Zero Waste Challenge: Save Your Smashed Powder Make-up

It happens to all of us, we buy our powdered make-up, blush and eye shadow, and one morning we open our makeup bag and what do we find? Our powder all smashed up and ready for the bin.
In fact it isn't ready for the bin and this sneaky little secret shows you how to make your powdered make-up look brand new again.

You will need:
Isopropyl alcohol
Plastic wrap
Eyeliner Brush
Spatula
Eye dropper

Step 1. Cover the powder with the plastic wrap while it is still in the compact.

Step 2. Mash up all of the powder so there are no big pieces or lumps.

Step 3. Using the eye dropper take the alcohol  and drop about 4 drops onto the powder.

Step 4. Take the spatula and smooth it over; don’t forget to add a little bit of pressure so the powder will compact down and stay together.

Step 5. Take the eyeliner brush and clean up around the edges.

Follow this and you will never know your make-up was once a crumbling mess

Don't Make this Mistake!

Changing your shopping habits and becoming a Super Shopper is exciting and fun, but don't make the mistake of going in all gung-ho and slashing your grocery budget by half (or more!) straight away. That simply won't work because you are starting from scratch. You haven't developed all your Super Shopper skills yet and you won't have Cheapskates style stockpile of your staples to fall back on. Keep buying the groceries you need right now and start building your stockpile with items you can buy on sale, ready to use for future meals.

Don't be surprised if the first month you actually see your grocery bill go up, that's normal. You will be buying for now and the future. Start to incorporate your stockpile items into your meal plan and keep just buying on sale and that bill will start to not just drop but plummet. You'll be able to feed your family and stock-up on your staples and stay within your budget.

How to Save 25 Litres of Milk a Year

How often do you get to the bottom of the cereal bowl only to find milk left? All the cereal has been eaten, but there's still a good quarter cup (sometimes more) of milk in the bowl. Some people will drink it. Others pour it down the drain!

You can save around 25 litres of milk a year (and around $25) by simply making the cereal and milk finish with the same spoonful.

I'm not suggesting you add more cereal but rather cut down the amount of milk you pour onto it. You'll save money and waste less.

Finding Free and Inexpensive Things to Do

Free and inexpensive activities are easier to find than you think. The local newspaper will be your friend when you're looking for things to enjoy.

In nearly every paper there are listings of upcoming community events and activities. Nearly every day there will be some kind of street festival, movie night, parade or other free activities in your surrounding neighbourhood. Take advantage of these events!

Keep up with your local news station. You'll hear about other big events in your city. Of course, you can also search the Internet for activities.

Using your creativity is important as well. Picnics in the park and walks along the beach to hunt for shells aren't advertised and are often forgotten forms of entertainment. So are quiet strolls around hiking trails or a day at a nature preserve or animal sanctuary.

All of these kinds of activities can be very rewarding for just about everyone in your family and they can get you thinking about other activities you'd like to try.

Even if you live in a small or rural area, don't give up on finding fun things to do on a budget. Camp out in your backyard or have a movie night where you rent some movies and make popcorn. Plus, there are always family get-togethers, day-trips, board games and other fun activities to keep you busy.

The most important thing is that you spend some enjoyable time with the people you love. How little money you spend won't matter in the long run, but the memories will be cherished forever!

Healthy Soup Stock

In the interests of zero waste, there's a step you can add to your vegetable scraps before they go into the compost bin. When I'm preparing veggies for dinner (topping, tailing, peeling) or when my young children decide they will simply die if they touch "that" vegetable on their plate, I keep the scraps in a big bag in the freezer. I use nearly everything - celery leaves, broccoli stems, potato skins (if clean!), left-over veggies not suited to reheating, and even the not-so-nice veggies occasionally found at the bottom of the fridge. They all go into a freezer bag or two. When I get enough saved up, I put all the frozen scraps, plus some garlic, salt and pepper into a big pot. Cover it with water, bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Turn on your exhaust fan or open a window - it can get a bit "fragrant". Then drain and strain the stock through a colander or strainer. Transfer the clear liquid into freezer containers and presto - you have fresh, wholesome vegetable stock for free. Only then does the leftover veggie pulp go into the compost bin. No bit of veggies gets wasted. You can also do this with chicken bones, meat bones, seafood shells and so-on. Keeping the scraps in the freezer until you save enough to make the stock means you get to make use of every bit of what you've paid for.
Contributed by Margaret Ornsby

MOO Monday: Make a Cosy Hot Water Bottle Cover from an Old Jumper

There is nothing quite as nice on a cold night as getting into a bed that has been warmed by a hot water bottle and then warming your feet on it. But they need covers to help keep them hot and to stop burnt toes.

You can recycle an old woollen or fleecy jumper into a hot water bottle cover in just a few minute and you don't need any special skill either.

You will need:
An old woollen or fleecy jumper
Tailors chalk
Sharp scissors
Sewing thread to match
Sewing machine
1m 6mm ribbon

Step 1. Turn the jumper inside out.

Step 2. Lay the hot water bottle on the jumper with the top along the waistband edge.

Step 3. Trace a 1.5cm seam around the hot water bottle with the tailor's chalk.  Cut along the seam line.

Step 4. Pin the cover, right sides together. Starting at the top right hand edge stitch a 1.5cm seam around the cover, leaving the top open. Zigzag over the raw edges to stop them unravelling.

Step 5. Turn right side out. Slip the hot water bottle in to the cover. Use the ribbon to gather the top and hold in place.

Maximum Storage and Organization and it didn't Cost a Cent

Each of the four bedrooms in our home have built in robes with shelves but no drawers. So much space was wasted and it was hard to find items so off to my local supermarket and closest shoe store. These businesses happily gave me empty boxes.

 Before you go, measure the spaces, plan what items you want to store this way and select the required number of the same size boxes. i.e. 6 adult shoe boxes (all of the same brand so that they are sized equally). You don't want to waste time, energy and fuel in making a second trip.

Make sure you get shoe boxes that have a separate lid. This way you have the option of an open box which is easy to pull out like a drawer and it's easy to see the contents of the box. For seasonal items, you can simply place the lid on the box.

Kids' shoe boxes are great for small items like kids' underwear, hair supplies, kids' hats. Adult shoe boxes work well for underwear, socks, ties (rolled up like sushi), kids' t shirts, scarves.

Shallow and wide boxes from the supermarket are great for adult tops, caps, sports uniforms whilst deep, wide, sturdy boxes are perfect for jumpers and other bulkier items.

Fruit boxes with lids are ideal as they have greater airflow to keep your clothing fresh. The kids decided to cover the fronts of their new 'drawers' with cheap wrapping paper and to glue on hand written labels. I used double sided tape to attach my favourite scrapbooking papers to the boxes in our wardrobe to match my 'scrapbook paper' canvases over our bed.
Contributed by Julie

Defeat the Sock Fairy and Save Time Too

When hanging socks on the line to dry, hang them in matching pairs. That way when they are dry and you remove them from the line, you can fold them together straight away. It saves time sorting and folding later. My husband taught me this hint: if you hang the socks by their toes it's even quicker.
Contributed by Catherine

I hang them in pairs by the toes too, but before I take them off the line I go along and quickly fold each pair up to the peg. Then I just zip along the line, unpegging and dropping the folded socks into the basket.

Quick Darning for Holey Socks

My husband wears the thick explorer socks and due to his job gets holes in them. I used to have trouble darning them until I tried this method. Fill a sewing machine bobbin with shirring elastic and thread the top thread with normal thread. Put the machine on zigzag with the widest stitch width possible and keep going backwards and forwards until the hole is patched. At about $12 a pair for new ones this keeps them going for a while longer.
Contributed by Caroline Deguara

Darning socks is a dying skill, but one that's handy to have. I've put the step-by-step instructions for darning on my blog. Go to  Filling in a Hole (or How to Darn a Sock) for step-by-step instructions on how to darn.

Potato Casserole

This vegetarian dish has a secret ingredient that is definitely odd - mayo! Ordinary mayo, the kind you use on salad sandwiches and in dressings. And yes, you can use low-fat if you want to.

Ingredients:
3-4 med potatoes diced
1 zucchini, diced
¾ cup onion, diced
¾ cup mushroom, sliced
½ cup diced red capsicum,
1 bunch asparagus, cut into chunks
1 carrot, diced
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 ¾ -2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup grated mozzarella/parmesan cheese mix

Method:
Mix all the vegetables together along with the salt and pepper. Place in an oiled casserole dish. Spread the mayonnaise evenly over the top and cover the dish with foil. Bake covered at 175 degrees for 1 hour. Pull off the foil and sprinkle the cheese on top. Return to the oven and allow to melt and slightly brown for 5 minutes.

MOO Monday: A Doggy Jumper Cheapskates Style

It's getting cold here in Ippy and my dog Furey is starting to feel it, so I've been looking in all the pet stores for dog jumpers for her.  The cheapest I could find was $35. OUCH! Then I remembered what my Mum used to do with our farm dogs. We'd cut the sleeves down on our old school jumpers and put them on the dogs, they keep nice and warm. Old jumpers only cost $2.00 - $5.00 at the local secondhand store - a huge saving and no waste either. Furey loves her warm jumpy and can't wait to get into it when it gets dark.
Contributed by Susan Sumison

Earning Pocket Money

We have three children aged 6 ,8 and 9. One of my frustrations had been the weekly handing out of pocket money so earlier this year I let the children know it would be a good idea to do something towards their pocket money, or even better still earn it themselves. The kids threw in a few ideas of what they could do, most of which required mum and dad to pay. I then told them about the people in my office who daily buy coffee and cookies from a near by coffee shop. As they were paying $1 for the cookies, I told the kids I was sure they would be happy to pay half that (50 cents).

I told the kids I would ask my boss if it was ok to make cookies and put them in a container in the lunch room with a note asking for 50 cents towards the cost of each cookie. He said it sounded great to him.

Since then the kids (with help from Dad) have been baking and selling about 60 choc chip cookies a week. The cost of the each cookie is about 20 cents, leaving 30 cents from each one to go to the kids. We are now experts and can make and bake them (60) in about 40 minutes.

We see three benefits:
1. we have now saved on paying out pocket money
2. the kids have extra money to spend or save
3. the kids are learning that money is earned.
Contributed by Garry

Frugal Floor Facelift Saved Our Sanity and $300

I am a renter. It's my first time out of the parental home so price of real estate is very important to me. I rent a house with my partner for $220 a week. This is a very cheap place, the reason that it was cheap... the bathroom (the horror).

The floor was a huge eyesore no one could ignore! The old tiles that had been in place had been badly removed and the bare hardwood floors with glue and grout all over them were all we had left. We decided to fix it one day and went around trying to find options.

Faux wood panels were expensive, lino tiles were an unrealistic option as we can't fix anything to the property, lino in specialty stores was very expensive. Finally we went to Bunnings. $9.50/m lino in a large variety of colours and patterns! We picked out something simple and bought it, a Stanley knife and steel rule for under $40.

We now feel like we have a brand new bathroom!! We had extra lino left over that we used to cover up other unsightly parts of the house like the two flaking chipboard shelves in the kitchen and the oddly painted (shabby chic style but sky blue and pine tree green?) medicine cabinet shelves (it doesn’t have doors or a mirror) in the bathroom. Overall we saved ourselves a lot of time, at least $300 and of course saved our sanity!
Contributed by Amanda

Weird Ways to Save More Money

 

Saving money has become a quest for millions of families around the globe. Times are a bit tough and people are becoming more conscious of their spending.

Here are a few weird or unusual ways to save money.

No. 1: Resell your books. Do you have bookcases full of books you've read once and will never read again? Take them to your nearest secondhand book store and sell them. It’s a great way to turn what are otherwise dust collectors into money you can use and make room on your bookshelves.

No.2: Cut your own hair. Okay, this isn't for everyone but you can save good money when you cut your own hair. Generally styles that are longer or one length are easier to cut. Check out YouTube videos to find good “how to's.”

No. 3: Become a barista. Learn how to make great coffee and save tons of money. You can make your favourite coffee at home. A simple espresso machine costs less than a month’s worth of coffee from your favourite cafe. Add syrups, milk or cream and whatever flavourings you like to make top notch drinks and save money.

No. 4: Keep the change. Whenever you pay for anything use notes, never pay with change. Keep it. At home, at the end of the day put all of your change into a large jar. You can save hundreds of dollars in change each month. This money can be used to pay for a holiday, buy a new toy or clothing or go into your emergency fund.

No. 5: Swap. Partner with friends to organize a swap group. Swap magazine subscriptions, clothing, books and movies whatever works best for you. It’s a great way to refresh your belongings and save money.

Lamb Fritters

Leftover lamb doesn't have to be just for sandwiches. It can be used to make another meal entirely - lamb fritters. They are delicious and a wonderful way to use just a little bit of leftover lamb.

Ingredients:
Leftover lamb roast – diced
1 large onion, grated
1 egg
1 tbsp mint sauce
1 cup SR flour
1 cup milk
oil for shallow frying

Method:
Mix all the ingredients except the oil together, stirring well to remove lumps. Drop spoonfuls into hot oil and fry until brown on the bottom. Turn and cook until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper.

MOO Monday: Cereal Box Magazine Holder

When you've finished with a large box of cereal, don't pitch the box in the trash. Instead, convert it into a container to hold magazines.

You will need:
Empty cereal boxes
Ruler
Pencil
Scissors
Wrapping paper or contact
Glue (if using wrapping paper)

Step 1. Make sure the box is totally free of any cereal.

Step 2. Cut off the all four of the top flaps.

Step 3.  With the box lying flat measure up 15cm on the left side and mark the point with a pencil.

Step 4. Then draw an angled line across the front of the box starting from the mark you made on the left side to the top right hand side.

Step 5. Turn the box over and measure up 15cm on the right side and mark the point with a pencil, then draw an angled line across the front of the box, starting from the mark you made that right side to the top left hand side.

Step 6. Turn the box onto the narrow side with the points you marked facing up. Draw a line across the narrow side of the box joining the two marks.

Step 7. Start cutting along the lines you marked, beginning at the top right corner, down, along the narrow side and up to the top left corner.

Step 8. You can leave the boxes as is or cover the outside with pretty wrapping paper or contact paper.

Step 9. Smooth more contact paper over the edges and into the inside as far as you can reach.

Use contact that compliments your décor or choose something fun and quirky to match your personality. These are great in the kids' bedroom, on their desk or in the family room to store all those newsletters, flyers etc. we seem to collect.

Don't be Afraid to Ask

I used to think that the price advertised was the end of the story. But after working with someone who used to get great deals all the time, I learned this isn't the way. For example now when I want to go on a weekend away, I pick a few hotels I like, check out all the various discount website prices, such as wotif.com, then I email the hotel direct and ask them for their best price. Almost every time they'll knock at least $10 off the price. If you're ever at a clothes shop and buying multiple items, it never hurts to ask if they could offer a deal. Another example, when I was buying my TV, I visited a few stores before choosing the TV, and then went to JB because they had an extra 10% off promotion, and lucky for me a staff member hadn't taken down the promotion that had ended the day before, and I insisted on getting that price as well as the 10% discount. It's all about realising that the stores need your business, and if you don't get the deal you want, there's plenty of other hotels, clothes and TVs out there, and they know that.
Contributed by Jorja Stone

MOO Potting Mix

Need potting mix, but turned off by the price of good ones and the quality of the cheaper mixes?

Don't be tempted to use cheaper commercial potting mix. It may be cheap but it will settle down and compact the soil, making it harder for your plants to put down roots and for water to penetrate.

Solve the problem by making your own by combining equal parts peat moss, vermiculite (or perlite) and compost (preferably your own). This will give you a lightweight, nutrient-rich mix that drains well and doesn't dry out quickly, making it ideal for pots and grow bags as well as for topping up raised beds.

Big Money Saving Mistakes

Does it seem like no matter how hard you try, saving money just seems to evade you? Chances are if you're struggling to save money you're making some of the very same mistakes millions of others are making (I've made them myself too.)

Stop making these mistakes and make saving easier!

Mistake No. 1: Buying Based on Emotions
The truth is that all of us make our buying decisions based on emotions. However, this type of behavior is what caused us to have a house full of toys and shoes that just don’t add to quality of life. Instead of shopping based on emotion, shop based on need. And always ask yourself, “How happy will this purchase make me ten years from now?”

Mistake No. 2: Not Having a Plan
This is the second most common mistake. You want to save money but you probably have no idea how much you spend each month nor how much you can afford to save. Track your expenses and your income and create a plan!

Mistake No. 3: Saving Big Without a Real Goal
Interestingly enough, there are people who save and save and save to the expense of the rest of their life. While saving money is a great idea of course, it’s important to have balance. It is possible to save money and live a comfortable life at the same time.

Bread Crumb Biscuits

These biscuits are so good and are another delicious way to use up leftover bread crusts or stale bread.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups SR flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup skim milk
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup applesauce
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs*

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Sift together flour and cocoa, stir in bread crumbs.  Combine skim milk, egg, vanilla extract and apple sauce.  Add to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Drop by spoonfuls onto an a cookie sheet lined with baking paper. Bake 15 minutes until golden.

*Note:  Save crusts in the freezer until you have enough to make 2 cups of breadcrumbs, then make these biscuits.