More Side Hustles That Earn Extra Money

 Following on from the article I wrote a few weeks ago, I have more side hustles to share.    Earning this extra money has really helped us when areas of our budget were really tight.  Gift giving and holidays are two areas that quite often benefit from my side hustles.   

*  I dig up raspberry plant runners from our garden and sell them in Spring / Summer.  I sell them for $8 but their retail value is $15.  I also give some as presents and the money I've allocated for that present  is put into other areas of our budget.

*  I've been hired for serving food at functions.  I have a cleaning client who has quite a few family occasions.  She hires me to makes sausage rolls,  slices and other treats and also pays me to serve and clean up afterwards.

*  I've done babysitting for friends.  This isn't something I've done often,  but it has paid well.

*  Mending can be a great way to earn good money and isn't too time consuming.  I've hemmed jeans,  curtains and school dresses for friends.

*  There can be a real market for home baked goods.  One of my cleaning client asks for homemade muffins a few times a year.  She has them for her morning teas and gives some to visiting grandchildren.  Occasionally she asks for mini quiches and sausage rolls too.

*  I've sold bottles of Miracle Spray to a few people.

*  I sell lots of handmade items.  These include hand knitted dish cloths,  microfibre / flannelette cleaning cloths,  Christmas decorations,  beaded angels,  bath bombs,  bookmarks,  hanging hand towels ( lots and lots of these over the years ),  decorated hand towels,  gift tags and fridge magnet pegs.

*  I've run craft afternoons showing people how to make the beaded angels.  At these afternoons I also sell the kits.

*  Darren regularly mowed the lawn of a friend many years ago.  

*  Darren has completed online surveys years ago to earn a little extra pocket money.

 LINKS -

Earn Extra Money With Side Hustles 

Hand knitted dish cloths

Mini quiches for a friend

Hand towel and soap gift sets

Homemade relish

Beaded angels.

Do you have any side hustles that earn you a little money ?

Earn Extra Money With Side Hustles

 Over on the Cheapskates Club YouTube channel a couple of weeks ago,  Cath spoke about side hustles you can do to boost the family budget.  Many of these side hustles Cath has done herself when money was tight.  Even today I know she has many little income steams that helps keep her budget on track.

Over the years Darren and I have faced many financial hardships due to insufficient work hours,  low pay rates and our choice to be a single income family while I stayed home to raise our girls.

Having a few little side hustles meant we could save for holidays,  have enough money for groceries,  buy gifts,  replace our ' make do ' furniture for quality items and purchase cars with cash.

Here are some of the side hustles I've personally used to bring in a little extra cash.  Some of these hustles I still do to this day.

*  I polished silverware for a friend who was hosting Christmas at her place.  The silverware was family heirlooms that she wanted to use and display for the occasion. 

*  Some of my cleaning clients needed their ironing done.  This was additional work on top of my cleaning hours so I treated the extra money as a bonus.  Some of these clients enjoyed my ironing so much that it became a regular part of my cleaning visit.

*  Speaking of cleaning,  my cleaning work first started because we were living below the poverty line.  We desperately needed extra money to make ends meet but I didn't want to put our daughter in day care so I could work.  Somehow I managed to fit in a couple of regular clients when Darren had a day off and my work has snowballed from there.  When our girls were school aged,  I would clean during school hours.  When the school holidays came around,  the girls would come to the cleaning jobs with me.

*  I make jam from the fruit we grow.  Most of the jam is put away for our personal use.  I sell a few jars here and there which more than covers the cost of the sugar and gas used in the cooking.  I also give some as presents which frees up some of the gift budget.  This money is then put into other areas of our budget.

*  During the long lockdowns of 2020,  I made and sold many,  many face masks.  This was an unexpected side hustle that kept money coming into our home when I wasn't allowed to work.

*  Making my own greeting cards started out as a money saver for our budget.  The price of greeting cards had gone up from 4 for $2 to a minimum of $1 each in the discount shops. With the basic supplies I had on hand,  I started making very simple cards to put with presents.  Then I helped form a card making group and it turned into a hobby that earns me a little bit of money when I sell them on Facebook. 

*  I sell unwanted items on Marketplace.  Darren and I have always been wise with our purchases so we've never really had much to sell.  Still,  I've managed to sell DVD cases,  spare yoghurt makers, pet items,  a snow suit from my teens,  small electrical appliances,  Tupperware and pieces of furniture.

Jam has been a good seller

Some of the cards I've sold over the years -
   

                                                 

                                            

                                       

What side hustles have you done to earn a little extra money ?

Cost Of Living Crisis Series - Where I Buy Our Groceries.

 As most of you know,  my current grocery budget is $150 a month for 2 people.  This includes food for 3 meals a day and 2 snacks.  It also includes basic cleaning ingredients that I need to make laundry liquid,  laundry powder,  stain remover,  surface spray,  shower cleaner and pretty much anything else  to keep my home clean.  The $150 a month also includes basic toiletries,  foil /  paper products ( like baking paper etc ) and cleaning cloths / scourers.

 Since the massive increases in food prices,  I'm now only buying ingredients to make all our own food.  Treat food like chips,  chocolate,  lollies and savoury biscuits are bought on sale from my gift budget and included in our birthday,  Christmas and Mother's / Father's Day presents.  We are at a time in our lives when we don't need  'things ' but enjoy treats. This has worked really well for us over the last few years and we are never short of a treat in our home.

Here are the places I buy our groceries from -

Herbs,  spices,  dried fruit,  nuts,  yeast,  grains and seeds are bought from Hindustan Imports in Dandenong.  They are a wholesaler that specialises in ingredients and they offer a variety of bulk sizes to fit any budget.  I make a trip once or twice a year to stock up.  The money I spend comes out of any leftover monthly grocery money - my slush fund.  I do check prices against Woolworths and Coles and always factor in the 10% discount I get at Woolworths.

Meat is bought from Tasman Meats,  Australian Butchers,  Costco ( while Megan has a membership ) or Coles.  I always look out for specials on legs of lamb, chicken drumsticks,  roast beef and silverside. Clearance items of red meat are bought at Coles.  I only buy according to what money I have left in my grocery slush fund. When I bought a bulk pack of beef mince from Costco back in June,  I'd been saving my leftover grocery money ( slush fund ) for 3 months.

Fruit and veg is only bought if we are not growing it at a particular time.  I check the prices at our local fruit and veg shop before I go to the supermarket.  I do get 10% off at Woolworths because we have insurance with them.  I factor this in when I check prices. I do buy frozen beans and corn kernels from the supermarket if we've run out of what we've grown and frozen.

Teabags are usually bought at Coles or Woolworths.  On the rare occasion discount shops like NQR,  The Reject Shop or Shiploads ( Tasmania ) have teabags quite cheap so I'll stock up.  

For toiletries like shampoo,  conditioner,  deodorant and toothbrushes I wait for good deals at The Reject Shop or NQR and REALLY stock up.  Toothbrushes are regularly $1 each at these stores. I also have a local op shops that carries toiletries for $1 each.  I check them out a few times a year and stock up if it's a good brand.

For hairspray,  spreadable butter,  oils,  frozen fish fillets,  dishwashing liquid,  dishwasher powder and  laundry soaker I shop at Aldi. The reason would be either the quality is better or the price is cheaper than the supermarkets.

Kitchen  cloths / scourers are bought at various places.  Usually I wait until a product is on clearance and buy heaps.  I've bought from Bunnings,  Coles,  Woolworths,  The Reject Shop,  NQR and Shiploads ( In Tasmania when on holidays ).  

All other ingredients on my shopping list are bought at Woolworths.  This includes flour,  sugar,  butter,  milk,  eggs,  cheese, pasta,  toothpaste,  foil,  cling wrap etc, toilet paper,   tinned foods like tomatoes,  tuna,  salmon,  corn,  creamed corn and soups ( for casseroles ).  

If I've missed anything,  please ask and I'll be happy to share when I buy that item from ( if I buy it ).

Some of the groceries I buy often.

Ingredients to make lots of goodies

Always on the hunt for red meat bargains

Do you have certain shops you buy your groceries from ?

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 ?

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 ?

Cost Of Living Crisis Series - Cleaning Your Home For Under $1 A Year

 Are you spending too much money on cleaning products ?  Do you have a cupboard full of assorted cleaning sprays and potions ?  Do cleaning products give you a headache ?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above then please keep reading.  Keeping your home clean doesn't need to cost a fortune.  It also doesn't need to smell of chemicals either.  Most of you know that I'm a cleaner and have been cleaning other people's homes for over 25 years.  I've used almost every product released during that time including some of the well known,  expensive eco friendly ones.   My experience tells me these cleaning products are not needed and there is a much cheaper way to keep a clean home.

Over 12 months from July 2022 to June 2023,  I thought I'd try cleaning my home only using dishwashing liquid and keep track of how much it cost.  From the windows to the floors and everything in between I used less than $1 of dishwashing liquid to clean everything.  Infact,  that $1 included cleaning my client's homes as well.

Here's a list of a few simple items I used to clean my home that I already had on hand.  You probably have these items in your cupboards too. -

*  1 x bottle of the cheapest Aldi dishwashing liquid.  Originally I paid $1 per bottle ( but used about 1/2 for my home ).  Now the dishwashing liquid costs $1.49.

*  2 x recycled spray bottles saved from when I once used cleaning products.  I never throw out a spray bottle.  I've even used bottles from hairspray ( the pump ones ),  conditioning sprays and body sprays.

*  Discarded toothbrushes.

*  Old face washers,  handtowels,  cloth nappies,  knitted dish cloths,

*  Old non scratch kitchen scourers. 

*  1 x microfibre mirror / glass cloth,  generic branded Chux cloths and 2 x microfibre cloths for general cleaning.  If used correctly,  all these cloths can last for years.

FOR THE WINDOWS -  I wipe down the windows with a wet cloth first and use a spray bottle that contains a dash of dishwashing liquid.  Then I use a clean damp cloth to wipe again and buff the window with a dry rag / towel.

FOR THE SHOWERS -  I clean our shower once or twice a week to avoid soap scum building up.  I use dishwashing liquid and water in a small squirty bottle ( Morning Fresh bottle ) at a ratio of 50 : 50.  A small squirt on a non scratch kitchen scourer ( of any sort ) gets rid of soap scum quite easily.  The old toothbrushes come in handy for grouting,  door seals / joints and the drain.

FOR MIRRORS AND TVs -  I just dampen a  glass / mirror microfibre cloth with water.   No chemicals are needed.  Infact,  chemicals leave a residue that makes glass look slightly cloudy.

FOR THE TOILETS - I spray the toilet inside and out with a spray bottle of dishwashing liquid and water.  The Chux cloths are used to wipe over all surfaces including the bowl on the inside.  They are then soaked in a bucket before being washed with other cleaning cloths.

FOR SINKS - I used a microfibre cloth either dampened with water or use the spray bottle of dishwashing liquid and water.  Toothbrushes are used for around the taps and plughole.

FOR THE KITCHEN -  I use a spray bottle of water and dishwashing liquid with a microfibre cloth on all surfaces including the sink,  cupboards,  benches and a greasy stove .  I also use old knitted dish cloths and face washers to wipe out the oven on a regular basis.

FOR THE WALLS -  I use water and a microfibre cloth.    

FOR DUSTING -  I use a damp microfibre cloth on everything.

FOR CARPET STAINS -  I use a damp microfibre cloth and a little dishwashing liquid.

FOR HARD FLOORS -  I use a small squirt of dishwashing liquid in hot water in the mop bucket.  This works better than any floor cleaning product I've ever used.  It cuts through dirt without leaving a residue.

Aldi dishwashing liquid and a squirty bottle.

Assorted cleaning cloths and a non scratch scrourer.

How do you keep your home clean on the cheap ?

Could you try cleaning your home for $1