Ingredients:
500g strawberries, washed, hulled, chopped
1 cup white sugar
1 large lemon, juiced

Method:
Place strawberries into a 3-litre capacity heatproof microwave-safe bowl (such as Pyrex). Add sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Microwave, uncovered, for 4 minutes on High/100%. Stir to dissolve the sugar.  Microwave for a further 15 minutes on High/100%, (jam should still be a little runny) or until jam reaches setting point. (see note). Spoon hot jam into hot sterilised jars. Seal. Turn jars upside down for 2 minutes. Turn upright and allow to cool. Once opened, store in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Note:  To test jam: before starting the cooking process place two saucers in the freezer. After 15 minutes, take one sauce from the freezer and pour a teaspoon of jam onto the saucer. If the jam sets and stays when the saucer is turned upside down then it is set. If not cook in 5 minutes bursts, checking each time, until setting point is reached.

Pretty cups and saucers can be used for more than just afternoon tea. This candle in a tea cup is gorgeous, and cost almost nothing to make.

I used a 50 cent cup and saucer from my favourite Op Shop, a candle we already had that was a little out of shape, a length of cotton string from the kitchen drawer and a few drops of lavender essential oil to scent it.

They are quick to make too, about 15 minutes all up. This candle cost me 50 cents. I saw a similar thing at Coles yesterday, in their Mother's Day display, for $11!
A Candle in a Tea CupYou will need:
1 tea cup and saucer
2 or 3 coloured candles
Cotton string (or a candlewick if you have one)
Your favourite essential oil
Hot glue gun
An old fruit tin or similar for melting the candles
A large saucepan

Step 1. Using your hot glue gun, glue the cup to the saucer.

Step 2. Break your candles into smallish pieces. Put them in the fruit tin. Fruit tins are ideal for this step as you can throw them away when you are finished. If you do use a saucepan, don't use one of your favourites or you'll be cleaning it for ages. Wax is very difficult to remove completely. Use a fruit tin and avoid the stress (and the work).

Step 3. Sit the fruit tin in a large saucepan. Fill it with water to about half way up the side of the fruit tin. Bring the pot of water to the boil, all the while stirring the melting candles. Once the water is boiling, turn it down to a simmer. Continue to stir the candles as they melt.

Step 4. Cut a length of string twice the height of your cup. Dip the string into the melted wax a couple of times to stiffen it.

Step 5. Carefully pour a tiny blob of melted wax into the bottom of the tea cup. Stick one end of the wick to the bottom of the cup.

Step 6. Holding the wick straight (you might need someone to help you here) fill the cup to the brim with the melted wax. As the wax cools it will form a slight dip in the centre. Melt any remaining wax and fill the dip.

Add embellishments to the rim of the cup, the handle and/or the saucer if you wish to.

We call this Almost Instant Fudge because it's really quick to make and has just two ingredients - yes, just two ingredients.

To present this as a gift I like to repurpose a gift box or a pretty jar. Just recently I picked up Moccona jars for 50 cents each from the op shop, and they are perfect for packaging treats, including fudge and even Grandma's Shortbread

Almost Instant Fudge
Ingredients:
2 packets choc melts
1 tin condensed milk

Method: 
Combine the choc melts and the condensed milk in a microwave safe bowl.

Cook on HIGH in 30 second bursts, stirring between each burst, until the chocolate has melted and is completely mixed into the condensed milk.

Pour into a well buttered 20cm square pan. Let set about 10 minutes, then carefully mark into squares. Place in the fridge to set completely.

You can add chopped nuts or dried fruit to the fudge after cooking.

You can also trim the cost by using MOO Condensed Milk.

I buy choc melts on sale all year round and keep them in the freezer ready to use.

This hamper comes complete with the ingredients for MOO Pancake Syrup, MOO Hotcakes and the tip sheets with full recipes in a neat gift hamper making it portable, the ideal gift for the family heading off on holidays.

Cheapskates Hotcakes Hamper
You will need:
Mum's Secret Hotcakes & Moo Pancake Syrup Tip Sheet
Large paper lunch bags
2  x ziplock sandwich bags
1 x 250ml glass bottle with a leak-proof stopper (an old mint sauce bottle is good)
2 cups SR flour
1/4 cup milk powder (skim or full cream)
2 tsp sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
Optional - cast iron pancake pan - from specialty stores, around $5

Instructions:
Print the tip sheets.

Mix the SR flour, powdered milk and sugar together and put into a ziplock bag and label "Hotcake Mix".

Place the brown sugar and vanilla sugar into another ziplock bag and label "Pancake Syrup Mix".

Decorate the front of one paper bag with "Hotcake Mix" and another with "Pancake Syrup".

Decorate a third paper bag with the words "Cheapskates Hotcakes Hamper".

Place the hotcake mix and the pancake mix into this bag along with the small glass bottle.

Fold the tip sheet and slip into the paper bag.

Fold the top of the bag over and staple shut.

Attach a gift tag.

This shortbread makes a wonderful gift, on its own in a pretty box or on a nice plate, or teamed with a special tea or coffee and a nice cup and saucer. It's also gender neutral - anyone can enjoy homemade shortbread.

Grandma's Shortbread - $3.55
Ingredients:
250g butter $2.50
1/2 cup castor sugar 25c
1-1/2 cups plain flour 30c
2/3 cup rice flour 50c

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Sift flours together.
Using fingertips gradually work flours into butter mixture until combined.
Knead on a floured surface until smooth.
Roll out to about 2cm thick.
Cut into circles or fingers.
Put on buttered trays. Sprinkle with castor sugar if wanted. Prick top of biscuits with a fork.
Bake until firm and light golden around edges, about 15 - 20 minutes.
Cool on cake rack.
Store in airtight container.

This is no ordinary run 'o the mill hamper - this is a Cheapskates Style Cleaning Hamper - the best gift ever for the practical people on your gift list.

It will come in at under $20.

Cleaning Hamper - $16.10
You will need:
1 plastic bucket - 80c
Laundry soap - $2.00
Washing soda - $4.00
Borax - $4.10
White vinegar $1.20
1 packet microfibre cleaning cloths $4.00
Cleaning Tips Grandma Used
Cheapskates Washing Powder

Print Tip Sheet. Pack all the items into the bucket, wrap with cellophane and tie in a bow with ribbon.

You should find all the items at your local supermarket, but if you have time, you'll do better on prices for the microfibre cloths at $2 shops or even a hardware store.

For the laundry soap, generic or store brand is fine. A box of four cakes is around $2.20, and you'll find it in the laundry aisle, usually towards the bottom of the shelves.

Washing soda (or sodium carbonate) is from the laundry aisle. The common brand name is Lectric Soda, it's in a white packet with red writing on it. You may need to search for it, but it will be there.

Borax is the mystery item on this list. Not all supermarkets keep it on the shelf, both my local Coles and Woolworths do, but you need to search for it. It's in the cleaning aisle, towards the pest control section. If you can't find it at the supermarket, don't despair. You'll get it at a hardware store, and definitely at Bunnings. At Coles the brand is Bare Essentials, in a white tub with a pink lid.

For the microfibre cloths, if you have the time to zip into your favourite $2 shop, they'll be much cheaper than at the supermarket. If you're pressed for time, check the prices at the supermarket before you toss them in the trolley. Coles sell a pack of three - dusting, glass and kitchen - for $4, Simply Clean. And they're labelled so you know what their use is.

Creative Cheapskater Michelle is on a winner with these unique handmade Christmas gifts.

Approximate $ Savings:     $20 per child 
   
This Christmas, I plan on creating gingerbread house kits for my primary school age nieces and nephews. Using information from marthastewart.com, I've created a cardboard mock-up of their grandfather's shed. I then used the cardboard pieces to cut gingerbread dough to size. I baked the gingerbread and will now build and decorate the shed. I'll then take a photo of the final product and put that, with the cooked gingerbread slabs, decorating lollies and the ingredients for the icing 'glue' in a box. They can then have full assembling and eating their own gingerbread shed. Choose a simple structure (like a shed), rather than the traditional peaked roof gingerbread house as assembling a gingerbread house takes some skill. I'm even going to put a toy tractor in the box that they can park in the shed.