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 .