A Wonderful Gift of Fresh Eggs

A dozen fresh eggs, what a wonderful gift

Thomas had some friends over this afternoon and one the boys brought me a dozen farm fresh eggs, straight from his own chickens. I was so thrilled when he gave them to me,  to think this young man knows me so well that he was comfortable enough to give me a dozen eggs as a hostess gift. Not that I think he knows what a hostess gift is, but he was pleased at my joy and I am more than pleased that my boys have such gorgeous friends.

Andre has 20 hens and as well as keeping his own mum and grandmother in fresh eggs he has enough to be able to give them away. When I suggested he could sell them he just shook his head no. He has the chickens because he just loves working with animals and he loves being able to gift something of his own to special people. In this materialistic, self-centred world, isn't that a nice attitude?

So, with a spare dozen eggs I did some extra cooking this afternoon. There's a lovely bread and butter custard for dessert tonight and 10 individual quiche of various flavours in the freezer for lunches. I gave the already recycled carton back to him and have just added 12 crushed egg shells to the bokashi bucket. Nothing  about this gift has been wasted.

It's Tomato Time

It's almost time to get your tomato seedlings into the ground. You can plant them out as soon as the risk of frost is gone.

Prepare the soil by digging over and removing any rocks and clumps. Dig in lots of compost and organic matter and water well.

If you space the plants about 1 metre apart you'll ensure good airflow, reducing the risk of disease. And remember to mulch well.  A simple trick is to plant them just a little deeper than they were in the pot to encourage a good root system and a strong stem.

And lastly remember to feed them regularly with liquid fertilizer like a seaweed mix or use worm castings or compost tea.

Daylight saving starts tomorrow morning

Don't forget to put your clocks forward one hour before you go to bed tonight. Daylight Savings starts at 2am tomorrow morning for the ACT, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

And for those who bemoan the "lost" hour, you'll get it back on 3rd April 2011 when we put the clocks back!

Search Your Family Tree

Most of us know two or three, sometimes four generations of our family tree, but tracing our ancestry back any further can be a little confused.  A great activity that can include everyone in the family is to trace your family tree.  Start with what you know - you and your family, your parents and possibly grandparents. Then go back further by asking older relatives for their memories.  You can use resources like ancestry.com.au to fill in more blanks or contact your local genealogical society for help. You can add as much detail as you like and go back as far at you like.  There are plenty of computer programs around that can help you put the information together or you can use a simple spreadsheet.  Once you've finished put it all together in a book for family members.

Buy Nothing New month

Today is the start of this month long challenge, the first Buy Nothing New month for Salvos Stores. Of course it fits perfectly with the Cheapskates philosophy too.

We live in a throw-away society, where very little is made to last beyond a couple of years or a few uses and nothing is made to be repaired. Instead, just about everything from paper plates to computers, clothes to washing machines, is disposable, made to be thrown away when it stops working.

This throw-away mentality hasn't made our lives any easier. Instead it has complicated them, adding significantly to the cost of living and creating stresses unknown just a generation ago.

So for the month of October, just 31 short days, the challenge is to ignore the tendency we all have to throw things away and buy a new whatever. This month we are going to extend the useful life of the things we buy, learn just how easy it is to find what we need second-hand, used, repaired, recycled or renovated.  Just so long as we don't buy anything new.

To help you get started here are 10 tips for Op-shopping:

1.Shop with a plan and a list.
2.Be open minded.
3.Look for quality.
4.Don't be afraid to try new, unknown brands.
5.Always try things on.
6.Leave the kids at home.
7.Know your local op-shops opening hours and sale days.
8.Go often and with cash.
9.Think creatively - look for ways to re-purpose the items you see.
10.Think ahead - stockpile great buys for future use.

Spring Cleaning Tip: Let your clutter pay for itself

If you are looking to clear out some knick knacks or perhaps even some holiday decorations in order to make room for new ones, consider a trip to the local trash'n'treasure market. Everyone is looking for a bargain and they just may be looking for something that you no longer wish to own.  Otherwise, you can always sell items at internet auction sites, including gumtree.com.au and ebay.com.au

Question Every Expense

We often think we just can't live without that unlimited mobile phone account, or the gym membership, or the kids' babysitting or daycare. But instead of taking everything as a given, go through your bills one by one and see what you could do without if you HAD to cut your spending in half. Most people won't be faced with that kind of drastic reduction in income, but many Australians are dealing with that very scenario right now for one reason or another. If you know what bills you can get rid of straight away then facing a sudden drop in income won't be quite so scary.

Saving flavoured oils

If you use canned products such as anchovies, sardines, stuffed grape leaves etc that come packed in olive oil, save the oil. Instead of throwing it into the compost save it in a small container in the fridge and re-use it for cooking. It's also great for making a flavoured vinaigrette. Just remember to keep the oils in separate containers and label them - you don't want to fry potatoes in sardine flavoured oil, but it's great for cooking fishcakes. You'll save money by recycling the oil and by not pouring it down the drain (you don't do that do you?).  By adding it to your compost you are helping to keep our waterways clean and clear and enriching the soil.

Slow Cooker

There is a great discussion going on in the Member's forum at the moment about slow cooker desserts so I thought I'd let you know that I have a new favourite book. You all know of my absolute love of my slow cookers - I have two - so it will be no surprise to you to learn that I have fallen in love with "Slow Cooker" by Sally Wise.

Some of you may already have Sally's other books A Year in a Bottle and Out of a Bottle, two of my other favourite books. Slow Cooker is just as delightful to read and use. If you don't have them or haven't read them, get them from your library and immerse yourself in a warm, old fashioned foodie heaven with a slightly modern twist.


Slow cookers aren't just for winter and they don't just cook soups and stews. I use mine at least twice a week all year round, even in summer. They do make beautiful soups and stews, but they also cook the perfect corned beef, wonderful roasts, delicous puddings and even perfect porridge for a warm winter breakfast. So when I found this book I stood and read it (always a good sign for the bookshop). I didn't just skim it, I read pages and pages before deciding I would use my mad money to buy it. And I am so glad that I did.

It was thrilling to find out that I am not the only nutter with a collection of slow cookers, something Wayne thinks I made up. He finds it hard to understand why I'd need, let alone want, more than one. But then I point out that I find it equally hard to understand why he needs so many trains and that end the discussion quick smart.

Right now Italian Vegetarian Meatballs are simmering in the crockpot for dinner tonight. They smell delicious and Wayne will be home from work soon and I know he'll have a smile on his face when he walks in and can smell dinner cooking. I'm going to put them over mashed potato and green beans (from the garden) tonight. Do you all know that you get the creamiest, smoothest mashed potatoes if you use some of the water they were steamed in and a quarter cup of milk powder to mash them rather than fresh milk? No butter or cream needed if you use the cooking water. Any leftover water can added to the soup or stock pot or frozen to use in gravies, sauces and so on later. Don't pour it down the sink and waste all those vitamins and minerals. If you don't want to use it yourself, pour it over your indoor plants for a treat.


You'll find slow cooker recipes for baked apples, bread and butter pudding and apple pudding in the Recipe File. They are all delicous and just perfect for the slow cooker but my favourite is self-saucing chocolate pudding.

Slow Cooker Chocolate Self- Saucing Pudding
Ingredients:
100g butter, melted
½ cup milk
1 egg
1 cup self raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
½ cup caster sugar

Sauce:
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups boiling water

Method:
Combine melted butter, milk and egg. In a separate bowl, sift flour and cocoa together and mix in the sugar. Gradually add the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix well. Spoon this mixture into a buttered 6 cup pudding basin. Place a saucer upside down in the bottom of the slow cooker and sit the pudding basin on the top. Combine the cocoa and brown sugar together, sprinkle over the top of pudding. Carefully pour boiling water over the mixture. Cover and cook on High for 3 1/2 hours or on Low for 5-6 hours.  Serve hot with ice cream or custard.

Watercolours From Make-up

Let the kids use old (or that very cheap from the $2 shop) make-up to draw pictures. They can use lipsticks and eyeliners for the outlines. The powders like eye shadow, blushers etc can be used as water colours. Give them a jar of water and a paintbrush and they can just dip, brush and paint to create watercolours. For softer shades and effects they can use the powders dry.
Contributed by Rachael, Rivervale

Invest in the best tools you can afford

Spend more money now by purchasing better quality gardening tools and you will save in the long run.  Taken care of, they will last for years, saving you dollars because you don’t need to replace them every planting season.  Same goes for gardening gloves - they may seem cheap and disposable, but make sure you buy the best you can afford so they last all season and possibly longer.

Perfect party food

Presentation is everything, especially with party food. Think about it. A sprinkle sandwich is nice, but, make that sandwich and cut it with petite cookie cutters into various shapes matched to the party theme and you have something spectacular. Even just cutting the sandwiches into a circle with a glass and then cutting the circles in half would work. Display them nicely on a glass plate with some red grapes or flowers and it's no longer just a boring sandwich but a delicacy that's a delight to look at AND eat.  Even the simplest party fare looks spectacular and appetizing when it's presented as though it's a gourmet delight.

The Shopping List Challenge

Make a list and stick to it. If it’s not on the list, don’t buy it. Carry a pen and make sure you cross each item off as you put it in the basket or trolley. When everything is crossed off, count the items on the list and then count the items in your basket - they should be the same. If you have more items in your basket you have to put whatever isn't on the list back!

Close the fridge door

Have you ever spaced out while looking in the fridge for something? No? Then surely you've watched your kids stand with the refrigerator or freezer door open while they ponder what to snack on? Each time you or your kids stand there with the door open, the cold air is pouring out onto the floor. You can understand this if you replace the image of cold air with water; it works just the same. Every time you let the fridge drain cold air, it takes that much more energy to re-cool the food inside once you close the door. If each person in your family does that once or twice a day, it adds up to energy wasted and money lost.

Find bargains wherever possible

One of the best ways to save money is to keep your eyes open for money-saving opportunities and take advantage of them. For example, many of your day to day expenses can be reduced simply by changing your routine. If certain things are important to you, however, simply make your changes in other areas. Most people find that they save the most money from many small changes, not a single huge change, in the way they spend their money. Bargains are everywhere and can be for just about anything too so keep an open mind and watch your spending decrease and your savings grow.

Same ingredients, different dishes

When you are menu planning and making up your shopping list, try to choose meals that use a lot of the same ingredients. Doing this you can buy in bulk where appropriate, stop buying lots of different ingredients you only use once and keep your pantry, fridge and freezer contents under control.

Don't lose the cord

If your children have drawstrings in their pyjama pants or around the hood of a coat chances are at some stage they will lose the cord inside the casing. To stop them losing the cord, sew a large button on each end of the drawstring. This will keep the string from disappearing inside the casing, saving you a lot of time and stress.  Do this to swimming and library bags too, even if they have a sturdy knot. You won't have to spend time re-threading a drawstring ever again.

A Prize Winning Sultana Cake

While we were having lunch today Wayne had the TV on, watching Landline on the ABC.  One of the segments on the show featured Show cooks.  It seems that show cooking has had a resurgence in recent times, with this year's ECCA seeing an increase of 180 entries.

And can you believe the youngest entrant was just four years old!

As they were talking about fruit cakes, and how to cut all the fruit, line the tins etc Wayne hinted that perhaps I could make him one of my prize winning sultana cakes.  Yes, I have won a first prize for sultana cake, not at an agricultural show, but at Group CWA, an honour I am still proud of.

Anyone who knows me understands why I am so honoured. I'm not a great cook and I really don't enjoy everyday cooking. I have a few recipes that I make over and over (if you check my menu plan each month you'll know what I mean) because I can make them very well.

Sultana cake is one of those things.  My top 10 tips for a prize winning sultana cake are:

1.Use the freshest sultanas possible.
2.Always soak the sultanas overnight, drain and let them dry for 24 hours.
3.Dust sultanas with a little flour before adding them to the mixture.
4.Add 1 teaspoon of lemon essence with the liquids - it gives a delicious flavour.
5.Line the tin with 2 layers of brown paper and then 1 layer of baking paper.
6.After pouring the batter into the tin, wet your hands and gently pat the top to even out. This helps to stop the top cracking during baking.
7.Always pre-heat your oven and make sure it is exactly the right temperature before you put the cake in to bake.
8.Never open the oven during baking.
9.After baking time is up, take the cake from the oven and if it is singing to you it is done. If it's not singing, put it back in for another five minutes and test again.
10.Let cool in tin for 10 minutes before turning out to cool.

Now I've given away my secrets, I guess I should share the recipe too.

Sultana Cake
Ingredients:
500g sultanas
250g butter
250g sugar
350g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1 tsp lemon essence

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Cover the sultanas with water and bring to the boil (and yes, they were soaked overnight). Boil for 15 minutes and drain. Add butter to hot sultanas. Beat eggs and sugar together. Add to sultana mixture. Then add the sifted flour and baking powder. Add the lemon essence and mix well. Bake in a 20cm tin for about 11/2 hours. Test to see if it's done, if not return to oven for a few minutes and check again. Let cake cool in tin 10 minutes before turning out to cool on a cake rack.

Plan to Grow and Share

Plan your vegetable garden according to what your neighbours are planting so you can share your vegetables when they’re ready for eating. Often I’ve had too many of one kind of vegetable I couldn’t give away because my friend’s were ripe at the same time. These days we get together and plan our planting program so we all know what everyone is planting. We then plant enough for our families and a few extra to share. We all have a plentiful supply of fresh vegetables and save money, time and energy too.

Farmer's Markets

Spend the morning browsing a farmer's market rather than at your local shopping centre. You'll get fresh air, exercise and fresh food. You may even discover a bargain or two or a new recipe or craft to try at home.  Ask lots of questions and learn some new tricks for growing and making your own food. You don't need to spend any money if you don't want to (although it is nice to try a new bread or cheese or pick up some really fresh veggies), just walking through the stalls can inspire you and show you new ways to use the things you already have for a new purpose.

Go to www.farmersmarkets.org.au/ to find a farmer's market near you.

Double Up Shopping

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

Spring Cleaning

Spring Clenaing Tip No. 3 - Air Fresheners

Freshen a room with your own air freshener. Saturate a ball of cotton with your favourite scent and put it in an open container or put a few drops of scented oil on your light bulbs (the heat from the bulbs will create a fragrance in the air). Only use a few drops, 2 or 3 at most, for safety's sake.

You can also put scented cotton balls  in the vacuum cleaner bag while you vacuum.  If you don't like synthetic scents in the air, put 1/2 cup white vinegar in a small dish and leave one in each room. The vinegar will deodorise the rooms without any overpowering or annoying scents. And your home won't smell like a fish and chip shop either. Change weekly.  Don't waste the vinegar though, use it to clean your toilet or drains.

To deodorise and freshen your carpets, sprinkle liberally with bicarb soda, brush in with a soft broom and leave two hours. Vacuum up for fresh, deodorised and clean carpets.

Save Money

Everyone talks about saving money, and often about how much they have saved. But have they really? Money isn't saved until it is safely in your Emergency Fund, Peace of Mind account or a Savings account. Until then it is just not spent.  Get into the habit of saving regularly - each week, fortnight or month, depending on how you are paid. It doesn't matte how much you start with - $2 will work - but you need to develop a saving habit. Once you are regularly saving your $2, you can increase the amount you save. As you see the balance of your savings grow you will be motivated to save more. The hardest part of saving is getting started, so be brave and start today!

Baked Chicken Salad

This is a great dish for using up leftovers - chicken, that half an onion at the back of the fridge, that last of the mayo, the dregs in the potato chip packet. You can substitute corn chips or even pita chips for the potato chips too. I often serve this with buttered bread stick and a tossed green salad to round out the meal.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 cups celery, diced
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons onion, grated
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup potato chips, crushed
1/2 cup cheese, grated

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Combine chicken, eggs, celery, almonds, salt, onion, and lemon juice in bowl; fold in mayonnaise.   Turn into greased casserole dish; top with potato chips and cheese.  Bake for about 12 minutes or until salad is bubbly and cheese is melted.

Preserve a Painting

If you have pre-schoolers or even junior primary school aged children then you will have drawings and paintings, possibly hundreds of them. It's nice to keep a few favourites and put them away in the child's memory box. To keep the  drawing from fading or smudging, give it a light spray with hairspray. It will dry in just a few seconds and give the drawing a protective coating to keep it looking good for years.

A Nifty Veggie Box

I love wandering through the garden, picking the veggies for our next meal. Often I have quite a few, and I used to put them into a basket to make carrying them easier. I'd then have to clean them in my kitchen sink, sometimes creating quite a mess.

Until I had a bright idea!  I found an old wooden box, about the size of an apple box and replaced the base with flywire. Now the freshly picked veggies get deposited into the box and I can hose away any dirt and bugs before taking them inside. To save the water I sit the box over the corners of one of the garden boxes and let the water drain into the garden.

Search for Discount Codes

Before purchasing goods or services online, do a quick search for  discount codes (the online version of a coupon). Often you will find a code that will give you a discount off the price, free shipping, even a gift with purchase or an item upgrade. All you do is enter the code into the relevant field on the order form before going through the check-out.  It can be worthwhile taking two minutes to do a quick search as you shop.

Squish and save

I had an email from Cheapskater Shelley, asking if I could solve the riddle of how her household could go through so much toilet paper.  The answer is almost unbelievably simple: squish the roll.

Saving on toilet paper is especially important if you have children. They tend to use far more than they should. Before placing a roll of toilet tissue on the holder, squish it flat. This controls the amount of toilet paper that comes off by stopping each time it comes around to the bent part.  You'll find your TP consumption will drop dramatically as there is no more free-rolling.

Gluten Free Lemon Slice

This recipe is similar to the no-bake lemon slice made with Marie or Nice biscuits.

Ingredients:
Slice:
half a 415g can condensed milk
125g butter, melted
250g gluten-free cornflakes, crushed
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tablespoon lemon juice
grated rind of 1 lemon OR mandarin

Icing:
250g pure icing sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
a little hot water

Method:
Mix the slice ingredients well. Press into a lightly greased dish.  In a separate bowl, bash the lumps out of the pure icing sugar. Add 2 tablespoons of melted butter and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Mix well. Very slowly add a little hot water until the icing is soft enough. Spread over the slice mixture. Refrigerate for a few hours. Cut into fingers.

Note: You can substitute 250g gluten-free rice cookies, crushed, for the gluten-free cornflakes in this recipe.

5 Tips for Using Hot glue

Hot glue is very handy, but it can be messy to use.  These five simple tips make using hot glue safe and convenient.

Drip catcher
Use a clay pot saucer to cradle the end of your hot glue gun. All the drippings are caught inside the saucer, saving your tabletop.

Don't get burnt
If you put hand cream on your hands before you hot glue something, the glue will not stick to your hands, preventing burns.

Fix a mistake
You can correct a mistake that you did with hot glue by placing the object on wax paper and microwaving for 1 minute (remember...no metal in the microwave). The glue will soften and you can easily fix the mistake.

Safe glue stick storage
Store your glue sticks in an empty, clean peanut butter jar with cone incense. The glue sticks are neat and tidy and when you are hot gluing you get a pleasant scent.

Cleaning up the strings
To remove glue strings from your hot glue project, simply use an embossing tool to melt them away.

Rainy day fun

Have fun spending time with your children on rainy days. Something you can do together is create works of art from shaving cream.  Shaving cream art is fun, easy and cheap for a special rainy day activity. Using a vinyl tablecloth or plastic placemats just spray some shaving cream on and let the kids use it like finger paint.  When they've finished their picture or design, take a photo of it. Then they can smooth the shaving cream over and start a new picture. Generic shaving cream is perfect for this activity. And best of all it's easy to clean up too.

Make a dreary day into a fun and exciting day with your child.

Bag a bargain online

On the third of September, 1995 shopping as we know it was changed forever with the launch of ebay.com  Since then online shopping has taken off in leaps and bounds and has proved extremely popular. In fact you could very likely purchase your every need and want online if you cared too, perfect if you're feeling a little like a hermit.

The same rules apply for shopping online as they do when you pop to the local shopping centre and ensure that you always bag a bargain:

1.Know what you want
2.Do your research.
3.Know your price limit and stick to it.
4.Check return policies and guarantees on the product.
5.Check the reputation of the seller.

Spring Cleaning

 With warmer months just around the corner, it's time to think about spring cleaning. Whether you want to clear some of the winter clutter or just feel like a change in scenery, spring cleaning can make it happen. Now is the perfect time to clean out the garage, linen cupboard and wardrobes.  As we all know, this can take a lot of work but a few simple tips can make your spring cleaning experience a breeze.  Every Thursday through September I'll post a Spring Cleaning tip to help you get on top of this seasonal ritual.

Spring Cleaning Series Tip No. 1

If you are storing away your winter clothes, consider using plastic storage containers that feature snap-on lids. These can be found in at most department and hardware stores and even some supermarkets and are very inexpensive. Use a different container for each type of clothing i.e. one for long-sleeve t-shirts, one for cardigans, one for jumpers, one for winter trousers and so on. Label each container clearly so you can easily find a garment if you need it before next winter. Storage containers are very important to keeping your clothes dust and discoloration free, which may otherwise be a problem if they are left hanging in the wardrobe from one season to the next.  If possible choose containers that stack for ease of storage. See the June 21 2005 newsletter for more ideas.

Cut Back to a Fortnightly Garbage Pick Up

I'd like to be able to say it's a beautiful spring day, but it's not. It is cold, wet and miserable. I think today is the saddest day we've had since winter began. There's a little breeze, just enough to blow the drizzle into your face as you walk, so the water dribbles down under your collar.  And the rain isn't heavy enough to stay indoors, instead it's just heavy enough to make the roads slippery and walking unpleasant.

So, instead of working in the greenhouse as I'd planned, I am sitting, wrapped up in a rug, working on other things.

There's a pot of pumpkin soup on the stove and a quiche in the oven. Both will go down well for tea tonight.  Neither are on my menu plan but the pumpkin needed to be used up and for some reason I had a surplus of eggs, cream and mushrooms in the fridge. They had to be used up. I hate waste and have a constant battle to cut down on the amount of garbage we have.

My aim is to get down to one bin a fortnight by the end of the year. This week it was only just over half full, so I could have waited until next week but we have Father's Day on Sunday and then Tom's birthday on Thursday so there will be more garbage than usual.

Thankfully we don't use a lot of things with huge amounts of packaging. We don't have styro foam trays because we buy our meat and poultry in bulk.  We don't use a lot of tinned foods so cans and tins are kept to a minimum too.  And because we use green bags for groceries and I carry my trusty string bag with me for other shopping we don't have a lot of plastic grocery bags. I usually have to buy plastic bags if I need one unless I save the odd veggie bag. Using my recyclable veggie bags I don't even have those anymore.

We reuse or recycle as much of our household rubbish as we can. All milk and soft drink bottles (not the lids, they don't recycle) are flattened and put into the recycle bin. Veggie peelings, food scraps, the vacuum cleaner dust and shredded newspapers are put into the Bokashi bucket or the outside compost bin. Papers are shredded and used as mulch, put into the compost or made into fire lighters and if we've done all those things and still have paper then it goes into the recycle bin. Magazines are taken to my favourite op shop and if we ever get large cartons then I drop them at the local recycling depot. They don't charge for paper drop-offs

Cans are opened at each end and flattened to recycle. Glass jars and their lids are washed, have the label taken off and put away for summer and autumn preserving and jam making. I haven't bought jars in years since I saw Isabel Webb, author of  5 Minute Bottling, demonstrate microwave preserving and realised they can be reused safely.  AJ was a baby in the pram so that's at least 18 years ago and a lot of bottles reused and recycled.

Wayne even recycles the ashes from the fire. They get dug into fallow garden beds, used to clean the glass on the fire door and sprinkled in the compost heap.

We haven't always been so conscious of the amount of rubbish we add to landfill, but I think that until a few short years ago most of us thought it was only "hippies" or anyone living an "alternative lifestyle" that cared, and even then we thought they were slightly odd and eccentric.

It wasn't the green movement or even a burning desire to be kinder and more caring of our environment that brought about a change in our thinking. Instead it was finding ourselves jobless, with two and a bit children (Hannah was on her way) and barely enough money to pay the mortgage and buy food.

That's when I became conscious of how much of everything, not just money, we wasted and how that impacted on our lifestyle.  The food alone we wasted kept our grocery bill at around $100 a week, twice what I had to spend on food (remember, this was 16 years ago and $100 a week was a fairly luxurious grocery budget) - something had to change and change quickly.

Well the change wasn't overnight, it took a few months, but bit by bit we trimmed our spending and as a result we trimmed waste.

The realisation that living like Cheapskates was also "green" came as a pleasant surprise. And ever since I've been on a mission to save money and be less wasteful, hence my goal to halve our rubbish output.

The garbage truck has just been so I can run out and bring the bin in. And maybe next week I won't put it out after all.

Pool Your Resources

I have teamed up with some friends to pool our resources and save. I grow oranges, passionfruit and some vegies and share the crops with everyone in the group. A friend who keeps chooks supplies the eggs. Another friend works as a market researcher and includes us in her jobs involving free samples. We all take cuttings from the others' gardens and share expensive appliances e.g. garden mulcher. This ensures we all stay in touch often and saves us loads of money.
Contributed by Tracey, Northfield

Make your first stop the clearance rack

Always head straight for the clearance rack where you can find amazing bargains. Sometimes you may have to dig a little to find the right item, but the savings will be well-worth your time. Most clearance racks offer variety, current trends, and great value. For example, most Kmart stores have a clearance section where you can find all kinds of wonderful household items for a fraction of the original cost, most in brand new condition and just with torn or missing packaging.

Get on mailing lists

Sign up for the mailing list at your favourite craft stores. Look for both email and snail mail versions. Many include coupons you can use to get extra discounts on already on sale items. I use my coupons to buy the more expensive craft items, like a package of blades for my rotary cutter or machine embroidery threads that are normally out of my craft budget range. They are also great resources for crafting ideas and tips, and keep you up to date with current craft trends. Two of my favourites are Spotlight (www.spotlight.com.au) and Lincraft (www.lincraft.com.au).

Have a home and garden maintenance schedule

Make a list of all annual maintenance items for your home such as the air conditioner, heater, hot water service, etc. Include appliances such as the lawn mower, barbecue, and so on. Being prepared and working in a proactive manner can save you unnecessary expenses. If you take care of your air conditioner by performing basic maintenance yourself and getting a regular service call to tune it up then you lower the risk of something going wrong during the hot summer months when it will be quite costly to repair. Just as your car needs regular maintenance to keep it running in peak performance, so to do your household appliances.

Once a Water Watcher, Always a Water Watcher

I have cabin fever, and I live in the 'burbs!  It has been weeks since I've done more than race out the back and pick spinach and silverbeet or pull a cauli or cabbage for dinner.  I haven't even had to water.  Goodness I thought we would always be on water restrictions, but apparently not.  Our state government, in it's wisdom, had decided that now our water stocks are back up to a smidge over 40% they can ease water restrictions.

From the 1st September Melbournians will be able to use a hose with a trigger nozzle, bucket or watering can to water their gardens at any time. We will also be able to wash our cars at home with a bucket or a high pressure water saving device.  It has been four years since we have been able to do these things.

And you know what? I am used to watering early in the morning twice a week. I love to get up early during spring and summer and spend some quiet time in the garden, tending our veggies and the ferns. For four years my garden has flourished. Yes, keeping the water up to the veggies has required a little effort, but I have managed (with help of course from Wayne).

We have had green lawns, front and back, during the worst of the summer thanks to our water recycling regime. It takes less than five minutes each morning to move the soaker hoses around the lawn before I start the washing machine.

My concern with the easing of water restrictions is that once again we will become complacent with our water use.  One long, hot, very dry spring, summer and autumn and our water storages will be down to critical levels again.

It has been said that the increase in water rates will keep waste under control but I'm not convinced. Conditioning is insidious, and if bills rise a little each quarter, most people won't even realise they are paying more, let alone that they are paying more because they are using more.

One thing I am going to do after the 1st September though, is wash the outside of the windows with a bucket, broom and hose. Wayne has been doing them with an ice cream container of water and rags for the last few years, which makes them a huge job. We have 26 windows around our house, with the front ones being colonial. A hose will definitely make this chore easier.

With all the rain we've had recently the tanks are full, so I plan to maintain that 124 litres during summer, even with the bigger veggie garden.  According to our bill we only use 124 litres per person per day, down 31 litres from the 155 a day suggested as a target.

We still need to be conscious of how much water we use and just what we use good drinking water for. The target of 155 litres of water a day per person hasn't changed, just when and what we can do with it.

Double check

If you were to check your grocery or department store receipts regularly, chances are you will eventually find an overcharge.

This happens all the time and in some cases, the charge can be substantial. The same is true for credit card statements, bank statements, phone bills, etc. Check the detail because it is quite common to find errors.

These mistakes can easily be corrected simply by asking for the overcharge to be refunded and providing a copy of the receipt or statement.

Don't need it anymore?

Go through your house, garage and garden shed and pull together all the items you no longer use or need. These can include small or large kitchen appliances, gardening tools, clothing (baby, child and adult), makeup, and sporting equipment, furniture, whatever you have that you don't want or need.  Then list them on eBay or gumtree.com.au. Take the money earned from these sales and put it in your emergency fund not to be touched unless it's for a genuine emergency expense.

Get Organized and Pay on Time

For every payment you pay late, you are charged a late fee, which can be up to  $50 depending on the company. Late fees are not budgeted for (or they shouldn't be!), so if you are constantly paying them you are going to have trouble balancing your budget. Not only that, with extra fees being constantly added to the debt it is going to take longer to get it paid off, as well as paying extra interest just because you weren't organized enough to pay your bills on time. To avoid spending unnecessary money, be sure you make your bill payments in time to avoid these fees.

Meet the Bargain Bunch

I've been called lots of things since I began Cheapskating, but I have never been called Queen of Cheap. Until tonight that is. Tonight I became a member of the Bargain Bunch, along with five other Australian Bargain Queens: Fiona Lippey, Pamm Durkin, Anita Bell, Cynthia Mayne and Michelle House.

I had a lot of fun yesterday with the crew from A Current Affair. They are the most patient people, never rushing me and never, ever complaining (within hearing distance anyway) about how many times I muddle and mix my words or talk to quickly or forget what I was going to say (it's happening already!).

So, with all the fun and frivolity, I just knew the story would be a good one and it was fantastic.  Five other fabulous Australian women and myself all had the opportunity to share our ideas for living the Cheapskates way.

If you didn't get to see the story, you can watch the video here: http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=7950206

My top five ways to save money are:

1.Look high, look low. Skip the middle of the shelves - eye level. That's where you'll find the most popular and expensive branded products.

2.Stick to cash. Go to the bank or ATM once a week, withdraw all the cash you need for the coming week and put it in your purse or wallet.

3.Don't be afraid to haggle. You wouldn't pay sticker price for a car or asking price for a house. It's just a question "is this your best price?". You can haggle for just about anything including white goods, furniture and jewellery.

4.Stick to your budget. That means sticking to the allocated amounts for each category. If your weekly petrol budget is $60 and you put $65 worth of petrol in your car, that category is $5 in the red and you need to find the deficit somewhere else in your budget.  Be aware of how much is allocated to each category as well as your budget total and you'll find it much easier to stick to the allocated amounts.

5.Be organized. Know what you need to spend your money on and only spend it on those things.



Saving money is easy. You just need to do it.

Golden Syrup Dumplings

BREAKING NEWS

Cath is appearing on A Current Affair tonight, 24th August.  Tune in to Channel 9 at 6.30pm AEST to see Cath, Australia's bargain Queen in action.


Golden Syrup Dumplings
This old fashioned dessert is the ideal end to a winter dinner. Serve them with custard or ice- cream and watch them disappear. They'll soon be a family favourite.

Ingredients:
2 cups hot water
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups self raising flour
2 tbsp butter, extra
milk 

Method:
Rub extra two tablespoons butter into flour to resemble breadcrumbs. Add just enough milk to make a soft dough. Roll into dessertspoon sized balls. Combine hot water, golden syrup, one tablespoon butter and white sugar in a saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar.  Once boiling, carefully drop dumplings into syrup, turn heat down and simmer for twenty minutes.

Homemade White Oil

With spring just around the corner, thoughts are turning to gardening again. With gardens come pests. Oil based sprays are very effective at controlling a wide range of plant and garden pests such as aphids, scale, smooth skinned caterpillars and even young grasshoppers.

 It is easy, and much cheaper, to make your own white oil from vegetable oil and liquid soap. Prepare the concentrate using the proportions below. Store in a suitable container. Label the container, making sure to include the dilution rate on the label for quick reference.

Ingredients:
500ml vegetable oil (any brand)
1/2 cup Sunlight dish washing liquid

Dilution:  Dilute the above mix by placing 1 tablespoon into a litre of water. Mix well and spray thoroughly over both sides of the foliage and onto the offending pest. The contents of the stored concentrate will separate over time. Simply ensure that the concentrate is well mixed each time before you attempt to dilute it for use. Spray as often as required.

Always follow the dilution rate to avoid burning plants and don't spray in hot weather. Also avoid spraying on plants with hairy foliage and ferns, palms and cycads as they will suffer leaf burn too.

The Circle of Life

When I'm old and grey I hope my children look after me. I hope that I will have raised them to understand old age and it's eccentricities and want and be happy to look after me.

What brought thoughts of old age to mind was my three children, who are almost grown up. AJ is nineteen, Tom is about to turn eighteen and Hannah is fifteen. We are a large, extended family, on both sides.

I grew up with grandparents and a great-grandma, great aunties and uncles, second and third cousins as well as more immediate family. Birthdays, Christmas, weddings, christenings and funerals are all family occasions, where everyone comes together to celebrate, laugh and cry together. Wayne's family is pretty much the same and as a result our children have grown up with lots of cousins, grand-parents, aunties and uncles and great aunties and uncles of all ages surrounding them.

Now my children are growing up and becoming independent, I find that I don't have the spare time I was looking forward to.  I had grand plans to sew more, work a few more tapestries, extend the veggie beds, travel more, even keep the house a little tidier.

Instead, my days are filled with appointments - doctors, shopping, physio, even the  odd cleaning job. My mother is getting on in years and now instead of my  children depending on me to care for them I am doing more for this woman who did so much for me when I needed help.

When I was little it was my mother who made sure I had food to eat, and a warm, clean bed to sleep in. It was Mum who took me wherever I had to go, and sat up on Saturday nights to make sure I came home safe and sound (and on time).  Mum looked after me when I was sick, or hurt, or just hungry. 

After my father died it was mum who held our little family unit together, working four jobs to keep a roof over our heads, food on the table and my brother and me in school.

She did these things without being asked and without complaint, never once asking for anything in return. She did these things with love.

And now the circle is almost complete. It is my time to take care of mum now she needs a little help, just as she cared for me.  My mother is a proud and independent woman and she loves me enough to let me.

It is this understanding of the circle of life that I hope to pass on to my children, by example, showing them how to care for our elderly, so that when it's my time to need help again they will know I love them enough to let them help me.

Suit or Separates?

Rather than buying a suit for $250 or more, buy the pieces as separates. This can save you $100 to $150. Additionally, buy several pieces that can be mixed and matched. A good quality matching jacket, trousers and skirt (for the ladies!) can be co-ordinated with shirts, t-shirts, jumpers and cardigans to easily increase the number of outfits in your wardrobe.

Off-Season

The next time you plan a holiday, consider off-season. Generally, the prices for airfare, hotel, and cars are substantially lower than travelling during peak time. If you look at all your options, you will find that in many cases, you can come close to the date you would like to travel. Peak times in Australia are generally considered to be Easter, school holidays and from mid-December until after the Australia Day holiday in January. Choose your travel dates carefully, just one day can make a huge difference in price.

Family Haircuts

Look for hairdressers and barbers that offer family deals or even better learn how to cut hair yourself. Many families take care of their own haircuts and put the money they would have spent aside as a holiday fund or to pay down debt. You can buy a home hair cut kit for under $100 (for a deluxe, super dooper kit, under $50 for a basic budget kit) and they all come with instructions. As with all things practice makes perfect, so the more hair cuts you do the better you get at it and the more you save.

There's nothing like the scent of baking to say welcome

We are having visitors tomorrow, and they will be staying with us until early next week.  So, instead of putting the newsletter together today, I have been happily and busily making up beds, fluffing pillows, chasing dust bunnies from under the spare beds and baking.

The house smells divine. There truly is nothing quite like the scent of baking to say "home" or "welcome".  I've made a double batch of Lunchbox Cookies. One lot are white chocolate and cranberry, the other are choc chip. And they are big!

Lunchbox cookies are usually small biscuits when I make them, but tonight I have made lovely big cookies, very much like the giant biscuits you buy from Mrs Fields or coffee shops.  The boys' eye almost popped out of their heads when they saw them on the cooling racks. I gave in and let them try one each. And promptly put the others away.

Our visitors are due to arrive about afternoon tea time tomorrow, so I've put a log of choc chip dough in the fridge. I'm planning on putting a tray of biscuits in the oven a few minutes before they arrive so they'll smell the welcome when they come in the door. Then we can enjoy freshly baked cookies and a cup of tea together while we catch up and wait for everyone else to get home.

I love having visitors. Having a full to overflowing house makes me smile. Don't get me wrong, it's a lot of work with extra meals and washing and bed making but I love the conversations and laughter and the change in routine.

Thomas has very generously given up his bedroom. He'll sleep on the family room floor and he's very happy about it, he'll have a TV in his bedroom - albeit temporary (we don't allow TVs in the kids' bedrooms).  And he's decided he's going to park his mattress in front of the fire so he'll be toasty warm all night long.  Sounds like a good plan to me.

Freeze Foods

When you are doing your grocery shopping, don't for get to look for bargains on items that can be frozen. Even if you have a tiny freezer you can still save a lot of money by freezing bargains. Most people automatically think freezing for bread and meat, poultry and fish, but do not even think about grating a block cheese and freezing it.  You can save up to twenty-five percent on buying grated cheese, and if you buy on sale you'll save even more. For each cup of grated cheese add one teaspoon of cornflour and mix it through. This will stop the shards sticking together and clumping when freezing. And did you know that you can freeze eggs? You can as long as you give them a little room to expand. Crack them into ice cube trays or small containers and freeze. Once frozen, pop them out and wrap in cling wrap and then in freezer bags. When ready to use, simply let them thaw for a few minutes at room temperature. If you find apples on sale, make your own apple pies and freeze them or make applesauce or stew them to use on cereal or in puddings later. Many food items can be frozen with no problem. Therefore, the next time you see a great bargain think about freezing. (Dairy products other than hard cheeses do not generally freeze well).

Beat bindii the easy way

On my way to the letterbox the other day I noticed a patch of bindii in the front lawn.  It's been so cold and wet that they took me by surprise, but they won't be there for long.  To rid your lawn of bindii use a solution of two tablespoons iron sulphate to four litres of water. Spray liberally. The weeds will die and your lawn should start to look lush and green, growing over the bare patch left by the dead bindii. Where gloves and old clothes as iron sulphate will stain anything it comes in contact with.

Be a Label Reader

Reading the product label is the best way to find out more than what is advertised on the box. Ingredients are listed in order by the quantity actually used when making the product. The ingredients used in the highest quantity are listed first. For example, if you are looking for avocado dip you will want to see avocadoes listed in the first part of the ingredient list, not the last part.  Reading the ingredients list gives you a good idea of what you need to make that particular food item yourself too. Remember, if you are cooking and consuming at home, you don't need to fill up with preservatives and artificial food colours. If you are looking to cut fat from your diet, be careful of words such as "lite" or "fat-free" which can have broad definitions. By reading the label you can get a better idea of what the fat-to-calorie ratio is as well as other valuable nutritional information.

No mess frying

A splatter guard is so handy, keeping splashes and splatters to a minimum when you are frying. If you don't have one you can use a large strainer. Simply place it top down over the cooking food. Just be sure that it is metal and has metal mesh, and not plastic.

Charity begins at home

Now more than ever before we are being asked to donate to charity - money, blankets and food are just a few of the things I've been asked to donate in recent weeks.  Part of the Cheapskate philosophy is generosity and giving. Rather than just giving ad hoc to whoever asks, choose the three or four charities that are closest to your heart and share the giving ten percent of your spending plan to them on a regular basis. You can schedule an automatic payment to make sure you don't forget them.

Mum's Spaghetti and Meatballs

This is just one of the many recipes in the Recipe File. It has become a favourite with the kids and me. I love the fact that it is quick and easy and can be on the table in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients:
500g beef mince
2 large eggs
1/3 cup minced fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs (add Italian seasoning or mixed herbs to crumbs)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
olive oil
1 jar pasta sauce
500g spaghetti

Method:
Cook spaghetti according to directions on packet. In a medium bowl, combine mince, basil, eggs, cheese, bread crumbs, salt and pepper until well mixed. In a large frying pan heat 1/4-inch olive oil. Roll teaspoons of meat mixture into balls, and add to hot oil in batches. Fry 3 to 4 minutes, turning until meatballs are brown. Move meatballs to a paper towel on a plate to drain when they are done. When all the meatballs are cooked, add spaghetti sauce to frypan. Put meatballs into spaghetti sauce and heat. Serve over cooked spaghetti.

Contributed by Rena, North Bayswater

Easy to Use Oven Cleaner

It’s easier to clean the oven regularly than waiting until the gunk has become baked on and the shelves are enamelled, not silver. Oven cleaners are expensive, toxic and horrible to use.  Use this mixture once a month and keep on top of the gunk.

You will need:
125 ml Cloudy Ammonia
250 ml cool water

To use:
Mix in a small, heatproof bowl and place in a warm oven with the power off for 10 - 15 minutes. Wipe off gunk with a damp cloth.

Wash sports stains away

It's winter and with the cold, wet weather comes winter sports and all the inground dirt on sports clothes.  To get rid of those stains rinse off loose dirt, then rub the stain with a bar of laundry soap. Then wash normally.  If the stain is persistent, soak it overnight in warm, soapy water and give it a gently rub before putting it into the washing machine.

Clean nails and soft hands

To avoid fingernails getting grimy and gritty during messy work, apply some petroleum jelly or Vaseline generously all over the hands, especially under fingernails.  Then put on some cotton gloves and let the magic begin.  When you've finished your hands will be clean and soft and your nails will not have horrid, dark lines under them.

Loose change from the laundry

Keep a jar in the laundry - to stash all that loose cash that floats around the bottom of the washing machine!  In our house we have a rule - if you don't empty your pockets, then any change in the bottom of the washing machine goes to the kitty.  When the jar is full, we put it into our holiday fund.

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.