This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 8th July 2023

 Our Make,  Bake,  Sew and Grow life is a little slower during the winter months.  The garden doesn't need too much attention but I do try to pull a few weeds on the milder days.  I've been doing some sewing for a new family member coming soon ( photos in a couple of months ).  We've been eating some of our morning / afternoon snacks like muffins and slices from the freezer to make room for the next baking day. 

Here's how we saved money this week - 

*  Megan gave me a haircut.  It was getting a bit long and the ends were dry.

*  Cleaned the kettle with citric acid.  It never ceases to amaze me how clean it looks after doing this.  It's like a new kettle. 

*  Fed bread crusts,  lettuce plants and grass to the chickens.

*  Made 3 loaves of wholemeal bread with extra goodness.

*  Made up 2 bottles of surface spray with cooled,  boiled water and a small dash of kitchen detergent.  One bottle is for the kitchen and the other is kept in the laundry to clean the bathroom sinks and toilets.

*  Filled the thermos with boiling water every morning for our cuppas during the day.

*  Took my lunch and snacks with me when out and about doing my cleaning work.

*  Made sausage rolls and a chocolate brownies for a family gathering.  I made a double batch of the brownie so I could put some in the freezer for us to eat later.

*  I made a bread pudding in the slow cooker using bread crusts ( heels ) I'd been saving and frozen.  It's not very often I make dessert so it was thoroughly enjoyed and warmed us up on a cold night.

*  I cooked a 1/2 leg of lamb in the slow cooker.  Jessica came over for dinner that night.  After slicing it up there was enough for the 3 of us,  another 2 serves put in the freezer and I made a big pot of soup with the leftovers.  The soup gave us 10 serves.  So that was a total of 15 serves from a 1/2 leg that cost about $12 ( bought on sale for $10kg late last year ).

*  I picked up some household bargains in Coles.  They were clearing out nail brushes,  bath sponges,  small buckets  dusters and cleaning equipment as well as other bits and pieces.  Some of the items I'm using straight away and the rest went into the gift cupboard.

*  I dug up a few potatoes and carrots,  picked a capsicum and Wombok from our garden.  The weather has been quite cold so I hadn't been in the garden for a while and the produce was a lovely surprise. 

LINKS -

Wholemeal Bread With Extra Goodness

Chocolate Brownies

Bread Pudding In The Slow Cooker

Cleaning Your Kettle

From our garden

Bargains from Coles

Bread pudding in the slow cooker.

Are you picking any produce from your garden ?

How did you save money this week ?

10 Ways To Turn Power Off In Your Home.

If you are living in Australia,  your electricity and gas bills are about to go up ( again ).  If you live elsewhere in the world then you've most likely already faced rising power bills.

No one wants to sit in the dark with no heating on.  It's just not right and it's not good for your health.  There might be a way to you to afford your power bills by turning off appliances you haven't thought of before.

Over the next 4 weeks I'll be sharing over 40 items you can turn off at the wall when not in use.  This will eliminate standby / phantom power which is a complete waste of money.  Some of these items you might not have in your home  but your friends and family might.  This could be a timely reminder for them so I'd encourage you to share these posts with everyone you know.  You could be helping someone who is struggling.

1.  Turn off the air freshener plug ins.  These are the ones you plug in to the power point that have a glass bottle with liquid fragrance that heats up ( refills are available ).  Perhaps turn them on when you have visitors coming.

2. Turn off the coffee machine and coffee grinder.  You only use it a couple of times a day for a minute or two.  No need to have it on all day.

3. Turn off the phone charging station.  If there are no phones charging,  don't keep the standby light on.

4.  Turn off your computer / laptop when not in use.  Gone are the days when you need to keep them on for the health of the device.

5.  Turn off the wine cooler fridge.  How often are you really needing the fridge ?  Remember,  there was a time when people stored wine without these appliances.

6.  Turn off your printer.  How many times have you printed a page then walked away without turning it off /  It happens in our home from time to time.

7.  Turn off the dishwasher as soon as the cycle finishes.  Perhaps it needs to be used when you are going to be home for the duration of the cycle.  As a cleaner I've seen many,  many dishwashers left on even though the cycle finished hours ago.

8.  Turn off your sewing machine.  I always sew with the machine's light on as a way to know if the machine is on or off.

9.  Turn off your exercise equipment ( treadmills etc ).   My guess is they are only used for a short period of time,  if at all.

10.  Turn off portable heaters.  If they are not in use then turn them off at the wall.  This is an extra safety step too. 

Do you have any of these appliances you could turn off ?

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 1st July 2023

 At this time of the year,  it's all about saving gas and electricity.  Power prices will be going up by 25% on average as of today ( 1st July ) and we will be doing our very best to avoid bill shock.

It's been too cold to go outside most days so I've concentrated on decluttering,  tidying and cleaning our home.  I don't need to use any electricity for these tasks,  it keeps me warm and gives me a sense of purpose.  To be honest,  it's too hot in Summer for these jobs.

Here's my frugal list for the week -

*  Emptied the kitchen compost bucket into the outdoor compost bin every couple of days.

*  Turned our heater down to 19 degrees Celsius during the day ( when we ARE home ).  Since we put in the heat / vent deflectors we've noticed the house is much warmer.

*  I've been having trouble finding trackpants in my size at the major department stores.  After searching for weeks I thought I'd look in the girls section instead of the ladies section.  They had more stock there,  it was a little cheaper and I now know I can fit into a girls size 16.

*  Used our thermos every day to store boiling water for our morning tea cuppas.

*  Saved the washing machine rinse water,  shower warm up water and drink bottle water.  

*  Used the dishwasher every second or third day.  When we are eating meals from the freezer,  it doesn't create many dishes and it takes a few days for the dishwasher to get full.  Another bonus of bulk cooking.

*  Used the solar lanterns each night.

*  Made sure everything was turn off at the power point after dinner.  The only exception is our fridge,  freezers and one tv.

*  Used blankets when watching tv at night.  This eliminates the temptation to turn the heater back on after it turns off at 9pm.

*  Darren found petrol for $1.66 and filled up his car.  He then used 2 apps to get another 8 cents a litre off.

*  Darren used various sales offers,  discounts and vouchers to get a  $40 scarf for $4 from Myer.

Charging our solar lanterns

Blankets ready for cold nights.

Do you have a plan to help offset rising power prices ?

How did you save money this week ?

It's Time To Look At Your Shopping List Differently. Part 2

If you are struggling to put food on the table with constantly rising grocery prices,  it's time to do things a little differently. When writing out your shopping list,  ask yourself a few questions -

*  Do we need it ?  Can we go without ? Can we make it ourselves ? Is there a cheaper option ?

Last week I shared 6 ways you can save a small fortune on your grocery bill.  This week I have another 6 ways to save and every single one of them I personally use for Darren and I.  Our grocery budget is $120 a month for 2 adults and has been for about 18 months.

*  Make your own.  If you want to stretch your food budget so you can buy more or save money,  then start making things from scratch.  Jam is dirt cheap to make and even cheaper if you grow your own fruit or know someone who does.  Make gravy from scratch instead of buying those little sachets or ready made.  Make your own wedges / chips / fries instead of buying a bag.  Make foaming hand wash,  surface spray,  custard,  desserts,  lasagnes.  Cut you own veggies  bake your own biscuits,  cook your own pasta sauce.

*  Bulk buying.  Buying larger packets / bags is usually the cheaper option but make sure you know your prices.  Also make sure you can use that quantity within a reasonable time frame.  Go halves with friends or family to split the cost.

*  Buy ingredients.  A trolley full of ingredients will cost far less and provide more meals than a trolley full of processed food.  My grocery bill is proof of this.  Don't listen to the so called experts who report that healthy food is dearer than processed.  My pantry,  fridge and freezers are full of ingredients all bought for $120 ( or even less ) a month.  I had a distant family member tell me recently that it's cheaper to buy a box of biscuit mix to make rather than  buying ingredients.  I don't think she understood the concept that buying ingredients might cost more upfront but can make many batches of biscuits.  The box mix she uses only bakes maybe 12 - 18 biscuits in total.

*  Less meat,  more vegetables.  I'm not going to tell anyone to give up meat.  That's a personal choice and should be talked over with your doctor to make sure you get your nutrients elsewhere.  Darren and I quite enjoy meat but you won't find a hunk of meat on our plates.  On the rare occasion I cook a roast,  I get 2 slices of meat and Darren might get 3.  We fill up our plates with veggies and no one goes hungry.  Chop suey,  stews,  soups and casseroles are a great way to have meat and stretch it further.

*  Cut the treats and give as presents.  If you like chocolate, chips and lollies,  consider adding them to gifts within your family.  They make great Christmas stocking stuffers or gift bag fillers for a birthday present and the recipient will be thrilled to get what they love to eat.  This is the only way Darren and I can afford a food treat and not have it impact our grocery budget.

*  Grow your own.  Have a look at your shopping list.  What fresh items do you buy regularly ?  Could you start growing some of these ?  Lettuce is super cheap, easy and quick to grow.  It can be grown all year round in many areas.  You can grow it in a pot or in the ground.  Even if you start with this you could save $2 - $4 a week. 

Are you looking at your shopping list differently ?

How are you cutting your grocery bill ?

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 24th June 2023

 We are well and truly in the depths of Winter here in Melbourne.  This week the temperature has been between 11 - 15 degrees Celsius each day ( and much colder at night ) with lots of rain and cloud cover.  It's been too cold to be in the garden so I've focused on indoor jobs to keep me warm.

Here's what I've been up to this week - 

*  Emptied the last of a bottle of shower gel into the foaming hand wash pump and added a little extra water.  I had the bottle upside down for a couple of hours to make sure I got every last drop.

*  Baked 3 loaves of wholemeal bread with extra goodness.  I used recycled bread bags to store the bread in the freezer once I sliced it.  I use these bags over and over again for the bread.

*  Mended a coat and a pair of jeans.  The fastener on the jeans had come off so I replaced it with a button.

*  Dried almost everything on a clothes horse over the vent in our main bathroom.  We rarely use this bathroom and keep the door closed so the washing dries within 24 hours.

*  I did my monthly grocery shopping and used our Woolworths rewards card to get 10% off.

*  I bought  'odd bunch ' carrots and potatoes from Woolworths to save a little extra money.  The potatoes looked perfectly fine to me,  nothing odd about them at all.

*  The weather has been quite cold this week.  I've kept the curtains closed except for a couple of inches so I can see where I'm walking.  This has really helped to kept the temperature from dropping too quickly and keeping the heat in.

*  Bought a new zip up hoodie jacket from Savers for $5.40.  I've been on the hunt for a couple of zip up jackets which are great to wear to my cleaning jobs. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find them in the usual retail stores so maybe they are not popular this year.

*  Saved the shower warm up water,  washing machine rinse water and water from our drink bottles and reused it where I could around our home and garden.

*  Used the solar lanterns most nights.  With the weather being so overcast,  there have been some nights when they haven't given much light.

*  I bulk cooked honey mustard chicken ( 6 single serves ),  veggie soup ( 11 single serves ) and cottage pie ( 8 single serves ) on separate nights at dinner time.  We ate the meals as we usually do and the rest were frozen for future meals.  This is much easier and less time consuming than setting aside a whole day to bulk cook.

*  Baked the easy coconut slice I posted here a couple of months ago.  Some was kept for our morning teas and the rest was taken to a family working bee.

LINKS -

Honey Mustard Chicken

Wholemeal Bread With Extra Goodness

Easy Coconut Slice

Foaming Hand Wash

Honey mustard chicken serve ready for the freezer

Easy coconut slice.

How have you kept warm ( or cool ) this week ?

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

Its Time To Look At Your Shopping List Differently. Part 1

 The cost of living crisis is hitting many people hard.  Prices are going up all the time and when it comes to the grocery bill,  you never know how much it's going to cost from week to week.  I've given up expecting certain items to cost a certain amount.  It seems the prices change constantly.

If you want the cost of living crisis to have a minimal impact on your grocery bill,  things need to change and the change has to come from you. 

My grocery budget for Darren and I is $120 per MONTH and it's been at that amount for about 18 months.  Has it been tough ?  A little. Have we made changes to keep it that low ?  YOU BET WE HAVE !!!  And that's the trick.  CHANGES  !!!

Here are 7 ways to lower your food bill and still eat well.

*  People expect to eat the same food and complain about rising prices.  I don't know how many times I've come across people who insist on buying fancy steaks for their meals and then tell me food costs too much.  Nothing's going to change if nothing changes.   Steak is now a luxury.  Save it for a special occasion.

*  Trying different brands.  Why do people feel the need to fill their pantries,  fridges and freezers with branded products ?  Who are you trying to impress ?  If people are judging you on what brands you consume,  you might want to rethink your friends.  Unless it's curry powder,  chocolate,  tea,  coffee or tomato soup,  it doesn't matter what the brand is.  It will still do the job.  Remember,  flour is flour and sugar is sugar.  I use generic flour to bake all our biscuits,  slices,  cakes and breads and it works perfectly.

*  Going without the extras like lavish sauces / gravies,  gourmet oils ( avocado,  coconut etc ),  fancy cheeses,  deli meats,  recipe bases etc.  You know what I'm talking about.  These items are like icing on a cake.  It's nice to have but not needed.    Save them for special occasions.

*  Portion controlling food.  Have a look at how much you are putting on your plate.  Could you eat a little less ?  If the meal is meant to serve 6,  are you only getting 4 or 5 serves ?    Could you stretch the meal to 7 serves ?

*  Eating whole foods.  I'm not necessarily talking about going to a whole food store and spending a fortune on overpriced nuts and flours.  If you are hungry,  eat an apple or banana.  Think back to when you were a child.  What did you eat in your lunchbox ?  It was most likely whole foods. 

*  Cooking simple meals.  No one can sustain a Master Chef menu.  That tv show doesn't know what a food budget is.  Meat and 3 veg,  casseroles,  stews,  pasta or bakes are comfort foods without the high price tag.  If you'd like some budget friendly,  tasty meals then have a look in the recipe section on this blog.  I personally cook every one of those meals on my tight budget and there are no expensive ingredients.

*  Expensive dinners as a treat.  We all like a good roast don't we ?  Or steak,  or salmon for example.   Salmon is one of my favourite meats but we don't have it just because I like it.  Salmon is saved for my Mother's Day meal or my birthday and you can bet I thoroughly enjoy it.  Best of all,  it doesn't blow our budget because we know it's a treat.

Are you looking at your shopping list differently ?

How are you cutting your grocery bill ?

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday !7th June 2023

 Welcome back to my frugal tasks post.  It's been a few weeks since I've posted how we've saved money.  During this time both Darren and I have been home sick and  all work cancelled for almost 2 weeks.  We've also had a family member rushed to hospital a couple of times resulting overnight stays. us packing hospital bags and looking after children.  Thankfully we are now well ( or at least getting better ).

During our illness,  I was very glad for my stockpile of everything.  We had plenty of pain relief,  tissues and cough lollies.  I had a small freezer full of all those cooked meals I often talk about.  That really kept us going on the days when I couldn't get out of bed.  By the time I got sick,  Darren was starting to recover so we took it in turns of looking after each other. 

So the following list of frugal tasks is what we managed to get done since the 20th of May.

*  I depilled a scarf using a fabric shaver.  It came up looking almost new again.

*  Made choc chip biscuits for morning teas using dough I'd made and frozen previously.

*  Dried most of the washing on clothes horses over the ducted heating vent in our spare bathroom.  The vent in this room is quite strong so the washing dries within 24 - 36 hours.

*  Sold some kitchen stools / chairs we got dirt cheap a few years ago.  They were secondhand when we purchased them and had planned to use them on our decking area outside as extra seating.  Then the great lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 happened and we just couldn't use them.  So I popped them on Marketplace and sold them for a profit.

*  Made wholemeal bread with extra goodness a couple of times over the last few weeks.  It's great to have ingredients when you are stuck at home unwell.

*  Darren had the opportunity to receive a big bag of chicken feed for free.  The day Darren picked it up was the same day he was planning on buying a bag at the feed store.  This wonderful blessing saved us about $25 - $27.

*  Made up a big bottle of heavily diluted Dynamo laundry liquid.

*  I made 10 wholemeal bread rolls for Darren's work  lunches.

*  We splashed out and bought a piece of roast beef for about $28 to cook up as a treat.  I cooked it in the slow cooker and we had some of it for dinner that night with roast veggies.  I portioned out enough meat for another roast dinner for the two of us.  The next day with the remaining meat I made a beef stew in one slow cooker that gave us 7 portions.  I also made a Massaman beef curry in the other slow cooker that gave us another 11 portions.   So for $28 we got 22 single portions.  This is $1.27 per portion for meat.

*  Gratefully received lemons,  passionfruit and mandarins from a friend.

*  Picked a handful of blackberries and a couple of mandarins from our garden.  

Freezer meals.

Lots of freezer meals.

Homemade choc chip biscuits.

How have you saved time,  money or energy this week ?

Do you have a stockpile of freezer meals for emergencies ?

What's Stinking Up Your Home ? Part 2

Following on from last week's post,  here are another 6 areas that can get on the nose and ways to deal with them. 

*  Linen cupboard.  Linens stored for too long end up with a stale smell.  Try adding soaps between linens,  using scented drawer liners or rotating linens often.

*  Kitchen sink.  Rotting food would be the biggest culprit of smelly drains.  Please don't wash your food down the sink.  The bi carb,  vinegar and boiling water trick sort of works but doesn't kill the bacteria.  Pour a little bit of bleach down the plug hole and let it sit there for at least 10 minutes.  Wash away with cold water.

*  Pet bedding.  Wash your pet's bed every week or have a variety of blankets or towels to line the bed with.  Washing the towels might be easier in Winter.  Also,  don't forget to wash your dog often.  I know it's common sense but I've been around many smelly dogs in people's homes and the owners usually can't smell it.

*  Kitty litter.  When we had Princess,  we always kept the kitty litter in the laundry,  out of the way.  We changed the litter once a week and scooped the mess out every day.  Sprinkling a little bi carb helped with odours and putting the litter in the sun also helped to dry it out.  It doesn't matter what kitty litter you use,  they all smell and need to be cleaned out often.

*  Vacuum cleaner.  Household smells are absorbed by the vacuum cleaner and blown out the exhaust / air outlet.  Dog smells would have to be the worst offenders.  If you can,  switch to a bagless vacuum cleaner or empty the cloth / paper bag often.  I have a $79 Kmart bagless vacuum cleaner and the suction is better than what my Dyson was.

*  Stale smelling bedrooms.  This could happen for a variety of reasons.  People spending too much time in the room with the door closed,  not enough ventilation,  consuming food,  dirty plates,  overflowing rubbish bins,  dirty linens,  piles of dirty clothes.  The list could go on.  Keeping the door wide open and a window opened a little will really help the situation.  If the air is not free flowing then mould and bacteria in the soft furnishings will build up.

How do you deal with these smells in your home ?

Frugal Tasks Will Be Back Next Week.

 My Frugal Tasks post has been missing for the last few weeks for a reason.  Both Darren and I have been sick and are now in the recovery stage.  At one point I was in bed for a few days with the chills.

Just getting very basic tasks done too all our energy.  We were very grateful for a freezer full of cooked meals,  a well stocked pantry and enough fridge items to keep us going.

Hopefully next Saturday I'll be able to share the frugal tasks we have completed as well as the blessings that came our way.

What's Stinking Up Your Home ? Part 1

 Have you ever walked into your home after a day out and noticed your home has a smell about it ?  It makes you wonder if visitors can smell something too.  As a cleaner of well over 20 years,  I've developed a very sensitive nose when it comes cleanliness.  Here is a list of guilty culprits and ways to eliminate the odours -

*  Rubbish bin.  If you've put raw meat scraps or fruit in your bin,  this could be the reason for the smell.  Perhaps empty your bin more often or reduce the bin size.  Start a compost bucket for fruit and veggie scraps and empty every day or so.

*  Towels.  Odours can build up for various reasons.  Not washing yourself thoroughly,  not hanging the towel up,  folding the towel over,  old towels,  towels not drying completely,  or not washing the towel often enough can contribute to the smell.  Generally it's good to wash your towel every 3 or 4 days to reduce the chance of smells.  A good airing on the clothesline can greatly help too.  So does spraying your towels with vinegar before placing in the washing machine.

*  Toilet.  Urine splashes around the toilet is the most common cause of toilet smells.  Wiping the toilet,  floor and walls on a very regular basis will help with the smell.  I spray vinegar on the floor once a week and leave it for a few minutes before wiping away.  Keeping your toilet lid closed when flushing will keep the germs in the bowl.

*  Exhaust Fan in kitchen.  Odours from frying food are in the grease trapped in the filters.  If the filters are small enough,  clean them in the dishwasher.  Otherwise,  get out your pressure washer to clean the filters outside.  Even a kettle of boiling water will help.

*  Fridge.  Spills left in the fridge,  rotten food and dairy are usually the guilty culprits.  Clean out your fridge once a week even if it's just a few shelves at a time.  Maybe you are buying too much food and don't use it quick enough.  I use kitchen detergent and water to clean my fridge but I've heard a little bit of vanilla essence on a cloth helps with odours.  So too does bi carb in a bowl.

*  Wet washing in the washing machine,  dryer or basket.  If your washing has accidently been left in the washing machine etc and it smells,  don't dry the washing as it is.  It will need to be rewashed with a bit of disinfectant to kill the germs and odours.  I had a cleaning client who insisted on leaving wet washing in her dryer for days.  Eventually she'd turn the dryer on but it never got rid of the smell.  I know because I made their beds with smelly linens.

How do you deal with these odours in your home ?