Cost Of Living Crisis Series - Budget Celebration Food

Whether you are facing mortgage stress,  job loses,  budget restraints or any other financial pressures,  celebrations can be a way of bringing joy into your life and those around you.  How you celebrate depends on how much money you want to spend.  It doesn't have to be anything big and lavish.  Even putting a few plates of special food on a well laid out table can be just as enjoyable.  

Following on from last week's post about hosting a celebration,  I though I'd share some of the food I've serve for afternoon tea gatherings over the years.  If you do any scratch cooking or baking then you'll most likely have many of the ingredients on hand.

Here are the links to foods that are easy to make,  cheap and fill up a plate for just a few dollars -

Scones  These can be made ahead of time and frozen.  If you don't have the budget for jam and cream,  just serve with butter and jam.

Lunchbox Chocolate Choc Chip Muffins  The flavour doesn't have to be chocolate.  Add any fruit,  fresh or frozen for a different flavour.

 Pita Chips  Pita bread is cheapest bought from a market.  If you are buying from the supermarket,  get the cheapest brand.  One packet of pita bread makes heaps of chips.  Add a $3 dip,  carrot sticks and celery sticks and you have an impressive plate.

Easy Coconut Slice  This recipe uses very basic ingredients.  It can be made and frozen ahead of time.

Apple Rose Pastries  These pastries can be served as a dessert too.  For an afternoon tea,  just make them a little smaller.

Choc Chip Bickies ( Cookies )  This recipe only has 5 ingredients and makes 50 - 60 biscuits.   Maybe halve the recipe or freeze all the leftover dough.

Other budget foods I've served at afternoon teas,  but I don't have links for are -

Curried egg and lettuce sandwiches.  Even using one egg will make 2 rounds ( 8 points ) of sandwiches.

Honey joys.  This is the corn flake,  honey and butter  mounds you serve in patty cases.

Custard tarts.  These are just puff pastry cases I've cooked then filled with thick custard and topped with a little lolly.

Seasonal fruit platter.  I serve watermelon,  grapes and cantaloupe ( if it's cheap enough ).  While berries are lovely to eat,  they can be quite expensive.

There are plenty of other foods I've served when I had a bigger budget.  These can be found in the recipe section.  I've served Hoovers  Doovers,  Sausage Rolls,  ANZAC Biscuits,  Chocolate Truffles,  Whole Orange Cake,  Pumpkin Scones and Chocolate Brownies.

A simple afternoon tea

Getting out the pretties

What budget friendly foods do you serve at an afternoon tea gatherings ?

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 27th July 2024

 Well,  this week has been an interesting one.  On Monday I did a 1 hour phone interview with a reporter named Emily from Channel Nine's online content team.  Emily came across my name in a Facebook savings group,  then researched my stories from A Current Affair in 2014.  She wanted to do an update story on where our family is now and how we are coping with the cost of living crisis.

It was wonderful to chat with Emily and she was all ears when I shared the many ways we save money.  I think she almost fell off her chair when I told her we only spend $150 a month for our groceries,  including basic toiletries and cleaning ingredients.  For those of you who have followed our journey,  you'd know that my budget was $120 at the start of the year and gradually increased as grocery prices skyrocketed.

It was planned for the story to go online either Thursday or Friday.  On Wednesday (two days after the interview ),  I was out shopping for the end of season clearance bargains when my phone started dinging.   I didn't pay too much attention to it until Darren messaged me to say I'm famous again ( I always joke back to him that I'm only famous in my own backyard ).  I still had no clue what was going on until I went on Facebook.  As you can imagine,  things got busy for the next few hours.  

If you are one of the people who read the Channel Nine story and joined our thrifty community this week  WELCOME  !!!  I really hope this blog is a source of inspiration to you.  We are a happy bunch of people who love to live our best life and encourage each other. 

With all that being said,  here is my frugal tasks list for the week -

*  I made a big pot of veggie soup using some of the pumpkin we grew.  We had soup for dinner that night with homemade flat breads.  The leftover soup went into the freezer in single and double portions.

*  I used Magic Eraser ( the cheap version ) on our kitchen sink to make it shine.  This was a much easier and less time consuming way compared to using Jif and a non scratch scourer.

*  We gratefully received a few lemons,  mandarins and oranges from 2 different families.  We also picked one mandarin from our tree.

*  I made lots of choc chip biscuit dough for the freezer.

*  When the Sun was shining,  we charged the solar lanterns and used them in the loungeroom at night.

*  Darren made more flat breads with some Greek yoghurt we were given.  I used a cut up cereal packet to go between each flat bread ( stops them sticking ) and froze them.

*  We used the thermos each day to store boiling water for our cuppas.  This saves the kettle being boiled 2 - 3 more times.

*  I made a pumpkin loaf ( bread ) and 18 muffins using some of the pumpkin we grew.  I'll be posting the recipe in 2 weeks time so you'll want to keep a look out for it.  The bread is absolutely delicious.  The rest of the pumpkin was steamed,  drained and frozen for future pumpkin bread making.  I'm now on the hunt for a good price on pumpkin so I can cook and freeze more.

*  We gratefully received lots of paper supermarket bags from a friend.  We use them under the kitchen sink for our household / kitchen rubbish.

*  I baked 3 loaves of wholemeal bread with extra goodness.  I used saved / recycled bread bags to store the bread in the freezer after I'd sliced it.

*  I made 2 kilos of brown sugar to replenish the brown sugar jar.

*  Darren made mini lamb and vegetable  pies using a tray of lamb mince he got on clearance for $1.90.  He added potatoes and carrots to the meat mixture ( plus seasonings ) and the 500g stretched to make 12 pies.  Very yummy indeed.

*  We filled the compost bucket a few times this week and Darren emptied it into the compost bin outside.  As soon as the weather warms up a little he will be emptying one bin onto our veggie garden.

*  We kept the curtains 90% closed on the really cold days to keep the warmth in.  Yesterday ( Friday )  the Sun was shining so we made sure the curtains were open on those windows to capture the heat streaming in.  

LINKS -

Choc Chip Bickies ( Cookies )

Wholemeal Bread With Extra Goodness

Brown Sugar

Darren's mini lamb pies

Pumpkin loaf / bread

Pumpkin bread made into muffins

Making biscuit dough

A pot of veggie soup with the pumpkin.

Making brown sugar.

What do you like to make with pumpkin ?

How did you save time,  money or energy this week ?

Channel Nine Article About How We Are Coping In The Cost Of Living Crisis.

 Today Channel Nine has just published an article about how Darren and I are surviving and thriving during a cost of living crisis.

Below is the link to the article.  I really hope this helps someone who is doing it tough and struggling to make ends meet.

.https://www.9news.com.au/national/cost-of-living-how-one-melbourne-couple-keep-their-grocery-bill-to-just-3750-a-week/4e750e2a-f066-4208-bc6a-f518622c8dd2

Cost Of Living Crisis Series - Hosting A Celebration On A Budget

 Birthdays,  Mother's Day,  Father's Day,  Wedding Anniversaries,  Christmas,  Baby Showers and other special events still come up each year on our calendars whether there is a cost of living crisis or not.  How we celebrate these occasions may look a little different depending on our circumstances.  They can still be memorable with a little planning and organisation.

Over the almost 29 years Darren and I have been married,  we've hosted engagement parties,  21st birthdays,  lots of children's birthday parties,  baby showers,  Christmas Day meals for our extended families,  Australia Day BBQs,  Mother's Day afternoon teas,  Church functions and many other gatherings,  large ( over 50 people ) and small.

On each of these occasions I've catered for them ( as much as possible ) with food I've cooked and baked from scratch.  The only exception would be Australia Day when we buy a tray of lamb chops for the traditional Aussie BBQ.  I try to plan this ahead of time and look out for a sale on chops.

I'm able to pay for these occasions with money from my grocery budget.  If it's a big celebration I'll use money in my grocery slush fund which is saved,  leftover grocery money from previous months.

Here are my tricks and tips for a successful gathering on a budget -

*  I always write out a menu of food / meals I plan to cook or bake for the gathering.  Much thought goes into the foods I prepare.  They must be budget friendly,  tasty,  crowd favourites,  easy to make  and a variety of sweet and savoury.

*  Once the menu is decided,  I check to see what ingredients I already have on hand.  Once I've done this I write out a shopping list of the extra items needed.  Usually I have plenty of planning time so over the next couple of months I add items to my monthly shopping list and buy things when they come on sale.  If I don't have much notice,  I'll just duck up to the shops and buy what's needed.  Keep in mind that I have a well stocked pantry,  fridge and freezer so I might only need to buy a packet of chips and a few bottles of soft drink.

*  Once everything is bought,  I make a plan of when the food is to be cooked or baked.  I try to spread this out and never leave everything until the last minute.  When it comes to party food,  many things can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge or freezer.  Sausage rolls,  slices and cakes can be frozen for months.

*  I will quite happily buy generic ingredients,  generic party food like pies,  soft drink ( generic dry ginger ale is fantastic )  and dips to keep costs down.

*  I keep plastic picnic plates,  bowls and cutlery for kids parties and BBQs.  These are used over and over again.  

*  When our girls were still at home,  we kept a party box of streamers,  balloons,  party bags,  banners,  candles,  a balloon pump,  string,  scissors,  sticky tape and party prizes.  Most of these items came from discount shops,  clearance tables in department stores or supermarket sales.  

*  When family and friends ask if they can bring a plate of food,  I gratefully accept their kind offer.  This was especially so if it's a big celebration.  We are also happy to return the favour too.  Sharing the load and cost around just seems fair.  There's no point in working to the point of exhaustion then not enjoying the gathering. 

*  Old fashioned party games are a fun way to entertain at a kids party.  The egg and spoon race with a ping pong ball,  statues,  pass the parcel,  obstacle course,  pin the tail on the donkey,  the chocolate game and tunnel ball ( with a balloon ) are just some of the games we played.  We did this every year for Jessica and Megan's birthdays and the feedback from the kids and parents was great.  

*  Party bags don't need to be elaborate.   A few lollies,  a balloon and a little toy is all that's needed.  We also wrapped a piece of birthday cake in a serviette to take home.

*  I never put all the food out at once.  Sometimes people don't show up and I don't want excess food spoiling when it sits out getting warm or cold.  Yes,  the plates and platters are full,  but not overflowing.  Any food leftover in the fridge can be used the next day.

*  To add a favourite color to the party theme,  I cut up a plastic tablecloth to use as a table runner over the top of a white tablecloth.  It looks quite stylish.  If I don't have enough colored serviettes,  I alternate them with white ones in a neat stack on the table.

*  Not everyone likes soft drink so I always have a jug of water on the drinks table.   Tea and coffee is  offered too.  This keeps costs down.

*  I try to use whatever platters,  plates,  tableware accessories and decorations we already have.  Buying items for a 'one off ' occasion seems like a waste of money.

*  If I'm hosting a fancy celebration,  I get out the lace tablecloth,  my fancy dishes ( many are op shopped ) and candlesticks.  Nothing screams ' luxe ' more than getting out the good stuff. 

RELATED ARTICLES -

Thrifty Christmas Menu Ideas

Bringing Afternoon Tea

Planning A Christmas Menu On A Budget

Getting out the ' good stuff '.

Budget friendly food.

Afternoon tea

Bunting I made from old doilies.

What are your tips for budget friendly entertaining ?

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 20th July 2024

 I have quite a short frugal list for you this week.  I had big cleaning jobs this week,  the monthly grocery shop to do,  the usual housework and on my day off I just wanted to sit,  rest and watch YouTube.  I'm being honest.  Some days I don't want to do anything terribly exciting or thrifty.

So here's my humble list for the week -

*  I used up the last of the strawberries,  raspberries and blackberries we grew during Summer to make 10 1/2 jars of jam.  I'm trying to use up little bits and pieces from the freezer that take up room.  

* Every few days Darren emptied our kitchen compost bucket into the compost bin outside.

*  I dried all the washing on a clothes horse over the ducted heating vent in our main bathroom.  Most of the washing is dry within 4 hours if I rotate the clothes horse after 2 hours to make sure all the washing gets some of the hot air from the floor vent.  I also have the exhaust fan on for the first hour to reduce the humidity in the bathroom.

*  I made 3 loaves of wholemeal bread with extra goodness.  We eat this as toast every morning for our breakfast with my homemade jam.

*  The weather has been quite cold and windy all week.  To keep our home warm and to help with the ducted heating use,  I've had the curtains and blinds closed 90% of the way allowing just enough light in so we can move safely around.  We've had drought stoppers on the external doors and made sure the vent deflectors are correctly attached to the ducted heating vent.

*  I made muesli bars for Darren's work morning teas.

*  I fed dry crusts,  clover and grass to our chicken.

*  10 rolls were made for Darren's work lunches using the wholemeal bread recipe.

LINKS -

Wholemeal Bread With Extra Goodness

Crunchy Muesli Bars

Homemade mixed berry jam

Grandbaby Naomi discovering the oven

Such a cute and happy girl

Yummy muesli bars

Do you have anything in your freezer that needs using up ?

How have you saved money this week ?

Cost Of Living Crisis Series - How To Make Your Clothes Last Longer ( Part 2 )

 Following on from last week's post,  here are another 7 tips to get the most wear out of your clothes and help them stay fresh for longer -

*  To prevent your clothes from fading in the Summer heat,  dry them on a clothes horse in the shade,  or if you have room,  in the garage.

*  Not everything can be thrown into the dryer.  If you are struggling to get your washing dry,  use your dryer for socks,  underwears and pjs.  Hang large,  heavy items like jeans and jumpers on coathangers and hang them on the shower rail or door frames.  Everything else can be hung on clothes horses.

*  To prevent heavy clothes drying out of shape,  hang them on padded coat hangers.  This is great for jumpers,  dresses and delicate items.

*  Most of us don't have time to hand wash delicate clothes.  In our home,  if it looks fancy or delicate,  it gets put into a linen / delicates bag and put in the washing machine with the appropriate colors.  

*  Don't leave wet washing in the washing machine,  dryer or the laundry basket for too long.  Damp clothes will start to smell terrible and that smell can be hard to get rid of.  It's also a great way for mould to grow.  I had a cleaning client who left wet washing in her dryer all day and let me tell you,  it smelt bad.  They did the same thing with their sheets.  When I'd change the sheets on their bed,  the ' clean ' ones did not smell clean at all.

*  Save your older clothes for gardening,  cleaning and slopping around the house.  How many of you have ruined a good piece of clothing by accidently getting a little bit of bleach on it ?  Or got a grass stain on a good pair of jeans when the weeds outside were calling you ?

*  Mend a small hole or rip as soon as possible.  Remember the saying '  A stitch in time saves nine '.

How To Make Your Clothes Last Longer - Part 1

The cheap way to dry clothes.

Have you used delicates bags in your washing machine ?

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 13th July 2024

 This week has been a busy one making the most of the blessings that have come our way.  There's been lots of cooking,  baking,  juicing and freezing.  We feel very blessed to have so many citrus fruits offered too us.  

Here's what we've been up to -

*  I decided to make pumpkin bread for something a little different.  We had a pumpkin given to us as well as Darren picking the one that popped up in our garden.  So I steamed and blended one pumpkin then did a Google search for a pumpkin bread recipe.  Of course I changed it slightly to make it my own and the result was delicious.  It was wonderful to eat fresh or toasted in the oven and spread with butter.  I'll share the recipe shortly as soon as I test the recipe again.

*  I picked up 3 x 500g packets of beef strips on clearance for $6 each.  

*  I made a double batch of ANZAC biscuit dough.  A couple of dozen biscuits were baked for morning teas and for Luka and Bryson ( they LOVE them ).  The rest of the dough went into the freezer.

*  We picked the first ever decent sized mandarin off one of our trees.  We have about another 40 to come shortly.

*  I was gifted more lemons from a friend.  I was happy to share this blessing with a few family members.

*  I made a large amount of beef stroganoff in the slow cooker using the clearance beef and some gifted mushrooms.   After having it for dinner that night I also froze another 8 serves.

*  We fed kitchen scraps and grass to our chicken.

*  I cleaned the kettle with citric acid.  I also clean my clients kettles too.

*  I juiced and froze lots of lemon juice.  

*  Zested and juiced lemons and oranges together and froze them to make 50 / 50 cordial in Summer.

*  I made a whole orange cake for a family birthday afternoon tea.  I made the recipe in a 1 1/2 size so I could also freeze some for future occasions.

*  Darren made flat breads using the last of some gifted Greek yoghurt.  He added a few herbs to the mix and they are absolutely delicious.  We use some to make smallish pizzas and froze the rest.  

LINKS -

Whole Orange Cake

ANZAC biscuits

50 / 50 Fruit Cordial

Bargain beef

Darren's flat breads

Pureed whole oranges for the freezer

Some of the whole orange cakes

Have you made anything interesting with Winter fruits ?

How have you saved money this week ?

Cost Of Living Crisis Series - How To Make Your Clothes Last Longer

 Clothing is something we all need to spend money on.  Whether we buy our clothes from an op shop,  chain department store or a high end boutique,  it is an investment of our time to find the perfect piece.  It's also an investment of our hard earned money and should be treated with loving care.

There are some pieces in my wardrobe that I've been wearing on a regular basis year in,  year out for well over 10 years.  There are a few tricks and tips I've learnt along the way to help keep my clothes looking fresh,  clean and tidy without extra work and for very little money.

*  Separate your clothes from the towels when you put a load of washing on.  Towels release lots of fluff and lint during the wash cycle and attach themselves to your clothes.  By separating your towels,  you'll help prevent pilling on your clothes.

*  Speaking of pilling,  if those pesky little balls start to form on your clothes,  use a hand held,  battery operated fabric shaver.  These little devices are fantastic for removing those little balls and it's quite addictive to use.    I purchased a Philips branded one for just under $20 about 4 years ago and it's paid for itself many times over.  Clothes that I thought were beyond saving have been given a new lease on life.

*  Separate your whites from your darks / colors when filling the washing machine.  Even if your clothes are old,  there is always some die or dark lint released in the washing machine that will discolor your whites.

*  When you sort your clothes for washing,  keep a look out for stains.  If you find any,  pre treat with a stain removing spray as you go,  allowing time for the spray to work before you wash them.

*  When possible,  treat stains as soon as they occur.  Delaying can make it harder or even impossible to remove all of the discoloration.

*  Underarm odours can be removed by spraying the offending area with white vinegar.  I keep a spray bottle of vinegar in the laundry cupboard to spray on smelly clothes as I'm sorting them to wash.  Giving the vinegar 5 - 10 minutes to work also really helps.  For stubborn underarm odours,  repeated applications and a longer soaking time might be needed.

Next week I'll have more tips for keeping your clothes looking fresh.

Hanging jeans and jumpers in the shower

Jeans over a ducted heating vent

For getting rid of pilling.

Do you use any of these tips ?

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 5th July 2024

 Gosh it's been cold here in Melbourne this week.  I think our average daily  ( high ) temperature has been 12 or 13 degrees Celsius ( 53 - 55 Fahrenheit ) and the morning temperature has been hovering around zero. 

We've added a thick blanket to our bed and I've been known to wear a coat and scarf inside just to keep warm.  Yes we've had the heater on,  but when it's that cold outside,  it's still feel cold inside.  If it gets any colder I'll be digging out the heat packs.

I've added netting to our potato patch to help prevent frost damage and it seems to be working.  The only other vegetable growing is silverbeet which thrives in the cold.

Here's how we've saved money this week -

*  I made a bulk amount of tuna pasta bake.  From 2 large tins of tuna,  600g of pasta,  one tin of tomatoes,  one jar of Aldi's garden vegetable pasta sauce and a few other bits and pieces I was able to stretch it to 14 serves.  We ate some for dinner that night and the rest went into the freezer.  When we want to eat it again,  all I have to do is pull it from the freezer and defrost it in the fridge overnight.  When it's dinnertime,  I pop it in the oven for about 30 minutes.

*  We saved lots of kitchen water and drink bottle water and used it on some pot plants outside.

*  I made a batch of muesli bars for Darren.  I found rice bubbles on clearance in Coles and added them to the muesli bars as requested by Darren.  He said they turned out great.

*  I gratefully received lots of lemons,  oranges and mandarins from a couple of friends.  I've been busy juicing the lemons and freezing the juice in icecube trays.  Some of the oranges have been blitzed in the food processor and frozen to make whole orange cake throughout the year.

*  I've been drying rosemary from our bush over the last couple of months.  On Wednesday I turned it into rosemary powder.  I love to use this powder on roast vegetables because it sticks better than the leaves.

*  We were gifted potatoes,  pumpkin and yoghurt.

*  I ducked into Savers op shop for a quick look and found more pieces to add to our everyday dinner set.   I paid $12.99 for  17 pieces.

*  I baked three loaves of wholemeal bread with extra goodness.

*  Darren picked the one pumpkin that was growing in our garden.  We think a bird dropped a seed sometime late last year.  Darren also picked lots of silverbeet to add to the tuna pasta bake meals.

*  We enjoyed homemade ANZAC biscuits for our morning teas.

*  Butter was on sale for $4 for 500g blocks at NQR.    I managed to get 5 blocks and Megan picked up another 5 for me.  This was a great bargain and I'm grateful that I had some money in the food slush fund to pay for it.  All the butter is in the freezer for future baked goodies.

*  Darren emptied the compost bucket into the compost bin outside. 

Gifted fruit

New to us dinner set.

How have you stayed warm this week ?

Have you saved money this week  ?