Your Cheapskates Club Newsletter 16:22
In This Newsletter
1. Cath's Corner
2. From the Tip Store - No Tangle Way to Hang Sheets on the Clothesline; Versatile Home Décor; Maple Syrup Bottles Become Pretty Vases
3. Tip of the Week - Giving Generously Without Budget Pain
4. Share Your Tips
5. On the Menu - Easy Chicken & Parmesan Risotto
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Buying and Storing in Bulk
7. The Weekly MOO Challenge - Muffin Mix
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 glad to have you join us on this journey to debt free living. We have lots of fun sharing our hints and tips and ideas, our successes and the occasional fail (and we all have them). Please take the time to introduce yourself in the Member's Forum, and join the discussions.
I'm doing an extra You Tube Live tonight, at 7.30pm. I'm trying something completely new to me, so I hope you are able to join me as I figure out what I'm doing and whether or not it is going to be worth the effort! You'll find the show here.
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
Versatile Home Decor
My easiest and cheapest home decorating tip is to make use of your acrylic paints that you get from the bargain shop. I have used these to give me an endless variety of colour scheme. I brought two identical largish vases and whenever the whim takes me I just paint the outside of these vases to whatever colour scheme I want. When I grow tired of that colour I just wash them off and change the colour, I don't have to then try to find a storage space for an endless variety of vases.
I also use these acrylic paints, to colour and refresh proteas that I have grown and I restore their colour so they too look fresh in the vases. I also have used it to colour all manner of plant matter and ornate grasses with these paints, by mixing up and putting in a small spray bottle. I also made rubber back curtain material into cushion covers and I also add splashes of colour to these cushions then put them out on the line to dry and when they have dried I spray them with vinegar so that the colours will not come off on clothing. Once again to change the colour scheme, I just put the cushion covers in nappy soaker and away I go with the acrylic paints.
The tubes cost me $1 each tube, and with the basic colours I can make them up to any combination of colours I choose.
Contributed by Penny Hughes
Maple Syrup Bottles Become Pretty Vases
If you are wanting to put a few blooms in a small glass bottle for decoration in your living areas, then don’t throw out your empty Maple syrup bottles in the recycle after using. They can be washed out with some soapy water and make sure you peel off the sticker then reuse them as pretty vases. They really look great with a few flowers tucked neatly in the top because of the style and shape of the bottle. Pair it with a few glass vases or photo frames and voila- a decorator piece for no extra cost and less recycle in the bin.
Contributed by Michelle Hoffman
There are more than 12,000 great tips in the Tip Store
Add a Tip
3. This Week's Winning Tip
This week's winning tip is from Marcelina Sawyer, who has won a one year Platinum Cheapskates Club membership for submitting her winning tip.
It's a bit of a different tip, but it fits right in with our Cheapskating philosophy of living generously on a budget. Often it can be hard to find the money to donate to charities, and Marcelina has twisted our slush fund saving plan to be able to be generous without affecting the budget.
Giving Generously Without Budget PainLast year I decided to put any coins left over from shopping into a tin money box that couldn't be opened unless you used a metal opener. At the end of the year I counted and separated out the coins and bagged them then gave that to a worthy cause. It amounted to a couple of hundred dollars. The recipient was appreciative and it was easy to do throughout the year without breaking any budgets.
Congratulations Marcelina, 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.
Add a Tip
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 Chicken & Parmesan RisottoIngredients:
50g unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 chicken breast fillet, cut into small dice
2 cups arborio rice
1.5L chicken stock
1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
100g roasted capsicum, thickly sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Olive oil, to drizzle
Method:
Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and place a 5-litre casserole dish in oven to heat. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, add the onion and sauté until soft. Add chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to colour, then add the rice and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add stock and bring to the boil, then pour everything into the preheated casserole dish. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and give everything a good stir, then cover again and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes. By this time all liquid should have been absorbed. If it hasn't return to the oven, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and gently stir through the parmesan, capsicum and basil, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with extra parmesan and basil, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve on a bed of baby spinach if liked.
Next week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: Quiche & salad
Tuesday: Spag Bol
Wednesday: Easy Chicken & Parmesan Risotto
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: BBQ Sausages
Saturday: Soup & crumpets
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
Buying and Storing in Bulk
This last week I placed an order for bulk soup mix, kidney beans, navy beans, cannellini beans and great northern beans. They were all ordered in 5 kilo lots. Why? Well we use a lot of beans and soup mix, and coming into the colder weather we will be eating more soups and stews and casseroles. And beans are a cheap protein, much cheaper than meat at the moment.
No, we are not giving up meat. But beans are great meat stretchers, and they're good for bulking up casseroles and stews without adding cost. And it is the season we eat more, so it's the season to buy them in bulk.
I've canned up some taco beans. Well that's what we call them. Pretty much kidney beans with some taco seasoning in vegetable stock. They are so good. I use them in tacos, haystacks, enchiladas, spanish rice, to add to taco soup. Having them canned and ready to use on the shelf saves so much time and that helps to get dinner on the table quickly.
All the beans and soup mix went into the freezer for four days. The recommendation is 72 hours (three days) minimum, and I usually just leave them in the freezer until I'm ready to bag them. When they came out of the freezer I opened the bags and let them sit for a couple of days to come to room temperature and dry out.
And tonight I'll be bagging them up for the pantry shelf. I'll be doing it with you hopefully, on You Tube, starting at 7.30pm. I'm trying a couple of different methods of bagging them up, one of them is totally new to me, so we'll be learning together!
Join me tonight at 7.30pm!
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
7. The Weekly MOO Challenge
Cath's Basic Muffin Mix
Having a simple, basic muffin recipe that can be made quickly with basic pantry ingredients is a real time (and money) saver. This is my go-to muffin recipe, it's plain and good as it is, but easily embellished with the addition of fruit or choc chips or nuts, or cheese or chives or crumbled bacon for savoury.
Cath's Basic Muffin Mix
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups SR flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Sift flour in a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients; stir with a fork until just mixed. Do not over mix! Pour into prepared muffin pans and bake for 15-20 minutes. To make mini muffins bake 9 - 10 minutes.
Variations:
Add flavourings as you like. Add mashed banana for banana muffins, chopped nuts, chopped apple, choc chips, dried apricots and white choc buds, coconut for sweet muffins.
Leave the sugar out and add grated cheese, chopped chives, cooked, crumbled bacon, chopped sun dried tomato for savoury muffins.
Substitute fruit juice for the milk for fruit flavoured muffins.
Get in on the fun and discussions here.
8. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
Plant Now for a Beautiful Spring Show
The Fine Line
Common Grocery Budget Blunders
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
Going Lower and Living our Best Lives
What's in the Garden Now
Adding to the Stockpile
9. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join us live on YouTube every Tuesday and see how we are living debt free, cashed up and laughing - and find out how you can too!
Latest Shows
1. Cath's Corner
2. From the Tip Store - No Tangle Way to Hang Sheets on the Clothesline; Versatile Home Décor; Maple Syrup Bottles Become Pretty Vases
3. Tip of the Week - Giving Generously Without Budget Pain
4. Share Your Tips
5. On the Menu - Easy Chicken & Parmesan Risotto
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Buying and Storing in Bulk
7. The Weekly MOO Challenge - Muffin Mix
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 glad to have you join us on this journey to debt free living. We have lots of fun sharing our hints and tips and ideas, our successes and the occasional fail (and we all have them). Please take the time to introduce yourself in the Member's Forum, and join the discussions.
I'm doing an extra You Tube Live tonight, at 7.30pm. I'm trying something completely new to me, so I hope you are able to join me as I figure out what I'm doing and whether or not it is going to be worth the effort! You'll find the show here.
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
Versatile Home Decor
My easiest and cheapest home decorating tip is to make use of your acrylic paints that you get from the bargain shop. I have used these to give me an endless variety of colour scheme. I brought two identical largish vases and whenever the whim takes me I just paint the outside of these vases to whatever colour scheme I want. When I grow tired of that colour I just wash them off and change the colour, I don't have to then try to find a storage space for an endless variety of vases.
I also use these acrylic paints, to colour and refresh proteas that I have grown and I restore their colour so they too look fresh in the vases. I also have used it to colour all manner of plant matter and ornate grasses with these paints, by mixing up and putting in a small spray bottle. I also made rubber back curtain material into cushion covers and I also add splashes of colour to these cushions then put them out on the line to dry and when they have dried I spray them with vinegar so that the colours will not come off on clothing. Once again to change the colour scheme, I just put the cushion covers in nappy soaker and away I go with the acrylic paints.
The tubes cost me $1 each tube, and with the basic colours I can make them up to any combination of colours I choose.
Contributed by Penny Hughes
Maple Syrup Bottles Become Pretty Vases
If you are wanting to put a few blooms in a small glass bottle for decoration in your living areas, then don’t throw out your empty Maple syrup bottles in the recycle after using. They can be washed out with some soapy water and make sure you peel off the sticker then reuse them as pretty vases. They really look great with a few flowers tucked neatly in the top because of the style and shape of the bottle. Pair it with a few glass vases or photo frames and voila- a decorator piece for no extra cost and less recycle in the bin.
Contributed by Michelle Hoffman
There are more than 12,000 great tips in the Tip Store
Add a Tip
3. This Week's Winning Tip
This week's winning tip is from Marcelina Sawyer, who has won a one year Platinum Cheapskates Club membership for submitting her winning tip.
It's a bit of a different tip, but it fits right in with our Cheapskating philosophy of living generously on a budget. Often it can be hard to find the money to donate to charities, and Marcelina has twisted our slush fund saving plan to be able to be generous without affecting the budget.
Giving Generously Without Budget PainLast year I decided to put any coins left over from shopping into a tin money box that couldn't be opened unless you used a metal opener. At the end of the year I counted and separated out the coins and bagged them then gave that to a worthy cause. It amounted to a couple of hundred dollars. The recipient was appreciative and it was easy to do throughout the year without breaking any budgets.
Congratulations Marcelina, 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.
Add a Tip
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 Chicken & Parmesan RisottoIngredients:
50g unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 chicken breast fillet, cut into small dice
2 cups arborio rice
1.5L chicken stock
1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
100g roasted capsicum, thickly sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Olive oil, to drizzle
Method:
Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and place a 5-litre casserole dish in oven to heat. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, add the onion and sauté until soft. Add chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to colour, then add the rice and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add stock and bring to the boil, then pour everything into the preheated casserole dish. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and give everything a good stir, then cover again and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes. By this time all liquid should have been absorbed. If it hasn't return to the oven, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and gently stir through the parmesan, capsicum and basil, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with extra parmesan and basil, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve on a bed of baby spinach if liked.
Next week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: Quiche & salad
Tuesday: Spag Bol
Wednesday: Easy Chicken & Parmesan Risotto
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: BBQ Sausages
Saturday: Soup & crumpets
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
Buying and Storing in Bulk
This last week I placed an order for bulk soup mix, kidney beans, navy beans, cannellini beans and great northern beans. They were all ordered in 5 kilo lots. Why? Well we use a lot of beans and soup mix, and coming into the colder weather we will be eating more soups and stews and casseroles. And beans are a cheap protein, much cheaper than meat at the moment.
No, we are not giving up meat. But beans are great meat stretchers, and they're good for bulking up casseroles and stews without adding cost. And it is the season we eat more, so it's the season to buy them in bulk.
I've canned up some taco beans. Well that's what we call them. Pretty much kidney beans with some taco seasoning in vegetable stock. They are so good. I use them in tacos, haystacks, enchiladas, spanish rice, to add to taco soup. Having them canned and ready to use on the shelf saves so much time and that helps to get dinner on the table quickly.
All the beans and soup mix went into the freezer for four days. The recommendation is 72 hours (three days) minimum, and I usually just leave them in the freezer until I'm ready to bag them. When they came out of the freezer I opened the bags and let them sit for a couple of days to come to room temperature and dry out.
And tonight I'll be bagging them up for the pantry shelf. I'll be doing it with you hopefully, on You Tube, starting at 7.30pm. I'm trying a couple of different methods of bagging them up, one of them is totally new to me, so we'll be learning together!
Join me tonight at 7.30pm!
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
7. The Weekly MOO Challenge
Cath's Basic Muffin Mix
Having a simple, basic muffin recipe that can be made quickly with basic pantry ingredients is a real time (and money) saver. This is my go-to muffin recipe, it's plain and good as it is, but easily embellished with the addition of fruit or choc chips or nuts, or cheese or chives or crumbled bacon for savoury.
Cath's Basic Muffin Mix
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups SR flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Sift flour in a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients; stir with a fork until just mixed. Do not over mix! Pour into prepared muffin pans and bake for 15-20 minutes. To make mini muffins bake 9 - 10 minutes.
Variations:
Add flavourings as you like. Add mashed banana for banana muffins, chopped nuts, chopped apple, choc chips, dried apricots and white choc buds, coconut for sweet muffins.
Leave the sugar out and add grated cheese, chopped chives, cooked, crumbled bacon, chopped sun dried tomato for savoury muffins.
Substitute fruit juice for the milk for fruit flavoured muffins.
Get in on the fun and discussions here.
8. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
Plant Now for a Beautiful Spring Show
The Fine Line
Common Grocery Budget Blunders
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
Going Lower and Living our Best Lives
What's in the Garden Now
Adding to the Stockpile
9. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join us live on YouTube every Tuesday and see how we are living debt free, cashed up and laughing - and find out how you can too!
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