Your Cheapskates Club Newsletter 10:18
In this Newsletter
1. Cath's Corner
2. In the Tip Store - No Tangle Way to Hang Sheets on the Clothesline; Razor Saver; Knowledge is Power, Always Ask the Question
3. Cheapskate's Winning Tip - Professional SNS Nails at Home
4. Share Your Tips
5. On the Menu - Roast Chicken Tostadas
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Where I Shop
7. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
8. Member's Featured Blog - Weird Things with Leftovers
9. Last Week's Question - Advice needed on attending a family wedding
10. Ask Cath
11 Join the Cheapskates Club
12. Frequently Asked Questions
13. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
Welcome to this week's newsletter. MOO Month off to a strong start. So far this week we (meaning the family - I've not done too much) have MOOed passionfruit butter and frozen pulp for later; lots of gift cards, birthday cards, Mother's Day and Easter cards for sale; bread and pizza bases; Miracle Spray; friendly weed killer for the pavers; white oil for the garden; worm tea for the fruit trees; all our meals including our favourite pasta salad; hand cream; mixed berry jam; pickles and lasagne sheets.
That's the list I can remember. We MOO just about everything and it has become a habit, a habit that saves us money, time and energy every day.
Have you been MOOing this week? You can see the current MOOs for 2018 here - I'll be adding to them every day this month.
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
No Tangle Way to Hang Sheets on the Clothesline
When hanging out sheets, fold them in half, placing the hemmed edges together and peg on line instead of draping the sheet over the line. The sheets won't twist and tangle in the wind and when you take in the washing your sheets are already half folded.
Contributed by Frances
Note: This is how I hang sheets and my tablecloths. With the tablecloths I also make sure to smooth them out once they're hung, so they dry almost wrinkle-free. Then they can be folded and put straight away. I don’t iron tablecloths (or placemats, serviettes, doyleys or any other linen of this type) until it is ready to be used, a tip I learned from a collector of vintage linens years ago, to preserve vintage and antique linens. I also hang my tablecloths and runners on skirt hangers, so they don't have fold marks. Cath
Razor Saver
Approximate $ Savings: $25
Buy a bottle of bubble bath and dilute it by about 50%. It makes a great shaving foam. It significantly extends the life of Gillette Disposable Razors too. One pack of 16 will last a whole year.
Contributed by John Carroll
Knowledge is Power, Always Ask the Question
Approximate $ Savings: $30.00
On a recent driving trip back from Sydney at Christmas, we found probably the last bed in Coffs Harbour. I asked if they offered Seniors discount or RACQ discount on the accommodation. The answer was "no" to both questions, to which I then replied, “Ah well, you’ve got to try”. Amazingly, she replied “because you’re a trier, I’ll give you 5% discount." Wow, that was great, and the $30 saving allowed us to have a nice meal and tackle the next day's drive refreshed and well fed. So, my tip is to always ask the question. Savings can be found everywhere, even where you least expect it
Contributed by CM
There are currently more than 12,000 great tips in the Tip Store
3. Cheapskates Winning Tip
This week's winning tip is from Michelle French. Michelle has won a one year Platinum Cheapskates Club membership for submitting her winning tip.
Professional SNS Nails at Home
Even though I live on a budget, I do allow myself the treat of getting SNS nails and I know there would be other ladies out there that do the same. I love having my nails done at a salon but hated paying the $55.00 every 2 weeks. My nails are weak and always break but I found most of the “hardener” products don’t really work. Nothing compared to the professional SNS job I was getting done.
I decided that I could try to do it myself as it only really involves painting on a coat of colour, dipping the finger in the powder then shaping the final product.
I had had it done enough times at the salon to take notice of the process and what was involved. I then went on to eBay and purchased a full kit for $110.00. The first time I did it, I manually filed the product down, but this took a long time. I went back on eBay and purchased an electric nail file with all the required attachments for $21.95. Within 6 weeks (3 applications) I was already in front financially and getting good at it. No-one has been able to tell that I do them myself. Over a year I will save $1298.05 which also gives me the chance to buy different single colours at only $40 per colour. Alternatively, you could buy clear and paint them with your own nail polish you already have to change the colour. I am also finding that some friends want me to do theirs which means I am also making a bit of extra cash.
Congratulations Michelle, 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.
Enter your tip here
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
Roast Chicken Tostadas
This is a tasty way to stretch a roast chicken without appearing to be serving leftovers. It makes a substantial lunch or turn it into a hearty dinner by serving with Mexican Rice.
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken (leftover from a roast)
1/2 cup coriander leaves, cleaned and chopped
2 tablespoons paprika
1 mango, peeled, seeded and diced
4 avocadoes
1 large tomato, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
2 chillies, seeded and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
12 (15cm/6 inch) corn tostadas
Method:
To make the salsa, mix the mango, tomato, red onion, jalapeno, coriander and lime juice in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
To make the guacamole halve the avocadoes and remove seeds. Scoop out avocadoes with a spoon and into a mixing bowl. Add crushed garlic and squeeze lime juice from 1 lime over the avocadoes. Mash the avocadoes using a fork, being careful not to over-mash. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently. Add more lime juice to taste. Fold in coriander and chili. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure to press the wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole to help prevent browning.
Toss the shredded chicken with the paprika. Spoon some of the meat onto each tostada and serve with the cheese, coriander leaves, guacamole and salsa.
Note: If you can’t find tostadas, you can use taco shells instead.
This week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: Fish, potato gems & coleslaw
Tuesday: Spaghetti and meatballs
Wednesday: Vegetables & Almonds, fried rice
Thursday: Moo Pizza
Friday: Schnitzels, tomato gravy
Saturday: BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
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
Where I Shop
I am not supermarket (or brand) loyal, I shop where I'll get the best value for my dollars, and yes, I do shop around between supermarkets, butchers, greengrocers, wholesale outlets and even suburbs.
If I have to go out of my suburb for shopping, I combine the trip with other errands to make it money, time and energy friendly. Often just going to a supermarket a couple of suburbs away can save money on grocery items.
Where we live we are blessed with all the major supermarkets within just a few minutes. We have Coles, Woolworths, IGA, Aldi and Foodworks within a 10 minute drive, so shopping around the supermarkets for the best specials is easy.
We also have four excellent greengrocers and two fantastic butchers close by.
If I choose to travel about 15 minutes I have another excellent butcher and a great market.
Travel 20 minutes and I have Dandenong Market on a Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, where the fruit and veg are excellent quality and price. The market is great too for clothing and household items.
But for a normal month, here's where I shop:
For groceries (in order):
Aldi
Coles
Woolworths
Food Factory Sales (SPC Outlet), Bayswater
Reject Shop
Specialty Herbs & Spices in bulk:
Hindustan Imports, Dandenong
For Meat:
Australian Butcher, Boronia
Farmer Joe's Boronia
Tasman, Mt. Waverley
For fruit and veg:
Pellegrino's, Wantirna South
Farmer Joe's, Boronia
For bulk wholefoods:
The Full Pantry, Croydon
For toiletries:
Aldi
then Coles, Woolworths, Priceline or Chemist Warehouse depending on what is on sale and the best price
For bulk cleaning supplies:
Aurora Cleaning Supplies, Dandenong South
Coles
Woolworths
Bunnings
FGB Natural Products (Bosisto's)
These are the places most likely to get my shopping dollars. Of course, it all depends on what I need and what price it is when I need it. Occasionally there will be exceptional prices at a store/outlet I wouldn't normally shop at, but I do for super special prices.
I tend to shop around, and I do travel out of our local area for great specials, but they need to be cheap enough to make it worthwhile (cover the cost of petrol and extra time as well as being cheaper).
I also try to combine as many errands as possible into each trip to save money, time and energy. My grocery budget is limited and tight so getting the most for those dollars is vital to this Cheapskater.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge
The Post that Started it All
7. Cheapskates Buzz
Most popular forum posts this week
MOO 2018
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3722-Moo-2018
The 2018 No Spending Month Challenge
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3712-The-2018-No-Spending-Month-Challenge
Refresh the Laundry
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3669-Refresh-the-Laundry
Most popular blog posts this week
31 Days of MOO No. 7 - Two Easy Ways to MOO Buttermilk
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2014/03/31-days-of-moo-no-7-two-easy-ways-to.html
31 Days of MOO No. 23 - MOO Tim Tams
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2015/03/31-days-of-moo-no-23-moo-tim-tams.html
31 Days of MOO No. 21 - MOO Cooking Spray
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2014/03/31-days-of-moo-no-21-moo-cooking-spray.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 thalawest.
Weird Things with Leftovers
In the sharehouse I live in, there have been many housemates, many of whom left things in the pantry and fridge. I hate to waste them unless they actually go bad, so I'm trying to use them up, but many are not items I normally buy at all. Here are a few examples of unusual ways of using them:
Tonight, I had a sort of omelette, or possibly stir-fry bound with a bit of egg, for dinner, but used a balsamic salad dressing to fry it in. The vegetables (onion, eggplant, and choko, those being the most convenient) cooked quite nicely in the dressing, and I didn't need oil in the pan. (I've often done stir-fries with only the sauce to lubricate the pan, and this seemed to go the same way.) I'll try using the rest for a stir-fry without the egg.
Peanut butter and Vegemite - my housemates and I don't seem to eat them. A spoonful or two in a batch of pasta blends well. Try Vegemite in a tomato-based pasta sauce, and peanut butter in a white-sauced pasta. I don't like the taste of Vegemite (I promise you I'm still an Aussie!), but the pasta sauce hides the taste. Hopefully I still get the vitamins.
Not so much the abandoned items, but pickle water that bought olives or gherkins come in can be re-used. I usually use it as salad dressing and put the olives and gherkins in my salad. In winter I sometimes add it to my veggie water (as in, the water I boiled my veggies in), which I use to cook rice or add to soup.
Vanilla essence - I would keep some on hand, but so far there happens to be enough abandoned. Have you ever been baking and wished you could wipe that drip from the bottle with your finger and taste it, but it's too bitter? I make a cordial that tastes like drinkable vanilla essence. I drink cordial whenever I have a problem with dehydration, because it both makes me want to drink more liquid, and by the sugar, helps my body absorb the water.
Sekanjabin (Medieval Arabic? cordial recipe):
Dissolve 1 cup sugar in 5/8 cup water and bring to the boil.
Add 1/4 cup vinegar and reduce heat to minimum. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add 1 tablespoon flavouring. Allow to cool and bottle.
Keeps without refrigeration.
To drink, mix one part cordial to 8-10 parts water.
Normal flavourings include rosewater, mint (fresh leaves), lemon juice, or fruit pulp. (Not sure if more fruit pulp than 1 tbsp is needed.) I have also used vanilla essence and cinnamon (make a paste from the powdered cinnamon first). I intend to try it with cocoa powder at some point too, same method as cinnamon.
Stale biscuits - grate them into biscuit crumbs, but because I don't often make cheesecake or other things with biscuit bases, I have used them as a flour substitute in baking and reduced the sugar to allow for the sugar in the biscuits. I only substitute maybe half the flour in the recipe.
Sweet sauces and thin jams can be made into milkshakes. This can also be used to clean out the ends of the jars/bottles - just shake a bit of milk up in them (make sure the lid is tightly sealed!).
A whole 200g tub of dip needing to be used in a hurry can become a pasta sauce on its own.
I've forgotten a lot of the things that needed using up, but you can hide a lot in a big pot of pasta with a thick sauce!
Login to read more Cheapskates Club Member blogs
9. Last Week's Question
Last week's question was from Carly who wrote
"We've been invited to my cousin's wedding in April, and while we're thrilled for him and would love to attend, it's in a country town about 4 hours from home. That means we'd need to stay overnight at a motel. Add that on top of a gift that I've been told the value of which should equal the cost of the meal and going to this wedding is way out of our budget. I've been reading the Forum and we can't afford to buy a gift of the expected value and pay for overnight accommodation. Any ideas how we can attend the wedding, with a gift, on a budget, or alternatively, send an inability to attend that won't upset the family? Thanks in advance for the advice and suggestions."
Helen Smith answered
Just send an inability to attend, you must put yourself first, the family will understand, you can still send a gift though. If the wedding isn't too soon try finding a lovely frame or figurine of a couple on sites like Wish or The Home, you can get lovely affordable things, fancy wrapping always makes a gift look expensive.
Kae Smith answered
We have found ourselves in this situation a couple of times over the years. What we have done is just simply not go. Weddings don't do much for me anyway due the hideous costs involved. If you choose not to go you shouldn't feel guilty at all and it's not up to the rest of the family to make you feel bad because you didn't go. You shouldn't feel pressured to give an explanation as to why you didn't go either. You could just send back an inability card.
Lyn B answered
Sometimes we just can't do everything, and you do have the option to offer your apologies and not attend. However, that is clearly not your preferred option. So, you need to make it manageable. You could create a honeymoon hamper with Champagne, beer (or whatever they drink), chocolates, slippers, snacks, some (e.g. Champagne) glasses (get their names on them on special when it comes up at e.g. Big W, so they can keep them). Personalise the hamper to suit the happy couple and buy things when they are on special. Find out where they are staying on the first night of their honeymoon and arrange for staff to have it waiting for them in their room. We did this for dear friends who still talk about it as such a surprise and so thoughtful! It took some snooping, but it went off well - the staff were happy to be in on it! It's not about the gift - it's about having you there to celebrate with the happy couple! You can make it happen.
Julia Timson answered
Have you thought of accommodation other than a motel? Caravan parks often have on site vans or cabins that are less expensive than a motel. They offer the added the bonus of a kitchen, so you can bring our own breakfast and snacks. If there is nothing by way of cheap accommodation in the town where the wedding is to be held there might be something in a nearby town. Sometimes you can hire a holiday house in the country of one night. They usually have plenty of room and you could share a house with another family who are also attending the wedding.
As for the gift - I am very fond of the 'dead plant table' at Bunnings. It often contains plants that just need a bit of water and some love. A nice container, possibly from the op shop and some plants from Bunnings 'dead plants table' can look like a very expensive and original gift. If you are worried about providing a gift that is equivalent to the cost of your attendance at the wedding, don't forget to add the cost of your time to the value of the handmade gift. Two solid hours at $50 per hour in research and another two hours in putting it together gives you a gift value of $200.
The op shop is also good place to look for a new dress for you for the wedding. Have the children looked after for an afternoon and go op shopping. It is a lot more fun than the local shopping centre and you can get beautiful dresses, shoes and accessories for next to nothing.
I hope you are able to attend the wedding, look like a million dollars and come up with a magical handmade gift.
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.
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12. Contact Details
The Cheapskates Club -
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Contact Cheapskates
1. Cath's Corner
2. In the Tip Store - No Tangle Way to Hang Sheets on the Clothesline; Razor Saver; Knowledge is Power, Always Ask the Question
3. Cheapskate's Winning Tip - Professional SNS Nails at Home
4. Share Your Tips
5. On the Menu - Roast Chicken Tostadas
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Where I Shop
7. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
8. Member's Featured Blog - Weird Things with Leftovers
9. Last Week's Question - Advice needed on attending a family wedding
10. Ask Cath
11 Join the Cheapskates Club
12. Frequently Asked Questions
13. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
Welcome to this week's newsletter. MOO Month off to a strong start. So far this week we (meaning the family - I've not done too much) have MOOed passionfruit butter and frozen pulp for later; lots of gift cards, birthday cards, Mother's Day and Easter cards for sale; bread and pizza bases; Miracle Spray; friendly weed killer for the pavers; white oil for the garden; worm tea for the fruit trees; all our meals including our favourite pasta salad; hand cream; mixed berry jam; pickles and lasagne sheets.
That's the list I can remember. We MOO just about everything and it has become a habit, a habit that saves us money, time and energy every day.
Have you been MOOing this week? You can see the current MOOs for 2018 here - I'll be adding to them every day this month.
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
No Tangle Way to Hang Sheets on the Clothesline
When hanging out sheets, fold them in half, placing the hemmed edges together and peg on line instead of draping the sheet over the line. The sheets won't twist and tangle in the wind and when you take in the washing your sheets are already half folded.
Contributed by Frances
Note: This is how I hang sheets and my tablecloths. With the tablecloths I also make sure to smooth them out once they're hung, so they dry almost wrinkle-free. Then they can be folded and put straight away. I don’t iron tablecloths (or placemats, serviettes, doyleys or any other linen of this type) until it is ready to be used, a tip I learned from a collector of vintage linens years ago, to preserve vintage and antique linens. I also hang my tablecloths and runners on skirt hangers, so they don't have fold marks. Cath
Razor Saver
Approximate $ Savings: $25
Buy a bottle of bubble bath and dilute it by about 50%. It makes a great shaving foam. It significantly extends the life of Gillette Disposable Razors too. One pack of 16 will last a whole year.
Contributed by John Carroll
Knowledge is Power, Always Ask the Question
Approximate $ Savings: $30.00
On a recent driving trip back from Sydney at Christmas, we found probably the last bed in Coffs Harbour. I asked if they offered Seniors discount or RACQ discount on the accommodation. The answer was "no" to both questions, to which I then replied, “Ah well, you’ve got to try”. Amazingly, she replied “because you’re a trier, I’ll give you 5% discount." Wow, that was great, and the $30 saving allowed us to have a nice meal and tackle the next day's drive refreshed and well fed. So, my tip is to always ask the question. Savings can be found everywhere, even where you least expect it
Contributed by CM
There are currently more than 12,000 great tips in the Tip Store
3. Cheapskates Winning Tip
This week's winning tip is from Michelle French. Michelle has won a one year Platinum Cheapskates Club membership for submitting her winning tip.
Professional SNS Nails at Home
Even though I live on a budget, I do allow myself the treat of getting SNS nails and I know there would be other ladies out there that do the same. I love having my nails done at a salon but hated paying the $55.00 every 2 weeks. My nails are weak and always break but I found most of the “hardener” products don’t really work. Nothing compared to the professional SNS job I was getting done.
I decided that I could try to do it myself as it only really involves painting on a coat of colour, dipping the finger in the powder then shaping the final product.
I had had it done enough times at the salon to take notice of the process and what was involved. I then went on to eBay and purchased a full kit for $110.00. The first time I did it, I manually filed the product down, but this took a long time. I went back on eBay and purchased an electric nail file with all the required attachments for $21.95. Within 6 weeks (3 applications) I was already in front financially and getting good at it. No-one has been able to tell that I do them myself. Over a year I will save $1298.05 which also gives me the chance to buy different single colours at only $40 per colour. Alternatively, you could buy clear and paint them with your own nail polish you already have to change the colour. I am also finding that some friends want me to do theirs which means I am also making a bit of extra cash.
Congratulations Michelle, 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.
Enter your tip here
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
Roast Chicken Tostadas
This is a tasty way to stretch a roast chicken without appearing to be serving leftovers. It makes a substantial lunch or turn it into a hearty dinner by serving with Mexican Rice.
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken (leftover from a roast)
1/2 cup coriander leaves, cleaned and chopped
2 tablespoons paprika
1 mango, peeled, seeded and diced
4 avocadoes
1 large tomato, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
2 chillies, seeded and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
12 (15cm/6 inch) corn tostadas
Method:
To make the salsa, mix the mango, tomato, red onion, jalapeno, coriander and lime juice in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
To make the guacamole halve the avocadoes and remove seeds. Scoop out avocadoes with a spoon and into a mixing bowl. Add crushed garlic and squeeze lime juice from 1 lime over the avocadoes. Mash the avocadoes using a fork, being careful not to over-mash. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently. Add more lime juice to taste. Fold in coriander and chili. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure to press the wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole to help prevent browning.
Toss the shredded chicken with the paprika. Spoon some of the meat onto each tostada and serve with the cheese, coriander leaves, guacamole and salsa.
Note: If you can’t find tostadas, you can use taco shells instead.
This week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: Fish, potato gems & coleslaw
Tuesday: Spaghetti and meatballs
Wednesday: Vegetables & Almonds, fried rice
Thursday: Moo Pizza
Friday: Schnitzels, tomato gravy
Saturday: BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
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
Where I Shop
I am not supermarket (or brand) loyal, I shop where I'll get the best value for my dollars, and yes, I do shop around between supermarkets, butchers, greengrocers, wholesale outlets and even suburbs.
If I have to go out of my suburb for shopping, I combine the trip with other errands to make it money, time and energy friendly. Often just going to a supermarket a couple of suburbs away can save money on grocery items.
Where we live we are blessed with all the major supermarkets within just a few minutes. We have Coles, Woolworths, IGA, Aldi and Foodworks within a 10 minute drive, so shopping around the supermarkets for the best specials is easy.
We also have four excellent greengrocers and two fantastic butchers close by.
If I choose to travel about 15 minutes I have another excellent butcher and a great market.
Travel 20 minutes and I have Dandenong Market on a Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, where the fruit and veg are excellent quality and price. The market is great too for clothing and household items.
But for a normal month, here's where I shop:
For groceries (in order):
Aldi
Coles
Woolworths
Food Factory Sales (SPC Outlet), Bayswater
Reject Shop
Specialty Herbs & Spices in bulk:
Hindustan Imports, Dandenong
For Meat:
Australian Butcher, Boronia
Farmer Joe's Boronia
Tasman, Mt. Waverley
For fruit and veg:
Pellegrino's, Wantirna South
Farmer Joe's, Boronia
For bulk wholefoods:
The Full Pantry, Croydon
For toiletries:
Aldi
then Coles, Woolworths, Priceline or Chemist Warehouse depending on what is on sale and the best price
For bulk cleaning supplies:
Aurora Cleaning Supplies, Dandenong South
Coles
Woolworths
Bunnings
FGB Natural Products (Bosisto's)
These are the places most likely to get my shopping dollars. Of course, it all depends on what I need and what price it is when I need it. Occasionally there will be exceptional prices at a store/outlet I wouldn't normally shop at, but I do for super special prices.
I tend to shop around, and I do travel out of our local area for great specials, but they need to be cheap enough to make it worthwhile (cover the cost of petrol and extra time as well as being cheaper).
I also try to combine as many errands as possible into each trip to save money, time and energy. My grocery budget is limited and tight so getting the most for those dollars is vital to this Cheapskater.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge
The Post that Started it All
7. Cheapskates Buzz
Most popular forum posts this week
MOO 2018
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3722-Moo-2018
The 2018 No Spending Month Challenge
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3712-The-2018-No-Spending-Month-Challenge
Refresh the Laundry
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3669-Refresh-the-Laundry
Most popular blog posts this week
31 Days of MOO No. 7 - Two Easy Ways to MOO Buttermilk
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2014/03/31-days-of-moo-no-7-two-easy-ways-to.html
31 Days of MOO No. 23 - MOO Tim Tams
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2015/03/31-days-of-moo-no-23-moo-tim-tams.html
31 Days of MOO No. 21 - MOO Cooking Spray
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2014/03/31-days-of-moo-no-21-moo-cooking-spray.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 thalawest.
Weird Things with Leftovers
In the sharehouse I live in, there have been many housemates, many of whom left things in the pantry and fridge. I hate to waste them unless they actually go bad, so I'm trying to use them up, but many are not items I normally buy at all. Here are a few examples of unusual ways of using them:
Tonight, I had a sort of omelette, or possibly stir-fry bound with a bit of egg, for dinner, but used a balsamic salad dressing to fry it in. The vegetables (onion, eggplant, and choko, those being the most convenient) cooked quite nicely in the dressing, and I didn't need oil in the pan. (I've often done stir-fries with only the sauce to lubricate the pan, and this seemed to go the same way.) I'll try using the rest for a stir-fry without the egg.
Peanut butter and Vegemite - my housemates and I don't seem to eat them. A spoonful or two in a batch of pasta blends well. Try Vegemite in a tomato-based pasta sauce, and peanut butter in a white-sauced pasta. I don't like the taste of Vegemite (I promise you I'm still an Aussie!), but the pasta sauce hides the taste. Hopefully I still get the vitamins.
Not so much the abandoned items, but pickle water that bought olives or gherkins come in can be re-used. I usually use it as salad dressing and put the olives and gherkins in my salad. In winter I sometimes add it to my veggie water (as in, the water I boiled my veggies in), which I use to cook rice or add to soup.
Vanilla essence - I would keep some on hand, but so far there happens to be enough abandoned. Have you ever been baking and wished you could wipe that drip from the bottle with your finger and taste it, but it's too bitter? I make a cordial that tastes like drinkable vanilla essence. I drink cordial whenever I have a problem with dehydration, because it both makes me want to drink more liquid, and by the sugar, helps my body absorb the water.
Sekanjabin (Medieval Arabic? cordial recipe):
Dissolve 1 cup sugar in 5/8 cup water and bring to the boil.
Add 1/4 cup vinegar and reduce heat to minimum. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add 1 tablespoon flavouring. Allow to cool and bottle.
Keeps without refrigeration.
To drink, mix one part cordial to 8-10 parts water.
Normal flavourings include rosewater, mint (fresh leaves), lemon juice, or fruit pulp. (Not sure if more fruit pulp than 1 tbsp is needed.) I have also used vanilla essence and cinnamon (make a paste from the powdered cinnamon first). I intend to try it with cocoa powder at some point too, same method as cinnamon.
Stale biscuits - grate them into biscuit crumbs, but because I don't often make cheesecake or other things with biscuit bases, I have used them as a flour substitute in baking and reduced the sugar to allow for the sugar in the biscuits. I only substitute maybe half the flour in the recipe.
Sweet sauces and thin jams can be made into milkshakes. This can also be used to clean out the ends of the jars/bottles - just shake a bit of milk up in them (make sure the lid is tightly sealed!).
A whole 200g tub of dip needing to be used in a hurry can become a pasta sauce on its own.
I've forgotten a lot of the things that needed using up, but you can hide a lot in a big pot of pasta with a thick sauce!
Login to read more Cheapskates Club Member blogs
9. Last Week's Question
Last week's question was from Carly who wrote
"We've been invited to my cousin's wedding in April, and while we're thrilled for him and would love to attend, it's in a country town about 4 hours from home. That means we'd need to stay overnight at a motel. Add that on top of a gift that I've been told the value of which should equal the cost of the meal and going to this wedding is way out of our budget. I've been reading the Forum and we can't afford to buy a gift of the expected value and pay for overnight accommodation. Any ideas how we can attend the wedding, with a gift, on a budget, or alternatively, send an inability to attend that won't upset the family? Thanks in advance for the advice and suggestions."
Helen Smith answered
Just send an inability to attend, you must put yourself first, the family will understand, you can still send a gift though. If the wedding isn't too soon try finding a lovely frame or figurine of a couple on sites like Wish or The Home, you can get lovely affordable things, fancy wrapping always makes a gift look expensive.
Kae Smith answered
We have found ourselves in this situation a couple of times over the years. What we have done is just simply not go. Weddings don't do much for me anyway due the hideous costs involved. If you choose not to go you shouldn't feel guilty at all and it's not up to the rest of the family to make you feel bad because you didn't go. You shouldn't feel pressured to give an explanation as to why you didn't go either. You could just send back an inability card.
Lyn B answered
Sometimes we just can't do everything, and you do have the option to offer your apologies and not attend. However, that is clearly not your preferred option. So, you need to make it manageable. You could create a honeymoon hamper with Champagne, beer (or whatever they drink), chocolates, slippers, snacks, some (e.g. Champagne) glasses (get their names on them on special when it comes up at e.g. Big W, so they can keep them). Personalise the hamper to suit the happy couple and buy things when they are on special. Find out where they are staying on the first night of their honeymoon and arrange for staff to have it waiting for them in their room. We did this for dear friends who still talk about it as such a surprise and so thoughtful! It took some snooping, but it went off well - the staff were happy to be in on it! It's not about the gift - it's about having you there to celebrate with the happy couple! You can make it happen.
Julia Timson answered
Have you thought of accommodation other than a motel? Caravan parks often have on site vans or cabins that are less expensive than a motel. They offer the added the bonus of a kitchen, so you can bring our own breakfast and snacks. If there is nothing by way of cheap accommodation in the town where the wedding is to be held there might be something in a nearby town. Sometimes you can hire a holiday house in the country of one night. They usually have plenty of room and you could share a house with another family who are also attending the wedding.
As for the gift - I am very fond of the 'dead plant table' at Bunnings. It often contains plants that just need a bit of water and some love. A nice container, possibly from the op shop and some plants from Bunnings 'dead plants table' can look like a very expensive and original gift. If you are worried about providing a gift that is equivalent to the cost of your attendance at the wedding, don't forget to add the cost of your time to the value of the handmade gift. Two solid hours at $50 per hour in research and another two hours in putting it together gives you a gift value of $200.
The op shop is also good place to look for a new dress for you for the wedding. Have the children looked after for an afternoon and go op shopping. It is a lot more fun than the local shopping centre and you can get beautiful dresses, shoes and accessories for next to nothing.
I hope you are able to attend the wedding, look like a million dollars and come up with a magical handmade gift.
10. Ask Cath
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