Your Cheapskates Club Newsletter 23:19
In This Newsletter
1. Cath's Corner
2. From the Tip Store - Polishing Cast Iron; Budget Banana Shakes; Reducing the Paper Pile
3. Share Your Tips
4. On the Menu - Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - How To Find Your Ideal Grocery Budget
6 Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum
7. The Cheapskates Club Show - Live on You Tube Tuesdays & Thursdays
8. Ask A Question - Have a question? Ask it here
9. Join the Cheapskates Club
10. Frequently Asked Questions
11. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,I hope you are all staying warm and dry - the Cheapskates way of course! We have had the fire going non-stop since Sunday, but that means we don't have the ducted heating on at all. And the washing has been drying very nicely next to it on the clotheshorse, so no dryer costs (not that we have a dryer!).
Staying warm during winter can be costly, but it doesn't need to be. One of my biggest gripes is the people who wander around in the middle of winter in shorts and t-shirts, with the heating cranked right up. Well not in our house! Dress to the weather people - it's a simple concept we seem to have forgotten in the 21st century, and the we all whinge and whine about how much it costs to stay warm.
Layer up. Singlets or old-fashioned spencers under long sleeved shirts, with a jumper on top should keep you warm. Socks and slippers on feet. Ladies, slip footless tights or leggings under jeans or trousers for extra warmth - no one will know. Then you can keep the heating turned down to 18 - 20 degrees and still be warm. If you get too warm from all that vacuuming and shower scrubbing you can take a layer off until you cool down.
When you go out, add a coat and a scarf. If it's really cold put a hat on. Gloves or mittens will keep your hands warm too. You wouldn't send your babies outdoors under-dressed so don't do it to yourself.
The same goes for bedtime. Put an extra blanket or two on the bed if you need to. A blanket under the sheet, over the top of the mattress will add warmth (and a little extra padding for comfort). If you really feel the cold in bed try this: get a rubber backed picnic blanket and put it on top of your mattress, rubber side to the mattress. Then make your bed. The rubber acts as insulation and stops cold coming up through the mattress. You'll be toasty warm all winter long.
Put on bed socks if you need to, and get into some warm PJs. They may not be the most glamorous, but honestly being warm is more important than fashion. No one wants to be chilled and run the risk of getting ill just for a little bedtime glamour.
Try these simple things anyone can do, and see if they don't make a difference to how comfortable you are and to your heating costs this winter.
So, off my soap box now. Have a great week everyone, and if you have a long weekend, enjoy the holiday on Monday. And stay warm the Cheapskates way!
Happy Cheapskating,
Cath
2. From The Tip Store
Polishing Cast Iron
To polish black cast iron, black painted steel or chrome or nickel trim, especially on wood stoves and combustion heaters, crumple a sheet of newspaper and dry scrub.
Hint: This works on the 'chrome' on today's cars too. Just screw a few sheets into a solid wad and scrub away. You'll be amazed at how easy it is, and just how clean your cast iron will be.
Budget Banana Shakes
Did you know that once frozen bananas can be whipped? Buy bananas when they are on sale, and either freeze them in the skin, or you can peel them and then freeze them. Use the frozen bananas to make a delicious extra creamy and thick, thick shake. Blend two frozen bananas, one small tub of yoghurt and two cups of low fat milk. They are delicious, and much thicker than the same ingredients without the bananas. All this with the added bonus of being healthy and low kilojoule.
Reducing the Paper Pile
It may be 2019, but I seem to get more paper, in bills, in the letterbox, from school and pre-school - even from Church, than ever and it was driving me crazy. There were flyers and notes and junk mail all over the bench and the top of the fridge.
Then I remembered Cath saying the best way to deal with paper was to handle it once and once only. Now when I come home, I go to the letterbox and collect the mail. I open it before I come inside, taking out what I need and putting everything else in the recycle bin. Then I go through the kids' backpacks and get out the newsletters, skim them and jot down any important dates and sign anything to be returned; when I've finished, the papers go into the wastepaper basket.
It only takes a minute or two every day to deal with papers as they come in. I've cut the paper pile and my "paper stress" to almost nothing and I can rest knowing that it's all been dealt with.
Contributed by Meredith Williams
Add a Tip
3. 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
4. On The Menu
Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
Ingredients:
1 medium onion chopped
2 chicken breast fillets, skin removed and cut into cubes
4 large carrots cut into thick slices
2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 can coconut cream
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
Method:
Place all ingredients except peas into the slow cooker and stir. Cook on LOW for 8 hours. Add the peas 30 minutes before serving. Serve over steamed rice.
This is chicken curry is so easy - just toss everything in the slow cooker and let it simmer all day. About 20 minutes before you want to eat, steam some rice and dinner is done.
It's cheap too, costing around $4.60 for six big serves (or 76 cents a serve).
I can get the price down by using chicken fillets bought on sale, onions, carrots and tomatoes all bought on sale, Aldi coconut cream and frozen peas and MOO chicken stock.
This week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: Rissoles, veggies, onion gravy
Tuesday: Grilled Chicken Pesto Pasta
Wednesday: Kransky, potato bake
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Leftovers, french bread
Saturday: Cheesy Filled & Grilled Quesadillas
In the fruit bowl: bananas
In the cake tin: Sultana cakes
There are over 1,700 budget and family friendly recipes in the Cheapskates Club Recipe File, all contributed by your fellow Cheapskates, so you know they're good.
Add A Recipe
Recipe File Index
5. The $300 A Month Food Challenge
How To Find Your Ideal Grocery Budget
I'm often asked about grocery budgets, how much they should be and how they should be spent.
Here's a breakdown of how your food budget should spent for optimum value and health:
It's easy really, but it may take you a few weeks. Start next time you go shopping. Write your list as you usually do and buy your groceries, this will give you a figure to work off.
Next time you go shopping, write your list but deduct 10% from the total you spent last time.
If you can do your shopping and feed your family on that amount without any complaints, cut your grocery money by 10% the next time you go shopping.
Keep going in this way until you find you can't buy the groceries you need or your family starts to complain about missing out.
Then simply up the grocery budget by 10% and you've found your ideal grocery budget.
We won't all have the same ideal grocery budget, that's OK, we are all different. We all eat different foods and shop at different stores. We all buy different brands, some of us stick to plain labels, others will only buy particular brands. Some of us shop around, others don't.
Our grocery budgets are personal and the only person your grocery budget has to suit is you. Follow the steps to find your ideal grocery budget and then relax, happy in the knowledge that you are getting the best value for your grocery money.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
6. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
How Earning Just $5 a Day Can Make You Wealthy
The High Cost of Clutter
Know the Shelf Life of Your Preserved Foods
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
Do You Have A Favourite Recipe From The Cheapskates Club Recipe File?
Buying Dried Beans in Bulk
Make Our Own 2019
7. The Cheapskates Club Show Live on You Tube
Join Cath and Hannah live Tuesdays and Thursdays on You Tube at 7.30pm AET
Show Schedule
Tuesday: Around the Kitchen Table - join Cath and Hannah for a cuppa and a chat around the kitchen table as they talk about living the Cheapskates way.
Thursday: Cheapskates in the Kitchen - want to know how to cook delicious, healthy and cheap meals? Watch Cath and Hannah as they create cheapskates style cuisine and share their favourite recipes.
Latest Shows
1. Cath's Corner
2. From the Tip Store - Polishing Cast Iron; Budget Banana Shakes; Reducing the Paper Pile
3. Share Your Tips
4. On the Menu - Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - How To Find Your Ideal Grocery Budget
6 Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum
7. The Cheapskates Club Show - Live on You Tube Tuesdays & Thursdays
8. Ask A Question - Have a question? Ask it here
9. Join the Cheapskates Club
10. Frequently Asked Questions
11. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,I hope you are all staying warm and dry - the Cheapskates way of course! We have had the fire going non-stop since Sunday, but that means we don't have the ducted heating on at all. And the washing has been drying very nicely next to it on the clotheshorse, so no dryer costs (not that we have a dryer!).
Staying warm during winter can be costly, but it doesn't need to be. One of my biggest gripes is the people who wander around in the middle of winter in shorts and t-shirts, with the heating cranked right up. Well not in our house! Dress to the weather people - it's a simple concept we seem to have forgotten in the 21st century, and the we all whinge and whine about how much it costs to stay warm.
Layer up. Singlets or old-fashioned spencers under long sleeved shirts, with a jumper on top should keep you warm. Socks and slippers on feet. Ladies, slip footless tights or leggings under jeans or trousers for extra warmth - no one will know. Then you can keep the heating turned down to 18 - 20 degrees and still be warm. If you get too warm from all that vacuuming and shower scrubbing you can take a layer off until you cool down.
When you go out, add a coat and a scarf. If it's really cold put a hat on. Gloves or mittens will keep your hands warm too. You wouldn't send your babies outdoors under-dressed so don't do it to yourself.
The same goes for bedtime. Put an extra blanket or two on the bed if you need to. A blanket under the sheet, over the top of the mattress will add warmth (and a little extra padding for comfort). If you really feel the cold in bed try this: get a rubber backed picnic blanket and put it on top of your mattress, rubber side to the mattress. Then make your bed. The rubber acts as insulation and stops cold coming up through the mattress. You'll be toasty warm all winter long.
Put on bed socks if you need to, and get into some warm PJs. They may not be the most glamorous, but honestly being warm is more important than fashion. No one wants to be chilled and run the risk of getting ill just for a little bedtime glamour.
Try these simple things anyone can do, and see if they don't make a difference to how comfortable you are and to your heating costs this winter.
So, off my soap box now. Have a great week everyone, and if you have a long weekend, enjoy the holiday on Monday. And stay warm the Cheapskates way!
Happy Cheapskating,
Cath
2. From The Tip Store
Polishing Cast Iron
To polish black cast iron, black painted steel or chrome or nickel trim, especially on wood stoves and combustion heaters, crumple a sheet of newspaper and dry scrub.
Hint: This works on the 'chrome' on today's cars too. Just screw a few sheets into a solid wad and scrub away. You'll be amazed at how easy it is, and just how clean your cast iron will be.
Budget Banana Shakes
Did you know that once frozen bananas can be whipped? Buy bananas when they are on sale, and either freeze them in the skin, or you can peel them and then freeze them. Use the frozen bananas to make a delicious extra creamy and thick, thick shake. Blend two frozen bananas, one small tub of yoghurt and two cups of low fat milk. They are delicious, and much thicker than the same ingredients without the bananas. All this with the added bonus of being healthy and low kilojoule.
Reducing the Paper Pile
It may be 2019, but I seem to get more paper, in bills, in the letterbox, from school and pre-school - even from Church, than ever and it was driving me crazy. There were flyers and notes and junk mail all over the bench and the top of the fridge.
Then I remembered Cath saying the best way to deal with paper was to handle it once and once only. Now when I come home, I go to the letterbox and collect the mail. I open it before I come inside, taking out what I need and putting everything else in the recycle bin. Then I go through the kids' backpacks and get out the newsletters, skim them and jot down any important dates and sign anything to be returned; when I've finished, the papers go into the wastepaper basket.
It only takes a minute or two every day to deal with papers as they come in. I've cut the paper pile and my "paper stress" to almost nothing and I can rest knowing that it's all been dealt with.
Contributed by Meredith Williams
Add a Tip
3. 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
4. On The Menu
Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
Ingredients:
1 medium onion chopped
2 chicken breast fillets, skin removed and cut into cubes
4 large carrots cut into thick slices
2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 can coconut cream
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
Method:
Place all ingredients except peas into the slow cooker and stir. Cook on LOW for 8 hours. Add the peas 30 minutes before serving. Serve over steamed rice.
This is chicken curry is so easy - just toss everything in the slow cooker and let it simmer all day. About 20 minutes before you want to eat, steam some rice and dinner is done.
It's cheap too, costing around $4.60 for six big serves (or 76 cents a serve).
I can get the price down by using chicken fillets bought on sale, onions, carrots and tomatoes all bought on sale, Aldi coconut cream and frozen peas and MOO chicken stock.
This week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: Rissoles, veggies, onion gravy
Tuesday: Grilled Chicken Pesto Pasta
Wednesday: Kransky, potato bake
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Leftovers, french bread
Saturday: Cheesy Filled & Grilled Quesadillas
In the fruit bowl: bananas
In the cake tin: Sultana cakes
There are over 1,700 budget and family friendly recipes in the Cheapskates Club Recipe File, all contributed by your fellow Cheapskates, so you know they're good.
Add A Recipe
Recipe File Index
5. The $300 A Month Food Challenge
How To Find Your Ideal Grocery Budget
I'm often asked about grocery budgets, how much they should be and how they should be spent.
Here's a breakdown of how your food budget should spent for optimum value and health:
- 60% on fruit, vegetables, cereals, breads, grains, etc.
- 30% on dairy, fish and meats (middle of the pyramid)
- 10% on fats and sugars
- But how do you find your ideal grocery budget?
It's easy really, but it may take you a few weeks. Start next time you go shopping. Write your list as you usually do and buy your groceries, this will give you a figure to work off.
Next time you go shopping, write your list but deduct 10% from the total you spent last time.
If you can do your shopping and feed your family on that amount without any complaints, cut your grocery money by 10% the next time you go shopping.
Keep going in this way until you find you can't buy the groceries you need or your family starts to complain about missing out.
Then simply up the grocery budget by 10% and you've found your ideal grocery budget.
We won't all have the same ideal grocery budget, that's OK, we are all different. We all eat different foods and shop at different stores. We all buy different brands, some of us stick to plain labels, others will only buy particular brands. Some of us shop around, others don't.
Our grocery budgets are personal and the only person your grocery budget has to suit is you. Follow the steps to find your ideal grocery budget and then relax, happy in the knowledge that you are getting the best value for your grocery money.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
6. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
How Earning Just $5 a Day Can Make You Wealthy
The High Cost of Clutter
Know the Shelf Life of Your Preserved Foods
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
Do You Have A Favourite Recipe From The Cheapskates Club Recipe File?
Buying Dried Beans in Bulk
Make Our Own 2019
7. The Cheapskates Club Show Live on You Tube
Join Cath and Hannah live Tuesdays and Thursdays on You Tube at 7.30pm AET
Show Schedule
Tuesday: Around the Kitchen Table - join Cath and Hannah for a cuppa and a chat around the kitchen table as they talk about living the Cheapskates way.
Thursday: Cheapskates in the Kitchen - want to know how to cook delicious, healthy and cheap meals? Watch Cath and Hannah as they create cheapskates style cuisine and share their favourite recipes.
Latest Shows
Coming Up
Thursday 6th June - Save $$$ - MOO Granola!
Tuesday 11th June - A Pantry Challenge
8. 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
9. Join The Cheapskates Club
For just $36.50 a year, you can join the Cheapskates Club and get exclusive access to the Cheapskate Journal, the monthly e-journal that shows you how to cut the costs of everyday living and still have fun.
Joining the Cheapskates Club gives you 24/7 access to the Members Centre with 1000's of money saving tips and articles.
Click here to join the Cheapskates Club today!
10. Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change my email address?
This one is easy. When you login to the Member's Centre just click on your name at the top of the page to go straight to your profile page where you can update your details, change your password and find your subscription details.
Not a Cheapskates Club member? Then please use the Changing Details form found here to update your email address.
How do I know when my membership should be renewed?
Memberships are active for one year from the date of joining. You will be sent a renewal reminder before your subscription is due to renew. You can also find your membership expiry date on your profile page.
When you login to the Member's Centre just click on your name to go straight to your profile page where you can will find your join date and your expiry date.
What will you do with my email address?
We never rent, trade or sell our email list to anyone for any reason whatsoever. You'll never get an unsolicited email from a stranger as a result of joining this list.
How did I get on this list?
The only way you can get onto our newsletter mailing list is to subscribe yourself. You signed up to receive our Free Newsletter at our Cheapskates Club Web site or are a Platinum Cheapskates Club member.
11. 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
Thursday 6th June - Save $$$ - MOO Granola!
Tuesday 11th June - A Pantry Challenge
8. 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
9. Join The Cheapskates Club
For just $36.50 a year, you can join the Cheapskates Club and get exclusive access to the Cheapskate Journal, the monthly e-journal that shows you how to cut the costs of everyday living and still have fun.
Joining the Cheapskates Club gives you 24/7 access to the Members Centre with 1000's of money saving tips and articles.
Click here to join the Cheapskates Club today!
10. Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change my email address?
This one is easy. When you login to the Member's Centre just click on your name at the top of the page to go straight to your profile page where you can update your details, change your password and find your subscription details.
Not a Cheapskates Club member? Then please use the Changing Details form found here to update your email address.
How do I know when my membership should be renewed?
Memberships are active for one year from the date of joining. You will be sent a renewal reminder before your subscription is due to renew. You can also find your membership expiry date on your profile page.
When you login to the Member's Centre just click on your name to go straight to your profile page where you can will find your join date and your expiry date.
What will you do with my email address?
We never rent, trade or sell our email list to anyone for any reason whatsoever. You'll never get an unsolicited email from a stranger as a result of joining this list.
How did I get on this list?
The only way you can get onto our newsletter mailing list is to subscribe yourself. You signed up to receive our Free Newsletter at our Cheapskates Club Web site or are a Platinum Cheapskates Club member.
11. 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