31 Days of MOO
Cheapskaters just love to save money, time and energy and one of the best ways to do that is to MOO!
What is MOOing (Making Our Own)?
There are so many things we buy that can just as easily be made at home, often for much less than the cost of buying them. Since the end of WWII, and especially since the mid-sixties, when supermarkets began to take the place of corner grocers, we have been coerced into thinking that buying is better than making. This is especially true of foods, cleaning products and clothing.
When we began living the Cheapskates way many so called "convenience" products had to be cut from our shopping list because our budget would no longer accommodate such luxuries as ironing spray, liquid hand soap, home delivered pizzas, ice blocks, biscuits and cakes and other snack foods, snack pack yoghurts and desserts, soft drink and the list went on and on. Unfortunately we liked all these things and didn't want to miss out on them and so finding ways to have these things without paying the supermarket prices became a hobby.
The easiest and cheapest way was to make our own, or MOO. And so I began MOOing as many things as I could.
Some of the things that are on my MOO list are:
Shake'n'Bake - so easy to make, lasts almost indefinitely in the fridge and is so versatile - it's used on chicken pieces, sausages, fish cakes and rissoles, can be sprinkled on top of mac'n'cheese (also homemade) and other casseroles. Cost is approximately $2.70 for 1.5kg
Hotcakes/Pancakes - my recipe rivals any fast food joint and is so much cheaper
Pancake syrup - As pure maple syrup is so expensive, homemade pancake syrup is much nicer than the bought bottled imitation syrups and costs less than 1/4 of the price to make.
Breads, scones, cakes, biscuits, muesli bars etc - Making our own we know exactly what goes into them. I will admit to being stunned at just how easy it is to make scones or a batch of Lunchbox Cookies and I always thought cakes took special skill. These days I make all manner of baked goods without blinking an eye. Cost for a batch of Lunchbox Cookies is around $5 for approximately 100 cookies or $3 for a large, family sized chocolate cake.
Sauces, jams, spreads - Mayonnaise, marinades, salad dressings, tomato sauce, bbq sauce, lemon butter, marmalade, jams, fish paste etc are all really easy to make and cost a fraction of the bought ones. Best of all homemade preserves are so much nicer than bought.
Yoghurt, yogos, custards - It costs around $1.10 to make a kilo of the thickest, creamiest yoghurt ever and best of all it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare it! Yogos and custards are so easy to make, once you've made your own you'll never buy them again.
Ice blocks - You can use cordial, fruit juice, water, flat softdrink, milk (pour milk into an almost empty jam jar, shake around and then freeze in moulds) or the juice from canned fruit all make delicious icy poles for just a few cents.
Pizza - three can be made for less than the price of one bought one and in less time than it takes to ring up and have one delivered!
Pastries - Pies, sausage rolls, quiches can all be made at home in just a few minutes.
Pita crisps - We make our own pita crisps for dips and nibbling on instead of buying potato chips. Cost is $1.99 (or less if the pita bread is on sale) for 500g crisps. Because they are oven dried they are lower in fat than crisps too, another benefit of MOOing.
Washing powder - I've been making my own for years. It takes about 5 minutes and costs under $3 to make enough to do 90 loads of washing. That's just about 3.5 cents per load, much cheaper than buying even generic detergent.
Fabric softener - I don't really make this, I simply add 1/3 cup white vinegar to the final rinse on towels and jeans. It has the added benefit of giving the washing machine a mini clean too. Cost is around 4 cents a load.
Ironing spray - If you were to take a peek in the linen cupboard you'd see a Fabulon spray bottle sitting on the shelf and think I was cheating. I'm not. The bottle holds plain water and 2 tablespoons fabric softener concentrate. Cost is around 20 cents for 500ml and it does a great job.
Window/glass cleaner - I don't buy it or make it anymore. I use two microfibre cloths - one to wet and wash and the other to polish. The cloths were $2 each from GoLo and I've been using the same ones for about three years.
Spray and wipe cleaner - for really stubborn marks and heavy duty cleaning I make one up that costs around 80 cents for a 500ml bottle. It's strong enough to give any of the commercial spray cleaners a run.
Drain cleaner - bicarb, washing soda, vinegar and boiling water down the drains once a month keeps them clean and fresh smelling and best of all unblocked. Much cheaper and safer than buying Draino each month.
Dishwasher detergent - homemade beats even the most expensive of the bought products for a fraction of the price. And the dishwasher smells cleaner and fresher too.
Liquid hand soap - if the kids want to go beserk in the bathroom it's not a problem. Making our own costs a fraction buying refills.
When we started making our own it was out of necessity. Now we make our own because it's better for my family and our budget.
And guess what....it's not hard! I was under the impression that making any of these things myself, at home, would be really hard and take a long time. It's not hard and it doesn't take very long to make any of them!
We have been trained by some really clever marketing to think that we can't make these things ourselves. That buying them from supermarkets, department stores or hardware shops is the easiest and best way for us to have these things and it's just not true.
When we began living the Cheapskates way many so called "convenience" products had to be cut from our shopping list because our budget would no longer accommodate such luxuries as ironing spray, liquid hand soap, home delivered pizzas, ice blocks, biscuits and cakes and other snack foods, snack pack yoghurts and desserts, soft drink and the list went on and on. Unfortunately we liked all these things and didn't want to miss out on them and so finding ways to have these things without paying the supermarket prices became a hobby.
The easiest and cheapest way was to make our own, or MOO. And so I began MOOing as many things as I could.
Some of the things that are on my MOO list are:
Shake'n'Bake - so easy to make, lasts almost indefinitely in the fridge and is so versatile - it's used on chicken pieces, sausages, fish cakes and rissoles, can be sprinkled on top of mac'n'cheese (also homemade) and other casseroles. Cost is approximately $2.70 for 1.5kg
Hotcakes/Pancakes - my recipe rivals any fast food joint and is so much cheaper
Pancake syrup - As pure maple syrup is so expensive, homemade pancake syrup is much nicer than the bought bottled imitation syrups and costs less than 1/4 of the price to make.
Breads, scones, cakes, biscuits, muesli bars etc - Making our own we know exactly what goes into them. I will admit to being stunned at just how easy it is to make scones or a batch of Lunchbox Cookies and I always thought cakes took special skill. These days I make all manner of baked goods without blinking an eye. Cost for a batch of Lunchbox Cookies is around $5 for approximately 100 cookies or $3 for a large, family sized chocolate cake.
Sauces, jams, spreads - Mayonnaise, marinades, salad dressings, tomato sauce, bbq sauce, lemon butter, marmalade, jams, fish paste etc are all really easy to make and cost a fraction of the bought ones. Best of all homemade preserves are so much nicer than bought.
Yoghurt, yogos, custards - It costs around $1.10 to make a kilo of the thickest, creamiest yoghurt ever and best of all it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare it! Yogos and custards are so easy to make, once you've made your own you'll never buy them again.
Ice blocks - You can use cordial, fruit juice, water, flat softdrink, milk (pour milk into an almost empty jam jar, shake around and then freeze in moulds) or the juice from canned fruit all make delicious icy poles for just a few cents.
Pizza - three can be made for less than the price of one bought one and in less time than it takes to ring up and have one delivered!
Pastries - Pies, sausage rolls, quiches can all be made at home in just a few minutes.
Pita crisps - We make our own pita crisps for dips and nibbling on instead of buying potato chips. Cost is $1.99 (or less if the pita bread is on sale) for 500g crisps. Because they are oven dried they are lower in fat than crisps too, another benefit of MOOing.
Washing powder - I've been making my own for years. It takes about 5 minutes and costs under $3 to make enough to do 90 loads of washing. That's just about 3.5 cents per load, much cheaper than buying even generic detergent.
Fabric softener - I don't really make this, I simply add 1/3 cup white vinegar to the final rinse on towels and jeans. It has the added benefit of giving the washing machine a mini clean too. Cost is around 4 cents a load.
Ironing spray - If you were to take a peek in the linen cupboard you'd see a Fabulon spray bottle sitting on the shelf and think I was cheating. I'm not. The bottle holds plain water and 2 tablespoons fabric softener concentrate. Cost is around 20 cents for 500ml and it does a great job.
Window/glass cleaner - I don't buy it or make it anymore. I use two microfibre cloths - one to wet and wash and the other to polish. The cloths were $2 each from GoLo and I've been using the same ones for about three years.
Spray and wipe cleaner - for really stubborn marks and heavy duty cleaning I make one up that costs around 80 cents for a 500ml bottle. It's strong enough to give any of the commercial spray cleaners a run.
Drain cleaner - bicarb, washing soda, vinegar and boiling water down the drains once a month keeps them clean and fresh smelling and best of all unblocked. Much cheaper and safer than buying Draino each month.
Dishwasher detergent - homemade beats even the most expensive of the bought products for a fraction of the price. And the dishwasher smells cleaner and fresher too.
Liquid hand soap - if the kids want to go beserk in the bathroom it's not a problem. Making our own costs a fraction buying refills.
When we started making our own it was out of necessity. Now we make our own because it's better for my family and our budget.
And guess what....it's not hard! I was under the impression that making any of these things myself, at home, would be really hard and take a long time. It's not hard and it doesn't take very long to make any of them!
We have been trained by some really clever marketing to think that we can't make these things ourselves. That buying them from supermarkets, department stores or hardware shops is the easiest and best way for us to have these things and it's just not true.
31 Days of MOO 2023
31 Days of MOO 2022
Day 1: MOO Potato Frittata
Day 2: MOO Powdered Milk Cream Cheese
Day 3: Quick & Easy Crocheted Face Scrubbies
Day 4: Preserved Lemons
Day 5: Brown Gravy
Day 6: Simple French Dressing
Day 7: MOO VIPoo
Day 8: Asian Style Plum Sauce
Day 9: Weed Tea Fertiliser
Day 10: Olive Oil Whipped Moisturiser
Day 11: Epsom Salts Scrub
Day 12: Zucchini Flour
Day 13: Honey & Lemon Sugar Scrub
Day 14: Super Simple Coconut Oil Cleaning Soap
Day 15: MOO Vegan Margarine
Day 16: Vegan Basil Pesto
Day 17: Irish Soda Bread:
Day 18: Pear Butter
Day 19: Smokey Taco Seasoning
Day 20: All Purpose Seasoning
Day 21: Fingerless MIttens
Day 22: Potato Fudge
Day 23: MOO One Pan Dinner Mix
Day 24: MOO Croissants
Day 25: MOO Waffle Mix
Day 26: The Best Roast Chicken Seasoning Ever
Day 27: MOO Graham Crackers
Day 28: Vegetable Stock Powder2022 31DoM No 29
Day 29: MOO Fresh Salsa
Day 30: Russian Dressing
Day 31: Easy Brioche
Day 2: MOO Powdered Milk Cream Cheese
Day 3: Quick & Easy Crocheted Face Scrubbies
Day 4: Preserved Lemons
Day 5: Brown Gravy
Day 6: Simple French Dressing
Day 7: MOO VIPoo
Day 8: Asian Style Plum Sauce
Day 9: Weed Tea Fertiliser
Day 10: Olive Oil Whipped Moisturiser
Day 11: Epsom Salts Scrub
Day 12: Zucchini Flour
Day 13: Honey & Lemon Sugar Scrub
Day 14: Super Simple Coconut Oil Cleaning Soap
Day 15: MOO Vegan Margarine
Day 16: Vegan Basil Pesto
Day 17: Irish Soda Bread:
Day 18: Pear Butter
Day 19: Smokey Taco Seasoning
Day 20: All Purpose Seasoning
Day 21: Fingerless MIttens
Day 22: Potato Fudge
Day 23: MOO One Pan Dinner Mix
Day 24: MOO Croissants
Day 25: MOO Waffle Mix
Day 26: The Best Roast Chicken Seasoning Ever
Day 27: MOO Graham Crackers
Day 28: Vegetable Stock Powder2022 31DoM No 29
Day 29: MOO Fresh Salsa
Day 30: Russian Dressing
Day 31: Easy Brioche
31 Days of MOO 2019
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 1 Lactose Free Yoghurt
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 2 MOO Eco Friendy Drain Cleaner
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 3 MOO Desiger Gym Clothes
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO NO. 4 No Sugar Condensed Milk
31 Days of MOO 2019 NOO No. 5 MOO Bread Machine MIx
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 6 MOO Tikka Seasoning
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 7 MOO Disinfectant Cleaner
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 8 MOO Make-Up Remover Wipes
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 9 Slow Cooker Candles
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 10 Sweet'n'Sour Sauce
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 11 3 Ingredient Shaving Cream
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 12 Slow Cooker Refried Beans
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 13 Doggy Soap Bars
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 14 Poultry Seasoning
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 15 Five Spice Seasoning
31 Days of MOO 2019 No. 16 Beef Casserole Seasoning Mix
31 Days of MOO 2019 No. 17 Herb and Garlic Seasoning Mix
31 Days of MOO No. 18 All Purpose Seasoning
31 Days of MOO No. 19 Steak Sauce
31 Days of MOO No. 20 Enchilada Sauce
31 Days of MOO No. 21 Orange Marmalade for One
31 Days of MOO No. 22 Mock Cream Tart Filling
31 Days of MOO No. 23 Liquid Hand Soap
31 Days of MOO No. 24 Organic Garden Spray
31 Days of MOO No. 25 Simple Soap
31 Days of MOO No. 26 Cottage Cheese
31 Days of MOO No. 27 Ramen Noodle Seasoning
31 Days of MOO No. 28 French Onion Soup Mix
31 Days of MOO No. 29 Gel Air Fresheners
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 2 MOO Eco Friendy Drain Cleaner
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 3 MOO Desiger Gym Clothes
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO NO. 4 No Sugar Condensed Milk
31 Days of MOO 2019 NOO No. 5 MOO Bread Machine MIx
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 6 MOO Tikka Seasoning
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 7 MOO Disinfectant Cleaner
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 8 MOO Make-Up Remover Wipes
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 9 Slow Cooker Candles
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 10 Sweet'n'Sour Sauce
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 11 3 Ingredient Shaving Cream
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 12 Slow Cooker Refried Beans
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 13 Doggy Soap Bars
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 14 Poultry Seasoning
31 Days of MOO 2019 MOO No. 15 Five Spice Seasoning
31 Days of MOO 2019 No. 16 Beef Casserole Seasoning Mix
31 Days of MOO 2019 No. 17 Herb and Garlic Seasoning Mix
31 Days of MOO No. 18 All Purpose Seasoning
31 Days of MOO No. 19 Steak Sauce
31 Days of MOO No. 20 Enchilada Sauce
31 Days of MOO No. 21 Orange Marmalade for One
31 Days of MOO No. 22 Mock Cream Tart Filling
31 Days of MOO No. 23 Liquid Hand Soap
31 Days of MOO No. 24 Organic Garden Spray
31 Days of MOO No. 25 Simple Soap
31 Days of MOO No. 26 Cottage Cheese
31 Days of MOO No. 27 Ramen Noodle Seasoning
31 Days of MOO No. 28 French Onion Soup Mix
31 Days of MOO No. 29 Gel Air Fresheners
31 Days of MOO 2018
31 Days of MOO 2018: No. 1 MOO Dusting Spray
31 Days of MOO No. 2 Split Ends and Dry Hair Remedy
31 Days of MOO No. 3 Homemade Hand Cleaner
31 Days of MOO No. 4 MOO Aromatherapy Pods
31 Days of MOO No. 5 MOO Flavour Bombs
31 Days of MOO NO. 6 MOO Baking Powder
31 Days of MOO No. 7 DIY Nail Polish
31 Days of MOO No. 8 MOO Dusting Cloths
31 Days of MOO No. 9 MOO Butter
31 Days of MOO No. 10 MOO Magic Erasers
31 Days of MOO No. 11 MOO Instant Custard
31 Days of MOO No. 12 Oh so Easy MOO Banana Ice Cream
31 Days of MOO No. 13 MOO Pickling Spice
31 Days of MOO No. 14 MOO Fettuccini Alfredo Mix
31 Days of MOO No. 15 MOO Bacon Bits
31 Days of MOO No. 2 Split Ends and Dry Hair Remedy
31 Days of MOO No. 3 Homemade Hand Cleaner
31 Days of MOO No. 4 MOO Aromatherapy Pods
31 Days of MOO No. 5 MOO Flavour Bombs
31 Days of MOO NO. 6 MOO Baking Powder
31 Days of MOO No. 7 DIY Nail Polish
31 Days of MOO No. 8 MOO Dusting Cloths
31 Days of MOO No. 9 MOO Butter
31 Days of MOO No. 10 MOO Magic Erasers
31 Days of MOO No. 11 MOO Instant Custard
31 Days of MOO No. 12 Oh so Easy MOO Banana Ice Cream
31 Days of MOO No. 13 MOO Pickling Spice
31 Days of MOO No. 14 MOO Fettuccini Alfredo Mix
31 Days of MOO No. 15 MOO Bacon Bits
31 Days of MOO 2017
31 Days of MOO No. 1 MOO Pickled Eggs
31 Days of MOO No. 2 MOO Draino
31 Days of MOO No. 3 MOO Chicken Liver Pate
31 Days of MOO No. 4 MOO Miracle Spray
31 Days of MOO No. 5 MOO Toasted Muesli
31 Days of MOO No. 6 MOO a Gentle Shower Gel
31 Days of MOO No. 7 MOO Chicken Salt
31 Days of MOO No. 8 MOO Aioli
31 Days of MOO No. 9 MOO Fabric Softener
31 Days of MOO No. 10 Cheats Lamingtons
31 Days of MOO No. 11 Cream Puffs
31 Days of MOO No. 12 MOO Tahini Paste
31 Days of MOO No. 13 MOO Mint Sauce
31 Days of MOO No. 14 MOO Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix
31 Days of MOO No. 15 MOO Ricotta
31 Days of MOO No. 16 MOO Carpet Deodorised
31 Days of MOO No. 17 MOO Drumsticks
31 Days of MOO No. 18 MOO Ant Rid
31 Days of MOO No. 19 MOO Chicken Stock
31 Days of MOO No. 20 MOO Recipe Box
31 Days of MOO No. 21 MOO Baked Beans
31 Days of MOO No. 22 MOO Beef Jerky
31 Days of MOO No. 23 MOO Peanut Butter Cups
31 Days of MOO No. 24 MOO Italian Bread Crumbs
31 Days of MOO No. 25 MOO Madras Curry Paste
31 Days of MOO No. 26 MOO Spectacle Cleaner
31 Days of MOO No. 27 MOO a Cute Potholder from Scrap Fabrics
31 Days of MOO No. 28 MOO Garlic Pizzas
31 Days of MOO No. 29 MOO Chicken Nuggets
31 Days of MOO No. 30 MOO Soft Scrub
31 Days of MOO No. 31 MOO Serviettes
31 Days of MOO No. 2 MOO Draino
31 Days of MOO No. 3 MOO Chicken Liver Pate
31 Days of MOO No. 4 MOO Miracle Spray
31 Days of MOO No. 5 MOO Toasted Muesli
31 Days of MOO No. 6 MOO a Gentle Shower Gel
31 Days of MOO No. 7 MOO Chicken Salt
31 Days of MOO No. 8 MOO Aioli
31 Days of MOO No. 9 MOO Fabric Softener
31 Days of MOO No. 10 Cheats Lamingtons
31 Days of MOO No. 11 Cream Puffs
31 Days of MOO No. 12 MOO Tahini Paste
31 Days of MOO No. 13 MOO Mint Sauce
31 Days of MOO No. 14 MOO Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix
31 Days of MOO No. 15 MOO Ricotta
31 Days of MOO No. 16 MOO Carpet Deodorised
31 Days of MOO No. 17 MOO Drumsticks
31 Days of MOO No. 18 MOO Ant Rid
31 Days of MOO No. 19 MOO Chicken Stock
31 Days of MOO No. 20 MOO Recipe Box
31 Days of MOO No. 21 MOO Baked Beans
31 Days of MOO No. 22 MOO Beef Jerky
31 Days of MOO No. 23 MOO Peanut Butter Cups
31 Days of MOO No. 24 MOO Italian Bread Crumbs
31 Days of MOO No. 25 MOO Madras Curry Paste
31 Days of MOO No. 26 MOO Spectacle Cleaner
31 Days of MOO No. 27 MOO a Cute Potholder from Scrap Fabrics
31 Days of MOO No. 28 MOO Garlic Pizzas
31 Days of MOO No. 29 MOO Chicken Nuggets
31 Days of MOO No. 30 MOO Soft Scrub
31 Days of MOO No. 31 MOO Serviettes