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Dear Cath

Q. What's the best way of packing smaller containers of yoghurt/tinned fruit/jelly into kids' lunchboxes so that it doesn't leak?  I haven't had any success so far.  Kate

A. Hi Kate, This is one of many dilemmas mothers face! It depends on how old your children are too, the younger they are the easier the container has to be to open but the more secure it needs to be too. 

I used little mock Tupperware (read: bought them from the $2 shop) for my kids when they were little and found the secret was to make sure I "burped" the seal properly, just like with genuine Tupperware. Burping creates an air and liquid tight seal so nothing escapes. I also found that if I put the smaller container into a larger lunchbox there was less chance of the seal being accidentally knocked and lifted off. For kindy I put them into ziplock bags which are easy for little fingers to open but much harder for them to seal. 

I also used a reward system to make sure everything came home, including the ziplock bag. If they brought everything home (spoon, container, seal and bag) they would get a gold star, 3 things a silver star, 2 things a red star, 1 thing a green star. At the end of the week they could choose a reward depending on the colour of the most stars. So all gold, they could choose a special lunch (this just meant they told me what to put into their lunchboxes rather than me just doing it), more silver they could choose a game to play, red was an extra bedtime story, green they were allowed to choose a DVD to watch. It meant that 99% of the time everything came home and the kids loved their treat, I think the boys were around 10 before they stopped claiming their rewards!

Q. Just wondering what I can use to clean  off the cooking oil (from cooking) that winds up on the cupboard doors above the hotplates. Have looked through your book, but can't find anything. Up to date, I have used ZOOM, but that's not very "Cheapskatesish" is it. Carole


A. Hi Carole,I use a green microfibre cloth - I think they are for kitchens and bathrooms, I don't have a new one in the packet to check. You can usually find them at $2 type shops, not often at supermarkets though. They are brilliant.

It is the easiest thing in the world and does the best job. I just wet it with cold water (cold doesn't spread the oil, making it easier for the cloth to pick it up) and wipe it over the cupboards. Depending on how long it is since they've been done I may need to go over them twice. 

I can have the whole kitchen done in 10 minutes, no mess, no fumes and best of all virtually no cost. 

The other thing you can try is a scrunched up stocking, dampened and dipped in bicarb soda. Scrub it over the cupboard door and then wipe off with a clean, wet cloth. This method is obviously messier and more work, the bicarb leaves a film over the door surface that you need to clean off but it too is effective.

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  • Home
  • Join the Club!
    • Twenty Reasons to Join the Cheapskates Club
  • About Us
    • Cath's Story
    • Ask Cath
    • Glossary of Cheapskating Terms
  • Forum
    • Current Forum Discussions
    • How to Use the Member Forum
  • Inspiration
    • Getting Started
    • 31 Days of MOO Index
    • Articles
    • Housekeeping Routines
    • Budget Renovations
    • Saving Stories
    • Learning Centre
  • Recipes
    • Recipe File Index
    • Meal Plans
    • Add a Recipe
    • $300 a Month Food Challenge >
      • $300 a Month Food Challenge
      • The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
  • Newsletters
    • Newsletters 2023
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    • Newsletters 2021
    • Newsletters 2020
    • Newsletters 2019
    • Newsletters 2018
    • Newsletters 2017
  • Saving Money
    • Latest Tips 2023
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    • Cheapskates Tip Store
    • Tip Sheets
    • Top Tip Competition
  • Contact
    • Changing Details
    • Help Files