Your Cheapskates Club Newsletter: 22:14 Bright ideas to save you money
1. Cath's Corner
2. In the Tip Store - Medicine with a Longer Expiry Date, Sparkling Spa Filters, Start Now to Build a Christmas Stockpile
3. Cheapskate's Winning Tip - The 52 Week Debt Reduction Plan
4. Submit Your Tip - Your best money, time and energy saver could be a winner!
5. Living Green in 2014 - Composting, a Great Way to Go Green
6. On the Menu with Anne - Australia's Favourite Cake
7. The $300 a Month Food Challenge with Wendy - Inventory Time
8. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
9. Member's Featured Blog - Responsibility by Bluebell234
10. Last Week's Question - Tips for Sticking to the $300 a Month Food Challenge when you work full time
11. This Week's Question - My citrus trees are sick!
12. Join the Cheapskates Club
13. Gift Memberships
14. Frequently Asked Questions
15. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
There's not much growing in my vegetable garden at the moment. Some cabbages, cauliflowers and broccoli, the last of the summer capsicums, a full bed of brown onions (and they are standing so tall and straight), one lonely cherry tomato that just doesn't want to stop producing, Chinese cabbages and the strawberries.
I've had to plan and stagger planting this autumn because I won't be able to work in the garden for the next seven weeks. I didn't want to plant and have food ready to harvest and not be able to do it; that would be a terrible waste of money, time and energy.
This week I spent some time planting seeds that will be ready to plant out as seedlings by the time I can get back into the garden, and the tiny plants there at the moment will be ready to harvest. And because garlic needs to be planted by the end of May here, in went all the cloves I saved from last year's crop.
We'll have plenty of greens this winter, even with the break, and the cycle of the vegetable garden will just keep on.
So what's growing in your vegetable garden this autumn?
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!
PPS: You can read this newsletter and past copies on the website in the Newsletter Archive.
2. From The Tip Store
Knitting Jumpers
My mother taught me this one. We have a recycled clothes place near us, which sells all sorts of things, especially good is the clothes department. We often come across woollen jumpers that are in very good condition but out of fashion. So we buy a couple at $1 each then we take the wool apart, wash it, and use it to knit a new jumper. My mother mixed two different colours together and made me a beautiful mottled turtle neck jumper which I have worn for years... all for $2.
Contributed by Ida, Reservoir
Coffee and Tea Stains
To get coffee and tea stains off the inside of mugs and cups, rub with a wet piece of polystyrene cut from a meat tray. Keep the plastic wet and the stains will come off quickly and easily. It saves on water, detergent and it is one use for those trays that pile up so fast.
Contributed by Liz, Yokohama
Shaving
Problem: Most triple blade cartridges are difficult to clean and have to be replaced sooner than they should be. Solution: Buy a pack of cheap plastic toothpicks or paper pins from any shop and use them to remove the hair between the blades. Blades which otherwise would not yield to cleaning by water are surprisingly easy to clean this way. Benefit: A blade's life is now doubled or even tripled.
Contributed by Rohinton, St.Leondards
There are more than 11,000 great tips in the Tip Store
3. CHEAPSKATE'S WINNING TIP
This week's winning tip is from Tammy Newell. Tammy thought outside the box and came up with a simple solution to her problem. She has won a one year Platinum Cheapskates Club membership for submitting her winning tip.
Shower Curtain Saviour
Approximate $ Savings: $20
I recently replaced my shower curtain. It wasn't as thick as the one I had to replace and kept wrapping around me in the shower. I looked at replacing it with a heavier one and was going to be out of pocket at least another $20 for another vinyl shower curtain. The one I has purchased was supposedly weighted (with small plastic discs)! Instead of replacing the shower curtain I purchased an 8 pack of heavy nuts and taped them to the bottom of the shower curtain. This works!!!! So for an outlay of less than $5 I fixed my problem and I am so happy.
Congratulations Tammy, I hope you enjoy your Cheapskates Club membership.
4. Submit your tip
The Cheapskate's Club website is over 3,000 pages of money saving hints, tips and ideas. Let's get together and make the Cheapskates Club Australia's largest online hint, tip and idea library. Share your favourite money saving, time saving or energy saving hint and be in the running to win a one-year membership to The Cheapskate Club. We publish a Winning Tip each Thursday, so enter your great money, time or energy saving idea now.
Share your favourite hint or tip that saves money, time and energy and be in the running to win a one-year subscription to The Cheapskate Journal.
Remember, you have to be in it to win it!
Submit your tip
5. Living Green in 2014
Chemistry and Cleaning
While you may not remember a world where you didn’t use chemicals to clean your home or your office that time once did exist. Many of the chemicals that are on the market now are good at filing your home with lovely scents, but they have a price to pay
Many of the everyday chemicals that are used to “clean” are actually quite harmful for the body and the planet. They leave behind toxins that can be harmful for people who suffer from asthma, allergies, and other respiratory problems.
Chemicals can also cause problems with skin. If your skin is very sensitive, you may find that many commercially available soaps and detergents can irritate you. Using products free of dyes and perfumes can help to alleviate the problem.
In addition, many chemicals can actually contribute to pollution of the environment. Sustainable living practices can actually reduce the amount of chemicals that end up in the water supply and in the ground. They can also help to alleviate you from symptoms caused by chemical use.
It's not hard or complicated to use safer, more natural ingredients to clean your home.
If you aren't sure what natural cleaners to use, or how to use them, we have the answers for you! Click here to download your free copy of our e-book Cleaning with the Super Six.
6. On the Menu with Anne
Bolognese Pasta Bake
This is a quick and tasty pasta bake just right for a cold night.
Bolognese Pasta Bake
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tin tomato soup
500g beef mince
1 cup TVP soaked for 5 minutes in 1 cup boiling water*
800g tin diced tomatoes
1 dried bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano
300g dried macaroni
125g butter, diced
2/3 cup plain flour
3 cups water
3/4 cup skim milk powder
200g grated cheese
Method:
Heat oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until soft. Increase heat to high, add mince and cook, for 5-10 minutes, stirring often or until browned. Add TVP, tomato soup, tomatoes and bay leaf and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in oregano and season with salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes or until thickened, but still quite saucy. Remove the bay leaf. Preheat oven to 200 deg C fan forced. Meanwhile, cook macaroni in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water following packet directions until al dente. Drain. Mix water and skim milk powder. Melt butter in a saucepan over high heat. Add flour and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add milk to flour, stirring constantly until smooth. Return pan to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce comes to the boil. Add the macaroni. Stir in the sauce and half the cheese. Spoon Bolognese into a lightly-greased 12-cup capacity baking dish. Spoon over the macaroni mixture, top with remaining cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce bubbling at edges.
This week we will be eating:
Friday: Curried eggs, steamed rice
Saturday: Muffin Surprise
Sunday: Roast lamb, baked vegetables, broccoli and cauliflower in cheese sauce
Monday: Chicken casserole over steamed rice
Tuesday: Pastie, chips and gravy
Wednesday: Rissoles, mash, cauliflower with cheese sauce
Thursday: Bolognese Pasta Bake and salad
In the fruit bowl: Bananas, kiwi fruit, oranges
In the cake tin: Boiled fruit cake, ANZAC slice, Lemon Coconut slice
There are over 1,300 other great money saving meal ideas in the Recipe File
7. The $300 a Month Food Challenge with Wendy
Welcome fellow Cheapskaters.
Sticking to your food budget can be a challenge no mater what your income is. The food looks so good at the supermarket. So yummy and so tempting!!!! At the end of your budget time frame whether it's a monthly budget or a weekly/fortnightly one, adding up all your dockets can reveal that an absurd amount of money was spent.
Paying for your groceries on the credit card might be quick and easy but it can cause budget blowouts without realising. It's hard to keep track of the money spent unless you are disciplined with tracking and recording amounts.
A great way to keep spending under control is to pay with cash. After you've menu planned and written your shopping list, withdraw the budgeted amount of money for your weekly/fortnightly or monthly shop. Whatever works best for you.
As you pay for your groceries, handing over the cash is a tangible and visual way of seeing your money disappear before your eyes. If the money is disappearing too quickly, you might find your priorities change. Buying milk, bread, meat and vegetables will be at the top of your list and those bakery treats and snacks are not so important any more.
I shop monthly and when I do my big shop I go to two different supermarkets and a fruit and veg shop. As I hand over the money at each shop I'm keeping an eye on the cash remaining. If it's disappearing too quickly or I get concerned, I reduce the quantities of some items. I know that I need to have a minimum of $60 leftover to do milk, fruit and veg top-ups throughout the rest of the month.
Maybe cash could be the way to go for your food budget. What do you think?
How do you keep your food spending under control?
Have a great week and BE ENCOURAGED!!!!!!
The $300 a Month Food Challenge
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?24-Take-up-the-challenge-!!!!
The Post that Started it All
http://www.cheapskates.com.au/pages/default.cfm?page_id=44265
8.Cheapskates Buzz
This week's hot forum topics
Check Your Barcodes so You know where Your Food comes From
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?552-Check-your-barcodes-so-you-know-where-your-food-comes-from
Washing Modern Cloth Nappies
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?1998-Washing-Modern-Cloth-Nappies
Son Needs Braces - How do I Pay for them the Cheapskates Way?
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?803-Son-needs-braces-how-do-I-pay-for-them-the-Cheapskates-way
Most popular blog posts this week
10 Basic Kitchen Utensils that will Serve You Well
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2013/08/basic-kitchen-utensils-that-will-serve.html
What to do with 20 Kilos of Brown Onions
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2013/06/what-to-do-with-20-kilos-of-brown-onions.html
Back to Winter
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2007/09/back-to-winter.html
9. Member's Featured Blog
Platinum Cheapskates Club members have their very own Cheapskating blogs, and they are wonderful and inspirational and encouraging and even funny. This week's featured blog is written by Anne (in Melbourne).
I'm Revolting!
I've just read the email for Step 1 in the Saving Revolution - Learn to live beneath my means......
Which is something that we do for the most part BUT not always, and yes, it was a DOH! moment when I realised this.
Thanks Cath.
Now to re-jig our Spending Plan so that we are always living beneath our means and not just within them.
We don't have any debt anymore (YAHOO!) but there are times when we go ahead and buy stuff before we have the money to pay for it - which means we do have debt occasionally. Doh!
I've been living in La La Land - but not any more. Starting right now (I've phoned DH to let him know what I'm up to, quite made his lunchtime enjoyable I'm sure) we are living BENEATH OUR MEANS!
I really want to get us ready for retirement - it is still a ways off, but honestly if we keep going as we are DH will be working until he's 110, and I don't want that - I think 100 is a much more acceptable retirement age (only joking).
I would like us to be ready to retire when DS2 finishes uni - so about 7 years depending on what he chooses to do - and he'd better not choose anything that lasts much longer than that or he's on his own.
We would like to be able to do some travelling around Australia when we retire - yep, grey nomads here we come (we've already got the grey down pat).
So I'm revolting, and proud of it.
Login to read more Cheapskates Club member blogs
10. Last Week's Question
Last week's question was from Bluebell234 who wrote
"I have completed the front of 3 jumpers for each of the GC. For the eldest GC I am making a grow jumper as he is a very big child for his age and is growing rapidly. I used very large knitting needles the same size for the bask and body of the garment but I find I will have to maybe thread the bask and sleeves for this particular garment with some hat or soft elastic as it is stretching already. I would be very appreciative of any tips (other than pulling it all undone) to deal with this. The other two jumpers are fine and not stretching and are made with the same type of yarn but knitted on smaller size knitting needles."
Beryl Carder answered
I would suggest that you actually leave the lower basque as is, if you check out a lot of knitwear in the shops it is quite a trendy look to just hang rather then the traditional jumper shape. With the sleeves, either run elastic as you said or also leave them looser and he can fold them up if needed....super cool boy!! For next time, if you want the traditional jumper shape you need to knit the bask on smaller needles than the body (but always use a bigger needle for cast on to give a nice stretchy edge)or you could just start knitting in stocking stitch and that will give another trendy rolled edge.
Glenys Smith answered
I would unpick just the ribbed area and re-knit it using shirring elastic. This is very fine and can be easily stretched and knitted along with the yarn, and is capable of really pulling in the ribbed cuffs and bottom of knitted garments.
There are more answers to this question in the Tip Store.
Do you have a question that needs an answer?
Send us your question and receive the combined knowledge of your fellow Cheapskates to solve your problem!
Ask Your Question
11. This Week's Question
Karen writes
"I have been buying bulk chicken from Steggles and I grow my own veggies but I would like to buy my beef and lamb from the farm in bulk but I don't know of any. I live in the Hunter Valley just out of Newcastle. Can any one help with where to go?"
Do you have the answer?
If you have a suggestion or idea for Karen let us know. We'll enter your answer into our Tip of the Week competition, with a one-year membership to the Cheapskates Club as the prize too.
Send your answer
12. Join the Cheapskates Club
For just 10 cents a day you can join the Cheapskates Club and get exclusive access to the Cheapskate Journal, the monthly e-journal that shows you how to cut the costs of everyday living and still have fun.
Joining the Cheapskates Club gives you 24/7 access to the Members Centre with 1000's of money saving tips and articles.
Click here to join the Cheapskates Club today!
http://www.cheapskates.com.au/members/join_form.cfm?item_id=2271
13. Gift Memberships
Your family and friends will thank you for a whole year when you give them a Platinum Cheapskates Club membership as a gift.
It's so simple: just select the number of gift memberships required, click the Buy Now button and complete the Gift Membership order form (you must use this form to order gift memberships) and we'll get in touch with you to confirm the gift subscriptions.
Click here to order a gift membership right now!
14. Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change my email address?
This one is easy. Members can update their email address or any other details by clicking on "Edit Profile" directly under their membership number after they have logged in to the Member's Centre. Subscribers to our free newsletter can use the Change Your Address form (under Customer Service in the menu) and fill it out. Once you've filled it in click the send button and we'll do the rest. Please remember to include your old email address so we can find it in the list as well as the new one.
How do I know when my membership should be renewed?
When you login to the Member's Centre you will be told how many days of membership you have left once you have 30 days left. Just click on the link to renew and your membership will just continue on, uninterrupted.
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.
Read our privacy policy
How Did You Get on Our List?
You signed up to receive our Free Newsletter at our Cheapskates Club Web site or are a Platinum Cheapskates Club member
15. Contact Details
The Cheapskates Club -
Showing you how to live life
debt free, cashed up and laughing!
PO Box 5077 Studfield Vic 3152
www.cheapskates.com.au
[email protected]
2. In the Tip Store - Medicine with a Longer Expiry Date, Sparkling Spa Filters, Start Now to Build a Christmas Stockpile
3. Cheapskate's Winning Tip - The 52 Week Debt Reduction Plan
4. Submit Your Tip - Your best money, time and energy saver could be a winner!
5. Living Green in 2014 - Composting, a Great Way to Go Green
6. On the Menu with Anne - Australia's Favourite Cake
7. The $300 a Month Food Challenge with Wendy - Inventory Time
8. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
9. Member's Featured Blog - Responsibility by Bluebell234
10. Last Week's Question - Tips for Sticking to the $300 a Month Food Challenge when you work full time
11. This Week's Question - My citrus trees are sick!
12. Join the Cheapskates Club
13. Gift Memberships
14. Frequently Asked Questions
15. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
There's not much growing in my vegetable garden at the moment. Some cabbages, cauliflowers and broccoli, the last of the summer capsicums, a full bed of brown onions (and they are standing so tall and straight), one lonely cherry tomato that just doesn't want to stop producing, Chinese cabbages and the strawberries.
I've had to plan and stagger planting this autumn because I won't be able to work in the garden for the next seven weeks. I didn't want to plant and have food ready to harvest and not be able to do it; that would be a terrible waste of money, time and energy.
This week I spent some time planting seeds that will be ready to plant out as seedlings by the time I can get back into the garden, and the tiny plants there at the moment will be ready to harvest. And because garlic needs to be planted by the end of May here, in went all the cloves I saved from last year's crop.
We'll have plenty of greens this winter, even with the break, and the cycle of the vegetable garden will just keep on.
So what's growing in your vegetable garden this autumn?
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!
PPS: You can read this newsletter and past copies on the website in the Newsletter Archive.
2. From The Tip Store
Knitting Jumpers
My mother taught me this one. We have a recycled clothes place near us, which sells all sorts of things, especially good is the clothes department. We often come across woollen jumpers that are in very good condition but out of fashion. So we buy a couple at $1 each then we take the wool apart, wash it, and use it to knit a new jumper. My mother mixed two different colours together and made me a beautiful mottled turtle neck jumper which I have worn for years... all for $2.
Contributed by Ida, Reservoir
Coffee and Tea Stains
To get coffee and tea stains off the inside of mugs and cups, rub with a wet piece of polystyrene cut from a meat tray. Keep the plastic wet and the stains will come off quickly and easily. It saves on water, detergent and it is one use for those trays that pile up so fast.
Contributed by Liz, Yokohama
Shaving
Problem: Most triple blade cartridges are difficult to clean and have to be replaced sooner than they should be. Solution: Buy a pack of cheap plastic toothpicks or paper pins from any shop and use them to remove the hair between the blades. Blades which otherwise would not yield to cleaning by water are surprisingly easy to clean this way. Benefit: A blade's life is now doubled or even tripled.
Contributed by Rohinton, St.Leondards
There are more than 11,000 great tips in the Tip Store
3. CHEAPSKATE'S WINNING TIP
This week's winning tip is from Tammy Newell. Tammy thought outside the box and came up with a simple solution to her problem. She has won a one year Platinum Cheapskates Club membership for submitting her winning tip.
Shower Curtain Saviour
Approximate $ Savings: $20
I recently replaced my shower curtain. It wasn't as thick as the one I had to replace and kept wrapping around me in the shower. I looked at replacing it with a heavier one and was going to be out of pocket at least another $20 for another vinyl shower curtain. The one I has purchased was supposedly weighted (with small plastic discs)! Instead of replacing the shower curtain I purchased an 8 pack of heavy nuts and taped them to the bottom of the shower curtain. This works!!!! So for an outlay of less than $5 I fixed my problem and I am so happy.
Congratulations Tammy, I hope you enjoy your Cheapskates Club membership.
4. Submit your tip
The Cheapskate's Club website is over 3,000 pages of money saving hints, tips and ideas. Let's get together and make the Cheapskates Club Australia's largest online hint, tip and idea library. Share your favourite money saving, time saving or energy saving hint and be in the running to win a one-year membership to The Cheapskate Club. We publish a Winning Tip each Thursday, so enter your great money, time or energy saving idea now.
Share your favourite hint or tip that saves money, time and energy and be in the running to win a one-year subscription to The Cheapskate Journal.
Remember, you have to be in it to win it!
Submit your tip
5. Living Green in 2014
Chemistry and Cleaning
While you may not remember a world where you didn’t use chemicals to clean your home or your office that time once did exist. Many of the chemicals that are on the market now are good at filing your home with lovely scents, but they have a price to pay
Many of the everyday chemicals that are used to “clean” are actually quite harmful for the body and the planet. They leave behind toxins that can be harmful for people who suffer from asthma, allergies, and other respiratory problems.
Chemicals can also cause problems with skin. If your skin is very sensitive, you may find that many commercially available soaps and detergents can irritate you. Using products free of dyes and perfumes can help to alleviate the problem.
In addition, many chemicals can actually contribute to pollution of the environment. Sustainable living practices can actually reduce the amount of chemicals that end up in the water supply and in the ground. They can also help to alleviate you from symptoms caused by chemical use.
It's not hard or complicated to use safer, more natural ingredients to clean your home.
If you aren't sure what natural cleaners to use, or how to use them, we have the answers for you! Click here to download your free copy of our e-book Cleaning with the Super Six.
6. On the Menu with Anne
Bolognese Pasta Bake
This is a quick and tasty pasta bake just right for a cold night.
Bolognese Pasta Bake
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tin tomato soup
500g beef mince
1 cup TVP soaked for 5 minutes in 1 cup boiling water*
800g tin diced tomatoes
1 dried bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano
300g dried macaroni
125g butter, diced
2/3 cup plain flour
3 cups water
3/4 cup skim milk powder
200g grated cheese
Method:
Heat oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until soft. Increase heat to high, add mince and cook, for 5-10 minutes, stirring often or until browned. Add TVP, tomato soup, tomatoes and bay leaf and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in oregano and season with salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes or until thickened, but still quite saucy. Remove the bay leaf. Preheat oven to 200 deg C fan forced. Meanwhile, cook macaroni in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water following packet directions until al dente. Drain. Mix water and skim milk powder. Melt butter in a saucepan over high heat. Add flour and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add milk to flour, stirring constantly until smooth. Return pan to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce comes to the boil. Add the macaroni. Stir in the sauce and half the cheese. Spoon Bolognese into a lightly-greased 12-cup capacity baking dish. Spoon over the macaroni mixture, top with remaining cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce bubbling at edges.
This week we will be eating:
Friday: Curried eggs, steamed rice
Saturday: Muffin Surprise
Sunday: Roast lamb, baked vegetables, broccoli and cauliflower in cheese sauce
Monday: Chicken casserole over steamed rice
Tuesday: Pastie, chips and gravy
Wednesday: Rissoles, mash, cauliflower with cheese sauce
Thursday: Bolognese Pasta Bake and salad
In the fruit bowl: Bananas, kiwi fruit, oranges
In the cake tin: Boiled fruit cake, ANZAC slice, Lemon Coconut slice
There are over 1,300 other great money saving meal ideas in the Recipe File
7. The $300 a Month Food Challenge with Wendy
Welcome fellow Cheapskaters.
Sticking to your food budget can be a challenge no mater what your income is. The food looks so good at the supermarket. So yummy and so tempting!!!! At the end of your budget time frame whether it's a monthly budget or a weekly/fortnightly one, adding up all your dockets can reveal that an absurd amount of money was spent.
Paying for your groceries on the credit card might be quick and easy but it can cause budget blowouts without realising. It's hard to keep track of the money spent unless you are disciplined with tracking and recording amounts.
A great way to keep spending under control is to pay with cash. After you've menu planned and written your shopping list, withdraw the budgeted amount of money for your weekly/fortnightly or monthly shop. Whatever works best for you.
As you pay for your groceries, handing over the cash is a tangible and visual way of seeing your money disappear before your eyes. If the money is disappearing too quickly, you might find your priorities change. Buying milk, bread, meat and vegetables will be at the top of your list and those bakery treats and snacks are not so important any more.
I shop monthly and when I do my big shop I go to two different supermarkets and a fruit and veg shop. As I hand over the money at each shop I'm keeping an eye on the cash remaining. If it's disappearing too quickly or I get concerned, I reduce the quantities of some items. I know that I need to have a minimum of $60 leftover to do milk, fruit and veg top-ups throughout the rest of the month.
Maybe cash could be the way to go for your food budget. What do you think?
How do you keep your food spending under control?
Have a great week and BE ENCOURAGED!!!!!!
The $300 a Month Food Challenge
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?24-Take-up-the-challenge-!!!!
The Post that Started it All
http://www.cheapskates.com.au/pages/default.cfm?page_id=44265
8.Cheapskates Buzz
This week's hot forum topics
Check Your Barcodes so You know where Your Food comes From
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?552-Check-your-barcodes-so-you-know-where-your-food-comes-from
Washing Modern Cloth Nappies
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?1998-Washing-Modern-Cloth-Nappies
Son Needs Braces - How do I Pay for them the Cheapskates Way?
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?803-Son-needs-braces-how-do-I-pay-for-them-the-Cheapskates-way
Most popular blog posts this week
10 Basic Kitchen Utensils that will Serve You Well
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2013/08/basic-kitchen-utensils-that-will-serve.html
What to do with 20 Kilos of Brown Onions
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2013/06/what-to-do-with-20-kilos-of-brown-onions.html
Back to Winter
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2007/09/back-to-winter.html
9. Member's Featured Blog
Platinum Cheapskates Club members have their very own Cheapskating blogs, and they are wonderful and inspirational and encouraging and even funny. This week's featured blog is written by Anne (in Melbourne).
I'm Revolting!
I've just read the email for Step 1 in the Saving Revolution - Learn to live beneath my means......
Which is something that we do for the most part BUT not always, and yes, it was a DOH! moment when I realised this.
Thanks Cath.
Now to re-jig our Spending Plan so that we are always living beneath our means and not just within them.
We don't have any debt anymore (YAHOO!) but there are times when we go ahead and buy stuff before we have the money to pay for it - which means we do have debt occasionally. Doh!
I've been living in La La Land - but not any more. Starting right now (I've phoned DH to let him know what I'm up to, quite made his lunchtime enjoyable I'm sure) we are living BENEATH OUR MEANS!
I really want to get us ready for retirement - it is still a ways off, but honestly if we keep going as we are DH will be working until he's 110, and I don't want that - I think 100 is a much more acceptable retirement age (only joking).
I would like us to be ready to retire when DS2 finishes uni - so about 7 years depending on what he chooses to do - and he'd better not choose anything that lasts much longer than that or he's on his own.
We would like to be able to do some travelling around Australia when we retire - yep, grey nomads here we come (we've already got the grey down pat).
So I'm revolting, and proud of it.
Login to read more Cheapskates Club member blogs
10. Last Week's Question
Last week's question was from Bluebell234 who wrote
"I have completed the front of 3 jumpers for each of the GC. For the eldest GC I am making a grow jumper as he is a very big child for his age and is growing rapidly. I used very large knitting needles the same size for the bask and body of the garment but I find I will have to maybe thread the bask and sleeves for this particular garment with some hat or soft elastic as it is stretching already. I would be very appreciative of any tips (other than pulling it all undone) to deal with this. The other two jumpers are fine and not stretching and are made with the same type of yarn but knitted on smaller size knitting needles."
Beryl Carder answered
I would suggest that you actually leave the lower basque as is, if you check out a lot of knitwear in the shops it is quite a trendy look to just hang rather then the traditional jumper shape. With the sleeves, either run elastic as you said or also leave them looser and he can fold them up if needed....super cool boy!! For next time, if you want the traditional jumper shape you need to knit the bask on smaller needles than the body (but always use a bigger needle for cast on to give a nice stretchy edge)or you could just start knitting in stocking stitch and that will give another trendy rolled edge.
Glenys Smith answered
I would unpick just the ribbed area and re-knit it using shirring elastic. This is very fine and can be easily stretched and knitted along with the yarn, and is capable of really pulling in the ribbed cuffs and bottom of knitted garments.
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11. This Week's Question
Karen writes
"I have been buying bulk chicken from Steggles and I grow my own veggies but I would like to buy my beef and lamb from the farm in bulk but I don't know of any. I live in the Hunter Valley just out of Newcastle. Can any one help with where to go?"
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