Your Cheapskates Club Newsletter 12:20
In This Newsletter
1. Cath's Corner
2. From the Tip Store - Sheets for Presents; Free E-books and Audiobooks; Freezer Meals Marking Saver
3. Share Your Favourite MOOs
4. MOO Month Membership Sale
5. On the Menu - Spaghetti Alfredo
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Stretching Meals - Baked Beans
7. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
8. Ask A Question - Have a question? Ask it here
10. Join the Cheapskates Club
11. Frequently Asked Questions
12. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
2. From the Tip Store - Sheets for Presents; Free E-books and Audiobooks; Freezer Meals Marking Saver
3. Share Your Favourite MOOs
4. MOO Month Membership Sale
5. On the Menu - Spaghetti Alfredo
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Stretching Meals - Baked Beans
7. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
8. Ask A Question - Have a question? Ask it here
10. Join the Cheapskates Club
11. Frequently Asked Questions
12. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
What crazy times we are living in! I can't remember ever seeing empty supermarket shelves, having our borders closed, businesses encouraging work-from-home, and schools closing. The interesting thing is how we are reacting to this emergency.
It started with panic buying, and hoarding. Stockpilers were maligned and abused (including me - sheesh I've been living this way for so many years some of my critics weren't a glimmer in their parents' eyes when I started). The news was crazy scary, and seemed to deliberately cause chaos.
And then the innate kindness of people started to shine through. Toilet paper was being dropped on doorsteps by secret TP elves; neighbours started looking out for their elderly neighbours; swap groups started so that if you have spare toilet paper (or other groceries) you could swap it for the Weet-bix you need and so on.
Life is still crazy, and it may well be this ways for a while yet. But take breath. Then take another breath. Be thankful for what you have: health, a roof over your head, food in the pantry; Netflix (sorry, couldn't resist) and a health care system that will do its best to care for everyone, even when stretched beyond breaking point.
And of course Cheapskates. If you're quarantined, now is the perfect time to go back through the archives and read back issues of the Journal. Browse the Tip Store and the Recipe File. Check in with the Forum and chat with other members. Download the Tip Sheets you've missed. There's heaps to do, so get to it!
And if you're not a member yet, the MOO Month Membership Sale is still happening so it's not too late to join the fun.
And remember, as Maureen says, Keep Calm and Cheapskate!
Happy Cheapskating,
Cath
2. From The Tip Store
Sheets for Presents
If you ever find white sheets, or white pillowcases especially good quality, on sale, they make excellent presents.
Boys always need new sheets, and girls always appreciate the clean white sheets.
Contributed by Denise Scotford
Editor's note: When I needed lots of gifts for teenage girls, manchester became one of my favourite things to give. I'd look for towel sets, quilt cover sets, sheet sets and dressing table sets either on sale or at op shops and buy them. Wrapped and presented nicely, they make a wonderful gift for teenagers getting ready to move out of home or who might be setting up glory boxes, new brides and new mothers. Just choose a colour they like and build on it. Cath
Free E-books and Audiobooks
Some of you may know that if you are a library member that you can apply to use the e-resources. I use the app BorrowBox for my library. This gives me access to free e-books and audiobooks. I don't have to worry about retuning books to the library. The Apple Store also has a free e-book every week and www.bookbub.com has a whole heap of free e-books from various genres and you can sign up for a daily email where you are offered discounted and free e-books. You can use your iPhone or Android phone to download and read too.
Contributed by Tammy Newell
Freezer Meals Marking Saver
Instead of using masking tape to label your freezer meals use a white board marker. Saves having the expense of masking tape and having to wash the sticky residue. When washing the container wash the marker off. So much easier too.
Contributed by Roslyn Herley
Add a Tip
3. Share Your Favourite MOOs
Share your favourite MOO hint or tip for MOO Month and it will be included in the 2020 31 Days of MOO e-book. You'll also be in the running to win a one-year Cheapskates Club membership and during March two will be given away each week.
Remember, you have to be in it to win it!
Share Your Tip
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. MOO Month Membership Sale
Hello Cheapskaters,
What crazy times we are living in! I can't remember ever seeing empty supermarket shelves, having our borders closed, businesses encouraging work-from-home, and schools closing. The interesting thing is how we are reacting to this emergency.
It started with panic buying, and hoarding. Stockpilers were maligned and abused (including me - sheesh I've been living this way for so many years some of my critics weren't a glimmer in their parents' eyes when I started). The news was crazy scary, and seemed to deliberately cause chaos.
And then the innate kindness of people started to shine through. Toilet paper was being dropped on doorsteps by secret TP elves; neighbours started looking out for their elderly neighbours; swap groups started so that if you have spare toilet paper (or other groceries) you could swap it for the Weet-bix you need and so on.
Life is still crazy, and it may well be this ways for a while yet. But take breath. Then take another breath. Be thankful for what you have: health, a roof over your head, food in the pantry; Netflix (sorry, couldn't resist) and a health care system that will do its best to care for everyone, even when stretched beyond breaking point.
And of course Cheapskates. If you're quarantined, now is the perfect time to go back through the archives and read back issues of the Journal. Browse the Tip Store and the Recipe File. Check in with the Forum and chat with other members. Download the Tip Sheets you've missed. There's heaps to do, so get to it!
And if you're not a member yet, the MOO Month Membership Sale is still happening so it's not too late to join the fun.
And remember, as Maureen says, Keep Calm and Cheapskate!
Happy Cheapskating,
Cath
2. From The Tip Store
Sheets for Presents
If you ever find white sheets, or white pillowcases especially good quality, on sale, they make excellent presents.
Boys always need new sheets, and girls always appreciate the clean white sheets.
Contributed by Denise Scotford
Editor's note: When I needed lots of gifts for teenage girls, manchester became one of my favourite things to give. I'd look for towel sets, quilt cover sets, sheet sets and dressing table sets either on sale or at op shops and buy them. Wrapped and presented nicely, they make a wonderful gift for teenagers getting ready to move out of home or who might be setting up glory boxes, new brides and new mothers. Just choose a colour they like and build on it. Cath
Free E-books and Audiobooks
Some of you may know that if you are a library member that you can apply to use the e-resources. I use the app BorrowBox for my library. This gives me access to free e-books and audiobooks. I don't have to worry about retuning books to the library. The Apple Store also has a free e-book every week and www.bookbub.com has a whole heap of free e-books from various genres and you can sign up for a daily email where you are offered discounted and free e-books. You can use your iPhone or Android phone to download and read too.
Contributed by Tammy Newell
Freezer Meals Marking Saver
Instead of using masking tape to label your freezer meals use a white board marker. Saves having the expense of masking tape and having to wash the sticky residue. When washing the container wash the marker off. So much easier too.
Contributed by Roslyn Herley
Add a Tip
3. Share Your Favourite MOOs
Share your favourite MOO hint or tip for MOO Month and it will be included in the 2020 31 Days of MOO e-book. You'll also be in the running to win a one-year Cheapskates Club membership and during March two will be given away each week.
Remember, you have to be in it to win it!
Share Your Tip
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. MOO Month Membership Sale
New Cheapskates Club memberships are just $25 for the first year.
If you're not sure that a Cheapskates Club membership is for you, take a peek at what's on offer.
5. On The Menu
Spaghetti Alfredo
This is a quick and easy pasta dish, perfect for using pantry supplies.
Spaghetti Alfredo
Ingredients:
250g uncooked spaghetti
125g butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
Parsley for garnish
Method:
Cook and drain spaghetti as directed on package.
While the spaghetti is cooking, heat butter and cream over medium heat, stirring frequently, until butter is melted and mixture starts to bubble. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper.
Toss spaghetti with sauce until well coated. Sprinkle with parsley.
Next week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Lamb
Monday: Schnitzels, coleslaw
Tuesday: Spaghetti Alfredo
Wednesday: Rice Patties, salad
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Apricot Chicken, mash, veggies
Saturday: Chicken enchiladas
In the fruit bowl: apples
There are over 1,700 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
Stretching Meals - Baked BeansT
he humble tinned baked bean in tomato sauce gets a tough time, but it is a very handy thing to have in your pantry.
Baked beans are full of good things: iron, fibre, protein and potassium, and carbs for energy. They have very little fat, and that's mostly from the sauce.
They're good on toast (or straight from the can if you're like my husband), in jaffles and who can pass up a baked bean and cheese pie? But I like to use them to stretch meat meals.
I use one tin of baked beans (400g - 14oz) to 500g (1lb) minced meat (beef, lamb, chicken) in pasta sauce, they are a feature in my Refrigerator Lasagne and regular lasagne, in pasta bake, in pie filling, in taco filling, in chicken enchiladas and basic stews, and most mince dishes with a tomato ingredient.
If the dish doesn't have a tomato ingredient, I simply rinse the sauce off (into a container to be added to soup or gravy), and use the plain beans.
If I want to disguise the beans, I simply whizz them in the food processor until the crumbles are about the size of the mince crumbles.
Over the years I've found they don't really have a flavour so take on the flavour of the dish they are being added to.
Last time I bought them (I buy 10 dozen tins a year) baked beans at Aldi were 79c a tin - 500g of mince is between $4 - $8 so using them to stretch the mince is a big money saver. The baked beans would need to go up and awful lot to make me not use them.
Now I don't know whether my family are so used to beans in their meals, or they just haven't noticed, but they don't complain. I serve the meals to visitors too, and they either don't notice, do and don't mind or are too polite to say anything, so I'll keep using baked beans to stretch meals and our grocery budget.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
7. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
How to Build Your Stockpile
The Smart Stockpile
How to Keep your Pantry Organized
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
What's In Your Food Stockpile?
Pantry, Fridge & Freezer Inventories & Creating a Perpetual Shopping List
Take a spring onion, two eggs and a piece of cheese...
...
Most Popular Blog Posts This Week
Corned Beef Pie
MOO Bisquick and the Convenience of Packet Mixes
How To Make A Stock Soup
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join Cath and Hannah live Tuesdays and Thursdays on You Tube at 7.30pm AET
Join us live on YouTube every Tuesday and Thursday and see how we are living debt free, cashed up and laughing - and find out how you can too!
Show Schedule
Tuesday: Around the Kitchen Table - join Cath and Hannah for a cuppa and a chat around the kitchen table as they talk about living the Cheapskates way.
Thursday: Cheapskates in the Kitchen - want to know how to cook delicious, healthy and cheap meals? Watch Cath and Hannah as they create cheapskates style cuisine and share their favourite recipes.
Latest Shows
If you're not sure that a Cheapskates Club membership is for you, take a peek at what's on offer.
5. On The Menu
Spaghetti Alfredo
This is a quick and easy pasta dish, perfect for using pantry supplies.
Spaghetti Alfredo
Ingredients:
250g uncooked spaghetti
125g butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
Parsley for garnish
Method:
Cook and drain spaghetti as directed on package.
While the spaghetti is cooking, heat butter and cream over medium heat, stirring frequently, until butter is melted and mixture starts to bubble. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper.
Toss spaghetti with sauce until well coated. Sprinkle with parsley.
Next week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Lamb
Monday: Schnitzels, coleslaw
Tuesday: Spaghetti Alfredo
Wednesday: Rice Patties, salad
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Apricot Chicken, mash, veggies
Saturday: Chicken enchiladas
In the fruit bowl: apples
There are over 1,700 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
Stretching Meals - Baked BeansT
he humble tinned baked bean in tomato sauce gets a tough time, but it is a very handy thing to have in your pantry.
Baked beans are full of good things: iron, fibre, protein and potassium, and carbs for energy. They have very little fat, and that's mostly from the sauce.
They're good on toast (or straight from the can if you're like my husband), in jaffles and who can pass up a baked bean and cheese pie? But I like to use them to stretch meat meals.
I use one tin of baked beans (400g - 14oz) to 500g (1lb) minced meat (beef, lamb, chicken) in pasta sauce, they are a feature in my Refrigerator Lasagne and regular lasagne, in pasta bake, in pie filling, in taco filling, in chicken enchiladas and basic stews, and most mince dishes with a tomato ingredient.
If the dish doesn't have a tomato ingredient, I simply rinse the sauce off (into a container to be added to soup or gravy), and use the plain beans.
If I want to disguise the beans, I simply whizz them in the food processor until the crumbles are about the size of the mince crumbles.
Over the years I've found they don't really have a flavour so take on the flavour of the dish they are being added to.
Last time I bought them (I buy 10 dozen tins a year) baked beans at Aldi were 79c a tin - 500g of mince is between $4 - $8 so using them to stretch the mince is a big money saver. The baked beans would need to go up and awful lot to make me not use them.
Now I don't know whether my family are so used to beans in their meals, or they just haven't noticed, but they don't complain. I serve the meals to visitors too, and they either don't notice, do and don't mind or are too polite to say anything, so I'll keep using baked beans to stretch meals and our grocery budget.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
7. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
How to Build Your Stockpile
The Smart Stockpile
How to Keep your Pantry Organized
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
What's In Your Food Stockpile?
Pantry, Fridge & Freezer Inventories & Creating a Perpetual Shopping List
Take a spring onion, two eggs and a piece of cheese...
...
Most Popular Blog Posts This Week
Corned Beef Pie
MOO Bisquick and the Convenience of Packet Mixes
How To Make A Stock Soup
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join Cath and Hannah live Tuesdays and Thursdays on You Tube at 7.30pm AET
Join us live on YouTube every Tuesday and Thursday and see how we are living debt free, cashed up and laughing - and find out how you can too!
Show Schedule
Tuesday: Around the Kitchen Table - join Cath and Hannah for a cuppa and a chat around the kitchen table as they talk about living the Cheapskates way.
Thursday: Cheapskates in the Kitchen - want to know how to cook delicious, healthy and cheap meals? Watch Cath and Hannah as they create cheapskates style cuisine and share their favourite recipes.
Latest Shows
9. 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
10. Join The Cheapskates Club
For just $25 a year, 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. 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 signed up to receive our Free Newsletter at our Cheapskates Club Web site or are a Platinum Cheapskates Club member.
12. 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
10. Join The Cheapskates Club
For just $25 a year, 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. 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 signed up to receive our Free Newsletter at our Cheapskates Club Web site or are a Platinum Cheapskates Club member.
12. 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