This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 29th June 2024

Over the last couple of weeks we've had quite a few outings and events on our calendar.   Darren and I enjoyed a weekend in the city to celebrate Darren's birthday.  This was a last minute surprise getaway that I'd been saving for for almost 12 months. We enjoyed a buffet breakfast each morning,  no lunch ( we were still full ) and room service for dinner ( cheaper than the restaurant downstairs ).  Of course we took home all the freebie goodies they gave us including bottles of water each day and little tins of mints with our dinner.

We also enjoyed a trip to see an AFL  football game,  a family dinner for Darren and Jessica's birthday and Luka's Auskick awards night.

Here's how we saved money over the last couple of weeks -

*  I baked three loaves of wholemeal bread every second week.  We use this bread as toast for our breakfasts every morning.

*  We went to the football a few weeks ago.  This is our once a year tradition that we started when our girls were very little.  Unfortunately we couldn't go in 2020 and 2021 due to obvious reasons. In  2022 we were still reeling from the loss of my father and in 2023 it was impossible to get tickets.  So for 2024 Darren got in super early to buy tickets online.  We took a backpack each with a bottle of water,  snacks,  a blanket and all the extra cold weather clothing needed for the trip home.  By taking our snacks and water,  we easily saved  $25 - $30.

*  I dried as much washing as possible on clothes horses over the ducted heating vent in our spare bathroom.  Some items of clothing dries in one hour.

*  I made a trip to Hindustan Imports in Dandenong to stock up on bulk herbs and spices.

*  I gratefully received lots of supermarket brown paper bags from a cleaning client.  We use them under the kitchen sink for our rubbish.

*  I cooked up a bulk amount of beef stew in the slow cooker.  Once we'd eaten some for dinner I portioned the rest up into 1 and 2 serves and froze them.  This form of bulk cooking has saved us 23% on our electricity bill over the last 6 months.

*  Now that I'm making our own muesli bars,  I've been going through a lot more peanut butter.  I found some on clearance in Woolworths and it was much cheaper than the generic brand.  So I cleared the shelf of the remaining stock.  The best before date is next year but I've found peanut butter can last another year or two if kept in a cool dark place.

*  Megan and I made a trip to Costco.  My main reason was to buy beef mince and a cooked chicken. I'd been saving my leftover grocery money for 6 months to buy these 2 items.   We did go halves on their bulk eggs which was about the same price as the cheapest eggs in the supermarket but they were much bigger.  Woolworths is selling 1 dozen eggs ( 500g  which is tiny ) for $5.  I also picked up glasses wipes,  roll on deodorant ( $2 ),  cuppa soups for Darren's lunches ( $1.25 per box ),and a few other items.

*  I bought a huge bunch of celery for $1.99 at a fruit and veg shop.  I used my Nicer Dicer to finely dice it all and it only took about 10 minutes.  I froze it all into ice cube trays and added a little water to each cube.  Once frozen,  they were easy to pop out and place in a snap lock bag for future stews,  soups and casseroles.

*  I made wholemeal rolls for Darren's work lunches.   Darren also gratefully received a portion of ham which he thinly sliced to enjoy in the rolls with homemade tomato relish.

*  I made a whole orange cake using gifted oranges.  I find baking cakes in various sizes and freezing some of them prevents any wastage.

*  We have enjoyed more of our homemade muesli bars for work morning teas.

*  I made up a bottle of surface cleaning spray with cooled boiled water and kitchen detergent.

*  I gratefully received lots of lemons.

*  Our bathroom bins were lined with saved and recycled bread bags.  I also save the bread tags and reuse them when I'm freezing our homemade bread.

    LINKS -

Crunchy Muesli Bars

Whole Orange Cake

Wholemeal Bread With Extra Goodness

Freezing celery

Darren on his birthday in the city

Melbourne

                                                   Our stay at The Langham in Melbourne

Collingwood's 2023 AFL Premiership Cup 

Melbourne in Winter

                                                       

                                                          A few cards I've made recently 

 

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

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 8th June 2024

It's been one of those weeks where I haven't done a lot frugal - wise.  Yes the housework has been done,  I've been to work,  done a little gardening and cooked and baked.  

Many of the frugal things I do are just second nature and I don't think twice about them.  I save a little water here and there,  use up leftovers,  turn the lights off when I leave the room and reuse anything I can.

Here is my very short frugal list for the week -

*  I made 2 batches of muesli bars.  One had chopped nuts in it and the other had more cereals and fruit.  Both turned out beautifully and we are both enjoying them.

*  I juiced and zested the last of the free lemons.  Both the zest and juice has been frozen for future cooking,  baking and cordial making.

*  I mended 2 more pairs of Darren's favourite character socks.  I'm trying to keep them going for as long as possible because Luka and Bryson love to see Poppy wearing them.

*  I dried some flowers from an arrangement Darren took home from a charity event.  If they dry nicely the plan it to put them in a vase / jug with some artificial flowers I already have on display.

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

*  I cleaned the dishwasher filters and gave the dishwasher a good cleanout on a long hot cycle with vinegar and bi carb.

*  I made up a bottle of surface spray using cooled boiled water and dishwashing liquid.  I use this to clean my whole kitchen and the bathrooms.

*  I cleaned both the ovens using magic erasers and dishwashing liquid.  

*  I gratefully received more free lemons.

*  I picked silverbeet from our garden for a couple of meals.

Lots of pantry staples

Growing potatoes in Winter

Homemade muesli bars

Our mandirins will be ready to pick soon.

How have you saved money this week ?

Crunchy Muesli Bars

 Muesli bars were only one of the few convenience foods still on my shopping list.  That was until 2 months ago.  Have you seen the price of muesli bars lately ?  Oh  my goodness  !!!!  Hardly anything is under $5 a box of 5 - 6 bars and most are drizzled with unnecessary chocolate or a yoghurt type topping.  It's rare to find a half price sale too.

So this led me on a hunt to find a delicious muesli bar recipe that I could afford to make.  I wanted something crunchy,  or at least slightly crunchy,  it had to include pantry staples and needed to have ingredients I could interchange  according to our tastes and budget.

I found a recipe through a Google search,  changed it a few times until I came up with something both Darren and I look forward to eating when we are at work.  The bars are not super sweet but we found they were sweet enough.  Each bar weighs about 15g more than store bought ones so this is a bonus.  The final recipe doesn't really resemble the original recipe so I'll claim it as my own.

1 cup of Rolled Oats

1 Wheat Bix ( crushed )

1/4 cup of corn flakes ( crushed )

1/2 cup of Dried Fruit of choice.  I used sultanas,  dried apricots ( diced ) and cranberries

3/4 cup of Chopped Nuts.  I used cashews and walnuts

1/3 cup of  Honey

1/4 cup of Peanut Butter.  I used crunchy but any will do

3/4 teaspoon of Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of Salt

1/4 cup of Choc Bits.  I used small generic ones.

Spread the oats and nuts on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 10 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius.

Pour the honey into a measuring jug and microwave for about 20  - 30 seconds until it is runny.  

Add the peanut butter to the honey and stir until well combined.

Once the oats and nuts are toasted and cooled,  place in a large mixing bowl with the wheat bix and corn flakes.

Add the dried fruits,  cinnamon,  salt and choc bits.  Mix well.

Add the combined honey and peanut butter to all the dry ingredients and mix well until everything is coated.

Place the mixture in a lined oblong oven slice tray.  Press down with a potato masher or wet fingers until it is even and firm.

Refrigerate for 1 hour until firm.

Remove the slice from the oven tray and cut into 10 bars with a sharp knife.  Neaten and firm the edges of the bars if needed.

Place the bars on a lined oven tray ( larger than the slice tray ) and space them apart.

Bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 20 - 25 minutes.

Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.  

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. 

NOTES -

*  Wheat bix,  rice bubbles,  corn flakes or similar cereals could be used as long as the rolled oats and cereals total 1 1/2 cups worth.

*  Use dried fruit of your choice providing it's fairly small.

*  The choc bits are an optional extra.

*  Use nuts of your choice.  

*  20 minutes of baking will give slightly crunchy bars with a bit of give.  25 minutes will make them completely crunchy.

Baked muesli bars

Ready for baking.

Have you tried making your own muesli bars ?

What flavour combination would you add to your muesli bars ?

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 1st June 2024

 Thankyou for popping in to read my latest blog post.  I'm sorry I haven't posted anything over the last couple of weeks.  I came down with a bad cold 2 days after Mother's Day.  I took a week off from work as soon as I felt sick thinking this would knock it on the head.  Unfortunately it didn't and I dragged myself to my cleaning jobs in the second week,  came home each time and sat until dinner.  I've almost recovered and now Darren has a bit of a cold.

I'm grateful I didn't get a chest infection this time and extremely grateful for freezer meals to keep us fed.  Darren helped get the meals reheated on the days I couldn't.

Here's what we've been up to over the last 2 weeks -

*  I bought 2 bulk trays of chicken drumsticks and made 10 dump bags to freeze for future meals.  Dump bags are when you place meat,  seasonings and sauces into a snap lock bag to freeze for easy meals in the slow cooker.  I've watched many YouTube videos about this and usually they use lots of beans,  tinned soups,  packets and ready made sauces with little or no veggies added.   I made up my own meals by adding lots of veggies,  seasonings and sauces from scratch.    I defrost the bag overnight in the fridge and place in a casserole dish for cooking in the oven.  The only other thing I need to cook is either rice or potatoes.  We've already had 2 meals and they've been delicious and easy.

*  I made a second batch of muesli bars and adjusted the recipe I originally found.  They turned out even better than the batch I made 2 weeks earlier.  I'll share the recipe in the next week or so.

*  I made up a big batch of pita chips from pita bread.  We enjoy them with a slices of cheese or dip if we have visitors.

*  Over the last 2 weeks I've made wholemeal bread with extra goodness twice ( 2 weeks apart ).  I always reuse old bread bags to store the sliced bread in the freezer.

*  I made 2 lemon slices for a catering order.

*  I've been reusing our last menu plan.  We loved it so much there was no need to rework another one.

*  I gratefully received free lemons and mandarins from 2 cleaning clients.  Our lemon tree has been struggling the last couple of years so the free lemons are a real blessing.

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

*  Darren gratefully received a garden chipper ( mulcher ) from a couple of friends who no longer needed it.  Darren has started chopping up the pruned raspberry canes from our garden.  Then he'll be moving onto the other plants I've pruned.  He plans to put all the clippings into the compost bin.

*  I gratefully received paper supermarket bags from a couple of people.  They make wonderful rubbish bags in the kitchen.

*  Megan and I made a trip to Savers op shop.  I found a couple of Winter tops and a long coat.  I used a 20% off voucher and the coat ( Witchery brand probably worth close to $200 ) came down to $10.  A bargain and I need it too.

*  We fed grass,  weeds and bread crusts to our chicken.

*  We picked a few lemons,  feijoas ( the last of them for this year ) and beans.

*  I made a big pot of chunky chicken and veggie soup.  We had it for dinner that night and the rest went into the freezer.

*  Our grandson Bryson and I baked ANZAC biscuits.  Some were for Jessica's birthday present and the others were to help with her afternoon tea.

*  Darren filled up both our cars while petrol is cheap.  He used 3 different apps and stacked them to get an extra 12 cents a litre off.

Gifted lemons

Homemade muesli bars

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

  

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 18th May 2024

 We had some beautiful Autumn weather this week in Melbourne.  It was lovely to work in the garden  pruning some bushes,  pulling weeds and planting a few cuttings we've grown.  We opened the doors to let a gentle fresh breeze in and the Sun streamed through our windows.

Here's how our week looked -

*  I dug up about 3 kilos of potatoes from our garden.  It was really good timing because I was down to our last couple of potatoes in the pantry.

*  I made chocolate and raspberry muffins with choc chips for a Mother's Day afternoon tea at our place.  Luka and Bryson were here when I made them so they were happy to help with the stirring.  We made plenty for a gift as well as some for our freezer too ( for work morning teas ).

*  I baked ANZAC biscuits to go with a Mother's Day present for my Mum.  I placed them in a cello bag and put them in a decorative tin.  Mum was thrilled with her gift.

*  I used recycled gift bags for Mother's Day presents and gave handmade cards.  Megan even gave the gift bags back so I could reuse them over and over again.

*  I made up a jar of French onion soup mix.   I used 3 of the store bought packets and added onion powder,  onion granules,  parsley,  paprika and garlic to help them stretch further.   

*  The shower cleaner bottle was almost empty so I refilled it using cooled boiled water and dishwashing liquid.

*  The metal button / stud on a pair of my jeans was falling out from where it had been fastened.  So I pulled it off and sewed up the hole.  Then I sewed on another button.

*  Gratefully received more paper supermarket bags from a friend.  We use these as a bin for rubbish in the kitchen.  I just stand it upright in the cupboard under the sink.

*  On Thursday I planted more potatoes in our raised garden bed.  I've counted 14 weeks ahead on our calendar and marked the date for when they should be ready to dig up.

*  I used the bag from the toilet paper as a bin liner in our kitchen.  Why throw it out when it can be used for rubbish,  then thrown out ?

*  I made scones for the Mother's Day afternoon tea we had here.  I served them with homemade jam and whipped cream.  We had some plain scones leftover so they went into the freezer.

*  We used the solar lanterns,  saved water from drink bottles into a bucket ( used for plants ) and dried the washing on the line. 

LINKS -

Scones

ANZAC Biscuits

Lunchbox Chocolate Choc Chip Muffins

Potatoes, beans and feijoas from our garden

Chrysanthemums in our garden

Jessica and I on Mother's Day

The biscuits were from church for the Mums

How did you spend Mother's Day ?

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

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 11th May 2024

 We've had another busy week at The Gower Abundant Cottage.  Our 3 grandchildren were dedicated in church last Sunday.  I must say it was a proud Mumma and Nanny moment to see our family following Jesus and being embraced by our loving church.

Both Darren and I had busy work weeks,  church gatherings to attend and family and personal errands to run.  I'm pleased to say that I also managed to keep up to date with the housework.

Our veggie garden is looking a little unkept but I did manage to pull out the dead tomato plants and stakes.  I also did 30 minutes of weeding.

Here's how we saved money this week -

*  I planted about a dozen sprouting potatoes into our large raised garden bed.  Some of these potatoes are supermarket ones gifted to us and the others came from our last crop.   I'll be digging up another crop in the next day or so.

*  We used solar lantern every night in our loungeroom.  

*  I mended a pair of Darren's favourite socks.

*  I cleaned the kettle using citric acid and water.

*  I baked wholemeal bread with extra goodness.  We use this as toast for breakfast every morning with my homemade jam on top.

*  We had a few last minute visitors come on Sunday afternoon.  I was able to pull out a few logs of ANZAC biscuit dough and bake them to have with a cuppa.

*  I found a medium sized punnet of mushrooms on a clearance trolley in the supermarket for $2.  I weighed the mushrooms when I got home and they were 335g.  That works out to about $6kg which is a bargain.  They looked pretty good too.

*  I picked beans,  pears and feijoas from our garden.

*  I baked wholemeal rolls for Darren's work lunches.

*  Our grandchildren Luka and Bryson had a sleepover last Saturday night.  Darren loves to make pancakes ( with extra goodness ) for their breakfast.  This time he made a double batch and all leftovers were frozen ready for the next couple of sleepovers.

*  On Monday I needed to go to the shops for a milk,  fruit and veg top up.  I always check the prices at the fruit and veg shop before looking in the supermarket.  I used the 10% off discount to get things cheaper at Woolworths and bought a cauliflower and a piece of pumpkin from the fruit and veg shop. I'm not brand or supermarket loyal.  I always try to buy at the cheapest price.  For just under $14 I got all the fruit and veg we need for over 2 weeks plus milk.  

Some of the fruit I bought for the next 2 weeks

Pancakes for Luka and Bryson

Leftovers for the freezer

Our grandchildren being dedicated.

Do you shop around for the cheapest price on food ?

How did you save money this week ?

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 4th May 2024

 This week I've done a little gardening,  lots of baking and cooking.  I've also enjoyed  decluttering a cupboard or two then took some time to rest.

Here is my week of savings -

*  I've been wanting to try to make my own muesli bars with ingredients I like.  I'm not a fan of chocolate or yoghurt drizzled on muesli bars.  So I found a recipe for crunchy muesli bars when I did a Google search.  The ' glue ' in the bars is peanut butter and honey and I must say they are delicious.  Of course I tweaked the recipe to suit the ingredients I had in the pantry.  Darren has been taking them to work and he's super impressed.  I'll share the recipe shortly when I've fine tuned it.

*  We used our thermos each day for breakfast and morning tea cuppas.  If there was any water left at dinnertime,  I used it for cooking potatoes or rice in a saucepan.

*  I dried the washing outside when the weather allowed.  Otherwise it was put on clotheshorses over our ducted heating vents.

*  I cleaned out one of our ovens with kitchen detergent,  water and a cheap version of the magic eraser.  On the oven racks I used  a steel wool pad.  I haven't used oven cleaner on these ovens since they were installed back in 2016.

*  Our curtains were fully open on the sunny days even if it was a little cold outside.  Our family room gets the full morning Sun from about 7.30am.  As soon as I open the curtain,  I'm met with waves of warmth.

*  I donated a few bags of unwanted items to Savers and received 20% off discount vouchers in return.  I always have a quick look on the shelves and this week I picked up a few presents for Christmas ( minus the discount ).

*  I gratefully received about 12 potatoes leftover from a catered dinner.  I've used them to bulk out a soup as well as for a few dinners.

*  I picked feijoas,  beans,  pears and silverbeet from our garden.  With vegetable prices still being too expensive,  we are trying to eat silverbeet 3 times a week.

*  I made a big pot of vegetable soup using zucchinis from our garden,  the blessing of potatoes,  250g of beef mince,  corn,  pasta,  1/2 a tin of tomatoes,  carrots and seasoning.  From that pot I portioned out 15 serves.  We had some for dinner that night and the rest went into the freezer for lunches and dinners.

*  I made up a spray bottle of laundry stain remover.  Years ago I received 8 bottles of an  ' in wash ' stain remover. through a charity.   It's quite thick so I dilute it down with water and pour it into a spray bottle to target stains before I put the washing on.  I still have 3 or 4 bottles left and with the way I dilute it,  they'll last for many more years.

*  I baked choc chip biscuits twice this week for morning teas using dough from the freezer.

Look what's growing in a flower bed

A ray of sunshine

I dilute this down

Using a recycled spray bottle

Muesli bars before baking.

Have you tried making your own muesli bars ?

How have you saved money this week ?

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

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 27th April 2024

It's been another busy week at The Gower Abundant Cottage.  We've started whipping the garden into shape in readiness for Winter.  So far our Autumn has been quite cold and wet so getting into the garden has been challenging.  We still need to pull out old vegetable plants and prune our English Box plants as well as many other shrubs. 

Here's our week of savings and blessings -

*  Darren found a couple of zucchinis hiding in the veg garden.  A few days later I picked another 2.  I'll be using some of them in soups next week.

*  I made a bottle of surface spray for the kitchen using kitchen detergent and cooled boiled water.

*  I made 3 loaves of wholemeal bread with extra goodness.  We eat this as toast for our breakfast every morning with homemade jam.  I also baked wholemeal rolls for Darren's work lunches.

*  I made a big batch of sausage rolls as a special treat.  Oh my goodness  !!!  Hasn't sausage mince gone up in price over the last couple of years ?  I've frozen the sausage rolls and we will be rationing them out over the next couple of months.

*  I filled another 2 bowls of feijoas from our backyard.  One tree is providing very large fruit and the other tree is providing small to medium fruit.

*  I gratefully received 2 ink pads and a few craft supplies from our card making group last Saturday.  I also took my lunch and a morning / afternoon tea to share with the ladies.  We all bring a plate to share and it's wonderful to try everyone's baking.

*  I picked pears,  silverbeet and beans from our garden.  It feels wonderful to pick and cook most of our own veggies for dinner each night. 

*  I gratefully received lemons and passionfruit from a cleaning client.

*  I made 2 meatloaves at the same time to save on our oven use.  Both meatloaves were sliced up and frozen into meal sizes (  2 slices per person ).  There were even a few slices leftover for toasted meatloaf sandwiches.  It's a real treat with lashings of tomato sauce.

*  We used the thermos each day to store boiling water for cuppas.   We charged the solar lanterns on sunny days and used them at night to light up our loungeroom.  We filled the kitchen compost bucket every couple of days and Darren emptied it into the compost bin outside.

LINKS -

Homestyle Meatloaf

Wholemeal Bread With Extra Goodness

Our green harvest day on Wednesday

Homemade sausage rolls

Some of the rolls for Darren

                          The last of the photos from the Melbourne Flower Show

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

Did you receive any blessings ?

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 20th April 2024

 Where has this week gone ?  A nine day week would have been appreciated with all our comings and goings.  We had a family member who's been unwell so some care giving and a couple of trips to the doctor was needed.  We both went to work,  I did the monthly food shop,  went to church and did all the housework ( on time ).

Unfortunately we haven't been able to maintain our veggie garden.  It is still giving us a few zucchinis and silverbeet which is a blessing.  Hopefully next week I'll have time to plant more potatoes.

Here's how we saved money this week -

*  I've been using the air fryer to crisp up all sorts of things like salmon patties,  the top of a cottage pie,  to reheat sausages and zucchini slices.  Usually I start the reheat process in the microwave for a minute or two then finish it off in the air fryer for another couple of minutes.  This is far quicker and cheaper than using the oven or grill part of the oven.  We've seen the savings reflected in our lower electricity bill.

*  I've picked lots of good sized feijoas from our backyard.  This year the fruit has been decently sized.  

*  I made a whole orange cake using an orange from the freezer.   This seems to soften the skin which makes it easier to blitz in the food processor.  I made a loaf cake for us to eat fresh,  6 mini loaf cakes for my Mum's freezer and 6 medium sized loaf cakes for Darren's lunchbox ( also put in the freezer ).

*  We ate a few meals from the freezer that I'd bulked cooked over the last few months.  They are wonderful for a quick,  nutritious meal on a busy day.  Usually I just need to add rice / potato or steamed veg.

*  This week we finished using up the hotel bottles of shampoo,  conditioner and shower gel.  I try to do this every couple of years to make extra room in the bathroom cupboard and to rotate our stocks.

*  We used the thermos every morning to store extra boiling water for cups of tea.

*  I make ANZAC biscuits using dough from the freezer.  Some will be used for lunchboxes,  some for a card making day and the rest will be for morning teas.  If there are any leftover,  Luka and Bryson love a homemade biscuit.

*  On Tuesday I did my monthly grocery shop.  I only spent $66 from a $140 monthly budget.  Over the next few weeks the rest of the budget will be used for milk and fruit / veg top ups as needed. Hopefully there will be money leftover to put in the slush fund.  I'll be buying beef mince in the next couple of months when Megan goes to Costco next time.  It comes in a 4.5 kilo pack so I need to start saving. 

*  Gratefully received a few oranges from a cleaning client.  The skins feel thick so I'll be juicing them.

*  The super cheap meals we ate this week were -  fried rice ( 2 nights ) @ approx. 75 cents per serve  

                                                                              -   chicken/veg soup,  muffins @ 45 cents per serve

LINKS -

Zucchini Slice

Salmon Patties

Whole Orange Cake

ANZAC Biscuits

Chunky Chicken And Veg Soup

Op shopped biscuit jar and homemade ANZACS

                                  More photos from the Melbourne Flower Show - ENJOY  !!!

Our view when we ate lunch

How have you saved money this week ?