. Use the cut out pieces to make "donut holes". When donuts have doubled in size (or thereabouts) cook them a few at a time in hot oil until golden brown and cooked through. You need to watch them constantly and turn them when one side is done. Have some paper towel on hand and place the cooked doughnuts before coating them in the cinnamon sugar. The fun bit is putting in the jam! You need to get a plastic sauce bottle with a screw off lid. (the ones with a pointy end) scoop the jam into the bottle, without the lid into the microwave for very short bursts on med until the jam is soft enough to squirt into the middle of each donut. Sit back and enjoy with the kids and hubby the yummiest donuts.

To make the cinnamon sugar mix four tablespoons white sugar with 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Toss hot donuts in this mixture.


Contributed by Andrea, Old Noarlunga

Start stalking

I have become a supermarket stalker! I regularly follow the meat manager, waiting impatiently until he puts the bright yellow sticker on the tray, and pouncing even before he has taken his hand away. I want that marked down meat and I'm prepared to jump to get it. After all, I'm not the only stalker,  there are others waiting in the shadows, watching, ready to fly across the aisle to get as many mark downs as they possibly can.

I also stalk the produce manager, the bakery staff and the lady who refills and  tidies the dairy cabinet. All in the name of saving up to 60% on my grocery bill.

Buying marked down food is no longer seen as shameful, something to be hidden and stealthily snuck home, all the while hoping no one sees what's hidden under the full price, brand name groceries.

Weed out Those Weeds

Any gardener knows how quickly and easily weeds can take over, destroying precious plants and ruining hours of work setting out garden beds. Keep weeds under control by setting a time each week just for weeding. For me it's Friday morning. Half an hour wandering through the garden pulling any weeds I see and gently tilling the soil between rows  in beds that aren't mulched easily keeps the weeds under control. Hoeing between the rows once a week doesn't allow weeds to take root in the freshly disturbed soil, keeping the garden weed free.

Not too hot to handle

I love my cast iron frypan and pots but the handles get hot - very hot. Cookware stores sell cloth and silicone handle holders specifically for these utensils but of course they come at a rather hefty price.
I created the perfect cover for the handle on my cast iron frypan and pots. I took a potholder, folded it in half lengthwise and stitched the long edge and one short edge. I slip it on the handle of my frypan for a reliable grip. It's great because it stays on until I'm finished cooking and I don't have to worry about burning my hand when I grab the handle without thinking. It's also great for taking frypans from the oven too.

Lemon fresh

A great way to get rid an odour in your house is to leave a couple of lemons that have been cut in half on the kitchen bench overnight.

By morning the odour will be gone and your home will smell fresh and clean again.

Just say no

One of the best things I learned to do is to say "no".

Being overwhelmed with things to do is not good for your health or your budget. When you are flat out is when you spend without thinking, opt for takeaway because it's easier and go for convenience over price and health.

Of course there are times when that's OK. But being flat out because you didn't want to hurt someone's feelings or appear impolite is a problem.

Learn to say no.

You don't need to offer an explanation; in fact, if you do, you are leaving yourself open to be offered an alternative.

Just say no and then change the subject.

Poor Mans Lasagne

Ingredients:
3 rashers of bacon, diced
250g uncooked spaghetti
3 tomatoes, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 tin of condensed tomato soup
11/2 tins of water
 1 cup grated cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Grease a lasagne dish. Layer spaghetti, tomato, onion and bacon pieces seasoning after each layer. Finish with a spaghetti layer . Mix soup and water and pour over layered ingredients. Sprinkle cheese over top. Cover and cook at 180 degrees Celsius for about 40 minutes until pasta is cooked.  

Contributed by Marcia, Esk

The Laundry Sorting Game

No matter how carefully you sort the laundry, it’s easy to miss lurking disasters like tissues and pens. Not only that, it takes time for you to sort everyone's laundry. If you have small children you can turn laundry day into a game and teach them to sort their own washing before it gets to the laundry. Hide one coin, or small prize, per child randomly in the dirty laundry. You could tuck one in a pocket and one in a sock. Then set the kids to work finding them. No-one checks nooks and crannies as thoroughly as a kid in search of a prize. After a few days checking pockets will be habit and you can gradually stop the prizes.

Learn to NOT spend money and feel good about it

For some spending money feels good, it creates a euphoria that hides all the worries and woes they should be dealing with. It may also evoke feelings of control and power.  So why not make NOT spending money have the same affect. Allocate one day a week as a no spend day. Put the money you didn't spend into your Peace of Mind Account to help it grow. When you've mastered one day of not spending you might like to try the challenge of a week and then a whole month of not spending. You'll be amazed at how good you will feel knowing you have regained control over how, when and where your money is spent.

Is golf your game?

If you love a round of golf but find the membership and green fees a little expensive, skip the member only clubs and play at a public course. With green fees at some under $20 for eighteen holes, you can play a round without breaking the budget. Or, if you just like to swing a club or need to improve your game, go to the driving range.

Be a nerd with a smile

Be a nerd – take a calculator with you when you do your grocery shopping. Or you could just use the calculator function in your mobile phone. We already know (or if you don't you do now) that not all packaged foods are priced equal, regardless of appearance.   According to Choice Magazine, the unit price of 1.2 kilos of Pedigree dog food works out to be 22% more expensive than the same product in a smaller tin. So much for buying in bulk being cheaper!   And packaging may appear to be the same size, but always check the net weight of the contents. You may be surprised to find as much as twenty percent net weight difference in two packets with the same dimensions.  Always work out the unit price if you don't know for sure and you'll smile when paying  the lowest price. We'll recognise you at the checkout because you'll be the nerd with the calculator, the full trolley and a huge grin!

Take ten minutes to save $100

Each week as you do your menu plan and shopping list (after you have inventoried your fridge, freezer and pantry) take fifteen minutes to check the specials and sales at your supermarkets. Use the junk mail or get online and check their websites to find who has what you want at the best price. Don't forget to look for substitutes -- your brand may not be on sale, but an identical product under another brand may well be. Check prices and special offers such as BOGOF, two for one, three for two, even coupons that could increase the value of your shopping dollar. Doing this can shave up to $100 (or more) from your food bill.

Choosing what organic foods to buy

Certain fruits and vegetables grown using pesticides have been shown to retain high levels of chemicals, even after washing. Root vegetables are especially good at sucking everything out of the soil they are grown in, including toxic chemicals used as fertilizer. Most of us can only afford a few organic items, so opt for the organic versions of the high-chemical foods, including: carrots, beetroot, potatoes, turnips, apples, capsicum ,celery, grapes, nectarines, cherries, spinach, tomatoes, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, pears and potatoes.

Some foods that generally don't retain pesticide residue after washing include: asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, kiwifruit, mangos, onions, papaya, pineapples, oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit.


Of course you can slash your organic food bill drastically by growing your own food.

Socks on the Loose!

Escapee socks can be a serious annoyance, especially if you have uniforms to wash. One good tip for minimising missing socks is to place all socks and underwear in their own basket and then wash together as a weekly load. Keep a bucket with a lid for sports socks that need to be soaked and dump them in it each morning. Then the night before wash day, fill it with hot water and soaker, put the lid on and let them soak. Tip the whole lot into the machine along with the rest of the load the next morning.

Sort and hang them in pairs so that when you take them off the line they are folded immediately. This way you should always have pairs of socks, putting and end to those that magically disappear. You should find this a better way of keeping socks together than simply washing them in with everything else.

Mulch, mulch, mulch

Summer is over but it's time to mulch the garden again, in preparation for winter, especially in frost zones.  Mulch not only helps with water evaporation, but it can offer protection from wind and frost too. Adding a thick layer around your winter veggies (leave a small area clear around each plant) will also help to insulate the soil, keeping it warm for good growing.  You can use bark, straw, mulched autumn leaves (and there are plenty of those around), even stones as mulch, you don't have to rush out and buy it.

Constant Compost

An easy way to ensure a never ending supply of lovely compost for your garden is to have two compost bins on the go. The first one will be the one you are using, it is already full of delicious compost. When you start to use it, begin to fill the second compost bin. As you add more garden clippings, leaves, peelings, shredded paper etc give each layer a light dusting of blood and bone. Your compost will be rich and chock full of good things for the soil (and your precious plants).

Plan ahead for supermarket success

It makes sense to be properly prepared to do your weekly or fortnightly grocery shopping. Before you set out for the supermarket, do a quick pantry and fridge inventory and plan your meals for the week around what you already have. Then use your meal plan to create a list to shop from, adding the ingredients and items you don't already have. When planning your meals, and your shopping list, make sure you include only the foods you need for optimum health and nothing more. It's the things we like but don't need in our diet that cause the grocery bill to rise.

Anzac Biscuits

Anzac biscuits used to be called Soldier's Biscuits because they were made by the wives and mothers of soldiers and sent to them in food parcels. The biscuits had to withstand slow travel by sea, without refrigeration, for up to two months and still be edible. And so the recipe of rolled oats, sugar, coconut, golden syrup, flour, bi carb soda and water was developed.

Ninety-six years on, ANZAC biscuits are still popular and loved by Australians.

ANZAC Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 cup plain flour
1 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp bicarb soda
2 tbsp boiling water

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Combine flour, oats, coconut and sugar. Melt butter and golden syrup. Mix bicarb soda into boiling water and add to the butter/golden syrup mixture. Pour into dry ingredients and mix well. Spoon walnut size dollops of mixture onto a well greased biscuit sheet, leaving room for spreading. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, until golden in colour. Cool on a cake rack before storing in air-tight containers. Makes approximately 1 1/2 dozen biscuits.

The perfect poached egg

Poached eggs on toast are great for breakfast, but getting the eggs poached to perfection can be tricky. If you have a bamboo steamer (you can get them from any Asian grocer for just a few dollars) you can use it to cook your eggs, quickly and easily. Fill a wok with water, put the bamboo steamer on it. Use a small dish, sauces dishes are ideal, for each egg. You can also buy silicone egg poachers which would work too, although they are quite pricey. Place the dishes into the steamer and pop the lid on. The eggs should be ready in five minutes, depending on how hard you like the yolks. Simply slide the egg from the dish onto hot, buttered toast and enjoy.

How to treat a dried stain

Dried-on stains are generally harder to remove than if they were treated while still fresh so it pays to treat stains fast if at all possible.  When it's not, and the stain has dried, you still have a chance of removing it if you follow this method.
   
1.With a damp sponge and working from the outer edge to the centre, wet the stain.
2.Make a stiff paste of bicarb soda and water.
3.With your fingertips gently rub the bicarb paste into the stain. Leave ten minutes. Don't allow the bicarb to dry on the stain.
4.Rinse completely under cool water. Wash as usual.

Happy Plants

Life can be hard on indoor plants as they can suffer from lack of fertiliser and natural light. To keep your plants happy and healthy and your decor fresh, keep a variety of plants in the same size pots and rotate them between inside and outside. This means they all get a chance to recover and stay looking good.

Stained Glass Craft Activity Keeps Kids Busy

I love doing craft with my grandchildren, but sometimes the thing that they would like to do can be quite expensive. I save  glass jam jars etc., clean them, soak the labels off and let them dry. When the kids comes over we look through colouring books and they choose a picture from the book that will fit inside the glass jar - a flower, cat, dog etc. We use this as a template to draw on the jar with a marker. Then we collect different coloured nail polishes and colour in the picture through the jar. Remove the picture from the jar. Once the polish is dry we get a tea light candle in a metal holder and put in the jar, and sit down to afternoon tea. The nail polish is cheap and dries very easily and once the grandchildren leave you can remove the painting from the jar with nail polish remover and have a new design painted for you next time they come to visit.
Contributed by Victoria, Avonsleigh

Not just for news

Newspapers are incredibly versatile in the garden. For example use them to keep the wet season weeds down around your fruit trees or as a mulch layer in flower beds. Just lay wet papers down, fairly thickly (a layer of about 10 pages works well), straight on top of the weeds.

Timing is everything to save

The day and time of day you shop can also save you money. Try to do your grocery shopping mid-week. The new weekly specials begin on a Monday but most supermarket and specialty shops do their own comparisons with their competitors so often you find more things are on special in the middle of the week or on weekends.

Shopping later in the day can also save you money at the supermarket. In particular bakery items, meat, and dairy items are often heavily marked down in the early evening (check the schedule with your supermarket). This is a great time to buy and you should stock up for future use. If you freeze these items on the same day you buy them not only will you never run out,  but they will taste as fresh as the day they were bought. The same applies to barbeque chickens. They are often marked down to half price or less just before closing time and they too can be frozen. Great for an emergency dinner, or for adding variety to a soup next week!

Best ever tile and grout cleaner

Combine 2 parts bicarb soda, 1 part borax and 1 part very hot water to make a thick paste. Wearing rubber gloves, apply this to the tile and grout. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes then scrub with a stiff brush. Rinse well with cool water. Dry off the tiles and grout with a soft towel. You'll find borax in the cleaning aisle of your supermarket.

Breakfast is ready

If you really like the variety of flavours and convenience of instant porridge but find it expensive when buying for a family, try making your own. Buy the family-size rolled oats (not quick oats) and use your crock-pot! We do this and it tastes great. Measure into your crockpot the normal ratio of one cup of oats to two cups water (this gives four regular or three hearty serves). We add cinnamon (about a teaspoon to every triple batch) and sometimes some dried apple or chopped dates or chopped dried apricots and flaked almonds. Turn the crock-pot on low for about eight hours (overnight) and wake up knowing breakfast is already taken care of in a very yummy way. We have also added brown sugar when in the mood. Or perhaps use golden or maple syrup as a substitute. This is by far our best and easiest breakfast when considering savings, convenience and nutritional content.

Who left the tissue in their pocket?

That's the question that echoes from laundries all over the country, especially during the cold and flu season.  Renegade tissues can coat an entire wash in minute pieces of white fluff that simply refuse to be shaken free. The solution is to simply to place the load in the dryer before folding and putting away (dry the clothes on the clothesline as usual). Let the clothes tumble on the cool cycle for ten minutes, remove from the dryer, give each piece a good shake, clean the lint filter and then place the load back in the dryer for another five minutes to make sure all the tissue is gone.

Growing Garlic

Garlic is one of the most used ingredients in cooking and it is also one of the most expensive to buy. It is so easy to grow, and does equally as well grown in pots or garden beds and now is the time to plant. Choose Australian garlic - in the supermarket you'll notice it is more expensive than imported Chinese garlic BUT it will grow. Imported garlic has been treated with chemicals to inhibit sprouting and to bleach the cloves. It may be cheap but it's not the best available.

Garlic likes a free draining soil, so prepare the soil with lots of compost, turning it over and digging down to at least 20cm. Then simply break the garlic into cloves and plant each clove pointy end up about 6 - 7cm down. Cover lightly with soil, measure a hand span and plant the next clove.

In a few weeks green shoots will appear and grow. Feed once a month or so with liquid seaweed and give a light to dressing of blood and bone. When the leaves start to turn brown the garlic is ready for harvesting. The heads will start to dry and form the papery skin we recognise. Always dig your garlic rather than pulling, pulling could damage the cloves, causing them to rot. Brush off any dirt and hang the garlic in a cool, dry spot to dry off completely. Your garlic should last at least six months if stored correctly.

I love growing garlic, in pots and the veggie beds, because it really is easy and low maintenance.

Shopping Competition

Statistics show that where there is an Aldi supermarket, Coles and Woolworths in the same complex or near by are generally cheaper than Coles and Woolworths in a shopping centre where there is no Aldi. The same applies to specialty chicken shops, butchers and greengrocers. So even if you don’t plan on shopping at Aldi, at least try to shop at a centre where there is an Aldi.

For a sparkling toilet

Turn the water off at the cistern and flush the toilet. The toilet bowl should be empty as no water was allowed to fill after the flush. Spray full-strength white vinegar around the inside of the toilet bowl, making sure you get it up under the rim. Sprinkle with borax. Let this soak for 30 minutes. Scrub with a stiff toilet brush to get rid of the ring and stains. Turn on the water at the toilet tank, allow the tank to fill and then flush to rinse.  You will find borax in the cleaning aisle of your supermarket.

It's not what you can't have, but what you can afford

We don't use the "B" word (budget) very often in the Cheapskates Club. It scares most people, focussing their thinking on all the things they can't have rather than all the things they can have because they have a budget.  Instead, Cheapskates have Spending Plans. Spending Plans show you all the things you can afford to have right now. Spending Plans also let you own those things immediately, rather than just renting them when you buy with credit.

So, when you think about your Spending Plan, don't see it as about being what you can't have. Instead, look at it as a plan for you to have the things you want. And when you are working out your Spending Plan, don't deprive yourself.  Build in the odd treat and some "mad money" and sticking to your Spending Plan will be easy.

Weevil Free

There is nothing so disappointing as opening a new packet of food only to find it is infested with weevils. There seems to be an unusually large plague of weevils (and other creepy crawlies) at the moment and while we can't tell if they are in the food we buy until we get it home, we can do our bit to control them. To keep your pantry and food weevil free, put it straight into the freezer for a week when you bring it home. Leave it in the packaging, it will be fine. They are in flour, cereals, rice, grains even pulses.  Freezing will stop the breeding cycle and kill any live weevils in the food.

After a week you can either transfer it to clean, dry, airtight containers and keep it in the pantry or leave it in the freezer. Choose a canister or container with a tight seal to keep out air, moisture and any bugs that happen to be flying around. Adding a bay leaf to each canister will also act as a deterrent, as will sprinkling bay leaves on your pantry shelves.

Cleaning Up Not-So-Washable Crayon Stains

Little children love to draw and crayons are the easiest medium for their little fingers and developing fine motor skills but they can mean ruination for clothing.  I am sure that just about everyone has seen the list of miracles that a can of WD-40 can perform. I was and still am sceptical of most of them, but this WD-40 tip really does work.

If the garment is going to be ruined by the crayon stain then you have nothing to lose by trying this. Spray WD-40 onto the stain to saturate it. If you think you will be able to rescue the garment, spray an inside seam or hem first to test for colourfastness. Let it rest for about 5 minutes then rinse thoroughly under running water. Pour some dishwashing liquid onto the stain and gently rub in with your fingertips, moving from the outside in to avoid spreading the stain. Rinse and repeat each time the dishwashing liquid takes up the colour of the crayon. Keep doing this until all the crayon has been removed then wash in the hottest water the fabric can take.

Chilli Bug Off

Even if you don’t like spicy foods, you should plant a row of hot chilli plants in your garden for their bug repelling effects.

Place a handful of dried, hot peppers in the food processor, seeds and all, and grind to a dust. Wear rubber gloves and take care not to get the dust on your skin or eyes. Sprinkle around garden plants to repel ants, slaters and other pests.

The chilli plants are attractive and make good borders for garden beds as well as being productive and useful in the garden.

Make Your Own Easter Goodies

Instead of spending a lot of money on chocolate and prepackagedlollies etc, make homemade cookies (use rabbit shaped cookie cutters) and other sweets to be enjoyed as part of your celebration. You can buy chocolate moulds for around $2 each and they can be re-used yearafter year. Then buy chocolate when it's on sale and make your own Easter eggs. You can fill them with Smarties etc if you like. To join the two halves just run some melted chocolate around the edges and hold themtogether for a few minutes. If you have a lot to do, you can make a few each night, they don't take long.

Contributed by Linda, Nunawading.

Stacking Dishes

This is a good way to use up that packet of coffee filters sitting in the cupboard taking up space. When you stack your good china plates or bowls on top of each other in the cupboard, place a coffee filter between each china piece to prevent scratches or chips. If you don't have coffee filters, you can use cloth serviettes (I have half a dozen sets that were wedding gifts) or even bubble wrap odds and ends from parcels. Putting something between the layers of crockery will also stop fragile items from sticking together and breaking when you try to take them apart.

Beginning to Budget

Start with small, achievable budget goals, ones that keep you motivated. Be flexible and realistic - don't aim for the stars straight away. You need to live within the budget you set so be sure to allow room for changes. Budgets are meant to be fluid, just like our incomes, they are not meant to be set in concrete for ever and a day. And try to include some "mad money" to keep you motivated. Being able to spend some money without having to account for it  can stop you from blowing your budget completely.

Citrus Fresh

When you get that "something is off" odour in the fridge it can be hard to shift. Try slicing up a grapefruit laying it on an open saucer in the fridge.  This eliminates both new and old odours and leaves the fridge smelling sweet again.

Sort it Out

The best way to save money in the laundry is to sort those piles of washing. Sort whites from colours and fluffy items from dark to avoid needing to do extra treatments; sort drying into piles of similar fabrics so that if you must use the dryer it’s on for as short a time as possible. Sort heavy garments from lighter garments, washing them first to give them more drying time. Sort washing into easy to manage groups to make hanging and folding easier. I always hang in "people" i.e. I hang all my things together, then everyone's clothes in turn. This means that as I take things off the line and fold them they are already sorted, ready to be put straight away. Putting the washing away is a breeze because it is already sorted.

Homemade Insect Soap

Insect soaps are available in any organic gardening aisle, but you can make a homemade spray that’s just as effective for aphids, caterpillars, and other bugs. Add 3 drops of mild dishwashing liquid to 2 litres of water. Add 1 tablespoon of ordinary cooking oil. Pour into a spray bottle. Spray plants to the point of saturation, but don’t spray on blossoms.

Dressing a Teenager the Cheapskates Way

Clothing is really important to a lot of teenagers, and they certainly don’t want their parents picking out everything for them, budget or not. However, fashion sense can’t be allowed to dictate the family finances. Still, it is possible to stick to a clothing budget without alienating your teen!

Teens know what they want, but they don’t always know how much it costs. Tell your teens how much you are willing to spend on clothing, then spend some time going through catalogues and internet sites to look at prices. Explain that if they spend half the budget on one pair of jeans…then they’ll be doing a lot of laundry! They might not be thrilled with the budgeted amount, but at least they’ll have the information.

Freshening pillows and stuffed toys

With winter fast approaching, now is the time to get some "autumn" cleaning done before the weather turns.  Warm sunny days are ideal for washing summer bedding before it's put away and the winter blankets are brought out. It's also a great time to wash pillows and all those stuffed toys the kids have. You can wash them in the washing machine easily if you put them into a pillowcase. Wash on the delicate cycle with a gentle detergent and they will come out smelling fresh and they won't be a matted mess.  To avoid items coming out of the pillowcase during washing, use a hair tidy to close the open end. Choose a windy day and hang on the clothesline to dry.

Hang Up Your Recipe Books

Use a clip type skirt hanger to hang a magazine style  or light hardback recipe book from your overhead cupboard door while cooking. This protects the book from spills and puts the recipe at eye level. The clamps on skirt hangers are heavy enough to hold the book in place and light enough not to damage the pages.

Keeping a Busy Box to Keep Kids Occupied

Tip of the Day

With school holidays coming up, having craft supplies on hand can be a good thing, especially when your children are bored. Pull out the busy box and let them do a simple craft. You don't need to spend a fortune on craft supplies, however you can still let your children make crafts with everyday objects they find around the house. Find a box (any size will do to start with) and fill it with things that can be used for crafting. Egg cartons, wrapping paper, greeting cards, junk mail, fancy scissors (99c a pair at Riot Art), cheap glue sticks, PVA glue, glitter, chenille sticks, stickers - whatever you come across. Look in your cupboards and you’ll probably find everything you need for at least a few craft items.

You'll find some great age appropriate craft ideas at these websites:
http://home.disney.com.au/activities/
www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/
www.dltk-kids.com/
www.crayola.com

Switching the garden beds

Tip of the Day

Plant rotation is important because different plants deplete different nutrients in the soil so now is the time to create next summer's garden on paper. You don't need to rebuild beds, just reposition the plantings. If you have had tomatoes in the same place for years, move them to another part of the garden. Rotating planting positions gives the soil time to recover. Planning also gives you the chance to figure out a garden budget and to grow from seed, so much cheaper than buying seedlings from the nursery.

Digital fun

Tip of the Day

If you have a digital camera and photo software, teach your children how to use it, including uploading to the computer and saving them. A lot of photo software has the capabilities to do all sorts of fun things with pictures such as creating photo collages, photo cards, photo calendars and once you get going on all this, the ideas are endless!

If you can buy it, you can more than likely make it!

Tip of the Day

Making most of what we eat from scratch has really cut our costs. In return I have been able to make my family healthy foods for less than half of what I could buy them for, and I know exactly what is in it and where it has been. No need to worry about some 14 letter ingredient that I have never heard of and cannot pronounce and no more worrying about allergies. Just about everything you buy can be made at home. Make a list of the ingredients on the packaging of your favourite foods and go home and make it. There are lots of MOOs in the Recipe File for nicer, healthier and cheaper bought foods.

Top 7 Ways to Cut Grocery Costs Part Seven

One of the easiest ways to cut costs and save money is to cut your grocery budget. Yes, you have to eat, but there are plenty of options. It is the one are of your budget that you can manage to the very cent without starving. This is hint number seven in the series.

Use your price book
The concept of a price book is most likely new to you. It's not something we Australians have used as a part of living the Cheapskates way until recently. But it sure makes shopping and saving money easy. Simply by recording the price of every item you buy in a little notebook, you have a ready reckoner of just where you'll be able to get the very best price. When you buy an item record the price. Then, when you go to buy that item again, check your price book. If the price is lower, buy it and record the cost in your price book. If it's higher then you'll need to decide if you need it immediately or can wait until it is on sale. When you make up your shopping list, write down beside the item how much it costs (based on the price book) and  tally it up at the end. This will help you stay within your grocery budget.

Top 7 Ways to Cut Grocery Costs Part Six

One of the easiest ways to cut costs and save money is to cut your grocery budget. Yes, you have to eat, but there are plenty of options. It is the one are of your budget that you can manage to the very cent without starving. This is hint number six n the series.

Ditch the store loyalty
This obviously isn’t feasible for everybody, but it is something that you should think about. Most of us live within easy access of the three major supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths and Aldi) and at least one or two of the smaller independents. Shopping only at one supermarket will cost you money.  To follow the sales cycle you need to be prepared to shop multiple stores to get the lowest prices and best deals.  Shopping multiple stores will give you a better idea of prices and a better idea of what a good sale price is. You don’t need to always shop at multiple shops, but it does pay to at least divide your shopping between the two biggest in your area.

For country Cheapskates, shopping locally can be expensive simply because of the lack of competition. If it is at all possible consider doing a big shop in your nearest big town once every four or five weeks and stocking up.

Top 7 Ways to Cut Grocery Costs Part Five

One of the easiest ways to cut costs and save money is to cut your grocery budget. Yes, you have to eat, but there are plenty of options. It is the one are of your budget that you can manage to the very cent without starving. This is hint number five in the series.

Bigger isn't always cheaper
Buying in bigger packages isn’t always cheaper, so make sure that you are getting the best deal. Unit pricing helps you compare brands and package sizes to find the cheapest price but for stores who don't show unit prices carry a small calculator or use the calculator function on your mobile phone and work it out yourself.  And remember a “sale” isn’t always a sale.

Healthy Eating

I am on a healthy eating kick. Not that we were eating unhealthily but we could be doing better.

Hectic schedules, mostly mine, have meant that our meals have been thrown together quickly and not really thought out. That in turn meant that I would look at the menu plan, grab the meat or whatever rout of the freezer and cook it, with either some vegetables or a salad. Or even resort to takeaway!  And that's where our healthy eating crumbled.

We have always been big veggie eaters. Lots of them, all different kinds, cooked in lots of different ways. Did you know that there are hundreds of ways to serve potato? Or carrots, cabbage and zucchini? And that peas and beans can be used as the basis for vegetarian dishes, not just as a token green side on a plate of meat?

Salads for us have always been a full meal with a side of meat, chicken or fish if I felt like it. Until recently, when the meat portion has taken over, and the salad has become a lettuce leaf, slice of tomato, sliver of cheese and half a baby beet.

When I stepped on the scales on Sunday I saw the result of my careless attitude and lack of planning. In my busyness I figured that as long as there were vegetables on the plate we were eating properly. Not so, according to the scales and my clothes.

And so I am back to looking after my family first, home and garden second and work last. If my family isn't healthy and our home clean, tidy and organized then my family isn't happy. If my family isn't happy, then I am not happy. And if I am not happy everything falls in a heap.

This week I have increased our fruit and vegetable intake, almost doubled it in fact, and drastically reduced the amount of meat, chicken and fish we have been consuming. Before you write to me and tell me that we need meat, chicken and fish, let me assure you that we are getting plenty of protein, and iron, and whatever else they supply. All I have done is gone back to serving the recommended portions, a piece of red meat or chicken no bigger than the palm of my hand. I have a BIG hand, so it's still probably larger than the recommended portion.

So far no one has noticed or if they have they haven't complained. A much appreciate side benefit is the dramatic drop in the grocery bill. I did my big shop last week and it came to $144.68 for the month's groceries and that included some meat and fish.  We still have plenty of greens in the garden and mum and I have been swapping. I give her a bag of eggplant and capsicums and she's keeping us in tomatoes and beans.

Now for something not so healthy but lots of fun - gummy worms. My kids love gummy worms, especially the sour ones but they are rather expensive and not so good for those of watching what we eat. In the spirit of MOO I did some research, found a recipe and in typical Cath fashion completely changed it to come up with my own version of Sour Gummy Worms. They've passed the kids' taste test so here's the recipe. Try them, they really are yummy.


Sour Gummy Worms
Ingredients:
1  85g box of jelly crystals
3 tsp gelatine or agar agar
1 tsp citric acid
1/2 cup water

Method:
Mix all ingredients in a small sauce pan until it resembles play dough. Cook over a low heat until everything has melted. Once completely melted pour into a well greased 20cm square cake tin and freeze for 5 minutes. When very firm tip pan upside down to remove. Cut into "worms" with a pizza cutter or very sharp kitchen scissors. You can then roll them in sugar or leave as is. They won't last long!

Notes:
*We like green worms, but any colour will do. Use whatever jelly crystals you have in the cupboard.
*We also like them very sour. You may not. Adjust the amount of citric acid to suit your personal taste.
*If you don't use jelly crystals but make your own jellies with a fruit juice base, increase the amount of agar agar (or gelatine) and use fruit juice in place of the water.

I have an uncontrollable urge

...to cook! Not like me at all. Don't get me wrong, I love being able to give my family dinners that are tasty, nutritious and look nice on the plate, and of course cheap.  But let's face it, cooking dinner for the same people whose tastes rarely change is just plain boring.

If Wayne and the boys had their way it would be steak or sausages and mashed potato every night. Hannah loves salads and pasta. I like variety and as I am the mother, cook and the cleaner I get to choose what we eat. Hopefully it's at the very least nutritious.

I've just made toasted sandwiches for AJ's lunch (he has late Uni today) and really there's not much you can do to a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich to glam it up. But that gorgeous boy (who is really at 19 a man already, where did my baby go?) just told me I am a great cook. Over toasted sandwiches. I almost burst into tears.

When I think of the disasters that he and the others have had to eat (a particularly distasteful salmon and rice dish springs to mind) with barely a complaint it makes me want to lift my game even more and produce even better meals for them. Within budget of course.

What caused this urge? I can't be certain but it could be the lovely Donna Hay recipe book I was given, or watching Julie and Julia on DVD or even finding the Martha Stewart show on TV each weekday afternoon.  It could even have been finding my mother's Commonsense Cookery book when I was tidying the kitchen cupboards a few weeks ago. Perhaps it's my goal to make our meals healthier than they have been.Or any combination of these things.

It kind of goes hand in hand with my cooking from scratch ethos.  I don't have many recipe books that use packet mixes or convenience foods (the only one that springs to mind is my Edmonds Cookery Book and that's only because it recommends Edmonds brand products).

All my cooking hasn't cost very much. Keeping a stocked pantry and freezer help. And of course choosing the recipes to suit the ingredients in the house. Last Tuesday's effort was a delicious vegetable moussaka, made with onions, celery, tomatoes, eggplant and capsicum from the garden and topped with a deceptively simply béchamel  sauce. It was so good and there was leftovers. They disappeared at lunchtime the next day.

Saturday night I tried a new taco filling, using refried beans and only 250g mince. It was so yummy, no leftovers at all and marked a winner by everyone.

I haven't decided what new recipe I'll try this week, but I am having lots of fun looking through the recipe books.

Top 7 Ways to Cut Grocery Costs Part Four

One of the easiest ways to cut costs and save money is to cut your grocery budget. Yes, you have to eat, but there are plenty of options. It is the one are of your budget that you can manage to the very cent without starving. This is hint number four in the series.

Use that shopping list
That is why you made it, so stick to it!  If it's not on the list, don't buy it. The only exception would be for something you know you need but haven't listed and that you don't have a substitute for already at home or on the list. You have already switched to a cash grocery budget so adding things that are not on the list is going to blow your budget out of the water and possibly leave you embarrassed at the checkout.

Top 7 Ways to Cut Grocery Costs Part Three

One of the easiest ways to cut costs and save money is to cut your grocery budget. Yes, you have to eat, but there are plenty of options. It is the one are of your budget that you can manage to the very cent without starving. This is hint number three in the series.

Menu planning
Knowing what you are going to prepare for dinner and writing down all of the ingredients you need from the supermarket will not only keep your grocery budget on track , but it will save you unnecessary trips which inevitably end up with you impulse shopping and spending more in the process.  It also avoids the “It’s 4pm and I have no idea what is for dinner!” urge to pick up takeaway or eat out. With a menu plan you will end up with more time, less stress and more money. Doesn’t get any better than that!

Top 7 Ways to Cut Grocery Costs Part Two

One of the easiest ways to cut costs and save money is to cut your grocery budget. Yes, you have to eat, but there are plenty of options. It is the one are of your budget that you can manage to the very cent without starving. This is hint number two in the series.

Watch those sales
It is unbelievable how much money you can save by watching the sale cycles! My rule of thumb as far as non-urgent items is if the item isn’t on sale..I will not use buy it unless I know for sure that I will need it before the next sale or before the next shopping day.  If you don't want to shop the sale cycles, check the loss leaders each week. Loss leaders are the items supermarkets mark way down to get you into the store to buy other overpriced items, usually located at the ends of the aisles.

Top 7 Ways to Cut Grocery Costs.

Tip of the Day

One of the easiest ways to cut costs and save money is to cut your grocery budget. Yes, you have to eat, but there are plenty of options. It is the one are of your budget that you can manage to the very cent without starving. Everyday for the next week I am going to share one of the top seven ways to cut your grocery costs.

No. 1. Cash
To stick to your grocery budget (and who doesn't?) the easiest and most effective way is to move to cash budget. Good old fashioned notes and coins. It will save you a heap of money, ensure you only buy what you need and stop those impulse purchases on the spot. You will have total and complete control of your grocery budget, without the emotional and psychological pulls of a credit card. If you haven't tried it, I recommend that you do. You'll be amazed at the power you have over your spending.

Homemade v Jars

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

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

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

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

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

Hmmm...

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

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

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

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

Simple scratch disguise

Tip of the Day

Make your own inexpensive cover-up for those horrible furniture scratches. Just mix instant coffee and cool water into a thick paste and rub into the scratch. It hides the nicks and scratches on your dark wood furniture beautifully

Homemade Fabric Softener

Tip of the Day

Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup hair conditioner

Method:
Stir everything together and pour into a bottle. Use two to three tablespoonfuls per load, depending on the size of your washing machine.

This is a great fabric softener and is a good way to use up any conditioner you have that you don't like. You can use cheap conditioner and it works. And of course the cheaper conditioners come in fragrances such as strawberry and green apple if you like your washing perfumed.

Easy Chopping Garlic

Tip of the Day

If you have to chop garlic by hand and don’t want it to stick to your hands, put a little drop of vegetable oil on the clove and then begin chopping. The garlic pieces won’t stick to your skin or the knife.

How I spent the Labour day holiday

It's so nice to have a long weekend, especially in the middle of a very busy school term.

I did have plans to spend time today working in the garden, extending the veggie patch. Instead we spent the morning cleaning up the aftermath of Saturday's storm.

It was a doozy. I usually love storms but this one was ferocious, not like the storms we would normally get this time of year. The wind was howling, so loud we couldn't hear ourselves speak outside. The graceful gum trees in the bush behind us were blown almost horizontal in the constant force of the wind. No gusts of wind. And no chance to spring back up and brace for the next blast. Just one long, continuous howling gale.

And then the hail came. Without warning, chunks of ice were suddenly falling from the sky. Not the cute little hail stones we are used to, but huge, hard chunks that looked like blocks of white butter falling from the sky.

It lasted a long time. Almost half an hour of pelting hail and howling wind, followed by a torrential downpour of rain, too much too soon. One awful, very loud crack and the ceiling in Hannah's bedroom started to leak. Then it started in another spot, and another and another, until we had nine buckets in there catching the water pouring through. The hail had broken two tiles, shattered them into small pieces, which left a gaping hole in the roof.

The gutters, already filled with ice, couldn't handle the rain and they overflowed. The eaves along the east side of the house became waterlogged and collapsed.

The roof on the verandah couldn't stand the pounding and gave way in seven spots, dumping ice on the tree ferns.

And my garden. My precious babies were buried in ice, blown by the wind and drowned by the rain. And yet when I was able to go and check, there was only one capsicum on the ground. Some of the plants had lost a leaf or two, but the eggplants were still there, without a blemish, the capsicums were hanging on, even the parsley was starting to perk up.

Unfortunately the greenhouse was torn to shreds. Two of my seedling boxes were blown off the table and some of the styro boxes were actually blown out of the greenhouse and down the yard.

The apple tree that was stripped of it's fruit just over a week ago was on Saturday stripped bare of it's leaves. They looked like  a lovely light green carpet over the lawn.

We are so much better off than many of our neighbours. Wayne was able to replace the tiles (thank goodness we had spares) and the carpet in Hannah's room is almost dry. The wet insulation has been lifted to dry and there is only a faint watermark on the ceiling.

The garden will recover and I've already started to work out how to fix the greenhouse. All those lovely leaves will do well in the compost and the apple tree was starting to drop it's leaves anyway.

I was rather tired by lunchtime though so something fun inside seemed to be in order.

Out came the sewing machine and the pile of UFOs in the hall cupboard. I managed to finish off the handtowels for the kitchen and they look so lovely. The Disney embroidery turned out especially nice and suits the pink of the towel too I think.  I even had a cute little pink button in the jar, just waiting to be used for something special.

Please excuse the fingerprints on the grill door!

There is a How To... with the pattern and instructions for making these hand towels in the Member's Centre if you are interested. You can get two kitchen towels from one regular hand towel, with just a scrap of fabric needed for the topper.

Fabric Serviettes

Make lovely cloth napkins out of old shirts.  You can use any pattern fabric and they will look great on your dinner table,  They will also reduce the need for paper serviette. Faded plaids and checked patterns look especially great.

Make them from favourite shirts so everyone has their own set of napkins. I did this with an old shirt of Hannah's that she just loved and wore almost to the point of it falling apart. Now she has serviettes made from her favourite shirt and we all know that the pink plaid napkins are for her use only.

To make them wash the shirt and then simply cut 30cm squares from the fronts and back. You can hem or overlock the edges or for a more casual look stitch a 1cm border inside the edge of the fabric and fray the  ends.

Now is the time to stock up on cheap (but nice) chocolate

It's almost Easter, the supermarkets have had hot cross buns since boxing day and Easter eggs have been out since early February.

If you use chocolate for cooking (I'm thinking the topping on a caramel slice or in a lovely hot chocolate) then you'll know that it has become rather expensive of late. I used to use the 1c/1g rule and buy on sale but it's been a long time since I've been able to get a 100g block of chocolate for $1.

Until I did the grocery shopping on Friday. Aldi have their Easter range in store now. They are selling 125g milk chocolate bunnies for just 79c each. And I can tell you that the chocolate is just lovely - not quite to Lindt quality, but almost. In the interest of my readers I had to sample it before I could tell you about it ;)

 

Just 79c for 125g of good quality chocolate - who said you had to eat it for Easter?

 
That equates to just $1.58 for 250g of good quality milk chocolate. I've just jumped on Coles Online and Woolworths Homeshop and the cheapest block of chocolate was a 100g block Cadbury Dairy Milk for $1.49 on sale (regularly $3.26!).

These eggs disappear fast, I know from past Easters, so if you like chocolate and can get to an Aldi, now is the time to stock up.

Just remember where you hide them!

Keeping everything neat

Tip of the Day

If you’ve ever spent several frantic minutes searching for your keys on your way out the door or looked everywhere for that hammer just to hang up a few pictures, you know that being disorganized can eat up a lot of your time. It can cost you money too. Having to buy replacements when you already have what you need but just can't find it is a waste of money, time and energy. Tidy cupboards, under sinks and even your garage or garden shed and put the things you want to keep in boxes or bins with labels so that you’ll be able to find them when you need them.

A delicious homemade cracker recipe for you to try

I've been asked over and over for a recipe for crackers, one that is easy to make and that actually makes crackers rather than just a savoury biscuit. This recipe is so simple, and made with everyday pantry ingredients. It has a delicious nutty flavour from the sesame seeds and bakes to a delightfully crisp cracker, perfect for dips or using as a base for savouries.

Crisp Sesame Crackers

Ingredients:
2 cups quick rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
3 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup cold butter
1/2 cup ice cold water plus one tablespoon if needed

Method:
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius.  Grind the oats about 1/2 cup at a time in your blender or food processor. Do not over-process. The oats should be coarsely ground.  Add the flour, sesame seeds, sugar, salt, and baking powder and stir to combine.  Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.   Make a well in the centre and pour the 1/2 cup cold water into the well. Stir with a flat blade knife until the mixture comes together. Add the extra tablespoon of water if required, then knead just until you have a ball of dough, do not over knead. Roll the dough out to 3mm thick. Cut crackers into circles with a cookie cutter or glass. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Prick the crackers in two or three places with a fork.  Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until the crackers are baked and dry. Let sit on the cookie sheet for five minutes and then remove them to a wire rack to cool.

Tip:  The secret of crisp crackers is a long, slow baking time. The crackers need to cook long enough for all moisture to be evaporated from the dough.

This recipe is also in the Recipe File, in the Cheapskates Club Member's Centre.

Avoid the Paint Mess

Tip of the Day

When doing other messy jobs, keep plastic sandwich bags nearby. If you have to answer the phone or the door or even scratch your nose, just slip your hand in a bag and avoid spreading the mess.

Zipping Up and Down Freely

Tip of the Day

It is time to get the winter woollies out of storage and ready for the coming cold. If you have zip front jackets or hoodies the zip may have become stubborn and sticky over the summer. Just rub a lead pencil up and down both sides of the zipper and it should glide with ease.

Ditch the Trolley

Tip of the Day

A great way to stop impulse buying during those quick supermarket trips is to not use a basket or trolley.
You can only buy what you can carry, usually no more than what you went in for. Try it in department stores too and see just how much you don't buy.

The Full Pantry

If you've been a Cheapskates Club member for a while you will know that one of my favourite places for buying bulk dry-goods is The Full Pantry.

Located in the Melbourne's outer eastern suburb of Croydon in the Croydon market shopping centre, The Full Pantry was the only place I could find when we first moved back here that sold bulk quantities (real bulk quantities, not those supermarket sized "bulk" packets) of gluten flour.

Anyway, on Tuesday Wayne came home with a flyer, so excited because he had found somewhere he just knew I'd love - The Full Pantry!

Bless him, he looked quite dejected when I said I shopped there all the time. Then he looked stunned as he asked "do you drive all the way to Yarra Glen just to buy flour?" and confused when I said "no, just to Croydon."

Turns out they've opened another shop (yay) in Yarra Glen and he was working there doing the locks (after all that is his job) when he decided I would really love shopping at  a real bulk dry-goods store.  He's right I do absolutely love it.

 I not only get my gluten flour there, but other flours, grains, nuts, beans and lentils, soup mixes, dried fruits and TVP.

The Full Pantry is the only place in Melbourne I have found that actually sells loose TVP. I can buy 5kg at a time without a hiccup.

So, if you live near Croydon or Yarra Glen and want a really good dry-goods store, I wholeheartedly recommend The Full Pantry. It's a family owned and run business with great prices.

You'll find the new shop at the Yarra Glen Shopping Centre, Shop 38. It's open Monday-Saturday.
The Croydon shop is located at Centro Croydon, Kent Avenue, Croydon.

Stay Organized

Tip of the Day

If you’ve ever spent several frantic minutes searching for your keys on your way out the door or looked everywhere for that hammer just to hang up a few pictures, you know that being disorganized can eat up a lot of your time. Clean out cupboards, under sinks, and even your garage or garden shed and put items you want to keep in boxes or bins with labels so that you’ll be able to find the items when you need them.

You don't need Mr Muscle!

I have just seen an ad on TV for Mr Muscle drain cleaner. Guaranteed to clear blocked drains and leave them sparkling clean and draining freely.

If you have seen or see the ad, don't rush out and buy it. You don't need to. Most likely you already have everything you need to clear a blocked drain and keep them draining nicely without having to buy a bottle of something.

 

Flush the drain regularly to keep it clean and clear of gunk

To help dissolve scum and hair in sluggish bathroom basin and bath drains, pour a mixture of 1-cup salt, 1-cup bicarb soda and ½ cup white vinegar into the drain. Then let stand for 15 minutes and flush with 4 litres boiling water followed by flushing hot tap water down the drain for 1 minute. You can repeat this process if necessary. Hint: Salt will keep small roots from taking up residence in your pipes.  (This tip is in the Tip Store and my book.) 

Much easier and safer than pouring a chemical down the drain.


I do this once a month in the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry. The drains never block or become sluggish and they don't smell horrible either.

Bun and Butter Custard

Fruit buns are yummy fresh and delicious toasted. But what do you do with the stale leftovers? Use them in a bread and butter custard. Just cut the buns in half, butter, spread with a little marmalade (trust me - it's great) and lay them in the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Then make a custard with eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla and pour over the top. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon or nutmeg. Bake in a bain marie (place the casserole in a baking dish of cold water that comes about a third of the way up the sides) in a moderate oven until the custard is set, 35 - 40 minutes should do it.

Personalized Keepsake Gift

For a personalized gift for an engagement, wedding, christening, twenty-first birthday or other special occasion turn the invitation into the gift.  Buy a photo frame and a mat in colours that compliment the invitation and frame it. If you can't find a mat to suit, cut one to size from scrapbooking cardstock. It comes in a myriad of colours and can be bought by the sheet.  This turns an invitation into a piece of memorabilia artwork that can be kept and displayed.

Make a Cage Skirt and Keep the Seed In the Cage

Tip of the Day

I love to hear the beautiful whistle of canaries throughout the day but hate the mess they make by scattering their seed everywhere. After some thought about the problem – I decided to use an old terylene shower curtain I no longer needed after our bathroom was revamped. Before I put the birds in the cage - I fitted the curtain around it and secured it with pins. I then sewed up the sides and cut off the excess material. Then I sewed wide elastic around the top on the inside. It is very important to remove all loose threads which the birds could get tangled in or pull at. It works a treat – looks tidy and keeps the seed inside the cage - off the floor. It is also machine washable and dries quickly. If you don’t have an old shower curtain – you will find one at the op. shops anytime. The covers sell for around $15 on eBay –mine cost me nothing except a little thought and time.  

Contributed by Janet, Morphett Vale

Sharing the good life

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

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

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

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


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

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

Look Locally for Entertainment

Tip of the Day 27 February 2010

Check with local schools, civic theatres, dance academies and churches for performing arts events. Some of the best performances you and your family will ever attend are nearby in your very own neighbourhood and are extremely affordable.

The Turn it Off Game

Tip of the Day 26 February 2010

When you have children saving money on electricity can seem like a never ending battle. Getting kids to automatically turn lights off when they leave the room or switch the TV and Playstation off at the wall when they have finished playing can be frustrating.

Try this game and see how fast they "remember" to switch things off.

At the beginning of every month put an equal number of twenty cent coins in a different cup for each person in the house. If someone leaves a room without turning off the light, TV, etc. the person who discovers it gets to take a coin from the offender's cup and put it in their own. At the end of the month, each person gets to keep what money is left in his or her cup.

The first month, a lot of money will move between the cups. Later, as everyone becomes more aware of the consequences if they forget to turn appliances off, it will slow down. You'll be teaching your kids to save electricity in a fun way and the bonus will be a significant drop on the electricity bill.

A Book Club with a Difference

Tip of the Day 25 February 2010

We all like to flick through the occasional magazine for a treat - or to buy that bestseller to read during the holidays - but they add up to so much money that could be better spent! A friend I know has a 'book Club' with a difference. Each month each person in the group buys a particular magazine, reads it then passes it on. In her group there are 5 people so they each get to read 5 magazines every month while only paying for one! For the holidays they agree on a list of books, each person buys 1 but they all get to read 5! At the end if the books are not able to be passed on or if no one wants to add them to a bookshelf, they are sold on Trade Me and the profits split or 'recycled'. Fantastic savings!

Contributed by Jane, Palmerston North

Pot Roast Recipe

I've had a few requests for the recipe for the pot roast I did on Sunday. It was delicious and I have no idea where I found it. It was scribbled on a slip of paper and tucked into my recipe file so I'm guessing it was on either a TV or radio show. Here it is, I hope you like it as much as we did. And thank you to whoever gave it to me.

Pot Roast

Ingredients:
1kg  piece beef suitable for roasting
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups beef stock - homemade or from a stock cube
1/2 cup red wine
3 large onions, peeled and quartered
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp tomato paste
1kg carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1kg potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters

Method:
Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. In a large, heavy, oven-proof casserole or Dutch Oven heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle roast all over with salt and pepper. Place in pan and brown on all sides. This takes about  about 10 minutes.  Turn the meat fat side up. Add stock, wine, if using, onions, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir in tomato paste. Bring to a simmer, cover; put in the oven, and roast for 3 hours. Add carrots and potatoes, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 1 hour more.

Because of the long, slow, gentle cooking this recipe is perfect for tough cuts.  If you are not sure which cut to use ask your butcher. Be sure to tell him that it cooks for at least four hours in the oven so he can advise you of the choicest piece of meat to use.
 
Next time I cook this recipe I will add more stock to make more gravy.  You may like to increase the stock to 3 cups if you like lots of gravy with your meat and potatoes.

We would normally get two meals from a roast like this but it was so nice that the Fridge Fairies visited during the night and all that was left was the empty plate!

Recycling Brilliance

 I use the microwave every day for all sorts of things, like yesterday's preserving marathon so when it started to take 3 minutes to boil a mug of water it was out with the old and a nice new, super efficient microwave now sits in pride of place on the kitchen bench. But what to do with the old one?  This fantastic idea popped into my inbox and now my old microwave is on it's way to a friend to be put to use.
 
From Microwave to Mailbox
Recently we needed to replace our microwave oven (it was about 17 years old, so it had had a good innings). The old microwave became our mailbox! (We had just moved to our new house in a rural area.) It is perfect for parcels and larger items as well as letters. The carousel and little wheels underneath it from inside the microwave didn't go to waste either, they are now in my pantry. They make a perfect 'lazy Susan' for all my spices so I can spin it around and reach them all easily on the shelf. The mailbox and lazy Susan cost me nothing. If I had bought them we would have needed to spend well over a hundred dollars.  

Contributed by Tracy, Gunning

Up to my elbows in vinegar

Every time I think I can happily cull the tomatoes and cucumbers from the veggie patch the jolly things go and produce another bucket load of fruit. I'm waiting to get the winter veggies in, they should have gone in two weeks ago. So today I bit the bullet and pulled out five tomato plants and four cucumbers.

But before I pulled them out I carefully went through the bushes and picked all the fruit. Nine cucumbers and twenty-seven tomatoes came off those plants.

I've turned the cucumbers into Pickled Cucumber using the recipe from 5-minute Microwave Bottling. Four big jars now occupy the second shelf in the fridge. I can't wait to try them in a couple of weeks.

Pickled Cucumber
Ingredients:
4 small unpeeled cucumbers
500ml apple cider vinegar
2 green capsicums
250g white sugar

Method:
Slice the cucumbers into thin circles. Cut the capsicums in half, remove seeds and slice into strips.  Dissolve sugar in warmed vinegar. Pack vegetables into clean, warm, sterilised jars. Fill jars to overflowing with vinegar mixture. Cover tightly with lid.

From 5-minute Microwave Bottling by Isabel Webb, The Five Mile Press, recipe on page 109

I cooked the tomatoes up with some diced onion, carrot and celery and two cloves of garlic to make pasta sauce. I had a half a tin of tomato paste in the fridge so that went in too. Goodness it smelled divine while it was cooking. I boiled some spaghetti and we had it with the sauce for tea. A sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan topped it off nicely. And there is enough left for our lunches tomorrow. I love free meals.

Tomorrow is forecast to be fine so I can get into the garden. There is Chinese cabbage, broccoli, beetroot, silverbeet, iceberg lettuce and garlic chives all needing to be planted out. If you've never tried garlic chives, they are just divine in scrambled eggs, rissoles or sausage rolls. And they are very easy to grow too.

I promised to tell you how the pot roast turned out on Sunday night. There were NO leftovers - that says it all! The potatoes and carrots were lovely, the meat melted in our mouths and the gravy was delicious. My thought is that next time I might increase the liquid to make more gravy it was so good.

Pot roast has been added to my menu repertoire.

Sliced Olives the Easy Way

Tip of the Day 23 February 2010

Sliced olives are a must for pizza paying more for a small jar has never made much sense to me when you can get a large jar of whole pitted olives for around the same price. Instead of painstakingly slicing each olive individually, pop three or four into your egg slicer and bring the cutting wire down. Hey presto, sliced olives, no mess, no wasted olives and no extra cost.

Perfect Vase for Tiny Flowers

Tip of the Day 22 February 2010

If you need a small flower vase for some single blooms or those lovingly collected dandelions with the really short stems, try using a pretty ceramic or plastic toothbrush holder, you know, the kind that come with bathroom sets and hold four toothbrushes. It holds the flowers in place and makes for a unique decoration on a shelf or coffee table.

Somebody Stole All the Apples

The apple tree was full a few days ago. The birds were having a lovely feast and while I was in a hurry to get them picked and into my freezer I wasn't at all concerned because the tree was literally bending under the weight of all those lovely round apples. I managed to get all the low fruit off the tree but there is no way I will climb the ladder to get the fruit higher up. That's mans work!

Wayne was up bright and early this morning and disappeared outside with the buckets, only to come in less than five minutes later with only half a bucketful of apples. They were all gone! There weren't even any half pecked ones left by the birds!

I can't decide whether to be outraged that someone would come into our yard and take apples off our tree, laugh because who in this day and age would think there are apple thieves around or cry because I had plans for those apples - apple pies, apple crumbles, apple sauce and apple butter to last us through winter.

I think I am more stunned that someone would steal - because that's what it is - from us. If they'd knocked on the door and asked I would have gladly given them plenty and probably have sent them on their way with tomatoes, cucumbers and zuchinni from the veggie garden too.

I cooked up what was left, only a small saucepan full, barely enough for one pie as it turned out. I hope we enjoy it after dinner tonight because it's the last one we'll have for a long while. I hope whoever took them enjoys them.

I swapped last week's roast beef for this week's roast chicken on our menu because I wanted to try a new recipe for pot roast. I loved pot roast when I was a child but it hasn't been a regular dinner feature since I married. Mum had a special pot she used only for pot roasts. I think she still has it, it was blue enamel and weighed a ton.

This recipe takes a long time, just over fours hours cooking time, but I am certain it will be worth it. I have the potatoes and carrots all ready to drop into the pot and I've shelled some peas and sliced some beans to go with it.  It's in the oven now and smells delicious.

It uses cheaper cuts of meat - chuck is perfect - and because of the long, slow, very gentle cooking the meat almost melts in your mouth. Add to that the veggies cooked in the same pot to pick up the flavour from the gravy and the fact that it's a one pot, no fuss dinner and it could become one of my favourites.

I'll let you know the verdict, I'm hoping it's a positive because if it is I will add pot roast to our menu more often.

Well after all that, today has been busy, busy, even more so than a normal Sunday. I've done loads of washing and some cooking and a little cleaning (really should do more of that) too and then spent some time this afternoon preparing my column for Woman's Day. I'm really enjoying answering the questions, and trying to get the very best information possible into the space I have, it's a lot of fun.

Pests be gone

Tip of the Day 21 February 2010

Household pests such as ants, cockroaches and fleas hate citrus, so use this mix to wash your floors. Mix the juice of four lemons, the rind and four litres of hot water together. Use this to mop hardfloors.The lingering scent of citrus may seem fresh and invigorating to you, but pests hate it and will keep away.  You can also squirt lemon juice around door jambs and windowsills to keep them outside and scattering small pieces of lemon peel in the pots and garden beds around your front and back doors will deter them too.