How to Afford Your Favourite Gourmet Coffee

Are you addicted to gourmet coffee from your friendly neighbourhood coffee shop? These expenses can add up quickly. In fact, some folks spend well over $300 per month for their daily dose of caffeine, gourmet style (ouch!).

What if you could have your cake and eat it too? In other words, what if you could enjoy your daily gourmet coffee and lattes, but save money at the same time!

These ideas will have you licking your lips while you count your savings, including my new favourite coffee flavour:

Lattes

1. Buy an on-the-stove espresso maker. Cost: ~$20

*Heat up milk on the stove or in the microwave; pour in cup.

*Make espresso in the espresso maker.

*Add 30ml of espresso to 180ml milk.

Or buy a higher-end espresso maker. Cost: ~$200+ depending on brand.

If you spend over a hundred dollars each month (that's just one coffee a day) at the gourmet coffee shop, you'll soon make up for the cost of the espresso maker in your daily savings.

*Brew espresso.

*While it's brewing, pour cold milk into mug.

*Steam the milk right in the cup with the milk steamer arm on the espresso machine.

*Add 30ml of espresso to 180ml milk.

Flavourings

Add your choice of flavourings to your milk when you add the espresso. If you have the more costly espresso maker, avoid adding flavourings to milk before you steam it, or it’ll clog the steamer arm on the espresso maker.

*Mocha latte: Add in chocolate syrup and sugar to taste.

*Vanilla latte: Add a couple drops of vanilla extract and sugar to taste.

*Caramel latte: Add caramel ice cream topping and sugar to taste.

*Peppermint latte: Melt a peppermint candy in a small amount of water and add to latte (this is a great way to use up those leftover Christmas candy canes, just crush them up and add to your coffee). Or use 1-2 drops of peppermint extract.

*You can even buy your favourite flavourings at the supermarket or gourmet coffee stores, which would still be cheaper than buying the flavoured coffee and lattes there every day.

Top it off with whipped cream (if you dare) and enjoy!

Iced Coffees

*Iced coffee. Pour coffee and ice into beverage shaker. Shake and pour into glass.

*Blended ice coffee. Pour coffee and ice into blender and blend.

Gourmet Coffee

Because of the immense popularity of gourmet coffees, supermarkets now carry a good selection of gourmet coffees and coffee beans.

If you like to grind your own beans for the freshest flavour, buy a coffee bean grinder (around $20 and it can be used to grind nuts and seeds too) or use the one at the supermarket.

These gourmet coffees are every bit as tasty as the ones at your local gourmet coffee shop, but they cost less because you make the coffee yourself.

Whether you like lattes, cappuccinos or a short or long black, skip the coffee shop and experiment with different flavours and styles of coffee at home and have fun. You'll be saving yourself a trip to the local coffee shop, saving you money, time and energy (and a whole lot of kilojoules!).

Storing Onions for the Long Term

I don't grow all our onions, there simply isn't enough garden space. I do however buy onions in 10 kilo bags when they are cheap, my top price is 40 cents a kilo, although I can usually get them for 35 cents a kilo.

This means that there are a lot of onions to be stored. Some are grated, diced or sliced and then frozen or dehydrated. But I like to keep some of them to use fresh. Which creates a bit of a dilemma because onions don't keep terribly well just in the pantry.

They tend to sprout or go soft, even mouldy. Yuk!

You could spend $30+ on a plastic container to store your onions, or $2 for 100 paper bags that can be re-used over and over, or re-purpose some paper bags you already have for nothing.

For long term pantry storage, that doesn't require buying a special container or bag, I use this simple method. It's so simple you'll wonder that it really works. It does. And it keeps onions (and garlic and shallots) fresh for months, right in my kitchen pantry.

You will need:
Brown paper lunch bags - the number depends on the number of onions you are going to store
Pegs or paper clips to keep the bags closed
A hole punch

Step 1. Punch the bags. You can do this any way you wish, even randomly all about the upper half of the bags. An easy was is to fold the bag a few times and then punch in a row, spacing the punches 2cm or so apart. It doesn't have to be perfect or in a particular pattern, just punch holes for ventilation. The result is multiple rows of holes in the upper half of the bag.

Step 2. Fill the bag up to half full, just below or at the first row of holes.  Fold the top over 2cm, label it and use the pegs or paper clips to hold the top down.

I store my bags, full of onions, in a box on the pantry floor.  It's important not to crowd them. Air needs to circulate around the bags, that's the whole point of punching the holes. I use a wooden box;  it helps to keep the bags upright and is roomy enough for air circulation between the bags. They could be stored in a cupboard in a wire basket or in a cardboard box on a pantry shelf.

This method of storing your onions, garlic and shallots should extend the shelf life of your produce without any chemical intervention (or expensive plastic boxes). Just remember it will all depend on their condition when you put them in the bag, temperature, humidity and light. Try to store fresh, blemish free onions for the best results.

Onions like a cool (not cold - keep them out of the fridge), dark, dry storage area. I keep them in my pantry but any space you have that meets the criteria will do.

If you think this method won't work for you, remember: no plastic bags. Don't ever store onions in plastic bags. That will accelerate sprouting and spoiling because of the lack of air circulation.

And for some reason they really don't like potatoes. Don't store onions and potatoes together. They don't get on and give off gases that just make them both go off faster.

If you are careful when you take the onions out of the bags they can be reused over and over. Make sure they are clean and dry, shake out any litter and they're good to go again.

What Does it Mean to be "Frugal"?

Some people shudder at the word “frugal.” Others faint. Many begin to hyperventilate. Few run to the door screaming. Why do people panic and go mad at such a word? What is it that makes people fidget at its utterance?

Most of the population believes that to be frugal one must give up the fun things in life and live a dreary, depressing existence, which causes these feelings of fright and anxiety. This just isn’t so.

Becoming “frugal,” as one might say, is just learning how to manage your money in a smarter, more productive way so you are able to live life debt free, cashed up and  laughing.

It also means being creative when it comes to shopping, managing your money and living life in general. Living frugally is finding opportunities to save money and seizing them. It’s an adventure that’s never ending.

Living a frugal life is not something to be fearful of. It may require some dedication that hasn’t been needed before and it might mean giving up a few luxuries, but if you work at it in the correct way, being frugal is not something to fear. All anyone has to do is take some time to evaluate how he or she spends their money and decide what actions need to be taken to save money, hence, living frugally.

There are two main points to be made when learning about being frugal and having a frugal life. One, you have to become smarter with your money management and secondly, you have to work at becoming smarter at your spending.

Master those two points and you've mastered living the Cheapskates way.

The Paperless Kitchen - Making the Switch to Cloth Serviettes

One of the first things to go when we started living this Cheapskates lifestyle was paper products - paper towel, tissues and serviettes.

I hadn't realised just how expensive those paper products really were. With three littlies in the house, a messy cook (that would be me!) and a husband who worked hard and enjoyed messy hobbies I thought paper towel, serviettes and tissues was the only way to cope with the messes.

When our grocery budget went down to $200 a month they had to go. Even though I was shopping at Jewel (remember Jewel, the no frills grocer?) and had switched to no name paper products they were still too expensive.

Once the paper towels went I realised we were still using paper serviettes. While they were a little cheaper I was going through them faster because they made good paper towel substitutes.
An aunty of mine once told me she couldn't possibly eat a meal with out a serviette, sometimes two or three, depending on how “messy” the meal was. Unfortunately I am a bit the same, I like to have a serviette handy just in case and I used to go through a couple of packets of paper napkins a month.

While they weren't particularly expensive, 99 cents for 200, they did help to fill the rubbish bin and there were times they actually found their way into the washing machine and made my life miserable.

When we went paperless I decided enough was enough and fabric serviettes were the way to go. I did some research and found that they didn't have to be washed after each meal, but instead could be personalised to be used a number of times (unless they were particularly grotty). I was sold.

I worked out that I would need at least two dozen to cover accidents, washing, visitors etc. To buy twenty-four fabric serviettes was going to cost a bit so I started looking around the house for alternatives.

During my younger, richer, single days one of my passions was old linen and over the years I managed to gather quite a collection of tablecloths, serviettes, doyleys, pillowcases, antimacassars and tea towels. The tea towels, tablecloths and pillowcases were perfect to rejuvenate and turn into serviettes.

They were really easy to make, just fabric cut into squares and hemmed. Simple! In one afternoon I was able to make twenty-four serviettes and we have been using them ever since.

I calculate that using fabric serviettes for the last 19 years has saved us $451.04! That's almost six week's grocery budget or to put it another way three days Wayne doesn't have to work!

If you are not a confident sewer, try these instructions.

You will need:
*Fabric – pillowslips, sheets, shirt backs, tea towels, even your favourite dress can be cut up and recycled
*Scissors
*Tape measure
*Pins
*Thread
*Sewing machine or needle
*Iron and ironing board

Instructions:
1. Measure your fabric into 40cm squares and cut them out.
2. Once you have your squares cut out, stitch around the fabric 6mm from the edge.
3. Fold the fabric over along the stitching line and press down.
4. Carefully fold over again, making a double fold.
5. Press and pin in place.
6. Stitch, either by hand or machine, all the way around the edge to hem the fabric.

And that's it. You have just made your serviettes.

The switch to fabric serviettes took a bit of work and a little getting used to but it has been worth it, on so many levels. Cloth napkins add a little formality to meals. We all seem to sit a little straighter, use our manners more and spend more time at the table enjoying each other's company. Will we ever go back to paper serviettes? No. I like the fabric napkins. I like that I can swap them around to suit the table setting. They are easy to launder, they just go in the wash with the whites and line dry. I fold them straight off the line and put them into the drawer immediately. They're not really any extra work.

Oven Baked Zucchini Fries

Every summer veggie gardens all over have a glut of zucchini. It is the almost indestructible vegetable. They can be frozen, dehydrated, pickled. They can be steamed, roasted or eat raw. Or they can be crumbed and baked into these delicious chips.

Ingredients:
2 large or 6 small zucchini
2 eggs
1-½ cups fresh breadcrumbs (try panko breadcrumbs for a crunchier texture)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp mustard power
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Method: 
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil and set aside. Cut your zucchini into wedges. Whisk the eggs in a dish and set aside. In another dish, combine the bread crumbs, paprika, mustard powder and salt and pepper. Start by dipping the wedges, one by one, into the egg mixture and then the bread crumb mixture. Place each wedge on the greased baking sheet. Continue until all the wedges are done. You can bake the wedges as is for about 30-40 minutes (until soft inside and golden brown on the outside), but if you want a more golden texture, drizzle or spray some olive oil on top of the wedges. Turn half way through baking.


Serve with your favourite dipping sauce (I love them with sweet chilli sauce).

Another MOO Reed Diffuser

I first wrote about MOO reed diffusers here. It's a simple process, but one that requires a couple of specific ingredients.

A few weeks ago, just after Christmas, I came across the instructions for another version and decided to experiment. Many skewers and bottles of oil mixture later this is the version I prefer.

It uses ordinary kitchen ingredients. It's cheap. It's quick to make (takes about 2 minutes all up!). And it works really well.

You will need:  
A glass bottle with a narrow neck
4-5 reed diffuser sticks OR bamboo skewers  
1/4 cup safflower oil  
20-25 drops of essential oil

Step 1. Mix the essential oils and safflower oil together. It's easiest to do this in the bottle.

Step 2. Place the skewers in the container. It will take a while for the oil to travel up the sticks, so speed up the process by flipping the sticks after several hours.

That's it. Easy. Refresh the scent by flipping the skewers every few days. Once the skewers (or reeds) become saturated you'll need to replace them with fresh. And the oil will eventually evaporate. I suggest topping it up when it gets down by a third for a continuous fragrance.

Search op shops or $2 shops for suitable bottles. Better still ask friends, family and colleagues if they have any small sauce bottles they could pass on to you. I used a cute little bottle that had coloured salts in it (that had faded beyond recognition) for one diffuser. Another one was a repurposed sesame oil bottle.

I used bamboo skewers because I had them in the kitchen drawer. You can buy reed diffuser sticks from craft shops if you prefer the look of them.

For the oil any light oil will work. You could use sweet almond for instance but it will be more expensive. I had safflower in the pantry and it works perfectly.

When it comes to essential oils, oils aint oils, to coin a phrase.  Pure oils are a little expensive but they are pure, they last much, much longer and a little goes a long, long way.  If you want reed diffusers that really scent your rooms, buy the best possible essential oils you can afford.

Some of my favourite scents are:
Lavender, lemon and rosemary
Orange
Peppermint and orange
Eucalyptus and lavender - sounds odd but it's delightfully refreshing!

You can create your own fragrances by combining your favourite essential oils. Experiment to find the scent that suits your home best.

An Easy Way to Save $225 a Year

Would you like to save $225 a year without feeling it? And without having ot think about it? Then drink water! No one needs to drink either pasteurized juice, cordial, lemonade and other soft drinks or any type of sweet beverage, and that includes so called diet choices. The best beverage for everyone is water. You can use your regular tap water. Australia has one of the purest tap water systems in the world. Nothing is wrong with it. You don't need to spend money on bottled water, that can cost up to 1,000 times the price of a glass of tap water! If you are on tank water you might like to purchase a filter that removes anything that might be in the water for taste until you and your family get used to drinking water.

Drink water and you'll save money and your family's health.

Oh, and the $225 a year saving - that's the cost of just two bottles of brand name soft drink a week!

Why I Love My Microfibre Cleaning Cloths

I love, love, love my microfibre cleaning cloths. They are inexpensive, easy to use, do a great job and have eliminated almost all cleaning products from my home.

Before Cheapskates I had a cupboard full of cleaning products, that all cost a small fortune. I had bath cleaner, shower cleaner, glass cleaner, mirror cleaner, hard floor cleaner, bleaches, sink cleaner, oven cleaner, cleaner for the stove, a spray for the benches and another for the walls and yet another for the fridge and freezer. I had dishwasher cleaner and drain cleaner, and carpet cleaner and furniture cleaner.  My laundry cupboard was a little cleaning product supermarket.

To use all those products I had cloths. Lots and lots and lots of cloths. They were all for different things. Dishes, benches, floors, baths, basins, shower, windows, spills, walls and woodwork, polishing, dusting. I had a different cloth for every possible cleaning situation.

When I started living the Cheapskates way I used them all up, slowly, and replaced them with frugal, environmentally friendly MOO cleaning products. I wised up and bought two packs of 10 face washers for $3 each from Crazy Clints. The red ones were for cleaning, the dark blue ones were for dusting and polishing. Those face washers were fantastic. When they were dirty they went in the wash. They dried in no time and were easy to keep track of. Two types of cleaning chore, two colours. It worked really well and saved us a lot of money.

And then about 10 years ago I found microfibre cloths. I'd heard of Enjo, and my mother loves the products, but they were way out of my price range. One day I was browsing the cleaning aisle, ticking off the products I no longer bought, and I found a microfibre shower cloth by Mr Clean. It was my price - $2 - so home it came.

The shower was the bane of my cleaning life. It was old, the tiles were damaged from years of scrubbing with harsh chemical cleaners, the glass was dull and the base was yellowing. It seemed like nothing I did cleaned the soap scum from it easily. I had nothing to lose except $2.

Oh my giddy aunt! That cloth was the start of my love affair with microfibre cloths. All I did was wet the cloth and the shower walls and base and rub. When the cloth slipped easily over a section it was clean. The shower had never, ever been so clean and it certainly had never been so easy.

From there I bought a glass cloth. It was amazing. Mirrors shone with just a wipe. My dining table (which is all glass) sparkled and I could dust and clean it in about five minutes. Even the car windows gleamed.

One day I found a clearance rack full of microfibre cloths and mitts for $2 each, marked down from $8 and $12 each. I bought the lot! I still have a few in their packets.

They are all different brands. Mr Clean, Sabco and a couple of generic brands from the $2 shop. They all work brilliantly.

I learned early on that the secret to using microfibre cloths is to use cold water. Cold water helps the microfibres collect dust, grease, grime and most importantly soap scum. And they should always be washed in cold water without detergent or fabric softener. That's fine I wash in cold water anyway and don’t use a fabric softener so once a week I toss a pile into the washing machine and put them through the econo cycle and onto the line to dry.

What do I use microfibre cloths for? Just about all my cleaning jobs:

• Dusting
• Polishing
• Windows
• Mirrors
• Glass doors
• Cleaning glass vases
• Baths
• Basins
• Showers 
• Toilets
• Floors
• Walls and woodwork
• Washing the cars
• Cleaning outdoor furniture
• Cleaning the barbecue and smoker
• The sink
• Cupboards and benchtops
• Cleaning the oven and stove
• Wiping down the fridge and freezer
• Mopping up spills

Microfibre cloths make cleaning easy and if you really want it to be, chemical free. All you need is cold water and a suitable microfibre cloth.

Are they frugal? Yes, I believe they are. I've never paid more than $2 for a single cloth, and some of them are  in packs of two!

Have I tried the more expensive Enjo or Norwex cloths? No. They are way out of my price range. I have no doubt they do a fantastic job, they'd have to, especially to keep my Mum happy (and she is). Would I pay the price for them? Honestly, no. Not after using my cheapies and being so happy with them.

Do the cheaper versions work? They sure do. I've been using some of them for over 5 years and they are still as powerful today as they were when they were new. The oldest one is  10 years old - yes I still have my original shower cloth. And I still use it too. It's getting a little ragged around the edges and perhaps next time I have the overlocker out I'll run it around to tidy it up, but a few thready edges have not impeded it's cleaning power at all.

I love my microfibre cleaning cloths and I just can't imagine going back to any other cloth for cleaning.

Off the Grid Appliances

That caught your attention didn't it? What is an "off the grid" appliance? It's simple really. Any appliance that doesn't require electricity to run it.

For about 10 years now we've been making the shift to non-electric appliances around the house. It started with simple things like begging my mother for her egg beater to use instead of my Kitchenaid mixer (which I love and would miss dearly). She gave it up grudgingly and only because she found it difficult to use because of her arthritis. This egg beater is older than me, it was an engagement present for my mother and father back in 1959 and it still whips eggs and batters as good as it did back then.

I replaced my V-slicer when I wore it out so I don't need to use the food processors all the time. I've replaced my grater with a whizz bang new one that has a box to grate into and a lid to keep whatever I grate fresh. It's great for small amounts of cheese, one or two onions or carrots and the soap for Cheapskates Washing Powder. And it uses Cath Power, not plug-in power.

Even my Fowlers Vacola outfit is a stovetop rather than electric system.

We had an electric can opener, but when the boys gave me a fantastic can opener for Christmas a couple of years ago I was ecstatic. It's simple to use, leaves a smooth edge and doesn't require any power to operate it. Actually it's so easy to use Mum can manage it even with her arthritis. They bought it at General Trader if anyone is interested, and it wasn't cheap - it was $29.95 (which is why they shared it).  I think t was worth every cent and just as good as the $50 Tupperware can opener my mother-in-law wanted me to buy. The electric can opener was gifted to a friend who happened to mention she was looking for one.

Another score off Mum, to use one of the kids' favourite phrases, is the carpet sweeper. Good old Sabco, it's bright blue box hides brushes that do an amazing job of picking up the surface fluff and dust from the carpets. Hannah tells me it's vintage and I should sell it. I tell her it does what I want it to do and it didn't cost me anything, it doesn't cost anything to run, has simple moving parts that even I can repair if necessary and it's staying.

Last year I showed Hannah how to set her hair using rollers. Apparently they are coming back into fashion, although the newer versions are rather expensive. I even dragged out my (very) old hot rollers. She was dumbfounded! They don't require any power, but instead are heated by sitting them in hot water for 10 minutes. OK, you might need power to heat the water, but a fire does the job too.  And I taught her how to use rags to create soft curls instead of turning on the curling wand.

We don't have air-conditioning in our home. Last week I would have really, really liked it and really, really, really used it. But we manage to keep the house cool (-ish) without using power. Awnings are down early in the morning, blinds and drapes are drawn and windows shut to keep the heat out. Sausages not only keep cold winds from blowing under doors, they keep hot winds out too.

On really hot days we make sure the television is off. Boy do these new TVs give off some heat! A big screen may be easier to watch but why hasn't someone solved the heat issue yet?

For my birthday last month the kids gave me a push mower and I love it. I don't need to bust a kerfoofal valve to start it, I can use it whenever I feel like it, it's great exercise, it doesn't wake the neighbourhood or suffocate me in fumes and it doesn't need to be filled up with fuel. I think this is one of the best presents I've ever had. I love cutting the grass, not that we have much, and now I can do it free of cost and without any impact on the environment.

We even have a stovetop coffee percolator. I hunted op shops to find it. It was originally meant to go camping with us, but it makes such a nice cup of coffee I keep it in the kitchen. When someone pops in for a coffee I love to get it out and make them a real cup of coffee.

Dependency on electricity has spoilt us. We have everything at the flick of a switch. And each flick costs money. Power bills are going up and up, they're not ever going to come down. As the resources to produce electricity become scarcer prices will rise and I would think access would be restricted.

Instead of complaining about the cost of electricity, we should be doing something about how much we use.

Choosing a few non-electric appliances to replace your powered ones will stand you in good stead. At the very least you'll save a little money on the power bill, get a little more exercise and add a little more "green" to your life.

Helping Kids Understand Electricity Isn't Free

Thanks to the summer heat wave we've just experienced and the increased use of air conditioners, coolers and fans, many households are facing a shock when they get their next electricity bill. But they'll be expecting it, they know they've used more power.

So what about the bill every month (or quarter)? How do you get the kids to understand that flicking a switch might be easy but it's also expensive? Power prices in Australia are constantly on the rise, hitting household budgets hard.

Nagging doesn't help. Having a regular conversation with the whole family about the cost of electricity and what you can all do together and individually to lower the cost is a start. Call a family meeting and show everyone the current electricity bill. Then show them the bill from the same period last year. If your children are very young showing them the cost in money (or something else they understand, perhaps lollies) might help them to better understand the cost.

Make a game of reducing costs. Have the whole family pull together as a team to lower the cost of power by 10% or 20% on the next bill. If the family meets that goal, give them a reward, perhaps a pizza party or some other one time fun event, with part of the savings. To keep them motivated put 20% of the current bill in a jar where they can see it often, on top of the fridge or even in the middle of the dining table, to act as a constant reminder of the need to save and the potential for a treat.

Then talk about ways to save electricity. Draw up a list and stick it on the fridge. It could be a list of things such as turning lights off, not using the air conditioner unless it's over 33 degrees, switching appliances off at the wall (just make sure they don't turn off the fridge or freezer), running appliances during off-peak hours, using non-powered appliances instead of powered (an egg beater instead of the mixer etc.), boiling the kettle once and filling the thermos for tea, making no bake treats instead of using the oven and so on.

Nagging doesn't work, but incentives and rewards combined with education and information probably will.

How do you get your kids to save on electricity? Post your comments below so we all can learn.

Old Fashioned Ways to Predict the Weather

I think we can all agree that our weather patterns are changing. The seasons are not what they used to be. Queensland and much of New South Wales are in severe drought, while the southern part of Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria have experienced the oddest of summers, with a mild and gentle start that was followed by one of the most severe heat waves since record keeping began.

And now north Queensland and the Gulf Country are battening down for a cyclone that may just run itself out, or turn around and become a storm to beat all storms.

I'm not very good at predicting the weather here in the city. I was much better at it when we lived in the country and when we're away camping I don't seem to have any trouble at all. Watching the clouds, listening to the birds, noting the winds and even how dry the ground is in the morning are all ways to predict what the weather is going to do. It's easy in the bush.

Predicting the weather has been a talent forever, long before computer programs could plot wind direction and speed and measure water and land temperatures, people have been predicting the weather. They had to. They needed to know when to sow crops and when to start the harvest. They had to know when to bring stock in from the paddocks and when they'd need to put feed and water out for the animals.

Of course a lot of this weather predicting was homespun and became the source of some familiar ditties and sayings, some we still use today.

A common example is "red sky at night, shepherd's delight, red sky at dawning, shepherd take warning". It's one of the first sayings I remember learning and I still take a quick look out the kitchen window to check the sunset each night.

How are you at predicting the weather? Here is a list of 50 old fashioned weather proverbs that might help you become an accurate amateur meteorologist. Most of them apply to the northern hemisphere but they can easily translate to down under. I'm not sure how accurate they are, but they are folksy, interesting and fun to read and give us a glimpse into a simpler, less complicated lifestyle.

1. Hornets’ nest built in the top of trees indicate a mild winter is ahead; nests built close to the ground indicate that a harsh winter is coming.
2. The higher the clouds the better the weather.
3. If the cat washes her face over her ear, the weather is sure to be fine and clear.
4. Clear moon, frost soon.
5. When leaves fall early, autumn and winter will be mild; when leaves fall later, winter will be severe.
6. If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb.
7. When ants travel in a straight line expect rain; when they are scattered, expect fair weather.
8. If the first snow falls on unfrozen ground expect a mild winter.
9. If bees stay at home rain will soon come; if they fly away, fine will be the day.
10. A year of snow, a year of plenty.
11. Dust rising in dry weather is a sign of approaching change.
12. Rainbow at noon, more rain soon.
13. Flowers blooming in late autumn are a sign of a bad winter.
14. If cows lie down and refuse to go to pasture, you can expect a storm to blow up soon.
15. The darker the woolly caterpillar’s coat, the more severe the winter will be. If there is a dark stripe at the head and one at the end, the winter will be severe at the beginning, become mild, and then get worse just before spring.
16. When grass is dry at morning light look for rain before the night.
17. If sheep ascend hills and scatter, expect clear weather.
18. A warm November is the sign of a bad winter.
19. When the chairs squeak, it’s of rain they speak.
20. When clouds appear like rocks and towers, the earth will be washed by frequent showers.
21. If birds fly low, then rain we shall know.
22. Evening red and morning grey are two sure signs of one fine day.
23. The first and last frosts are the worst.
24. The winds of the daytime wrestle and fight longer and stronger than those of the night.
25. When down the chimney falls the soot, mud will soon be underfoot.
26. Rain before seven, fine before eleven.
27. No weather is ill, if the wind be still.
28. Cold is the night when the stars shine bright.
29. When a rooster crows at night there will be rain by morning.
30. Dandelion blossoms close before there will be a rain.
31. When clouds look like black smoke a wise man will put on his cloak.
32. A cow with its tail to the West makes the weather best; a cow with its tail to the East makes the weather least.
33. The moon and the weather may change together, but a change of the moon will not change the weather.
34. The sudden storm lasts not three hours.
35. Chimney smoke descends, our nice weather ends.
36. A rainbow in the morning is the shepherd’s warning. A rainbow at night is the shepherd’s delight.
37. Three days rain will empty any sky.
38. When smoke hovers close to the ground there will be a weather change.
39. A ring around the sun or moon means rain or snow coming soon.
40. Bees will not swarm before a storm.
41. The more cloud types present the greater the chance of rain or snow.
42. Catchy drawer and sticky door, coming rain will pour and pour.
43. When the wind blows from the west, fish bite best. When it blows from the east, fish bite least.
44. When leaves show their undersides, be very sure that rain betides.
45. Birds on a telephone wire predict the coming of rain.
46. When the ditch and pond offend the nose, then look out for rain and stormy blows.
47. Pigs gather leaves and straw before a storm.
48. Trout jump high, when a rain is nigh.
49. Red sky at night, shepherd's delight; red sky at dawning, shepherd take warning.
50. When the night goes to bed with a fever, it will awake with a wet head.

How Hot has it Been!

I've been out of action for three weeks. It's been the longest three weeks of my life. I'd think I was on the mend and then down I'd go again, coughing and spluttering and wheezing.

And it has been hot. Very hot, with temperatures in the 40s on some days - yesterday was 41.7 degrees here. Tomorrow is a little cooler, then back up into the high 30s again. Thank goodness for pools, sarongs and fans!

And all this has meant that I've not been in the garden, other than to take a quick walk around to have a look.

I've just come in and I would really like to know how weeds can thrive in a heat wave, but my beautiful tomatoes and lettuce and zucchini and beetroot and beans and cucumbers, that are well mulched and watered wilt?

There are weeds in the paving. Vinegar and boiling water will fix those up, perhaps first thing tomorrow morning before the heat (only 25 degrees here tomorrow).

There are even weeds in the pots! They pulled out easily so I'll tackle them this evening, when the sun is off the backyard.

The zucchini are still flowering and I am hesitant to do this, but I really need to pull them out and get their spot ready for autumn planting. I have 30 packets of grated zucchini in the freezer, about 2 kilos dehydrated and thirteen 500g jars of pickle made so we're covered until next summer as far as this versatile vegetable goes. It's the idea of wasting food that stops me from pulling them. But they have to go.

My poor tomatoes need a good pruning and tidying up. They've gone a little wild while the kids have been tending the garden. We're not getting too many vine ripened, but the windowsills are full of tomatoes that Hannah is turning each day and they're ripening up. They still have plenty of flowers on them, so they'll keep producing for a while yet, hopefully long enough to get more sauce and a few jars of chutney made.

Cucumbers! The cucumbers were so slow I put in another two plants just before I came down with this bug. I knew it was tempting Murphy - we now have cucumbers to spare. We've been giving them away, eating them as a snack (those little baby cucumbers are so sweet and tender you can just munch them like an apple) and made jars and jars of bread and butter cucumber - pickles on your burger anyone?

Hannah called this the Siamese tomato!

The boys have done a champion job of keeping the deck and pergola area swept and tidy for me. Thomas even washed down the tables and chairs because they were quite dusty. Hannah has been watering and picking whatever's ripe.

Oh I just have to share this, it made me laugh! She was out watering one evening last week and we heard a squeal and then "MUM!"  Out we all raced to find her, hose in hand, up on the deck. She was watering the tomatoes and turned the hose under the last bush (as she's been taught, to water from the bottom of an evening) and there was a rustle and a little squeak and a mouse ran up the tomato bush onto the fence - followed by a small cat!

Where did the mouse come from? No idea, probably next door's bush garden or the bush behind us. And we've never seen the cat before, it doesn't belong to any of our near neighbours.

I have to say we all laughed at the sight - it wasn't that she's scared of mice or cats, just that she wasn't expecting either in the garden. The look on her face was priceless.

Hannah hopes she doesn't find them again. I hope the mouse stays outside!

Saving Money Grocery Shopping: Buy In Season

My favorite time of year is farmer's market season. My family enjoys fabulous fresh food and my food budget gets a break. We all feel healthier, look healthier, and my bank account looks better too. What could be better than that?  But did you know that even if you don't go to the farmer's market, if you buy at your local greengrocer or even supermarket, buying seasonally can save money because even chain grocery stores buy local products on a seasonable basis.

Most supermarkets source things from the local market first, to find the least expensive items. Local items are less expensive because they don't have to use as much fuel to get it to the final location. With fuel prices closing in on $1.60 per litre, and higher in some areas of the country, transportation cost can add quite a bit to your grocery bill.

During the season for any typical produce item the supply is going to be greater than the demand due to the fact that produce does not last forever. Try shopping at several different grocery stores to find out what they've over stocked and are trying to move from their shelves.

Another benefit of buying in season is that you'll get foods that are more nutritious causing your body to crave less food, therefore cutting down the cost of food. It's a fact that nutrition, rather than fullness, dictates how fast you get hungry again after eating a full meal (I'm sure you've heard the old "had Chinese for dinner and was stuffed full, hungry again an hour later" tale). It just makes sense to buy in season to save money because you're going to need less of it to be satisfied.

Any fresh item that has been shipped 2,000 kilometres to your store isn't going to have much in the way of nutrition left, not to mention taste. If you purchase something fresh at the supermarket, then don't eat it because it doesn't taste good (tomatoes often have this problem) then you're just wasting your money.

When you buy local, in season, you are supporting local farmers and therefore supporting your local economy. The more people who do this, the less expensive the produce will become. Local farmers will grow more to accommodate the demand, and soon, the prices will go down as well.

And lastly, seasonal produce just tastes better. Fruits and vegetables eaten in season taste better than produce eaten when it is not in season. There are many factors at play including picking unripe produce, then shipping it thousands of kilometres away while it ripens. You'll be shocked at how good your local, in season produce tastes compared to what you normally buy. It's healthier, cheaper, and simply yummier to eat local, seasonal produce.

The Cold Water Bottle

With the uncomfortable hot weather that we have been enduring lately in Victoria I have resorted to my old trick of regularly freezing plastic soft-drink or cordial bottles filled with water. Once frozen I wrap the bottle in a tea-towel or even place it in a hand-made hot-water bottle cover. I take my cold-water bottle to bed to keep cool. You need to make sure that you wrap the bottle properly otherwise your bed sheets can end up a little damp. By doing this I essentially create the opposite to a hot water bottle. It beats paying large amounts of money for the air-conditioner to be left on for hours at a time. The beauty of this hint is that in the morning you can just put the bottle back in the freeze and it should be ready for bedtime, there's no need to waste water. I have survived the summer heat using this hint for years now, it certainly makes bed-time more comfortable.
Contributed by Natasha, Broadmeadows

Start an Easy Spending Plan

Most people live pay to pay and spend what they want whenever they want. But if you keep up that pattern long enough, you'll soon discover that the money runs out before you've paid all the bills, and there is never any left over for emergencies, special purchases or holidays. To get control of your household spending and start saving you will need to set up a household spending plan.

The thought of having to stick to a spending plan might make you cringe. It sounds restrictive and boring. But if you are serious about living debt free and creating wealth, a spending plan can actually give you freedom. You will have control over your finances, know where your money is going and have a plan to reach your financial goals. Not spending on a few things that you can do without right now means you will be able to spend on larger, more important purchases in the future.

To get started, find out how much you earn.  The way you're paid can determine how you budget your money each month. If you're paid on a weekly basis, you can calculate your budget based on four pays a month. That means you'll have four extra pays throughout the year to help with extra expenses. If you're paid bi-weekly, you can calculate your budget based on two pays a month, and have two extra pays throughout the year. If you're paid monthly, calculate your budget based on the monthly amount. You won't have extra pays throughout the year, so you'll need to be careful in budgeting for the extras. For those who aren't paid regularly, figure out your annual income and divide it by 12 to determine your monthly income.

Then track your expenses. Your fixed expenses will be easy to figure out. These are the items that stay the same from month to month, such as your mortgage, car payment, and the like. Your other expenses can be trickier to calculate. To find out how much you really spend in a month, carry a notebook with you and write down everything you spend for the next 30 days. This will tell you how much money you're spending, and where it is all going.

When you've done that, figure out the difference. Now, find out the difference between what you spend and what you earn each month. If you have a surplus, a portion of that should be budgeted for emergencies and/or savings.  If you have a shortage, you have one of two choices to solve your budget woes: lower your expenses or increase your income. You may even want to do both.

Lowering your expenses is the most obvious way to solve a discrepancy between your income and your spending. Simple changes made over time, such as renting a video instead of going to the movies, can add up to big dollars in your bank account. Others may be lifestyle changes, such as giving up one car and taking public transport instead.

Taking control of your finances by setting up a household spending plan is an important first step to living debt free.  As you begin to make wise decisions about where your money goes, over time you will find opportunities to spend less and have more money to save.

Malteser Freezer Cake

Ingredients: 
2 litres vanilla ice cream, softened
1/4 cup malted milk powder
2 litres chocolate ice cream
1/3 cup chocolate topping
1 cup malted milk balls, chopped

Method:
Place the vanilla ice cream into a bowl. Add the malted milk powder and stir until blended in well. Spread the chocolate ice cream evenly into the bottom of a spring form pan. Drop the topping by spoonful over the top of the chocolate ice cream. Sprinkle half of the chopped malted milk balls evenly over the top. Spread the vanilla ice cream evenly over the milk balls.
Freeze for at least 4 hours being sure the ice cream is firm before removing. Remove the sides of the pan and garnish with the remaining milk balls before slicing into wedges to serve.

Basic Family Soap Recipe

***Thank you everyone for your kind (and some not so kind!) emails regarding this recipe. Please do some research before you choose to criticise - sustainable palm oil is readily available and is actually quite affordable.***

Here is a basic recipe I use for my family... it makes about 4kg of soap.

Ingredients:
1kg Copha (Coconut Oil)
2kg Olive Oil
500g Palm Oil (Yellow Frymasta)
502g Lye (Caustic Soda)
1256g Water

Step 1. Using digital scales measure everything accurately. DO NOT substitute fats because lye/fat ratios are different for the various fats/oils.

Step 2.  Melt the fats together over a slow heat then take off stove.

Step 3.  Add lye to water, stirring in a well ventilated area. When both mixtures are about 60 degrees Celsius mix together using a stick mixer until trace. At this stage you can add colours, essential oils, other stuff if you want to.

Step 4.  Pour into moulds, leave for 24 hours then unmould and cut it into blocks.

This soap is ready to use in about 4 weeks.

NOTE: Only use stainless steel, ceramic and plastic.... the mixture will eat through aluminium.

Contributed by Rose, Kilmore

Composting: A Great Way to Save Money in the Garden and Go Green

Years ago, every backyard had a compost bin. The sole purpose of the compost bin was to fertilize soil for growing a vegetable garden. Today, however, composting has many other benefits besides using it for growing a garden.

When you add table scraps and food remnants from cooking to your compost, you create a rich fertilizer for the soil. Not only does using compost provide all-important nutrients to the soil, it also provides a base for moisture retention in the soil once it is fertilized.

Another benefit of using compost is the fact that when you do, you contribute to recycling in a major way. Scraps of food, eggshells, tomato seeds, coffee grounds and even banana peels are all items that typically wind up in the garbage. Whatever lands in the garbage, thereafter, winds up in a landfill somewhere. As the population grows, so do the landfills.

Many landfills have actually closed, as they are too full to contain any more waste. By composting, you are greatly contributing to the environment in such a way that it leaves more space within the landfills.

Studies have most recently shown that plant disease is significantly reduced when household compost is used in gardening. All that natural material breaks down and regenerates the soil. Once the soil is aerated and regenerated, it reduces the risk of plant disease.

Using natural compost avoids the necessity of using chemical fertilizers or moisturizers added to your soil. By using food waste from the house as well as leaves, wood ash, and grass you are contributing to a healthy, green environment.

Not only are food scraps from the table valuable to composting, but so are things found in nature as well. Grass clippings, plants and shrubs, eggshells, banana peels and fruit and vegetable leftovers are all excellent ways to fertilize and moisturize the soil in which you intend to grow your garden.

Knowing that your garden is grown using organic materials that are chemical free is also a bonus for you and your family. Not only are you providing a safe way to fertilize the soil, which is the very foundation of your garden, for your family, you are also making a major contribution to earth by going green.

Let the Manufacturer Know if the Goods You Buy Aren't up to Scratch

Have you ever opened a nice soft cheese or focaccia bread that was mouldy long before its use by date? Or opened a cup-a-soup packet to find the contents of the sachets spilt inside the box? Don't take it back to the supermarket, ring the complaints/information number and let the company know directly. They will send you a voucher for Coles, Safeway, etc for much more than the value or the product. All the supermarket will do is refund you the purchase price or give you another of the same product. I received 7 packets of mountain bread for 1 faulty pack and I received a $10 Coles voucher for a mouldy camembert that only cost $3-4.
Contributed by Naomi, Geelong