Your Cheapskates Club Newsletter 17:23
In This Newsletter
1. Cath's Corner
2. From the Tip Store - How 15 Minutes Saves Me Money, Time and Energy; Store Those Big Blocks of Cheese so They Last; Recycled Dish Cloths
3. Share Your Tips
4. On the Menu - Sticky Chicken Drumsticks
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Cleaning with Microfibre Cloths
6. The Weekly MOO Challenge - Sourdough Adventures Week 1
7. Cheapskates Buzz
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
9. Handmade Christmas - Striking Hydrangeas for Free Gifts
10. Join the Cheapskates Club
11. Frequently Asked Questions
12. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
It's short newsletter this week, there is a lot going on and busy doesn't even hint at the non-stop days.
That doesn't mean I've slacked off though. There's been tonnes of dehydrating, dozens of seedlings planted out to feed us during winter (lots of parsnips and turnips for soup and stew, silverbeet, cabbages, cauliflower and broccoli for greens and around 50 garlic cloves). More seeds have been started for succession planting.
And I've been trying sourdough - you can read more in The Weekly MOO Challenge.
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
How 15 Minutes Saves Me Money, Time and Energy
Our home has been respectably tidy for years from a tip I read in the Tip Store. At the time our two children were five and seven and we seemed to live in a chaotic mess. I read a tip that recommended setting a time each day for a ten minute tidy-up, where everyone in the house went and picked up their belongings and put them where they belonged. I chose a 15 minutes time block right before bath time. At 6.45 every evening we would all stop what we were doing and tidy up. That was eight years ago, and our children are now 13 and 15 and we still do the evening tidy-up. Yes, they grumble and moan, but they do it. It's habit now and we all do it automatically. For eight years our home has ended and started each day neat and tidy. The impact this has had on me as a working mum, and on my husband and children can't be measured. I stopped feeling hard done by because of the mess, hubby was more relaxed because I wasn't grumpy and our kids have learnt that they tidy up after themselves regularly. Has it saved us money? Yes! We rarely lose anything, so we're not replacing things we already have. It has certainly saved us time - it's so much easier to find 15 minutes once a day than 3 - 4 hours over the weekend to tidy up. And energy - again, working for 15 minutes takes far less out of me than struggling to tidy up for hours after working all week. Best tip ever!
Contributed by Wendy
Store Those Big Blocks of Cheese so They Last
Approximate $ Savings: $8 - $10 per kilo
It's a lot cheaper per kilo to buy bigger blocks of cheese but unless you use a lot it can go mouldy in the fridge. We keep ours in the wrapper for easy identification but store the cheese in decor or similar containers with tight lids. Cheese keeps for weeks longer like this, including solid Parmesan blocks and Mozzarella balls. Cheese comes on special pretty regularly and has a use by date months ahead, so you can stock up on big blocks when it's $6 to $10 a kilo (depending on the type of cheese) and know that even after it's been opened it'll still stay fresh.
Contributed by Cheryl
Recycled Dish Cloths
I can't knit but I can sew so to make my dish cloths I bought some $2.00 cheap hand towels and cut them in half. Then I just overlocked around the edge, taking off the hem. They can be washed and if they get marked I just soak in bleach then wash and they look like new. These dish cloths last for months. You can even colour code for the part of the house, like red for bathrooms and toilets etc.
Contributed by Karen
There are more than 12,000 great tips in the Tip Store
Add a Tip
3. Share Your Tips
The Cheapskate's Club website is over 2,000 pages of money saving hints, tips and ideas. Let's get together and make the Cheapskates Club Australia's largest online hint, tip and idea library. Share your favourite money saving, time saving or energy saving hint and be in the running to win a one-year membership to The Cheapskate Club. We publish a Winning Tip each Thursday, so enter your great money, time or energy saving idea now.
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.
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
4. On The Menu
Sticky Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients:
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
3 tbsp honey
4 cloves garlic
4 tsp oil
8 Chicken Drumsticks
Salt and Pepper
Method
Line chicken in oven proof dish, crush garlic finely and mix all ingredients together and spoon all over chicken (can be marinated overnight if desired). Serve with veggies or fried rice.
Contributed by Katrina
Next week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Beef
Monday: Sticky Chicken Drumsticks, fried rice
Tuesday: Sour Cream Pasta Bake, salad
Wednesday: Mushroom Stroganoff, rice
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Cheesy mushroom crepes, salad
Saturday: Nachos
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
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge
1. Cath's Corner
2. From the Tip Store - How 15 Minutes Saves Me Money, Time and Energy; Store Those Big Blocks of Cheese so They Last; Recycled Dish Cloths
3. Share Your Tips
4. On the Menu - Sticky Chicken Drumsticks
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Cleaning with Microfibre Cloths
6. The Weekly MOO Challenge - Sourdough Adventures Week 1
7. Cheapskates Buzz
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
9. Handmade Christmas - Striking Hydrangeas for Free Gifts
10. Join the Cheapskates Club
11. Frequently Asked Questions
12. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
It's short newsletter this week, there is a lot going on and busy doesn't even hint at the non-stop days.
That doesn't mean I've slacked off though. There's been tonnes of dehydrating, dozens of seedlings planted out to feed us during winter (lots of parsnips and turnips for soup and stew, silverbeet, cabbages, cauliflower and broccoli for greens and around 50 garlic cloves). More seeds have been started for succession planting.
And I've been trying sourdough - you can read more in The Weekly MOO Challenge.
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
How 15 Minutes Saves Me Money, Time and Energy
Our home has been respectably tidy for years from a tip I read in the Tip Store. At the time our two children were five and seven and we seemed to live in a chaotic mess. I read a tip that recommended setting a time each day for a ten minute tidy-up, where everyone in the house went and picked up their belongings and put them where they belonged. I chose a 15 minutes time block right before bath time. At 6.45 every evening we would all stop what we were doing and tidy up. That was eight years ago, and our children are now 13 and 15 and we still do the evening tidy-up. Yes, they grumble and moan, but they do it. It's habit now and we all do it automatically. For eight years our home has ended and started each day neat and tidy. The impact this has had on me as a working mum, and on my husband and children can't be measured. I stopped feeling hard done by because of the mess, hubby was more relaxed because I wasn't grumpy and our kids have learnt that they tidy up after themselves regularly. Has it saved us money? Yes! We rarely lose anything, so we're not replacing things we already have. It has certainly saved us time - it's so much easier to find 15 minutes once a day than 3 - 4 hours over the weekend to tidy up. And energy - again, working for 15 minutes takes far less out of me than struggling to tidy up for hours after working all week. Best tip ever!
Contributed by Wendy
Store Those Big Blocks of Cheese so They Last
Approximate $ Savings: $8 - $10 per kilo
It's a lot cheaper per kilo to buy bigger blocks of cheese but unless you use a lot it can go mouldy in the fridge. We keep ours in the wrapper for easy identification but store the cheese in decor or similar containers with tight lids. Cheese keeps for weeks longer like this, including solid Parmesan blocks and Mozzarella balls. Cheese comes on special pretty regularly and has a use by date months ahead, so you can stock up on big blocks when it's $6 to $10 a kilo (depending on the type of cheese) and know that even after it's been opened it'll still stay fresh.
Contributed by Cheryl
Recycled Dish Cloths
I can't knit but I can sew so to make my dish cloths I bought some $2.00 cheap hand towels and cut them in half. Then I just overlocked around the edge, taking off the hem. They can be washed and if they get marked I just soak in bleach then wash and they look like new. These dish cloths last for months. You can even colour code for the part of the house, like red for bathrooms and toilets etc.
Contributed by Karen
There are more than 12,000 great tips in the Tip Store
Add a Tip
3. Share Your Tips
The Cheapskate's Club website is over 2,000 pages of money saving hints, tips and ideas. Let's get together and make the Cheapskates Club Australia's largest online hint, tip and idea library. Share your favourite money saving, time saving or energy saving hint and be in the running to win a one-year membership to The Cheapskate Club. We publish a Winning Tip each Thursday, so enter your great money, time or energy saving idea now.
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.
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
4. On The Menu
Sticky Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients:
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
3 tbsp honey
4 cloves garlic
4 tsp oil
8 Chicken Drumsticks
Salt and Pepper
Method
Line chicken in oven proof dish, crush garlic finely and mix all ingredients together and spoon all over chicken (can be marinated overnight if desired). Serve with veggies or fried rice.
Contributed by Katrina
Next week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Beef
Monday: Sticky Chicken Drumsticks, fried rice
Tuesday: Sour Cream Pasta Bake, salad
Wednesday: Mushroom Stroganoff, rice
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Cheesy mushroom crepes, salad
Saturday: Nachos
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
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge
Cleaning with Microfibre Cloths
I love, love, love my microfibre cleaning cloths. They are inexpensive, easy to use, do a great job and have eliminated almost all cleaning products from my home.
They are all different brands. Mr Clean, Sabco and a couple of generic brands from the $2 shop. They all work brilliantly.
I learned early on that the secret to using microfibre cloths is to use COLD water. Cold water helps the microfibres collect dust, grease, grime and most importantly soap scum. And they should always be washed in cold water, without detergent or fabric softener. That's fine I wash in cold water anyway and don’t use a fabric softener so once a week I toss a pile into the washing machine and put them through the econo cycle and onto the line to dry.
What do I use microfibre cloths for? Just about all my cleaning jobs:
*Dusting
*Polishing
*Windows
*Mirrors
*Glass doors
*Cleaning glass vases
*Baths
*Basins
*Showers
*Toilets
*Floors
*Walls and woodwork
*Washing the cars
*Cleaning upholstery
*Cleaning outdoor furniture
*Cleaning the barbecue and smoker
*The sink
*Cupboards and bench tops
*Cleaning the oven and stove
*Wiping down the fridge and freezer
*Mopping up spills
Microfibre cloths make cleaning easy and if you really want it to be, chemical free. All you need is cold water and a suitable microfibre cloth.
Are they frugal? Yes they are. I've never paid more than $2 for a single cloth, and some of them are in packs of two! And they last for years, literally years. Some of mine (especially the glass cloths I use for windows, mirrors and shower screens) are over 20 years old and still working as well as the day they were bought. At $2 a cloth, that equates to 10 cents a year! That is value for money in my book.
And as you can see from the picture, they are easy to make even better: simply back them with either flannel or cotton for truly versatile cleaning cloths.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
6. The Weekly MOO Challenge
I love, love, love my microfibre cleaning cloths. They are inexpensive, easy to use, do a great job and have eliminated almost all cleaning products from my home.
They are all different brands. Mr Clean, Sabco and a couple of generic brands from the $2 shop. They all work brilliantly.
I learned early on that the secret to using microfibre cloths is to use COLD water. Cold water helps the microfibres collect dust, grease, grime and most importantly soap scum. And they should always be washed in cold water, without detergent or fabric softener. That's fine I wash in cold water anyway and don’t use a fabric softener so once a week I toss a pile into the washing machine and put them through the econo cycle and onto the line to dry.
What do I use microfibre cloths for? Just about all my cleaning jobs:
*Dusting
*Polishing
*Windows
*Mirrors
*Glass doors
*Cleaning glass vases
*Baths
*Basins
*Showers
*Toilets
*Floors
*Walls and woodwork
*Washing the cars
*Cleaning upholstery
*Cleaning outdoor furniture
*Cleaning the barbecue and smoker
*The sink
*Cupboards and bench tops
*Cleaning the oven and stove
*Wiping down the fridge and freezer
*Mopping up spills
Microfibre cloths make cleaning easy and if you really want it to be, chemical free. All you need is cold water and a suitable microfibre cloth.
Are they frugal? Yes they are. I've never paid more than $2 for a single cloth, and some of them are in packs of two! And they last for years, literally years. Some of mine (especially the glass cloths I use for windows, mirrors and shower screens) are over 20 years old and still working as well as the day they were bought. At $2 a cloth, that equates to 10 cents a year! That is value for money in my book.
And as you can see from the picture, they are easy to make even better: simply back them with either flannel or cotton for truly versatile cleaning cloths.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
6. The Weekly MOO Challenge
Sourdough Adventures, Week 1
I have finally started my sourdough adventure. It's something I've been wanting to try for years, and have just been too nervous to get started.
Last week after reading Chloe's post at The Bluebirds are Nesting on the Farm, and going back and re-reading Annabel's instructions, I asked myself what I was waiting for and couldn't come up with an answer so out came a jar, and I sat down and did some reading and watched some videos, pulled out the spelt flour and started.
I started in a quart jar. In the videos I watched, some of them started in smaller jars and had to transfer to a bigger jar before the week was up. That didn't make sense to me so I washed a quart jar, found some paper towel and a rubber band and the equipment was ready.
I chose to follow Patti from Alderman's Farm, and started with 2 tablespoons wholemeal spelt and 2 tablespoons of water, stirred it up in the jar, covered it with a paper towel and left it for a day. Twenty-four hours later I fed it the same way; I was a little excited because there were little bubbles, not many, but a few, on the bottom of the jar. I don't know if this is normal or not, but I was excited.
Wholemeal flour seems to work better for the starter, but it doesn't restrict you to just making wholemeal breads, and as I had the wholemeal spelt I decided to use it and see how it goes.
Day three I noticed there was some liquid, this is called hooch, and that's a sign the starter is hungry. Day three I increased the feeding and doubled it to 4 tablespoons of spelt flour and 4 tablespoons of water. Stirred and left it.
Day four there were bubbles! Lots of little bubbles all around the sides of the jar. It smells slightly sour, not unpleasant, just sour. After feeding it, I put a rubber band around the side of the jar to mark where it is, so I can see if it is rising.
If it doesn't rise or forms too much hooch, then I'll switch to feeding twice a day.
If it forms too much hooch or is very watery, then for one day I'll just feed it with the flour. It should be a thick pouring consistency, like a slightly thinner pancake batter (well that's what it looks like to me - it can pour, but slowly, like a thick-ish batter).
And for some reason it is recommended that you don't use metal spoons or spatulas and definitely don't use a metal bowl or jug for the starter. The thinking is along the lines of the acid in the starter reacts with the metal and leach toxins into the starter.
And that's where we are at so far.
I'm excited to finish the week, get the starter divided and start making bread. And that will be next week's MOO Challenge.
Get in on the fun and discussions here.
7. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
Best Before or Use By?
Feed Your Family for $80 a Week
The High Cost of Clutter
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
Tuna Tuesdays
MOO Greek Yoghurt
Coles Topside Roast - Paying for Corned Beef
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join Cath and Hannah live Tuesdays on You Tube at 7.30pm AET
Popular Shows
I have finally started my sourdough adventure. It's something I've been wanting to try for years, and have just been too nervous to get started.
Last week after reading Chloe's post at The Bluebirds are Nesting on the Farm, and going back and re-reading Annabel's instructions, I asked myself what I was waiting for and couldn't come up with an answer so out came a jar, and I sat down and did some reading and watched some videos, pulled out the spelt flour and started.
I started in a quart jar. In the videos I watched, some of them started in smaller jars and had to transfer to a bigger jar before the week was up. That didn't make sense to me so I washed a quart jar, found some paper towel and a rubber band and the equipment was ready.
I chose to follow Patti from Alderman's Farm, and started with 2 tablespoons wholemeal spelt and 2 tablespoons of water, stirred it up in the jar, covered it with a paper towel and left it for a day. Twenty-four hours later I fed it the same way; I was a little excited because there were little bubbles, not many, but a few, on the bottom of the jar. I don't know if this is normal or not, but I was excited.
Wholemeal flour seems to work better for the starter, but it doesn't restrict you to just making wholemeal breads, and as I had the wholemeal spelt I decided to use it and see how it goes.
Day three I noticed there was some liquid, this is called hooch, and that's a sign the starter is hungry. Day three I increased the feeding and doubled it to 4 tablespoons of spelt flour and 4 tablespoons of water. Stirred and left it.
Day four there were bubbles! Lots of little bubbles all around the sides of the jar. It smells slightly sour, not unpleasant, just sour. After feeding it, I put a rubber band around the side of the jar to mark where it is, so I can see if it is rising.
If it doesn't rise or forms too much hooch, then I'll switch to feeding twice a day.
If it forms too much hooch or is very watery, then for one day I'll just feed it with the flour. It should be a thick pouring consistency, like a slightly thinner pancake batter (well that's what it looks like to me - it can pour, but slowly, like a thick-ish batter).
And for some reason it is recommended that you don't use metal spoons or spatulas and definitely don't use a metal bowl or jug for the starter. The thinking is along the lines of the acid in the starter reacts with the metal and leach toxins into the starter.
And that's where we are at so far.
I'm excited to finish the week, get the starter divided and start making bread. And that will be next week's MOO Challenge.
Get in on the fun and discussions here.
7. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
Best Before or Use By?
Feed Your Family for $80 a Week
The High Cost of Clutter
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
Tuna Tuesdays
MOO Greek Yoghurt
Coles Topside Roast - Paying for Corned Beef
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join Cath and Hannah live Tuesdays on You Tube at 7.30pm AET
Popular Shows
Subscribe to our You Tube channel and never miss a show.
9. Handmade Christmas Challenge
Striking Plants for Free Gifts
Last week I cut back the hydrangeas and kept some of the off-cuts to strike new plants, with the thought that these will make lovely gifts in pretty pots for Christmas or even as a nice thank-you gift.
I cut the stems about 20cm long, just above new leaves, dipped the ends in honey (I have a jar in my shed just for plant cuttings) and then into small pots filled with a nice seed raising mix. Right now they are covered by bread bags to act as little hot houses. They should grow roots and when they do, I'll transplant them into bigger pots in a seed raising mixture and sit them on the verandah over the winter. They'll be protected from wind and frost and if they are like others I've done over the years, they will grow well so they can be repotted in October or November into bigger pots.
Choose new, soft, stems to strike; I have better success with these than with the older, woodier stems.
Hydrangeas are slow to strike, but well worth the time and little bit of effort, especially when they can be anything from $20 to $60 at plant nurseries.
Handmade Christmas Central
The Handmade Christmas Forum
10. Join The Cheapskates Club
For just $20 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!
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 either 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
9. Handmade Christmas Challenge
Striking Plants for Free Gifts
Last week I cut back the hydrangeas and kept some of the off-cuts to strike new plants, with the thought that these will make lovely gifts in pretty pots for Christmas or even as a nice thank-you gift.
I cut the stems about 20cm long, just above new leaves, dipped the ends in honey (I have a jar in my shed just for plant cuttings) and then into small pots filled with a nice seed raising mix. Right now they are covered by bread bags to act as little hot houses. They should grow roots and when they do, I'll transplant them into bigger pots in a seed raising mixture and sit them on the verandah over the winter. They'll be protected from wind and frost and if they are like others I've done over the years, they will grow well so they can be repotted in October or November into bigger pots.
Choose new, soft, stems to strike; I have better success with these than with the older, woodier stems.
Hydrangeas are slow to strike, but well worth the time and little bit of effort, especially when they can be anything from $20 to $60 at plant nurseries.
Handmade Christmas Central
The Handmade Christmas Forum
10. Join The Cheapskates Club
For just $20 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!
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 either 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