What can I do with the square bread clips now that the bag is empty?

I use these to close other bags in lunchboxes. They also make handy clothes pegs on the clotheshorse. Using these "pegs" to hang the washing means I get more on the horse and it dries faster because it's not doubled over. Bread tags can be used as bookmarks too.

Cheapskates Grocery Shopping Secrets

I never wanted to be a working mum. I admit I really do enjoy working but I like being a mum too. Finding ways to maintain the lifestyle we like without me having to work outside our home and leave the kids was the only way we could do this.

I have made eating well cheaply my job - it's the way I can stay home with my kids. The Cheapskates way is not for everyone. There are those who know me who look absolutely horrified when I say I've spent the day cooking buckets of free apples or whipped the butter with powdered milk, oil and water to double it to make it go further.

Saving money - on anything - has to be something that a person really wants to do.

If a woman working part-time can cut just $100 a week from the grocery bill, that's $5,200 dollars a year. That money is probably all she needs to be able to stay home if that's what she wants. Add to this the savings on childcare, petrol, convenience meals etc and she has most likely replaced her part-time wage.

If a family with a huge mortgage can pay that $100 a week off their mortgage, they will not only get the mortgage paid off faster, the potential savings in interest are in the thousands.

When it comes to grocery shopping being aware is the thing that will save you the most money:

• Being aware that specials are not always specials

• Being aware that "bulk" buys are not always cheaper

• Being aware that supermarkets only want to part you from your money

I believe that the best way to save money on your groceries is to pay for the things that are most important to you and for everything else get the best quality at the lowest possible price.

For example you can save up to 50% on staples by being aware. Flour is flour, sugar is sugar. (Generic flour and sugar are both products of Australia, saving you money and helping to keep Australian jobs.) Don't be tricked into paying extra for a brightly coloured pack or for the cardboard box – you just throw them away.

The real saving on grocery items starts with you, not the price.

You can decide how much you are going to spend at the supermarket or on groceries each week; you don't have to fall for the advertising tricks.

Before you even begin shopping make up a menu plan. Do a quick fridge, freezer and pantry check and plan around the ingredients you already have on hand. Then make a shopping list, adding the missing ingredients and any other things you need to buy.

As you plan your menu you will save even more if you try to substitute inexpensive ingredients for the more expensive. For example if you are making salmon rissoles using pink salmon rather than red will save you at least 50% and it won't affect the end result at all. The flavour and texture will be the same. And you'll have a couple of dollars still in your grocery budget.

Most supermarkets offer a range of house or generic branded products. I love generic brands and will almost always pick up the generic over the brand name product. Try the generic options for your groceries. If you don't like them you can always go back to buying your brand names. If you don't try them you won't know if you like them and you won't know how much money you can save.

Shopping around for your groceries can also save you big bucks. You wouldn't hesitate to shop around for a new car or a new fridge or bed to be sure you get the best possible price so don't hesitate to shop around for your groceries either.

Most Australians have at least two major supermarkets within easy reach, often in the same shopping centre. It doesn't take any longer to check the prices at both of them to get the best deals on your groceries than it does to simply wander around one, paying the price that supermarket stipulates is what you should be paying.

Pin Board Ideas

A great idea for a 12 year old is a personalised pin board of their own. I bought a cheap one from Lifeline ($4 instead of $40 from Officeworks) and covered it in fabric to match the sheets. Then they can pin up little pictures or things they like - it looks neater than just blu-tacking stuff onto walls. Another idea is to run some coloured jewellery wire ($2-$3 Spotlight or cheap shops) through 20 or so pegs (inside the little metal springs), and stretch it between two nails. This is a cheap alternative to a pin-board and they can hang photos or small stuffed toys from the pegs. You can buy pastel coloured pegs from Woolworths in pinks, blues and whites etc. for about $1.50. You can also do a couple of rows as well depending on size. Another idea is to search the net for their favourite character (my boy loves Cars), and print out the pictures and laminate. You can then cut around the shapes and make a wall decal of their favourite characters for FREE instead of spending $20 on laminated posters from the shops. Kids grow out of phases so quickly it's a cost effective way to keep up with their favourite cartoon characters!
Contributed by M-A

Everyday Ways to Live Like a Cheapskate - Part 4 Pets

1. Repel fleas on your pets by adding minced garlic to their food.

2. Deodorised kitty litter is great, but expensive. Add a box of bi-carb soda to the bag of litter to make your own deodorised kitty litter.

3. Litter tray liners are overpriced. Use kitchen bin liners, which cost half the price for twice the number, from a $2 or discount shop. Save time by layering 4 or 5 at a time. Then simply tie up the top one and the next one is ready to go.

4. Make your own dog food and save $250 a year. Dogs prefer it and you can adjust the recipes to suit your pet.

5. Bulk buy fish food blocks from pet supply wholesalers. You can save as much as 30% over buying the smaller, individual packets.

6. Save up to 40% by buying fish flakes by the kilogram. Store in a re-sealable, airtight container for up to a year.

7. Shop online for pet supplies. Even with postage the savings are around 25% of regular retail prices.

8. Give your caged birds a treat. Collect cuttlebone at the beach. Wash thoroughly, dry and give it to your pet birds as a great source of calcium.

Everyday Ways to Live Like a Cheapskate - Part 3 - Cleaning Products

1. A few inexpensive household products will do a lot of cleaning. Bi-carb soda, white vinegar, washing soda and household ammonia are all multi-purpose budget cleaners.

2. Don't get conned by “cleaning” vinegar. You can use ordinary white vinegar at $1.09/ 2-litre bottle and save.

3. Replace expensive glass cleaner with water and a microfibre glass cloth. Use it on your mirrors, glass surfaces, and any other areas you'd normally clean with glass cleaner. You'll find it won't streak.

4. To help dissolve scum and hair in sluggish bathroom basin and bath drains, pour a mixture of 1-cup salt, 1-cup bicarb soda and ½ cup white vinegar into the drain. Then let stand for 15 minutes and flush with 4 litres boiling water followed by flushing hot tap water down the drain for 1 minute. You can repeat this process if necessary. Hint: Salt will keep small roots from taking up residence in your pipes.

5. For cleaning bathtubs, basins and showers, use shampoo! I tried this and it works wonders. Those rings around the tub are gone instantly.

6. Use Steradent dental cleaning tablets for the toilet. Drop 3-4 in overnight, brush and flush in the morning and repeat till the toilet is clean. Drop a couple in the toilet when going away, to stop anything from growing and to prevent the brown 'watermark' that appears.

7. Besides absorbing odours in refrigerators and freezers, bicarbonate soda makes a good scouring powder because of its mild abrasiveness. It removes light soil and stains on sinks, bench tops and stovetops.

8. For extra oomph mix a box of bi-carb soda into your regular washing powder. Buy cleaning supplies in bulk from commercial cleaning companies. These products are often concentrated, making the savings even greater.

Sugarless Fruit Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup (185g)mixed fruit
¾ cup water
125g butter
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup S.R. flour, sifted
1 teaspoon mixed spice

Method:
Combine fruit, water and butter in pan, bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in mixed spice and bicarbonate soda. Cool. Stir in eggs, then flour. Spoon into greased and lined loaf tin (9cm by 22cm) Bake moderately hot oven 35 minutes.

What can I do with the ice from the defrosting freezer?

If ice has built up in your freezer and is coming off in slabs, place it in a bowl, and when finished take the water and ice outside and place on undercover patio plants. Place on the soil, away from stems, and it will melt and slowly water your plants.

How to Save on Fruit and Vegetables

I'll preface this by saying I have a big freezer and I use it all the time. I use either Tupperware containers, ziplock bags or vacuum sealed bags  for food storage. They all stack neatly in the freezer and can both be labelled easily. Ziplock bags and vacuum sealing are better - they take up less space than the Tupperware.

For fruit and veg I shop at a local orchard/market (late Sunday afternoon to get the best deals). I try to do a market shop once a fortnight, depending on what I can get and how fast the troops devour it.

With five of us to feed I buy everything I can in what most people would call bulk quantities. The saving from buying in quantity is not only in dollars but in time for me as well. One trip a fortnight to buy in bulk doesn't take any longer than it does to make a trip to buy just a few days' supply of fruit and veg. I save a lot of time buying larger quantities.
For example I buy:

Onions and potatoes by the bag. I pay no more than 60c/kg for onions for 10kg bag (the bag I bought last Sunday was just 40c/kg), the last lot of potatoes were 50c/kg for 20kg bag

Carrots are 30c/kg – I buy what the market guys call "horse carrots" – i.e. the seconds. They usually have the tip broken off or are too short/fat/long/thin. These I cut into rings, wedges and straws, blanch and freeze.

Cauliflower – have been cringing at the price lately and I'm so glad I grow our own. But it you have to buy your cauliflower remember it's a winter vegetable, so cheapest then.  At the end of last winter our local fruit market had caulis for 80c each so even though I had some in the garden I bought 20. They were cooked, covered in cheese sauce and frozen in meal size containers. My kids will only eat it with cheese sauce.

Broccoli –Most of our broccoli is home-grown, but I found a great deal at the market and again froze it. Some of it I left without sauce (I use it in a salad I make), the rest went into cheese sauce.

Cucumbers – these are so easy to grow. Two plants will keep the average family in cucumbers for the summer. Any excess you can share. If you buy them remember they don't keep long so you'll need to be able to share them, and look to pay no more than 30c each for them.

Capsicum – again if you don't grow your own, buy them by the carton from the market or your local greengrocer.

Celery – buy when it's $1 or less bunch. I do grow some celery, but it is slow and takes up garden space that can be used for other more expensive vegetables. I buy 12 bunches and slice and freeze for soups, stews and casseroles.

Spring onions – buy when 89c or less bunch. They are easy to grow but again take up space that can be used for other vegetables and I don't use a lot of them.

Eggplant – Easy to grow and perfect for Australian summers. If you can't grow them buy by the box. My kids like it crumbed with tomato sauce, I love moussaka which freezes really well too.

Cabbage –  I grow mini cabbages as one is the perfect size for a meal for my family meaning not having to store half a cabbage and use it before it goes black.  Cabbages take a lot of space in the garden so if you are short on space, they are really cheap whole from the market – last lot were $1.85 each.

Tomatoes – the real saver is to buy "sauce tomatoes" for about $4 - $5/box. Some are only good for sauce, some are still good for salads and sandwiches. Freeze whole (skin splits when they thaw, makes it easy to peel them) or make them into sauce.

Lettuce – grow some in tubs, buy in carton from market.

Fruit – apples and pears I buy straight from the orchard, ditto stone fruits, by the box. Pay about $6/box. We also have an apple tree – this year I have made up 35 packets of pie apple and put in the freezer, ready for pies, strudels and sponges.

Oranges, mandarins, grapes, rock melon – straight from grower in Mildura or by the case from the market. You can get cases of 10 rockmelon for $5 at closing time.

Watermelon – buy whole from the market.

Strawberries and mushrooms – easy to grow in styro foam boxes. They are too expensive to buy otherwise.

When it comes to feeding my family fresh food I try to buy the vegetables and fruit in season, it is always much cheaper.

If I see something I fancy and am sure I will use and it's cheap enough then I will buy it.

A reported recently questioned me (in great detail) about how I could feed my family so well and keep the bill down. Her family is the same size as mine, her kids are around the same ages as mine. Her grocery bill is $400 a week, mine is under $100.

When I explained, in great detail, how I did it her answer was short: “I couldn't be bothered with all that comparing and running around.”

My response was “A little extra effort once will pay off in huge savings all the time. The choice is yours."

Cheapskates Garden Sprays

The weeds are growing faster than anything else in the garden, the bugs are out in force determined to eat every tiny seedling they come across and the plants are crying out for help. Here are three simple homemade remedies that will kill weeds, keep pests at bay and give vegetables and flowers a much needed boost.

Weed Killer

(a safe and cheap substitute for Round-up)

Here's a great weed killer you can make for less than $2 per 5 litres. Dissolve 2 cups (500g) table salt in 5 litres white vinegar (generic is ideal). Add 8 drops of liquid dishwashing detergent (helps plant material absorb the liquid). Label and keep out of reach of children. Use in an ordinary spray bottle. This non-toxic formulation acts as a temporary soil steriliser, so don t spray near roots of trees, shrubs, or plants you'd like to keep. This is especially effective on paths, driveways, footpath ... any place you don t want anything to grow.

Pest Spray

1 tsp antiseptic mouth wash (like Listerine)
1 tsp hydrogen peroxide
2 cups water
Mix in spray bottle and mist plants. Good for both indoor and outdoor plants. Mix small amounts as needed.

Fertiliser

Here's a great way to brew up your own plant fertiliser at a cost of about 5 cents per 5 litres: Add 2 teaspoons of plain household ammonia to 5 litres of water. Allow the mixture to steep for a full 24 hours. Use on plants instead of using costly commercial fertiliser. Caution: If you use more than two teaspoons per 5 litres of water it will be too strong, and you will burn your plants. In this case more is definitely not better.

Everyday Ways to Live Like a Cheapskate - Part 2 - Toiletries

1. A good substitute for shaving-cream is any hair conditioner. This also has the advantage of being see-through, handy if trimming the edges of a beard-line, or side-burns. When travelling, it makes for one less product to pack!

2. Razor blades are expensive and a great way to keep them sharper longer. In a small saucer I put some oil (olive/vegetable) and this keeps the rust at bay.

3. Liquid soap refills are around $3/250ml ($12 per litre). Refill the dispensers with budget shampoo ($2 per litre) and save $10 per litre.

4. Don't even bother using a body scrub, just buy a pair of those 'rough' shower gloves for $2, use your regular soap for your body and scrub all over. Works perfectly!

5. For the best, most economical body scrub around - just mix some grainy sea salt with a little home brand baby oil. The salt is a great natural exfoliator and the oil also moisturises your skin at the same time - two birds with one stone!

6. To make your eyebrows appear thicker, use hair spray or mousse on an eyebrow brush and brush the brows straight up.

7. Before sharpening your lip or eye pencils, put them in the fridge for a few minutes. They will sharpen to a nice point quickly and easily, without breaking.

8. For inexpensive beauty treatments check out your local TAFE beauty salons. Trained beauticians and hairdressers supervise all work and you get to look fantastic and save a bundle.

9. If you like to take your make-up off with facial wipes substitute with baby wipes at less than half the price.

Eggplant Casserole

This is a truly delicious way to serve eggplant, especially if it's not a favourite vegetable. And with eggplant being cheap at the moment and a no waste veggie, it makes a great value for money addition to the shopping list. I serve this as a side dish with barbecued chops or grilled chicken. Oh, any leftovers freeze well too.

Eggplant Casserole

Ingredients:
1 eggplant
1 tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup tomato soup
1 egg
¼ cup grated mozzarella cheese

Method:
Peel eggplant and cut into cubes. Cook in boiling salted water until tender. Drain. Add all ingredients except cheese. Place in a greased casserole dish and bake in a moderate oven for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake another 5 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.

What can I do with old lip liners, eyeliners and lipstick?

Use these pencils to write inspirational messages and calendar notes on a teenager's bedroom mirror. Or leave love notes for your partner on the bathroom mirror. The colour won't matter and it just washes off.

Shopping With the Kids - It Can Be Fun!

How often have you left the children at home with Dad while you raced around doing the shopping because it was too hard to shop with kids in tow? Rather than leave them at home, why not take them with you so they learn how to shop? The younger they become used to the supermarket and sitting in the supermarket trolley the easier it is for you.

From day one (actually day 7, we were on our way home from hospital with Allan the very first time I took one of our kids shopping) I have always taken my children with me when I go shopping. As each baby came along it took a little longer and I had to be a little more organised, especially when grocery shopping, but it has always been a family affair.

The rules for a happy shopping experience with children are:

Everyone goes to the toilet before leaving home, even Mummy! You may still need regular toilet breaks so if you are shopping with children it pays to make a note of one or two toilets close to where you shop.

Be prepared. Depending on the age of your children you could require a change of clothes for the baby, nappies, wipes, bibs, plastic bags, snacks and drinks. Have at least a water bottle for thirsty little people. If your children are old enough to walk they can carry their own water bottle in a little backpack.

Take a shopping list. Even if you are only going to pick up a couple of things, a list is essential. It is too easy to become distracted, especially when accompanied by children, and invariably end up forgetting something or taking home things that were not on your list.

Get the kids involved. Give each child a task. Let them find things on your list, look for specials, decide on the fruit for the week etc. They won't have time to run around or ask for things if you keep them busy. And praise them for helping, kids like feel important and be thanked too.

No treats while shopping. If you do decide to get a treat (and it doesn't have to be edible) keep it until you are home. If you won't be able to afford a treat every shopping day then don't build the expectation . Make treats a random occurrence and as a reward for helping and good behaviour.

He who helps to buy it helps to put it away. Once you get home let the children help you put the groceries away. It's part of shopping after all.

And lastly if you have to say no to something, try to explain why. It may be too expensive, it may be poor quality, you may have a better alternative. Whatever the reason, explain it to your children so they understand you are not just saying "NO", there is a reason for it. This may cause problems the first few times, particularly if they are used to you saying yes. Ignore any tantrums or sulks. Be strong, you are the parent and it is your job to say no occasionally.

Taking the kids shopping with me could have been stressful, and in all honesty sometimes it was, but not very often. Don't get me wrong, they had their moments. And I had mine. But for the most part shopping with three under four was fun because we had rules and a routine.

After a while and with a little practice these rules will become second nature and your shopping trips will be fun too.

Changing Doona Covers

This is exactly the way I change our doona covers. As I slip them off the doona before washing I make sure they come off inside out. They are then washed and hung out to dry inside out (helps with fading too). When they come off the line they are ready to be put back on the doona, or folded and put into the linen cupboard ready to use.

"1.Lay Doona insert out flat.

2. Turn fresh doona cover inside out.

3. Slide hands inside opening of doona cover right up to the very end.

4. With hands still at the end of the doona cover grab the DOONA insert (left corner in left hand right corner in right hand) and pull the doona insert into the cover letting it slide off your arms as you do so.

5. Give doona a flick to straighten it out and secure ends. I hope these instructions are easy to understand."
Contributed by Lynette Henderson

Everyday Ways to Live Like a Cheapskate - Part 1 Babies

1. Join free baby clubs for free samples, discount coupons and special offers (AMCAL, Coles Baby & Toddler Club etc.). Use the points you collect for free nappies, dummies, formula etc.

2. Check your local pharmacy for baby supplies. Formula, nappy creams, baby wash and nappies are often cheaper at the Chemist than the supermarket.

3. Save on disposable nappies by buying in bulk when discount department stores have percentage off sales. If storage is a problem lay-by enough to get you through to the next sale.

4. Ordinary cornflour is a great baby powder and at under a dollar for a 500g packet is a great money saver too.

5. Treat nappy rash and sore bottoms with bi-carb soda in the bath. Add a good handful, let it dissolve and sit baby in the water until he is ready to get out.

6. Make your own nappy disposal system from a bucket with a lid and a roll of kitchen bin liners. Save around $350 a year.

7. Most baby products are overpriced. From one queen size mattress protector you can make three cot sized protectors, and all for less than the cost of one cot sized protector.

8. Buy in bulk online. You can buy nappies, formula and other baby essentials online; have it delivered to your door and save money too!

9. Get together with other mums and swap baby clothes, toys, furniture etc. Babies grow out of their stuff; they don't generally wear it out so while it may be second-hand, it's still in great condition.

Lemon Sauce Pudding

This is a simple version of that old-fashioned favourite, Lemon Delicious. It is the perfect dessert for spring and summer, light and fresh with lots of tang and just a hint of sweetness.

Lemon Sauce Pudding

Ingredients:
2 level tbsp butter
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
2 level tbsp self-raising flour
1 large lemon – juiced and rind grated
1 cup milk

Method:
Separate eggs. Cream butter and sugar. Add sifted flour, grated lemon rind, juice, egg yolks and milk. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold in beaten egg whites (use a metal spoon to stop them breaking up). Pour into a greased pie dish. Stand in cold water. Bake in a moderate oven for 40 minutes.

What Can I do with Empty Flip or Screw Top Milk Cartons?

Usually around 1 litre in size, these make fantastic ice bricks. Just rinse them out and then refill almost to the top with water. Freeze (leave the top open to allow for expansion) until solid. You now have ice bricks ready to throw in the esky or ice box for your next picnic, barbecue or camping trip. You don't have to worry about losing them and you'll have water on hand for drinking or cleaning up if you need it.

Shopping Lists - Your New Best Friend

Grandma never left home without hers. Even our mothers probably had one of some kind. And today's women are turning back to them in droves to save not only money and time but their sanity. Shopping lists, once considered old fashioned and a nuisance are making a comeback and in a big way.

It's a fact that most of us buy the same items each time we shop with the occasional new foodstuff or cleaning product to try. But how often have you gone to the supermarket, picked up what you thought you needed, only to discover when you arrived home that you had doubled up on some things and totally forgotten others? You will be wasting money and time if you shop like this.

“I've always used a shopping list. It's usually scribbled on the back of an envelope or a small piece of paper but if I don't have it I can guarantee that I'll forget something vital or go way over my budget and these days especially I can't afford to do that,” says Catherine Allan, a young mother of four from Melbourne's outer east.

“Knowing that I will get what we need and not have to go back to the shops for another week saves us hundreds of dollars a year. I can ignore the urge to impulse buy when I only have 45 minutes without the kids on a Saturday morning to do the shopping. Getting what's on that list is my focus, if it's not on the list I just don't have the time or the money to buy it.”

As prices have gone up (inflation officially hit 4% last month) saving money, especially at the supermarket has become essential for families on a budget. Just as in Grandma's day people are feeling the pressure to spend less time shopping for groceries and save more time and money.

It's easy to set up a perpetual shopping list so you never forget what you need. Having a perpetual list makes shopping a breeze. You simply tick the items you need and then cross them off as you put them in the trolley.
Whether you use a notebook, the sample shopping list template or a spreadsheet on your computer or a shopping list program (and there are lots of free programs available) the steps are the same:

1.  Rule up your master sheet with seven columns. They will be: item, brand, quantity, price last month, price this month, total.

2.  Now list every item you buy, from peanut butter to toothpaste. If you want to be super organized, list the items in the order you find them in the supermarket. You’ll save time by not having to go back and forth and you will be able to mark off your list in order. Most supermarkets have a free store layout brochure available. If you can't find one in the aisles, ask at the service counter.

3.  Once you've finished, run off some copies. Stick one to the front of the fridge or the pantry door. This will become your next shopping list. During the week as you run out of things or as you notice you’ll need an item, circle it on the list.

Each shopping day, you just have to grab the list and hit the supermarket. Before you leave home, in the price column put the price for each item when you last bought it. You’ll get this information from your pricebook (a pricebook will save you an absolute fortune, if you don't have one seriously consider setting one up).

When you are shopping just put the current price in the appropriate column and you have a record of how much each item has cost you. This helps you to keep track of how much items have gone up or down and will help you decide whether you need to reconsider the purchase.

If you carry a small calculator and tally as you go, you’ll easily pick up checkout errors and notice immediately if you go over budget.

Good Old Fashioned Laundry Tidbits

Laundry. We all have to do it, at least every now and then, although if you have a family you probably spend more time than you'd like in the laundry.
While there are many products on the market for getting your laundry in tip-top shape, there are also many old fashioned ideas that still work just as well.

As with any laundry advice, it is also important to check the label and the colorfastness of the garment itself, perhaps in an indiscreet area before trying anything new or even anything old.

Some good old-fashioned laundry tidbits have been around for quite some time and some individuals swear by these remedies. Here are a few:

Blood Stains

One of the toughest and most annoying stains is the bloodstain; however just as tough is the old-fashioned remedy of hydrogen peroxide to remove that stain. It is important to get the stain as soon as possible after it happens. Removing the stain when it is fresh will help remove it more thoroughly.

Grab a clean sponge or clean cloth and place the hydrogen peroxide on the cloth and then immediately onto the bloodstain. This will loosen the original stain from the fibers. Then, you can apply the hydrogen peroxide directly to the stain and let the foam do the work. Follow the directions on the garment and wash in the appropriate cycle using the appropriate bleach product. You can get a small bottle of peroxide from the chemist, I keep one on the windowsill in the laundry (between sport, working on cars and power tools I seem to have a lot of bloodstains to shift).

Underarm Stains

You can either spot treat the stains directly with white vinegar on a cloth or you can soak the underarm area for a longer period in the vinegar. You can add bicarb soda for an extra added scrubbing bonus as well as some dishwashing detergent. Follow label directions for washing.

Or you can reach for the hydrogen peroxide again. Soak the stain with a mixture of one part peroxide, two parts full strength dishwashing liquid and rub in. Let it sit for 30 minutes and then wash it as usual.

Gum on Clothing

One of the worst laundry disasters is gum on clothing. If you spot the gum before washing, that is great as it makes it easier to remove. One method is to try to freeze the garment, if possible, thereby freezing the gum. If not, you can rub the gum with an ice cube in an effort to harden the gum, which makes it easier to remove. Then using a butter knife, you can scrape the gum off.

Another method that has been around forever is that of using peanut butter. Rub peanut butter onto the gum softens it, making it easier to remove. Using an old toothbrush or a butter knife after makes gum removal faster and easier.

Or better still, ban chewing and bubble gum completely!

Ink Pen Stains

Rubbing alcohol placed on a cotton ball and then placed directly on the ink stain works magic on the stain as does hairspray. Soak the stain, let it sit a few minutes then into a normal wash.

While these stains are certainly nuisances, these old-fashioned tidbits should do the trick in alleviating them quickly and efficiently and save you buying any expensive stain treatments.

Save Money Using Goals

Once we recovered from the shock of being jobless and worked out how we were going to survive with two little boys, a baby on the way and a mortgage that just had to be paid, we made a vow to ourselves to never, ever be in the position of having no money again.

We made a saving plan that we still stick to today, 20 years on. We worked out what our goals were in the short and long term, how we'd like to live our lives and raise our family and what things were important to us as a family. Then we worked towards meeting those goals.

• Plan your goals for 3 months only. It takes 3 weeks (21 consecutive days of the same action) to establish a habit. If you can make it 3 months, you will have changed your life!
• Make your goals as specific as possible.
• Write them down so you can remind yourself of them often.
• Make your goals or resolutions "action oriented". For instance, if you want to save money, choose one thing to focus on such as putting every $2 coin you get in a piggy bank until it's full, then banking it.
• Write your goals down and put them where you will see them, on the bathroom mirror perhaps?
• Become accountable. Choose someone you can report to; this will help to keep you on track. If you have to tell them whether or not you're on track, you are more likely to stay focused.
• Break large goals down into smaller, more achievable goals. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day.
• Be sure to choose one thing you can do right now to help your family finances, and set a realistic goal.
• Keep on setting goals. Don't stop once you have reached your first goal, set another one and keep on striving to meet them.