Your Cheapskates Club Newsletter 19:23
In This Newsletter
1. Cath's Corner
2. From the Tip Store - Store Those Big Blocks of Cheese so They Last; Recycled Dish Cloths;
Making up Healthy Salt with Left-over Herbs
3. Share Your Tips
4. On the Menu - Cath's Cheat's Beef Stroganoff
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Rhubarb Jam
6. The Weekly MOO Challenge - Sourdough Adventures - Back to the Beginning
7. Cheapskates Buzz
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
9. The Handmade Christmas Challenge
10. Join the Cheapskates Club
11. Frequently Asked Questions
12. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
The sun is shining, so I have washing on the line, in the hopes that it will dry. It has been so cold and wet, and of course we were away for five days, so the laundry has been piling up. One job crossed off the to-do list!
I made a shopping list on Tuesday, and headed off to do the shopping. It was a little disappointing, and very hit and miss. It took going to three different supermarkets in different suburbs, to get most of what was on the list. These are things needed to fill gaps in the pantry and just basics: salt, rice, cheese, eggs and similar. I will say that the prices between Coles and Woolworths were almost identical on what I bought, so that made sticking to the budget easier. But the gaps - oh boy, the shelves were, if not completely empty, barely stocked.
Cheapskaters, if you have gaps in your pantry, start filling them. Don't stop stocking your pantry. If nothing else, you'll be buying at today's prices and beating inflation, and who doesn't like to do that. And it means you can take a break from grocery shopping if you need too; again, who doesn't like knowing they can do that.
The weekend weather outlook for us is looking good, so we'll be in the garden, planting and feeding and weeding and generally doing our best to grow food for our family.
On a happier note, the rhubarb is growing like a weed! Even though Lacey-dog likes to dig it up, that rhubarb just keeps on growing. The rain and humidity seem to have given it a boost; the stalks are nice and long and thick, and a lovely dark colour, so I've been pulling them and using them to make rhubarb scones (did you get the Tip of the Day email on Tuesday - I shared the recipe there), and rhubarb jam. Next on the list is more pickled rhubarb which will be enjoyed over winter.
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
Store Those Big Blocks of Cheese so They Last
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
Making up Healthy Salt with Left-over Herbs
To keep my dried herbs fresh (it is recommended to only keep them around 6 months) I now have the habit of making up a healthy herb salt mixture. I use a Master foods herb bottle with the holes so the mixture comes out easily. First I put in a fine salt of any type - then I add for example - garlic powder, chives, Italian herbs, parsley, ginger, cayenne, Cajun spice, chilli - any number of varieties for a savoury taste. This also is a good mixture for cutting down on salt as well.
Contributed by Deborah
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.
Enter your tip here
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
The weather has been so cold, we are all craving warm soups and casseroles. This week I adapted the recipe for Quick Beef Stroganoff (in the Recipe File https://www.cheapskatesclub.net/beef-lamb-pork.html) to make my version - a cheat's version, using the ingredients I had in the pantry.
It was delicious, over freshly made noodles, and I was excited to have leftovers for lunches. This recipe has sour cream in it, so I wasn't keen on freezing the leftovers. They kept in the fridge and we were able to enjoy them while we were away.
Cath's Cheat's Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients:
500g mince, browned and drained
1 can cream mushroom soup
1 small onion, finely sliced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
200ml sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Method:
Combine browned mince, mushroom soup, onion, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook 5 - 8 minutes until the mince is cooked through. Stir in sour cream and parsley. Serve immediately over cooked egg noodles or steamed rice.
Notes:
*Mince - I use 1 pint jar and 1 cup TVP reconstituted in 1 cup boiling stock.
*Onion - I use dehydrated onion, approximately 2 tablespoons.
*Garlic powder - I use 1 -2 cloves crushed garlic.
Next week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Lamb
Monday: Rissoles, mash, veggies, onion gravy
Tuesday: Pumpkin Ravioli, salad
Wednesday: French Shepherd's Pie, veggies
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Swiss Chicken, potato bake, veggies
Saturday: Freezer Meals
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
Rhubarb Jam
This weather we've had the last few weeks has been good for the rhubarb, it has taken off and the stalks are tall and thick, and growing back very fast after each harvest. One of the ways I use rhubarb is in this delicious jam; it is pretty pink lusciousness in a jar.
If you buy jam, you'll know that good jam, with just fruit and sugar, is expensive. A jar of good quality jam can cost up to $9.00 for a 500g jar! Even if you have to buy the fruit, you can make jam for a lot less. If you use homegrown fruit, or foraged fruit, the only cost is the sugar. It makes financial sense to make jam, and if you don't, then it is a good skill to add to your collection.
Jam is so easy to make, and so very satisfying too. Contrary to what you may believe, it isn't a long drawn out process either. It can be done very quickly, in around an hour from start to finish, including the fruit prep and cleaning up!
I tend to make single batches because they are so quick and often use frozen fruit, bought when it is on a really good sale (that grocery slush fund comes in handy!). I'll have a batch of jam on the go while I'm cooking dinner or batch baking - saving my time and energy.
If you haven't ever made jam, do give it a try. It is a simple process and there's even a tip sheet to help you along. You can download your copy of Tips for Making Great Jams here. http://www.cheapskates.com.au/docs/jam_making_tips_.pdf
Rhubarb Jam
Ingredients:
1kg rhubarb stalks (not the leaves, they are poisonous)
1kg white sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
Method:
Cut the rhubarb stalks into 1cm chunks. Layer the rhubarb in a large pot with the sugar and let it rest over night. This will extract a lot of juice from the rhubarb.
The next morning add the orange juice and stir through. Put the pot over a medium heat and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium low and boil for 45 minutes until thick and at gel point, stirring occasionally and scraping down the sides of the pot with a wet pastry brush.
Ladle into hot, sterilised jars. Seal immediately.
Enjoy on scones or hot, buttered crumpets.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
6. The Weekly MOO Challenge
Sourdough Adventures - Back to the Beginning
Well the sourdough was a fail! I am not sure what happened but it was awful. I tried to save it, but it looked revolting, no sign of any bubbles and the smell was horrible.
I did get a batch of pancakes made from the discard when it was halved as I tried to save it, and they were delicious.
So it's back to the beginning I went. Because we were away, I didn't get it started again until Tuesday, so it's only two days old, but it has some bubbles and a slightly sour smell - not at all unpleasant, just sort of tangy if that makes sense.
I'm still trying with wholemeal spelt flour. I like using spelt flour, and it's what's in the pantry. I figure that my great-grandma used what she had in the kitchen to start her sourdough; I'm pretty sure a 80 kilometre trip into town to buy flour just for sourdough wasn't going to happen, I don't think it would have been and option or even a thought.
I am determined to master this, so stay tuned, here and on the website, as I document this adventure, if you can bear it!
Get in on the fun and discussions here.
7. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
Just Do It!
Best Before or Use By?
The Dinner Pressure's Off with a Pressure Cooker
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
Dehydrating for Shelf Stable Food Storage
Forever Foods - What to add to your stockpile for long-term
Cheesecake
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join Cath and Hannah live Tuesdays and Thursdays on You Tube at 7.30pm AET
Latest Shows
1. Cath's Corner
2. From the Tip Store - Store Those Big Blocks of Cheese so They Last; Recycled Dish Cloths;
Making up Healthy Salt with Left-over Herbs
3. Share Your Tips
4. On the Menu - Cath's Cheat's Beef Stroganoff
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Rhubarb Jam
6. The Weekly MOO Challenge - Sourdough Adventures - Back to the Beginning
7. Cheapskates Buzz
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
9. The Handmade Christmas Challenge
10. Join the Cheapskates Club
11. Frequently Asked Questions
12. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
The sun is shining, so I have washing on the line, in the hopes that it will dry. It has been so cold and wet, and of course we were away for five days, so the laundry has been piling up. One job crossed off the to-do list!
I made a shopping list on Tuesday, and headed off to do the shopping. It was a little disappointing, and very hit and miss. It took going to three different supermarkets in different suburbs, to get most of what was on the list. These are things needed to fill gaps in the pantry and just basics: salt, rice, cheese, eggs and similar. I will say that the prices between Coles and Woolworths were almost identical on what I bought, so that made sticking to the budget easier. But the gaps - oh boy, the shelves were, if not completely empty, barely stocked.
Cheapskaters, if you have gaps in your pantry, start filling them. Don't stop stocking your pantry. If nothing else, you'll be buying at today's prices and beating inflation, and who doesn't like to do that. And it means you can take a break from grocery shopping if you need too; again, who doesn't like knowing they can do that.
The weekend weather outlook for us is looking good, so we'll be in the garden, planting and feeding and weeding and generally doing our best to grow food for our family.
On a happier note, the rhubarb is growing like a weed! Even though Lacey-dog likes to dig it up, that rhubarb just keeps on growing. The rain and humidity seem to have given it a boost; the stalks are nice and long and thick, and a lovely dark colour, so I've been pulling them and using them to make rhubarb scones (did you get the Tip of the Day email on Tuesday - I shared the recipe there), and rhubarb jam. Next on the list is more pickled rhubarb which will be enjoyed over winter.
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
Store Those Big Blocks of Cheese so They Last
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
Making up Healthy Salt with Left-over Herbs
To keep my dried herbs fresh (it is recommended to only keep them around 6 months) I now have the habit of making up a healthy herb salt mixture. I use a Master foods herb bottle with the holes so the mixture comes out easily. First I put in a fine salt of any type - then I add for example - garlic powder, chives, Italian herbs, parsley, ginger, cayenne, Cajun spice, chilli - any number of varieties for a savoury taste. This also is a good mixture for cutting down on salt as well.
Contributed by Deborah
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.
Enter your tip here
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
The weather has been so cold, we are all craving warm soups and casseroles. This week I adapted the recipe for Quick Beef Stroganoff (in the Recipe File https://www.cheapskatesclub.net/beef-lamb-pork.html) to make my version - a cheat's version, using the ingredients I had in the pantry.
It was delicious, over freshly made noodles, and I was excited to have leftovers for lunches. This recipe has sour cream in it, so I wasn't keen on freezing the leftovers. They kept in the fridge and we were able to enjoy them while we were away.
Cath's Cheat's Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients:
500g mince, browned and drained
1 can cream mushroom soup
1 small onion, finely sliced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
200ml sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Method:
Combine browned mince, mushroom soup, onion, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook 5 - 8 minutes until the mince is cooked through. Stir in sour cream and parsley. Serve immediately over cooked egg noodles or steamed rice.
Notes:
*Mince - I use 1 pint jar and 1 cup TVP reconstituted in 1 cup boiling stock.
*Onion - I use dehydrated onion, approximately 2 tablespoons.
*Garlic powder - I use 1 -2 cloves crushed garlic.
Next week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Lamb
Monday: Rissoles, mash, veggies, onion gravy
Tuesday: Pumpkin Ravioli, salad
Wednesday: French Shepherd's Pie, veggies
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Swiss Chicken, potato bake, veggies
Saturday: Freezer Meals
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
Rhubarb Jam
This weather we've had the last few weeks has been good for the rhubarb, it has taken off and the stalks are tall and thick, and growing back very fast after each harvest. One of the ways I use rhubarb is in this delicious jam; it is pretty pink lusciousness in a jar.
If you buy jam, you'll know that good jam, with just fruit and sugar, is expensive. A jar of good quality jam can cost up to $9.00 for a 500g jar! Even if you have to buy the fruit, you can make jam for a lot less. If you use homegrown fruit, or foraged fruit, the only cost is the sugar. It makes financial sense to make jam, and if you don't, then it is a good skill to add to your collection.
Jam is so easy to make, and so very satisfying too. Contrary to what you may believe, it isn't a long drawn out process either. It can be done very quickly, in around an hour from start to finish, including the fruit prep and cleaning up!
I tend to make single batches because they are so quick and often use frozen fruit, bought when it is on a really good sale (that grocery slush fund comes in handy!). I'll have a batch of jam on the go while I'm cooking dinner or batch baking - saving my time and energy.
If you haven't ever made jam, do give it a try. It is a simple process and there's even a tip sheet to help you along. You can download your copy of Tips for Making Great Jams here. http://www.cheapskates.com.au/docs/jam_making_tips_.pdf
Rhubarb Jam
Ingredients:
1kg rhubarb stalks (not the leaves, they are poisonous)
1kg white sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
Method:
Cut the rhubarb stalks into 1cm chunks. Layer the rhubarb in a large pot with the sugar and let it rest over night. This will extract a lot of juice from the rhubarb.
The next morning add the orange juice and stir through. Put the pot over a medium heat and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium low and boil for 45 minutes until thick and at gel point, stirring occasionally and scraping down the sides of the pot with a wet pastry brush.
Ladle into hot, sterilised jars. Seal immediately.
Enjoy on scones or hot, buttered crumpets.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
6. The Weekly MOO Challenge
Sourdough Adventures - Back to the Beginning
Well the sourdough was a fail! I am not sure what happened but it was awful. I tried to save it, but it looked revolting, no sign of any bubbles and the smell was horrible.
I did get a batch of pancakes made from the discard when it was halved as I tried to save it, and they were delicious.
So it's back to the beginning I went. Because we were away, I didn't get it started again until Tuesday, so it's only two days old, but it has some bubbles and a slightly sour smell - not at all unpleasant, just sort of tangy if that makes sense.
I'm still trying with wholemeal spelt flour. I like using spelt flour, and it's what's in the pantry. I figure that my great-grandma used what she had in the kitchen to start her sourdough; I'm pretty sure a 80 kilometre trip into town to buy flour just for sourdough wasn't going to happen, I don't think it would have been and option or even a thought.
I am determined to master this, so stay tuned, here and on the website, as I document this adventure, if you can bear it!
Get in on the fun and discussions here.
7. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
Just Do It!
Best Before or Use By?
The Dinner Pressure's Off with a Pressure Cooker
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
Dehydrating for Shelf Stable Food Storage
Forever Foods - What to add to your stockpile for long-term
Cheesecake
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join Cath and Hannah live Tuesdays and Thursdays on You Tube at 7.30pm AET
Latest Shows
We had an interstate trip last week, so I took along a bag of yarn and needles and in my spare time I was busy knitting dishcloths. These have gone into the linen cupboard to add to my household stash.
I also took some card making supplies and spent a few hours making cards to add to the stash. I'm really pleased with the way they turned out because I had paper, adhesives, some stamps and a paper trimmer.
I also took some card making supplies and spent a few hours making cards to add to the stash. I'm really pleased with the way they turned out because I had paper, adhesives, some stamps and a paper trimmer.
Going back to basics to create cards had me thinking of new designs and ways to use materials I have, and I am happy with them.
Don't forget to check in for our Make It Monday show and tell over at Cheapskates Chatter, we'd love to see what you've made.
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
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