Your Cheapskates Club Newsletter 10:22
In This Newsletter
1. Cath's Corner
2. From the Tip Store - Poo-Pourri; MOO Face Bronzer; MOOing Cosmetics to Suit You
3. Tip of the Week - Insurance Shopping Bonus Saves Money
4. Share Your Tips
5. On the Menu - Easy Spaghetti Pizza
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Clean and Organise the Pantry Challenge
7. The Weekly MOO Challenge - MOOs 1 - 9
8. Cheapskates Buzz
9. The Cheapskates Club Show
10. Ask A Question - Have a question? Ask it here
11. Join the Cheapskates Club
12. Frequently Asked Questions
13. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
Welcome to our new Cheapskates Club members, we are so happy to meet you.
MOO month has started with some great new MOOs. I love being able to make something rather than buy it; it's so freeing to not have to rely on the supermarket or another store to provide what we want or need. Each thing we can MOO makes us a little more self-sufficient and a little more independent and that's a good thing.
We have a long weekend coming up. I can't wait, my honey-do list is long! March is a busy month. It's peak preserving month, then we need to get the summer garden finished, the autumn garden established and the winter garden planned and seeds started.
Then there's getting the house ready for winter. Checking window and door seals, making sure the flu for the fire is clean and bird nest free (we've never had a bird nest in the flu but I've heard horror stories!).
And of course autumn cleaning. Changing over bed linens, making sure the summer quilts and blankets are washed and dried and put away, getting out the winter blankets and quilts and airing them in the sunshine before putting them on the beds.
Cleaning and tidying cupboards (this week I concentrated on the kitchen pantry) and decluttering.
All these things may seem humdrum and routine to you, but they save us money, time and energy in the long run too. When the house is in tip top shape, it's easy to keep clean and tidy; growing some of our food keeps the grocery bill down and we eat better, and then we stay healthier. A big part of the circle of life.
And I need to get back to it, I have more seeds to sow and washing to get on the clothesline.
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
Poo-Pourri
Use up any unwanted or stale perfume and keep your toilet smelling great by adding a squirt of perfume on top of your loo water before you go. Works equally well when substituted with a couple of drops of essential oil. Uses up unwanted gifts or unfortunate purchases and is remarkably effective at keeping evil smells at bay!
Contributed by Megan
MOO Face Bronzer
For all those that hate spending money on expensive makeup, here's a recipe for a DIY Bronzer that's easy to make from everyday products and it's all natural.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Mix cinnamon and cornflour thoroughly, then add cocoa and nutmeg, making sure all lumps are removed.
Store in a cold space in a mason jar or old bronzer container.
Contributed by Colleen Thomas
MOOing Cosmetics to Suit You
For the last six months I have been making my own face creams and body butters and it has saved me hundreds of dollars. I have very sensitive skin so I have to be very careful of what I put on my skin. I have been getting all of my recipes from "The Inspired Little Pot" I bought her books but she has a lot of her recipes on her website or you can join her club for free and get a lot of them there. Not only are her recipes easy to use, the products are beautiful and with no nasties in them. She uses a lot of the same ingredients as well. Because of my sensitive skin the only products I could use before were quite expensive so I have saved over $600 and my skin feels great.
Contributed by Joanne Dodd
There are more than 12,000 great tips in the Tip Store
Add a Tip
3. Tip of the Week
This week's winning tip is from Emma. Emma has won a one year Platinum Cheapskates Club membership for submitting her winning tip.
Insurance Shopping Bonus Saves Money
After doing a comparison on comprehensive car insurance I found that while Budget Direct was slightly cheaper in premiums than Woolworths insurance, Woolworths gives me 10% off one shop a month. The savings from the shopping discount make Woolworths insurance cheaper than Budget Direct - a no brainer when my shopping saves me money.
Congratulations Emma, I hope you enjoy your Cheapskates Club membership.
The Cheapskate's Club website is thousands of pages of money saving hints, tips and ideas. There are over 12,000 tips to save you money, time and energy; 1,600 budget and family friendly recipes, hundreds of printable tip sheets and ebooks.
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.
4. Share Your Tips
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!
Share Your Tip
5. On The Menu
Easy Spaghetti Pizza
We have pizza every Thursday for dinner. Or I should say Wayne and the boys have pizza, I'm not a fan, unless it is spaghetti pizza, then I'm lining up with my plate too. This recipe was entered into the recipe file way back in 2011, and we have loved it since. It's not fancy or complicated, but it is tasty and fun and delicious. Thank you Kathleen for sharing!
Easy Spaghetti Pizza
Ingredients:
Scone Dough Pizza Base:
2 cups SR flour
2 tbsp butter or cooking margarine
pinch salt
3/4 cup milk
Topping:
1 can spaghetti or your own homemade would be great!
1 chopped onion
1 cup grated cheese
Method:
Heat oven, grease pizza tray or scone slide. Make scone dough by mixing flour and salt then rubbing in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add milk to mix to a soft dough. Press out to approximately 1 cm thick and place on greased tray. Spread over spaghetti. Sprinkle over onion, then grated cheese. Bake at 220 degrees Celsius 12-15 minutes or until toppings are cooked and base is browned. This is basic, add anything else you like.
Contributed by Kathleen Burke
Next week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: BBQ sausages & salad
Tuesday: Spaghetti Pie
Wednesday: BBQ Chicken Wings & salad
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: BBQ Sausages
Saturday: Tuna Melts
There are over 1,800 budget and family friendly recipes in the Cheapskates Club Recipe File, all contributed by your fellow Cheapskates, so you know they're good.
Add A Recipe
Recipe File Index
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge
Hello Cheapskaters,
Another week of the $300 a Month Food Challenge is here. Welcome to everyone who has taken the challenge to slash your grocery bill, it will save you money, and it's fun too! If you haven't joined yet, jump in at any time, we'd love to see you and cheer you on, share our tips and learn your secrets to grocery shopping on a budget.
This week I've been hearing from you that it's getting hard to stick to $300 a week, or that it is downright impossible. Maybe. I'll give that you do need to work harder, plan more and shop differently if you want to stick to your grocery budget at the moment.
Like everything, getting the grocery budget down should be done in steps for the best result. March is the perfect month for cleaning out the pantry. We've finished No Spending Month, and eaten down the pantry, now it's time to clean and organise and inventory.
Knowing exactly what you already have in your pantry is essential. If you just shop and buy, then you'll end up with things you don't need, or even worse, don't use, and forget to buy the things you do need and use. The pantry maybe full, but is it full of what you actually need, use and eat?
So first step is to get that pantry cleaned out and sorted. It might be a big job, it might only take a few minutes. But it needs to be done. There are inventories you can print on the Tip Sheets page if you're not sure how to keep track.
Empty everything from the pantry. Everything. Put it on the bench and the kitchen table. If you have more than one pantry space, make sure you empty them all - how else will you get an accurate record of what you have?
When everything is out, clean that pantry. Brush for cobwebs around the cornice and behind the door. Wash the walls. Wash the shelves. Wash the floor, including the skirting boards. Don't forget to wash under the shelves too - those dark hidey spots are where pantry moths just love to lurk. If you have any, put some bay oil in a spray bottle with some water and spritz the shelves, and let it dry.
Then look at your canisters. Do they need topping up? Do they need to be wiped over (is the flour on the outside of the canister or lid? Are there sticky fingerprints on them?) so they are clean and ready to go back on the shelf? Look at any tins; are they dusty and needing to be wiped over? Do it! What about packets? Are there any open packets? Check the contents and make sure they aren't stale or worse, full of bugs. Try not to keep open packets in your pantry, especially if they are paper or cardboard, bugs love them!
As you are doing this check use by and best before dates. Anything that is past it's use by date, especially if it's by years, throw out, and mourn the money you've just put in the bin. Anything past it's best before date you'll need to look at. Make sure it is clean i.e. no bugs. Does it smell good? Does it look OK? Do the dippy finger test - does it taste OK? If it passes these tests, keep it, but make sure you keep it at the front and plan to use it over the next couple of weeks.
Now it's time to put things back. Keep like with like. Stack cans neatly. I like to have them in rows, with the labels facing the front. Top-up canisters if they need it, and put them back. Keep condiments together. I store these on a tray, mainly to catch any drips, but it's also easy to slide in and out. I also like taller bottles and jars at the back, smaller at the front. Just makes sense and it's easier to find what things.
Hopefully there won't be too many costly mistakes or surprises and you'll end up with a clean and tidy pantry, and an up-to-date inventory.
I've done our kitchen pantry this week and it makes me smile to look at it. I didn't find any nasty surprises, I did find a bag of choc chips that was a nice addition to some muffins I made yesterday.
Will you take up the challenge to clean and organise your pantry this week?
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
7. The Weekly MOO Challenge
It's MOO Month, here are the latest MOOs
Day 1: MOO Potato Frittata
Day 2: MOO Powdered Milk Cream Cheese
Day 3: Quick & Easy Crocheted Face Scrubbies
Day 4: Preserved Lemons
Day 5: Brown Gravy
Day 6: Simple French Dressing
Day 7: MOO VIPoo
Day 8: Asian Style Plum Sauce
Day 9: Weed Tea Fertiliser
Get in on the fun and discussions here.
8. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
Making Vinegar
Bug Out Bags
9 Ways to Save Money on Groceries
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
Share Your Grocery Specials and Super Bargains Here
Stuffed Chicken Drumsticks
MOO Condensed Milk Caramel in the Microwave
Newest Recipes
Date Spread - Sugar Free
Latest Tips
Long Lasting Fresh Avocado
Insurance Bonus Saves Money
Gluten Free on the Cheap
Plan Your Holidays and Save Your Garden
9. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join Cath and Hannah live Tuesdays on You Tube at 7.30pm AET
Latest Shows
1. Cath's Corner
2. From the Tip Store - Poo-Pourri; MOO Face Bronzer; MOOing Cosmetics to Suit You
3. Tip of the Week - Insurance Shopping Bonus Saves Money
4. Share Your Tips
5. On the Menu - Easy Spaghetti Pizza
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Clean and Organise the Pantry Challenge
7. The Weekly MOO Challenge - MOOs 1 - 9
8. Cheapskates Buzz
9. The Cheapskates Club Show
10. Ask A Question - Have a question? Ask it here
11. Join the Cheapskates Club
12. Frequently Asked Questions
13. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
Welcome to our new Cheapskates Club members, we are so happy to meet you.
MOO month has started with some great new MOOs. I love being able to make something rather than buy it; it's so freeing to not have to rely on the supermarket or another store to provide what we want or need. Each thing we can MOO makes us a little more self-sufficient and a little more independent and that's a good thing.
We have a long weekend coming up. I can't wait, my honey-do list is long! March is a busy month. It's peak preserving month, then we need to get the summer garden finished, the autumn garden established and the winter garden planned and seeds started.
Then there's getting the house ready for winter. Checking window and door seals, making sure the flu for the fire is clean and bird nest free (we've never had a bird nest in the flu but I've heard horror stories!).
And of course autumn cleaning. Changing over bed linens, making sure the summer quilts and blankets are washed and dried and put away, getting out the winter blankets and quilts and airing them in the sunshine before putting them on the beds.
Cleaning and tidying cupboards (this week I concentrated on the kitchen pantry) and decluttering.
All these things may seem humdrum and routine to you, but they save us money, time and energy in the long run too. When the house is in tip top shape, it's easy to keep clean and tidy; growing some of our food keeps the grocery bill down and we eat better, and then we stay healthier. A big part of the circle of life.
And I need to get back to it, I have more seeds to sow and washing to get on the clothesline.
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
Poo-Pourri
Use up any unwanted or stale perfume and keep your toilet smelling great by adding a squirt of perfume on top of your loo water before you go. Works equally well when substituted with a couple of drops of essential oil. Uses up unwanted gifts or unfortunate purchases and is remarkably effective at keeping evil smells at bay!
Contributed by Megan
MOO Face Bronzer
For all those that hate spending money on expensive makeup, here's a recipe for a DIY Bronzer that's easy to make from everyday products and it's all natural.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Mix cinnamon and cornflour thoroughly, then add cocoa and nutmeg, making sure all lumps are removed.
Store in a cold space in a mason jar or old bronzer container.
Contributed by Colleen Thomas
MOOing Cosmetics to Suit You
For the last six months I have been making my own face creams and body butters and it has saved me hundreds of dollars. I have very sensitive skin so I have to be very careful of what I put on my skin. I have been getting all of my recipes from "The Inspired Little Pot" I bought her books but she has a lot of her recipes on her website or you can join her club for free and get a lot of them there. Not only are her recipes easy to use, the products are beautiful and with no nasties in them. She uses a lot of the same ingredients as well. Because of my sensitive skin the only products I could use before were quite expensive so I have saved over $600 and my skin feels great.
Contributed by Joanne Dodd
There are more than 12,000 great tips in the Tip Store
Add a Tip
3. Tip of the Week
This week's winning tip is from Emma. Emma has won a one year Platinum Cheapskates Club membership for submitting her winning tip.
Insurance Shopping Bonus Saves Money
After doing a comparison on comprehensive car insurance I found that while Budget Direct was slightly cheaper in premiums than Woolworths insurance, Woolworths gives me 10% off one shop a month. The savings from the shopping discount make Woolworths insurance cheaper than Budget Direct - a no brainer when my shopping saves me money.
Congratulations Emma, I hope you enjoy your Cheapskates Club membership.
The Cheapskate's Club website is thousands of pages of money saving hints, tips and ideas. There are over 12,000 tips to save you money, time and energy; 1,600 budget and family friendly recipes, hundreds of printable tip sheets and ebooks.
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.
4. Share Your Tips
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!
Share Your Tip
5. On The Menu
Easy Spaghetti Pizza
We have pizza every Thursday for dinner. Or I should say Wayne and the boys have pizza, I'm not a fan, unless it is spaghetti pizza, then I'm lining up with my plate too. This recipe was entered into the recipe file way back in 2011, and we have loved it since. It's not fancy or complicated, but it is tasty and fun and delicious. Thank you Kathleen for sharing!
Easy Spaghetti Pizza
Ingredients:
Scone Dough Pizza Base:
2 cups SR flour
2 tbsp butter or cooking margarine
pinch salt
3/4 cup milk
Topping:
1 can spaghetti or your own homemade would be great!
1 chopped onion
1 cup grated cheese
Method:
Heat oven, grease pizza tray or scone slide. Make scone dough by mixing flour and salt then rubbing in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add milk to mix to a soft dough. Press out to approximately 1 cm thick and place on greased tray. Spread over spaghetti. Sprinkle over onion, then grated cheese. Bake at 220 degrees Celsius 12-15 minutes or until toppings are cooked and base is browned. This is basic, add anything else you like.
Contributed by Kathleen Burke
Next week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: BBQ sausages & salad
Tuesday: Spaghetti Pie
Wednesday: BBQ Chicken Wings & salad
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: BBQ Sausages
Saturday: Tuna Melts
There are over 1,800 budget and family friendly recipes in the Cheapskates Club Recipe File, all contributed by your fellow Cheapskates, so you know they're good.
Add A Recipe
Recipe File Index
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge
Hello Cheapskaters,
Another week of the $300 a Month Food Challenge is here. Welcome to everyone who has taken the challenge to slash your grocery bill, it will save you money, and it's fun too! If you haven't joined yet, jump in at any time, we'd love to see you and cheer you on, share our tips and learn your secrets to grocery shopping on a budget.
This week I've been hearing from you that it's getting hard to stick to $300 a week, or that it is downright impossible. Maybe. I'll give that you do need to work harder, plan more and shop differently if you want to stick to your grocery budget at the moment.
Like everything, getting the grocery budget down should be done in steps for the best result. March is the perfect month for cleaning out the pantry. We've finished No Spending Month, and eaten down the pantry, now it's time to clean and organise and inventory.
Knowing exactly what you already have in your pantry is essential. If you just shop and buy, then you'll end up with things you don't need, or even worse, don't use, and forget to buy the things you do need and use. The pantry maybe full, but is it full of what you actually need, use and eat?
So first step is to get that pantry cleaned out and sorted. It might be a big job, it might only take a few minutes. But it needs to be done. There are inventories you can print on the Tip Sheets page if you're not sure how to keep track.
Empty everything from the pantry. Everything. Put it on the bench and the kitchen table. If you have more than one pantry space, make sure you empty them all - how else will you get an accurate record of what you have?
When everything is out, clean that pantry. Brush for cobwebs around the cornice and behind the door. Wash the walls. Wash the shelves. Wash the floor, including the skirting boards. Don't forget to wash under the shelves too - those dark hidey spots are where pantry moths just love to lurk. If you have any, put some bay oil in a spray bottle with some water and spritz the shelves, and let it dry.
Then look at your canisters. Do they need topping up? Do they need to be wiped over (is the flour on the outside of the canister or lid? Are there sticky fingerprints on them?) so they are clean and ready to go back on the shelf? Look at any tins; are they dusty and needing to be wiped over? Do it! What about packets? Are there any open packets? Check the contents and make sure they aren't stale or worse, full of bugs. Try not to keep open packets in your pantry, especially if they are paper or cardboard, bugs love them!
As you are doing this check use by and best before dates. Anything that is past it's use by date, especially if it's by years, throw out, and mourn the money you've just put in the bin. Anything past it's best before date you'll need to look at. Make sure it is clean i.e. no bugs. Does it smell good? Does it look OK? Do the dippy finger test - does it taste OK? If it passes these tests, keep it, but make sure you keep it at the front and plan to use it over the next couple of weeks.
Now it's time to put things back. Keep like with like. Stack cans neatly. I like to have them in rows, with the labels facing the front. Top-up canisters if they need it, and put them back. Keep condiments together. I store these on a tray, mainly to catch any drips, but it's also easy to slide in and out. I also like taller bottles and jars at the back, smaller at the front. Just makes sense and it's easier to find what things.
Hopefully there won't be too many costly mistakes or surprises and you'll end up with a clean and tidy pantry, and an up-to-date inventory.
I've done our kitchen pantry this week and it makes me smile to look at it. I didn't find any nasty surprises, I did find a bag of choc chips that was a nice addition to some muffins I made yesterday.
Will you take up the challenge to clean and organise your pantry this week?
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
7. The Weekly MOO Challenge
It's MOO Month, here are the latest MOOs
Day 1: MOO Potato Frittata
Day 2: MOO Powdered Milk Cream Cheese
Day 3: Quick & Easy Crocheted Face Scrubbies
Day 4: Preserved Lemons
Day 5: Brown Gravy
Day 6: Simple French Dressing
Day 7: MOO VIPoo
Day 8: Asian Style Plum Sauce
Day 9: Weed Tea Fertiliser
Get in on the fun and discussions here.
8. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
Making Vinegar
Bug Out Bags
9 Ways to Save Money on Groceries
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
Share Your Grocery Specials and Super Bargains Here
Stuffed Chicken Drumsticks
MOO Condensed Milk Caramel in the Microwave
Newest Recipes
Date Spread - Sugar Free
Latest Tips
Long Lasting Fresh Avocado
Insurance Bonus Saves Money
Gluten Free on the Cheap
Plan Your Holidays and Save Your Garden
9. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join Cath and Hannah live Tuesdays on You Tube at 7.30pm AET
Latest Shows
10. Ask A Question
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 $25 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 for a full year.
That's unlimited 24/7 access to EVERYTHING in the Member's Centre!
Click here to join the Cheapskates Club today!
12. Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change my email address?
This one is easy. When you login to the Member's Centre just click on your name at the top of the page to go straight to your profile page where you can update your details, change your password and find your subscription details.
Not a Cheapskates Club member? Then please use the Changing Details form found here to update your email address.
How do I know when my membership should be renewed?
Memberships are active for one year from the date of joining. You will be sent a renewal reminder before your subscription is due to renew. You can also find your membership expiry date on your profile page.
When you login to the Member's Centre just click on your name to go straight to your profile page where you can will find your join date and your expiry date.
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 I get on this list?
The only way you can get onto our newsletter mailing list is to subscribe yourself. You either signed up to receive our Free Newsletter at our Cheapskates Club Web site or are a Platinum Cheapskates Club member.
13. Contact Cheapskates
The Cheapskates Club -
Showing you how to live life
debt free, cashed up and laughing!
PO Box 5077 Studfield Vic 3152
Contact Cheapskates
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 $25 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 for a full year.
That's unlimited 24/7 access to EVERYTHING in the Member's Centre!
Click here to join the Cheapskates Club today!
12. Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change my email address?
This one is easy. When you login to the Member's Centre just click on your name at the top of the page to go straight to your profile page where you can update your details, change your password and find your subscription details.
Not a Cheapskates Club member? Then please use the Changing Details form found here to update your email address.
How do I know when my membership should be renewed?
Memberships are active for one year from the date of joining. You will be sent a renewal reminder before your subscription is due to renew. You can also find your membership expiry date on your profile page.
When you login to the Member's Centre just click on your name to go straight to your profile page where you can will find your join date and your expiry date.
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 I get on this list?
The only way you can get onto our newsletter mailing list is to subscribe yourself. You either signed up to receive our Free Newsletter at our Cheapskates Club Web site or are a Platinum Cheapskates Club member.
13. Contact Cheapskates
The Cheapskates Club -
Showing you how to live life
debt free, cashed up and laughing!
PO Box 5077 Studfield Vic 3152
Contact Cheapskates