Your Cheapskates Club Newsletter 03:18
In this newsletter
1. Cath's Corner
2. In the Tip Store - $2 Shop Dryer Balls; Super Cheap Solar Hot Water; More Ways to Use Less Power and Save More Money
3. Cheapskate's Winning Tip - Keep Track of Text Books
4. Share Your Tips
5. On the Menu - How Much Should You Spend on Food?
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge with Wendy - Fridge Clean Out
7. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
8. Member's Featured Blog - Sort, File, Toss, Organize
9. Last Week's Question - Meal planning on a single pension
10. This Week's Question - How to beat the budget blues?
11. Ask Cath
12. Join the Cheapskates Club
13. Frequently Asked Questions
14. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
Why are you a Cheapskate?
I'm a Cheapskate so we can live the lifestyle of our dreams - one that doesn't include mountains of debt and stress, where we are time poor and work too hard and too long to enjoy the things we're working for. We live the Cheapskates way, so we have the cash to enjoy the things that are important to us; we ditched the unimportant stuff years ago, and life has never been better.
So, I'll ask again: why are you a Cheapskate? Think about it this week; take some time to decide what's important to you, and what you can ditch without feeling deprived. Then choose to live according to your terms - not someone else's and start enjoying your journey to frugality.
Have a great week everyone.
Happy Cheapskating,
Cath
PS: Love our site? We love referrals! Send a note to your favourite newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV stations, friends and relatives, and tell them about us!
2. From The Tip Store
$2 Shop Dryer Balls
I live in Far North Queensland so have to resort to using the clothes dryer in our wet season-to stop static on clothes I have 2 tennis balls in the dryer! It makes lots of noise so have to shut the door, but has saved on purchasing "dryer cloths" from the supermarket to do the same job! A win-win for my budget and the environment!
Contributed by Monique Moreno
Super Cheap Solar Hot Water
I bought, very cheaply, a camping shower. I now put it out during the day in the sunshine and do my dishes using the (very) hot water. If there is enough hot water left over, I bathe myself in a baby bathtub in the shower stall. I'm not that pongy, so I only need to wash myself once every two days.
Contributed by Leonie Edge
More Ways to Use Less Power and Save More Money
Most of us have already lessened our wastage of energy and installed energy efficient devices. What else can we do to save energy.... try turning off any heat emitting devices a few minutes before the cooking or drying time is up (i.e. turn off your oven / stove, hot plates, microwaves or dryers a few minutes earlier). For example, rather than boiling your potatoes for 25 minutes, turn off the hot plate after 20 minutes and use the retained heat within the pot and hot plate to finish off the cooking process. It takes a little bit of trial and error but consider what savings you can make over a year period by turning off your hot plates, oven, grill, microwave, dryer a few minutes earlier each day. Even if you only save 10 minutes of energy a day over a year that is over 60 hours less energy used! Also minimise the energy needed by choosing energy retaining cooking devices... thick / sturdy saucepans with lids, casserole dishes with lids for microwaving. Good luck in decreasing your energy bills!
Contributed by Ruth Sevil
There are currently more than 12,000 great tips in the Tip Store
3. Cheapskates Winning Tip
This week's winning tip is from Caroline C. Caroline has won a one year Platinum Cheapskates Club membership for submitting her winning tip.
Keep Track of Text Books
Even pre-owned text books are expensive, and it can be costly if any need replacing during the school year. Here is a way to minimise thefts or mix ups.
Simply label the front of the book BEFORE covering with contact to clearly identify the owner.
If you intend to sell the book later, then a more discreet label or a name written on page 3 or the bottom corner of the inside back cover can be used so as not to affect the appearance of the book but still affix a bright label to the contact on the front cover which can be peeled off later. Either way your child can be identified as the rightful owner if the book is found. It is surprising at our school's second-hand book store just how many books are not named.
Congratulations Caroline, I hope you enjoy your Cheapskates Club membership.
4. Submit Your Tip
The Cheapskate's Club website is over 3,000 pages of money saving hints, tips and ideas. Let's get together and make the Cheapskates Club Australia's largest online hint, tip and idea library. Share your favourite money saving, time saving or energy saving hint and be in the running to win a one-year membership to The Cheapskate Club. We publish a Winning Tip each Thursday, so enter your great money, time or energy saving idea now.
Share your favourite hint or tip that saves money, time and energy and be in the running to win a one-year subscription to The Cheapskate Journal.
Remember, you have to be in it to win it!
Submit your tip
5. On the Menu
How Much Should You Spend on Food?
This week I am answering a question from fellow Cheapskater. She writes "Mine is a different question. Your menu ideas are always so interesting and healthy, may I ask what your food budget is for each week? My creative thoughts get up and leave me sometimes and things cost more than I expect."
Right now, there are four adults in our house (Tom is overseas). In our Spending Plan we have $320 a month allocated to groceries. My aim this year is to spend $80 a month, or around $20 a week and put the excess into the grocery budget slush fund to re-stock and buy specials when they pop-up.
But normally I have the $320 a month to spend, so to stick to the it (because I love a challenge). I am strict when it comes to grocery shopping and rarely stray from my plan.
1. I always make a shopping list, complete with quantities, item price and total
,
2. I have a meal plan (which is flexible, but we stick to the ingredients if not the finished dish).
3. I buy in bulk whenever possible (meat, fruit and veg, tinned goods, dry goods, paper goods, cleaning supplies, toiletries etc.).
4. We have a vegetable garden and we eat from it. This goes a long way towards keeping the grocery bill down and us healthy.
5. I cook just about everything we eat from scratch - all baking, jams, pickles, drinks, sauces etc. The only tins I buy are tuna, salmon, tomato and chicken soups, baked beans and pineapple. I buy pasta. The only cleaning things I buy are dishwasher powder, dishwashing detergent, laundry soap, washing soda, vinegar, bicarb and eucalyptus oil.
6. I try to make one new recipe a fortnight. It helps to keep the menu interesting and gives me a challenge to find a new recipe that fits in our budget.
Your grocery budget will depend a lot on the size of your family, what you eat, where you live and shop and how much you can afford. I don't think saying a family of four should spend $XX on food is possible, there are too many variables. What is possible however is getting your grocery bill down to an amount you can afford and are comfortable with. Try trimming your grocery bill by 10% each time you shop until the family screams and has hissy fits about missing out and not having anything to eat, then up that amount by 10% and you've found your ideal grocery budget.
This week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Beef
Monday: Fish cakes, wedges, salad
Tuesday: Pasta bake, salad, garlic bread
Wednesday: Quiche, salad
Thursday: Moo Pizza
Friday: Australia Day BBQ
Saturday: Hamburgers
In the fruit bowl: watermelon, rock melon, bananas
In the cake tin: Vanilla slice, Lunchbox Cookies, Fruit Cakes
There are over 1,600 other great money saving meal ideas in the Recipe File.
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge with Wendy
Fridge Clean Out
Welcome to the food challenge everyone.
How did you go last week with the big freezer clean and sort out? Did you find any surprise packages? I did a quick tidy up of my freezers and although I didn't find any mystery packages, I came to realise that I have too much frozen food and my family needs to start eating some. So now I'm trying to write it into the menu plan. We are freezing corn from our garden and it's getting hard to find the room to store it.
This week's challenge is to have a quick wipe and sort out of the fridge. It's time to sort out all those sauces you have lurking in there. You know, the ones that are given at Christmas time in hampers. The ones you wouldn't normally buy but feel you have to use. I pulled out all the sauces the other day and got Darren to sort out what he wanted to keep. Thankfully he threw out five bottles. " Thankfully " you say!!! Yes, some of these sauces had been sitting there for a year and were not being used. I was glad to have space on the sauce shelf.
Give each of your shelves a good clean. I use Miracle Spray and a microfibre cloth and it does a fabulous job. Pull the contents of one shelf out at a time. Do you know what’s in each container? Check your expiry dates too. If you find items that have expired ask yourself these questions -
* Why did it expire?
* Does the family still like this item?
* Did I buy too many?
* Did I write it into the menu plan?
* Could it have been frozen before it went off?
* Should I buy this again?
I often compare my fridge to a train station. Food goes in and food goes out very quickly just like trains do. The longer the food stays in there the more likely it is to go off. I try to clean out my fridge once a week to keep on top of everything that's in there.
This week's challenge works in conjunction with the previous two weeks. Once you get this task done you'll have a really good idea of all the food in your house. Next week we'll get started on writing inventories.
Is anyone game to sort out their fridge?
Have a great week and BE ENCOURAGED!!!!!!
The $300 a Month Food Challenge
The Post that Started it All
7. Cheapskates Buzz
Most popular forum posts this week
Decluttering Tally Game 2018
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3692-Decluttering-Tally-Game-2018
Home Repair Kit
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?91-Home-repair-kit
Sunlight Soap/Laundry Soap
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3667-Sunlight-Soap-Laundry-Soap
Most popular blog posts this week
Trimming the Fat
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2013/11/trimming-fat.html
A Set of Good Spatulas
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2011/04/set-of-good-spatulas.html
Save Money Using Goals
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2014/10/save-money-using-goals.html
8. Members Featured Blog
Platinum Cheapskates Club members have their very own Cheapskating blogs, and they are wonderful and inspirational and encouraging and even funny. This week's featured blog is written by mumto5.
Sort, File, Toss, Organize
Week 2...woo!
Well, it appears that some things from previous savings revolutions are sticking. My handbag and wallet were already in tip top condition. My desk/office space...not so much!
I have a few piles of "need to be dealt with" and "need to be filed" and "what is this doing on my desk?!" so I guess I'll be busy next week! At least I know I already have all the tools/items I'll need to get the job done. The desk is usually pretty functional...it's just a total mess!
Hope everyone else is having a win so far on their journey.
Login to read more Cheapskates Club Member blogs
9. Last Week's Question
Last week's question was from Pauline who wrote
"My husband passed away three weeks before Christmas. I am now on a single disability pension and have no money left after his cremation etc. After I pay my bills I'm left with approximately $100 per fortnight for food. I do the majority of my shopping at Aldi, but I'm finding it hard to work out a meal plan to get me through. I don't have a computer and really don't know where to begin. I was hoping for your help."
Helen Smith answered
Most towns now have a food bank of sorts, all you need is your pension card (or equivalent) and you can get a box or trolley of groceries (very good quality) for a very small amount of money. Don't feel bad about using these sorts of services as they are there for people in exactly your sort of circumstance and can also lead you to any other services you made need i.e. electricity, rent, water etc. Also look for free financial advice about budgeting etc. First for meal planning, do an inventory of your fridge, freezer, pantry and see what meals you can make from them; you don't need a computer or anything fancy, scrap paper will do. Then just list what you'll have each day according to your inventory, more than likely you'll just need to shop for a few basics. You don't need to do lunches or breakfast as they are relatively easy, just do your main meal. You don't need meat every night, pasta dishes can be cheap and very filling; nothing wrong with toasted sandwiches or scrambled eggs either. Please reach out and ask for help (local churches, St Vincent's, Salvos, local council, library etc. are a good place to start) until you can get back on your feet, at this time going it alone with all the stress isn't the way to go. Once again please reach out, you needn't be alone in this, get some support.
Clive Ward answered
Go to the shops early and check on the reductions. Bread is reduced by the merchandisers and still has plenty of use left; as you are on your own freeze it, it will last for ages. Look at the meat department and purchase joints which you can cut up into steaks. This will allow you to pick your own size serve. Veggies are also sold cheaply, but they must be used quickly. From now on purchase all your clothes from the op shops, you would be surprised by the bargains you can get.
Keep a keen eye on the petrol prices and only fill up when the price is low (ours went up by 25 cents yesterday). Cook extra meals and freeze them. You only have to cook once, don't lose the microwave as this is your best tool. Use public transport where possible more savings, especially if you have a concession pass.
Vanessa Reynolds answered
I would be making an appointment with Centrelink to ensure that everything possible is available to you. For example, there are discounts for pensioners on all utility bills, and a system called Centrepay to have payments taken out of your pension fortnightly for these bills. This makes it easier to budget for those bills. As well, did you get the funeral assistance that pensioners can get from Centrelink - a one-off payment? Finally, are there any food co-ops in your neighbourhood? Food co-ops can be a very cost-effective way of buying your groceries.
10. This Week's Question
Sam writes
"I have been reading the newsletters for years now, and have owned all Cath's books since we were engaged (they were a gift from my sister). I am a 27-year-old wife and mother of two small boys. We are paying off our home, and I work full-time to help with this. My question is how do you keep yourself out of the horrible pit of despair and sadness that sometimes people find themselves in while going through financial struggles? I am trying my best to get my family out of this mess, but the guilt and sadness are eating away at me. Thank you."
Do you have the answer?
If you can help Sam let us know. We'll enter your answer into our Tip of the Week competition, with a one-year membership to the Cheapskates Club as the prize too.
Send your answer
11. Ask Cath
We have lots of resources to help you as you live the Cheapskates way but if you didn't find the answer to your question in our extensive archives please just drop me a note with your question.
I read and answer all questions, either in an email to you, in my weekly newsletter, the monthly Journal or by creating blog posts and other resources to help you (and other Cheapskaters).
Ask Your Question
12. Join the Cheapskates Club
For just 10 cents a day you can join the Cheapskates Club and get exclusive access to the Cheapskate Journal, the monthly e-journal that shows you how to cut the costs of everyday living and still have fun.
Joining the Cheapskates Club gives you 24/7 access to the Members Centre with 1000's of money saving tips and articles.
Click here to join the Cheapskates Club today!
13. Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change my email address?
This one is easy. Members can update their email address or any other details by clicking on "Edit Profile" directly under their membership number after they have logged in to the Member's Centre. Subscribers to our free newsletter can use the Change Your Address form (under Customer Service in the menu) and fill it out. Once you've filled it in click the send button and we'll do the rest. Please remember to include your old email address so we can find it in the list as well as the new one.
How do I know when my membership should be renewed?
When you login to the Member's Centre you will be told how many days of membership you have left once you have 30 days left. Just click on the link to renew and your membership will just continue on, uninterrupted.
What will you do with my email address?
We never rent, trade or sell our email list to anyone for any reason whatsoever. You'll never get an unsolicited email from a stranger as a result of joining this list.
How Did You Get on Our List?
You signed up to receive our Free Newsletter at our Cheapskates Club Web site or are a Platinum Cheapskates Club member
14. Contact Details
The Cheapskates Club -
Showing you how to live life
debt free, cashed up and laughing!
1. Cath's Corner
2. In the Tip Store - $2 Shop Dryer Balls; Super Cheap Solar Hot Water; More Ways to Use Less Power and Save More Money
3. Cheapskate's Winning Tip - Keep Track of Text Books
4. Share Your Tips
5. On the Menu - How Much Should You Spend on Food?
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge with Wendy - Fridge Clean Out
7. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
8. Member's Featured Blog - Sort, File, Toss, Organize
9. Last Week's Question - Meal planning on a single pension
10. This Week's Question - How to beat the budget blues?
11. Ask Cath
12. Join the Cheapskates Club
13. Frequently Asked Questions
14. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
Why are you a Cheapskate?
I'm a Cheapskate so we can live the lifestyle of our dreams - one that doesn't include mountains of debt and stress, where we are time poor and work too hard and too long to enjoy the things we're working for. We live the Cheapskates way, so we have the cash to enjoy the things that are important to us; we ditched the unimportant stuff years ago, and life has never been better.
So, I'll ask again: why are you a Cheapskate? Think about it this week; take some time to decide what's important to you, and what you can ditch without feeling deprived. Then choose to live according to your terms - not someone else's and start enjoying your journey to frugality.
Have a great week everyone.
Happy Cheapskating,
Cath
PS: Love our site? We love referrals! Send a note to your favourite newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV stations, friends and relatives, and tell them about us!
2. From The Tip Store
$2 Shop Dryer Balls
I live in Far North Queensland so have to resort to using the clothes dryer in our wet season-to stop static on clothes I have 2 tennis balls in the dryer! It makes lots of noise so have to shut the door, but has saved on purchasing "dryer cloths" from the supermarket to do the same job! A win-win for my budget and the environment!
Contributed by Monique Moreno
Super Cheap Solar Hot Water
I bought, very cheaply, a camping shower. I now put it out during the day in the sunshine and do my dishes using the (very) hot water. If there is enough hot water left over, I bathe myself in a baby bathtub in the shower stall. I'm not that pongy, so I only need to wash myself once every two days.
Contributed by Leonie Edge
More Ways to Use Less Power and Save More Money
Most of us have already lessened our wastage of energy and installed energy efficient devices. What else can we do to save energy.... try turning off any heat emitting devices a few minutes before the cooking or drying time is up (i.e. turn off your oven / stove, hot plates, microwaves or dryers a few minutes earlier). For example, rather than boiling your potatoes for 25 minutes, turn off the hot plate after 20 minutes and use the retained heat within the pot and hot plate to finish off the cooking process. It takes a little bit of trial and error but consider what savings you can make over a year period by turning off your hot plates, oven, grill, microwave, dryer a few minutes earlier each day. Even if you only save 10 minutes of energy a day over a year that is over 60 hours less energy used! Also minimise the energy needed by choosing energy retaining cooking devices... thick / sturdy saucepans with lids, casserole dishes with lids for microwaving. Good luck in decreasing your energy bills!
Contributed by Ruth Sevil
There are currently more than 12,000 great tips in the Tip Store
3. Cheapskates Winning Tip
This week's winning tip is from Caroline C. Caroline has won a one year Platinum Cheapskates Club membership for submitting her winning tip.
Keep Track of Text Books
Even pre-owned text books are expensive, and it can be costly if any need replacing during the school year. Here is a way to minimise thefts or mix ups.
Simply label the front of the book BEFORE covering with contact to clearly identify the owner.
If you intend to sell the book later, then a more discreet label or a name written on page 3 or the bottom corner of the inside back cover can be used so as not to affect the appearance of the book but still affix a bright label to the contact on the front cover which can be peeled off later. Either way your child can be identified as the rightful owner if the book is found. It is surprising at our school's second-hand book store just how many books are not named.
Congratulations Caroline, I hope you enjoy your Cheapskates Club membership.
4. Submit Your Tip
The Cheapskate's Club website is over 3,000 pages of money saving hints, tips and ideas. Let's get together and make the Cheapskates Club Australia's largest online hint, tip and idea library. Share your favourite money saving, time saving or energy saving hint and be in the running to win a one-year membership to The Cheapskate Club. We publish a Winning Tip each Thursday, so enter your great money, time or energy saving idea now.
Share your favourite hint or tip that saves money, time and energy and be in the running to win a one-year subscription to The Cheapskate Journal.
Remember, you have to be in it to win it!
Submit your tip
5. On the Menu
How Much Should You Spend on Food?
This week I am answering a question from fellow Cheapskater. She writes "Mine is a different question. Your menu ideas are always so interesting and healthy, may I ask what your food budget is for each week? My creative thoughts get up and leave me sometimes and things cost more than I expect."
Right now, there are four adults in our house (Tom is overseas). In our Spending Plan we have $320 a month allocated to groceries. My aim this year is to spend $80 a month, or around $20 a week and put the excess into the grocery budget slush fund to re-stock and buy specials when they pop-up.
But normally I have the $320 a month to spend, so to stick to the it (because I love a challenge). I am strict when it comes to grocery shopping and rarely stray from my plan.
1. I always make a shopping list, complete with quantities, item price and total
,
2. I have a meal plan (which is flexible, but we stick to the ingredients if not the finished dish).
3. I buy in bulk whenever possible (meat, fruit and veg, tinned goods, dry goods, paper goods, cleaning supplies, toiletries etc.).
4. We have a vegetable garden and we eat from it. This goes a long way towards keeping the grocery bill down and us healthy.
5. I cook just about everything we eat from scratch - all baking, jams, pickles, drinks, sauces etc. The only tins I buy are tuna, salmon, tomato and chicken soups, baked beans and pineapple. I buy pasta. The only cleaning things I buy are dishwasher powder, dishwashing detergent, laundry soap, washing soda, vinegar, bicarb and eucalyptus oil.
6. I try to make one new recipe a fortnight. It helps to keep the menu interesting and gives me a challenge to find a new recipe that fits in our budget.
Your grocery budget will depend a lot on the size of your family, what you eat, where you live and shop and how much you can afford. I don't think saying a family of four should spend $XX on food is possible, there are too many variables. What is possible however is getting your grocery bill down to an amount you can afford and are comfortable with. Try trimming your grocery bill by 10% each time you shop until the family screams and has hissy fits about missing out and not having anything to eat, then up that amount by 10% and you've found your ideal grocery budget.
This week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Beef
Monday: Fish cakes, wedges, salad
Tuesday: Pasta bake, salad, garlic bread
Wednesday: Quiche, salad
Thursday: Moo Pizza
Friday: Australia Day BBQ
Saturday: Hamburgers
In the fruit bowl: watermelon, rock melon, bananas
In the cake tin: Vanilla slice, Lunchbox Cookies, Fruit Cakes
There are over 1,600 other great money saving meal ideas in the Recipe File.
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge with Wendy
Fridge Clean Out
Welcome to the food challenge everyone.
How did you go last week with the big freezer clean and sort out? Did you find any surprise packages? I did a quick tidy up of my freezers and although I didn't find any mystery packages, I came to realise that I have too much frozen food and my family needs to start eating some. So now I'm trying to write it into the menu plan. We are freezing corn from our garden and it's getting hard to find the room to store it.
This week's challenge is to have a quick wipe and sort out of the fridge. It's time to sort out all those sauces you have lurking in there. You know, the ones that are given at Christmas time in hampers. The ones you wouldn't normally buy but feel you have to use. I pulled out all the sauces the other day and got Darren to sort out what he wanted to keep. Thankfully he threw out five bottles. " Thankfully " you say!!! Yes, some of these sauces had been sitting there for a year and were not being used. I was glad to have space on the sauce shelf.
Give each of your shelves a good clean. I use Miracle Spray and a microfibre cloth and it does a fabulous job. Pull the contents of one shelf out at a time. Do you know what’s in each container? Check your expiry dates too. If you find items that have expired ask yourself these questions -
* Why did it expire?
* Does the family still like this item?
* Did I buy too many?
* Did I write it into the menu plan?
* Could it have been frozen before it went off?
* Should I buy this again?
I often compare my fridge to a train station. Food goes in and food goes out very quickly just like trains do. The longer the food stays in there the more likely it is to go off. I try to clean out my fridge once a week to keep on top of everything that's in there.
This week's challenge works in conjunction with the previous two weeks. Once you get this task done you'll have a really good idea of all the food in your house. Next week we'll get started on writing inventories.
Is anyone game to sort out their fridge?
Have a great week and BE ENCOURAGED!!!!!!
The $300 a Month Food Challenge
The Post that Started it All
7. Cheapskates Buzz
Most popular forum posts this week
Decluttering Tally Game 2018
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3692-Decluttering-Tally-Game-2018
Home Repair Kit
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?91-Home-repair-kit
Sunlight Soap/Laundry Soap
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3667-Sunlight-Soap-Laundry-Soap
Most popular blog posts this week
Trimming the Fat
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2013/11/trimming-fat.html
A Set of Good Spatulas
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2011/04/set-of-good-spatulas.html
Save Money Using Goals
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2014/10/save-money-using-goals.html
8. Members Featured Blog
Platinum Cheapskates Club members have their very own Cheapskating blogs, and they are wonderful and inspirational and encouraging and even funny. This week's featured blog is written by mumto5.
Sort, File, Toss, Organize
Week 2...woo!
Well, it appears that some things from previous savings revolutions are sticking. My handbag and wallet were already in tip top condition. My desk/office space...not so much!
I have a few piles of "need to be dealt with" and "need to be filed" and "what is this doing on my desk?!" so I guess I'll be busy next week! At least I know I already have all the tools/items I'll need to get the job done. The desk is usually pretty functional...it's just a total mess!
Hope everyone else is having a win so far on their journey.
Login to read more Cheapskates Club Member blogs
9. Last Week's Question
Last week's question was from Pauline who wrote
"My husband passed away three weeks before Christmas. I am now on a single disability pension and have no money left after his cremation etc. After I pay my bills I'm left with approximately $100 per fortnight for food. I do the majority of my shopping at Aldi, but I'm finding it hard to work out a meal plan to get me through. I don't have a computer and really don't know where to begin. I was hoping for your help."
Helen Smith answered
Most towns now have a food bank of sorts, all you need is your pension card (or equivalent) and you can get a box or trolley of groceries (very good quality) for a very small amount of money. Don't feel bad about using these sorts of services as they are there for people in exactly your sort of circumstance and can also lead you to any other services you made need i.e. electricity, rent, water etc. Also look for free financial advice about budgeting etc. First for meal planning, do an inventory of your fridge, freezer, pantry and see what meals you can make from them; you don't need a computer or anything fancy, scrap paper will do. Then just list what you'll have each day according to your inventory, more than likely you'll just need to shop for a few basics. You don't need to do lunches or breakfast as they are relatively easy, just do your main meal. You don't need meat every night, pasta dishes can be cheap and very filling; nothing wrong with toasted sandwiches or scrambled eggs either. Please reach out and ask for help (local churches, St Vincent's, Salvos, local council, library etc. are a good place to start) until you can get back on your feet, at this time going it alone with all the stress isn't the way to go. Once again please reach out, you needn't be alone in this, get some support.
Clive Ward answered
Go to the shops early and check on the reductions. Bread is reduced by the merchandisers and still has plenty of use left; as you are on your own freeze it, it will last for ages. Look at the meat department and purchase joints which you can cut up into steaks. This will allow you to pick your own size serve. Veggies are also sold cheaply, but they must be used quickly. From now on purchase all your clothes from the op shops, you would be surprised by the bargains you can get.
Keep a keen eye on the petrol prices and only fill up when the price is low (ours went up by 25 cents yesterday). Cook extra meals and freeze them. You only have to cook once, don't lose the microwave as this is your best tool. Use public transport where possible more savings, especially if you have a concession pass.
Vanessa Reynolds answered
I would be making an appointment with Centrelink to ensure that everything possible is available to you. For example, there are discounts for pensioners on all utility bills, and a system called Centrepay to have payments taken out of your pension fortnightly for these bills. This makes it easier to budget for those bills. As well, did you get the funeral assistance that pensioners can get from Centrelink - a one-off payment? Finally, are there any food co-ops in your neighbourhood? Food co-ops can be a very cost-effective way of buying your groceries.
10. This Week's Question
Sam writes
"I have been reading the newsletters for years now, and have owned all Cath's books since we were engaged (they were a gift from my sister). I am a 27-year-old wife and mother of two small boys. We are paying off our home, and I work full-time to help with this. My question is how do you keep yourself out of the horrible pit of despair and sadness that sometimes people find themselves in while going through financial struggles? I am trying my best to get my family out of this mess, but the guilt and sadness are eating away at me. Thank you."
Do you have the answer?
If you can help Sam let us know. We'll enter your answer into our Tip of the Week competition, with a one-year membership to the Cheapskates Club as the prize too.
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11. Ask Cath
We have lots of resources to help you as you live the Cheapskates way but if you didn't find the answer to your question in our extensive archives please just drop me a note with your question.
I read and answer all questions, either in an email to you, in my weekly newsletter, the monthly Journal or by creating blog posts and other resources to help you (and other Cheapskaters).
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12. Join the Cheapskates Club
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Joining the Cheapskates Club gives you 24/7 access to the Members Centre with 1000's of money saving tips and articles.
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14. Contact Details
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