​You have reached Day 7 of the Save Your Membership Fee Challenge.

Today is not about finding one more dramatic saving.

Today is about stopping, looking back, and noticing what your small actions achieved.

Get out your tracker, notebook or phone note and add up everything you saved, avoided spending, stretched or prevented from going to waste this week.

You may have:
• Made one pantry meal 
• Avoided an unnecessary supermarket trip 
• MOOed snacks or a household product 
• Completed a no-spend day 
• Used up leftovers 
• Stretched a meal into two 
• Checked a subscription or bill 
• Avoided a duplicate purchase 
• Chosen not to buy something you did not really need 

Each action deserves to be counted.

Example Tally
Action: Pantry meal instead of takeaway; Saving: $18.00
Action: MOO muffins instead of buying snacks; Saving: $6.50
Action: No-spend day: skipped coffee and snack; Saving: $9.00
Action: Leftover dinner used for lunch; Saving: $8.00
Total Saved $41.50

In this example, the $36.50 yearly membership fee has been covered, with $5 left over.

Your week may look completely different, and that is exactly as it should be. Every household is different.

Did You Reach $36.50?
If you did, congratulations!

You have shown yourself that small, steady Cheapskates choices really do add up.

Now decide what job that money will have.

You might:
• Add it to your emergency fund 
• Put it towards groceries 
• Start a Christmas savings envelope 
• Add to your slush fund 
• Set it aside for your membership renewal 
• Put it towards a bill 
• Use it for a planned stockpile purchase when the price is right 

Give those savings a purpose before they quietly disappear.

What If You Didn’t Reach $36.50?
Please do not be discouraged.

If you saved $5, that matters.

If you made one pantry meal, that matters.

If you caught one impulse purchase before it happened, that matters.

If you used up leftovers instead of throwing them away, that matters.

This challenge is not a pass-or-fail exercise. It is the beginning of noticing what works in your home.

You can keep going next week.

Share your challenge result:
• How much did you save? 
• What worked best? 
• What surprised you? 
• What will you keep doing? 

Every win, large or small, is worth celebrating.

You have completed the Save Your Membership Fee Challenge.
Whether you reached the full $36.50 goal or simply made a start, you have done something important: you have taken notice of the small choices that shape your household budget.

That matters because lasting savings are rarely built on one spectacular action.

They are built on ordinary habits repeated gently and consistently.

A shopping list used properly.

A pantry checked before shopping.

A meal stretched.

A MOO habit begun.

A spending pause taken.

A bill reviewed.

A few dollars deliberately saved and given a purpose.
That is how the Cheapskates Way works.

Choose Your Next Step
Now that you have completed your first challenge, choose the pathway that best suits your home right now.

I Want to Lower My Grocery Bill
Start with:
• The Super Shopper $300 a Month Grocery Challenge 
• The Meal Plan Archive 
• The Recipe Files 
• Pantry and freezer printables 
• Grocery tips in the Tip Store 

I Want to MOO More
Start with:
• 31 Days of MOO 
• Pantry staple recipes 
• Cleaning and laundry MOO ideas 
• Homemade snack and baking recipes 

I Want to Build a Sensible Stockpile
Start with:
• How to Build Your Stockpile 
• Inventory printables 
• Pantry planning tools 
• Sale shopping and price book tips 

I Want to Get My Spending Under Control
Start with:
• Budgeting and bill control articles 
• No-spend ideas 
• Household savings tips 

I Want Christmas to Be Calmer This Year
Start with:
• The Handmade Christmas Challenge 
• Gift planning printables 
• Christmas budget tips 
• Homemade gift and pantry gift ideas 

New Members: Take It One Step at a Time
If you are new to the Cheapskates Club, it can be tempting to try to read everything at once.

You do not need to.

Pick one area that matters most to you this week and start there.

The Member Hub is not a to-do list. It is your savings library, ready whenever you need help, inspiration, a printable, a recipe, a tip or a little encouragement.

Long-Time Members: Come Back to the Basics
If you have been a member for a while, this challenge is a gentle reminder that the simple things still work.

Sometimes we do not need a new system.

We need to return to the habits that helped us in the first place.

Shop from home.

Make a list.

MOO something.

Pause before spending.

Use what you have.

Share what works.

Keep going.

Keep the Challenge Alive
Why not repeat the challenge once a month?

Saving an extra $36.50 each month would add up to:
$438 over twelve months.

That could become:
• A grocery buffer 
• A Christmas fund 
• Emergency savings 
• School expenses 
• Rates or utilities help 
• A pantry restock fund 
• A little peace of mind 

And it all starts with those small, ordinary Cheapskates choices.

What will your next Cheapskates focus be?
Grocery savings? MOOing? Stockpiling? Budget control? Christmas planning? No-spend days?
Tell us in the comments so we can encourage one another along the way.

Live well. Spend less. Stress less.
Debt Free. Cashed Up. And Laughing.

Food that has already been bought, prepared and cooked is far too valuable to waste.

Today’s challenge is to take one planned meal or one set of leftovers and turn it into another meal.

This is one of the most useful Cheapskates skills because it saves money in two ways:
1. It reduces food waste. 
2. It prevents the need to buy another meal. 

And it does not mean serving the exact same dinner again if your household does not enjoy leftovers.

With a little imagination, leftovers can become something completely different.

Easy Meal Stretching Ideas
Try one of these:
• Roast chicken becomes soup, fried rice, sandwiches, wraps or chicken pasta. 
• Bolognese becomes pasta bake, stuffed potatoes or jaffles. 
• Roast vegetables become soup, frittata or pizza toppings. 
• Mashed potato becomes cottage pie topping or potato cakes. 
• A small amount of mince becomes tacos, savoury mince or chilli when stretched with beans or lentils. 
• Leftover rice becomes fried rice. 
• Cooked sausages become curried sausages or sausage pasta. 
• Stale bread becomes breadcrumbs, croutons or bread pudding. 
• Leftover cooked vegetables become fritters. 
• A little casserole becomes pie filling.
 
Today’s Challenge
Choose one meal you are cooking this week and plan its second life before you serve it.

For example:
Tonight: roast chicken and vegetables
Tomorrow: chicken soup with toast

Or:
Tonight: spaghetti Bolognese
Tomorrow: bolognese pasta bake with a salad

Planning the second meal before the first is eaten helps stop leftovers being forgotten at the back of the fridge.

Add It to Your Savings Tally
If stretching one meal stops you buying another dinner or lunch, you may easily save $10 to $25.

That may be enough to push you over your $36.50 goal.

Find More Help in the Hub
Look through:
• Recipe Files 
• Meal Plan Archive 
• Leftover and freezer tips in the Tip Store 
• Super Shopper meal planning resources 
• Pantry and fridge inventory printables 

What is your favourite planned leftover meal?
Share the original meal and what you turn it into. Your idea may rescue someone else’s dinner this week.

​Not every saving comes from groceries.

Sometimes money quietly slips away through payments we no longer notice.

A subscription we signed up for months ago.

A streaming service barely watched.

An app that auto-renewed.

A phone plan that no longer gives good value.

A duplicate payment.

A bank fee.

A delivery service.

An insurance policy that has not been reviewed for years.

Today we are not doing a complete budget overhaul. That can feel overwhelming, and this challenge is meant to be gentle and manageable.

Today, we are checking one regular payment.

Just one.

Today’s Challenge
Look at a recent bank statement or your regular direct debits.

Choose one payment and ask:
• Do I still use this? 
• Does it still give me value? 
• Could I pause it? 
• Could I cancel it? 
• Is there a cheaper option? 
• Am I paying for something I had forgotten? 
• Am I paying twice for a similar service? 
• Could I negotiate or shop around later? 

You do not need to cancel something useful just for the sake of the challenge.

The aim is to make a conscious decision.

If it serves you and is affordable, keep it confidently.
If it does not, let it go and keep the money.

Small Review, Big Result
Cancelling a $9.99 monthly subscription saves almost $120 over a year.

Reducing a plan by $5 a month saves $60 over a year.

Removing one unwanted annual renewal could cover your Cheapskates Club membership several times over.

This is why little household reviews matter.

Find More Help in the Hub
Browse:
• Budgeting and bill control articles 
• Take a Pause 
• Household expense tips 
• Utility-saving ideas 
• Member stories about cutting regular costs 

Without sharing anything private, did you find a bill, fee or subscription worth reviewing?
Sometimes simply saying “I checked one thing today” is the encouragement another member needs to do the same.

​How often have you come home from the supermarket with another tin, jar or packet, only to find two more already in the cupboard?

Or discovered you are out of something important because you meant to write it down but forgot?

A perpetual shopping list is one of the simplest and most effective Cheapskates tools.

It is a shopping list that stays in one place and is updated as things run low.

Not when you have completely run out.

Not when you are standing in the supermarket trying to remember.

As soon as you notice something will soon need replacing, write it down.

Why It Works
A perpetual shopping list helps you avoid:
• Buying duplicates 
• Forgetting essentials 
• Emergency convenience trips 
• Paying full price because you ran out 
• Filling the trolley with “just in case” purchases 
• Buying specials you do not actually need
 
It also gives you time to watch for a good price on genuine household needs.

That is calm shopping.

That is controlled shopping.

And it is much easier on the budget.

Today’s Challenge
Start or refresh your perpetual shopping list.

Choose one place to keep it:
• On the fridge 
• Inside the pantry door 
• In your handbag 
• In your planner 
• On your phone 
• On a small whiteboard in the kitchen
 
Then do a quick check of your:
• Pantry 
• Fridge 
• Freezer 
• Bathroom cupboard 
• Laundry cupboard 

Only write down what is genuinely getting low or will be needed soon.

Today is not about stocking up for the sake of it.
It is about knowing what your home actually needs.

Your Savings Tally
If your improved list stops you buying only two or three unnecessary items this week, you may save $5 to $15.
Add that amount to your challenge tally.

Find More Help in the Hub
Take a look at:
• Pantry and freezer inventory printables 
• The Super Shopper resources 
• Price book tips 
• How to Build Your Stockpile 
• Household management tips in the Tip Store 

Where do you keep your shopping list so you actually use it?
Share your best system — paper, phone, fridge list, whiteboard or something else entirely.

​Today we are doing something very simple: choosing one 24-hour period with no unnecessary spending.

This is not a punishment.

It is not about being miserable.

It is not about refusing something genuinely needed.
It is about taking a pause before money slips out of the household budget without giving us much in return.

So much spending happens on autopilot:
• A takeaway coffee because we are out 
• A quick trip to the supermarket for one thing that becomes eight things 
• Online browsing that becomes a purchase 
• Convenience food because we did not plan lunch 
• A little treat because it was only a few dollars 
None of those choices makes us bad with money.
But when we notice them, we can decide whether they are still worth it.

Today’s Challenge
Choose a 24-hour no-spend period.

For those 24 hours:
• Eat meals already planned or already at home 
• Take drinks and snacks with you 
• Avoid browsing shops or online sales 
• Do not make unnecessary supermarket trips 
• Do not buy takeaway food or drinks 
• Write down anything tempting and reconsider it tomorrow 

Necessary bills and genuine emergencies do not count. This is not a deprivation challenge. It is a spending-awareness exercise.

Before You Begin
A no-spend day is easiest when you prepare.

Check that you have:
• Meals planned 
• Snacks available 
• Fuel if needed 
• Medications and genuine essentials 
• Something enjoyable to do at home 

Then relax into it.

Enjoy the peaceful feeling of a day where the wallet stays closed.

What Could You Save?
One avoided takeaway coffee and snack could save $8 to $12.

One avoided convenience meal could save $15 to $30.

One avoided browse-and-buy purchase could save much more.

Whatever you avoid spending today, add it to your $36.50 challenge tally.

Find More Help in the Hub
Explore:
• Take a Pause 
• No-spend encouragement and ideas 
• Budgeting and bill control tips 
• Simple meal planning resources 
• Member stories about spending resets 

How did your no-spend day go?
Was it easier than expected, harder than expected, or did it make you notice something interesting about your usual spending habits?

​Today is a MOO day.

If you are new to Cheapskates, MOO means Make Our Own.
It is one of the loveliest ways to save because it often gives you something better, fresher and cheaper than the bought version.

But here is the important bit: you do not need to MOO everything.

You do not need to spend all day in the kitchen.
You do not need to suddenly make every household product from scratch.

Today, you only need to choose one thing.
What Could You MOO Today?

Choose something simple, practical and made from ingredients you already have.

You could make:
• Muffins 
• Pikelets 
• Biscuits 
• A cake or slice 
• Breadcrumbs 
• Croutons 
• Soup 
• White sauce 
• Salad dressing 
• Taco seasoning 
• Pancake mix 
• A simple cleaning spray 
• Lunchbox snacks 
• Homemade pizza 
• A quick dessert 

Perhaps you have bananas that need using and can make muffins.

Perhaps stale bread can become breadcrumbs.

Perhaps soup made from fridge vegetables will prevent waste and provide a lunch.

Perhaps homemade snacks will stop a bakery or supermarket snack purchase this week.

That is MOOing at its best: useful, simple and money-saving.

Today’s Challenge
MOO one thing you would otherwise have bought.
Then work out, roughly, what the bought version would have cost and what your homemade version cost.

You do not need exact figures. A sensible estimate is enough.

Example Savings
Bought muffins or snacks: $8
Homemade batch using pantry ingredients: approximately $3
Saving: $5
Bought cleaning spray: $4.50
Homemade version using ingredients already on hand: less than $1
Saving: approximately $3.50
Bought takeaway lunch: $15
Soup and toast made at home: approximately $3
Saving: $12

Little amounts? Yes.

Very useful little amounts? Absolutely.

Find More Help in the Hub
Members can explore:
• 31 Days of MOO 
• Recipe Files 
• Household MOO recipes 
• Pantry staples ideas 
• Cleaning and laundry tips 
• Tip Store MOO ideas 

What did you MOO today, and how much do you estimate it saved?
A photo is welcome too — we love seeing real Cheapskates kitchens in action.

One of the easiest ways to save money this week is to use food you have already paid for.

Before you head to the supermarket, stop and shop from home first.

Look through your:
• Pantry 
• Fridge 
• Freezer 
• Fruit bowl 
• Bread basket 
• Leftover containers 
• Open packets 
• Baking supplies 

You may find the makings of a meal hiding in plain sight.
A tin of tomatoes, pasta and a little grated cheese can become dinner.

Frozen vegetables, rice and eggs can become fried rice.
A small amount of mince can be stretched with lentils or grated vegetables.

Leftover roast chicken can become soup, sandwiches, pasta or a simple pie filling.

Those odd ingredients are not clutter. They are money sitting in your kitchen waiting to be used.

Today’s Challenge
Make a list of three meals you can prepare using food already in the house.

Then choose at least one of those meals to serve this week.

Your meal does not need to be fancy. In fact, the simplest meals are often the best budget protectors.

Perhaps tonight is:
• Soup and toast 
• Pasta with pantry sauce 
• Fried rice 
• Scrambled eggs on toast 
• Baked potatoes with toppings 
• A freezer meal 
• Leftover night 
• Homemade pizza using what is open 

The goal is simple: use what you have before buying more.

How Much Could This Save?
Replacing one takeaway or unnecessary supermarket dinner could easily keep $10, $15, $20 or more in your pocket.
That is a very strong start towards your $36.50 challenge goal.

Find More Help in the Hub
For more pantry-first inspiration, browse:
• The Meal Plan Archive 
• The Recipe Files 
• The Super Shopper $300 a Month Grocery Challenge 
• The Tip Store for leftover and pantry meal ideas 
• The Printables Library for meal planning and inventory sheets 

What meal are you making from food already in the house this week?
Share your pantry-first dinner idea in the Forum. Simple meals are very welcome — they are often the most useful ideas of all.

Welcome to The 10 Cents a Day Savings Club.

Whether you have been a Cheapskates Club member for years or you have only just joined us, this little challenge is a lovely way to remind yourself just how powerful small savings habits can be.

Cheapskates Club membership is $36.50 for a full year.
That works out to just 10 cents a day.

Over the next seven days, your challenge is to see whether you can save, avoid spending, stretch, substitute or find $36.50 in your household budget.

Not through hardship.

Not through going without everything you enjoy.

Not through making your week miserable.

Instead, we are going to use gentle, practical Cheapskates habits:
• Shopping from home before heading to the supermarket 
• Using a simple shopping list properly 
• MOOing one thing 
• Choosing one no-spend day 
• Stretching one meal into two 
• Checking one bill or subscription 
• Tallying the results 

The aim is not perfection. The aim is to notice.

A pantry meal you make instead of buying takeaway matters.

A snack you MOO instead of buying matters.

A forgotten subscription you cancel matters.

A meal you stretch, a spending pause you take, a duplicate purchase you avoid — they all matter.

Small savings build confidence, and confidence builds better habits.

Your First Step
Before tomorrow, choose a place to track your savings.

You could use:
• A notebook 
• A page in your diary 
• The notes app on your phone 
• A printed savings tracker 
• A piece of paper on the fridge 

Write this at the top:
My Save Your Membership Fee Goal: $36.50

Then, every time you save money this week, write it down.

New Here?
Welcome! This challenge is a wonderful starting point because it will introduce you to some of the most useful parts of the Member Hub, including:
• The Super Shopper $300 a Month Grocery Challenge 
• 31 Days of MOO 
• The Meal Plan Archive 
• The Recipe Files 
• How to Build Your Stockpile 
• The Printables Library 
• The Tip Store 
• The Member Forum 

You do not need to explore everything at once. Start with the challenge, follow along each day, and use the resources that help you most.

Tell us is the comments:
Are you joining the Save Your Membership Fee Challenge? What would saving an extra $36.50 this week mean to you?

Tomorrow we begin with one of the most powerful Cheapskates habits of all: shopping from home first.

Don't forget to check back every day for your 10 Cent Saving Challenge Goals.