Your Cheapskates Club Newsletter 12:18
In this Newsletter
1. Cath's Corner
2. In the Tip Store - Harvies; Barista Style Coffee Done Cheap; Neighbour Dog Care Instead of Kennels
3. Share Your Tips
4. On the Menu - Cream Cheese Patties
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Waste Not, Want Not - Cook Once, Eat Three Times
6. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
7. Last Week's Question - Managing kids, work and school holidays
8. This Week's Question - How can we save a lot of money, quickly?
9. Ask Cath
10. Join the Cheapskates Club
11. Frequently Asked Questions
12. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
We're more than halfway through MOO Month and so far, it's been great fun. Over the weekend I MOOed lots of new cards, some to keep, some to donate and some to sell.
I also MOOed pear sauce to use in baking. Did you know pear butter is interchangeable with apple sauce in baking? When I use pear sauce I cut the sugar down a little as pears are much sweeter than apples, otherwise it’s a straight 1:1 substitution in muffin and cake recipes. And it's just as easy to MOO.
After a little while it becomes habit to make our own, instead of buying. If you aren't MOOing yet, try it. Perhaps with something as simple as Miracle Spray or Cheapskates Washing Powder. Or perhaps pita chips or Italian style breadcrumbs. When you've mastered one MOO, try another one. There are plenty to try here.
Have a great week everyone, and happy MOOing.
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
Harvies
When I'm doing washing, washing dishes, my hair, measuring for a recipe, I always try to think of my mantra "can I use half?". Cath actually inspired me to do this as she was telling us how to bulk out things with water i.e. shampoo and conditioner. Whenever I'm washing dishes say, I'll squeeze the tiniest amount of dishwashing liquid into the sponge- never in the water- as the sponge helps make me feel there is more. I do this with washing powder, petrol, recipes, watering the garden sometimes, just about everywhere I'm using something. The other day I was using our leaf blower but only did half of the yard, then raked up the rest. I estimate I've saved thousands by halving. I tell people my rule - some think I'm miserly, but others applaud me. Don't get me wrong- I use a full teabag, but in this wasteful world my "harvie" rule has saved us time AND money. It's also fantastic for the waistline! It really is the small things that add up. It helps if you think in $$$.
Contributed by Janie-Lee McRober
Barista Style Coffee Done Cheap
Here is how I save money on my daily habit without compromising on taste. I invested in an Aeropress (hunt around online for a good price), which a lot of baristas use at home because it is convenient and produces a consistent brew over a french press. It's also portable, so you can take it to work and it's very easy to clean. You also get a year's worth of filter papers and if you want to be a real cheapskate, yes, you can reuse them if you drink more than one cup a day. You'll also have a lot of fun trying out the different recipes to get a good cup that's right for you.
If you're like me and you have a preferred coffee roaster, you need to work out which coffee beans hit the sweet spot between flavour and value for money - this is usually a house blend as opposed to an exotic single origin. But on this issue, you should buy whichever beans you're going to be happy drinking every day, otherwise saving money on something you dislike is pointless. How much you buy really depends on your drinking habits and equipment at home. You can save money if you have access to a coffee grinder and can buy bulk bags of coffee beans. For me, a cup a day drinker, I opt for a half kilo that my barista grinds for me.
Try using a smaller cup and experiment with your scoop sizes to make your coffee last longer. You'll eventually settle on a recipe that suits your taste buds, but try using a little bit less each time you brew until you find your limit. Last month I spent $23 on coffee and I used between a 3/4 to full scoop in a smaller cup with the water level just above the two mark. I use the complimentary milk at work in a milk frother and I've worked out that my daily cup is about $1. Not as cheap as alternative coffee options, but certainly better than $4.50 at the cafe.
Contributed by Eddie Ngaluafe
Neighbour Dog Care Instead of Kennels
We have an agreement with a neighbour/friend to look after their dog when they go on holidays and in return they look after ours. This means we have not only saved hundreds on kennel fees so far, but also the dogs are happier, as they know us all well and don't have to go to a stranger's. We have also become better friends and neighbours. We both have a similar approach to dog care and discipline which is important and have discussed what to do if the dog becomes sick or in the worst case dies when the 'parents' are away.
Contributed by Lesley Whitteker
There are currently more than 12,000 great tips in the Tip Store
3. 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
4. On the Menu
Cream Cheese Patties
I love these patties in summer with salad just as much as I do in winter with steamed green vegetables.
Ingredients:
250g cream cheese
1 cup rice
1 large onion, grated
1 large carrot, grated
1 egg
1/2 tsp mixed herbs
Olive oil for frying
Shake'n'bake
1/2 cup milk
Method:
Cook the rice in boiling salted water for 12 minutes. Dice cream cheese into 2cm cubes (this makes it easier to melt). Drain rice. Add remaining ingredients, except shake'n'bake, milk and olive oil, to the hot rice, stirring to melt the cream cheese. Take 1/4 cup of mixture, shape into a patty. Dip in milk then in shake'n'bake to coat. Let the patties rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before frying in hot oil until golden brown on both sides. Can be served hot or cold.
This recipe is in the Vegetarian Recipe File
https://www.cheapskatesclub.net/recipe-file.html
This week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: Cream cheese patties, salad
Tuesday: Spaghetti Bolognese
Wednesday: Wellington Loaf, scalloped potato, greens
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Sausages, vegetables
Saturday: Muffin Surprise
In the fruit bowl: bananas
In the cake tin: No Bake Choc Chip Slice, Lemon Slice
There are over 1,600 other great money saving meal ideas in the Recipe File.
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge
Waste Not, Want Not - Cook Once, Eat Three Times
It's an old-fashioned saying but it is true. Look back fifty or sixty (or more) years. A good homemaker wasted nothing, especially in the kitchen. Fast forward to 2018 and waste is the norm.
Each Australian household throws away around 936 kilograms of food each year (source: What A Waste! Australia Institute Report). At an average of $2.50 per kilo that's a whopping $2,340 you're putting in the rubbish bin. No one would ever go to the bank and withdraw $2,340 just to bring it home and toss it in the bin and yet every day your hard-earned money is just thrown out.
Planning your meals will eliminate, or at the very least drastically cut the amount of waste from your kitchen. But how do you deal with the leftovers? Or the small amounts of ingredients left after making a particular recipe? With a little more planning and meal plan tweaking of course.
The term “leftovers” can inspire thoughts of turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, and turkey casseroles that fill the days after Christmas or the continual party pie and cocktail frank meals after a party. And nothing says leftover more than a soggy salad. Leftovers do not have to be that boring or unappetising and the simple mention of the word doesn’t have to leave your family running for cover.
In fact, planning for “leftovers” ahead of time can make your meal planning for the week a lot easier. If you are a busy mum, you know how hard it can be to come up with ideas for three meals a day, seven days a week.
In this sub-method of meal planning, you can look at your week and create meals that play off each other. Here are a few suggestions:
Spaghetti Sauce
On day one make a triple quantity of spaghetti sauce. When the sauce is done, divide it into three portions. For that night’s meal, use a portion of the sauce to serve as a classic spaghetti Bolognese or a pasta bake (mix some cooked pasta into that night’s sauce portion and place in a baking dish; top with mozzarella cheese and bake at 180 degrees Celsius until cheese is melted).
On day two, take a portion of the spaghetti sauce and thin it out with chicken broth; add some cooked rice and you have a tomato-rice soup for dinner. Serve it with toasted crumpets for a tasty and filling meal.
On day three again thin out the spaghetti sauce with a bit of chicken broth – but don’t make it too thin; then, add some chili powder, chopped onions and a tin of baked beans. Make some dumplings and pop them on top and simmer slowly until the dumplings are done. You can even do this in the morning and let it simmer in the crock-pot all day while you run your errands and chauffer the kids to their after-school activities. You’ll have a great-tasting dinner ready for you when you get home.
Roasted Chicken
On day one roast a couple of chickens; my local butcher often has small chickens in twin packs for around $6 - cheaper than the same weight single bird, so keep an eye open - they may be small, but once they're cooked they taste the same. That night, you can serve a traditional roasted chicken with stuffing, baked vegetables and gravy. When you are cleaning up that night’s meal, clean the meat off both chickens and split into two more portions. Put the carcasses into the freezer to use to make stock with later.
On day two, use a portion of the chicken, some fresh veggies, Penny Pinching Pizza crust and your favourite pizza toppings to make a healthy pizza. For a twist, substitute Alfredo sauce instead of traditional pizza sauce and create an Alfredo Pizza.
On day three you can combine the chicken with some sautéed veggies and chickpeas; serve over couscous for a Moroccan inspired meal.
Minced Beef
On day one brown three nights worth of mince (the amount will vary, depending on your family’s size); once the meat is cooked, separate it into three portions. On day one, add some taco seasoning to the meat and serve tacos.
On day two, use the meat to make a hearty casserole, such as Shepherd’s Pie.
On day three warm the meat in a frying pan along with some tomato sauce, a dash of soy sauce, a bit of brown sugar and paprika along with some chopped and sautéed onions, celery and capsicum and you have an easy and delicious pie filling. Make up one quantity of Easy Pastry and halve it. Roll one half out to line a pie dish. Add the filling then roll the other lump of pastry to make the pie top. Cut some vents in the top and bake at 210 degrees Celsius for 25 - 30 minutes until the pastry is cooked and golden brown.
That takes care of the planned leftovers, but what about the unplanned leftovers? I'll share how I deal with leftovers in our home next week (and I LOVE leftovers!).
The $300 a Month Food Challenge
The Post that Started it All
6. Cheapskates Buzz
Most popular forum posts this week
What Did You Do Today that Saved You Money?
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3452-What-did-you-do-today-that-saved-you-money
Be Strong and Say No More Often
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3728-Be-Strong-and-Say-No-More-Often
Repurpose Unwanted Printed Paper
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3730-Repurpose-unwanted-printed-paper
Most popular blog posts this week
The 31 Days of MOO
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/p/the-31-days-of-moo_16.html
Top 7 Ways to Cut Grocery Costs
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/p/top-7-ways-to-cut-grocery-costs.html
Housekeeping Routines
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/p/housekeeping.html
7. Last Week's Question
Last week's question was from Lyn B who wrote
"How do parents manage work hours with all the school holidays students have off school? Last year my son's school was out for 15 weeks - plus the occasional pupil free day. He is 13 and I have been working in casual jobs since he was 7. We are confident we can manage the Monday to Friday school days, but the bigger issue is the school holidays. He's too old for child care; the local community centre run a few holiday programs but for limited hours; my elderly parents and in-laws live in the country and overseas, so they are not able to help out; and friends are a wonderful support but most work and have the same problem. Leaving any kids alone for long periods of time is not an option."
Penny H. answered
While I sympathise, you need to move beyond the idea that a 13-year-old can’t be left unsupervised. I was, and I bet you were also, as you grew up. I am a single mother of twins, with no family to mind the kids. Fortunately, they are now 19 years old, and the issue is behind me.
Ingenuity is called for:
1. Aim for single days where the 13-year-old is home alone. This is normal, acceptable and to be looked forward to (by the teen). Maybe they could prepare dinner;
2. The PCYC runs teen programs. These may only run from 10:00 till 3:00, however by the time your teen has got there and back by public transport there’ll be a couple of extra hours filled in;
3. Use Department of Sport & Rec teen camps, which run from Sunday to Friday, with subsidies for low income earners (my kids hated these, but there are skiing and specific sports training programmes, which may be of interest);
4. Specialist sport training programmes. My son did a week-long basketball training program, and my daughter did an equestrian program;
5. Send your teen to the country relatives to work for two weeks;
6. Sign your teen up to deliver junk mail (boy, did my kids hate me for that idea!!);
7. Lean on other parents to fill in excess days, where it isn’t reasonable to expect your teen to be in isolation for too many consecutive days.
It does pass!
Bree Parker answered
While working casually, I placed the role of caring for my children as a job online to close Facebook friends. Sure, the pay is low ($20/$30) for the day/hrs required, but they come with all prepacked snacks and lunchboxes, so no work for the carer, and the bonus is, it's a school holiday playdate (except with small payment to the carer) - everyone wins.
If this isn't doable, I have found there are many young adults on our local neighbourhood Facebook page that also offer cheap babysitting - just advise them of your situation of casual work so they will likely accept a lower payment in return for more work shifts. Everything is negotiable.
Perhaps you could share supervision with some friends? Each Mum take a few days off work during the holidays and have ALL the kids for each other. A group of children tend to keep each other occupied, and you could easily arrange some activities or outings to cover a few days. I knew some Mums years ago who all worked part-time and babysat for each other. To ensure no-one was taken advantage of, they set a fee per child per day and would pay each other in cash.
It's a brilliant idea!
Natalie Spencer answered
Try checking some of the local Churches in your area. We have several in our area that offer school holiday "camps" for either low-cost or no-cost! The children go there just for the day. They are certainly well looked after, and they are always happy after a day of fun and activities. Often, we find that some of their friends from school also attend.
8. This Week's Question
Erin asks
My husband and I are savers, but we've had a couple of unexpected, necessary, expenses pop up. We've used our savings to pay down some of the debt, but we need to get the remaining $5,378 paid of quickly - before the end of the year hopefully. We both work, have a 2.5-year-old and a 4-year-old, and a mortgage, a small personal load and the usual living expenses. What can we do to save money fast and clear this debt?
Do you have the answer?
If you have a suggestion or idea for Erin, 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
9. 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
10. 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!
11. 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.
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12. Contact Details
The Cheapskates Club -
Showing you how to live life
debt free, cashed up and laughing!
Contact Cheapskates
1. Cath's Corner
2. In the Tip Store - Harvies; Barista Style Coffee Done Cheap; Neighbour Dog Care Instead of Kennels
3. Share Your Tips
4. On the Menu - Cream Cheese Patties
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Waste Not, Want Not - Cook Once, Eat Three Times
6. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
7. Last Week's Question - Managing kids, work and school holidays
8. This Week's Question - How can we save a lot of money, quickly?
9. Ask Cath
10. Join the Cheapskates Club
11. Frequently Asked Questions
12. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
We're more than halfway through MOO Month and so far, it's been great fun. Over the weekend I MOOed lots of new cards, some to keep, some to donate and some to sell.
I also MOOed pear sauce to use in baking. Did you know pear butter is interchangeable with apple sauce in baking? When I use pear sauce I cut the sugar down a little as pears are much sweeter than apples, otherwise it’s a straight 1:1 substitution in muffin and cake recipes. And it's just as easy to MOO.
After a little while it becomes habit to make our own, instead of buying. If you aren't MOOing yet, try it. Perhaps with something as simple as Miracle Spray or Cheapskates Washing Powder. Or perhaps pita chips or Italian style breadcrumbs. When you've mastered one MOO, try another one. There are plenty to try here.
Have a great week everyone, and happy MOOing.
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
Harvies
When I'm doing washing, washing dishes, my hair, measuring for a recipe, I always try to think of my mantra "can I use half?". Cath actually inspired me to do this as she was telling us how to bulk out things with water i.e. shampoo and conditioner. Whenever I'm washing dishes say, I'll squeeze the tiniest amount of dishwashing liquid into the sponge- never in the water- as the sponge helps make me feel there is more. I do this with washing powder, petrol, recipes, watering the garden sometimes, just about everywhere I'm using something. The other day I was using our leaf blower but only did half of the yard, then raked up the rest. I estimate I've saved thousands by halving. I tell people my rule - some think I'm miserly, but others applaud me. Don't get me wrong- I use a full teabag, but in this wasteful world my "harvie" rule has saved us time AND money. It's also fantastic for the waistline! It really is the small things that add up. It helps if you think in $$$.
Contributed by Janie-Lee McRober
Barista Style Coffee Done Cheap
Here is how I save money on my daily habit without compromising on taste. I invested in an Aeropress (hunt around online for a good price), which a lot of baristas use at home because it is convenient and produces a consistent brew over a french press. It's also portable, so you can take it to work and it's very easy to clean. You also get a year's worth of filter papers and if you want to be a real cheapskate, yes, you can reuse them if you drink more than one cup a day. You'll also have a lot of fun trying out the different recipes to get a good cup that's right for you.
If you're like me and you have a preferred coffee roaster, you need to work out which coffee beans hit the sweet spot between flavour and value for money - this is usually a house blend as opposed to an exotic single origin. But on this issue, you should buy whichever beans you're going to be happy drinking every day, otherwise saving money on something you dislike is pointless. How much you buy really depends on your drinking habits and equipment at home. You can save money if you have access to a coffee grinder and can buy bulk bags of coffee beans. For me, a cup a day drinker, I opt for a half kilo that my barista grinds for me.
Try using a smaller cup and experiment with your scoop sizes to make your coffee last longer. You'll eventually settle on a recipe that suits your taste buds, but try using a little bit less each time you brew until you find your limit. Last month I spent $23 on coffee and I used between a 3/4 to full scoop in a smaller cup with the water level just above the two mark. I use the complimentary milk at work in a milk frother and I've worked out that my daily cup is about $1. Not as cheap as alternative coffee options, but certainly better than $4.50 at the cafe.
Contributed by Eddie Ngaluafe
Neighbour Dog Care Instead of Kennels
We have an agreement with a neighbour/friend to look after their dog when they go on holidays and in return they look after ours. This means we have not only saved hundreds on kennel fees so far, but also the dogs are happier, as they know us all well and don't have to go to a stranger's. We have also become better friends and neighbours. We both have a similar approach to dog care and discipline which is important and have discussed what to do if the dog becomes sick or in the worst case dies when the 'parents' are away.
Contributed by Lesley Whitteker
There are currently more than 12,000 great tips in the Tip Store
3. 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
4. On the Menu
Cream Cheese Patties
I love these patties in summer with salad just as much as I do in winter with steamed green vegetables.
Ingredients:
250g cream cheese
1 cup rice
1 large onion, grated
1 large carrot, grated
1 egg
1/2 tsp mixed herbs
Olive oil for frying
Shake'n'bake
1/2 cup milk
Method:
Cook the rice in boiling salted water for 12 minutes. Dice cream cheese into 2cm cubes (this makes it easier to melt). Drain rice. Add remaining ingredients, except shake'n'bake, milk and olive oil, to the hot rice, stirring to melt the cream cheese. Take 1/4 cup of mixture, shape into a patty. Dip in milk then in shake'n'bake to coat. Let the patties rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before frying in hot oil until golden brown on both sides. Can be served hot or cold.
This recipe is in the Vegetarian Recipe File
https://www.cheapskatesclub.net/recipe-file.html
This week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: Cream cheese patties, salad
Tuesday: Spaghetti Bolognese
Wednesday: Wellington Loaf, scalloped potato, greens
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Sausages, vegetables
Saturday: Muffin Surprise
In the fruit bowl: bananas
In the cake tin: No Bake Choc Chip Slice, Lemon Slice
There are over 1,600 other great money saving meal ideas in the Recipe File.
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge
Waste Not, Want Not - Cook Once, Eat Three Times
It's an old-fashioned saying but it is true. Look back fifty or sixty (or more) years. A good homemaker wasted nothing, especially in the kitchen. Fast forward to 2018 and waste is the norm.
Each Australian household throws away around 936 kilograms of food each year (source: What A Waste! Australia Institute Report). At an average of $2.50 per kilo that's a whopping $2,340 you're putting in the rubbish bin. No one would ever go to the bank and withdraw $2,340 just to bring it home and toss it in the bin and yet every day your hard-earned money is just thrown out.
Planning your meals will eliminate, or at the very least drastically cut the amount of waste from your kitchen. But how do you deal with the leftovers? Or the small amounts of ingredients left after making a particular recipe? With a little more planning and meal plan tweaking of course.
The term “leftovers” can inspire thoughts of turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, and turkey casseroles that fill the days after Christmas or the continual party pie and cocktail frank meals after a party. And nothing says leftover more than a soggy salad. Leftovers do not have to be that boring or unappetising and the simple mention of the word doesn’t have to leave your family running for cover.
In fact, planning for “leftovers” ahead of time can make your meal planning for the week a lot easier. If you are a busy mum, you know how hard it can be to come up with ideas for three meals a day, seven days a week.
In this sub-method of meal planning, you can look at your week and create meals that play off each other. Here are a few suggestions:
Spaghetti Sauce
On day one make a triple quantity of spaghetti sauce. When the sauce is done, divide it into three portions. For that night’s meal, use a portion of the sauce to serve as a classic spaghetti Bolognese or a pasta bake (mix some cooked pasta into that night’s sauce portion and place in a baking dish; top with mozzarella cheese and bake at 180 degrees Celsius until cheese is melted).
On day two, take a portion of the spaghetti sauce and thin it out with chicken broth; add some cooked rice and you have a tomato-rice soup for dinner. Serve it with toasted crumpets for a tasty and filling meal.
On day three again thin out the spaghetti sauce with a bit of chicken broth – but don’t make it too thin; then, add some chili powder, chopped onions and a tin of baked beans. Make some dumplings and pop them on top and simmer slowly until the dumplings are done. You can even do this in the morning and let it simmer in the crock-pot all day while you run your errands and chauffer the kids to their after-school activities. You’ll have a great-tasting dinner ready for you when you get home.
Roasted Chicken
On day one roast a couple of chickens; my local butcher often has small chickens in twin packs for around $6 - cheaper than the same weight single bird, so keep an eye open - they may be small, but once they're cooked they taste the same. That night, you can serve a traditional roasted chicken with stuffing, baked vegetables and gravy. When you are cleaning up that night’s meal, clean the meat off both chickens and split into two more portions. Put the carcasses into the freezer to use to make stock with later.
On day two, use a portion of the chicken, some fresh veggies, Penny Pinching Pizza crust and your favourite pizza toppings to make a healthy pizza. For a twist, substitute Alfredo sauce instead of traditional pizza sauce and create an Alfredo Pizza.
On day three you can combine the chicken with some sautéed veggies and chickpeas; serve over couscous for a Moroccan inspired meal.
Minced Beef
On day one brown three nights worth of mince (the amount will vary, depending on your family’s size); once the meat is cooked, separate it into three portions. On day one, add some taco seasoning to the meat and serve tacos.
On day two, use the meat to make a hearty casserole, such as Shepherd’s Pie.
On day three warm the meat in a frying pan along with some tomato sauce, a dash of soy sauce, a bit of brown sugar and paprika along with some chopped and sautéed onions, celery and capsicum and you have an easy and delicious pie filling. Make up one quantity of Easy Pastry and halve it. Roll one half out to line a pie dish. Add the filling then roll the other lump of pastry to make the pie top. Cut some vents in the top and bake at 210 degrees Celsius for 25 - 30 minutes until the pastry is cooked and golden brown.
That takes care of the planned leftovers, but what about the unplanned leftovers? I'll share how I deal with leftovers in our home next week (and I LOVE leftovers!).
The $300 a Month Food Challenge
The Post that Started it All
6. Cheapskates Buzz
Most popular forum posts this week
What Did You Do Today that Saved You Money?
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3452-What-did-you-do-today-that-saved-you-money
Be Strong and Say No More Often
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3728-Be-Strong-and-Say-No-More-Often
Repurpose Unwanted Printed Paper
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3730-Repurpose-unwanted-printed-paper
Most popular blog posts this week
The 31 Days of MOO
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/p/the-31-days-of-moo_16.html
Top 7 Ways to Cut Grocery Costs
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/p/top-7-ways-to-cut-grocery-costs.html
Housekeeping Routines
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/p/housekeeping.html
7. Last Week's Question
Last week's question was from Lyn B who wrote
"How do parents manage work hours with all the school holidays students have off school? Last year my son's school was out for 15 weeks - plus the occasional pupil free day. He is 13 and I have been working in casual jobs since he was 7. We are confident we can manage the Monday to Friday school days, but the bigger issue is the school holidays. He's too old for child care; the local community centre run a few holiday programs but for limited hours; my elderly parents and in-laws live in the country and overseas, so they are not able to help out; and friends are a wonderful support but most work and have the same problem. Leaving any kids alone for long periods of time is not an option."
Penny H. answered
While I sympathise, you need to move beyond the idea that a 13-year-old can’t be left unsupervised. I was, and I bet you were also, as you grew up. I am a single mother of twins, with no family to mind the kids. Fortunately, they are now 19 years old, and the issue is behind me.
Ingenuity is called for:
1. Aim for single days where the 13-year-old is home alone. This is normal, acceptable and to be looked forward to (by the teen). Maybe they could prepare dinner;
2. The PCYC runs teen programs. These may only run from 10:00 till 3:00, however by the time your teen has got there and back by public transport there’ll be a couple of extra hours filled in;
3. Use Department of Sport & Rec teen camps, which run from Sunday to Friday, with subsidies for low income earners (my kids hated these, but there are skiing and specific sports training programmes, which may be of interest);
4. Specialist sport training programmes. My son did a week-long basketball training program, and my daughter did an equestrian program;
5. Send your teen to the country relatives to work for two weeks;
6. Sign your teen up to deliver junk mail (boy, did my kids hate me for that idea!!);
7. Lean on other parents to fill in excess days, where it isn’t reasonable to expect your teen to be in isolation for too many consecutive days.
It does pass!
Bree Parker answered
While working casually, I placed the role of caring for my children as a job online to close Facebook friends. Sure, the pay is low ($20/$30) for the day/hrs required, but they come with all prepacked snacks and lunchboxes, so no work for the carer, and the bonus is, it's a school holiday playdate (except with small payment to the carer) - everyone wins.
If this isn't doable, I have found there are many young adults on our local neighbourhood Facebook page that also offer cheap babysitting - just advise them of your situation of casual work so they will likely accept a lower payment in return for more work shifts. Everything is negotiable.
Perhaps you could share supervision with some friends? Each Mum take a few days off work during the holidays and have ALL the kids for each other. A group of children tend to keep each other occupied, and you could easily arrange some activities or outings to cover a few days. I knew some Mums years ago who all worked part-time and babysat for each other. To ensure no-one was taken advantage of, they set a fee per child per day and would pay each other in cash.
It's a brilliant idea!
Natalie Spencer answered
Try checking some of the local Churches in your area. We have several in our area that offer school holiday "camps" for either low-cost or no-cost! The children go there just for the day. They are certainly well looked after, and they are always happy after a day of fun and activities. Often, we find that some of their friends from school also attend.
8. This Week's Question
Erin asks
My husband and I are savers, but we've had a couple of unexpected, necessary, expenses pop up. We've used our savings to pay down some of the debt, but we need to get the remaining $5,378 paid of quickly - before the end of the year hopefully. We both work, have a 2.5-year-old and a 4-year-old, and a mortgage, a small personal load and the usual living expenses. What can we do to save money fast and clear this debt?
Do you have the answer?
If you have a suggestion or idea for Erin, 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
9. Ask Cath
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