Your Cheapskates Club Newsletter 07:18
In this Newsletter
1. Cath's Corner
2. In the Tip Store - Better Butter Substitute; Cheapskates Style Laptop Raiser; Free Birthday Treats for the Taking
3. Cheapskate's Winning Tip - Use Facebook Groups to Give and Receive
4. Share Your Tips
5. On the Menu - Sweet and Sour Chicken
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Of Course You can Feed Your Family for $300 a Month!
7. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
8. Last Week's Question - Is there a way to revamp my chairs?
9. This Week's Question - Travel tips for adventurous seniors
10. Ask Cath
11. Join the Cheapskates Club
12. Frequently Asked Questions
13. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
How is your No Spending Month going? I'll confess mine has been hit and miss (last week was more miss than hit!). We've had a couple of unexpected, rather large, medical bills to pay (thank goodness we deliberately save for medical expenses) and I bought some materials that while not strictly necessary right now, would be soon. They were marked down 70%, so a considerable saving and so I bought them.
On the other hand, the grocery bill is lower because we're using what we have, and the petrol bill is much lower, because I'm really thinking about driving and making sure every trip counts.
The savings are adding up, and our plan is to shift them to our holiday fund. Do you have a plan for the money you are saving during No Spending Month? When you have a plan or a goal and seeing your savings grow makes not spending so much easier and a lot more fun. If you don't have a goal for the money you're not spending this month, think about it this week, and see if it doesn't make No Spending Month easier (trust me, it will).
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
Better Butter Substitute
I have found I am intolerant of dairy and struggle when making cakes and slices that require butter. I don't like using margarine and other butter substitutes are expensive.
I buy Aldi lite olive oil ($5 plus per litre) and substitute in all my baking recipes needing butter etc. Lite olive oil is basically tasteless and only alters the texture marginally. I cook using a recipe only as a guideline. The amount of olive oil is less than butter. You need to watch the baking doesn't burn.
Butter or Margarine to Olive Oil Conversion for Baking
Butter/Margarine = Olive Oil
1 tablespoon = 2-1/4 teaspoons
2 tablespoons = 1-1/2 tablespoons
1/4 cup = 3 tablespoons
1/3 cup = 1/4 cup
And I don't cream any of my cakes or slices - I just add the sugar and oil, mix really well and continue from there. Even the boys don't know the difference!
Contributed by Sally Coverdale
Cheapskates Style Laptop Raiser
Laptop raisers can be a great tool to keep you from hunching over your computer, but I found them very expensive. I bought a cheap pantry organiser with the intention to make more room in my pantry and instead found it made a great laptop stand - it gives my laptop plenty of ventilation, it's at a great height and was a fraction of the cost of an expensive laptop raiser.
Contributed by Kate Bradshaw
Free Birthday Treats for the Taking
I have a birthday this week and have received quite a few birthday treats, just from signing up with various food outlets. It's free to do so and you are not induced with emails or have your details or contact lists provided to others. Some of the treats I have received are from:
Baskin Robbins- a single scoop of ice-cream
Fergusons Plarre- $3 voucher to spend as I wish
Salsas - a burrito
Windows on the Bay - free main meal (don't have to purchase anything else)
Muffin Break- free muffin
Paladar Thai- free main meal (don't have to purchase anything else).
The offers come via an email and you simply print out the voucher. While I don't usually have the means to regularly purchase goods from these outlets I certainly do if I require something they provide. I appreciate and look forward to my treats for my birthday every year.
Contributed by Carol Woolcock
There are currently more than 12,000 great tips in the Tip Store
3. Cheapskates Winning Tip
This week's winning tip is from Jon Dacon. Jon has won a one year Platinum Cheapskates Club membership for submitting a winning tip.
Use Facebook Groups to Give and Receive
There are many new Facebook groups in suburbs all over Australia that are available. Unwanted new and second-hand goods can be posted on these FB pages and given away, and you can ask to be considered for other’s gifts. No money is exchanged (unlike Buy and Sell groups on FB) and you really should not take the items if you are not going to use them. You can even ask for something you are looking out for. Search for “Buy Nothing” and “Pay it Forward” groups in your area and join them. If you don’t see them on Facebook, look into creating them for your area. All these groups have volunteer admins who monitor these pages for serial con artists who take and sell or begging. It is a great way to share, meet neighbours, and save money. You can also swap and barter skills in some groups. As always, you have to be careful of giving personal details in your posts and use private messenger to communicate pickup details.
Congratulations Jon, I hope you enjoy your Cheapskates Club membership.
The Cheapskate's Club website is over 2,000 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.
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
Sweet and Sour Chicken
This dish is very easy, can be made ahead and the chicken part freezes well.
Ingredients:
1 whole fresh chicken
1 large onion cut Chinese style in eights
1 Lebanese cucumber skin on sliced
2 medium carrots julienned
1 celery stick sliced
1 400gm tin diced tomatoes and juice
1 400 gm tin pineapple pieces and juice
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup sugar
Cornflour for thickening
Method:
Place chicken in large saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer 1 hour. While that is cooking, in a large frying pan, sauté your onions. Then add all the vegetables, tin of tomatoes and pineapple with juices, cup of vinegar and sugar. Mix well and simmer with lid on till chicken is cooked. You can thicken the sauce with a tablespoon of cornflour mixed with a little cold water and stir through sauce. Take all the meat off the chicken reserving some nice pieces to put on top. Mix all the other chicken through the sauce. Place into an oven proof serving casserole. Lay good pieces on the top and spoon a little sauce over to keep them moist. Place into your oven and leave until re-heat for your meal, same day. Serve with fried rice and peas. I pick up fried rice from the store, but you can make your own. A very colourful dish on the plate.
This week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Beef
Monday: Sausage Wellingtons & veg
Tuesday: Vegeballs & spaghetti
Wednesday: Sweet & Sour chicken, fried rice
Thursday: Moo Pizza
Friday: Rissoles, salad
Saturday: Tacos
In the fruit bowl: bananas, grapes
There are over 1,600 other great money saving meal ideas in the Recipe File.
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge
Of Course You can Feed Your Family for $300 a Month!
The $300 a month food challenge has been going for over seven years now. Many Cheapskating families have adjusted the way they tackle groceries and the result has been slashed grocery budgets all over the country.
But every week, without fail, I get emails from Cheapskaters who insist they could not possibly get their grocery bill any lower, and certainly not down to $300.
Of course they can, and you can too, if you really want to. Now remember the $300 is for a family of four. Increase (or decrease) the amount by $75 for each additional person in your family i.e. a family of six would have a grocery budget of $450 a month.
Before you decide it's just too hard remember that the grocery bill is really the only portion of your Spending Plan that you have complete and utter control over. You alone decide how much is spent every time you do the shopping.
The easiest way to reduce your grocery bill is to cut out convenience foods. Go and get your last grocery receipt and a highlighter. Go through that list and highlight every convenience product you bought.
Convenience products are:
You get the idea. When you've finished highlighting, add up the cost of all those "convenience" groceries. Is it scary? If you are spending more than $300 a month for groceries it probably is.
All the items I've listed above can be made easily and very cheaply at home as MOOs (and now is a great time to start this challenge, next month is MOO Month and there'll be a lot of new MOOs coming up). That means you don't need to buy them. And regardless of what you've been brainwashed into thinking:
You can start reducing your grocery bill right now by keeping those things off your shopping list and out of your trolley.
Instead make use of the recipes and instructions for the dozens of MOOs in the Member's Centre.
You'll be saving money, time and energy and doing your bit to keep our world in tip top shape too.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge
The Post that Started it All
7. Cheapskates Buzz
Most popular forum posts this week
Electric Preserver
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3716-Electric-Preserver
The Stash 2018
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3691-The-Stash-2018
The 2018 No Spending Month Challenge
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3712-The-2018-No-Spending-Month-Challenge
Most popular blog posts this week
The Bare Bones Grocery Challenge Week 1
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2017/04/the-bare-bones-grocery-challenge-week-1.html
Organizing Your Food
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2015/08/organizing-your-food.html
Keeping Your Cool Over Lettuce
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2012/02/keeping-your-cool-over-lettuce.html
8. Last Week's Question
Last week's question was from Kate who wrote
"I bought four outdoor chairs a few years ago but, being constantly in the sun, the material has weakened and ripped so no longer usable. These chairs have a metal frame which is in perfect condition, so I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to recycle the frames to make new chairs or somehow change over the material that has torn? It would be a shame to take them to the tip if they could be made like new again and save me buying new chairs."
Jenny Sabine answered
Can you carefully cut the old torn fabric off the frame and use it as a pattern to cut out new pieces from heavy canvas after you have first neatened the edges? You could punch holes along the edges and thread rope or cord through the holes to attach it to the framework of the chairs. I have done this on the past and it worked very well.
Helen Fenton
I come from a family that believed in make it yourself, mend it, remake it or do without. I suggest that if you can deconstruct carefully one of the existing seats and lay it out carefully to use as a pattern to sew a new seat. Ask your butcher for some sheets of butchers’ paper to use to make your pattern. Get some calico or an old sheet to cut up as your test pattern. Try it out and fit it onto the frame. If it's successful buy a tougher more expensive material at Bunnings or at a marine supply store. Of you go and the best of luck to you.
Helen Fenton
I come from a family that believed in make it yourself, mend it, remake it or do without. I suggest that if you can deconstruct carefully one of the existing seats and lay it out carefully to use as a pattern to sew a new seat. Ask your butcher for some sheets of butchers’ paper to use to make your pattern. Get some calico or an old sheet to cut up as your test pattern. Try it out and fit it onto the frame. If it's successful buy a tougher more expensive material at Bunnings or at a marine supply store. Of you go and the best of luck to you.
9. This Week's Question
Kath writes
"My husband and I are going on a trip to Italy at the end of this year. If any Cheapskates have been to Italy could you please send me any good travel ideas, e.g. train, bus, accommodation etc. and which are the best places to go without spending too much money. We are both fit 78-year-olds. Thank you."
What an amazing trip Kath and her husband are planning. If you have a suggestion or idea for them 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
10. 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
11. 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!
12. 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
13. Contact Details
The Cheapskates Club -
Showing you how to live life
debt free, cashed up and laughing!
Contact Us
1. Cath's Corner
2. In the Tip Store - Better Butter Substitute; Cheapskates Style Laptop Raiser; Free Birthday Treats for the Taking
3. Cheapskate's Winning Tip - Use Facebook Groups to Give and Receive
4. Share Your Tips
5. On the Menu - Sweet and Sour Chicken
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Of Course You can Feed Your Family for $300 a Month!
7. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
8. Last Week's Question - Is there a way to revamp my chairs?
9. This Week's Question - Travel tips for adventurous seniors
10. Ask Cath
11. Join the Cheapskates Club
12. Frequently Asked Questions
13. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
How is your No Spending Month going? I'll confess mine has been hit and miss (last week was more miss than hit!). We've had a couple of unexpected, rather large, medical bills to pay (thank goodness we deliberately save for medical expenses) and I bought some materials that while not strictly necessary right now, would be soon. They were marked down 70%, so a considerable saving and so I bought them.
On the other hand, the grocery bill is lower because we're using what we have, and the petrol bill is much lower, because I'm really thinking about driving and making sure every trip counts.
The savings are adding up, and our plan is to shift them to our holiday fund. Do you have a plan for the money you are saving during No Spending Month? When you have a plan or a goal and seeing your savings grow makes not spending so much easier and a lot more fun. If you don't have a goal for the money you're not spending this month, think about it this week, and see if it doesn't make No Spending Month easier (trust me, it will).
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
Better Butter Substitute
I have found I am intolerant of dairy and struggle when making cakes and slices that require butter. I don't like using margarine and other butter substitutes are expensive.
I buy Aldi lite olive oil ($5 plus per litre) and substitute in all my baking recipes needing butter etc. Lite olive oil is basically tasteless and only alters the texture marginally. I cook using a recipe only as a guideline. The amount of olive oil is less than butter. You need to watch the baking doesn't burn.
Butter or Margarine to Olive Oil Conversion for Baking
Butter/Margarine = Olive Oil
1 tablespoon = 2-1/4 teaspoons
2 tablespoons = 1-1/2 tablespoons
1/4 cup = 3 tablespoons
1/3 cup = 1/4 cup
And I don't cream any of my cakes or slices - I just add the sugar and oil, mix really well and continue from there. Even the boys don't know the difference!
Contributed by Sally Coverdale
Cheapskates Style Laptop Raiser
Laptop raisers can be a great tool to keep you from hunching over your computer, but I found them very expensive. I bought a cheap pantry organiser with the intention to make more room in my pantry and instead found it made a great laptop stand - it gives my laptop plenty of ventilation, it's at a great height and was a fraction of the cost of an expensive laptop raiser.
Contributed by Kate Bradshaw
Free Birthday Treats for the Taking
I have a birthday this week and have received quite a few birthday treats, just from signing up with various food outlets. It's free to do so and you are not induced with emails or have your details or contact lists provided to others. Some of the treats I have received are from:
Baskin Robbins- a single scoop of ice-cream
Fergusons Plarre- $3 voucher to spend as I wish
Salsas - a burrito
Windows on the Bay - free main meal (don't have to purchase anything else)
Muffin Break- free muffin
Paladar Thai- free main meal (don't have to purchase anything else).
The offers come via an email and you simply print out the voucher. While I don't usually have the means to regularly purchase goods from these outlets I certainly do if I require something they provide. I appreciate and look forward to my treats for my birthday every year.
Contributed by Carol Woolcock
There are currently more than 12,000 great tips in the Tip Store
3. Cheapskates Winning Tip
This week's winning tip is from Jon Dacon. Jon has won a one year Platinum Cheapskates Club membership for submitting a winning tip.
Use Facebook Groups to Give and Receive
There are many new Facebook groups in suburbs all over Australia that are available. Unwanted new and second-hand goods can be posted on these FB pages and given away, and you can ask to be considered for other’s gifts. No money is exchanged (unlike Buy and Sell groups on FB) and you really should not take the items if you are not going to use them. You can even ask for something you are looking out for. Search for “Buy Nothing” and “Pay it Forward” groups in your area and join them. If you don’t see them on Facebook, look into creating them for your area. All these groups have volunteer admins who monitor these pages for serial con artists who take and sell or begging. It is a great way to share, meet neighbours, and save money. You can also swap and barter skills in some groups. As always, you have to be careful of giving personal details in your posts and use private messenger to communicate pickup details.
Congratulations Jon, I hope you enjoy your Cheapskates Club membership.
The Cheapskate's Club website is over 2,000 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.
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
Sweet and Sour Chicken
This dish is very easy, can be made ahead and the chicken part freezes well.
Ingredients:
1 whole fresh chicken
1 large onion cut Chinese style in eights
1 Lebanese cucumber skin on sliced
2 medium carrots julienned
1 celery stick sliced
1 400gm tin diced tomatoes and juice
1 400 gm tin pineapple pieces and juice
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup sugar
Cornflour for thickening
Method:
Place chicken in large saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer 1 hour. While that is cooking, in a large frying pan, sauté your onions. Then add all the vegetables, tin of tomatoes and pineapple with juices, cup of vinegar and sugar. Mix well and simmer with lid on till chicken is cooked. You can thicken the sauce with a tablespoon of cornflour mixed with a little cold water and stir through sauce. Take all the meat off the chicken reserving some nice pieces to put on top. Mix all the other chicken through the sauce. Place into an oven proof serving casserole. Lay good pieces on the top and spoon a little sauce over to keep them moist. Place into your oven and leave until re-heat for your meal, same day. Serve with fried rice and peas. I pick up fried rice from the store, but you can make your own. A very colourful dish on the plate.
This week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Beef
Monday: Sausage Wellingtons & veg
Tuesday: Vegeballs & spaghetti
Wednesday: Sweet & Sour chicken, fried rice
Thursday: Moo Pizza
Friday: Rissoles, salad
Saturday: Tacos
In the fruit bowl: bananas, grapes
There are over 1,600 other great money saving meal ideas in the Recipe File.
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge
Of Course You can Feed Your Family for $300 a Month!
The $300 a month food challenge has been going for over seven years now. Many Cheapskating families have adjusted the way they tackle groceries and the result has been slashed grocery budgets all over the country.
But every week, without fail, I get emails from Cheapskaters who insist they could not possibly get their grocery bill any lower, and certainly not down to $300.
Of course they can, and you can too, if you really want to. Now remember the $300 is for a family of four. Increase (or decrease) the amount by $75 for each additional person in your family i.e. a family of six would have a grocery budget of $450 a month.
Before you decide it's just too hard remember that the grocery bill is really the only portion of your Spending Plan that you have complete and utter control over. You alone decide how much is spent every time you do the shopping.
The easiest way to reduce your grocery bill is to cut out convenience foods. Go and get your last grocery receipt and a highlighter. Go through that list and highlight every convenience product you bought.
Convenience products are:
- Chips
- Soft drink
- Cordial
- Frozen pizza
- Frozen pies
- Frozen meals
- Marinated meats
- Jars of sauces
- Packets of seasonings, spice mixes etc
- Cake, muffin and biscuit mixes
- Prepared cakes, muffins and biscuits
- Frozen desserts
- Packaged salads
- Lollies
- Grated cheese
- Individual pots of yoghurt
- Individual snack packs of anything
- Spray cleaners that do just one job
- Window and glass cleaners
- Floor cleaners
You get the idea. When you've finished highlighting, add up the cost of all those "convenience" groceries. Is it scary? If you are spending more than $300 a month for groceries it probably is.
All the items I've listed above can be made easily and very cheaply at home as MOOs (and now is a great time to start this challenge, next month is MOO Month and there'll be a lot of new MOOs coming up). That means you don't need to buy them. And regardless of what you've been brainwashed into thinking:
- you can make them,
- they are not difficult,
- they are not more expensive and
- they do not require any special skills, tools or ingredients.
You can start reducing your grocery bill right now by keeping those things off your shopping list and out of your trolley.
Instead make use of the recipes and instructions for the dozens of MOOs in the Member's Centre.
You'll be saving money, time and energy and doing your bit to keep our world in tip top shape too.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge
The Post that Started it All
7. Cheapskates Buzz
Most popular forum posts this week
Electric Preserver
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3716-Electric-Preserver
The Stash 2018
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3691-The-Stash-2018
The 2018 No Spending Month Challenge
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3712-The-2018-No-Spending-Month-Challenge
Most popular blog posts this week
The Bare Bones Grocery Challenge Week 1
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2017/04/the-bare-bones-grocery-challenge-week-1.html
Organizing Your Food
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2015/08/organizing-your-food.html
Keeping Your Cool Over Lettuce
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2012/02/keeping-your-cool-over-lettuce.html
8. Last Week's Question
Last week's question was from Kate who wrote
"I bought four outdoor chairs a few years ago but, being constantly in the sun, the material has weakened and ripped so no longer usable. These chairs have a metal frame which is in perfect condition, so I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to recycle the frames to make new chairs or somehow change over the material that has torn? It would be a shame to take them to the tip if they could be made like new again and save me buying new chairs."
Jenny Sabine answered
Can you carefully cut the old torn fabric off the frame and use it as a pattern to cut out new pieces from heavy canvas after you have first neatened the edges? You could punch holes along the edges and thread rope or cord through the holes to attach it to the framework of the chairs. I have done this on the past and it worked very well.
Helen Fenton
I come from a family that believed in make it yourself, mend it, remake it or do without. I suggest that if you can deconstruct carefully one of the existing seats and lay it out carefully to use as a pattern to sew a new seat. Ask your butcher for some sheets of butchers’ paper to use to make your pattern. Get some calico or an old sheet to cut up as your test pattern. Try it out and fit it onto the frame. If it's successful buy a tougher more expensive material at Bunnings or at a marine supply store. Of you go and the best of luck to you.
Helen Fenton
I come from a family that believed in make it yourself, mend it, remake it or do without. I suggest that if you can deconstruct carefully one of the existing seats and lay it out carefully to use as a pattern to sew a new seat. Ask your butcher for some sheets of butchers’ paper to use to make your pattern. Get some calico or an old sheet to cut up as your test pattern. Try it out and fit it onto the frame. If it's successful buy a tougher more expensive material at Bunnings or at a marine supply store. Of you go and the best of luck to you.
9. This Week's Question
Kath writes
"My husband and I are going on a trip to Italy at the end of this year. If any Cheapskates have been to Italy could you please send me any good travel ideas, e.g. train, bus, accommodation etc. and which are the best places to go without spending too much money. We are both fit 78-year-olds. Thank you."
What an amazing trip Kath and her husband are planning. If you have a suggestion or idea for them 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
10. 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
11. 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!
12. 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
13. Contact Details
The Cheapskates Club -
Showing you how to live life
debt free, cashed up and laughing!
Contact Us