Mondays

"As Monday goes so goes the rest of the week."

It's an old saying, one I heard often growing up.

Today was also the first day of classes for Thomas. It won't be very long before he graduates as a Civil Engineer, but today that does seem a long way off.  It felt like just a little while ago he was standing under the fig tree, getting his "first day of school" photo taken, all spic'n'span in his brand new uniform, hair combed, shoes shined and backpack almost bigger than him, with a grin as wide as the world on his little face.

Today he wouldn't stand for a photo (apparently I was being totally silly) and his hair didn't look too combed. And his shoes certainly weren't shined. But the grin was just as wide as it was that January day in 1998 when he did let me take a picture.

I shed a tear on his first day of school, and I shed another as he went off to get the bus this morning. Our lives have turned another corner, and the prospect is of new and exciting adventures ahead of us.

If the saying is true, then the rest of my week is going to be a doozy!

Does how your Mondays go dictate the rest of the week for you?

Did you have a good weekend to help start your week off?

Anything special on your agenda for the week?

Have a super duper Monday!!!

Sort your wardrobe

An easy way to decide what to keep and what to donate when tidying your wardrobe is to lightly stick a piece of masking tape on the sleeve (or leg) of everything in the wardrobe. Then when you take it out to wear it pull the masking tape off. At the end of the season anything with masking tape still attached hasn't been worn. You can then decide whether it's a keeper (some things are only worn on special occasions) or pack it up to toss or donate.

DIY Seed Tape

Instead of buying  expensive  prepared seed tape from the nursery for your veggie seeds, make your own. Use a length of unbleached toilet paper (one roll makes a lot of seed tape) and drizzle a thin line of honey about an inch inside the long edge. Space the seeds according to the directions on the packet by dropping them into the line of honey. Fold the toilet paper over so it sticks to the honey and covers the seeds.  Plant the paper directly into the soil as per the instructions and water well. This works just like the pre-prepared seed tapes, for a fraction of the cost and no more wasting all those tiny seeds.

Authentic eating

Just because we live according to a spending plan doesn't mean we can't enjoy eating out, we are just choosier about the where, when and what.  Explore traditional ethnic restaurants instead of the popular ones . Authentic is almost always better and cheaper. And the best way to find a good, authentic restaurant is to ask: friends, family, neighbours, colleagues, mums at school pick-up time, anyone at all. Often the very best ethnic restaurants are well-kept secrets.

One of our favourite well-kept secrets is a Chinese restaurant, Golden Park,  located at 690 Mountain Highway, Bayswater, Vic. We always get great food and great service for a price that well and truly suits our spending plan.

Feel free to share your favourite restaurant with us, we'll keep the secret!

Play pantry roundabout

When you are putting the groceries away, play pantry roundabout and bring the oldest cans and packets to the front and put the new ones at the back. This means you'll be using the oldest groceries first, putting and end to the problem of finding jars, packets and cans with a best before or use by date of 1998 next time you clean your pantry.

Keep a video record

Home and contents insurance policies often require proof of possession when you make a claim, or a record of all your possessions, but most of us never get around to compiling such a detailed written inventory. Instead of spending hours taking photos and recording details, walk around with a video recorder. As you are going through your home, explain what you see. If you have receipts and warranties, record them too. Then keep a copy on your computer and another in a safe place, out of your home in case of fire, flood or theft.  Make a calendar note to update it every twelve months when you renew your insurance.

Lasagne Rolls

Ingredients:
12 fresh lasagna noodles (can use dried, but not instant type)
500g mince beef (can use chicken mince)
1 egg
375g low fat cottage cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
1 jar tomato pasta sauce

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Brown the mince in a medium fry pan. Drain. Beat the egg and add the cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan and basil. Stir with a fork to combine. Add drained mince to half the pasta sauce. Cook noodles according to directions on the packet. Drain the noodles well and allow them to cool enough to handle. Lay the lasagna noodles out flat. Spread half the pasta sauce evenly over each of the noodles. Spread the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the pasta sauce leaving a little of the short ends uncovered. Roll the lasagna from the short end tightly up over the filling.  Place the rolls seam side down into an ovenproof dish that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with remaining pasta sauce. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until pasta is cooked and sauce is bubbling and heated through. Serves 6.

Easier Knitting

Knitting the first row of your project can be a little slow because the stitches are usually quite tight. To solve this problem use two needles when casting on instead of one. The extra width of the two needles ensures that the stitches of the first row will be able to be knitted easily. Alternately you could use a knitting needle that is several sizes larger than the one needed in your project to achieve the same result.

Contributed by Zofia Vandenberg

What to do with lots of apricots and strawberries

I took a quick trip to Dandenong market on Friday to buy potatoes and onions. These are the two things I know I won't be able to grow enough of in our veggie garden and they are the two vegetable staples for my family.  Take away their spuds and onions and they feel really deprived.

I picked up a 10kg bag of potatoes for $8, 80c/kg is a fair price to pay for potatoes. The onions were a little more expensive, $10 for a 10kg bag, but still cheaper than in the supermarkets or my local greengrocer so I was happy to pay those prices.

It won't take us long to go through the potatoes, so they are just stored in the box in the bottom of the pantry. The box is lined with newspaper and the potatoes are spread in layers, with newspaper between each layer so they stay cool and dark. There is an old hessian bag over the top layer to keep the light out and let them breathe. They should be good for at least a month stored like this.

The onions though are another matter. Ten kilos of onions is a lot of onions. Some of them are in the pantry to use whole for baking. The rest of them I peeled and soaked in cool water. Half of them I sliced into rings, for salads, barbecues, burgers, casseroles etc. The other half I chopped, in the food processor, to use when I need a grated onion.  All the onions are now bagged in half cup lots and safely in the freezer.

I'm so glad I kept the ziplock bags from the last bulk lot of onions. They still had that distinctive onion odour so I didn't want to use them for anything else, but for more onions they are just perfect.  It might seem odd and penny-pinching to save ziplock bags and other plastic bags, but as long as they haven't had raw meat or poultry in them, they can be washed, dried and re-used over and over again. Just be sure to wash, rinse and dry thoroughly.

I calculated the savings on re-using sandwich bags a few years ago. By re-using (or better still, not using them at all) sandwich bags you save around $24 a year per person - not a lot, but think of  it as one hour you don't need to work. And what about all the bags that aren't going to landfill!

While I was at the market I had a quick look at what other fruit and veg were on offer. Prices have already started to creep up, much as has been forecast. I found a tray of strawberries (15 punnets) for $10 and a 5kg box of lovely apricots for $7 so I snapped them up too.

With so much fresh produce in the house it has to be preserved before it goes to waste.

I was up early this morning, around 6am, to get the work done before the house heated up. The strawberries were easy. Some I sliced into  a bowl for nibbling on. The rest I've made into strawberry jam. There are eight 500g jars of the most delicious strawberry jam cooling on the kitchen bench right now.

With the apricots I made half into jam and the other half I packed into bottles, covered in water and used the microwave method to seal the jars. I am a fan of microwave bottling. It makes preserving even small quantities of fruit so easy, anyone can do it.

The strawberry jam is just delicious.  We tried it this afternoon on fresh scones and it was hard to stop at just one.  Luckily I made a double batch with thoughts of putting some in the freezer. The boys made short work of them, so only a half-dozen actually made it that far. 

And I don't know why I am surprised!

Simple Seedling Pots

Approximate $ Savings: $30
  
We save money growing our herbs and plants from seed (much cheaper buying seeds than buying seedlings/plants). We also save money by using all our old milk cartons and yoghurt pots instead of buying planter pots. With the cartons, just wash them thoroughly, cut off the top and make some holes in the bottom (the yoghurt pots just need a few holes in the bottom). Then just fill them with compost and sow the seeds.
Contributed by Sarah Jones

Editor's Note:  You can also use toilet roll tubes as plant starters. Fill them with your seedling mix (bought or homemade), drop in a seed and when the seedlings are ready to transplant simply dig a hole and drop the tube in. The cardboard will decompose quite quickly and you won't be disturbing the roots of the plant at all. With the price of vegetables going up daily, it's a great time to start growing at least some of the food you eat.  Cath

Follow my adventure in growing all our veggies at www.myheirloomvegetablegarden.com

Fantastic Forum Thread:
The Gardening Challenge

The $300 a Month Grocery Challenge

Ban the bottle!

The plastic bottles used to hold water are a much bigger problem than milk, cordial and soft drink bottles. I'm so glad everyone is drinking more water but there has to be a better way.

From today, the University of Canberra is joining Bundanoon in a ban on plastic bottles.  It's estimated this will stop a whopping 140,000 plastic bottles going to landfill each year. The ban will be phased in gradually and fully in place by the end of March this year. 

The University has spent the summer break installing bubblers around campus. Remember them? Old fashioned miniature fountains that you put your mouth over to catch a drink? And in a first for Australia, they have installed a unit that dispenses chilled flat or sparkling water on-tap into your own container (for a small fee of course). It's a far cry from the bubblers and troughs of my school days!

Drink bottles have come a long way since I was at school too. Back then they were white plastic with a screw-top lid that always leaked, no matter how hard we screwed it up or how well the bottle was wrapped in newspaper to stay cold.

Today we all have stainless steel water bottles we carry with us. Mine is a rather bright lime green, Hannah's is hot pink. The boys and Wayne are really boring - black, blue and red. Everyone is responsible for cleaning and re-filling their own bottle and it's a system that works well for us. Hannah re-fills hers are recess and lunchtime and keeps it on her desk at school. I keep mine on my desk to remind me to drink more water and it works, I get my 8 glasses a day.  My mother has a cute little bright orange steel water bottle she carries on her walks - it only holds 300ml, and is just the right size for her to carry on her daily stroll.

Back in 2007 I did some sums (you can read the whole article here):

* 1 x 750ml bottle per day @ $2.32 = $846.80 a year
* 750ml per day x $0.01/per litre = $2.73

Even paying $15 for an unbreakable, insulated water bottle you will save at least $825 the first year. And $850+ a year from then on. That's a good portion of tuition for a year (I know, I've just seen the bill for Thomas' first year at uni, and AJ's will arrive in the next few weeks).

Water is the cheapest possible drink and yet millions of Australians pay exorbitant prices to buy it in a plastic bottle, which they then throw away. Bottled water costs Australia about a half a billion dollars a year - yes, you read that right. Half a billion dollars! Imagine the good that money could do for flood relief. Or if it was used for hospitals, schools or public transport. Why is it we are so prepared to pay $850 a year for bottled water, but are reluctant to give that much in cash to those less fortunate?

Lets hope students embrace the opportunity to save some money and get their fill of clean, fresh water for nothing. And good on the University of Canberra for taking such a bold step.

If you are one of the many who habitually buy bottled water, perhaps now is the time to invest in a good, unbreakable water bottle of your own and re-fill it with tap water. And stop 140,001 plastic bottles going to landfill this year.

Try a new brand

Don't be afraid to try a different brand of your regular products in order to maximise savings. Buy just one to try, then if you like it you can buy more. If you don't like it you can go back to buying your favourite brand. Just remember to shop around and buy it on sale so you pay the lowest possible price.

Tabbouli Salad

Ingredients:
1 cup chicken stock
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup couscous
2 cups chopped, mixed, fresh salad veggies (tomato, cucumber, grated carrot, capsicum, cauliflower and broccoli)
1 spring onion, finely sliced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
3 tbsp lime juice
Zest from lime
1 tsp chilli powder (more or less to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
In a medium saucepan bring chicken stock to a boil and slowly add eggs while whisking. Cook until eggs are set. This only takes a minute or so. Remove from heat and stir in couscous. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients and toss with couscous mixture. Refrigerate covered until ready to serve.

This is such a light tasting and refreshing salad, and goes beautifully with chicken or steak and is a lovely light lunch on it's own.

Create a Craft Centre

For a quick and nifty craft centre, use a computer station. They usually have plenty of shelving and nooks and crannys for all your crafting tools and materials.  And best of all they are compact, so they can sit neatly in a corner.  Stick cutlery trays or small baskets onto the pull-out shelf to hold frequently used tools. A stick on light (you'll find them in $2 shops, they use batteries for power) under the bottom shelf will provide light onto the desktop for when you are working.

Time to Trim the Tomatoes

If you have tomatoes growing in your veggie garden you may have noticed that the lower leaves are starting to turn yellow. Don't worry, this is quite normal. Just give the lower stalks a trim, taking off the yellow leaves. This will allow the plant to put all it's energy into growing nice fat, juicy tomatoes. It also helps air circulation, important during humid weather to prevent disease.

Avoid "buy now, pay later" and "6 months, no interest, no payment" schemes

You see them advertised all the time - buy now, no payments for twelve months or six months interest free offers for big ticket items.  If you are clever you can pay it off on time and you have used their money free. But be aware: this is a sales gimmick meant to make the store and finance company money, not you. These offers can end up costing you more than you would have if you paid cash (and don't forget you can always ask for a discount for cash and save even more) and often more than the item is worth.

If you can take the cash you would have used to buy the item and bank it until the payment is due and then pay it off, great. But remember: these offers are extremely dangers because if you miss a payment or can't pay the full balance on time you will get slugged with interest from the date of purchase, often with outrageous interest rates.

Unless you are extremely strong willed and very good at saving, avoid these offers like the plague. Instead work out how long it will take you to buy the item with cash. Then shop around and haggle the best possible deal. It will be well worth the wait.

The guest room in a bag

I'd love to have a home with a guest room, but that's just not going to happen any time soon. Which could cause me some concern as we often have overnight guests. Thankfully Thomas gives up his room without complaint, but it is a teenage boy's room.

I can turn it into a guest room in around ten minutes with my handy dandy guest room in a bag. In a large zippered bag I have a full set of "guest" linen. It holds one set of sheets, a quilt with matching pillow shams, a blanket, two towels and a face washer and two pillows, with a ziplock bag of guest soaps and a water carafe, tumbler and cover.

Each time we have overnight guests I can quickly grab the bag and remake the bed and put out clean towels without having to worry about where the sheets are and do the match the pillow slips, or if I can find spare pillows and blankets.  Once the bed is made all I do is layout the towels, fill the carafe and put it and the glass on the bedside table.  Instant guest room!

When our guests leave, everything is washed, folded and put back into the bag, which is kept on the top shelf of the linen cupboard, ready for next time.

The Rule of Wallet

One of the easiest ways to cut your spending and end the debt cycle is to use cash for all your purchases.  Obviously there will be times when you will need to use a credit card (but a debit card is a better option) or have direct debits from your bank account (mortgage, utilities etc) but those things are generally not impulse buys.  You will find that you become less and less reliant on credit cards, be less inclined to overspend, not be tempted by impulse buys and have total control over where your money goes and how much of it goes.

Make it a rule of your wallet - if you don't have the cash, you don't buy it.

Nifty Needles

It seems my post on knitted dishcloths has created a desire to learn to knit in lots of Tip of the Day readers. Tracey Lyons is just one reader who has asked where she can go for knitting lessons.

I learned to knit when I was about seven or eight years old, at my mother's knee. She started me off with 12 ply yarn and big and No. 8 needles. The very first stitch I learned was of course garter stitch, or plain knitting stitch. It's the stitch that forms the basis of all knitting and so is not only the simplest but the most important.

The other stitch you should learn is purl. This is the stitch that gives knitting the smooth fabric look. These two stitches form the basis of all knitting stitches. Learn them and you will be able to learn any number of decorative stitches to use in your knitting.

Knitting has become fashionable again so finding a "learn to knit" class should be easy. I just typed "learn to knit" into Google and I'm still recovering from the shock. There are plenty of places offering lessons, one I clicked on offers three two hour lessons, in a class of six, for $150! 

I suggest you find your local wool shop (good old Google will make it easy, or look in your local paper) and pop in. If they don't have a list of classes posted on the front window or door, ask about them. Knitters are a very friendly and chatty bunch so they'll be more than happy to help you find a class to join.

Alternatively Spotlight run classes in-store. My local Spotlight has knitting classes starting on 4th February, four two hour classes for $70, much better than $150! You'll need to contact your local Spotlight for details if an organized class is what you want. Just be aware that there will be a fee involved and the intention will be that you will buy your supplies from the store, which isn't always the cheapest or best value option.

Another source of lessons could be your neighbourhood house or centre. Give them a call and ask if they have a knitting group going. If they don't, ask about starting one. There are bound to be others in your neighbourhood who want to learn to knit and knitters who would love the opportunity to meet with others and share hints, tips and ideas. You'll get the best advice from an experienced knitter.

And if you can follow instructions a beginner's knitting book will do you just as well. They usually have step-by-step instructions with pictures to make everything very clear. A beginners book will also have information about knitting needles and the various types of yarn available.An old favourite is Patons Learn to Knit, available from any good wool shop.

To get you started, here's a link to a .pdf with the basic stitches, starting with casting on:  Learn to Knit instructions

You won't be surprised when I suggest you just pick up a pair of needles, size 8 (or 4mm) and some 8 ply crochet cotton and make a dishcloth for your first knitting project. They are so easy, just cast on 40 stitches and knit. Knit until you have a square or the cloth is about the size you want to use. Cast off (your instruction book or the .pdf will tell you how) and voila - you have your very first dishcloth.

Over the years I've knitted dozens of dishcloths. Some I keep and use, some are given away as gifts and some have been donated to school stalls and church fetes. It's fun and relaxing, and eases my creative demons, as well as being something useful and attractive.

Knitting dishcloths is a definite good thing in my opinion.

Egg and Potato Salad

This potato salad makes a lovely side to a bbq steak, rissole or piece of chicken, but it's hearty enough to be a meal on it's own with wholegrain bread too. It also carries well in a lunchbox with a freezer brick, making it great to take to work or send to school.

Ingredients:
500g potatoes
500g sweet potato
3 hard boiled eggs
1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise
2 tbsp low fat sour cream
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 medium onion, finely diced

Method:
Wash potatoes. Peel sweet potato. Cook potato and sweet potato in microwave for 13 - 15 minutes until fork tender. Cool and then cut into chunks. Combine mayonnaise, sour cream and cider vinegar. Mix together until thick and creamy. Gently toss diced onion through potato, stir through mayonnaise mixture. Shell eggs and cut into quarters. Very carefully, so the eggs don't break up, stir them through. Chill until ready to serve.

Finding everything's place

We all know that the best way to be organized is to have a place for everything and have everything in it's place. But how do we easily identify each "place"?

Binder clips! You might know them as bulldog clips. Everyone knows they are just brilliant for keeping papers together and I use them as neat little photo stands on my desk. They are also the ideal label for all manner of items - on bookshelves, in the fridge and freezer, the pantry, the linen cupboard and the craft cupboard and anywhere else you store things.

Simply stick a label across the back of the clip (trim it to size) and then slip the clip over the end of the shelf or the spine of the book, edge of the container or wherever you want to put your things. It holds fast and best of all if you want to re-arrange your storage the clip can be moved in a flash.

If you have a labeller it's even easier. The labels should easily fit across the back of the clip, no trimming necessary.

Using binder clips to label where your things go means you can easily move them to another spot without having to worry about the label - it just unclips and moves to the new spot along with your things.

And binder clips are cheap, especially now during the back to school sales. They also come in different sizes (I find a  medium size is the most used as it fits over the edge of most shelves) and colours if you like to colour code your belongings.

Let your plants breathe

While jamming plants in is a great way to get the most from your garden bed, it can also cause problems. Avoid planting your vegetables too close together, it really isn't good for them. The seed packet or label on the punnet of seedlings will tell you how far apart to plant. Follow the instructions, they are there for a reason. Good air flow between the plants can help prevent many types of fungal diseases. It also makes it easier to mulch, weed and water, not to mention harvest those delicious veggies when they are ripe.

Overdoing the entertainment

Are you guilty of over-entertaining your children (or yourself)? I know I was for a while. I had them busy doing things every waking minute. There was playgroup, crafts, play dates, sports, music lessons, art lessons, even extra tutoring (as if school wasn't enough!).  I had coffee mornings with friends, craft groups, CWA, Bible Study groups.

What happened was my gorgeous little people became so busy doing things that they forgot how to be happy and contented unless they were being amused by something or someone. They lost the art of being a child.  They were over-entertained and over-stimulated. They didn't have time to relax.

I was always rushing from one appointment to the next. There were a million things I wanted to do but I just never had the time to do them. I was always running.

I realised very quickly that one or two organized activities a week was more than enough for them, for me and for our budget. The kids learned to have fun by themselves in the sandpit or on the floor with the Lego. They learned to play with each and next to each other, sharing toys, games and books.

I learned to slip, slop, slap and watch them from the kitchen window when they were outside. I learned to let go of the over-supervising and let them play like, well like little children should.

I learned to say no and stick to it. I gave up the things that I didn't really enjoy or have time for. I found I made time for the things I really, really enjoy, and still do.

Our lives changed, dramatically. There was much less stress because there was much less running around. Less expense. Less having to stick to a strict timetable. We all relaxed and became a much happier family.

It's not easy to stop. We all want our children to have the best of everything and to have what their friends have. But all that organized activity is stressful, for your children and you.

Choose one or two activities that they really love, that you can afford and let them enjoy those. For the rest of the time let them be next to you, learning about life the way you want them to, or enjoying the solitude of their own company.

The whole family will benefit.

Have you been overcharged?

You don’t have to put up with being overcharged at the checkout. We are all human, and errors are going to happen. It’s how they’re dealt with that makes the difference.

What are your rights if you have been overcharged?

From the ACCC website "Most of the major supermarkets in Australia have signed up to the Scanning Code of Practice, a voluntary code designed to protect you from errors in checkout systems. Signatories are required to ensure their checkout systems are price accurate. If a product incorrectly scans at a higher price, you may be entitled to receive that item free. Where multiple identical items are purchased, you may be entitled to receive the first item free of charge and the remaining items at the lower price.

If you believe you have been overcharged:
• Check your receipt
• Return to the store as quickly as you can, with the receipt and the goods.
• If you can’t return immediately, ring the store and speak to the store manager about the problem. Let him or her know that you will be returning the items and will require at the very least a refund.
• Ask what the store policy is on overcharging or incorrect scanning and make notes if you need to.
• Don’t be afraid to speak up, but always be polite and courteous. Treat others the way you’d like them to treat you.
• And if you can’t resolve the dispute with the store, contact the Australian National Retailers Association (ANRA)

The 12 Step Plan for Dealing with Dirty Dishes

Dirty dishes cost you money, and lots of it! When the dishes are piled in the sink and on the bench, it is much harder to put a meal on the table. The thought of doing the washing up first takes away the desire to cook a meal. You would really like to cook dinner yourself, except you can't, because the sink is full and you don't have any clean dishes! And you know that ordering dinner will cost double or even triple what it would if you were to prepare and cook the meal.

Get into the habit of washing up at least once a day. It's easy, trust me. And it doesn't take that long either - 15 minutes at the most, even for the largest of families. You can do anything for 15 minutes, even dishes. Ok I admit defeat - you can't hold your breathe for fifteen minutes, but you know what I mean.

Here's my 12 step plan  for dealing with dirty dishes without using a dishwasher:

1.   Have the compost bucket and the rubbish bag handy.
2.   Clear the table and immediately scrape the plates - put the compostable scraps in the compost bin, the rubbish in the rubbish bag.
3.   Stack the plates next to the sink: dinner plates, bread and butter plates, bowls. Collect the glasses and cups and stack them next to the plates. Pile the cutlery together.
4.   Turn on the hot tap and give the sink a very quick swipe (you don't want to wash dishes in a dirty sink.
5.   Put in the plug, add a squirt of detergent and half fill the sink with hot water. Add cold water until it is bearable for you to put your hands in (or skip the cold water and wear rubber gloves).
6.   If you have a double sink, half fill it with hot water.
7.   Dump the cutlery in the sink and wash. Place it in the clean water to rinse, remove and let it drain on the side of the sink.
8.   Wash the glasses and mugs, rinse and let drain.
9.   Bowls and side plates are next.
10 .Dinner plates last.
11. By now the cutlery should have drained and be almost dry - polish it with a clean tea towel and put it away. Then do the bread and butter plates and bowls, followed by the dinner plates. Leave the glasses and mugs until last and they should just need a very light polish with the tea towel.
12. Wash up the pots and pans, dry them and put them away.

The dishes are done and in fifteen minutes! If you have someone to help you with the drying and putting away it might only take you ten!

So you can leave your kitchen spotless, wipe over the benches and clean the sink. Sweep the floor. Take the compost to the compost bin and the rubbish to the rubbish bin.

Now stand back and bask in the glory that is a clean kitchen, and all done in just fifteen minutes!

Building a Cash Stash

An easy and almost painless way to build savings, and build them quickly, is to stash cash. Start by emptying your pockets or purse of silver every night. Put it in a money box or an empty jar or an old sock - anywhere you can stash it. When the container is full bank the money into your savings account. You'll be amazed at just how much you can save very quickly. If you earmark the money for a specific goal (it may be to pay for next Christmas, or a family holiday, a new TV or to pay off a debt) you'll stay motivated as you see your savings grow.

If you want to get serious about saving cash you may choose to save all coins, or all gold coins. Some serious Cheapskaters save all their $5 notes and I'm sure you all know about our '50 Box' savings.  Building savings takes time but more importantly it takes regular additions and stashing cash is a great way to get into the habit of saving.

Sultana Broccoli Salad

This salad is unusual but very tasty. The flavours improve with standing so be sure to make it at least two hours before you are going to serve it.

Ingredients:
500g chopped fresh broccoli, stems and flowers
1/2 cup sultanas
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
1/2 red onion, finely diced
2 tbsp bacon bits*
2 tbsp natural low fat yoghurt
2 tbsp low fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp sugar (or Splenda)
1/2 tbsp cider vinegar

Method:
Combine broccoli, raisins, sunflower seeds, onion and bacon bits. Mix yoghurt, mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar together and add to broccoli mixture. Gently toss through salad to coat, being careful not to break the broccoli. Chill 2 hours before serving.

*Note: Bacon bits can be found with the herbs and spices at the supermarket. You can substitute 2 tablespoons of no fat, diced bacon that has been cooked until crisp.

A Basic Knitted Dishcloth

I love my knitted dishcloths. They are incredibly tough on stubborn kitchen "gunk" yet gentle on my good china and glassware. They are also very therapeutic to knit, easy too. I use cotton or bamboo to knit my dishcloths, which may seem expensive. The advantage is that they outlast bought sponges, can be bleached (if necessary), stand up to prolonged use and once they've been used in the kitchen and passed on to the laundry and bathroom they are put in the garage to use on the cars, where they are the best thing for scrubbing bugs off the duco without chemicals or damaging the paintwork.

Even a beginner can knit a dishcloth, this basic pattern is in simple garter stitch and can be finished in one or two nights in front of the television.

You will need:
3.75mm knitting needles
1 ball 8 ply crochet cotton

Pattern:
Cast on 44 stitches.
First row:  Slip first stitch, knit to end. Turn.
Second row: Slip first stitch, knit to end. Turn.

Repeat these two rows another 42 times, making 88 rows in total. Cast off. Weave ends in.

Cheap Scarecrows

You can use unwanted CDs as coasters, hang them as shiny decorations for festive occasions or even use them to decorate the wall in your computer room (make a collage of them). But my favourite use for them is in the veggie garden. They make great 'scarecrows' in the garden and hanging from fruit trees. I use them in our veggie patch to keep the birds away from the tomato plants and in the apple tree to keep the Cockatoos away from the new apples. They work a treat as environmentally friendly pest control.

Pack a Picnic for a Mystery Tour

Having fun does not always have to cost heaps. When our children were small we would pack a picnic that the children had helped to make - then when in the car we would take turns on which direction Dad would steer the car. When coming to the first intersection we start - Dad would pick a turn next intersection Mum would have a turn we would each have a turn till we would decide that it was time to stop have a look around and have lunch.  Jo-Ann

Three Ways to Make Food Last

Australians waste around $5.2 billion of food each year! No wonder our grocery bills are so high. Here are three simple ways to  keep common kitchen ingredients last  until you use them, saving you money, time and energy and stopping the waste.

Keeping garlic
To keep your fresh garlic for an extended period of time, peel and place the cloves into a glass jar. Pour olive oil over them and put the lid on top. Store it in refrigerator until you're ready to use it.  The oil can be used in salad dressings for a lovely, mild flavour and baked potatoes become something special if they are rolled in the flavoured oil before going into the oven.

Say goodbye to green cheese
Keep your cheese from growing mould by soaking a paper towel (or cheesecloth if you have one) in white vinegar. After opening, wrap the damp paper towel around the cheese before putting it in a plastic bag. This really extends the shelf life of your cheese.

Tasty crumbs
I save the crumbs at the bottom of cereal, cracker or chip bags and put them into a plastic  container. Later, I use these crumbs when making shake'n'bake, meatballs, hamburgers or meatloaf.

The Dream Spending Plan

Everyone knows we need a Spending Plan for all essential items (bills, mortgage, insurance, minimum amount for clothes, groceries and a little bit for fun etc) so we can keep track of incomings and outgoings (and hopefully the incoming is less than the outgoing).  Once you have that up and running, create a "Dream" category in your Spending Plan for those things on your dream or wish list. You know, the things like that new lounge suite or the family trip to Disneyland you have always wanted.  Make sure you add to your Dream Spending Plan every pay day, even if it is just $5. We all have dreams, having a Dream Spending Plan helps us to stay focussed on our Spending Plan and our dreams.

Rhubarb Delight

This is a lovely way to use rhubarb, especially in summer.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted
1 bunch rhubarb, washed and cut into 2cm slices
1/2 cup orange juice
250g low fat ricotta cheese
1 cup natural non-fat yoghurt

Method:
Place orange juice and rhubarb in a medium saucepan and cook for 10-15 minutes, until rhubarb is soft.  Allow to cool. Beat ricotta cheese until smooth in a food processor or electric mixer. Add rhubarb and beat until thoroughly combined and mixture is an even pink in colour. Swirl yoghurt through rhubarb mixture and place in serving dishes.  Chill for several hours. Top with flaked toasted almonds just before serving.

Recycled Card Coasters

Christmas is over, but don't feel guilty about throwing away all the lovely Christmas cards you've received. Get a little crafty and turn them into coasters to use for next year's Christmas parties or this summer's barbecues.

You will need:
Old Christmas cards (the coaster fronts)
Plain coloured paper (the coaster backs)
A drinking glass with a large base
A pencil
Scissors
Glue stick or liquid glue
Laminator and laminating sheets or clear contact

What to do:
1. Place the drinking glass on top of the first Christmas card, and move it around until you like the image contained within the glass.
2. Then, trace around the glass with a pencil.
3. Cut out the circle, and set aside.
4. Repeat until you've created your desired number of coasters.
5. Use the glass to trace the required number of backing papers from the coloured paper. Cut out.
6. Place a picture onto a piece of coloured paper. Hold in place with a dab of glue.
7. Laminate or apply contact paper to each one.
8. Carefully trim around each coaster, leaving a 5mm edge between the coaster and the cutting line.
   
Tips:
1. The verses and messages inside cards also make attractive coasters.
2. Use pinking shears or other fancy scissors to cut the picture out for a fancy edge.

A Christmas morning treasure hunt

If your Christmas morning is a ten minute blur of frenzied wrapping paper ripping early in the morning, extend the fun and have a present treasure hunt instead. Let Santa hide the gifts and leave clues so the kids have to hunt for their gifts. The treasure hunt and the fun last the whole day by adding an extra task to each clue. For example the first clue leads to the first present and the second clue, part of which is having breakfast before looking for the next present and so on.

Keep the Christmas Magic Alive

This cute idea is fun for your little ones on Christmas Eve. Let them put the reindeer food out just before bedtime.   All you need are some paper bags (brown paper lunch bags are ideal), some glitter (from a $2 shop), rolled oats and packing peanuts (if you have them, otherwise leave them out).  They are really quick to put together and cost just a few cents each to make and they keep the magic of Christmas alive for us all.

Reindeer Food
On a paper bag, write the poem and the instructions. Then mix some glitter with rolled oats to make the magic reindeer food and put it into the bag. Tie it off with a ribbon.

Tis' the night before Christmas
and since every year,
You feed Santa Claus,
now feed his reindeer!

Instructions:
1. Wait until Christmas Eve
2. Open bag and sprinkle reindeer food on the lawn.
3. Hop into bed!
4. Shhhhh!!! Listen for Santa!
5. Close your eyes tight!

Contents:
Enough Reindeer food for eight tiny reindeer!

Need a last minute Christmas gift?

Make a contribution to a charity in the name of your recipient. The organization will send out a gift card or email announcing your generosity. Any amount is appreciated however the exact amount of your donation is not typically disclosed. Try www.usefulgifts.org or worldvision.com.au if you are stuck for ideas.

Cherry Ripe Truffles

Ingredients:
200ml sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2tsp cherry flavouring
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
300g  shredded coconut
350g red glace cherries, diced finely
1/2 cup desiccated coconut for rolling
450g dark chocolate

Method:
Line a 23cm x 33cm (9 x13-inch) slice  pan with baking paper.  Combine condensed milk, cherry flavouring, vanilla extract, and salt in a bowl.  Add icing sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated.  Add shredded coconut and glace cherries and stir until combined.  Chill mixture in refrigerator for 1 hour. Take 1 teaspoon of mixture at a time and roll into balls, then roll in  desiccated coconut. Line a cookie tray with baking paper.  Melt the chocolate and dip the balls into the chocolate, covering completely, and place them on the prepared cookie tray. Refrigerate until set. Store finished balls in the refrigerator.

Christmas greenery

If you love to decorate with fresh greenery at Christmastime, it can be expensive. Instead go to your local park and collect any fallen greenery or to anywhere they sell fresh Christmas trees and ask for the cuttings and branches that have fallen off the trees.  They may well give them to you, but if the trees are being sold for charity or as a fundraiser for Scouts etc there may be a small charge. And even if they give them to you, in the spirit of Christmas it would be nice to make a small donation. The greenery makes beautiful fresh wreaths and looks lovely tucked into flower arrangements. You could even tuck fresh branches in amongst the branches of your artificial tree to plump it out.

Creative Gift Tags

Make your own gift tags out of leftover wrapping or scrapbooking papers or last year's Christmas cards. Ok, this is not a new idea, but try punching it up a bit. Add details by layering shapes over the base paper, use paper punches and scalloped scrapbooking scissors (99 cents from Riot Art and Craft) to add style, use a gold calligraphy pen to add names (pack of 3 for $1.98 from BG W). Or use the scalloped scissors to make old holiday cards into tags. Cut the tags into Christmas shapes by tracing around Christmas themed cookie cutters and cutting out. Add some sparkle by brushing the tags with PVA glue (PVA glue dries clear) and sprinkling with glitter. Do this over a sheet of paper so you can catch the excess glitter and pour it back into the jar, rather than spreading it all over the house.

Load Up on the Loss Leaders

A loss leader is an item sold at a very low price to encourage you to buy, buy, buy. You'll usually find them in those lovely displays at the end of each aisle, facing the front of the store where you walk in. Retailers run loss leaders in the hope that you'll pick them up and be encouraged to buy the full priced items that complement the cheaper item to cover the "loss".  Be strong. If the loss leader is something you use and you have the money in your grocery budget or grocery slush fund to pay for it then go ahead. I'd even suggest you buy enough to last you six months or even a year if it has a long shelf life. Just remember, you are only buying the item on sale, ignore the others. They'll come on sale eventually and you'll be able to stock up on those at rock bottom prices too.

Beautiful Gift Boxes

Cereal boxes make great gift boxes. Simply spray them with coloured paint (gold, silver, red or dark green for Christmas) and use them as gift boxes. You can also use cracker boxes, soap powder boxes etc. If you take a lot of medication, you can save the small boxes your tablets come in to use for small gifts such as jewellery.

Speculaas

This recipes comes from one of Mum's friends, Henny. She always made these cookies at Christmas time and served them to us with a huge glass of icy cold milk when we would visit. They are one of my favourite childhood Christmas memories and worth the effort of making, as they are so much nicer than the bought speculaas.

Ingredients:
2 cups SR flour
pinch salt
1 cup dark brown sugar (I just use brown sugar)
2 tsp Dutch cinnamon (or just cinnamon)
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
125g unsalted butter
3 tbsp milk

Ingredients:
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Combine flour, salt, sugar and spices in large bowl, Rub butter in with fingertips. Add milk slowly and mix to a soft dough. Knead well. Cover bowl with Gladwrap and let the dough rest in the fridge for an hour. After resting time, roll dough into a rectangle about 5mm thick. Use cookie cutters to cut biscuits from dough. Place biscuits on a baking paper lined cookie sheet and bake 25 minutes, until golden brown. Let rest on tray 1 minute before moving to a wire rack to cool.

Saving Money is Easy! hits the shops

It's in store from today, my new book Saving Money is Easy!

You'll find it at ABC Shops and Centres and all good book stores around the country

Orange skins and drink bottles

The wet, warm weather has brought slaters out in gardens all over the country and they are doing their best to eat every plant in sight. Here are two simple ideas that will help you control the slater invasion of your garden.

Orange Peel Bug Catchers
Citrus skins - put them upside down around the garden and catch slaters - then feed to chooks or throw out. 

Fix a Slater Problem
If you don't want to use insecticides in your garden, surround seedlings with either a milk carton or small plastic drink bottle that has had both the top and bottom removed to form a barrier between the slaters and seedlings until they are a little more advanced. This will also act as a wind barrier and frost protector during colder winter months.

Fun things to do this Christmas

* Wait until dark and go for a walk around your neighbourhood to see all the Christmas lights.

* Attend the Carols by Candlelight at your local school, even if you don't have children there.

* Check with your local church for their holiday program. Many churches will have recitals and carols during the lead-up to Christmas and this is a lovely way to celebrate and be involved with your community.

* Go to midnight service on Christmas Eve, then come home and let everyone open one gift before going to bed.

* Have a Christmas movie marathon and watch one Christmas movie a night. Some favourites are Miracle on 34th Street (the original in black and white and the remake), It's a Wonderful Life, Holiday Inn (White Christmas) and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (for a little off-beat humour).

* If you have little children, let them bake and decorate a special cookie or cup cake to leave for Santa on Christmas Eve. And don't forget the carrot for Rudolph!

* Turn the TV off, gather the family around and read a different Christmas story every night, ending with the second chapter of Luke from the Bible, on Christmas Eve.

* Start a new tradition and only play Christmas music in the car during December. It's a great way to teach kids favourite Christmas carols and for you to learn some of the newer songs. Christmas CDs can be bought from dollar stores and come in a great variety.

Can you guess what my week has been like?

Just take a look at the mess on my desk! On Monday morning it was as clear and tidy as it normally is.

Then life and work happened and it's been downhill for that poor desk ever since.  Thank goodness I use a laptop or it would be even worse.

So my job for the weekend is to get my desk back to normal because I just don't function properly in a mess. The books can go back onto the bookshelves. The filing can be done. All the pens can go back into the drawer. So can the stapler. The samples for upcoming Journals and How Tos can go into the sample cupboard where they belong. I can put my camera away. And that can of hairspray can go back into the bathroom (I can't even remember what I used it for now).

I know it won't take long to get everything back in order, 30 minutes at the most. And I know that once I start it will be a breeze. I also know that when I've finished and can sit at my desk to work again, I'll be motivated to get stuck in and get things done and I'll be very happy.

So why have I let it get to this stage? Yes, I've been very busy this past week. Radio interviews and a couple of newspaper interviews took some time. I've had three editorial meetings to nut out 2011 for the Cheapskates Club along with a couple of other business meetings. I've had articles to write and a brain-storming session for a series for 2011.

We have had school meetings, Hannah's awards night (did I tell you she won four awards - three distinctions and an award for effort), the usual school runs and other bits and bobs.

If I had just dealt with everything as it came in and put things away when I had finished with them then my desk would never have become an overwhelming mess.

Getting into the habit of putting things away, where they came from, is a good habit to develop. It's why my desk is usually tidy and "TV ready" as we say in our house. Most of you like your homes to be visitor ready, here I like it to be "TV ready" because I never know when I'm going to get a call for an interview.

Keeping the house TV ready isn't really that hard. We have a routine of sorts, of daily and weekly chores that need to be done to maintain our home to my standard.  It's a little like Super Shopping, a repetitive routine that keeps everything running smoothly.

My housekeeping schedule is broken down into daily, weekly and monthly tasks. I can rest easy knowing that the whole house is cleaned from top to bottom every week, so normally surprise visitors or TV crews or even overnight guests aren't a problem.

The house is usually visitor ready, not Home Beautiful ready, but I don't need to do a dash and stash when the doorbell rings.

And it's this way because of the routines and because things are usually put away, in the right spot, when we have finished using them.


So off to conquer my desk, I'll post an after picture too, so you can see the difference 30 minutes and actually doing something makes.

Freshen curtains and drapes without dry cleaning

My local dry cleaner charges $20 per drape for cleaning. When you add up how many drapes you have in your home that adds up to a lot of money each year for cleaning.  There is a simple and much more economical way to freshen your fabric curtains and drapes and remove dust and pet hair and you can do it yourself at home.  Take them down and put them into the clothes dryer for ten to fifteen minutes on the cool setting. Remove the curtains promptly and hang them back up immediately to prevent them from wrinkling. They will be fresh and clean and you'll have saved a bundle.  Don't forget to clean out any pet hair and fluff from the dryer lint trap.

Finish the Christmas Table with Beautiful Serviettes

It's easy to make beautiful cloth serviettes for your Christmas table that don't cost a fortune, but look like you've spent a bundle on them.

1. Choose a pillowslip in a colour to complement your Christmas table theme (you'll get eight dinner sized serviettes from one pillowslip).
2. Cut the hem edge off the top of each side of the pillowslip.
3. Turn the pillowslip inside out and carefully cut the seams off. This will leave you with one long length of fabric.
4. Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, press with a hot iron. Fold in half lengthways again and press. You should have four neat creases.
5. Open the length of material out and fold in half widthways. Press.
6. This will give you your eight serviettes. Carefully cut along the folds.
7. Measure in 2.5cm from each edge and rule a straight line from corner to corner using tailors chalk or a very light lead pencil.
8. With your sewing machine on the longest stitch length, and using a matching thread, stitch along each line, turning at each intersection.  If you don't have a sewing machine you can do this by hand, using a small running stitch.
9. Now form a fringe by pulling the loose threads from each side of your fabric square.

This is the basic instruction to make a simple fabric serviette. You can be creative and use different fabrics or decorate them with fabric paint or embroidery. You can even stitch a folded hem rather than fringing if you wish.

Then to finish the serviettes off, tie each napkin with a length of raffia, ribbon or tinsel to match your table setting. Slip a sprig of evergreen from a Christmas pick into each serviette to add a pretty accent. You can use the little leftovers that have fallen off your Christmas picks over the years for this rather than buying new ones. (Christmas picks are the little bunches of imitation holly and poinsettia used in decorations).

Stocking Stuffers

Our children aren't really children any more. In fact the boys are both legally adults now and Hannah is quite the grown-up young lady at fifteen.

And yet they still drag out their Christmas stockings on the first of December each year. I made each of the stockings for their first Christmases and they bring back lots and lots of memories. Of little boys and trains, of a tiny baby girl sitting in the arms of her Christmas teddy that was three times her size.

And of the things that went into those stockings. Opening the Christmas stockings on Christmas morning  was the highlight of the day for the kids. Santa filled those stockings with so many good things. There would be Batman undies and socks, Wiggles toothbrushes and toothpaste, lollies, chocolate coins, a brand-new face washer with a picture of their favourite thing at the time, new PJs, coloured pencils and colouring books and lots of other bits and bobs.

Now they are grown-up we skip the Batman socks and Barbie knickers, and they think the Wiggles are a little passé so toothpaste and toothbrushes don't make it into the Christmas stockings anymore.

These days there are chocolate coins (it wouldn't be Christmas without them), little boxes of their favourite cereals, itunes vouchers (bought on sale during the year) and lots of other little things I've collected through the year.

There might be sampler packs of different chocolate drinks or coffee or samples of the latest perfumes and aftershaves, the latest edition of their favourite magazine or even movie tickets.

None of these things costs very much, often, as in the case of the samples, they are free.

Stocking stuffers don't have to be big or expensive.  In fact they should be easy on the budget. There are too many potentially very expensive things marketed as "stocking stuffers" because they are small enough to go into the stockings.  Things like gift cards, ipods, jewellery, DVDs are not stocking stuffers. They are gifts in their own right.

Some ideas for stocking stuffers are:

• Hair tidies and ribbons
• The mini chocolate bars (the ones that come in multi packs)
• Candy canes
• Christmas tree ornament
• Craft paints or watercolour set
• Crayons
• Coffee, tea or cocoa packets
• Cookie cutters
• Deck of playing cards
• Fashion doll clothes
• Gel pens
• Golf balls
• Small cars
• Small Lego kits
• Supa balls
• Lipstick or lip gloss
• Lotion
• Mittens
• Nail polish
• Oranges
• Play-Dough tubs
• Socks
• Travel-sized game
• Wine charms

When you're stuffing the stockings, remember that too many large items and you won't fit everything in, too many small items and the stocking won't be "stuffed". Try to choose a variety of different sized items. Depending on the size of the stocking three or four larger items in plenty, with the gaps filled by the smaller things.

One thing I have always done, and will do again this year, is wrap each item that goes into the stockings. It's a good way to use the wrapping paper scraps and it helps build the excitement on Christmas morning. Even grown-up kids love ripping the wrapping off lots of pressies.

So do you do Christmas stockings? What do you put in them?

Create a Recipe Card Book

This is a great way to recycle printer paper and makes a lovely gift too. When you find a recipe you love, take a photo of the prepared dish. Then copy the recipe onto used printer paper that is printed on one side. Adjust the print settings to 4" x 6" (10 x 15cm). Then cut the recipe, method and credit (so you know where it comes from) out and glue onto a photo of the prepared dish. Slip each photo into a photo album from a discount dollar store. These make lovely gifts for family and friends. We have even made them for Hannah's Home Ec teacher, using the recipes she taught through the year.

Homemade Raffaello Truffles

The Cheapskates Club forum has been buzzing with lots of talk about homemade Ferrero Rochers for Christmas, so I thought I'd share this recipe for homemade Raffaello truffles. They are just as good as the Ferrero Rocher clones and make a delightful gift too.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
250g white chocolate
1tsp  coconut essence
60g rice bubbles, lightly crushed
500g white chocolate, extra
1 cup desiccated coconut

Method:
Melt the white chocolate with the sweetened condensed milk over simmering water or in the  microwave. Add chopped almonds and stir until well combined. Freeze until the mixture has stiffened slightly to be rolled into balls. Mold 1 slightly heaped teaspoon of chocolate almond mixture into a ball then roll in the crushed rice bubbles. Freeze again until the balls are firm.  Melt the extra white chocolate and coat each ball, draining off excess chocolate, then roll in desiccated coconut.  Set in fridge, about 20 minutes. Makes 3 dozen truffles.

Decorating the Christmas Tree

Paper clips (plastic covered) make perfect hangers for your Christmas tree decorations. Choose green to blend with the tree or colours to blend with your decorations. They are easy to clip onto the tops of the decorations and slip nicely onto the branches. They stay on the branches too, so that little fingers can't accidentally pull precious ornaments off the tree.

Contributed by Michelle, Donvale

Some Days are Just Lovely, Even if They are Ordinary

Have you ever had a day, just an ordinary day, that when you get to the end of it makes you stop and wonder at just how ordinary and lovely it was?  Yester day was like that for me.

Thursday is the day I spend with my Mum. We do her shopping and banking and bill paying and get doctors, dentists and hospital appointments out of the way. AJ usually comes with us to carry Grandma's parcels and help her with the steps and supermarket trolleys and I really appreciate his help. It's always a busy day, with lots of travelling to here and there and getting bits and bobs and I am always exhausted by the time we get home.

But yesterday was a little different. For starters it has been hot and steamy and stormy here, and I wasn't looking forward to crowded roads, shops and carparks. And then of course everyone seems to have suddenly decided that December 24 is the very last day the shops are ever going to be open again and are madly buying anything and everything they can get their hands on.

So I was not looking forward to our Thursday shopping day.

There was very little traffic on the roads, the shopping centre air conditioning was working well and it was cool and comfortable indoors. The car was parked in the shade. We even had our choice of tables in the coffee shop when we stopped for a drink.

What I found was that becuase it was hot and steamy and very, very stormy most people stayed at home. We found a carpark right out the front of all the stores we had to go to, something that never happens. And none of the shops were crowded. Mum found everything on her list with very little looking. Even the checkouts were empty, we walked right through in four stores and only had to wait for 1 person in the supermarket. Again, that just never happens.

It didn't even start to rain again until after we had dropped Mum home.

And best of all I wasn't exhausted. It was such an ordinary day, with so many not-so-ordinary things about it, that it was just lovely. Stress free. Peaceful even. I don't know what it was that made yesterday different from every other ordinary day, but it would be lovely if everyday was like that. Just plain lovely.

Easy Wrapping with Oven Bags

Approximate $ Savings: $5-$7
  
I have discovered oven bags for gift wrapping. I recently gave mugs with Minties and chocolates to teachers for Christmas. To buy cellophane by the sheet is a dollar or more. A generic brand of oven bags costs under $3 for a pack of 10. For a much cheaper price I was able to wrap the mug filled with goodies and tie it with curling ribbon. It was easier to put together than juggling four corners of cellophane and looks great. This would work well for any combination pack gift you want to put together. What about a bag full of baking goodies with a recipe! A selection of toiletries or stationery, bagged up and tied with inexpensive ribbon. Once you start, the possibilities are endless.

Contributed by Julie, Mt Riverview

Gifting Your Favourite Things

I absolutely love when Oprah does her "My Favourite Things" show where she gives the audience all her favourite things. It usually consists of anything from cupcakes to cars! Inspired, I suggested to my best friend that maybe we should do something similar for each other for Christmas, on a smaller scale of course! I went to the discount store and bought some small cosmetic travel jars and pots and filled each one with my favourite body wash, facial scrub, hand cream, lip gloss and so on. I made a CD of my favourite songs and printed out my favourite recipes. I also included my favourite DVD and book, and also a few of my favourite plant cuttings. She gave me a gift of her favourite things, and we both adored our gifts from each other! It only cost us about $20 each overall, and we even learnt some new thing about each other. It was the best Christmas gift ever!

Contributed by Anita, Bundaberg

Own Your Christmas Challenge

With just 23 days until Christmas, things may be getting hectic, but there is still plenty of time to plan to own your Christmas this year.  This Christmas may be financially challenging, so we are here to help. Visit the Own Your Christmas homepage for inspiration and great ideas to save you money, time, energy and new debt this year. It's totally free, you don't have to register or sign up to anything and you can visit any time. Keep checking in as we will be adding more tools and tips every day.

New additions to Own Your Christmas: 
Cheapskates$50 Christmas Dinner for 6 (this plan is famous, and has been featured on ACA and Today Tonight for the last four years), and

6 Tips for an Enjoyable Christmas Shopping Experience - great ideas to beat the heat and the crowds this December.

Let Retailers Know It's a Gift

I mentioned in passing that a book I was buying was a gift for a friend and the shop assistant offered to gift wrap it for me. This saved me buying gift paper which was the next thing on my list of things to do. I will always add it to my conversation from now on, it saved me time and money.

Contributed by Cheryl Wright

Christmas Truffles

Ingredients:
1 heaped dessert spoon cocoa
180g Copha, melted
1 egg, beaten
250g pure icing sugar
½ cup coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 tablespoons rum essence
2 pkts chocolate slivers

Method:
Mix together dry ingredients. Melt Copha, add vanilla essence. Add to dry ingredients and mix. Add beaten egg and mix well. Roll teaspoonfuls into balls and roll in chocolate slivers. Set in fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

Beautiful designer Christmas baubles

Decorated baubles for the Christmas tree, either glass or plastic, are quick and easy to make. You can get boxes of twelve plain baubles in all colours from discount shops. Depending on the size they range in price from $2 - $7 for twelve.  Decorate with stickers and decals rather than paints. Use sheets of gold, silver and rainbow coloured stickers ($2.95/sheet) Each sheet does at least the twelve baubles, if not more. If you choose a coloured ball all you need to do is stick on your Merry Christmas decal. Add the year in glitter glue is a coordinating colour under the Merry Christmas. Or use double sided tape wrapped around the bauble lengthways and then sprinkled with fine glitter in gold, silver or a coordinating colour. You can make these personalized and unique baubles for around 65c each and they make lovely gifts wrapped in cellophane and tied with curling ribbon.

A simple, economical flea shampoo that works

Keep fleas away and your dog healthy and comfortable with this dog wash mix. Mix one part Dettol, two parts dishwashing liquid and three parts water together. Store in a labelled bottle for future use. To use, thoroughly wet your dog's coat and then use enough of the mixture to get a good lather. Massage in well, and rinse off thoroughly.

Old fashioned games

These are great for a really hot day when the kids can't play outside or on those really, long and boring wet days.

• Dominoes
• Old Maid
• Snap
• Draughts
• Charades - they love acting out the answers to this one
• Monopoly
• Scrabble

Try playing a marathon with any or all of these games and see who the family game champion is.

Successful price negotiating

When you're looking to negotiate a bargain basement price for that item you want, there are some simple things you can do to for a successful outcome:

• Be friendly, not aggressive or grumpy
• Get the salesperson on side (tell a chatty story for instance)
• Tell them your budget range
• Ask if they guarantee their prices
• Mention that you are a loyal customer (I always tell them I must own the company with the amount of shopping done at their store)
• Offer to pay cash
• Be prepared to buy when your deal goes through
• Be discreet!

Budget All Purpose Cleaner

Buy a 1-litre no frills shampoo from a local not-quite-right or two-dollar shop for use in the bathroom. It will cost around $1.99 and last for months.  Dilute it 50 - 50 with water and use this mixture to clean baths, basins, showers, floors, woodwork, doors and the toilet. You'll find it easily lifts grease and grimy soap sludge and as a bonus your bathroom will have a lovely scent too.

Be a great money manager - change your attitude

I haven't always been great at budgeting and saving. A family crisis changed my attitude and put me on the path to a debt-free life and a secure financial future.

If your goal is financial freedom and control of your money, there are five characteristics you need to develop:
1.Paying  your bills when they are due
2.Ensuring your assets exceed your liabilities
3.Not incurring any new debt
4.Sticking to your Payment Push to reduce debt

5.Being content with what you have right now and saving for what you want in the future.

Sun Dried Tomato Dip

Try this simple but very tasty dip next time you have company over, it's just delicious.

Ingredients:
250g tub spreadable cream cheese or 250g block cream cheese that has been softened
250ml sour cream
100g sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced (white and green)
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:
Beat cream cheese and sour cream together. Stir in sun dried tomatoes, green onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Chill in refrigerator before serving. Serve with pita chips.

Christmas Card Tree Ball

This is a lovely way to use last year's Christmas cards to decorate this year's tree and it's simple, quick and so easy a child can do it.

You will need:
Last year's Christmas cards
Coloured paper fasteners (from a stationers, the are the type the split-pin type)
Coloured string or fishing line

Instructions:
Using last years Christmas cards, cut the fronts off. Cut each front into between 10 and 20 narrow strips. The width and number of strips will determine the spacing between each strip on the ball.

Stack the strips on top of each other and punch a hole through each end with a hole punch. If the pile is too thick, do a few strips at a time, making sure to line up the hole.

Once they have all been punched, insert a paper pin through each end and open out. Spread the strips evenly around the pin so they form a ball. Gently press the ball down between your hands to give it a rounded shape.

To hang, tie some coloured thread or fishing line under the head of one of the paper pins, knotting it tightly so it doesn't come undone.

Paw it forward

If your beloved pet is a rescued, former pound puppy or kitten, occasionally buy an extra bag of treats or a toy or bed and donate it to the shelter where you found your pet. If you're not sure what to get, give them a call and ask, they will have a list of things they need. Old blankets and quilts and sheeting are also always needed. Just remember, if it's already full of holes and you think it's useless, then it probably is just good for rags. Don't use donating as a way to dump rubbish. It's a nice way to help other animals and their carers, and it doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming.

Have an emergency gift stash

Sometimes invitations to parties, dinners etc are spontaneous or arrive at the last minute, leaving you no time to shop for a gift. Rather than having to run out and pay full price for something, buy gifts specifically to be used in such emergencies at sales throughout the year.  If you choose fairly generic and practical items you'll be able to use them yourself if they are not gifted in a reasonable time. Things like wine, nice books (buy from book club or any of the book retailers during their sales) or gourmet type jams and sauces are ideal. To build a small stash of gifts suitable for children look for coloured pencils, textas and pens, packs of coloured paper, small craft sets, hair accessories, DVDs on sale etc.  If you don't have children who will use these things if they are not gifted they can be donated to your local charity op shop. Clean your gift stash out once a year to make sure you're not holding onto anything out of date or stale.

Make a deal

The age old art of haggling seems to have been lost in our day-to-day shopping. Somehow, somewhere we stopped asking for the best deal and it is costing us all money. Shopkeepers have to make money to stay in business, but depending on the items the mark-up can be up to 200 per cent. This means that often there is a reasonable profit margin and for those who ask, they can receive discounts and bargain prices for the goods and services they want to buy. You wouldn't buy a house without making an offer so why buy anything else? Remember, it's just a question and the worst thing that can happen in the seller says "no" and you walk away.

Make some withdrawal rules

1. Decide on a minimum amount of cash you need for the week
2. Withdraw that amount on Monday and do not make another cash withdrawal until the following Monday.
3. If something important comes up, use your credit or debit card if you absolutely have to - just remember that  you have to pay that bill in full at the end of the month.
4. Keep saving for your goals. Every little bit adds up. When you get a windfall - for example a tax refund or a bonus at work - add it to your savings (after you have a fully funded emergency fund and are debt free of course!).

Easy Rocky Road

With only five and a half weeks until Christmas, it's not too early to start planning for those homemade, edible gifts. This Easy Rocky Road looks fabulous broken into chunks and wrapped in clear cellophane, tied with red, green and silver curling ribbons.


Ingredients:
500g chocolate (milk or dark)
1pkt raspberries (the jube-type lolly)
1 cup mini marshmallows - choose the coloured ones
1 cup chopped nuts - your choice of walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, peanuts

Method:
Butter a lamington tray. Melt chocolate. Stir in mini marshmallows and chopped nuts. Spoon into lamington tray. Mark into squares. Set in fridge.

Keep Kitty healthy and happy with this homemade dinner

I am often asked for a recipe for cat food so when you feel like spoiling your kitty a little, try this feline delight.

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/3 cup raw brown rice
2 tsp vegetable oil
2/3 cup ground turkey* or chicken
2 tbsp chopped liver (lambs fry)

Method:
Bring the water to the boil in a medium sized saucepan. Stir in the rice and oil and reduce the heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.  Add the ground turkey and chopped liver and continue to cook for another 20 minutes. Cool before dishing up to your cat.


*Turkey is becoming more and more readily available in most supermarkets. Look for the purple trays in the poultry/meat cabinet. Also ask at the deli counter for any scraps, sometimes they will sell them in bags for around $2 each.

Starting a garden on a budget

If you are thinking of starting a garden for the first time, go slowly. Think about what you want to do, where the beds will go and what you want to grow. Do some planning and research before you rush out and start buying. It is very easy when you first start to be sold lots of things you may not need or even use. Instead talk to experienced gardeners, read the Gardening Tip Store and get online. Learn about your climate zone and the soil quality in your area and you'll find what works and what doesn't, avoiding costly mistakes. Just because the garden centre is selling a particular plant does not mean it will do well in your area. Enthusiasm is good, spending money for nothing isn't.

Save eating out for a special occasion

When you fall into the habit of eating out often you tend to lose the enjoyment of the occasion. It becomes just another humdrum experience. Don't just go out for dinner. Great restaurants don't have to be expensive either. One of our favourite restaurants serves the best steak I have ever eaten accompanied by fantastic homemade chips and salad. We visit two or three times a year with friends and the four of us can have dinner and drinks for around $80.  Save up and enjoy the anticipation of a special experience that creates memories for years to come.

Small appliance investment

Most kitchens are full of appliances and tools bought on a whim, or given as "useful" gifts.  Before buying any new appliances, big or small, for your kitchen consider carefully whether it will be used to it's full potential.  Think about your family's eating habits and your cooking habits and plan your appliance purchases around them. A yoghurt maker is wasted on the family who would never eat it, giving it a cost per use of it's full price. But it may well be ideal for the family who goes through two or three litres of yoghurt each week, bringing the cost per use down to just cents, making it a worthwhile investment.   Handy though appliances may seem, think carefully before you part with your cash or they may just end up taking up bench space as wasted money.

Easy clean lampshades

A soft, natural bristle paintbrush, kept just for this purpose, works sonders on lampshades. Be sure never to use this brush for any other purpose. Always brush from the top to the bottom of the shade. A weekly dusting will keep your lampshades looking brand-new for years and years. And while you have the brush handy, give the light globe a quick dust too. It will shine much brighter if it's not covered in dust.

From Debt Free, Cashed Up and Laughing

Visit manufacturer websites

Don't forget to visit the manufacturer websites of brands you buy regularly for promotions, free samples, special offers and discount coupons. If they have a mailing list sign up for early notification of upcoming specials, newsletter only special offers etc .

Tabbouli Salad

This is a lovely, light salad, just perfect for these mild spring days. Serve it with grilled stead or chicken or on it's own with chunks of bread.

Ingredients:
1 cup chicken stock
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup couscous
2 cups chopped mixed fresh veggies (tomato, cucumber, grated carrot, broccoli florets etc)
1 spring onion, finely sliced including some of the green
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
3 tbsp lime juice, fresh with grated lime zest (zest is optional)
1 tsp chilli powder (more or less to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
In a sauce pan bring stock to a boil and slowly add eggs while whisking continuously. Cook until eggs are set. Remove from heat and stir in couscous – let stand 5 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients and toss with couscous mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve or at least 30 minutes.

Share the bounty and cut the costs

When you buy a packet of seeds, you'll almost always end up with more than you need. Instead of storing them until next planting season, share them with others by having a seed exchange.  You could also include garden equipment with members of the exchange, sharing the cost amongst everyone.  Then you can share the harvest, keeping gardening costs down for everyone.

Herbal tea anyone?

Tea drinking has had a resurgence in recent years, with herbal teas being more popular than ever before. Tea boutiques have sprung up all over the country, selling delightfully packaged flavoured teas, which might lead you to believe that tea-blending is some kind of science, requiring years of practise and study. Herbal tea is, literally, just a concoction of dried herbs steeped in hot water.  Whether you use your own home-grown herbs or supplement them with some you have bought, you can easily make your own herbal tea blends. Simply combine equal quantities of each ingredient, adjusting to taste. To make them giftable, present them in a small jar with a gift tag and a tea ball.  Some delicious blends are:

Rosemary and lavender
Dried orange or lemon zest and aniseed
Hibiscus petals, rose hips and lemon verbena
Lavender flowers, rosemary, lemon balm, spearmint and cloves
Dried lemon zest and ginger

Keep them apart

Ethylene is a natural gas emitted by fruits and vegetables and aids in the ripening process.  It can also lead to spoilage too. Fruits generally give off more ethylene than vegetables, which are more sensitive to it.

Ethylene producing fruits and vegetables are apricots, avocadoes, bananas, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, kiwi fruit, mangoes, nectarines, peaches, pawpaw, pears, plums and tomatoes.

Ethylene sensitive fruits and vegetables are apples, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, egg plant, green beans, lettuce and other salad greens, potatoes, zucchini and watermelons.

Store your fruits and vegetables in separate crisper drawers or veggie containers to keep them fresher longer.

This is Exactly what an Emergency Fund is for!

So often new Cheapskates ask why they need to have an emergency fund when they still have debt. They don't see the necessity for it.

Well, this morning as I was taking Hannah to school I could smell a strange odour. Now the kids laugh at me when I tell them I can smell something strange, because I am always sniffing at "strange" odours in the house or the car or the garden or wherever we are, so I kept my mouth shut.

Until we were stopped at a level crossing and the odour was stronger and then I heard the noise - a gentle hissing sound. Off went the radio and down went my window. Yes, I could definitely hear something. And then as I turned my head the temperature gauge almost blew it's needle off!

To cut a long story short (I could tell you all about the frantic phone call to Wayne, the 35 minute wait for the RACV - he was so nice and very helpful, learning to use my mobile to find a phone number, driving to the radiator place and getting the bus home) two hoses from the radiator to the heater core had split and drained the radiator - onto my feet!

There were a couple of frantic phone calls while Mark (the mechanic) figured out what the problem was and when he could fix it. Thankfully he was able to fix it for me today, we picked the car up when Wayne came home from work. Best of all, because we have an emergency fund, we were able to pay for the repairs immediately, without resorting to credit and going into debt.

When you are carrying debt and don't have an emergency fund, when life happens, and it will, you'll have to resort to credit to get through, and you'll be right back where you started, in debt, paying it off and adding interest too. An emergency fund, no matter how small, helps you avoid the debt trap. When disaster strikes you can cope with the help of your emergency fund. You won't need to resort to credit and your debt load won't increase at all.

So that's why you need an emergency fund, even while you are paying off debt. Because life is uncertain and you never know when you're going to blow a couple of heater hoses (or worse) and need to pay for them.

A DIY Instant facelift

Everyone likes to look their best all the time, but there are the odd extra special occasions when looking better than ever before is important. You can give yourself an almost instant facelift, at home in your own bathroom. All you need to do is beat an egg white with a fork until it is frothy. Then apply it to your face and throat, avoiding your eye area. Leave it for five minutes. During this time the mask will tighten, you'll be able to feel it happening. Rinse off thoroughly with warm water, followed by a cool water splash. Not quite Botox, but it's cheaper and it works!

Control impulse spending

It can be very easy to overspend, especially when using a credit card, but these three simple tips will help you control those urges to "put it on the card":

1.Think about the real cost of what you are buying - how many hours will you need to work to pay for what you are buying? If you can't pay it when the balance is due, how long will it take and how much more will it cost you?

2.Before you buy it, think about where you are going to put it and how often you are going to use it . If you can't think of where to put it or will only use it once don't buy it.

3.Use cash. Withdraw the cash you need for the week and use that for all your shopping. Once it's gone, you can't get anymore until next week. To stop impulse buying, leave your credit cards at home.

Chocolate Peanut Slice

Ingredients:
1 pkt Anzac biscuits (or 200g homemade)
125g butter
375g milk chocolate
150g smooth peanut butter

Method:
Line a slice tray with baking paper. Roughly crush Anzac biscuits with a rolling pin. Place butter, broken chocolate and peanut butter in a microwave safe dish and cook on high 1 minute. Stir to combine. Continue cooking in 30 second bursts, stirring well between each one, until everything is melted and well combined. Stir in the crushed biscuits  Pour into a lamington tray lined with baking paper and place into the fridge for 30 minutes to set. Cut into small slices to serve.

Top 10 Stockpile Items

I am often asked what should be in a stockpile. Here are my top 10 stockpile items. You'll see they are all things that are used regularly and store well. By following the sale cycle and purchasing enough of each item when it comes on sale to last until the next sale, you'll be able to drastically cut your grocery budget.

• Red meat
• Chicken
• Cereals
• Cheese
• Tinned fruit
• Frozen vegetables
• Tinned tomatoes
• Pasta sauce
• Baking supplies (flour, sugar, dried fruit etc)
• Toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste etc)

Shop at ethnic specialty grocers

Most large supermarkets have an international foods aisle, with basic Asian, Mexican and Indian foods, but they come at supermarket prices.  Why not go straight to the source and save even more money.  Most of these wonderful little grocers rely on word of mouth for their advertising, a great recommendation and are able to pass on great savings to their customers.  You'll find a much larger range of spices, rices, pastas, vegetables and other specialty foods than at your regular supermarket and even if the prices aren't better, the quality of the food often is.