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Latest Tips & Recipes February 2022
Here you'll find the latest tips and recipes added to the Tip Store and Recipe File during
Insurance Bonus Saves Money
After doing a comparison on comprehensive car insurance I found that while Budget Direct was slightly cheaper in premiums than Woolworths insurance, Woolworths gives me 10% off one shop a month. The savings from the shopping discount make Woolworths insurance cheaper than Budget Direct - a no brainer when my shopping saves me money.
Contributed by Emma Bamford
Contributed by Emma Bamford
Gluten Free on the Cheap
Look around the shop and you might find things like gluten free gravy powder in the normal gravy section. Aldi have lots of things that are gluten free on the shelves. Also I freeze a loaf of GF bread and only get what I need out the freezer, it doesn't take long to defrost or just toast it; the loaf doesn't go off that way.
Contributed by C-J Smith
Contributed by C-J Smith
Plan Your Holidays and Save Your Garden
Spring and summer are the main seasons for growing vegetables and it can be hard to find someone reliable to water the vegetables. Last year I was away for a week in February and unfortunately I lost all my cucumbers and zucchinis. The end of autumn and winter the weather is cooler so the chance of vegetables dying is less, so I book my holidays for that time. Airfares are often cheaper then as well. Another bonus is that winter is the high energy time. I do not have a wood burner for heating, so while away there is just the cost of running the fridge. I do not mind holidays during winter.
Contributed by Ann Green
Contributed by Ann Green
Eggplant Tomato Pasta Bake
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
2 x 800g cans diced tomatoes
90g tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, diced
salt to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
For the baked pasta:
500g penne
2 medium eggplants - cubed
1/2 cup olive oil - for eggplant
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup basil leaves - hand torn
500g block mozzarella - 2/3 cubed, 1/3 grated
500g ricotta
1/2 cup grated parmesan (plus more for serving)
Method:
For the sauce:
Sauté onion for 3-5 minutes in olive oil on medium-low heat in a large pot until soft. Add garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes more until fragrant.
Add the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring with a spoon. Add the crushed tomatoes and season with pepper.
Cook for 15 minutes uncovered, stirring frequently to avoid any sticking. After 15 minutes, taste-test the sauce and adjust salt and pepper if required.
Let the sauce simmer on lowest heat while you prepare the pasta.
Toss the cubed eggplant with a 1/2 cup of olive oil and season with 1-2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Lay the eggplant on baking trays (probably will need 2 trays) and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes at 200C. Turn the eggplant at halfway point.
Boil pasta to 1-2 minutes less than package instructions.
3. In a large bowl mix pasta with 2-3 cups of sauce and ricotta cheese. Mix until smooth and creamy.
4. Coat a 9 by 13 baking dish with a 1/4" layer of the sauce. Add 1/3 of the pasta. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cubed mozzarella, 1/3 of the grated parmesan, half of the eggplant, a bit of the torn basil leaves, and a bit more sauce on top. Repeat for the second layer.
5. On the top (third) layer add a bit more sauce, the shredded mozzarella, and the remaining parmesan cheese.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly brown. If a more crispy top is desired, grill for 2-3 minutes, but watch carefully to avoid burning.
Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving with crusty bread and the remaining sauce on the side for dipping.
For the sauce:
2 x 800g cans diced tomatoes
90g tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, diced
salt to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
For the baked pasta:
500g penne
2 medium eggplants - cubed
1/2 cup olive oil - for eggplant
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup basil leaves - hand torn
500g block mozzarella - 2/3 cubed, 1/3 grated
500g ricotta
1/2 cup grated parmesan (plus more for serving)
Method:
For the sauce:
Sauté onion for 3-5 minutes in olive oil on medium-low heat in a large pot until soft. Add garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes more until fragrant.
Add the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring with a spoon. Add the crushed tomatoes and season with pepper.
Cook for 15 minutes uncovered, stirring frequently to avoid any sticking. After 15 minutes, taste-test the sauce and adjust salt and pepper if required.
Let the sauce simmer on lowest heat while you prepare the pasta.
Toss the cubed eggplant with a 1/2 cup of olive oil and season with 1-2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Lay the eggplant on baking trays (probably will need 2 trays) and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes at 200C. Turn the eggplant at halfway point.
Boil pasta to 1-2 minutes less than package instructions.
3. In a large bowl mix pasta with 2-3 cups of sauce and ricotta cheese. Mix until smooth and creamy.
4. Coat a 9 by 13 baking dish with a 1/4" layer of the sauce. Add 1/3 of the pasta. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cubed mozzarella, 1/3 of the grated parmesan, half of the eggplant, a bit of the torn basil leaves, and a bit more sauce on top. Repeat for the second layer.
5. On the top (third) layer add a bit more sauce, the shredded mozzarella, and the remaining parmesan cheese.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly brown. If a more crispy top is desired, grill for 2-3 minutes, but watch carefully to avoid burning.
Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving with crusty bread and the remaining sauce on the side for dipping.
Free Bubblewrap for Moving
Windscreen repair stores have huge amounts of bubble wrap that they just throw away (their new windscreens are very generously wrapped in it). Tell them you’re moving and ask if they can put some aside and you’ll collect it once a week. Trust me you will get way more than you need. It will save you a fortune when packing breakables.
Contributed by Kelly Patrick
Contributed by Kelly Patrick
Practical Receiving
Sometimes people ask me what I want for a gift. If I can’t think of anything specific or anything I need at that time I will ask for an everyday item I use such as teabags, soap, talcum powder. This saves me money and I will get something a little more special and expensive than I would buy myself.
Contributed by Michelle Konstant
Contributed by Michelle Konstant
Storing Herbs for Nothing
I live in NZ where most of the containers from the chemist are solid screw top (not see through). All of my herbs and spices are kept in these. They come in several sizes and cost me nothing. I ask my friends to keep theirs (that normally go in the bin). They last ages and are easily cleaned.
Contributed by Jen Nelson
Contributed by Jen Nelson
Let Your Online Shopping Cart Simmer for a Day or Two
When you HAVE to shop online before you order, sign up for the company newsletter and set up an account. Some companies send you a welcome email including a discount code when you create an account/sign up for newsletters. When you put items in your cart, do not rush and checkout (obviously do if you are buying something on special which has a limited quantity or sale time). If you can wait, let your cart “simmer” for 24+ hours and often companies send you an email saying "we have saved your cart and are offering a discount code for the items in it" to encourage you to checkout. This also gives you a chance to decide if you need the item. Recently I bought a special non-slip absorbent mat for an elderly relative directly from the manufacturer, an Australian online website and they sent me a welcome email and a $20 discount code. The same mat was sold by other retailers for a lot more. I saved over $50 by going directly and using the code. Another time, I had put items in the cart and I was offered 10% off code. Next time you are purchasing online, let your shopping cart "simmer". Buy from reputable Australian companies and websites who seem more generous with promo codes than big overseas conglomerates. Also google promotion/discount codes (including free shipping) for that company and many bargain websites publish those. Try all of them before checkout and payment. You may be pleasantly surprised how much you can save if you are patient.
Contributed by Vazz Deacs
Contributed by Vazz Deacs
Pickled Green Tomatoes
Ingredients:
1 -/2 cups apple-cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
3 whole allspice berries
2 dried bay leaves
2 tbsp coarse salt
4 small green tomatoes (about 500g), cut into 6mm (1/4 inch) slices
6 thin slices white onion
Method:
Combine vinegar, 3/4 cup water, sugar, spices, and 2 tablespoons salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Fill hot, sterilised glass jars tightly with tomatoes and onion. Add boiling brine to cover completely. Let cool completely. Cover, label and refrigerate at least 1 week before serving. Keep in fridge up to three months.
1 -/2 cups apple-cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
3 whole allspice berries
2 dried bay leaves
2 tbsp coarse salt
4 small green tomatoes (about 500g), cut into 6mm (1/4 inch) slices
6 thin slices white onion
Method:
Combine vinegar, 3/4 cup water, sugar, spices, and 2 tablespoons salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Fill hot, sterilised glass jars tightly with tomatoes and onion. Add boiling brine to cover completely. Let cool completely. Cover, label and refrigerate at least 1 week before serving. Keep in fridge up to three months.
Back Saving Backpack Garden Sprayer Tips
As we live on a 1.21 acre property we weed spray our fence lines, garden paths and spot spray any weeds on the property lawns as well when necessary. It is a big job to do and the battery operated 20lt backpack sprayers can be very heavy to cart on your back when full.
My husband has back injuries from a military accident and is finding it hard to now carry the sprayer on his back and I find that it is too heavy and digs into my back and shoulders when I carry it too. A lot of the backpack sprayers come with a trolley you can mount them to but sadly the wheel bases on them are too narrow and the whole thing tips sideways when using it making it next to useless to use the sprayer that way.
Thinking laterally and knowing as with everything there is always a better way to do things, I came up with two very easy ways to not have to weight bear with a full backpack of spray on your back.
The first method if you are spraying by yourself requires a hand trolley and some occy (octopus) straps or bungee cords with hooks on each end.
Put the backpack garden sprayer on the base of the hand trolley and strap it on with occy straps around the sprayer and hook onto the frame of the hand trolley at the back. This secures it and you can wheel the sprayer around really easily and on fairly rough terrain and it saves us carrying 28.5 kg on our backs for weed spraying. The hand trolley also as it has a much wider wheel base does not tip over with the sprayer attached to it either saving both time and frustration and it is easier to wheel it around with the larger wheels on the hand trolley.
The second method is easier with two people doing the spraying and requires a large high sided wheelbarrow and some bungee or occy straps.
Put the backpack sprayer in the wheelbarrow in the middle at the back to make it balance evenly in the wheelbarrow. Wrap the bungee cords around the sprayer and hook the bungee cords unto the lip of the wheelbarrow or the base of the wheelbarrow handles underneath. One person can push the wheelbarrow with the sprayer in it and the other can spray with the sprayer.
Both methods are both cost effective and time saving and use items most of us have in the home as well making it very cost effective too.
Contributed by Lorna Waldron
My husband has back injuries from a military accident and is finding it hard to now carry the sprayer on his back and I find that it is too heavy and digs into my back and shoulders when I carry it too. A lot of the backpack sprayers come with a trolley you can mount them to but sadly the wheel bases on them are too narrow and the whole thing tips sideways when using it making it next to useless to use the sprayer that way.
Thinking laterally and knowing as with everything there is always a better way to do things, I came up with two very easy ways to not have to weight bear with a full backpack of spray on your back.
The first method if you are spraying by yourself requires a hand trolley and some occy (octopus) straps or bungee cords with hooks on each end.
Put the backpack garden sprayer on the base of the hand trolley and strap it on with occy straps around the sprayer and hook onto the frame of the hand trolley at the back. This secures it and you can wheel the sprayer around really easily and on fairly rough terrain and it saves us carrying 28.5 kg on our backs for weed spraying. The hand trolley also as it has a much wider wheel base does not tip over with the sprayer attached to it either saving both time and frustration and it is easier to wheel it around with the larger wheels on the hand trolley.
The second method is easier with two people doing the spraying and requires a large high sided wheelbarrow and some bungee or occy straps.
Put the backpack sprayer in the wheelbarrow in the middle at the back to make it balance evenly in the wheelbarrow. Wrap the bungee cords around the sprayer and hook the bungee cords unto the lip of the wheelbarrow or the base of the wheelbarrow handles underneath. One person can push the wheelbarrow with the sprayer in it and the other can spray with the sprayer.
Both methods are both cost effective and time saving and use items most of us have in the home as well making it very cost effective too.
Contributed by Lorna Waldron