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Latest Tips - May 2020

Here you'll find the latest tips added to the Tip Store during May.

Free Firewood Means a Zero Dollar Heating Bill

​We have been married 45 years and always look for ways to save money on heating. We have had a wood burner for most of that time. The one thing I would say to those starting out is ‘don’t be too proud’. By that I mean you do what suits you. We have always scoured the hard rubbish piles every autumn for firewood. We have waved to neighbours cheerfully as they drive past and maintained the courage of our convictions. We would the carry or cart the wood home, chop it up and stack it all in one day. We’ll do the same this year! It’s one day's work for a whole season's fires.  We have always had a financial plan, and believe me, it was tough. You just have to keep going! Even though we are now financially secure I still keep looking for tips to save. Waste not want not as my Nana used to tell me.
Contributed by Linda Biggs

Washi Tape for Masking Tape 

​We are currently decorating and like to use masking tape to avoid the gloss getting on to the carpet. We ran out of masking tape so instead of going to the shops just for one thing (energy costs, cost of tape) I used some old washi tape that I had in my craft stash. This worked just as well as the masking tape, saved us money and even looks pretty while you’re painting! 
Contributed by Kayleigh Mckimm

Earring Holder

​Originally I used to store my earrings in a dish on my dresser, but wasted time trying to find a matching pair as they were all jumbled up. I then bought one of the clear acrylic holders that has holes punched in it and you insert the front of the earring and then attach the back on the other side. I found this also difficult to use as I would often drop either the front or the back of the earring while trying to get them out and it also didn't provide for large or drop earrings. I now use a Ferrero Rocher chocolate box tray (the flat one that holds 24 chocolates). I keep the insert and the base of the box and place my earrings in the individual spaces where the chocolates used to be. I have 2 of them and they stack well on top of each other, I don't use the lids but you could of course do so. They keep all my pairs together from small to large and its so easy to see what I have and to retrieve the pair I want. If you have lots of earrings you can just keep adding boxes! 
Contributed by Kate Conti

Noodle Night!

​Each week I have a Noodle Night, a Mexican Night, a Pasta Night, a Potato Night, a Rice Night, a Wrap Night.. When I see which proteins and vegetables are on special I decide which carb would complement them best, and shop accordingly. The family feels as if they are getting lots of variety, I find it focuses my "what on earth can I make for dinner" mind, and keeps us on budget! The seventh night is "clear the fridge" night, usually make your own jaffles, sometimes fritters, occasionally frittata, anything that will use up odds and ends without requiring a great deal of labour on my part!.
Contributed by Coral Clarke

​Brighten Your Veggies

When boiling veggies e.g. carrots, beans, broccoli, put just a pinch of bi-carb of soda in the water. This will freshen and brighten the colour of the veggies.
Contributed by Glennyce Prior

​Gift Your Surplus, Receive What You Need

Your local Facebook BUY NOTHING group is a life-saver, planet-saver and money saver. You can post items you no longer need or use, to bless others. If you see an item posted you need, request it and you may be in the running to get it. Explain why you need it in few words or just say please. If you need something, request it. You may or may not get it but before heading for the shops, it can be a savings! It is a great way to find new friends and build community. You can join only one buy nothing group and it should be local. So meet neighbours, save $, give your excess and bless and be blessed with other's surplus. You also share food including homegrown veggies and fruits, plants, furniture, clothes, toys -- used or brand new...say goodbye to trips to shops. Support recycling, repurposing and repurposing. Earth happy too with less landfill! 
Contributed by Vazz Deacs

Saving on Printer Paper

Every page of paper that comes to the house, I check if it needs to be shredded, or if I can repurpose it. I went thru all my old files and anything with a blank back page and nothing confidential on the main side, I keep for printer paper. My shopping list is on the computer and many other times you can use old paper for printing. I haven't bought typing paper for several years now as I already had a ream of new paper for letters etc that need a clean sheet.
Contributed by Sandi Mann

Snap Up Heavily Discounted Groceries in the Health Food Aisle

​When shopping I check out the health food aisle for large discounts on items near use by date. Sometimes the saving is 80% off the original price e.g. yesterday I bought packets of broccoli powder for 80% off original price of $7 reduced to $1.44. With the price of fresh broccoli at $7 per kg, I use the powder for soups to get the nutritional value in a different format. GF chocolate snack balls were marked down from $5 to 80 cents. Cheaper than a chocolate bar and healthier. The health food section items are often slow movers so they get marked down substantially 
Contributed by Yvette Newton

Lose that Annoying Little Cough

​Mix up equal amounts of malt vinegar and honey (microwaving helps the mix) and sip to stop that annoying little cough that won't go away - it soon will!
Contributed by Sherrin Roberts

Cleaning Glass on a Wood Heater

​It's winter and anyone with a wood heater will start to get a dirty glass door. When this happens you also loose a little heat efficiency. There is an almost no cost solution I learnt and you do it before you clean out the ash. You need scrunched up newspaper, water and the cold ash from your fire. Dampen the newspaper, dab it into the ash (extra tip, sometimes I find it helps to the spray the ash with a little water when it's on the newspaper), then clean the inside glass with circular motion. If you find that it's not doing anything anymore, repeat with a fresh scrunched up newspaper. It works really well and uses no other chemicals.
Contributed by Airlie Ogilvie

Yummy Breakfast

​For those of you who get sick and tired of the same old breakfast I've created a yummy tasty MOO cereal. I use:
2 tablespoons of coconut yoghurt
5 chopped dried apricots. 
1/4 cup of dried coconut and a 
1/4 cup of pomegranate soaked dried cranberries.
I also add a seed mix if I have it and you can be a little naughty and add some chocolate chips.
It's delicious.
Contributed by Lauren Miller

Changing Envelope to Card System 

​I used to use the envelope system to budget, then changed to the purse system when I joined Cheapskates. Now with what happened with the virus and a lot of places only accepting card payments I’ve changed my system again. I opened a debit card account with my bank (no fee account) and then added sub accounts for e.g. fuel, medical, hair etc. All I do is when I’m going to get fuel, I transfer the amount out of the sub account into the debit account.
Contributed by Leanne Gardner

Paper Bread Bags

​Many of the paper bags that bread comes in, now have a cellophane window. I remove the cellophane and put it aside for the *SHOP* recycle bins, (at Coles and Woolies) and the remainder of the paper bags I cut into equal pieces to use for greasing my baking tins and trays.
Contributed by Beverley Rogers

Egg Shell Gardening

​Instead of putting your egg shells into the compost, save them for deterring unwanted pests attacking your veggie garden. I remove the inner lining of the eggs, wash them and let them dry out (means there will be no odour when stored) and place the egg shells into a container in the shed with some breathing holes in the top. Whenever I see my lettuce, bok choy or green leafy veggies being attacked by snails, slugs or earwigs I simply crumble up the egg shells around the veggies to stop the insects getting to them. Apparently they don't like the rough edges of the egg shells and stay away. I will even combine this with left over coffee grounds for more effectiveness, it works a treat.
Contributed by Daniel Norton

Home made Hand Sanitiser

​Ingredients:
1 cup methylated spirits
1 teaspoon tea tree oil
2 teaspoons glycerine

Method:
Combine into a spray bottle, shake well.
Contributed by Alison Mikolaitis

Cooking with Wine

​Wine used in cooking can be frozen, recipes usually call for one cup of wine, so freeze in containers that hold one cup, defrost when required, NO more waste.
Contributed by Antoinette Nicastro

​Better Value Leather Cleaner

​After buying two new leather recliners the salesman then tried to add on a fancy leather cleaning kit, which I declined.  After some searching I found that a cake of saddle soap, for just $11.50 works a treat. Just wet a soft cloth, rub the saddle soap on and wipe, then wipe dry with a clean soft cloth. This can be used on any leather shoes, bag, car interiors, leather jackets. This one cake of soap has lasted two years so far, saving the cost of at least two cleaning kits , about $90.00.
Contributed by Julie ODea

A Simple Homemade Door Stop

​My husband and sons have been doing projects around the house. We have left over 2x4/2x6 pieces of timber. The wind keeps catching our screen door. My husband took two pieces of the scraps of wood and screwed down onto our porch as a door stop. Yay!! We have had to replace our outdoor light three times because of this door situation! This will save $ and time. 
Contributed by Angie Steele

​Cheaper Hand Sanitiser

​My chemist pointed out to me that ordinary methylated spirits from the hardware store is 95% ethanol. Hand sanitisers that work on the new COVID-19 virus must be 75% ethanol. The chemist dilutes methylated spirits with water to achieve the 75% ethanol. I have chosen to dilute with aloe vera for use on my hands when shopping, visiting the doctor, etc. Even now that commercial hand sanitisers have reappeared on shelves, the methylated spirits from the hardware store is cheaper, especially after the recommended dilution to 75%.
Contributed by DJ Runner

Use Sticky Labels Instead of Lint Roller

​I peel the labels off our plastic milk bottles. They are easy to remove and very sticky on the back. I have used them for so many things that I would otherwise use a lint roller for, plus more! 
Some of my uses are :
Removing fluff from clothing.
Remove dust from our cloth bedside light shades - just press label onto fabric and it lifts the dust off easily.
Pick up bit and pieces like crumbs, or pet hair etc. from the floor.
Very helpful for picking up tiny shards of glass if something falls onto the floor and shatters.
I even use them to reseal opened packets or bags going out in the rubbish to stop them falling open and making a mess.
Very useful and free!
Contributed by Kathy Staples