Grocery Specials Wednesday 20th April 2016

Here are this week's best grocery specials -

COLES  -

*  Cadbury Large Block 270g-350g1/2 PRICE Was $6.30, Save $3.15  Now $3.15 each

*  Uncle Tobys Cheerios 570g-580g1/2 PRICE Was $6.29, Save $3.15  Now $3.14 each

*  Mars Maltesers 360g, Celebrations Boxed Chocolate 300g or M&Ms Peanut 440g 1/2 PRICE

Was $10.00, Save $5.00  Now $5.00 each   Stock up now for Mother's Day and Father's Day

*  Vittoria Mountain Grown Coffee Beans or Ground or Organic Beans 1kg 1/2 PRICE

Was $36.70, Save $18.35  Now $18.35 each

*  Bonne Maman Jam 370g1/2 PRICE Was $5.00, Save $2.50  Now $2.50 each  If anyone eats this jam,  I'd be more than happy to receive the empty jars.  They are so pretty.

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

*   La Española Rice Bran Oil 3 Litre, Gold Choice Canola or Vegetable Oil 4 Litre 1/2 PRICE
Excludes Gold Choice Sunflower Oil.Was $18.00, Save $10.00  $8.00 each

*  Continental Pasta & Sauce 85g-115g1/2 PRICE Was $2.09, Save $1.05  Now $1.04 each

*  MasterFoods Tomato or Barbecue Sauce 920mL1/2 PRICE Was $4.69, Save $2.35  Now $2.34 each

*   Tip Top English Muffins 6 Pack1/2 PRICE Was $4.90, Save $2.45  Now $2.45 each

*  Tip Top Café Raisin Toast 650g 1/2 PRICE Was $5.90, Save $2.95  Now $2.95 each

*  Imperial Leather Body Wash 1 Litre 1/2 PRICE Was $9.00, Save $4.50  Now $4.50 each

*  Norsca Anti-Perspirant Deodorant 150g 1/2 PRICE Was $5.99, Save $3.00  Now $2.99 each

*  Macleans Extreme Clean Toothpaste 170g 1/2 PRICE Was $5.00, Save $2.50  Now $2.50 each

*  Chux Heavy Duty Scourer Scrubs 3 Pack 1/2 PRICE Was $3.15, Save $1.58  Now $1.57 each

*  Morning Fresh Dishwashing Liquid 900mL1/2 PRICE Was $6.95, Save $3.48  Now $3.47 each

*  Cold Power Laundry Liquid 1 Litre 1/2 PRICE Was $9.49, Save $4.75  Now $4.74 each

*  1/2 PRICE OFF all Sistema To Go

*  Continental Cup a Soup 2 Serve 40g-75g 1/2 PRICE Was $2.00, Save $1.00  Now $1.00 each

*  Mars Medium Funsize 144g-216g1/2 PRICE Was $4.60, Save $2.30  Now $2.30 each.  This is a fantastic price and well worth stocking up.  Great for birthday parties.

*  Lynx Body Spray Deodorant 96g-100g 1/2 PRICE Was $5.99, Save $3.00  Now $2.99 each.  Well worth stockpiling at this price.

WOOLWORTHS -

*  Kelloggs Nutri-Grain 290g or Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes 380g Now $2.29 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.30

*  Peters Drumstick 475-490ml Pk 4-6 Now $3.99 each 1/2 Price, Save $4.00

*  Moccona Freeze Dried Coffee 200g Now $10.00 each Save $8.39

*  Campbell’s Real Stock Varieties 1 Litre Now $1.99 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.00

*  Imported Barramundi Fillets Skinned/Boned. Seafood may not be available in all stores. Now $13.00 kg Save $6.99 kg

*  Golden Crumpet Rounds Pk 6 Now $1.65 each 1/2 Price, Save $1.65

*  Tip Top Raisin Toast 520g or Wholemeal Raisin Toast 600g Now $2.70 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.70

*   Nivea Deodorant Varieties 250ml/151-162g Now $3.24 each 1/2 Price, Save $3.25

*  Johnson’s Body Wash 1 Litre Now $5.00 each 1/2 Price, Save $5.00

*  1/2 Price All Libra, Tena, UBK & Poise

*  20% off All Inspire Bakeware & Jamie Oliver Kitchen Gadgets.

*  Energizer Max AAA Pk 14 or AA Pk 16  .Now $9.74 each 1/2 Price, Save up to $9.76

*  Fairy Dishwashing Liquid 433ml  .Now $1.99 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.00

Feel free to add any great specials you find in the supermarket and department stores.

5 Ways To Reuse Bread Bags

Have you been known to throw out those bread bags and not given them much thought ?  I was guilty of doing this for many years. Then one day I had a light bulb moment.  Surely there must be a way to repurpose them to reduce my cling wrap and freezer bag use.  After all,  they are a perfectly good plastic bag.  Here are five ways to reuse your bread bags and save a little money -

*  Use them to line your bathroom bins.  If your kitchen bin is small enough use them there too.

*  Keep a few bags in your car glove box.  They make great rubbish bags and sick bags, 

*  Use a bread bag when scooping out the kitty litter.  Tie a knot in the top of the bag then deposit it in the bin.  By doing this you won't have a yucky smell leaking out.

*  When storing food in the freezer,  use a bread bag as a double layer against freezer burn.  I use cling wrap or a freezer bag to wrap the food then a bread bag as the outer layer.

*   Use instead of cling wrap to cover a bowl in the fridge.  If the bowl is small enough just slip it inside the bag and fold the excess plastic underneath.  If you need to cover a large bowl,  cut the bottom of the bag off.  Then cut the bag length ways to get a wider piece of plastic.  Cover your bowl and secure with a large rubber band.

Drying the bags out

Bin liners.

NOTE -  When you've finished eating the loaf of bread,  make sure you turn the bags inside out,  brush the crumbs off and dry for a couple of hours.  This will avoid mould growing in the bags

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 16th April 2016

I've had a mixed bag of experiences this week.  I helped my sister move,  spent a day recovering,  had two days of cleaning work,  did my usual housework,  decluttered and had an outing with Darren ( the highlight of the week ).  Here's what else I got up to this week -.

*  Gratefully received two bags of jam jars from my sister.  I give lots of jam as presents so I'm always needing more jars.  I also received a bag of jars from a cleaning client.

*  Did the usual water saving tasks in the laundry and dried the washing on the line.

*  Made chicken curry with two chicken fillets and it fed us for two meals.

*  Cleaned the kettle.

*  Jessica went through her make up and gave me a blusher and brush she doesn't want.

*  Did an extra day of cleaning work.

*  Bought a $7.90 cooked chicken and got 14 serves from it.  We had some in rolls for lunch x 4,  I made chunky chicken and veg soup that gave us 6 serves and enough meat for the freezer that will be made into a pasta bake or chop chicken ( like chop suey ) x 4 serves.  I also used all the bones to make chicken stock in the slow cooker.

*  Darren and I had an outing to Mornington on Wednesday.  We took our own lunch ( chicken in rolls )and bottles of water to save some money.  We did treat ourselves to morning tea.

*  Fed the compost bin with kitchen scraps.

*  Made a batch of Miracle Spray and sold it to a cleaning client.

*  Dug down to the bottom of my lipstick to get every last bit out.  Avon has decided to discontinue my favourite color ( yet again ).  Thankfully I have a few spare tubes and I'll be making them last as long as possible.

*  Over the last couple of weeks I've stayed home as much as possible.  I've only used 1/2 a tank of petrol since the day before Good Friday.

*  Gratefully received some stamps for card making and a set of craft drawers from my Mum.

*  Made a bottle of air freshener for the ensuite.

*  Used the watering can to water my veggie seedlings.  This is more water wise than using a hose.

*  Mended a hole in a pair of socks.

*  We had our movie night at home on Thursday.  We watched " The Help " and even our girls ventured out of their rooms to watch most of it with us.

Plants we bought in Mornington

Jessica's Christmas present now has flowers.

In the garden

Lettuce seedlings are growing

Lavender air freshener

Chicken curry

Making Miracle Spray

How did you save money this week ?

Grocery Specials Wednesday 13th April 2016

Here are this week's best grocery specials -

COLES -

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

*  Nivea Deodorant 250mL 1/2 PRICE Was $6.59, Save $3.30  Now $3.29 each

*  Cadbury Bubbly or Green & Black's Block Chocolate 100g-155g 1/2 PRICE Was $4.00, Save $2.00  Now $2.00 each

*  Cottee’s Jam 500gWas $3.35, Save $1.35  Now $2.00 each.  Well worth stockpiling at this price.

*  Campbell’s Condensed Soup 400g-430g 1/2 PRICE Was $2.00, Save $1.00  Now $1.00 each.  Well worth stocking up at this price.  I make sure I have a year's supply for casseroles like Chicken curry and tuna casserole.

*  Tip Top Raisin Toast 520g 1/2 PRICE Was $5.40, Save $2.70  Now $2.70 each

*  Golden Crumpet Rounds 6 Pack 1/2 PRICE Was $3.30, Save $1.65  Now $1.65 each

*  1/2 PRICE OFF all Covergirl

*  1/2 Price on a wide range of Nivea products.

*  Buy any 2 and get the 3rd FREE on Colgate Dental, Palmolive Soaps or Body Wash.
Lowest priced item free.

*  Brut Original Long Lasting Deodorant Body Spray 150g1/2 PRICE Was $6.49, Save $3.25  Now $3.24 each

*  Brut Original Shower Gel Fresh 400mL1/2 PRICE Was $6.29, Save $3.15 Now $3.14 each  Combine this with the deodorant and you have a great Father's Day present for a fraction of  the price of a gift pack.

*  Head & Shoulders Shampoo or Conditioner 350mL-400mL1/2 PRICE Was $12.50, Save $6.25
Now $6.25 each

*  Dynamo Laundry Liquid 1 Litre 1/2 PRICE Was $10.00, Save $5.00 Now $5.00 each.  This product dilutes really well and still retains it's fragrance.

*  Ansell Handy Disposable Gloves 100 Pack1/2 PRICE Was $9.98, Save $4.99  Now $4.99 each

WOOLWORTHS -


*    Dynamo Laundry Liquid 2 Litre Now $8.24 each 1/2 Price, Save $8.25  Works out cheaper than the Coles price.

*  Old El Paso or Stand ‘n Stuff Dinner Kits 295-370g Now $3.49 each 1/2 Price, Save $3.50

*  Real Foods Corn Thins 125-150g Now $1.00 each 1/2 Price, Save $1.00

*  Sakata Rice Crackers 90-100g Now $1.00 each 1/2 Price, Save $1.40

*  Kraft Peanut Butter 500g Now $2.84 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.84

*  Cottee’s Jams or Marmalade 500g Now $2.00 each Save $1.40

*  Fountain Squeezy Tomato & BBQ Sauce 500ml – Excludes Salt Reduced Sauce Now $1.25 each1/2 Price, Save $1.25

*  Continental Standard Pasta & Sauce 85g-105g Now $1.00 each 1/2 Price, Save up to $1.10

*  Continental Cup-a-Soup 2 Serve 40g-75g Now $0.90 each 1/2 Price, Save $1.10

*    Tip Top Cafe Raisin Toast or Cafe Style Breakfast Toast 650g Now $2.95 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.95

*  Golden Crumpet Breaks Pk 6 Now $1.99 each1/2 Price, Save $2.00

*  Sunsilk Shampoo or Conditioner 750ml Now $5.24 each1/2 Price, Save $5.25

*  Dove Shampoo or Conditioner 320ml Now $3.49 each1/2 Price, Save $3.50

*  Energizer Max AA Pk 16 or AAA Pk 14$ Now 9.74 each 1/2 Price, Save up to $9.76

*  40% off Inspire Premium Bathroom Manchester

*  Morning Fresh Dishwashing Liquid 400ml – Excludes Eco Range Now $1.75 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.20

                        

Please feel free to add any specials you find in the supermarket and department stores.
                    

Cutting The Budget When There's Nothing Left To Cut - Part 2

Cutting the family budget can be a challenge.  Sometimes there's just nothing more to cut - or is there ????  Here are some budget busting tips that can save you small or large amounts of money.  Combined,  they could really make a difference to your hip pocket.  I personally use all these tips in my everyday living.

*  Dry your clothes on the line or clotheshorse.  This might seem obvious but so many people tell me they still use the dryer for everything.  I also know lots of people who dry their towels in the dryer to make them soft.  An alternative is to partially dry the towels on the line and finish them in the dryer.

*  Avoid buying bin liners.  Use grocery bags,  fruit bags and bread bags to line your bins. These bags are free and can save you a few dollars each month.

*  Cut your gift giving budget.   Do you need to give presents to your great aunts,  aunties and uncles and other friends and family you don't see too often ?  It's wonderful to bless others but not if you can't make ends meet.  Maybe send a card instead.

*  Put a timer in the shower and set it for 5 minutes.  Play a game and see if you can beat the timer.

*  Revise your grocery shopping list before you leave home.  You might be amazed at how many items can wait for another week / fortnight or month.

*  Make your own fish and chips at home for under $2 a serve. Crumbed fish can be bought quite cheaply and making chips is as simple as cutting potatoes into desired shapes and sprinkling with a little seasoning or olive oil.  This could save a family of four $10 - $30 a meal.

*  Give up renting dvds and dig into your own collection at home.  Cook up some popcorn using the stove, microwave or popcorn maker and you'll  have a wonderfully frugal night for about 50 cents.

*  Instead of buying plants for your garden,  take your own cuttings from what you have or ask family,  friends and neighbours to take cuttings for you.

Stay tuned for more budget savings tips throughout the year.

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 9th April 2016

During the week I got the de-cluttering bug again.  With all the extra time on my hands I've been digging into cupboards and donating items I don't like or use.  Megan went through her room again and donated clothes she doesn't need. Here's what else I got up to this week -

*  Made a double batch of fruit crumble topping mix.

*  Made a double batch of peanut butter choc chip biscuit dough.  Some of the dough was made into biscuits to sell and some for us to eat.  The rest of the dough was rolled into logs and frozen.

*  Made four loaves of wholemeal bread with extra goodness.

*  Saved the washing machine water for each next load.

*  Darren and I went to the movies to see My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2.  We used a movie gift card given to us last Christmas and I bought water and chocs from home.

*  Dried all the washing on the clothesline.

*  Gratefully received a bag of limes from a next door neighbour.

*  Made a batch of yoghurt using a packet from the pantry.

*  Mended my work sneakers.  The sole was starting to come away so I used some shoe glue to put it back together.  Hopefully they will last a lot longer.

*  Continued decluttering and donated items to Savers for a discount stamp.

*  Received some wrapping paper from my friend and blog reader Anne.  The wrapping paper has little Christmas trees on it that will be great for making Christmas cards.

*  Darren emptied the compost bins in to the veggie garden. He also started the next lot of compost by emptying bags of coffee grinds into the bins.  I've now planted the seedlings I bought last week.

*  At the moment there's nothing much on tv on Thursday nights.  Darren has decided to make this movie night.  We have so many dvds in our collection and like to make the most of them.  This week we watched Blast From The Past.  No money was spent and I enjoyed watching the characters  "shop " from their 35 years worth of groceries.

*  Defrosted our 120 litre freezer.  I was able to stack things better when I put them back in.  I saved the hot water used to defrost the freezer and watered a few plants once the water cooled down.

*  I diluted some Dynamo laundry liquid into another bottle.  We bought about 12 bottles of Dynamo about 6 or 7 years ago at a bargain price of $2 per bottle.  We only use it on the odd occasion for smelly washing or work uniforms.  Some people in our house ( who will remain unnamed ) are a bit heavy handed with the liquid.  To get around this I half filled an old squirty laundry liquid bottle with water,  poured some of the Dynamo in and gave it a good shake. Then I topped it up with more water.  This will be great for hand washing and when others feel the need to put a load on.

Gifted limes

Our lemons are ripening

In the garden

Biscuit ( cookie ) dough

Ready to eat.

Diluted laundry liquid on the right.

Defrosting the freezer

Feijoas are growing.  

How did you save money this week ?

Grocery Specials Wednesday 6th April 2016

Here are this week's best grocery specials -

COLES -

*  Peters Drumstick Ice Cream 4 Pack-6 Pack 475mL-490mL1/2 PRICE Was $7.99, Save $4.00 Now $3.99 each

*  Dove Body Wash 1 Litre 1/2 PRICE Was $13.70, Save $6.85  Now $6.85 each

*  Handee Ultra Paper Towel 4 Pack1/2 PRICE Was $5.20, Save $2.60  Now $2.60 each

*  Golden Circle Tetra Fruit Drink 1 Litre1/2 PRICE Excludes Pineapple, Tomato & Nectar.Was $2.05, Save $1.03  Now $1.02 each

*  Maharajah’s Choice Basmati Rice 5kg 1/2 PRICE Was $17.50, Save $8.75  Now $8.75 each

*  Gold Choice Oil 4 Litre or La Española Rice Bran Oil 3 Litre 1/2 PRICE Was $18.00, Save $10.00
Now $8.00 each

*  Kraft Peanut Butter 500g1/2 PRICE Was $5.68, Save $2.84  Now $2.84 each

*  Always Fresh Olives Kalamata Pitted 200g 1/2 PRICE Was $4.75, Save $2.38  Now $2.37 each

*  Almond Breeze Unsweetened Milk 1 Litre 1/2 PRICE Was $3.29, Save $1.65  Now $1.64 each

*  Lavazza A Modo Mio Minu Caffe Latte Coffee Machine 1/2 PRICE Was $169.99, Save $85.00
Now $84.99 each

*  Creative Gourmet Frozen Fruit 300g1/2 PRICE Was $5.65, Save $2.83  Now $2.82 each


*  L’Oreal Excellence Hair Colour 1 Pack1/2 PRICE Was $17.49, Save $8.75  Now $8.74 each

*  L’Oréal Préférence Hair Colour 1 Pack1/2 PRICE Was $19.30, Save $9.65 Now $9.65 each

*  L’Oréal Elvive Shampoo or Conditioner 250mL 1/2 PRICE Was $5.95, Save $2.98  Now $2.97 each

*  Lots of Dove products are on 1/2 price sale.

*  1/2 PRICE off all Maybelline Cosmetics

*  Vaseline Intensive Care Aloe Soothe Body Lotion 400mL1/2 PRICE Was $8.50, Save $4.25  Now $4.25 each

*  Palmolive Naturals Shower Gel 500mL Was $5.39, Save $2.39  Now $3.00 each

*  Pine O Cleen Disinfectant 1.25 Litre 1/2 PRICE Was $5.00, Save $2.50  Now $2.50 each.  Worth stockpiling as we head into the cooler months.

*  White King Bleach 2.5 Litre Was $4.25, Save $1.75  Now $2.50 each

*  Continental Cup a Soup 2 Serve 40g-75g BETTER THAN 1/2 PRICE Was $2.00, Save $1.10 Now $0.90 each.  Worth stockpiling at this price.

WOOLWORTHS -

*  Pantene Shampoo or Conditioner 350ml Now $3.94 each 1/2 Price, Save $3.95

*   Fantastic Delites 100g Now $1.00 each1/2 Price, Save $1.00

*  Green’s Puddings 260g Now $1.40 each 1/2 Price, Save $1.40

*  Tip Top Raisin Toast 520g or Tip Top Wholemeal Raisin Toast 600g Now $2.70 each1/2 Price, Save $2.70

*  Tip Top English Muffin Varieties Pk 6 Now $2.45 each1/2 Price, Save $2.45

*  Lux Bodywash 400ml Now $3.07 each1/2 Price, Save $3.08 Great to add to a present

*  .40% off All Olay Skincare

*  L’Oreal Excellence Hair Colour Now $8.74 each 1/2 Price, Save $8.75

*  Sard Oxy Plus Soaker & Inwash Gel 1 Litre or Powder 1 kg Now $3.49 each1/2 Price, Save $3.50

*  Energizer Eco Advanced AA or AAA Pk 10 Now $8.39 each 1/2 Price, Save $8.40

*  Tontine Supportive Pillow Pk 2 Now $11.00 each 1/2 Price, Save $11.00

                                    

  Please feel free to add any specials you find in the supermarket and department  stores.                                  

Growing Broccoli

One of my family's favourite vegetable to eat is broccoli. In the cooler weather we try to eat it about 3 - 4 times a week.  In Summer if I'm cooking a hot meal and I have some broccoli in the freezer,  then it's added to the plate.

Unfortunately broccoli can cost a fortune when it's not in season.  Prices can skyrocket to $8.99 a kilo.  That's when I leave it on the shelf and find another dark green vegetable on sale or dig into my freezer stockpile.  During it's peak growing season prices can drop to under a  dollar per kilo.  I've been known to buy up big ( 5 - 6 kilos at a time ),  blanch then freeze for future meals.

Another way to keep broccoli stocks up is to grow your own.  A punnet of seedlings can cost as little as $3 from hardware / plant stores.  Usually a punnet will have 8 seedlings growing.  I try to find a punnet with 10 or more seedlings to get better value for money.

When the punnet is bought home,  it's placed into a container with water down the bottom and left for a week or two.  This gives the seedlings a good drink and the chance to grow and strengthen a little before planting.

Late March is planting time for us.  The hot weather is behind us and March is a great month to get in the garden.  Usually Darren digs some compost into the veggie garden beds one week before planting.  This allows everything to settle.

I plant the seedlings in rows simply because I love neatness - even in my garden.  Usually I space the seedlings 30 centimetres apart to allow enough room for growth.  They also need full sun during the day and regular watering when it doesn't rain..

Pests and bugs love broccoli plants so you'll need to be on the look out.  Cabbage moths,  snails and caterpillars love to munch away on the leaves.  I don't spray any pesticides on my veggie garden so I need to check the plants everyday for cabbage moth eggs.  I squash them with my fingers and flick off caterpillars and squash them with a stick.   A few years ago I discovered a pet friendly snail bait. called Multiguard.  It's usually on the shelf next to the toxic snail bait and costs about the same.  This needs to be sprinkled around each plant every few weeks to keep the snails at bay.

Once the broccoli heads have grown to a good size,  cut them off underneath the head.  Within a week or two you'll have little florets growing on the plant.  Cut these off as they are wonderful to use in stir fries and pasta bakes etc.  The florets will continue to grow for another few weeks.

Of course you end up with a lot of broccoli all in one hit.  There's only so much broccoli you can eat within a week or two so I try to blanch as much as possible and freeze for future meals.  I blanch the cut up broccoli in boiling water for about one minute until the broccoli changes color to a bright vibrant green.  Then it's washed in cold water to stop the cooking process. The broccoli is placed on cooling racks until completely cold then spread out on biscuit baking trays and placed in the freezer for 2 - 3 hours.  This is known as flash freezing and it prevents the broccoli sticking together.

Once the broccoli is frozen I place it in small freezer bags that contain enough for one meal.  Then I place a few into a bigger bag to prevent freezer burn.

Growing in our garden last year.

Newly bought seedlings

Neat rows.

Florets picked from the plants.

Broccoli bought on sale to boost my stockpile.

Blanching.

How to grow instructions

Pet friendly snail bait.

.

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 2nd April 2016

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter and spent some precious time with your loved ones.  I managed to get some rest over the Easter holiday and even spent a whole day in front of the tv watching the Royal Children's Hospital Appeal.  It was wonderful to sit and do nothing for a change.  Here's what I got up to on the other days this week -

*  Bought lots of Lindt bunnies in Kmart for $2.25 each which is half price. I stockpiled enough for all our birthdays,  Christmas stockings,  Mother's Day,  Father's Day and anniversaries for the next twelve months.

*  Made homemade pizza for dinner one night using the last of the tomatoes from the garden and some ham that was given to us.  Leftovers were eaten for lunch the next day.

*  Baked two loaves of wholemeal bread with extra goodness.  Usually I bake more but my freezers are choc a block at the moment.

*  I baked one dozen hot cross buns.  Each year Darren makes one dozen and I make another.  It's a bit of a bake off to see who can have the nicest looking hot cross buns using the same recipe.

*  Sold two dozen eggs and two jars of tomato relish to a cleaning client.

*  Bought a top from Savers for $5.40.  Megan bought a denim skirt and a top.  We used a 10% discount stamp to get an even better price.

*  Used leftovers from the fridge to make a chicken casserole.

* Our church is having a fundraiser on Sunday.  I was able to donate some jars of jam,  soaps,  cards and biscuits from what I had on hand.  I was given lots of different teas so I packaged them up in cello bags and put a cardstock header on the packet.  I'm hoping these will sell too and make great Mother's Day presents.

*  Picked two handfuls of raspberries.

*  Darren picked two pink roses from the garden.  They smell divine.

*  Cleaned the dishwasher with vinegar and bicarb and put it on a long hot cycle to clean the pipes.

*  Used the saved kitchen water to water the raspberry plants.

*  Mended a pair of socks and Megan's school jumper.

*  Donated a bag of household items to Savers and received a discount stamp.

*  Darren and Jessica filled up their cars when petrol was around $1.02 a litre just as other petrol stations were putting their prices up.

*  Dried the washing on the clothesline.

Have I bought enough bunnies ?

Jars of jam to sell.

Gift packs of tea.

From the garden.

My hot cross buns.

What was on your frugal list this week ?