Clean Dishes, Smaller Grocery Bill
Dishwasher powder is convenient — but it can also be surprisingly expensive.
Prices range from around $3.90 per kilo for store brands to $14 per kilo for premium brands, and when you’re running the dishwasher regularly, those costs add up quickly.

The good news? Dishwasher powder is another everyday item that’s easy to Make Our Own.
This simple MOO recipe uses ingredients you can find at your local supermarket — and you may already have some of them in your pantry.

Ingredients
• 2 cups borax
• 2 cups baking soda
• 1 cup Epsom salts
• 1 cup citric acid
• 40–45 drops lemon essential oil
Mix all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight container.

How to Use
Add 1 tablespoon per dishwasher load.
For sparkling results, use plain white vinegar as your rinse aid.

Cost & Savings
This recipe costs approximately $8.40 to make and produces around 73 washes.
That works out to about 11 cents per load.
Compared to branded dishwasher powders, that’s a saving of roughly 29 cents per load.

Another everyday product crossed off the shopping list.
Another practical MOO swap.
Small homemade changes. Big long-term savings.

Gentle, Versatile & Budget Friendly

Liquid soap is convenient — there’s no getting away from that.
We use it at the sink.
We use it in the kitchen.
We reach for it dozens of times a day.
But those pump bottles add up surprisingly quickly on the grocery bill.

This MOO version is:
✔ Gentle
✔ Effective
✔ Multi-purpose
✔ Budget friendly

It works beautifully as hand soap or as dish drops, which makes it one of those wonderfully practical Cheapskates swaps.
Versatile is what we like.
Budget friendly is what we like.
Practical is what we like.
And this MOO Liquid Soap ticks all three boxes — plus it’s incredibly easy to make.

You Will Need
• 500ml pump bottle (or a recycled dish detergent bottle)
• ¼ cup liquid castile soap (unscented)
• Water to fill the container
• 20 drops lemon essential oil
• 10–15 drops tea tree or thieves essential oil

Method
1. Pour the castile soap into the bottle.
2. Add the essential oils.
3. Fill the bottle with water.
4. Put the lid on and gently shake to combine.
Use one pump per hand wash.

Where to Buy Castile Soap
Castile soap is usually available at health food stores, natural product shops or online.
Once you have a bottle on hand, it lasts a long time because only a small amount is needed for each batch. One litre of Castile soap 

Why Castile Soap?
Castile soap is a great base for homemade cleaners because it is:
✔ Vegetable-based
✔ Free from harsh toxins
✔ Free from synthetic ingredients
✔ Suitable for vegans (no animal products)
It’s simple, effective and perfect for MOO household products.

Cost
Approximately $1.20 for a 500ml bottle.
That’s a fraction of the price of most liquid hand soaps — and you know exactly what’s in it.

Another small MOO swap.
Another everyday item you don’t need to buy ready-made.
And another step toward lower grocery costs and a more capable household.

Make Your Own with Pantry Staples
Corn syrup isn’t something you’ll casually grab off Australian supermarket shelves.
But thanks to the vastness of the internet, so many American recipes — from pecan pie to marshmallows to caramel sauces — list it as a key ingredient.
You could hunt it down at an imported foods store or order it online…
Or you can MOO it.
This simple substitute uses everyday pantry ingredients and costs a fraction of the imported version — with no questionable additives.

Why This Is a MOO Win
✔ Pantry-based ingredients
✔ No specialty shopping
✔ No artificial extras
✔ Budget-friendly
✔ Works in any recipe calling for corn syrup
Plus, it stores well — so you can make it once and use it when needed.

Ingredients
450g white sugar
170ml water
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar (no substitute for this)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
A pinch of salt

Method
Step 1:
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, water, cream of tartar, lemon juice and salt.
Step 2:
Stir until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and allow the syrup to simmer steadily for 15–20 minutes, until it thickens and drips slowly from a spatula.
To test:
Place a small drop on a cold plate and refrigerate for 10 minutes. If it’s thick when cold, it’s ready.
For precision, the syrup should reach 110°C (230°F) on a candy thermometer.
Step 3:
Remove from heat and place the saucepan into a bowl of cold water to cool quickly. Once completely cool, use as directed in your recipe.

Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 months.
This recipe makes approximately 1⅓ cups of MOO Corn Syrup.

Another ingredient you don’t need to rely on specialty shops for.
Another recipe you can make with confidence.
Another example of how MOO Month builds real kitchen independence.
Simple ingredients.
Real savings.
Better control.
That’s the Cheapskates way. 

You know I’m not afraid of the delicate subjects here in the Cheapskates Club — and bathroom odours are definitely one of them.
There are plenty of ways people deal with them:
✔ Light a match
✔ Spray room deodoriser
✔ Buy scented toilet paper
✔ Keep vinegar behind the toilet
But those options either cost more than they should… or they don’t travel well.
This one works.
And it’s portable.
You can pop it into your handbag or bathroom bag — no panic if you need to share a bathroom.

Why This Is a MOO Win
VIPoo: $11.50 for 55ml
MOO Poo Pourri: 45 cents for 55ml
That’s a saving of $11.05 per bottle.
And yes — it really works.

 You Will Need:
• Small spray bottle (approx. 55ml)
• 40 drops essential oils*
• 1 teaspoon rubbing alcohol
• 50ml cool water

Method:
Add the water, rubbing alcohol and essential oils to the spray bottle.
Secure the lid and shake well.
That’s it.

How to Use:
Before using the toilet, spray 3–4 times directly into the bowl.
The oil sits on top of the water, forming a light barrier that traps odours underneath.
When you’re finished — flush and smile.
No lingering smell. No embarrassment. No $11.50 price tag.

🌿 Essential Oil Combinations
Use your favourite fresh blends. Some that work beautifully:
• Orange + Lemongrass + Eucalyptus
• Lavender + Eucalyptus
• Lemongrass + Mint
• Lavender + Orange
Choose clean, bright scents that feel fresh.

Another simple MOO swap.
Another supermarket product you don’t need to rely on.
Another steady saving added to your grocery rhythm.
This is how small homemade solutions quietly build a stronger budget.

This really is easy pastry.
Even a beginner can turn out a beautiful pie shell or a tray of golden sausage rolls with this recipe. It’s a treasured family recipe too — given to me by Wayne’s aunty before we were married — and I’ve been using it for 37 years without a single complaint.
That’s tried, tested and Cheapskates approved.

And the best part?
✔ No special equipment required
✔ No chilling time needed
✔ Rolls beautifully thin
✔ Freezer-friendly

I use my mixer, but a food processor works just as well. No machine? You can absolutely make it by hand — it just takes a few extra minutes.

You can roll it straight away — no need to chill. Or make it ahead and refrigerate until needed.

To save even more time (and money), I often make several batches at once, roll into balls, wrap in clingwrap and freeze. Homemade pastry ready whenever I need it — without the supermarket markup.

Elaine’s Easy Pastry
Ingredients:
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup plain flour
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup margarine or lard
½ cup hot water

Method:
1. Cream the margarine or lard.
2. Gradually add the hot water, beating continuously until the mixture becomes creamy.
3. Sift the dry ingredients together.
4. Add to the margarine mixture and mix with a knife until the pastry leaves the sides of the bowl.
5. Turn onto a lightly floured board and roll thinly.

This pastry rolls to an amazing thinness, making it ideal for:

• pies
• quiches
• sausage rolls
• pasties
• tart cases

Why This Is a MOO Win
Frozen pastry sheets can cost $4–$8 a pack for 1 kilo.
This version? Pantry staples. Simple ingredients. Fraction of the cost at just $1.49 for a kilo of beautiful pastry..
Another Make-Our-Own skill that builds grocery independence — and tastes better too.
That’s the Cheapskates way.
Debt Free, Cashed Up and Laughing.

Store-bought muffin bars were quietly draining our grocery budget.
With four children taking one in their lunchbox each day, we were spending $6.60 a packet for just 10 bars — that’s $13.20 a week on one single lunchbox item.
Over a year? That adds up fast.
So we switched to MOO — Make Our Own.
Coles Smart Buy cake mixes (vanilla, chocolate and butter) are just $1.35 a packet, and with a muffin bar tin (bought half price), I started baking our own.
To stretch the mix further and boost nutrition, I add:
✔ Rolled oats
✔ Home brand bran
✔ Coconut
✔ Pantry staples
✔ Free eggs from our neighbour
Two $1.35 cake mixes plus simple add-ins now make enough bars for all four children to have one every school day — with leftovers for afternoon tea.
Bonus?
No preservatives like the expensive brands.
The real win?
💰 $545.90 saved per year.
That’s almost seven weeks of groceries on my Super Shopper $300 a Month plan.
Contributed by Ina

One simple MOO swap.
$545.90 saved per year.
One big grocery impact.
That’s almost seven weeks of groceries on my Super Shopper plan.
Seven weeks.
All from replacing packaged muffin bars with homemade ones.

This is what I love about MOO Month.
We’re not doing complicated.
We’re not doing extreme.
We’re doing smart.

A tray of homemade muffin bars takes minutes to mix, uses pantry basics, and costs a fraction of the boxed versions that quietly creep into trolleys every week.

And here’s the real magic:
It’s not just about the muffins.
I
t’s about:
✔ Taking control of convenience
✔ Reducing reliance on processed snacks
✔ Teaching the kids (and ourselves) that homemade is normal
✔ Turning small habits into long-term savings
$545.90 isn’t “just baking.”

It’s:
• Extra emergency fund padding
• Christmas paid in cash
• A power bill covered
• Or breathing space in your grocery budget

This is how homemade habits turn into serious savings.
If you’ve ever thought, “It’s only a few dollars,” — this is your proof that a few dollars, every week, adds up fast.
Are you in for MOO Month?
Members — download the MOO Month Tookit and let’s start crossing things off the shopping list.

This challenge is about one simple idea:
Replacing everyday supermarket purchases with easy homemade alternatives that save money, time, and energy.
MOOing isn’t about deprivation.
It’s about control.
Over the next 31 days, you’ll see just how many things you already can make yourself — often in minutes, often with ingredients you already have.
If you’re doing the Super Shopper challenge too, you’ll quickly notice how naturally the two work together:
Less buying.
Less waste.
More calm.
You don’t need to do everything.
You don’t need to be perfect.
You just start where you are.
Check back every day for the latest MOOs - 
notice what you already buy that could be MOOed, and choose just one thing to start with this week.
That’s how habits stick.