Easy Holiday Meals When Travelling Part 2

Following on from last week's post,  here are more ideas for eating well while on holidays -

*  Meatloaf can be used many ways when at home or on holidays.  Take a frozen meatloaf with you wrapped in foil and a bread bag on the outside.  Once defrosted it's easily reheated in the microwave and served with steamed veg and mash.  If the weather is hot,  serve cold with salad and crusty bread.  Any leftovers make fantastic toasted sandwiches in a press or under the grill.  Just crumble the meatloaf,  spread it over buttered bread and add a good squeeze of tomato or bbq sauce.

*  Chicken curry can be served on toast for a quick and easy meal.  If you like it with rice,  then portion the dry rice into a snap lock bag to take on your trip.  I've been known to take an icecream  container of frozen chicken curry away with us.  It travels well and acts as an ice brick in our cooler bag..

*  Do you have any leftover sausages from a holiday bbq ?  Cut them up,  add a tin of tomatoes,  a packet of French onion soup mix and any veggies you have on hand.  This is great meal for cleaning out the fridge before you come home from your holiday.

*  Simmer sauces are not something I usually use but they can make super easy meals.  Add a handful of fresh beans and a diced carrot to the meat and sauce.  Serve with rice or mash.

*  A piece of cooked corned silverside can be used many ways.  Slice it thinly to go with a salad on hot days.  Slice it thickly and serve it hot with steamed veggies.  Cube the silverside to make corn fritters.  Just pack a tin of corn kernels  and a snap lock bag of flour and seasonings.

Do you take main meals or seasonings with you on holidays ?

Easy Holiday Meals When Travelling Part 1

We all love to eat well when on holidays without slaving away in the kitchen.  Eating out is great but can add huge costs to your holiday spending.  A little forward thinking and writing out a menu plan of sorts will give you a much deserved break and time to enjoy your holiday.  A side bonus is the food will taste just like it does when cooked at home.

*  Spag bol is always a family favourite.  If it's a local holiday then I take a premade portion of spag bol meat sauce that has been frozen.  I weigh out the pasta depending on how many people we are travelling with and take a container of grated cheese.  The cheese is also used for salad rolls we have for lunches.  If we are travelling interstate,  then I'll place all the dried herbs into a snap lock bag.  When we arrive at our destination,  all I need to buy is a tin of tomatoes,  small tub of tomato paste,  packet of pasta and a small tray of mince

*  Homemade meat pie can be made ahead of time and frozen.  Either heat it up in a microwave or heat and crisp up in the oven.  Serve with salad or steamed veggies.  The meat pie is large enough to travel many hours away from home and still stay frozen.  If weight is not an issue on your flight,  you could wrap layers of newspaper and a hand towel  around it to keep frozen ( or at least cold ).

*  Everyone loves a bbq when on holidays but the meat can cost a fortune.  A cheap option is to pack a little bag of all the seasonings you need to make hamburger patties or rissoles.  Just buy your tray of mince,  add the seasoning and a dash of tomato sauce,  mix then portion into the size you need.

*  Pancakes make great breakfast,  lunches or snacks.  Premake the mix using self raising flour,  milk powder,  a dash of salt and sugar.  When it's time to cook,  just add one egg and enough water to reach the correct consistency.

*  Custard is easy to make when your away.  Portion the custard powder,  sugar and a couple of tablespoons of milk powder into a snap lock bag.  Just add water and cook as you usually do.

.

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 29th June 2019

Darren and I had a lovely week away with my parents last week.  We stayed at a resort in Mildura ( northern Victoria ) just near the Murray River.  The mornings and nights were close to freezing cold but we did enjoy lots of delightful sunshine during the day.

Darren had his birthday while we were up there so we had a ride on a paddle steamer boat in the morning and a roast dinner at the resort that night.  The roast dinner was an event holiday makers can pay for to the resort and a two course meal is provided.  Twelve people attended and we had fun getting to know all the others on our table.

As you can imagine,  it's a little hard to be thrifty when on holidays but we did manage to save some money.

*  We used our thermos for morning and afternoon teas.  This is such a simple task that saves so much money.

*  Used our saved Flybuys dollars to buy a few holiday groceries for our meals.

*  I took a frozen chop suey and rice for dinner one night.

*  Space was limited in the car but I did manage to pack cranberry hootycreek biscuits,  muesli bars,  fruit,  water bottles,  rolls for lunch on the way up,  tea bags,  sugar and  chocolate.

Our paddle steamer ride

The mighty Murray River

The weir at Mildura

A tropical garden path at the resort

Yes it's cold

How do you save money when on holidays ?

Getting Your Year Into Gear - Family Goals

I'm not one for New Years resolutions but I do love to set new goals.  At the start of each year amongst all my planning and budgeting,  Darren and I talk about what we'd like to achieve over the next twelve months.

Sometimes we plan a few years in advance if the goal is a big one.  For the last two years we've been saving for a new car for me.  That's two years of saving with another three years to go.  My car is working just fine but it is almost ten years old and won't last forever.  When we get to our goal in three years time,  if my car is still running trouble free,  we'll just keep those savings locked away and start saving for Darren's new car.  To achieve my ' new car ' goal,  we've worked out how much we want to spend on a car,  when we might need it,  then divided it into a monthly savings goal.

Next year is our 25th wedding anniversary and we'd love to go to the Cook Islands with a short stop over in New Zealand on the way back.  We've decided to go all out and stay in luxury accommodation when at the Cook Islands.  This comes at a large cost so we've been saving for the last three years with another twelve months worth of saving to go before we reach our goal.

Home renovations and repairs are usually ongoing.  Each year we work out what needs replacing and what is the most urgent.  As we save,  we do our research along the way to find the best deals / brands and to make sure we are saving enough money in the allotted time.

Family goals could include children's activities and sports.  Your children might be involved in too many activities that it's harming the family budget or encroaching on quality family time.  Re-evaluating what's important and if it's working should be done before the new season / term begins.

Maybe this year is the year to start your children in sports,  clubs or a new hobby.  Ask around,  do your research and do the sums.  There can be extra costs for costumes,  competitions,  travel,  equipment,  camps or extra training.  Can your budget cope with this ?

Using the first couple of months of a new year to set your goals gives you a great chance of achieving them.  Talking about doing this or that one day is not a plan,  just a dream.  Dreams are great,  but making a plan to reach those dreams is far more satisfying.

Here are some of our previous goals -

Any excuse to post another photo of my new kitchen 2016

Brisbane holiday 2018

Darren's car 2015 - from memory

New lounge suite was 2018's goal.  Arrived last month

What are your goals for this year and how will your achieve them ?

Links to the other posts in this series -

Getting Your Year Into Gear - The Family Budget

Getting Your Year Into Gear - The Gift Giving Budget

.  .

Pack Holiday Savings In Your Suitcase

Holidays are a fabulous way to unwind,  relax and have a change of scenery.  Darren and I have always made it a priority to have a least one holiday each year.  Sometimes it's just a night or two away and other holidays have been as long as four weeks.  We live frugally,  save all year and get the best deal we possibly can by doing lots of research.

Booking a holiday is just the start of the spending.  Transfers,  activities,  spending money and  souvenirs add to the cost of having a good time.  Then there is the eating.  We all have to eat - right ?  How many people factor in the cost of eating everyday ?  Sure they say they'll eat out every night but that can be unrealistic for budget conscience people.

Depending on where we are holidaying we try to bring as much food as we can to keep  our food bill right down.  Here are some examples of what I pack -

INTERSTATE HOLIDAYS

*  Tea bags
*  Coffee sticks ( when Darren was a coffee drinker )
*  Biscuits - a couple of varieties
*  Tinned tuna or salmon for sandwiches or salads
*  Sugar sticks or a small container of sugar
*  Single serves of Vegemite,  peanut butter,  jam,  honey
*  Packet of jelly crystals
*  Custard powder,  milk powder and sugar in a snap lock bag to make custard
*  Seasonings for a variety of main meals each in a labelled snap lock bag.  For example,  all the chop suey seasonings are portioned into one snap lock bag.  All I need to do is cook the meat and veg,  then add the entire contents of the snap lock bag.  Tastes just like what I cook at home.
*  Muesli bars


LOCAL HOLIDAYS

We take all of the above listed items plus these  -

*  Fruit and veg from our fridge - Whatever needs using.
*  Cheese,  grated and block
*  Potatoes
*  Cereal ( wheat biscuits or porridge )
*  Pasta,  tinned tomatoes and seasonings to make spag bol
*  Spag bol meat sauce from the freezer
*  Tinned fruit
*  Milk
*  Tinned spaghetti and baked beans
*  Tinned chunky soup or homemade from the freezer
*  Homemade meat pie from the freezer.
*  Chips and chocolate ( always bought on sale )
*  Thermos for tea and coffee drinking
 

HANDY HINTS

*  Take packets of biscuits in your backpack on the plane.  If you are worried about them crushing,  put them in a container.  I use the Tupperware collapsible containers.  When we've eaten the biscuits,  I collapse the containers to save on room.

*  Take some containers as well as foil,  cling wrap,  bread bags and snap lock bags wherever you go.  It saves on wastage or spoilage of food..  Also great for taking snacks on outings instead of buying.

*  I always menu plan before we go away.  Then I pack the food accordingly.  We always allow for a couple of lunches out and one dinner out especially when we travelled with our girls.  It as too expensive to eat many dinners out so we always looked forward to the treat.

*  Write a shopping list for your holiday destination before you arrive.  Then when you've unpacked,  duck up to the shops with your list in hand.  This avoids buying unnecessary food with the family in tow.

*  Pack at least one water bottle each and make sure you fill them up each night ready for the next day..

*  Pack at least one insulated bag and a couple of green bags to buy your groceries.

How do you save on holiday eating ?

Tasmania Holiday And Frugal Tasks

Straight after Christmas last year we had our family holiday.  Darren and Megan left on the 27th by boat with my car.  Jessica,  Eugene and myself left on the 28th by plane.  We spent five nights in Devonport in a cabin at a holiday park.  This allowed us to spend time with Darren's Dad,  step mum and some extended family.

The boys spent lots of time fishing with Eugene catching some squid and Darren showing him how to cook it.  Megan and I had a lovely walk on the beach collecting shells and a few beautifully colored,  smooth stones.  Jessica and I watched a few movies together and enjoyed some bargain hunting.

We discovered a discount store called Shiploads which is similar to Cheap As Chips,  The Warehouse or Chicken Feed.  Darren and i picked up lots of heavily discounted Christmas decorations / party items and Megan enjoyed the makeup section. 

New Year's Eve was spent at Darren's Dad's place eating nibblies.  About 11.30 pm the kids went down to the water for the party and fireworks.   We got a phone call at 12.04 am asking to be picked up because the fireworks had finished and everyone was going home.

The Reject Shops in Tasmania as huge and once again we picked up lots of Christmas bargains.  One was a white with gold stripe tablecloth we bought for $5 down from $20.  We soon discovered most towns either had a Shiploads or Reject Shop and it felt like we were doing the national tour of all stores.

The girls and Eugene flew back home on the 2nd Jan and Darren and I continued our holiday for another week.  We spent 3 nights in Stanley at a lovely spa cottage.  We explored The Nut which is an extinct volcano the Stanley is built around.

We then travelled down to Hobart and stayed in a Bed and Breakfast in Margate.  We visited the Salamanca Markets,   took a lunch cruise on the Derwent River,  visited the Margate Train and it's converted shops, drove down to the Huon Valley and explored New Norfolk and it's antique shops. 

Darren and I enjoyed eating lunch out on occasion,  bought afternoon teas at Banjos Bakery and cooked our own dinners most nights.  Everything was budgeted for which gave us peace of mind.  We caught the boat home on the 9th January arriving at the crack of dawn on the 10th.

Here's a list of how we saved money on our holiday -

*  Used our thermos for cuppas when we were travelling.  This saved us about $7 - $9 each time.

*  Stocked up on cheap Christmas decorations,  material and party supplies.

*  Used our Flybuys dollars to buy the groceries we needed when staying in Devonport and Margate.

*  Saved the paper carry bags from Kmart when we went shopping.  Most plastic bags have been banned in Tasmania for about four years.  Retailers offer paper bags or multiple use plastic bags to their customers or you can bring your own.  I carried lots of fold up material bags in my handbag which were used many times over.

*  Saved the plastic cutlery from the cafes we ate at.  I don't usually do this but the cutlery was quite sturdy and seemed a shame to throw out.

*  Reused the few plastic bags and bread bags we had over and over again to wrap food,  cover bowls or to pack things in the car.

*  We carried bottles of water wherever we went.  This alone saves a small fortune and keeps us hydrated.

*  I packed tea bags,  sugar,  breakfast cereals,  spreads,  muesli bars,  sweet biscuits,  savoury biscuits,  pasta,  tinned tomatoes,  seasonings to make spag bol and rissoles,  chips and chocolates.  Yes we could have bought these items from the supermarket when we got there,  but I already had them in my pantry.  This saved us about $75 - $100.

Lighthouse at The Bluff Devonport

Th Bluff Devonport

Sunset in Devonport

Huge craft shop in Spreyton Devonport

Acoomodation in Stanley

The Nut Stanely

View from the top of The Nut

On the chairlift with Darren.  He didn't look down

Historical Highfield House Stanley

House on the main street of Stanley

The Nut up close

Stanley main street.  Our accom was up the laneway - bottom left

Stanley Hotel.  Masterchef filmed finals week here in 2012

Margate train shops

Margate train

Discount super store.

Historical bridge in Richmond near Hobart.

View from our balcony in Margate.

Derwent River cruise.

  .  

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 cards,  gift 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.

Our Holiday In Ballarat

Last Thursday,  Darren,  myself and our girls went to Ballarat for a four day mini holiday.  We've been really busy lately with our church's community toy and hamper giveaway,  Jessica finishing her high school exams and Megan completing Year 10 exams.  I've had extra cleaning work while two of my clients sell their homes.

It was wonderful to get away and Ballarat holds a special place in my heart.  My grandparents lived there and my Mum grew up there until she married my Dad.  As a child I made many trips to Ballarat to see my relatives.

Ballarat is approximately 105 kilometres (65 miles) west-north-west of Melbourne or just under two hours from our home.  Ballarat was named after an Aboriginal word " Balla arat " and thought to mean ' resting place ".  Gold was discovered in the area on 18th August 1851 and the population swelled as it became known as a gold mining town.  Ballarat is also the site of the Eureka Rebellion ( Eureka Stockade ) and is the only armed rebellion in Australian history.  My grandparent's place is on Eureka Street, only two or three blocks away from the Eureka Stockade site.

Our accomodation was a miner's cottage called Glazebrook Cottage Bed and Breakfast.  It dates back to the 1890's and has been restored beautifully with many period features kept.  It really is the best accomodation we've stayed in.  This was our third visit to Glazebrook Cottage.  Darren found it on the internet a few years ago.  The first time we stayed there,  as soon as I walked in the door I felt like I was home. I was so happy there were tears in my eyes.  Darren had struck " gold ".  Glazebrook is just a couple of streets away from my grandparent's home and it feels good to be near where they lived.  They probably knew of the cottage or previous occupants long ago.

Glazebrook Cottage

Darren relaxing

The view from the veranda over towards my grandparents place.

Jo Casey is the owner of Glazebrook Cottage.  She does a wonderful job of looking after anyone who stays there.  Jo loves to personally let her clients in to make sure everything is perfect.  We've come to know Jo over the last few years and she loves to have a chat with us.  When I emailed her to confirm our booking I asked if I could take photos of the cottage for my blog.  Guess what ?  She has been aware of my blog for a while and remembers ( and recognised ) me from my tv stories.  We had a good giggle over that

Eating area and fireplace

Our bedroom

Looking towards the lounge room.

The girl's bedroom

Bathroom with spa

Lounge room and front door

Kitchen.

We had lunch at the Beechworth Bakery ( the Ballarat one ) and enjoyed some time relaxing there.  After lunch we drove around Lake Wendouree which is a few kilometres away.  This is where the 1956 Olympic rowing was held.  The lake area is peaceful and pretty to look at.  The botanic gardens are across the road with it's famous flower clock and Begonia Festival ( held in March ).

Botanic gardens

Lake Wendouree

The gardens at Lake Wendouree

We made a trip to the SPC cannery outlet and picked up a few grocery bargains.  While we did that,  Megan had fun looking in the near by op shops.

Friday was a big day for us.  We spent many hours at the Hepburn Springs and surrounding Daylesford area.  Jessica bought empty drink bottles so she could fill them up with mineral water straight from the ground.  The taste is not to my liking but it is fresh and good for you.  My Mum told me she went out there as a child with her parents to do the exact same thing.

Hepburn Springs

Jessica filling up her drink bottles

Darren and I

Jessica and Megan

We spent a couple of hours at an antique shed called " The Mill' Markets ".As a family we just love to look at all the different types and eras of antiques.  Darren looks at the records.  Jessica looks at the old books and general viewing. Megan loves the vintage china.  As for me,  I just love looking at everything.  My favourite items are vintage kitchen wares and china.  It's like going on a trip down memory lane.  I recognised many of the kitchen wares that my Mum and Grandmas had in their homes.  On this trip I purchased a couple of tall Fowlers Vacola bottles that I'll use as vases.

Jessica having fun

Around tea time that night we went to Sovereign Hill for their once a year free entry for night shopping.  Sovereign Hill is a recreated historical mining town attraction.  We bought some of their famous raspberry drop lollies and scented soap.  Both these items were very popular that night.  I also caught up with one of my blog readers,  fellow Cheapskate member and lovely friend Maureen.  She happened to be in the area that day with her family so we met up for a chat.  When Maureen and I get together,  we always has lots to talk about.

Children's choir at Sovereign Hill

A Miner's hut

Crowds in the main street.

The gold mine

Pretties in a shop

Lots to buy.

My dessert of lemon tart

With my lovely friend Maureen

A shop window

On Saturday Darren,  Jessica and myself went shopping while Megan enjoyed the cottage by herself.  We went to a Kaisercraft clearance shop where Darren and Jessica bought some Christmas presents for me.  For those who are not familiar with Kaisercraft,  they make all sort of stamps,  card stock and craft supplies to make cards and for scrap booking.

We caught up with my cousin later that day and had a wonderful visit.

Sunday we checked out of Glazebrook and headed over to " The Mill Markets " outside of Ballarat on our way home.  We spent another couple of hours " just looking ".  It makes us happy.  We had lunch in the cafe there.  They serve up homemade meat pies with slow cooked beef inside.  Very yummy and I must say,  the best meat pie I've ever eaten.

After lunch we headed over to Altona for a family Christmas gathering.  We finally made it home just on tea time.

We had a wonderful four days away relaxing,  shopping,  watching dvds each night and eating plenty of good food.

I hope you enjoyed the photos.