25 Strategies to Stretch Your Money No. 20 - Budget Your Eating Expenses

Are you eating your way into debt? When you’re looking at where you spend your money, you might be surprised that so much of it is spent on treats, take-away or restaurants. It all adds up!

Australians spend on average $200 a week on groceries and around $50 a week on take-away and restaurant meals and another $20 at the bakery - that's $270 a week!

A frugal food budget is $15 per week per person (and it can be done - see the $300 a Month Food Challenge over at the Cheapskates Club) while a slightly more luxurious budget is around $25 per week per person. Really want to live it up? Budget for $30 per week per person.

Being more prepared in your meal planning and grocery shopping can not only save you money, but it will save your sanity, it will save you time, it will save you energy and it can help to make sure that your family is eating a healthful diet.

Creating a meal plan is easy. Really. Start off with a simple plan, one that includes basic meals for the week and a few snacks. When you've mastered the basic meal plan you can get a little more elaborate with more detailed meals (you'll be able to put all those saved recipes to good use at last).

Getting started is simple, just five steps and you'll have a meal plan and a shopping list.

Step One:
Make a master list (either on paper or on your computer) of the meals that your family enjoys eating. To make this job easier, you may want to think of smaller groups of food -- for example, think of meals that you make with mince (beef, chicken, lamb or pork), chicken or other main ingredients.

In my family, we often eat meals from one of four "categories", so I have my list separated according to those:

-- Australian (meat & 3 veg, mince stew, meat pie, roast, burgers,  etc.)
-- Mexican (tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc.)
-- Oriental (fried rice, stir-fry, sweet 'n' sour chicken, spring rolls, beef and black bean, etc.)
-- Italian (lasagne, pizza, spaghetti, minestrone etc.)

Step Two:
Determine how often you will shop. For example will you shop weekly, every two weeks or monthly? You may find it easier to shop weekly, because that way you can take advantage of weekly store specials, and plan your meals accordingly.

I prefer to hit the supermarkets once every four weeks - it takes the same time as a weekly shop, and it is a lot to put away all at once but I don't have the hassle for another 28 days. Just 13 shopping trips a year!

Step Three:
With your list of meals, write down on a sheet of paper what meals your family will eat for your time period. If you do more than a week at a time, you may want to write the actual dates. I also use my grocery store ads at this time, you might like to as well. If I noticed a great deal on chicken, I may purposely plan a dinner with chicken - and visa versa, if no chicken is one sale (and I don't have any in my freezer) we will not be eating chicken that week. I also make sure to not to serve any two "categories" of meals two nights in a row (for example, we won't eat tacos on Monday and burritos on Tuesday).

Be sure to look at your family's calendar when deciding what meals to prepare. Because of our schedules with work and other activities, we also have designated meal nights e.g. Tuesday is ‘pasta night' because Wayne doesn't get home until late. Thursday is my busy day, I spend it with Mum, doing shopping and other appointments and Wayne is on call for work so we always have a slow-cooker meal, a stew or casserole that will cope with re-heating. Saturday night is always a light meal and leftover night, we clean out the fridge and everyone gets a little of what ever is left over. I bulk it out with rice, potato or salad depending on the season and what's left over.

Step Four
Next to each meal list the ingredients that you will need to purchase for that meal. If we are having cheeseburgers, I look to see what ingredients I already have and then I list everything else I don't have so I am sure to buy them.

Step Five
Now that you have your meals listed, along with the ingredients that you need to purchase, you are ready to go to the supermarket. Hit that store with a smile, you are on a mission and you have a plan!

If you are eating your way into debt, limit the number of times you go out or have take-away every week and start planning your menus when you cook at home. Then shop with a list, and stick to it. This will make a huge difference in your grocery bill.

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Housekeeping on a Wednesday

Wednesday is hump day - that middle of the week day when things seem to pile up.  Wednesday is the day I start on the kids' bedrooms and their bathroom. I also give the lounge and family rooms a quick once over, just to keep them spic'n'span.

It seems like a lot of work, but even working through the entire list in one go it takes under an hour. Sometimes I am able to do that, other times I need to break it down into blocks throughout the day.

What I've found is that sticking to the cleaning routine actually keeps the house clean, there is no need for heavy cleaning, with lots of scrubbing. The longer I stick to the routine the easier it gets - after a few weeks it's just maintenance cleaning and it really only takes a few minutes to get it all done.

On Wednesday I do the bathroom and Tom's bedroom and refresh the lounge and family rooms, all in under an hour. 

Tom's room: (15 minutes)

Tom makes his bed every morning and puts his washing out. He's also responsible for keeping it tidy - I don't mind cleaning but I do not tidy up his mess. Anything that's not put away on a Wednesday morning is presumed to be rubbish and goes in the bin.

1.  Get Tom to strip his bed linens and take them straight to the laundry, put them in the washing machine, add 3 teaspoons Cheapskates Washing Powder and turn the machine on before he has breakfast.
2.  Dust the cornices, skirting boards and window sills with the cobweb broom.
3.  Wipe over the windows with a microfibre window cloth.
4.  Dust and polish the timber furniture.
5. Empty the wastepaper bin.
6.  Dust the pictures on the walls.
7.  Collect any dirty washing and take it to the laundry.
8.  Remake the bed with fresh linens. See here for my way of making a comfy bed.
9. Vacuum the bedroom floor.

Kids' Bathroom: (10 minutes)
1. Spritz the shower, toilet, basin and vanity tops. Wipe over with a damp microfibre cloth, follow with a clean towel to dry.
2. Empty the wastepaper basket.
3. Put the towels, face washers and bath mats in the wash and put out fresh towels, bathmats and face washers.
4. Sweep the floor.
5. Mop the floor with hot water and white vinegar. Our bathroom is so small I sweep it and then spritz it with vinegar and just use a microfibre cloth to wipe over the floor, backing out as I go so as not to have to walk over a damp floor.

Lounge room: (15 minutes)
1. Dust the timber furniture.
2. Dust the pictures on the walls.
3. Vacuum the carpet
4. Straighten the furniture, fluffing the cushions.
5. Check the doyleys, if they are dusty, creased or dirty put them in the wash and replace with clean linens.

Family room: (15 minutes)
1. Dust the timber furniture.
2. Dust the pictures on the walls.
3. Wipe over glass door with microfibre cloth.
4. Vacuum the carpet
5. Straighten the furniture, fluffing the cushions.
6. Check the doyleys, if they are dusty, creased or dirty put them in the wash and replace with clean linens.

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Age-Old Advice for the Modern Homemaker

My great-grandmother raised five children, through the 1920s and the Great Depression, and if I do say so, she did a remarkable job. Sadly she passed away when I was thirteen, but she spent a lot of time with us, living with us for 3 months of the year until she died.

When I was born she shared with my mother some advice that her mother had shared with her, and Mum passed that advice on to me when AJ was born. Now, in the 21st century, I'm sharing it with you.

"Don't ever feel bad because you are glad to put your babies to bed. When they are in bed, they’ve stopped for the day and so do you.  Your work for the day is done."

I loved Grandma, I love my Mum and I absolutely love their shared wisdom.

I have pretty much lived by that advice because there will always be something to do in our home.

As a homemaker I see things that need to be done everywhere I look.

It might be a mirror that needs a wipe, or a doyley that is a little crooked. It could even be a dust bunny hiding under the lounge or a basket of ironing waiting patiently in the laundry or dishes in the sink.

But when the children went to bed, my work for the day was over.

Knowing that no matter how busy the day was, or how repetitive the work was during the day, that I could stop made all the difference to how I viewed my job as homemaker.

I was allowed to get tired. I was allowed to get bored by folding clothes day after day. I was allowed to say "that's it, I've finished work" and sit down because let's face it, housework is repetitive and tedious and well, it's jolly hard physical and mental labour.

I did then, and do now, take Grandma's advice. Only these days once the kitchen is tidied after dinner my day's work is done (we don't have little children anymore, they're all well and truly grown up).

Whatever is unfinished will wait till tomorrow.

And that's the beauty of being a homemaker: the housework will always be there.

If you have babies, or work outside your home, or care for elderly parents, don't feel bad that you haven't finished the basket of ironing or that you didn't mop the floors or get the beds made.

Instead rejoice in the things you did get done. Lunches for your children to take to school, half and hour of snuggling with your baby, a tiny patch of garden weeded and new seeds planted, a chat with a lonely friend, a walk around the block with your toddler in tow, helping a tired 10 year old build a solar system in a shoe box, listening to a five year old struggle with sight words as he tries ever so hard to finish his reader.

Sit back and look at all the good you accomplished today as a homemaker, partner, parent, then take a deep breath.

Tomorrow is another day; it may or may not be as busy as today was, you may or may not get everything done. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter

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Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix

If you love the regular Cheapskates Hot Chocolate Drink Mix, you will really, really love this one. It is so rich and creamy, perfect for a wintry bedtime drink or afternoon tea, especially with a yummy toasted MOO Crumpet slathered in butter and dripping with honey.

It makes a great gift too, in a recycled jar with a pretty fabric or paper jar topper and label. Even in the hot Australian summer, this hot chocolate goes down well. Put it in a pretty jar, add a mug or two and a couple of interesting teaspoons (search op shops), wrap it in an oven bag (they make great wrapping and are cheap too, about 10 cents each) tied with raffia and hang a gift tag off it. It will look great, is the perfect gift because it's consumable and it's cheap - about $1 a jar.

You can have a gift for $2.50 if you shop wisely at your favourite op shops for the mugs and spoons, now that's a gift budget's dream gift!

There are lots of recipes for Mexican Hot Chocolate floating around the world wide web. This is the one I've come up with, after trying and modifying a few of them. Don't be tempted to leave out the pinch of cayenne, it gives the drink a delightful heat without being at all overpowering. And remember it's just a small pinch, a tiny little amount, don't be tempted to over-do it!

Ingredients:
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder (the best you can afford, at the moment I'm using Hershey's, it's just delicious and available at Costco)
1-1/4 cups skim milk powder
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Small pinch of cayenne pepper

Method:
Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a large jar. Seal.

If you're giving it as a gift (and it makes a wonderful Handmade Christmas gift), add a fabric jar topper and tie with a length of twine or raffia.

Add a label that says:
Mexican Hot Chocolate
Spoon 3 tablespoons into a mug, add hot water and stir. Enjoy.

I sift the ingredients together before I put them in the jar, it makes combining them so much easier and faster - just add them to the sifter and crank the handle and the job is done.

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MOO Reed Diffusers

Scent sticks, or reed diffusers, are all the rage at the moment. They are safer to use than candles, but they can be rather pricey, especially from specialty candle stores (up to $100!). Even at department stores they are rather expensive.

You can quite easily and very cheaply make your own at home, for under $5, and they make lovely gifts too.

You will need:
A small glass container with a narrow neck (an opening about the size of a 20 cent coin is good)
Your favourite essential oil
DPG (dipropylene glycol - a base for fragrances, available online and from craft shops)
Reeds

Step 1.  Combine 1 part essential oil with 3 parts DPG.

Step 2. Pour into your glass container.

Step 3. Drop in a small handful of reeds - enough to fill the opening of the container.  The reeds will absorb the mixture and subtly scent your room.

Be creative with your fragrance oil. You can use any essential oil you like, or combine a few to create a custom scent. You can switch fragrances with the seasons or for special occasions by simply making up another batch of oil and carrier and adding new reeds.

You can buy your reeds inexpensively online (eBay, Amazon) or from craft shops.

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Housekeeping on a Sunday

Sunday is traditionally a day of church and lawn mowing, with a roast dinner. It's bit like that here, we are a tad old fashioned.

For a more modern family it might mean sport for the kids and shopping for Mum and Dad, and perhaps lunch out or visiting friends and family.

However you spend your Sunday, it is still a day when there are household chores that need to be done.

But not much gets done on a Sunday around here. Sunday homemaking is easy.

It's a day for relaxing, pottering in the garden, sewing, visiting friends, going on picnics or for a drive, trying new recipes, catching up on reading or TV shows and just generally taking it easy.

Of course there are still things to be done in our home to keep it cosy and comfortable. I still do my regular, every day morning chores, although they get done when I've had breakfast and on a Sunday that could be any time before noon.

And I do cook a roast each week for Sunday dinner. It's something I've done almost every Sunday night for our entire married life.

This afternoon I have a leg of lamb in the oven, with garlic and rosemary vegetables waiting to go into the baking dish. It smells good, really, really good. I have roast beef on the meal plan, but I pulled the lamb out of the freezer last night so lamb it is. Roast beef will do for next Sunday.

And after dinner I do my everyday evening routine, cleaning up the kitchen and getting things ready for the next morning.

But in-between the day is mine to do with as I please.

Everyone needs a day to wind down after the hustle and bustle of the week.

Sunday Morning Tasks:
1. Make the bed/s
2. Swish'n'swipe bathroom/s
3. Put a load of laundry on to wash
4. Clear table from breakfast
5. Stack and run dishwasher OR wash, dry and put dishes away
6. Wipe down benchtops
7. Swish'n'swipe the sink
8. Put dirty tea towel and dish cloth in the wash, replace with clean tea towel and dish cloth
9. Put rubbish out
10. Sweep kitchen floor
11. Get out meat for dinner if necessary and place in fridge to defrost
12. Hang the washing on line

Sunday Evening Tasks:
1. Bring in washing, fold and put away - depending on how much washing there is it takes no more than 15 minutes.
2. Prepare vegetables for dinner and start cooking, cleaning up as you go - do not use every pot and spoon in the house and dump them in the sink! We eat between 6 - 6:30 so I usually start dinner prep around 5pm.
3. Empty dishwasher (if necessary) - I do this while dinner is cooking
4. Set table (or better yet have someone else set the table)
5. Clear table after dinner, wiping down placemats or shaking tablecloth
6. Load dishwasher OR wash, dry and put dishes away
7. Wipe down stove
8. Wipe down benchtops
9. Take compost and rubbish out
10. Fill kettle, set table for breakfast, get out the toaster, put oats in pan to soak, get the coffee mugs ready, put out lunchboxes

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The No Waste Kitchen: 10 Good Ways to Re-use Tea Bags

You all know that I am a coffee drinker. No, I am a coffee lover. I enjoy a good cup of coffee every morning, and perhaps another one later in the day. I like good coffee, I am fussy about my coffee and insist on buying a particular blend of beans.

But just lately I've taken to drinking more tea. Hannah gave me a lovely new tea pot for Mother's Day, with some lovely cups and saucers and I think they are just beautiful. And so these days, around 4pm, I make a pot of tea and enjoy a cup (or two).

The problem is the used tea bags. There are quite a few over the week. If you’re a tea drinker, you may be wondering what to do with all those leftover tea bags too. Here are a few ideas:

1. Compost.

Tea bags make wonderful compost for your garden. Simply add them to your compost heap and let nature takes its course. They break down in the Bokashi or the regular compost pile quite easily.

2. Under eye soother.

Used tea bags, particularly chamomile bags, can be cooled and placed on the eyes for a wonderful soothing relaxant. It's a nice way to relax for a few minutes after a busy day.

3. Use on sun burns.

Peppermint tea bags are great for sunburns. Leave to cool then place the bags on the burnt areas.

4. Use on cuts.

Used tea bags are also great on cuts and bruises. You can use any variety but green tea, peppermint and chamomile have good soothing qualities. They help to stop bleeding and reduce bruising.

5.  Seed starters.

Use sharp scissors to cut a small cross in a cool, moist tea bag and drop in a seed.  Keep them damp until the seedling is about 5cm tall when you can plant it, tea bag and all in a pot. Once it's about 15cm tall plant it into the garden.

6. Clean leather shoes.

You can clean dark leather shoes with a damp tea bag. Wipe the tea bag in a circular motion over the shoes to give them a clean shine.

7. Soothe tired feet.

Drop 5 or 6 brewed tea bags in a basin of hot water. Let the water cool a little then soak your tired, aching feet for half an hour.

8. Soften your skin naturally.

Run your bathwater over some brewed tea bags and then soak in it for amazingly soft skin. Green tea, full of amazing antioxidants, is idea for  bathing.

9. Deodorise the fridge.

Put a couple of used tea bags in a small dish and sit it at the back of the fridge to absorb odours and keep it smelling fresh. Works just as good, if not better, than a box of bicarb.

10. Deodorize carpets.

Empty dry, used tea bags onto smelly carpets and rugs. Brush in with a soft broom. Leave for 30 minutes and then vacuum up for beautifully clean, fresh smelling carpets.

11. As fire starters.

Dry used tea bags out and use as fire starters........ excellent
Contributed by Modern Survivalist

I'm sure there are dozens more ways to use brewed tea bags. How do you reuse or recycle them?

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Controlling Impulse Buys

"Do you realise that we could have put the new exhaust system on the Patrol with the money you've spent this month?" Wayne said with a huge grin on his face.

Lucky he was grinning or I may have thought he was telling me I'd spent too much money.

We were going over our spending for the last couple of weeks, making sure our Spending Plan was working and everything was hunky dory, or at least where it was supposed to be.

I have spent a lot of money in the last 3 weeks, but I had a budget for every single item and they all came in under budget (woo hoo!).  It was planned spending, saved for over many months.

You see we live by the $100/24 hour rule. 

What is the $100/24 hour rule? How does it work? It's simple really: if it's going to cost more than $100 we wait 24 hours before we buy it.

The spending was planned. We had a budget. We had a shopping list. We new what we were going to buy. We went shopping, chose the items we wanted and then came home and waited 24 hours before going back to buy them.

It might seem like over-kill, especially as we had planned these purchases.

What we found was that after looking at a couple of the things on the list, they weren't quite what we had in mind. We were able to find replacements for them, and two of those items were actually cheaper than what we'd initially chosen.

It meant we didn't buy in haste, repent at leisure.

Walking away from a major purchase (and we consider anything over $100 a major purchase) gives you time to decide whether you really want it, really need it, will really use it and can really afford it.

If, after 24 hours you can answer yes to all those questions, go back and get it.

If you can't, then think seriously about spending the money.

Chances are that after 24 hours you have forgotten all about the item, decided you don't really want/need/like it, or just plain can't be bothered going back to get it (in which case it would have been a regretted purchase without the 24 hour wait).

If the item is on sale, or there's only one or two in the store, ask to have it held for 24 hours. If you decide you are going to buy it, then go back and get it. If you decide you're not going to buy it, common courtesy would be to give the store a call and let them know you've changed your mind and thank them for their helpfulness.

Impulse buys can be fun, I've been known to make a few myself. But for anything that costs more than $100 wait just one day.

It's a good rule to live (and save) by.

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The $100/24 Hour Rule

 

There’s absolutely no reason to deny yourself something that you really want and/or need if you can afford it. It’s when you can’t afford it that you need to stop, think and come up with a plan.

The $100/24 Hour rule is so good if you’re tempted to buy something: if it’s more than $100, wait 24 hours before buying it. Then, if you still need it or really want it, think about how you can afford to get it. Do you have the cash on hand? Will you need to borrow from the budget? Will you have to go into debt to buy it (credit cards, store loans etc.)? Can you raise the money to buy it (overtime, garage sale, use birthday money etc.)?

Most of the time you’ve changed your mind, realized you don’t really even like it or just plain can’t be bothered going back to the shop to get it! You’ve just saved yourself a couple year worth of debt re-payments!

And I bet you don’t feel deprived either!

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The MOO Oven Cleaner that Really Works

 
I'm not entirely sure why, but cleaning the oven is up there with cleaning the shower and ironing when it comes to the most disliked cleaning chores. It shouldn't be, because it's not that hard, especially when you use this amazing MOO oven cleaner because it really works!

It lifts that gunk and grease right off the floor, melts it off the walls and the roof - oh my, the hardest part of the oven to clean is a breeze. Just spread it on, let it sit and wipe it off. You will be amazed at just how easy it is to get your oven clean, really clean, without the use of those horrible, dangerous chemical cleaners.

You don't need to wear rubber gloves with this mixture. You don't need to put newspapers under the oven door to catch drips with this mixture. Heck, you can even let the kids paint it on if you want to!

Let it sit, overnight really is best if you can, then just wipe it out. You'll love seeing how it cleans, even really dirty ovens. And for those really, really dirty ovens, just use a little elbow grease and one of my favourite scourers.

You will need:
3 tbsp dishwashing liquid (full strength for this, not diluted for dishes)
1½ cups bicarbonate soda
2 tbsp table salt
¼ cup white vinegar

Step 1. Mix the dishwashing detergent, bicarb soda and salt in a mixing bowl, then slowly pour in the vinegar, stirring as it fizzes, to make a paste. The paste should be the consistency of icing and able to be spread easily with a pastry brush. If it is too thick, add a little water and stir well.

Step 2. Take the racks out of your oven and spread the paste over the roof, walls and floor. Put the racks back in and paint the paste over them. I have a 5cm paint brush that makes this easy and quick. Use all the mixture and make sure you've completely covered all the interior and racks. For best results let sit overnight, but a minimum of 6 hours.

Step 3. To clean wipe over with a damp cloth, rinsing well between wipes. When all the gunk has been wiped off, rinse a clean cloth in vinegar and wipe over to remove the last of the paste residue.

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MOO Haisrpray

I don’t often use anything in my hair but there are times when it just has to stay looking half-way decent for the day. It's those times I used to reach for the can of hairspray. The last can I bought was supposedly the safest and best, I know at $16 it was the most expensive can of hair spray I have ever bought.

It irked me that I was spending so much money on something I don't use a lot or really like using so Hannah, my hairdresser in the making, started looking for alternatives for me.

She came up with a few that we tried, most of them only once (one had gelatine in it, it was revolting). And then she found this one.

It's great. OK, it's the best of what we've tried. It kind of reminds me of the hair spray my Mum used - it's sticky and it sets like cement. But my hair was shiny and it stayed put. And it washes out easily.

I like that I can make up a small bottle as and when I need it, from things we always have in the kitchen.

And I like that it costs about 30 cents, that's a $15.70 saving!

You will need:
1 cup water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon white sugar

Warm the water, add the vinegar and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Put it into a spray bottle. Use sparingly, like I said it sets like cement.

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Carrot Cake Jam - Oh My It Is Good!

The name intrigued me. I'd never heard of Carrot Cake Jam. I LOVE carrot cake, so the thought of being able to have those delightfully spicy flavours anytime by simply putting jam on a slice of freshly baked bread or a scone warm from the oven was too tempting - I had to make some and try it.

It is delicious! Sinfully delicious. My favourite way to enjoy Carrot Cake Jam is on a warm scone, spread with cream cheese and topped with a dollop of this yummy jam. Oh my it is good!

It can be used to sandwich two layers of butter cake together, then top it with cream cheese icing sprinkled with chopped walnuts - that's good too.

For an afternoon tea treat mix some Carrot Cake Jam into cream cheese and sandwich between shortbread biscuits, they go down very well with a cup of tea let me tell you.

I'm sharing this recipe with you now, not that I wouldn’t share with you, because carrots and pears are cheap at the moment. And because winter is the best time to make jam as standing over the boiling pot isn't too uncomfortable.

But the main reason I'm sharing now is because this jam makes the perfect gift. If you're taking part in our handmade Christmas challenge and looking for something different to give, this jam is it. It's definitely not your run of the mill raspberry or apricot or plum jam, and you can be sure no one else will be giving it (unless they read my blog too :) ).

Carrot Cake Jam

Ingredients:
1½ cups finely grated carrots
1½ cups peeled, diced and cored pears
1-3/4 cups canned crushed pineapple – including the juice (a large can)
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 pkt. Jamsetta
4 cups white sugar
2 cups brown sugar

Method:
In a large deep stainless steel sauce pan combine the carrots, pears, pineapple and juice, lemon juice and spices.  Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat so the fruit is at a gentle boil (not frothing up and boiling over) and cover. Boil gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so the fruit doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.

Remove from heat and whisk in the Jamsetta until dissolved.  Return to the stove and bring to boil over high heat stirring constantly.  Add the sugars all at once and return to a full rolling boil stirring constantly.  Boil hard stirring constantly for 1 minute.  Add in the nuts, if using them.  Remove from heat and skim off any foam.

Ladle hot jam into hot, sterilised leaving 1cm headspace.  Remove air bubbles and more jam if needed.  Wipe off any spills and add the lids/rings.  For long-term storage, process in a water bath for 10 minutes, otherwise store in the fridge and use within a month.

This recipe makes about 4 500g jars.

You need to use the Jamsetta in this recipe as there simply isn't enough pectin in the pears for the mixture to gel. You'll find it in the baking/cooking aisle of your supermarket, in a blue coloured packet, it costs about $1.75 a packet.

I used these very cute little pears that I bought at the weekend from Petty's orchard (they were windfall, hence the size) to make the jam.  I bought a few kilos, they're a really nice size to nibble on when the hungrys strike too.

This recipe has a few extra steps in it that other jams don't, but it is worth the few extra minutes.

If you are planning on keeping the jam until Christmas then process the jars in a water bath to vacuum seal them and ensure they stay fresh and safe to eat until then. It only takes a few minutes and is easy to do.

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Teacup Lights

This cup cost just 50 cents at the op shop, the blue candles were left over from an ACA photo shoot a couple of years ago and the wicking cost about  25 cents - a really frugal gift and craft.

I first saw this idea in a magazine about 5 years ago and jotted down some notes in my craft scrapbook.

I came across it again a few weeks ago when I was looking for ideas for the handmade Christmas challenge and fell in love with it all over again.

My weakness is dishes, especially pretty dishes and this craft is just the thing to put some of my pretty tea cups to use. I collect them from op shops and garage sales and markets, some I've been given as gifts. I love them all, and I use them all (often at our tea parties, I love a crazy tea set), they are not just for decoration or catching dust.

I made one of these candles to test the instructions, and then I made another one for the bathroom. And another one for our second bathroom. Then seeing as I was on a roll I made some for my bedroom and three for Hannah's new room - one for her dressing table, one for her shelving unit and one for her bedside table. They are so pretty.

If you have someone who loves pretty things and candles, these teacup candles will be sure to delight and they are quick and easy to make, I used old candle ends that were sitting in the dresser drawer and they cost just a few cents each!

You will need:
An old bone china tea cup (saucer optional)
A small saucepan
A clean, empty fruit tin (or similar size)
Old candle ends
Candle wicking (from craft shops)
Wick sustainers (from craft shops
Tongs
Wooden skewers

Step 1. Put some water in the saucepan and bring it to the boil. Turn the heat down.

Step 2. Break up the candle ends and put them in the tuna tin. Using your tongs sit the tuna tin in the boiling water. Let the candles melt (you can give them a gentle stir with a skewer to help the process along.

Step 3. Cut a piece of wicking to the cup's height plus 5cm. Clamp one end to a wick sustainer; tie the other end around a skewer. Dip wicking and sustainer into melted wax to coat them. Remove and stick the sustainer to cup's bottom.

Step 4.  Pour in the wax, stopping 1cm below the cup's rim. Allow the wax to set, it takes about 1 hour. The candle will harden with a well in the centre. To even it out, use another skewer to prick a circle of holes about 3mm deep around the wick. Pour in melted wax until surface is 6mm below rim. Trim the wick so that it sits just above the candle wax.

I used white candles and had just one half a red candle left from Christmas that I melted into the white wax. It became a really soft pink and I was so pleased - don't you think it's the perfect colour for showing off the tea cups?

My photos of the pretty pink didn't work and Hannah burnt them last night! But the blue works just as well and still looks pretty.

Try not to mix colours (red with purple and green) or you may well end up with a dirty, mud coloured candle - it will work, it just won't be as pretty.

If you like scented candles add a few drops of your favourite essential oil (I used lavender because they're going into our bedrooms and it's so relaxing). Think about where the candle will be used and choose a fragrance to suit the room to make it an extra special gift.

And just as a little "insurance" I sat the tea cups I put on our dressing tables in their saucers - I'd hate to get a heat ring on the furniture. You don't *need* to put the cups in saucers, they look cute just as they are, but if you have the saucer, or one in the same colours even if it is a different pattern, they look great too.

I saw Christmas mugs today (can you believe it? The 8th July and they were putting out Christmas stuff, Woolworths already have puddings and mince tarts on sale!), very cute in green and red - they'd be lovely with a red or green candle as a table decoration - if you're taking part in the handmade Christmas challenge, it's an idea that won't break the bank or send you crazy with lots of fiddly steps.

Ok,  my photos didn't turn out :(  We made another candle this morning, using some blue candles and it looks OK, but the pale pink was so pretty that I think I'll buy a red candle just to mix with all the white stubs.

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This Year It Is Going To Be Different

Packets of beautiful seeds tipped out on the kitchen table, ready for sorting and planting, we won't need to buy any new seeds for spring and summer plantings, between us Mum and I have more than enough to meet our veggie needs

The title says it all. This year my garden is going to be different. Very different.

For a start, I'll be sharing the garden with Mum. She'll grow some of our food at her place, in her veggie beds, and I'll grow some of our food at our place, in my veggie beds.

We'll share the cost of the seeds and the work in starting them.

We'll share the planting and watering and fertlizing and weeding and best of all we'll share the harvest.

I can't wait. With twice as much garden we can grow twice as much food. 

2014 may well finally be the year that I don't buy a single vegetable! We are planning on enough potatoes, carrots and onions to see us through the year, as well as the usual tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peas, beans, beetroot, parsnips, turnips, cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, spring onions, squash, pumpkins, sweet potato (yes, I'll try again), basil, rosemary, parsley, oregano, garlic chives and thyme to feed the six of us for the whole year.

Up until now I've been able to keep us in vegetables most of the year, buying in potatoes, onions, carrots and the odd tomato in winter (I know they're out of season here, and they have to travel a long, long way to get to my supermarket but sometimes I just crave a fresh tomato) as the garden harvest slows down.

By combining our gardening efforts Mum and I can grow all our vegetable needs, on paper and in theory anyway.

Of course the seasons will control that. A particularly hot, dry, windy or long, wet summer will change the end result. I can't do anything about the weather, but I can prepare the beds so they are the best possible for growing.

Digging them over, adding lots of beautiful compost, mulching well and training the plants to grow down for their water will help.

Adding shade to the sun-tender plants will help too.

Making sure we keep the water tanks full and directing the "clean" grey water onto the garden will help.

Preserving the best of our garden will ensure we have beautiful produce through the rather barren winter months.

We plan to make full use of the dehydrator, Fowlers preserving pan and our freezers.

I have visions of pantry shelves stacked with a rainbow of glistening jars full of tomatoes and beans and carrots and pasta sauces and relishes and cucumbers and pickles, with the freezer packed to overflowing with cauliflower and squash and silverbeet and spinach. It makes me smile to think of it.

Of course today, on a cold and wet Sunday in July it all sounds wonderful.

It's a good thing Mum and I both like gardening and love growing productive gardens because while it sounds wonderful today, in my cosy lounge room, it is going to be a lot of hard work.

Then I think about how much we won't be spending at the greengrocers on truly fresh organic vegetables and know that every weed pulled, every turn of the sod with a shovel, every bucket of water will be worth it.

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I'm Lovin' Bloglovin'

Yes, I know it's corny and bad language, but I really am loving Bloglovin'.

July 1 (and again, yes, I know I'm a few days late - it's been a busy week getting The Great Bedroom Makeover finished) also saw Google Reader, which you may have been using to follow Debt Free, Cashed Up and Laughing and other blogs, close down. Good news is, you can easily follow me on Bloglovin’ instead and import your Google Reader feeds. Here’s how to move all your Google Reader blogs to Bloglovin'. It’s really easy.

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There's nothing to do - What to do when holiday boredom sets in

With three very normal children in the house,  there's nothing to do  became a catchphrase during the holidays.  Coming up with ways to keep them amused that were constructive, educational, fun and cheap kept me busy for weeks before school ends.

I asked friends what they did with their kids, read everything I could on the subject, searched the Internet, watched current affairs shows to get inspiration.  And most of the time I succeeded.  It wasn't often that we had a really boring day; we could always find something to do from "The List".

"The List" is just that:  a great, big list of things that just about anyone can do.  There is always something to be found on The List .  As most of the country is either in or about to start third term holidays, I thought it would be helpful to share The List  with Debt Free, Cashed Up and Laughing readers.

There are over 200 different things to do on The List.  I had it printed and stuck on the corkboard in the family room ready for the holidays.  You may like to do the same thing.  Then the kids can look at The List  and choose an activity, or you may like to make it a family decision.  Either way, it really does spell the end of the  "I can't think of anything to dos"!

Here is The List:

• ride bikes 
• roller blade 
• basketball 
• play board games 
• make a tent out of blankets 
• squirt with hoses  - but don t waste water
• run through the sprinkler 
• have a skip-a-thon
• start researching your family tree
• start documenting your family tree
• organise and plan a family reunion
• hold a family reunion
• read books  - visit your local library and try some you haven t read before
• blow bubbles 
• color
• play with play dough 
• press flowers 
• do crafts with pressed flowers  - make a start on your Christmas cards
• write a letter to a relative, friend or pen pal 
• clean bedroom  (one of my favourites)
• vacuum living room 
• clean bathroom 
• make a craft  - try something new
• draw 
• make homemade play dough
• paint 
• pull weeds 
• give your favourite person a surprise party
• watch a movie 
• write stories 
• use binoculars - look for as many different things as you can
• use magnifying glass 
• use microscope 
• bird watching  - how many different breeds can you find in your backyard?
• write a play 
• act out a play 
• invent circus acts 
• perform a circus 
• play card games  (snap, old maid, go fish)
• make art on the footpath with chalk 
• play catch 
• play baseball 
• collect rocks 
• collect leaves 
• collect feathers 
• play Frisbee 
• make Frisbee's out of old plastic lids, decorate with markers 
• dust the house 
• brush the pet 
• write letters  to the editor of your local newspaper about articles you are interested in
• read a magazine 
• play dress-up 
• play Cowboys 
• pick vegetables  and then help Mum cook dinner
• play outside with the pet 
• build a fort in your rooms 
• build a fort in the backyard 
• do a jigsaw puzzle 
• play on the computer 
• surprise Mum and Dad with breakfast in bed
• listen to a story or book on tape 
• do extra schoolwork to get ahead 
• do brain teasers (i.e.: crosswords, word searches, hidden pictures, mazes, etc.) 
• cook 
• prepare lunch 
• surprise a neighbour with a good deed 
• play shops
• prepare a "restaurant" lunch with menus 
• hold a tea party 
• have a Teddy bear picnic 
• play with toy cars 
• play dolls 
• play house 
• chase butterflies 
• collect caterpillars and bugs
• plant a garden or a pot 
• collect seeds 
• hunt for four-leaf clovers 
• learn magic tricks 
• put on a magic show 
• plant a container garden 
• sprout seeds or beans 
• make sock puppets 
• put on a puppet show 
• make Christmas presents 
• make homemade wrapping paper 
• make homemade gift cards 
• make picture frames from twigs glued onto sturdy cardboard 
• crochet or knit 
• make doll clothes 
• sew buttons in designs on old shirts 
• run relay races 
• make bookmarks 
• take a quiet rest time 
• take a shower or bath 
• bath a pet 
• feed the birds
• watch the clouds 
• organise a dresser drawer 
• clean under the bed 
• empty dishwasher 
• vacuum under the couch cushions and keep any change found 
• write these ideas on pieces of paper and pick out one or two to do 
• whittle 
• whittle bars of soap 
• practice musical instruments
• perform a family concert
• teach yourself to play musical instrument (recorder, harmonica, guitar) 
• fold clean washing
• sweep kitchen or bathroom floors 
• sweep front paths
• sweep back verandah
• sweep driveway 
• wash car  - on the grass, of course!
• vacuum car 
• vacuum or dust window blinds
• clean bathroom mirrors 
• clean sliding glass doors 
• clean inside of car windows 
• wash bicycles 
• clean garage 
• play in the sandpit
• build a sandcastle 
• work with clay 
• copy your favorite book illustration
• design your own game 
• build with blocks or Legos 
• create a design box (copper wire, string, odds-and-ends of things destined for the garbage, pom-poms, thread, yarn, etc.) 
• plan a neighbourhood or family Olympics 
• have a marble tournament
• find a model train club and see if they have visitors at their running days
• take your bikes to the local BMX park and have a picnic and a day of riding
• spend an hour or two at the local skateboard park learning some new tricks  
• paint a picture with lemon juice on white paper and hang it in a sunny window and see what happens in a few days 
• finger paint with instant pudding 
• make dessert 
• make dinner 
• have a sleepover
• make popcorn and watch an old movie
• make toffee with Mum
• give your pet a party 
• start a nature diary 
• have a read-a-thon with a friend or sibling 
• have a neighbourhood bike wash 
• play Kick the Can 
• check out a science book and try some experiments 
• make up a story 
• catch butterflies and then let them go
• arrange photo albums 
• find bugs and start a collection 
• do some stargazing 
• decorate bikes or scooters and have a neighbourhood parade 
• play hide-and-seek
• create a symphony with bottles and pans and rubber bands 
• listen to the birds sing 
• try to imitate bird calls 
• read a story to a younger child 
• find shapes in the clouds 
• string dry noodles or O-shaped cereals into a necklace 
• put together a family newsletter 
• write reviews of movies, plays, TV shows or concerts you see during the summer 
• bake a cake 
• bake a batch of biscuits
• decorate a shoe box to hold your treasures 
• create family scrapbooks with old photos
• glue noodles into a design on paper
• play hopscotch
• play jacks
• make up a song
• make a teepee out of blankets
• write in your diary
• find an ant colony and spill some food and watch what happens
• play charades
• make up a story by drawing pictures
• draw a cartoon strip
• make a map of your bedroom, house or neighbourhood
• call a friend
• cut pictures from old magazines and write a story
• make a collage using pictures cut from old magazines
• do a secret service for a neighbour
• plan a treasure hunt
• make a treasure map
• make up a "Bored List" of things to do
• plan a special activity for your family
• search your house for items made in other countries and then learn about those countries from the encyclopaedia or online
• plan an imaginary trip to the moon
• plan an imaginary trip around the world, where would you want to go
• write a science-fiction story
• find a new pen pal
• make up a play using old clothes as costumes
• make up a game for practicing math facts
• have a Spelling Bee
• make up a game for practicing spelling
• surprise an elderly neighbour or relative by weeding his/her garden
• Finger paint with shaving cream
• collect sticks and mud and build a bird's nest
• write newspaper articles for a pretend newspaper
• make a hideout or clubhouse
• make paper airplanes
• have paper airplane races
• learn origami
• make an obstacle course in your backyard

With a list of things to do this long, one of the things that kept my children amused for a good half hour each day was choosing what to do! They loved reading The List and debating the benefits of each and every activity before deciding on one big one, or three smaller activities for the day.

I'm sure it will keep your children busy for a while too or at the very least give you and them some ideas for fun school holiday activities.

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Breakfast Like a King

Recently over in the Member's forum, the question came up about breakfast cereals, and was asked if $4.78 a box is cheap.

Wendy rightly asked how big the box was.

I jumped in and suggested that there are healthier, cheaper and tastier alternatives to a cold, packaged cereal for breakfast.

If you have guessed I am not a fan of breakfast cereals you are right!  In our house we have All Bran (Wayne loves it) and Weetbix. They are the limit of packaged cereals I buy. And the Weetbix are used for Shake-n-Bake, crumbing and cooking with just the occasional bowl for breakfast.

Instead we have eggs on toast. Two eggs and 2 slices wholegrain toast with butter costs around 55 cents per serve and contains a whole lot of protein, vitamins, minerals and fibre. Sure you can get some cereals for around that price too, but the good stuff in them is added - not naturally in the food as they are in the eggs on toast, and my eggs, butter and bread are preservative, colour and artificial flavour free, unlike boxed cereals (even if they say those things are natural, they are still added).

Omelettes are quick and easy for breakfast. Beat two eggs and pour into a heated fry pan. Add a layer of silverbeet or spinach, some diced tomato and some grated cheese. When the top looks like it is almost set fold it over and serve. Delicious, nutritious and cheap, especially if the eggs, silverbeet and tomatoes are homegrown and organic!

Or we might have porridge. Rolled oats is my favourite breakfast. They don't take long to cook in the morning and are deliciously creamy if they are soaked and then slow cooked. Before I turn out the lights each night I put 1/2 cup rolled oats in the saucepan and add a cup of cold water. Then I sit the lid on it and put it in the fridge. In the morning I cook the oats over a very low flame, stirring them occasionally until they boil and thicken - about 5 minutes. Pour into a bowl, add some maple syrup or honey or raw sugar or stewed fruit and a little milk and breakfast is ready.  Rolled oats cost about 30 cents per serve.

Baked beans, left-over casserole or stew or grilled cheese on Vegemite toast with a slice or two of tomato are also favourites.

Cold winter mornings we all enjoy ground rice porridge with maple syrup and milk.

Weekends and holidays we enjoy pancakes or frittata, or freshly baked blueberry or corn and cheese muffins.

Most people say time is the biggest factor when it comes to serving cold, processed cereals for breakfast. It shouldn't be. Getting a cooked breakfast on the table  takes no more than 10 minutes. If  you genuinely don't have 10 minutes in the morning, set your alarm a little earlier and do as much breakfast prep as you can the night before.

When our children were, well children, I'd set the table, fill the kettle and get the toaster out before I went to bed. It only took about two minutes but it saved a lot of stress, and two minutes, in the morning. It was nice to get up and know that breakfast was almost ready too. Seeing that pretty table setting and getting a whiff of toasting bread encouraged appetite too, something that a lot of folk don't seem to have in the morning. I still get a head start on breakfast, 20 years on.  Even on the blahiest of blah mornings, we enjoy our breakfast.

Now if cold cereal really is your thing and you just can't live without it, try making your own. Ditch the fat, salt and sugar laden boxed breakfasts and opt for muesli or a delicious crunchy granola. Either toasted or raw, it will not only be better for you than a bought cereal but cheaper and much, much nicer.

I love crunchy granola but it's no longer available in Australia. The closest thing I've found to it is Quaker Granola, but it's hard to get here too, and when I find it I tremble at the price. Costco *sometimes* has it in stock, but it's not a regular on their shelves so I make my own. Takes about 5 minutes to mix, a few minutes to bake and it's done, and it has all my favourite things in it: oats, apricots, blueberries, mango, bran, coconut, sesame seeds and honey or maple syrup (real maple syrup, not MOO Pancake Syrup), coconut oil, almonds.

Toasted Muesli

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons coconut oil (or butter), melted
2 cups rolled oats (not quick oats)
2 cups shredded coconut
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups nuts - almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup pepitas
1 cup sultanas
1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
1/2 cup dried mango, diced
1/2 cup pure maple syrup

Method:
Preheat oven to 120 degrees Celsius. Mix all ingredients in a bowl, spread evenly on baking paper on a biscuit sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until golden, turning after 10 minutes. When golden remove and cool immediately to get it crispy. The darker the muesli is the crunchier it will be. If you like a very crunchy muesli leave it for 23 - 25 minutes.

You can add whatever dried fruits you like, or have. I often add blueberries, craisins, sultanas, dried apple and dried pineapple. I also add bran and sesame seeds if I have them in the pantry.

It is a very flexible recipe, you can substitute or add ingredients or even leave them out if you don't like them.

Two tablespoons of Crunchy Granola with a 1/2 cup milk will keep you full until lunchtime, and give you the protein and energy you need to start your day.

There are so many healthier and more frugal options for breakfast than packaged cereals, please try them, even if it's just at the weekends. Your grocery budget will thank you and so will your body.

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10 Real Ways to Keep the Grocery Budget Down

1. Set a specific budget.
2. Plan your meals for the week.
3. Minimize waste with portion control and planned leftovers.
4. Know and use what you have on hand.
5. Learn how to switch expensive ingredients for cheaper, healthier versions in recipes.
6. Maximize cheap foods  such as beans, fresh vegetables, pasta and rice.
7. Double the recipe and freeze the extra meal when cooking soups, stews, casseroles, pasta dishes etc.
8. Have at least one meatless meal a week.
9. Buy produce that’s in-season .
10. Check your receipt.

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Can You Keep the Cost of Winter Utilities Down?

The convenience of central heating, instant gas heaters, reverse cycle air conditioning have conditioned us to rely on those appliances to keep warm. Dressing for the season and weather is a thing of the past.

In the olden days when I was a child, you know back in the 70s, we had an old briquette heater in the lounge room. That was it.  The doors were kept closed to keep the warmth in the lounge and kitchen, our living areas.

In winter we wore the appropriate clothing. Spencers or singlets, long sleeved shirts, jumpers, tights under our skirts or trousers, socks and slippers.

Our beds were warmed with hot water bottles, we slept in flannelette pajamas on flannelette sheets covered by nice, cosy, woollen blankets.

If we went outside to play we put on beanies, gloves, parkas and gum boots.

Yes, the bedrooms were cold. But we were plenty warm enough because Mum dressed us for the season.

Fast forward a few years to the 21st century. 

Today we turn the central heating on at 7am and off at 9am. It goes on again at 5pm and off about 9pm.

Everyone has slippers to wear in the house.

Everyone dresses for the season. If they are cold they put on another layer.

We open the north facing drapes and let the sunshine heat the house, as soon as the sun is off those windows I close the drapes to keep the warmth in. 

Doors to rooms we aren't using are kept closed.

There are door snakes on the front and back doors to stop draughts.

There are knee rugs on all the chairs and lounges to snuggle in if it is a little chilly.

There are clotheshorses over the heating vents in each bedroom and the washing is hung over them to dry rather than running the clothes dryer.

We have micro fleece sheets on our beds. They mean we don't need hot water bottles or electric blankets. I made them, much cheaper than trying to buy them.

Our beds have woollen blankets on them as well as feather and down doonas. Our beds are cosy and warm on even the coldest of nights (we had a couple of -5s last week, brrrr….).

Everyone knows to wash in cold water. But do you do just the one load of washing a day? I use lingerie bags so that I can wash colours, whites and darks together in the one load. It lets me get the washing done without having to do separate loads every day or stockpiling dirty laundry until there is enough to run a full load.

Keeping the cost of electricity and gas down is always a work in progress but there are always little things you can do that will trim a few cents off the cost of your utilities each day without being just plain stingy and miserable. Add them up over the billing period and the difference can be substantial, and there's nothing miserable about that.

So what do you do to keep your utility bills down during winter? Please share your ideas in the comments so we can all really trim those utility bills this winter.

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A Handmade Christmas: Make Ahead Edible Gifts

Decorative mixes are still a big hit at holiday time. From soups to biscuits, the gift recipient can decide when they will use their gift. Just remember, already prepared food gifts usually have a time limit but gifts -in-a-jar, kits or hampers that contain the ingredients, tools and recipes can be made ahead of time and stored until needed.

If the person loves soup, give them a gift basket filled with delicious dry soup mixes that you prepared yourself. Since it is winter, split peas, lentils and soup mixes are plentiful and cheap. Check your supermarket flyers to find out when they are on sale and stock up. Keep them in the freezer until you are ready to pack them into jars. This will ensure there are no live bugs (legumes are notorious for weevils) in the mix when you pack it. No soup gift basket would be complete without minestrone or chicken noodle. Include some of their favourites like potato soup, vegetable soup or bean soup.

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in layers in the jar. You can use freeze-dried vegetables (peas, corn, carrots, onion etc. available in the canned veggie aisle at your supermarket). Remember to make a label that includes:

• Name of the soup
• Recipe ingredients in jar
• Ingredients still needing to be added
• Serving size
• Cooking instructions

Biscuit and cookie recipes work well in the jar too.  Properly measure out all of the dry ingredients in layers. Be sure that the jar is dry before adding anything so it doesn’t spoil and once it's filled store it in the freezer for at least 7 days. If you have the room it can stay in the freezer until you are ready to give it to the lucky recipient. Use the same guidelines as the bulleted list above for soups when creating your biscuit label.

Condiments are lovely make-ahead gifts, and they lend themselves to being handmade very well. And as gifts, they are not only consumable, so no waste, but these types of gifts can be used all year round. They include items like flavoured vinegars, homemade seasoning mixes and dry rubs. If you like to grow herbs, then a holiday gift of dried herbs is perfect for the cook on your list. Also popular are bottled preserves, vegetables and fruits. After the bottling process they can keep for as long as you need in the vacuum-sealed jar.

A lovely flavoured vinegar to give, that is easy to make and inexpensive, is strawberry vinegar. This delicately flavoured vinegar couldn't be any simpler to make, costs just a few cents and is truly a gourmet delight. You can use this vinegar in any recipe that calls for white vinegar, lemon or lime juice.

Strawberry Vinegar

Ingredients:
600ml white vinegar
6 large, fresh, unblemished ripe strawberries

Method:
Wash the strawberries. Pour the white vinegar into a clean, sterilized jar. Add the strawberries. Seal and store in a dark, cool cupboard to infuse for six weeks.  If your vinegar develops a film over the top, don't worry. This is the vinegar mother, just skim it off. It is a natural part of the fermenting process. After six weeks, strain the vinegar into a small saucepan. Heat to boiling point and boil for five minutes. Strain through a clean cheesecloth into decorative, sterilized jars, seal and store in the fridge.

What are you planning to give to others this Christmas? If it is a food gift, use the tips above for gift ideas and also ways to keep it safe to enjoy.

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