Thursday 29 June 2017

Getting Rid Of Perspiration Smells

I just love the smell of freshly washed clothes.  Unfortunately perspiration smells don't always disappear no matter how good your laundry powder / liquid is.  Here is a simple and inexpensive way to help remove these odours.

Pour white vinegar into a spray bottle and spray on the offending smell as you are sorting out the washing to go into the machine.  Put the smelly clothes in last then wash as per usual.  Hanging the washing in the sun can also help to remove the odour.

If the odour is quite strong,  spray the garment 30 - 60 minutes before putting in the washing machine.  Some odours might need repeat treatments and washes.

I knew white vinegar worked well for cleaning but I was quite suprised at how good it was on smelly clothes.

NOTE -  No name ( generic ) vinegar does the job just fine at a fraction of the cost of branded vinegar.


Wednesday 28 June 2017

Grocery Specials Starting Wednesday 28th June 2017





Here are this week's best grocery specials -

COLES

*    Cadbury Family Block 180g-200g1/2 PRICE New Flavour.Was $5.00, Save $2.50  Now $2.50 each

*  Lynx Antiperspirant 96g or Body Spray 100g1/2 PRICE Was $6.00, Save $3.00  Now $3.00 each

*  Arnott’s Salada Crispbread 250gWas $3.00, Save $1.00  Now $2.00 each

*  Campbell’s Real Stock 500mL1/2 PRICE Was $2.30, Save $1.15  Now $1.15 each

*  Golden Circle Corn Kernels 410g1/2 PRICE Was $1.65, Save $0.83  Now $0.82 each

*  Spam Ham 340g1/2 PRICE Was $4.90, Save $2.45  Now $2.45 each.  Great for the stockpile.

*  SunRice Medium Grain Brown or White Rice 5kg1/2 PRICE Was $13.60, Save $6.80  Now $6.80 each

*  1/2 PRICE Sistema Klip It MultiPacks & Ultra Canisters

*  1/2 PRICE Olay

*  Morning Fresh Dishwashing Liquid 350mL-400mL1/2 PRICE Was $3.95, Save $1.98  Now $1.97 each

WOOLWORTHS -

*   Cadbury Sharepacks 160-180g Now $2.30 each1/2 Price, Save $2.30 

*  Golden Circle Fruit Drink 1 Litre~Excludes Cranberry Drink 1 Litre.Now $1.07 each1/2 Price, Save $1.08

*  Mission Wrap Varieties 425-567g Pk 6-8 Now $2.49 each1/2 Price, Save $2.50

*   40% off All Clearasil

*  30% off All Nivea Women’s Moisturisers

*  Fruits Body Wash 1 Litre Now $2.99 each1/2 Price, Save $3.00

*  1/2 Price All Schick^Excludes Schick Quattro Titanium Razor Kit

*  .30% off All Duck Cleaning

*  Energizer Max AA Pk 16 Now $9.75 each1/2 Price, Save $9.75

*  1/2 Price All Sistema Klip It & Tritan Excludes Sistema Klip It value packs. Contents not included.

*  30% off All Inspire Saucepans

*  30% off All Pyrex.

*  30% off All Jamie Oliver.  I think it's cookware -not food.

*  25% off All Tefal

*  Moccona Freeze Dried Coffee Classic 200g Now $9.19 each 1/2 Price, Save $9.20 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Saturday 24 June 2017

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 24th June 2017

This week has just flown by.  Every day I seemed to have a fair bit on but I'm grateful to have the energy to do it all.  Sunday was church then I spent 6 hours setting up my new blog shop.  Monday I was at work.  Tuesday I had a lovely day making cards with friends.  Wednesday we had waterproof grout put into the ensuite shower ( long story ).  This took about 3 1/2 hours which meant I couldn't do my usual cleaning tasks with fine dust flying around.  I spent the rest of the day wiping every surface in the ensuite.  Thursday  I did  the monthly food shopping then sorted out the pantry as I put things away.  Friday I was at work then came home and folded the washing and tidied up.  The following frugal tasks were slotted in when I had a few spare moments.

* Sold 1 dozen eggs

*  Sorted out the freezers to make sure I know exactly what I have on hand.  I've tried writing a contents list for each freezer but with four people digging in the freezers,  it was hard to keep them up to date.  I find regular tidy ups seem to work for me.  I always have a fair idea of what I have.

* Menu planned for the next 3 1/2 weeks.  After digging around the freezers, it seemed like a good time to write the next menu plan.  This will save me time thinking about what to cook next.  It also helps me use up bits and pieces.

*  Gratefully received lots of bread bags to reuse as bin liners.

*  Refilled all the foaming hand wash pumps around our home.  Made up a couple of bottles of the solution ready for next time.

*  Darren and I made salmon patties in bulk.  I used five tins of salmon, added the extra bits and pieces and ended up with about 60 patties.  Most were frozen in lots of 2 and 4.

*  Wrote out shopping lists until December.   As most of you know I stockpile extra groceries later in the year so I don't need to do a big shop during the Summer heat.  This year I've decided to balance it out.  For the next few months I'll stock up on toiletries,  cat goodies,  toilet paper and other paper / plastic products.  Later in the year I'll stockpile tinned goods,  pasta and other dried groceries.  November and December I''ll stock up on butter,  cheese,  sauces and dressings etc.

*  Spent most of the day on Tuesday making cards at Cath's place.  I used supplies I had on hand.  I'm hoping to add them to my new blog shop very shortly.

*  Made a container of seasoned bread crumbs from scratch.  I use dried bread crumbs I'd made out of  saved bread crusts.

*  Dried most of the washing on clothes horses and the line.  just a few bits and pieces went into the dryer.

*  Did my monthly grocery shopping on Wednesday and stuck to the list.

*  Set up my new blog shop on Sunday.  I'm now selling vintage goods and handmade crafts with  cards coming shortly.

*  Saved the washing machine rinse water for each next load.

*  Picked silverbeet from the garden to add to our spag bol sauce on Friday

*  Continued to use blankets to keep warm after the heater turns off at 9.30 pm each night.

*  Opened the family room curtains first thing in the morning when the Sun was shining.  It really does help to warm up the house.

Blankets to keep us warm

Making seasoned dried bread crumbs.

Saving the washing machine water

Monthly shop at Aldi and the fruit and veg shop.

How did you save money this week ?

  

Thursday 22 June 2017

Cleaning Your Washing Machine.

The washing machine is often forgotten when cleaning day comes around.  You think it must be clean because it washes clothes - right ???

I challenge you to open the lid / door of your washing machine and have a look inside.  is it really clean ?  Does it smell clean ? 

Here's how to  clean a washing machine -

*  Take out the lint filter ( if there is one )  and take the bag off.  Get the gunk out and give the bag a good scrub with an old tooth brush.  Clean all the parts attached to the bag with a tooth brush and kitchen detergent.  This should be done once a week.

*  Clean around the top of the washing machine barrel.  Get under all the rims you can reach.  I use a tooth brush to get into the grooves and wipe away with a sponge or microfiber cloth.

*  Wipe the outside of the agitator with a non scratch scourer to remove any grime.  If you can get inside the agitator,  use a long handled brush with a rounded head to scrub.

*  Wipe under the lid with Miracle Spray and close.  Wipe the top of the lid and the control panel.

*  Add a box of Espom Salts to the washing machine and select a long hot water cycle.  Let the washing machine go through the cycle to clean it's insides.  This tip was given to my Mum many years ago by a washing machine service man.  Doing this a couple of times a year will help prevent gunk build up in the pipes.

If you have a front loading washing machine,  pay extra attention to the door and its seals.  They harbour germs and grime.  I've heard vinegar can help with this problem.  Keeping the door slightly ajar when not in use is also advised.





Saturday 17 June 2017

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 17th June 2017

This week was a mixed bag of frugal tasks.  Some blessings came our way,  a little craft time was put aside and lots of making in the kitchen.  Here's what I got up to  -

*  Gratefully received a loaf of bread.

*  Fed lots of weeds and grass to the chickens

*  Baked four loaves of wholemeal bread with extra goodness.  Infact,  I got Darren to help make the dough.  i was running out of time so he pitched in.

*  Gratefully received lots and lots of bread bags from a charity bbq.  They will be repurposed into bathroom bin liners.

*  Sold 1 dozen eggs, a jar of jam and lots of muffins to a cleaning client.

*  Picked a few lemons from our tree.

*  Sorted out some toiletry packs that were given to us as presents a while ago.  We can't use them due to skin allergies so we will be making up pamper hampers for our church's charity day later in the year.

* Made five greeting cards using freebies from a card making magazine.  My girls bought a subscription to a magazine for my Mother's Day present.  It's a gift that keeps on giving.

*  Reduced the heater temperature to 19 degrees when I was home alone or had it turned off.  I also closed the ducted heating vents and door in the girl's bedrooms when they were at work.

*  Darren used the dry mop to sweep the bamboo floors instead of using the vacuum cleaner.

*  Gratefully received some glitter card stock and vintage style cards from Jessica to make more cards.

*  Made up a container of gravy powder from scratch.

*  Made a double batch of ANZAC biscuit dough.  I froze some dough for later and baked some to eat now.

 
Handmade nautical themed cards

Darren is hoping to get this for his birthday today.

Mango trees.  You can see the growth since January

Daisies in full bloom after a good pruning a couple of months ago.

On the menu - fish in foil.


What was on your frugal list this week ?

Thursday 15 June 2017

Old Shower Caddy

It seems a shame to throw out shower caddies when they get a little rusty or grotty.  After giving them a scrub with an old tooth brush,  repurpose them around the home or shed.  Here are a few ideas -

*  Attach it to the laundry wall above the trough and store your Miracle Spray,  vinegar,
disinfectant,  nail brushes and sponges.

*  Hang it from a hook in the garden shed and use the caddy to store snail bait,  liquid fertiliser and small garden hand tools.

*  Hang it inside a wardrobe on the door or wall to store hairspray,  perfumes,  belts and scarves.


Saturday 10 June 2017

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 10th June 2017

As I looked back on my week,  I was wondering if I had any frugal tasks to share.    The cold weather prevents too much outdoor activity and I've spent a few days decluttering.  Here's what else I got up to this week - 

*  Cleaned the dishwasher using bi carb,  white vinegar and Miracle Spray.

*  Gratefully received lots of bread bags.  They'll be recycled into bathroom bin liners.

*  Cleaned the kettle using citric acid.

*  Gratefully received a big bucket of feijoas from a young man at church.  I even got to keep the bucket which is a really strong one.  I'll use it to save water for the garden.

*  Mended a fitted sheet.  It was coming apart at the seam in one corner.

* Made a big meal of beef stew.  Unfortunately I was the only one home when dinner time came around.  So four serves went into the freezer and Megan took some to work the next day.

*  Jessica bought a few groceries because she said the fridge looked empty ( it wasn't really ).  Some of the groceries were two cooked chickens.  We had one for dinner that night then two nights later I peeled the other one down and froze the meat for two meals.  The carcass was put into the slow cooker to make stock then the meat was picked off to make a big pot of chunky chicken soup.

*  Kept the heater off from 9 am - 5.30 pm on Friday due to the Sun shining through the windows. A couple of other days I managed to either reduce the temperature on the thermostat to19 degrees or keep it off for an hour or two.

*  Dried some washing on clothes horses or on hangers in the showers.  Thankfully we have a heating duct in both bathrooms.  The dryer did get some use but I tried to limit what I put in.

*  Altered a dress for Jessica.

*  Decorated 11 hand towels and tea towels to sell.  I used stock I already had on hand.

*  Stocked up on veggie specials of 1 kilo of carrots $1,  broccoli for $2 kg and cauliflower for $2.

*  Decluttered my craft / card making stash.  You might be wondering how this saved me money ?  It kept me away from the shops.

*  Gratefully received a container of hummus dip and a bag of bread rolls.

*  Made a bottle of diluted laundry liquid.

Unfortunately I didn't take many photos this week.  I've posted some from the blog archives but they still represent the tasks I completed this week.

Sewing time 

One of my sewing caddies.

Chocolate self saucing pudding treat

Freezing left overs
Making diluted laundry liquid

What frugal tasks did you complete this week ?

Thursday 8 June 2017

Free School Holiday Ideas

School holiday are just around the corner and I'm sure you are wondering how you'll keep the kids entertained.  Winter holidays can be challenging when the weather prevents too much outdoor activity.  Here are some ideas that won't harm the family budget -

*  Visit your local library to borrow dvds and books.  If they are offering holiday activities you might need to book in advance to secure a spot.

*  Have a few friends over and hold movie party.  Organise a theme and have the kids dress up.  It could be a color theme or something to do with the movies they'll watch. Cook a bowl of pop corn ( kernels cost under $2 to buy if you don't have them ).  Ask the kids to bring a snack.

*  Get your kids in the kitchen to do some baking.  This is a fantastic opportunity to make lots of school snacks to freeze for next term.  Of course they can eat as they bake.  Muffins and biscuits are easy to make.  Freeze extra muffins and biscuit dough for future use.  Have a try of these recipes

Chocolate choc chip muffins  http://myabundantlife07.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/lunchbox-chocolate-choc-chip-muffins.html

Peanut butter choc chip biscuits http://myabundantlife07.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/peanut-butter-choc-chip-biscuits.html

*  Plant a pot of lettuce seeds,  grow a carrot top,  or dig in your garden shed for other veggie / flower seeds.  Eggs cartons,  ice cream containers,  old shoes,  tins,  buckets,  guttering,  eskys ( coolers ) and newspaper pots are all free and wonderful for starting a mini garden.

*  Dig out the Lego and build a town.

*  A change is as good as a holiday.  Rearrange your children's bedroom and ask them to help.  Update the pictures on the wall with free images on the internet or from an old book.  While you're at it,  sort out a drawer or two.  Ask your child what don't fit any more and pass them down to their sibling or donate.

*  Visit an op shop.  If your kids get pocket money,  make sure they bring it with them. They might find a toy they've been wanting or a dvd,  craft item or book.

*  Hold a board game day with competitions and prizes.  If you have a present cupboard I'm sure you'll find a few little bits and pieces to give as prizes.

*  Make a craft.  Have a look on Pinterest and gather supplies from around the home.  Makes some cardsgift tags,  book marks or something to frame.  Do you have any old fridge magnets advertising a business you don't need ?  Use this as the base and the kids could stick a craft to it.

*  Visit Grandma,  Grandpa or an Auntie if they are local.  If not,  visit a friend who has kids.  Bring a snack to share. 

Lego and Duplo
Making gift tags

Making cards with ribbon and wrapping paper pictures

Muffins for lunchbox snacks.

Tuesday 6 June 2017

Grocery Specials Starting Wednesday 7th June 2017

Here are this week's best grocery specials -



COLES -

*  Nescafé Café Menu 10 Pack 132g-185g1/2 PRICE Limited Edition.Was $6.59, Save $3.30  Now $3.29 each

*  Cadbury Sharepack 160g-180g1/2 PRICE Was $4.60, Save $2.30  Now $2.30 each

*  Campbell’s Condensed Soup 400g-430g1/2 PRICE Was $2.00, Save $1.00  Now $1.00 each.  Now is the time and price to stock up for a year.  These soups are great for casseroles.

*  Green’s Maple Flavoured Syrup 375g1/2 PRICE Was $3.20, Save $1.60  Now $1.60 each

*  SunRice Medium Grain Brown or White Rice 5kg1/2 PRICE Was $13.60, Save $6.80  Now $6.80 each

*  Sanitarium So Good Almond Unsweetened Long Life Milk 1 Litre1/2 PRICE Was $3.00, Save $1.50  Now $1.50 each

*  Coles Australian Beef Mince 3 Star 1kg Pack Save $1.00 Now 2 for $13.00

*  Four’N Twenty Traditional Meat Pies 4 Pack 700g1/2 PRICE.Was $8.00, Save $4.00
Now $4.00 each  Stock up for the footy finals.

*  .30% OFF Head & Shoulders Haircare.

*    30% OFF John Frieda Hair Care

*  1/2 PRICE Covergirl Makeup

*  30% OFF Rosehip by Essano Skincare

*  30% OFF Toni & Guy Haircare

*  Dynamo Laundry Liquid 2 Litre or Professional 1.8 Litre1/2 PRICE Was $17.50, Save $8.75  Now $8.75 each .  This product dilutes really well.

*  Duck Fresh Bleach Discs Primary1/2 PRICE Was $6.60, Save $3.30  Now $3.30 each.

*   1/2 PRICE Sistema Klip It & To Go

*  30% OFF Mix Hosiery & Socks

*  Campbell's Real Stock 1 Litre1/2 PRICE Was $3.99, Save $2.00  Now $1.99 each

WOOLWORTHS -

*  Cadbury Dairy Milk or Old Gold Block 180-200g Now $2.50 each1/2 Price, Save $2.50

*  Arnott’s Shapes 160-190g Now $1.50 each1/2 Price, Save $1.50.  I'm still hoping they'll bring back the original Nacho Cheese flavour.

*  30% off All Moccona

*  20% off All Vileda

*  1/2 Price All decor Tellfresh & Match-ups

*  30% off Nivea Women’s Moisturisers & Garnier Skincare

*  30% off All Poise

*  40% off All L'Oreal Men

*  30% off All Lucky Dog.

*  30% off Bonds Baby

*  SunRice Medium Grain Rice 10 kg Now $12.00 each1/2 Price, Save $12.00



Feel free to add any great specials you find.

             

Saturday 3 June 2017

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 3rd June 2017

This week has been a bit topsy turvy.  Both girls have been unwell.  I've had clean jobs being rescheduled due other people being sick.  I went to a friend's house for card making on Tuesday.  Jessica turned 20 on Wednesday.  Thursday and Friday I was cleaning other people's homes.  I'm hoping today I'll get to catch up on unfinished housework and well as some craft time.  Here's what else I got up to this week -

*  Darren and Jessica gratefully received three avocados from a friend at church.  This was a lovely suprise blessing.

*  Bought a bunch of celery on sale in Coles for $1 a bunch.  I diced it up and froze to put in casseroles throughout the year.

*  Made a double batch of laundry powder and mixed it with a box of supermarket bought laundry powder that was in a kitchen hamper.

*  Froze two leftover serves of shepherds pie.

*  Went through the linen cupboard ( again ) and took out the older towels,  face washers and hand towels.  The hand towels were recycled into the kitchen.  A few face washers went into the laundry cupboard as rags and a few went into the kitchen as clothes.  The towels went to the op shop.

*  Planted another 5 potato eyes into the veggie garden.

*  Fed the chickens and compost bin with the celery leaves and stalks.

*  Sold one dozen eggs.  The chickens have slowed down the egg production so now we are buying  cheaper bags of feed to save money.  They are still getting kitchen scraps and grass clippings.

*  Sold a bottle of Miracle Spray to a cleaning client.

*  Saved the washing machine rinse water and poured it back into the machine for each next load.

* Saved some of Jessica's wrapping paper from her presents to use in card making.

*  Learnt a new card style at a card making day this week.  I can use supplies I have on hand to make lots of them.

*  Bought 1 litre of eucalyptus oil for $24.95.  This is an absolute bargain compared to usual supermarket shelf prices.

*  Refilled the foaming hand wash pumps around the house.  Then I made up another bottle of diluted shower gel ready for refilling next time.

Jessica's fruit birthday " cake ".


Jessica and Princess.

This week's card

The inside of the card.



Dicing the celery for the freezer.

  What was on your frugal list this week ?  

Thursday 1 June 2017

Boiling Eggs Tip.

I came across this egg boiling tip a few years ago.  Before then,  I always guessed the right time to boil eggs.  Not any more.  Now the guess work has been taken away.

!.  Place the amount of eggs you want to boil in a saucepan

2.  Place one teaspoon of salt in the saucepan.  This helps prevent the eggs from cracking.

3.  Fill the saucepan with cold tap water until the eggs are just covered.

4.  Put the saucepan lid on and bring to the boil on the stove.

5.  As soon as the water boils,  turn the stove off,  Keep the lid on and sit for 5 minutes in the hot water.

6.  Drain the hot water and fill the saucepan with cold water.until the eggs are covered.  Sit for 5 minutes then peel the eggs.  The yolk should still be a little soft.