Gorgeous window dressings

The difference between custom drapes and plain drapes is often nothing more than the details. One way to make plain drapes look elegant is by adding trims.  These are easily sewn or glued (use a hot glue gun) to the edge of the fabric. There are so many choices these days. Use those 40% off or free make coupons you get in the letterbox or newspaper or keep an eye out for bargains when you do your thrift shopping.  Add your own personal touch, and have elegant drapes for less.  And don't think it's hard - you can buy a pattern and instructions for making soft furnishings from your local sewing store.  Simplicity, Butterick and McCalls all have a great range if you need instructions.

Beat the Fridge Fairy

How many times have you opened the fridge only to find the key ingredient for the next meal missing, stolen by the fridge fairy? To save the meal, the day and your nerves, try using red dots as a warning. Any food you want to save should have one of these attention grabbing self-sticking red dots on it before it goes into the fridge.

Teach them young

Teach your children the value of saving and investing from as young an age as possible.  Let them start with their pocket money - saving 10% to start, then moving to investing as the savings grow.  Savings habits learnt young, even with just pocket money, tend to stick for a lifetime.

Using Up Everything, Even Potting Mix Bags

Don't throw out your old potting mix bags. Cut to size, they make good liners for terracotta pots and planters, and if you cut a bag into strips, they make fantastic plant ties. The other thing I like to do with them is to make them into mini composting units. Just poke some holes in the bottom and sides and fill with your garden waste to begin breaking down. In fact, with a bit of imagination you could turn them into just about anything.

Contributed by Lyndall

How To Do Just About Anything

I have found a useful website www.ehow.com This website gives information and opinions about many different issues, you just need to type in the key words e.g. how to make dishwasher powder, how to make powder laundry detergent, how to make liquid laundry detergent, how to make a cold frame etc., how to save money on children etc. They also have some Q & A that can be useful in sorting out problems.

Contributed by Cynthia

Sunday Night Ritual Saves Money at Dinnertime

Approximate $ Savings: $40 per week

Menu planning saves me about $40 per week on groceries and even more on takeaway. I write out a plan of weekly meals on a Sunday night, checking what I have in the freezer and pantry whilst I go. This enables me to make use of what I have and saves on groceries as I usually only need to grab bread or milk through the week. By having a menu plan and making a habit of taking the meat out the night before I am rarely lazy enough to buy take away anymore. I can also mix the meals around if I did forget to take something out of the freezer.

Contributed by Dayna

Salt Scrubs the Stains Away

Cups used for say milk drinks and then for black tea always stain. A wash using a pinch or two of salt with a wet cloth will shift the stains.

The $16 Birthday Dinner

Yesterday my baby turned fifteen! Don't ask me how that is possible, I just don't know.  She wasn't even born when Disaster Struck and we started living the Cheapskates way.  And she was only six weeks old when I wrote my first Cheapskates newsletter!  She has grown up with Cheapskates, and really knows no other lifestyle.

She is growing up, she wanted money for her birthday rather than presents. Hmmm. I know she won't waste it, she's a Cheapskate through and through. But I was lost, not getting to plan and look for and choose a gift for her.

With that in mind I was determined to find the perfect birthday card for her. It took a while and I had to visit a few different card shops and newsagencies, but I found it. I had tears pouring down my face as I read it, so I knew it was the right card. After all, if a card doesn't make you laugh out loud it has to make you cry or it just doesn't make the grade.

Because it was her fifteenth birthday she was given the first part of a beautiful crazy tea set from her Granny and Grandad. She'll get a cup, saucer and plate set for each birthday until she's twenty-one. Then, to finish the set, Granny has chosen a cake plate, sugar and creamer to complete the set.  I think this present was her favourite. In fact I know it, she had me re-arranging the dresser at 7am yesterday morning to make room for it.

Hannah loves birthdays, they don't have to be her own, she just loves the presents and the cards and the cake and the special dinner. Because in our family, the birthday boy or girl gets to choose dinner. They can have whatever they like. It can be takeaway, or a restaurant or a special home cooked meal or a picnic or whatever they like.

Little Miss Frugal chose home cooked. Chicken, chips and gravy. With a chocolate birthday cake covered in sprinkles and Smarties for dessert.  So I roasted chicken pieces, made some homestyle oven chips and gravy from the pan juices, added a salad for those of us who believe in having at least one healthy option each meal and made a chocolate cake.  Total cost for this birthday dinner $16!  Gotta love a birthday girl with simple tastes :)

Our next birthday is Tom's in September - it's his eighteenth.  He still hasn't decided if he wants a party or not, if he doesn't hurry and make up his mind it will have been and gone.

Find savings in spending habits

These challenging economic times have forced our family to examine everything we spend to see where savings can be made. For instance:

1. Instead of buying meat from the supermarket every week, we're making a monthly trip to Victoria Market, about an hour before closing time, to snaffle the best bargains and the best quality meat.

2. Instead of buying coffee and a muffin every day, we're using the coffee machines at the office and baking our own muffins.

3. I carry a reusable water bottle with me everywhere I go (it stays in the work fridge during the day), to avoid buying drinks as I wait for the trains.

4. Before leaving home for work, we turn all appliances off at the wall except for the fridge/freezer.

5. I avoid taking my purse with me if I'm going for a walk at lunchtime or popping out to a meeting - I can't be tempted to buy anything if I don't have any money orcards on me!

Challenge yourself to examine every way you spend money to find savings. As Cath says, we don't have to go without if we implement practical changes and plan ahead! :o)

Contributed by Kate Ashmore

Corned Beef Pie

This was one of my favourite meals when I was growing up. Little did I know that it was made from leftovers.

Ingredients:
3 – 4 cups of cold corned beef, diced
½ cup sliced green beans
½ cup corn
½ cup pickles
4 cups mashed potato
2tsp butter, melted

Method:
Mix diced corned beef, beans, corn and pickles. Place in a greased pie dish. Mash the potatoes but don't add milk or butter. Spread over the top of the mixture in the pie dish. Brush the top with melted butter. Cook in a moderate oven (180 degrees) for 20 minutes until potato is golden and it is warmed through.

Try a UFO to find out if you like a new craft

When you want to try a new craft, but don't want to waste your money if you find it's not for you, look for an unfinished one and complete it.  You'll find tons of unfinished craft projects at garage sales and trash'n'treasure markets.  I've bought jewellery making kits, cross stitch kits, folk art projects and stamping materials that people have bought, started, and left. For just a couple of dollars you have a new craft to try and if it doesn't suit you haven't wasted a lot of money.

Rust free garden tools

Keep your garden tools rust free by spraying with WD40 after cleaning them. Repeat periodically to keep them in tip top shape. 

Start Cooking

Cooking at home has become the fastest growing activity in the country, thanks largely to Master Chef, but not everyone knows where to start. This is for all those budding Master Chefs out there who just don't have a clue, even after watching the Master Class segments faithfully.   Go to www.startcooking.com to learn the basics. The 'how to' videos are excellent and there is a large recipe collection, including quick and easy beginner dishes.  So now there's no excuse you can start cooking!

Hooray - My veggies are going hairy!

The price of fresh fruit and vegetables has sky rocketed in the last few weeks. Lemons are 80c each! Cauliflower the size of a small saucer are $3 each! Apples are between $5 - $8 a kilo! Pumpkin is $1.25 a kilo, potatoes have been $1.66 a kilo - and that was on sale!

I think that by now every one who reads this blog, or the Cheapskates Club newsletter, or logs in to the Member's Centre would know that I love growing our own food. I grin from ear to ear with every turnip I pull, bunch of silverbeet or celery I cut and every cauliflower I blanch and freeze.

Growing our food saves us a fortune - easily $60 a week - and it means that we eat far better and a much wider variety of fresh fruits and vegetables than we would if I had to buy them from the supermarket. Not only that, but they taste so much better. And they don't last forever either.

I thought it was just me, that the fruit and veg I was buying from the supermarket was lasting forever. Then I thought it was my Tupperware, doing an even better job than I thought possible. Until my friend Debbie mentioned the carrots that had been in a bag in the bottom of her fridge for over two months and they weren't even slightly limp or hairy. Ewww! What is with vegetables that last two months!

For the things I do have to buy, I try to buy as close as possible to the grower as I can. Thankfully we have two amazing orchards just five minutes away, so apples and pears are not only fresh, but cheap when they are in season. And we visit with friends in Mildura and come home with boxes of orchard fresh fruit.

I still have to buy some things. Potatoes and onions for instance. I have both planted but of course they're not ready yet. If I can't get them from the farmer, I go to the market. I just love going to the market. I drag my "granny trolley" behind me, filling it up with all sorts of yummy fruit and veg at rock bottom prices. I take my time picking and choosing, reading the cartons to see where everything has come from, and buying as close to the farm gate as possible.

Food doesn't often last long in our house, but I can tell you that when I find the occasional hairy carrot or zucchini I just add it to the Bokashi bucket and smile. There's no preservatives in the veggies I grow. They may not last for months, but they taste great.

Freeze the beasties

There is nothing quite as frustrating as find weevils in a packet of flour, pasta, rice and other dry goods.  They are often already in the packets when you pick them up off the supermarket shelf. To stop them in their tracks and keep the infestation out of your pantry, keep your dry goods in the freezer. This kills the eggs and weevils and breaks the breeding cycle. If you don't have freezer room for long term storage, freeze everything for at least five days before putting into the pantry.

Keeping Cut Flowers

I love having flowers in the house and just lately I have had some beautiful bouquets given to me. Unfortunately, cut flowers don't last long unless you show them a little TLC. To make them last, cut off the ends of the stems, and add a dash of salt to the water to keep your flowers fresher longer. When your flowers start to droop, give them a second life by cutting the stems off near the blossoms and floating them in a bowl of warm water into which you have mixed a crushed aspirin tablet. It must be aspirin, not paracetamol.

Do you pre-cycle?

We are all familiar with the concept of recycling - reusing items for other purposes rather than adding them to landfill.  But are you familiar with the concept of pre-cycling?  This is the idea of only buying something if you can recycle it when it's original purpose is complete.  An example of pre-cycling would be to buy concentrated products to save on packaging. Another example is taking green bags with you when you shop. Not only are you saying no to plastic bags, but you are recycling a bag you already have. When you pick up that packet of biscuits, think about the packaging - can it be used for another purpose or recycled? If it can't then you choose not to buy them. Obviously there will be times when pre-cycling is not practical. The trick is to limit the amount of non-recyclable items you buy by thinking ahead.

Twice Cooked Veggie Quiche

This is the perfect dish for "clean out the fridge" day, the day before garbage day, or the day before shopping day, when you need to use up all those odd leftovers lurking in the fridge.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup self raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
425g can creamed corn
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
2 cups of chopped leftover vegetables - potatoes, broccoli, zucchini, pumpkin, carrot, cauliflower etc.

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Butter a large quiche or pie dish. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, flour and salt. Stir in corn and grated cheese, add the chopped veggies and pour into buttered dish. Bake for 20-30 minutes until centre is firm. Let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing to serve.

Handy Jewellery Cleaner

Here's a nifty use for those tiny refresher towelettes  that come with some fast food meals. Use them to wipe over your jewellery. It will sparkle as though it has been professionally cleaned.

Make a Cheapskates style frost cover

Those big striped bags from $2 shops make great frost covers for your precious plants. Simply cut a hole in the base of the bag, large enough to slip it over the plant. At night and when frosts are expected zip the bag up.  During the day, unzip, roll the sides down and let the sun shine in on the plant.  If you think the bag needs support, put a stake into the ground, next to the plant, and zip the bag up over it.  The plant will be safe from cold winter winds and those damaging frosts.

Neat fishing bag

Keen fishermen often have more than one rod and the associated paraphernalia that goes with them. They can be awkward to carry so make fishing easier by using an old golf bag to hold the rods. The tackle can be carried in the pockets to keep everything together. You can go one step further and use a golf cart to carry the bag, and if you are clever you'll find one that converts to a stool so you'll have somewhere to sit too.  Look on Freecycle or keep an eye out at garage sales and you're sure to find one to suit your budget.

Skip the egg wash

Instead of using an egg wash when crumbing sausages, rissoles and so on, try this instead.  Mix a tablespoon of custard powder into about a half cup of water to make a thin paste. Use this instead of beaten egg for dipping before crumbing. You can't taste the custard powder, the crumbs stick better and of course it is cheaper than using fresh eggs.

Wipe it clean

Baby wipes come in very handy for baby, but they are also very handy around the house. They make quick cleaning easy and can be used to wipe over white good, light switches, walls, door knobs, remote controls etc. Keep a container in the cleaning cupboard for when those little cleaning jobs crop up.

Never forget the details of an appliance purchase

When you buy a new appliance, write the date, the price and where you bought it from on the cover of the instruction manual. Then staple the warranty and receipt to the inside cover too and file it away. Then, if you ever need that information, you will have it. Always keep receipts, but write the details down too, as register and printed receipts often fade very quickly, making it hard to read the details.If you have work done on the item, staple the details to the instruction manual too, in case a follow-up is needed.

Simple chocolate syrup

When you need chocolate syrup for ice-cream or a milk shake, try this simple homemade version.  To make half a cup of syrup, mix a quarter cup cocoa with half a cup of white sugar. Add one teaspoon vanilla extract and half a cup of milk and mix to a smooth paste. Cook over a low heat until sugar has dissolved and syrup has thickened, three or four minutes.  To use on ice-cream, let the syrup cool. Use it in milkshakes and on pancakes or waffles for a yummy treat.  Makes 200mls.

Organize your craft supplies

Use an over-the-door hanging shoe organizer to organize  craft supplies. The pockets can hold paintbrushes, glues, markers and pens, fabric paints, scissors, etc. You'll save valuable storage space for other things, and be able to find supplies easily with just a glance. Plastic tackle box trays (with moveable dividers) to sort smaller craft supplies like beads, jewellery fittings, buttons, needles, etc. They can be found in the sporting goods department at Big W or Kmart and of course $2 shops. They look like embroidery cotton storage boxes, but have moveable dividers.

Chocolate decadence

I have a lovely recipe for a simple chocolate sauce to replace the commercial ice-cream toppings you can buy at any supermarket. For a sauce so simple it is deliciously rich and smooth. And really, really cheap to make!

So, when Wayne asked for ice-cream and fruit for dessert tonight, I thought of the jug of chocolate sauce I had in the fridge.  We have just enjoyed homemade vanilla ice-cream with pears, topped with my yummy homemade chocolate sauce. It was divine! Not at all waistline friendly, but so worth it. And as we only have dessert once in a blue moon these days (is the moon blue tonight? I can't see it for the clouds) it was all the more special and a perfect end to a roast lamb dinner.

Marking territories

Don't throw out those orange and lemon peels, or the skins from juiced citrus. Place them in the areas around your home and garden that you would rather the neighbourhood cats not “mark” as their territory. Apparently they don't like the  lovely scent of citrus scent and it repels them.

On your bike

It might be cold outside, but that's no excuse for  staying indoors. Rug up and go on a cycling adventure. Go to bikley.com and type your starting point into the search. Then choose a bike route to somewhere new and go exploring.

Limit your spending power

Automated teller machines (ATMs) make getting cash very easy - which is very bad for your bottom line. Just take a look at your bank statements. See all those $40, $60, and $100 ATM withdrawals listed? Can you account for that cash? Probably not. So, make this the rule: Decide on a minimum amount of cash you need for a week. Withdraw that amount on Monday, and do not make another cash withdrawal until the following week. If something important comes up, wait twenty-four hours if possible. Chances are it won't be as important as you first thought. If it is then make sure you EFTPOS the exact amount needed and not a cent more.

Hide it before you can spend it

Out of sight is out of mind. When it comes to money, out of sight means in the bank. In sight eventually means out of your wallet. So get your money out of reach before you can spend it. This can easily be accomplished by having money deducted from your pay and deposited straight to your Peace of Mind or Emergency account.

There's no such thing as stand-by in our house....

As soon as those words were out of my mouth I just knew they'd come back to bit me!  I said them in an interview for ACA yesterday (it aired last night http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=7928282) and as soon as the kids heard those words they started. Apparently I am always telling them to stand by for their washing to put away, or dinner, or for a chore that needs to be done or to take the rubbish out or the compost to the bucket or something.

So I apologise, there is such a thing as stand-by in our house.

It's just not connected to the electricity. The stand-by I was talking about was the one on our electric appliances. Don't get me wrong, I love the convenience of being able to sit in my chair and change channels and turn the TV on and off. And I love that all I have to do is push start on the microwave, and that my computer wakes up when I move the mouse. But those little conveniences come at a rather hefty cost.

Apart from the fact that remote controls and stand-by mode have made me a tad lazy, the "off" position  isn't really off. It's just an alias -  a pretend "off" so we think it's really off and not using any power! I wonder if someone from Zenith Radio Corporation (credited with inventing the TV remote control back in the 1950's) colluded with someone from the power company to come up with the alias off on appliances. Funnily enough, the first TV remote control was called the Lazy Bones and sold like hotcakes.

Nowadays there is a whole generation that doesn't know that televisions can be turned off simply by pushing a button on the set.  Unfortunately they do understand that many of the appliances they use on a daily basis can only be fully functional by remote control.

The debate over how much power and money (if any) is saved by turning appliances off at the wall rages continually. From my own personal experience it makes a big difference. The trick in our house was getting everyone to join in.

Every morning along with "have you packed your lunch" I would say (actually I still say it) "have you turned the power point off" as the kids were ready to walk out the door.

Now they do it out of habit. And it has worked. The price of electricity has risen in the past twelve months, considerably, but the bill has dropped and our daily usage has dropped too.  And I don't need any other convincing. The proof is in our bank account.

Creative Doing is a Living Example of Cheapskating

Since becoming a member of the Cheapskates Club I have tried all sorts of things to convince my partner of the benefits of spending less. Alas, any hint of Cheapskating (like buying generic brands, shopping at Aldi, refusing to buy takeaway etc) seems to bring out the spendthrift in him. I have found that the best way to go about reducing our spending is to do so quietly, without making mention of it. For example using half the washing powder recommended (he doesn't even know how the washing machine works so this is easy), buying generic brands and quickly decanting them into storage containers, making takeaway type meals at home one night a week so we get our takeaway fix, packing lunch if we go out for the day, packing drinks if we only go out for a few hours, etc. It would be easier to achieve more savings if my partner was into the Cheapskates lifestyle as well. But just because he isn't, doesn't mean I have to give up on Cheapskating. It just means I need to be more "creative".

Contributed by Tania

$2 Dinner Tuesday - Easy Chicken & Parmesan Risotto

Ingredients:
50g unsalted butter 
1 large onion, finely chopped 
1 chicken breast fillets, cut into small dice
2 cups  arborio rice
1.5L chicken stock 
1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
100g roasted capsicum, thickly sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Olive oil, to drizzle

Method:
Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and place a 5-litre casserole dish in oven to heat.  Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, add the onion and sauté until soft. Add chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to colour, then add the rice and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add stock and bring to the boil, then pour everything into the pre-heated casserole dish. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and give everything a good stir, then cover again and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes. By this time all liquid should have been absorbed. If it hasn't return to the oven, uncovered, for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and gently stir through the parmesan, capsicum and basil, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with extra parmesan and basil, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately.

Old Fashioned Games

These are great for a really cold day, when kids can't play outside, or on those really long and boring wet days. Teach the kids to play marbles, jacks, dominoes, old maid, snap, draughts or charades - they love acting out the answers to this one. Drag out the board games and have a Monopoly marathon or a Scrabble-athon. Make up medals (out of coloured paper or card and ribbon) or have small prizes for the winners to make it even more fun. 

Pay for Christmas with Leftover Grocery Money

Each time you shop at your regular store for groceries and you have extra grocery money left over save it until you have $10.00 and then buy a gift card. Keep saving these throughout the year and by the end of the year you will have extra $$$ to complete that additional christmas shopping.

Contributed by Karen, Marsden

No More Nasty Nits

Head lice are always a problem in schools. One child gets it and they spread like wildfire. With school holidays here, now is the perfect time to get these nasty little critters under control. The Victorian Education Department suggests a chemical treatment that costs about $12.95 for a small bottle, and while it will rid your child’s hair of lice, the bottle carries a strong warning that it can only be used four times per year as it is toxic and dangerous. Yikes!

I prefer to take the advice of the federal Department of Health. It costs less and is much more child friendly. You just apply a very thick layer of conditioner over the child’s head and then cover it with a shower cap for one hour, effectively smothering the lice. Use a cheap, no frills conditioner (about $2 a litre). Rather than burning the scalp, your children will have lovely soft, nit and lice free hair. The conditioner makes combing the hair with the very fine toothed comb much easier and gentler too. Do this every day for five days to be sure you have removed all the nits.

Don't forget, to really eradicate this pest, treat the whole family, adults included.

Easy Saving with a Family Piggy Bank

I am sure that most of us had piggy banks when we were young. Often our parents or some other thoughtful adult gave them to us as a way of teaching us how to save money. I was given a lovely pink piggy bank by the Bank of New South Wales (now known as Westpac) when I started school. Each week Mum would give me twenty cents and I'd drop it into the bank. I loved to listed to the tinkle of the coins.

When it was full, usually towards the end of the year, I was so excited to have a few dollars that seemingly came out of nowhere. We would empty the piggy bank and take half to the bank, where Mum would fill out a deposit slip and the teller would count the money and record the balance in my pink Disney bank book.  The rest I was allowed to spend on a book or toy, or something else that we wanted.

Our boys were (and still are) train mad and they had a cardboard XPT each that they would put their money in. Hannah has a lovely ceramic Jemima Puddleduck that she still uses for saving for special things. After Debt Free Cashed Up and Laughing was published, I was given a gorgeous pink porcelain piggy bank - in the shape of the pig on the cover of the book! I love it, and it has pride of place on my desk. I drop the five cent coins out of my purse into it every now and then.

Sadly and all too often these days, when kids become adults, they forget about those savings lessons learned in their younger years from saving in a piggy bank.(if they were ever taught them). They spend every last cent out of each pay packet and end up without anything left over. These poor kids, or young adults really, are starting out with spending as their main habit, rather than saving.

Wouldn't it be great if we could save up some money to have fun with as easily as we did in our childhood?

Actually, there's no reason why we can't.  A family piggy bank works just as well as those piggy banks that we had as kids. And with the entire family chipping in their change, it can add up much faster than it would with just one child contributing.

Here are some tips for having a successful family piggy bank:

Get the family together and decide what you're going to do with the proceeds beforehand. Maybe everyone would like to go on a trip to Dream World, or perhaps a new home theatre is on your family's wish list. Talk it over, and take a vote if necessary. Having a concrete goal will help motivate everyone to pitch in as much as possible.

Find out how much money you need to make your goal happen and then find a nice, big piggy bank. Since you're saving up for something big, it's good to have a large container for the change so that you won't have to empty it so often. It's also a good idea to use a bank that allows you to remove the money without breaking it, because you may or may not have enough money to meet your goal with one filling. 

Keep the bank in a place where everyone in the family will see it often, and remind family members periodically to contribute. It's easy to forget about saving your change as time goes on, so take it upon yourself to make sure everyone is putting money in from time to time. We use a big gold piggy bank in the shape of a dollar sign. The kids gave it to me and it sits on my desk. Every night we all empty our change into it straight after dinner so it has become a part of our evening routine.

If everybody contributes regularly, the change will add up much faster than you think. In a few months, you may have enough to meet your goal. The family will get a special treat, and the kids will  have learned first-hand about how beneficial (and painless) saving money can be.

Christmas in July

July signals the Cheapskates Club's annual Christmas in July celebration. 

Actually, when you think about it, celebrating a traditional Christmas in July makes sense for Australians. It's easy to enjoy a hot roast and heavy pudding in mid-winter, when the wind is howling and temperatures are in the low teens.

But that's not what our Christmas in July is about. Instead, we take the opportunity to use July to prepare for the coming silly season, so that when December does roll around (and it will), we can relax and enjoy the spirit of the season.

As Cheapskates, we like to have a cash Christmas.  It's much nicer to own it when it happens, rather than in three years and four months when you've paid off the credit card! So, whether you're one of the born organized or one of the perpetually chaotic, now is a good time to start your Christmas prep. 

Plan
Take a few minutes with a pen and notebook to jot down your ideas of Christmas 2010. Set your budget, it's easier to do this now, before you are under pressure, than it will be in December. Make it realistic, it's easier to do that now too.  A rule of thumb is to ask yourself if Christmas was next week, how much could you afford to spend? Answer honestly, and amount becomes your Christmas budget.

Once you've figured out the budget, where is the money coming from? If your Peace of Mind account has Christmas covered, great. If it doesn't, or you haven't started a Peace of Mind account yet, don't fret. It might look  a little skimpy, but you still have time to find the cash you need for Christmas.

When it comes to sticking to your budget the longer you wait to get started, the harder it will be to stick to it.

There are some great tips in the Tip Store for Christmas budgeting.  You can do a DIY Christmas Club, either buying a gift card each week or banking a set amount into a Christmas account each week.  You can start buying and wrapping gifts now, marking them off as you get them so you are not shopping at peak silly season.  Do a stocktake of your Christmas supplies: gifts you already have in the Present Box, the cards, papers and ribbons in the Wrapping Box and your Christmas decorations.  Make a note of what you need so you will be ready to hit the pre-Christmas sales in September and October.

And don't forget our Christmas Countdown, starting on 1st October.  I'll have more about that later, and in the October Journal.

Over the next few weeks I'll share other ideas for Christmas in July, so that 2010 will be the best and cheapest Christmas ever.

Shop Discount Stores

Many times you can find specialty stores, especially online, that handle things like electronics in bulk. Their main goal is to provide discounted prices to consumers in a certain area. Be willing to take a look at a lesser known name as well. You can save serious money by not buying brand names. But, word to the wise here, make sure you do your research, especially when buying large ticket items. Sometimes buying a well known name may cost you more but will save you money in the long run by prevent frequent purchases and repairs.

It's the End of the Financial Year

And time to check your Spending Plan.  If you think you can't stick to a Spending Plan, you are wrong. You can, when you have the right Spending Plan. A good Spending Plan is like a map. It shows you where you are headed and where you take a wrong turn and how to get back on track. To plan the best route though you need to know exactly where you are now. To do this you need to know how much you are spending and on what so start tracking. Jot down all your spending for the next month, the lotto ticket, the coffee, that newspaper, the groceries, petrol, rent or mortgage payments, chemist bills - every time you spend money, either by card or cash, record it. At the end of the month you'll have a very clear picture of where you are headed. Try to trim the expenses that are not that important to you and be flexible.  A Spending Plan is meant to change with your lifestyle and circumstances.

$2 Dinner Tuesday - Seasoned Rice

Rice based dishes are very cheap and Seasoned Rice makes a great side dish, or add some extra ingredients and turn it into a one-pot main meal.   Leftover meat or chicken, salmon or tuna, even leftover cooked veggies can be added at the end of the cooking time to create delicious dinners.

Seasoned Rice
Ingredients:
1 cup long-grain rice
Flavouring
2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups hot water

Method:
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the rice, stirring constantly, until it takes on a translucent quality; do not let the kernels pop. Slowly stir in the water, then the flavouring of your choice. Bring to a full boil; cover and lower heat. Simmer 20 to 25 minutes, or until nearly all of liquid is absorbed and the rice looks just a bit too moist to serve. Turn off heat, cover and let stand for ten minutes before uncovering and serving.


Flavourings

Chicken:
3 chicken stock cubes, crushed
1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes
3 dashes ground black pepper

Beef:
3 beef stock cubes, crushed
3 dashes ground black pepper

Onion:
3 onion or beef stock cubes, crushed
2 teaspoons finely diced onion
3 dashes ground black pepper

Mushroom:
3 chicken or beef stock cubes, crushed
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
3 dashes ground black pepper

Celery:
3 chicken stock cubes, crushed
3 tablespoons dried celery flakes
3 dashes ground black pepper

Curry:
3 chicken stock cubes, crushed
1 teaspoon curry powder

Saffron:
3 chicken stock cubes, crushed
1 pinch saffron
1 pinch turmeric

Oriental:
3 chicken stock cubes, crushed
1 small onion, finely diced
2 teaspoons dried celery flakes
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1 tbsp soy sauce

Spanish:
3 chicken stock cubes, crushed
1/2 green capsicum, diced
1 small onion, finely diced
dash of chilli powder
2 tbsp tomato paste

The Golden rule for furniture care

I love antiques and have collected some  beautiful, old pieces of furniture over the years (the rest of our furniture is just plain old, we have three kids), so taking care of them properly, to keep them in tip top shape and protect their value (monetary and sentimental) is important.  The golden rule of antiques is do as little as possible to the original construction and finish of an item.  Tempting though it is to strip and re-finish that table or chest of drawers, or reupholster that chair, by doing so you can drastically reduce the value of the item and even damage it beyond repair, making it totally worthless. The same rule applies to all your furniture. Before you attack it in the hope of restoring it to it's original glory, no matter how old it is, stop and think about the original appearance, finish  and construction. If you are not sure how to look after your furniture, seek professional advice, it will be worth your time and effort. You'll still be able to restore it yourself, but you'll be doing the job properly and really caring for your furniture.

An effective snail barrier

Slugs and snails can destroy a garden overnight if the gardener isn't vigilant. An effective and very frugal solution to this problem is newspaper.  Simply shred newspaper and spread it around the base of your plants. Then just dampen it slightly and sprinkle with bi-carb soda. The damp newspaper is a gourmet delight for the snails while the bi-carb acts as a poison to them.

Don`t be the First on the Bandwagon

A great way to save money is to delay trends. The media is great at hyping movies, CDs etc. that really may not be very good. Wait a while - use this time to read reputable reviews and make up your own mind. This can save you loads of money. For example, I did not read any of the Twilight books when they first came out: I waited until they were available at the library (even if I reserved them the most I would pay is $8). Considering that they retail for at least $20 each, this give me a net profit of $72. Similarly, I could rent the Twilight movies from the library (if I reserved them - $4) and as they retail for approximately $30, this has given me a net profit of $56. Think about it - this saves heaps of shelf space and you do eventually get to see it/read it...just a little later! 

Contributed by Ruth Shanahan

The Three Year Credit Rule

When you are buying any appliance on credit remember this rule: the item must have a useable life expectancy of more than three years and you must have it paid off, completely, in under three years.  These days technology is changing so fast that you will be stuck with an obsolete lemon before you own it.

Toothpaste - Not Just for Teeth

Want to remove a stain without damaging the smooth surface of furniture and benchtops? Use toothpaste. The extra mild abrasives in toothpaste remove stains without scratching the surface. I have used toothpaste to remove stains on kitchen benchtops and in the bathroom handbasin. It also works on small rust stains. Toothpaste is great for cleaning white leather - your joggers will come up like new. Simply rub a dab into the stain for about 30 seconds and wipe it away.

So what do you use toothpaste for?

It's sale time

It's the end of the financial year and the sales are on. With only a few days to go until the end of the financial year, now is a great time to be buying those big ticket items such as cars, furniture, whitegoods and electronics. You'll pick up some great deals off the catalogues but you can do better if you try these simple steps:

1.Know what you want - do your research before you hit the shops.
2.Know how much you are prepared to spend - and don't forget that is your absolute upper limit.
3.Don't be afraid to ask the question "Is this your best price?" - if you don't ask, you won't get.
4.Always be polite and friendly - the sales people are only doing the job they are paid to do.
5.Value add - if you can't shift the price, ask for free extended warranty, delivery, upgrades etc
6.Be prepared to haggle - ask for a cash discount if you have cash, a seniors discount if you are a senior etc

$2 Dinner Tuesday - Feed the Family with Six Burgers

In these times of making the most of every dollar I spend when I shop, I have had to make some changes to my family's eating habits. My family love rissoles and hamburgers for dinner but to buy them from the supermarket costs me $4.00 for six burgers. The kids are fussy about eating veggies and burgers on their own just aren't enough for growing bones so I came up with an idea that has added a heap of hidden healthy ingredients and increased the size of my meal by more than double. I have just made my six burgers into seventeen by following these really simple and extra healthy steps. My youngest still eats mashed veggies, so I mashed up the six ready made burgers back into a mince, mix in an egg, some wholemeal flour and wholegrain breadcrumbs, a couple of cups of grated cheese and four generous scoops of the mashed veggie mix then season to taste. I then re-roll the mixture into burgers, coating them lightly with the breadcrumbs and cooking them. Now my girls have a burger with some sauce in a wholemeal bun, but hidden within the burger is up to eight different veggies, eggs, cheese and of course lots of fibre. The added bonus to this recipe is that all the family can enjoy burgers because now there are seventeen to share rather than six! My husband loves them in some bread (he is a self confessed meataholic - never, ever eats veggies!), I enjoy them with some sautéed veggies and gravy on the side. All in all, I have increased the amount of food on the table, increased the nutritional value and fed a family of four with no leftovers! My meal just cost us approximately $2 per person and we are all stuffed full. 

Contributed by Charisa, Pooraka

Cross stitch doesn't have to be expensive

My six year old daughter has started doing cross stitch and to avoid it being an expensive hobby I have checked out local op shops. So far I have discovered over fifty different colours of DMC threads (some slightly used, but a lot brand new). In total I have spent about $4-00 for the lot. This is a big saving compared to buying brand new.

Contributed by Kathryn, Doncaster East

Give the gift of perennials

Don't waste your money on that lovely bunch of flowers or that over-priced potted plant. Instead look at the plants in your garden. What do you have that you can divide and re-pot? Flowers that grow from bulbs, such as daffodils and tulips are easy to divide.  After they have flowered, gently lift them from the garden and pull off the small bulbs that  have formed around the original bulb.  Re-plant these in a suitable pot filled with a good potting mix and you have a beautiful gift that will keep on giving.

Dining out on a seriously tight budget

Even when the dollars are scarce you can enjoy the occasional restaurant meal. Clip restaurant coupons out of the paper or from the back of your shopping dockets and keep them in the back of your purse or handbag for future use.  Also make a note of any specials like "$9.95 all you can eat pizza and pasta" or "buy one main course get one free " nights at your favourite restaurants. If you have children, look for "kids eat free" nights. Many restaurants will have specials to attract business on otherwise slow nights, such as Mondays and Tuesdays. Be sure to check your bill to make sure the discount was included. One of our local restaurants advertises "all mains $9.95" on Wednesday nights, but they only give you the discount if you specifically ask for it when ordering.

Form A Super Sale Group and Save

Most department stores (especially K-mart and Target) have sales; but at the end of the season, they need to clear stock drastically. On particular days, you can buy clothes for ridiculous prices e.g. $1!! The trick is to be in the right place at the right time. To improve your chances of knowing these times, get together with family, friends, school mothers, colleagues etc and have an email or text system. If you see these cheap racks- notify your group! That way you will have a greater chance of knowing. Its harder for teens, but for young children, you can save money buy buying for the next season in the next size up- nice surprise too when you pull them out in the future.

Contributed by Mandy, Hornsby

How to clear a blocked drain

We've all seen it happen: we pull the plug and instead of the sink full of water whooshing down the drain it dribbles slowly, putting dread into our very souls.  Before you call the plumber, try this DIY drain solution.  To help dissolve grease and gunk in kitchen and laundry sinks and scum and hair in sluggish bathroom basin and bath drains, pour a mixture of 1cup of salt, 1 cup bicarb soda and ½ cup white vinegar into the drain. Put the plug in and leave it alone for 15 minutes. Then flush with a kettle of boiling water followed by flushing hot tap water down the drain for 1 minute. You can repeat this process if necessary.  Keep your drains clean and clear with a monthly treatment.

Hint: Salt will keep small roots from taking up residence in your pipes.

Be prepared to haggle

We all go shopping with good intentions of haggling an extra fantastic deal on whatever it is we are buying. But often we forget our good intentions as soon as we walk through the store door.  When the salesman approaches you, ask the question "How much for cash?" if you are paying cash. Wait for their response and then ask for Seniors discount if it applies, or if they would throw in delivery, installation, etc. Don't give up after the first question, keep talking and asking the question throughout the conversation. And when you get your discount always be appreciative, no matter how much; a dollar in your pocket is better than a dollar in someone else's!’

Multi Cooking for One

I spent many frustrated evenings trying to convert recipes from four serves to one. I would shop and end up with food not all used and getting thrown out at the end of the week. Such a waste of money. I researched the library and book shops to buy a book of recipes for one and there are not many on the market or a huge variety. I decided I had to find a way to save money, time, waste and still have delicious meals. Now I find recipes I really like that are four serves and I shop and cook for four. I have one meal that night and freeze the other three for the next three weeks. Now I have no food wastage, I have a collection of different meals in the freezer which can be rotated and a choice of what I feel like that night. My shopping bill has lowered because of no waste and my meal choice has increased up to a month at a time. I am collecting favourite recipes to add to my collection to give me a variety of choices so I don't get sick of the same meal two nights in a row, just to use up ingredients and I have no dollars going into the bin. My shopping list is now food that is all used and I save about $25 a week sometimes more by not throwing things out. I also spend much less time in the kitchen cooking. When I have a day where I am completely exhausted I go to the freezer and choose a meal from my collection and use my precious extra time having a soak in the bath or reading a good book. Multi cooking is definitely the way to go for singles.

Contributed by Emma Price

Use your fabric scraps to create beautiful accessories

You can use scraps of fabric as you would paper to decoupage just about anything like picture frames, scrapbooks and tissue box covers. Modge Podge, the popular stiffening product that crafters use, is available in craft stores and works well with fabric. This is a nice way to use bits of favourite quilts, shirts, dresses, tablecloths, bunny rugs and so on that are beyond daily use. For example, use pieces of favourite baby clothes to decorate a toy box or step-stool. They will become treasured pieces of furniture and you'll have a memento without having to store the whole garment.

The Waterless (Almost) Car Wash

Everyone is conscious of the need to save water, and washing the car can waste a lot of good, clean water. You can obviously save water by only washing the car when it's absolutely necessary but a good rainstorm may be all that's needed to rinse away dirt. If you don't fancy five minutes wiping and swiping in the rain, then you can minimize water waste by using a bucket of soapy water to wash and another to rinse. Be a real Cheapskate and use the water you collect while waiting for the shower to run or from rainwater you have collected.

Rotating the Mag Stash

I like to read gardening, lifestyle and food magazines and over the past five years I have managed to collect sixty or more. They were just collecting dust in a box in the shed. Instead of continuing to buy more magazines I decided to sort the ones I had into the month the were issued i.e. January through to December. At the beginning of each month I get out a new pile of magazines and put the previous months at the bottom of the pile for next year. So far it is working great. I haven't bought any new magazines in the past six months, all the gardening articles are appropriate for the time of year as are the recipes for using in season vegetables. Where I have two gardening magazines in the same month you would be surprised to notice that many of the articles are very, very similar. I have also included all our old phantom comics into the mix which keeps my hubby and father-in-law happy. Happy reading!  - Contributed by  Katherine, Allens Rivulet, 5th February 2009

Quality Shopping

When considering the cost of an item, take into account how long it will last and how many uses you will get out of it. For example a pair of runners for $60 might last twelve months while another cheaper pair at $35 will only last nine months. At first glance it would seem that the more expensive shoe is better value because it lasts longer. In reality, the cheaper show is better value.

Here's how to work it out: calculate the cost per month i.e. Divide $60 by 12 = 12 $5 per month, while $35 divided by 9 months = $4 per month. The cheaper shoe is better value per wear.

What to do with soap scraps

No doubt your household, as mine, generates masses of tiny, fiddly scraps of soap. The kids won't use them because they are too small. You can melt them down and make liquid handwash with them or you can use them for cleaning as Cheapskater Marybeth does.

When soap becomes too small to use, wrap it in netting (orange or onion bags are great for this) and tie top with string. Useful for scrubbing sinks, tubs etc as the netting is slightly abrasive yet can be used on most surfaces as it is gentle and non-scratch.

Contributed by Marybeth

The Five Minute Emergency Cake

When you have unexpected guests pop in, it's nice to be able to serve them a freshly baked, homemade cake.

Ingredients:
2 cups SR flour
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup butter

Method:
Melt butter. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Place a microwavable glass in the centre of a microwavable pie dish and pour mixture around the glass into the dish. Cook on high for five minutes and serve immediately at the table for your guests with jam or lemon butter on the top. This cake takes five minutes to prepare, five minutes to cook and you can sit with your guests to serve it up hot and fresh. Only costs $2 to make and serves six guests! Saves time, effort and money. Saves one hour in the oven and lets you enjoy the company of your friends at home with cake and coffee cheaply! One jar of lemon butter or any jam kept in the cupboard will help top the cake made from these staples! Guests will be love it!  

Contributed by Olivia, Coomera

Online Auctions Yield Cross-stitch Bargains

Check the online auction sites - do a search for 'DMC' in the crafts category, and you'll find some sellers who'll let you choose the colours you want, and you'll get them for around 50 to 65 cents a skein. Or, shop around at online needlework shops in the USA - even with the postage to get the threads to Australia, it's cheaper to import them than to buy them from Australian shops (sad but true). For instance,http://ehandcrafts.com sells them for US$0.55 each, and this shop charges very reasonable rates for postage, often having a flat rate for international orders of just $2.25USD.

Contributed by Linda, Nairne

Know your zone

You'll have a much healthier and happier garden if you choose plants that are appropriate to your zone.  Your success rate will improve dramatically too. You can find which planting zone you are in on a Heat Zone Map. You'll find an excellent map, with explanation  here: http://www.diggers.com.au/climate.shtml#heat.  Find your region on the map and make a note of the zone. Then, when you are shopping for seeds or seedlings, check the tag to make sure they are going to be suitable for your zone. Knowing your zone will save you heartbreak over lost plants and money, time and energy trying to grow the wrong plants for your area.

Discounted Fun

Whether your are seeing a movie, going to a museum or just playing mini golf, check to see if there are any discounts available. Discounted admission is often available for seniors, students and children, with many places offering discounts for families at the gate so take advantage if you qualify. Check the back of your supermarket dockets, your local rag and of course the website of any place you plan on visiting for discount coupons. If you have an Entertainment Book, check the coupons in the back to make sure you are not missing a discount opportunity. Your automobile club membership (RACV, NRMA, RAC et) may offer you the opportunity for discounted admission to theme parks etc. Make sure you have the necessary identification with you at the gate (membership card, coupon etc).

Never pay retail

Never pay full price in any store for clothing. Fashion has a very fast turn-around and that shirt you saw last week is sure to be on sale in the very near future. Keep an eye on the sales catalogues and store websites to save on your fashion purchases. Imagine how good you'll feel when you save 30% (or more) on the cost of that shirt!  Alternatively, visit the outlets for your favourite brands and buy at better than retail all year round.

Become a DIY expert

Next time something breaks around your home, try fixing it yourself.  Most hardware shops run free DIY classes these days, so book in and learn some practical new skills, and save yourself some money into the bargain.  If you need detailed instructions pay a visit to your local library and borrow a book on the subject or get online and search the Internet.  If you start with the smaller jobs, like fixing a leaking tap or mending a blown fuse you'll gain the knowledge and the confidence to tackle those bigger jobs like painting, tiling, mending broken windows etc. You'll be maintaining your home without the cost of a tradesman and saving a lot of money.

Just $1 A Day

Think of this: if you were to just put aside one dollar a day you would have $365 at the end of the year to put into savings. Just two dollars a day would double that. Think about it carefully. Some of us spend two dollars a day just buying coffee at the coffee shop when we could maybe cut back and find another more economical way to get our coffee, such as have our coffee fix in the morning right before leaving for work. We could start at the one dollar a day and over time increase it to $5 a day or $150 a month. $150 a month is $1,800 a year in savings. It adds up very fast.

Drink Water

There isn't a better thirst quencher or cheaper drink than plain water. Drinking water is one of the best things you can do for your body and your purse. But don't be tempted to buy bottled water! We have one of the freshest, cleanest water supplies in the world at the twist of a tap. Drinking the recommended eight glasses of water every day for a year costs less than $1! You can't get even one bottle of water for $1.

There is no such thing as a fabric scrap

If you have an overload of fabric, either in lengths or useful scraps from your sewing, quilting and embroidery projects that are too good to throw away, don't despair. Rather than let those piles of lovely fabric gather dust and attract silverfish in your craft cupboard, turn those scraps into cash. Cut the fabric into even sized squares and stack them in co-ordinated sets to sell on eBay, at craft markets or to ladies in your craft or quilting group.  If you don't want to sell your stash, donate it to a shelter, craft group or school where it will be put to good use.

Be Your Own Greengrocer

Approximate $ Savings: $30 a month
  
Growing my own vegies has saved me at least $30 a month. I went to the fruit and veggie market and they gave me some timber crates for free which I lined with a weed matting and filled with a good quality potting mix. Than I got some seedlings for half price from the local nursery as they where nearing there time to be in the punnets. Once I planted them in the good potting mix, they were back on recovery within a day and I have continuing harvests of lettuce, tomatoes, capsicum, mint, oregano, broccoli and this will vary from week to week depending on what was on the half price selection stand. It is fantastic.

Contributed by Tracey, Riverhills


There are hundreds of great tips and ideas for growing your own food in the Tip Store. If you would like to upgrade your membership to Platinum, you can do so here.

Smaller Centres Save on Swimming Lessons

I found a small swim centre to take my child to swimming lessons rather than an aquatic centre. There was a $5 a week saving in the cost of the lesson. I also save further by paying by the week rather than paying for the whole term. If I can't make the lesson for the week there is an option to pay a lesser fee (1/3 of the price) or I can elect to do a make up lesson. I always just pay the lesser fee as the only reason that I miss a lesson is if my child is sick or if we are doing something else exciting. In both cases he doesn't realise that he has missed swimming for the week although if we are going to do something exciting that may require us not going to swimming (due to time constraints) I always give him the option.

Contributed by Annette, Ringwood

Checking All the Labels Pays Off

When you are buying meat or chicken at the supermarket, always look further than just the top tray. I was in my local supermarket and looked at some chicken breast fillets in a 'bulk' pack. They were marked at $11.99 a kilo. When I picked this up to look closer, I noticed the tray underneath was exactly the same stock with the same expiry date, only marked at $7.99 a kilo! It pays to notice the little details, as instead of paying $12 for 6 large fillets, I paid only $8, which I can stretch out to 3 meals for the family. Also, never assume that the stock with the SPECIAL sticker is actually cheaper- it pays to read the fine print.

Contributed by Erin, Abernethy

Micro-fibre Magic

A generic micro-fibre cloth for every room of the house, available at any $2 shop, has saved me thousands. One in the shower for my face saves $60 a year on facial scrubs, with a little drop of hair conditioner on it. People always comment on my soft, clear skin. Add a little soap and you have a body loofah. Then wipe over the shower with another with a little pure soap, e.g. Velvet. I used to clean houses for a living, and people used to ask me how their shower now stayed soap-scum clean for weeks over the holidays, and it was simply by using pure soap instead of Jif etc to clean. One cake of soap has lasted many years. Put a little vinegar or disinfectant on a cloth for the toilet if you want an added freshness, and one for the kitchen sink to cut down on dishwashing liquid. Saves also on bench disinfectants. Wipe down the oven, stove, fridge etc. One as a duster, and tie one onto the mop for a brilliant, hygienic clean. I bought nine, and they have lasted for three years to date, and they are still not wearing out. Windows sparkle, for an added shine, add one drop of dishwashing liquid. Throw them in the washing machine and dryer if you want. I have a generic microfibre mop ($4 at the $2 shop). It is now two years old. Five years ago, I went to an demonstration party, but couldn't afford the whooping $40 for one cloth. I thought that I could save up for one, one day, but I didn't need to, the generic brands started appearing.
Contributed by Fiona, Warrnambool

Editor's note: I love micro-fibre cloths. I use them for just about everything, including the car and the bbq. I know that Shannon Lush (of Spotless fame) says they are too harsh for delicate china, crystal, silver etc so if you have anything of those items it may be best to use another cloth or at least use them with caution. Cath

Keep the Savings Separate

I have an everyday bank account like most people, but I also have an "online saver" account. I have it set up so just enough money to pay bills is in my everyday account, and all other money is in the online saver account. I can access this account through the Internet and can take as much or as little as I want out of it, so if I need some more money for something like a birthday present, etc I can access it , but it takes two working days. This means that I have to really think about what I am buying and why. This has stopped me from making multiple impulse purchases. For example last month there was a pair of shoes (my weakness) that I wanted and because I had two days to think about the purchase before the money was in my everyday account, when the two days were up, I decided that I didn't even like them anymore, didn't buy them and didn't spend money from my savings.
Contributed by Jessica, Wagga Wagga

Fresh Mountain Bread Delivered to Your Door

Buy your Mountain Bread direct from the factory and save $1.30 a packet on supermarket prices. The minimum order is only eight packets, so get together with some friends and place an order online if you think that eight is too many for you to use. As you are ordering direct from the factory, your mountain bread will be fresh, with a shelf life of sixty days at room temperature or twelve months if you freeze it. Try the spinach flavour in a lasagne or the oregano flavour as a pizza base - delicious, and the tomato and basil flavour is lovely toasted and used as dipping sticks! Your order will be delivered to your door, postage free, by Australia Post parcel service.

Website:  www.mountainbread.com.au

Old Makes New

You can reuse old makeup to make new makeup! For a lip gloss of your old lipstick, chop and blend with Vaseline. To reuse old compacts for bronzers and shimmy powders, smash the powder and pop in a small pot (available at discount stores and beauty supply stores). You can also use old makeup in soaps and creams to give a pretty shade and scent. These make great gifts as well!

Contributed by Iana, Heidelberg

Grow Spuds in a Cage, a Potato Cage That Is!

There is a lot of information around on growing spuds in stacks of tyres and that method really does work. The only problem is getting hold of the number of tyres you need. You can still grow potatoes in your backyard veggie garden, just grow them in a potato cage. All you need is galvanised netting (cut to 150cm wide x 90cm high), galvanised wire (for tying the sides together), some anchors and straw. Just roll the wire together to form a cylinder and tie the ends with wire. Dig a circular trench in your garden bed that's 10cm deep and a little larger than your cage. Place 3-4 seed potatoes in your trench and cover with soil. Place your cage on top and anchor it with wire pegs (you can make your own with wire or use metal weed mat pegs or small tent pegs). Water your tubers and let them grow. As shoots appear, place straw around your plants, leaving just the tops of your potato plants uncovered. Then continue to add straw as your plants grow (pack it in tightly) to prevent the developing potatoes being exposed to light. Each time you add straw, leave just the tops showing. And then it's simply a waiting game until they're ready to harvest!

Contributed by Harry, North Bayswater

A Daggy Date

This is a little bit daggy, but hey! If you have friends with children that would like a night off as well why not ask them to babysit for the night and you can return he favour when they'd like to have their turn. While the kids are at your friends place you could take a meal down to the beach or park and have an evening picnic together. Or have a meal at home(but set the table up like a romantic restaurant with candles and flowers from your garden) and follow it up with a movie or 'something' ;).

Contributed by Natasha Kelly

Rewards Points Conversion Equals Cash

I try to use my Fly Buys card as much as possible when shopping  without spending unnecessarily. Once I have received 2,500 points I then redeem the points and get a $20 gift voucher. This then can be used at places like Coles, Target etc.  I use it to help pay for the groceries. Watch for Fly Buys bargains as this will increase the points. Be careful... only buy what you need.  I usually manage to collect three or four a year, just by remembering to get the card swiped when I am buying groceries and petrol.  In effect we get $20 worth of groceries for nothing.   And if you do pick up some bonus points make sure you DO receive them. I had to chase up 2,000 bonus points.

Contributed by Lynelle

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.