Your Cheapskates Club Newsletter 26:19
In This Newsletter
1. Cath's Corner
2. From the Tip Store - More Uses for Huge Dog Food Bags; End of Week Veggies; My Hodgepodge Flower Bed
3. Share Your Tips
4. On the Menu - Beef & Black Bean Oven Nachos
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Does the $300 a Month Shopping Plan Still Work?
6. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
7. The Cheapskates Club Show - Live Tuesday & Thursday
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,Thank you everyone for your thoughts and kindnesses over the last couple of weeks, Hannah and I, and the rest of the family really appreciate them.
Enjoy this week's newsletter, it's full of good things to save you money, time and energy.
Happy Cheapskating
Cath
2. From The Tip Store
More Uses for Huge Dog Food Bags
Besides using them for collecting kindling and pine cones to burn in the fire, I also place bags of fertiliser and other garden products in them using the ziplock to keep contents dry, or stop mice nibbling on softer plastic bags in my shed. They are useful as carriers for weeds if you make two slits near the top of bag to serve as handles. Anything needing dry storage can be placed in them but remember to label clearly. To use as wind guards take off top and bottom and place over stakes next to young plants. To protect jumpers from moths, place into bag and use ziplock before storing. I am sure there are other ideas as the plastic is very strong and didn't tear easily.
Contributed by Yvette Newton
End of Week Veggies
At the end of every week I empty out my crisper of all the veggies that are left, even the sad ones, and make a lot of stew or soup. Everything goes in with stewing steak or chicken (even mince can be used). I boil away for hours, thicken, add curry or tinned soup for extra flavour and we have at least three meals . I always use one for making pies. It's great having ready meals for busy nights and a cleaned out crisper to start again.
Contributed by Anne Gray
My Hodgepodge Flower Bed
I had a large spot in my yard that needed some plants and colour but I didn't have a budget to do it. After a couple of years of bare dirt I started putting any extra plant babies I found from other beds into it. I also sprinkled the finished seed heads left from the flowers in other areas of the yard. I divided perennials and planted the divisions here. Any plants friends shared also went in. Lots of things that would have gone into the compost pile got a last chance in this bed. Now I have a full, pretty, growing garden from leftover plants.
Contributed by Kathryn Maxson
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
Beef & Black Bean Oven Nachos
Ingredients:
500g mince
1/2 small onion
1 tbsp taco seasoning**
1 can black beans***
Salt and pepper
1 pkt corn chips*
1-1/2 cups grated cheese
200ml sour cream
200ml guacamole
Method:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Brown the mince and drain. Return to frying pan and add the diced onion and taco seasoning. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes until onion is cooked. Mix in the black beans and toss for a minute or two over low heat, then remove from heat. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the corn chips to the base of a 7×11 or 9×9-inch baking dish. Add the beef-bean mixture over the top and then add the shredded cheese on top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese has melted through. Top with dollops of sour cream and guacamole or other favourite nacho toppings.
*Use pita chips instead of corn chips. They're cheaper (MOOed of course) and healthier. Season them with garlic before baking for extra flavour.
** MOO Taco Seasoning to keep costs down. MOOing taco seasoning will save you 80% on the cost of buying the packets.
***No black beans? No problem - use a tin of baked beans in tomato sauce. They're just as good and readily available, you probably have a can in your pantry, just waiting to be used.
This week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Beef
Monday: Beef Black Bean Nachos
Tuesday: Pasta Carbonara, salad
Wednesday: Fish, wedges, salad
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Haystacks
Saturday: Soup & Crumpets
In the fruit bowl: mandarins
In the cake tin: Lemon cheesecake, shortbread
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
Does the $300 a Month Shopping Plan Still Work?
Just lately all I've been hearing is how much food is going up. Meat is so expensive. Cheese has gone up again. Who can afford butter? Bread has gone up, milk has gone up. It's getting hard to find affordable fruit and veg.
So?
Fifteen years ago, I wrote a little book called Super Shopper. It outlined how I fed my family of five for $70 a week. It was very popular, selling out in just a couple of days. Then, in 2007 I wrote Eat Well, Spend Less, the updated version of Super Shopper. This book outlined how I feed my family of five for $80 a week (kids grow, inflation is a pest - the grocery budget has to be flexible). Then Wendy posted in the forum that grocery shopping made her smile.
And the $300 a Month Food Challenge was born!
Since then the challenge, and Super Shopper, have gone crazy. You'll hear it mentioned on blogs, on Facebook, on TV and radio.
Safe to say it is one of the most popular forum threads EVER!
There are thousands of fans, cheering each other on and working their grocery spending to benefit their budgets.
And not surprisingly, it has its share of negative feedback.
Here are some of the complaints that regularly end up in my inbox.
You can't possibly eat organic for $300 a month
Can't you? It really depends on how much effort you are prepared to put into eating organic. But the challenge has never claimed to be organic. Frankly it is really, really hard to find truly organic produce. Even when you grow your own chances are it isn't truly organic - it can easily be contaminated by whatever neighbours or even your local council are using in their yards. Having a totally organic diet and lifestyle would be amazing, but I firmly believe you can have a healthy diet without the expense of an organic label.
These prices are lower than I can find in my area.
Great! I put a lot of effort into making sure I pay the lowest possible price for the best possible quality when I do my grocery shopping, so chances are I do find lower prices. But I haven't always had the advantage of multiple supermarkets, greengrocers, butchers, health food stores and bulk stores close by. For a long time I had to travel at least a 240km round trip to get to a decent sized supermarket. If my prices are lower than yours you just need to be more creative with your shopping. Plan to do big shops when you are in an area with cheaper prices (I did two huge shops a year when we went to Sydney, just for the lower prices). If you aren't shopping at Aldi yet (and you have one in your area) you are spending money you don't need to spend. Try Aldi, I highly recommend checking it out.
Your prices are out of date – there’s no way you could do this now!
Maybe they are - for everyday shopping. But I still pay $3.50/kg or less for chicken fillets, 30c/kg for carrots and onions, $2.99/kg for whole chickens. I just shop around, watch prices and stock up when something is at my best buy price. If you stock up, then wait for the sales you will always get your groceries much cheaper. I'm not brand or store loyal, I go where the price is best for my budget.
Of course the cost of living is going to be higher in some areas. I understand that. What I don't understand is why some people choose to spend their time complaining about something I can't fix, instead of working the plan and spending less on their grocery budget.
The rules are simple, easy to follow and easy to adapt. If you want totally organic, then you still follow the rules; your monthly grocery budget will be more, but you'll still be saving money. If you have dietary restrictions, the rules are the same; you'll spend more (or in some cases less!) and still be saving money. If you live in a remote area, only have a small choice in supermarkets, work full time or part-time, have children or don't have children - the rules are the same!
You simply work them to suit your needs, wants, budget and situation.
Here are some simple tips that will save you grocery money, wherever you live and whatever budget you set:
1.Don't be store or brand loyal. Aldi has consistently been the cheapest supermarket, so shop there and skip Coles and Woolworths for regular shopping unless it is for the rare grocery item Aldi doesn't stock. No Aldi (or Coles or Woolworths)? Look for discount grocery stores and small, independent grocers where the sales can be absolutely fantastic.
2.Learn the sale cycle for your basic grocery needs and shop to it. Most things come on sale in either four or six week cycles. Some things, such as baking needs, come on sale once a year during November/December; some snack foods come on sale for school holidays and football grand final time. Get familiar with the sale cycle to save even more.
3.Meal plan and cook from scratch and you'll save a bundle. Buying ingredients gives you options. When you have options you don't need to buy convenience foods or resort to takeaway.
4.Stockpile! You don't need to be worried about the zombie apocalypse, but you do need to be worried about paying full price when you don't need to. Even a small stockpile (one or two months of groceries) is insurance against slow sales, price hikes, illness, bad weather, strikes, holidays and dozens of other common events that can bring a grocery budget down. Stocking up on the non-perishables that you use regularly when they are on sale is money in the bank. There are a lot of things that will keep just in the pantry, fridge and freezer for a long, long time, giving you plenty of opportunities to use them.
You can make the $300 a month food challenge work. …but it’s up to you to find the determination to make it happen.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
6. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
Stove Top Potpourri
Oh How I Love Freeze-Ahead Meals
Top Tips for Saving for a House Deposit
Most Popular Blog Posts This WeekJ
ust Say No!
Please, Please, Please Don't Let Marketing Dumb You Down!
Zero Waste
7. The Cheapskates Club Show
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 - More Uses for Huge Dog Food Bags; End of Week Veggies; My Hodgepodge Flower Bed
3. Share Your Tips
4. On the Menu - Beef & Black Bean Oven Nachos
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Does the $300 a Month Shopping Plan Still Work?
6. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
7. The Cheapskates Club Show - Live Tuesday & Thursday
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,Thank you everyone for your thoughts and kindnesses over the last couple of weeks, Hannah and I, and the rest of the family really appreciate them.
Enjoy this week's newsletter, it's full of good things to save you money, time and energy.
Happy Cheapskating
Cath
2. From The Tip Store
More Uses for Huge Dog Food Bags
Besides using them for collecting kindling and pine cones to burn in the fire, I also place bags of fertiliser and other garden products in them using the ziplock to keep contents dry, or stop mice nibbling on softer plastic bags in my shed. They are useful as carriers for weeds if you make two slits near the top of bag to serve as handles. Anything needing dry storage can be placed in them but remember to label clearly. To use as wind guards take off top and bottom and place over stakes next to young plants. To protect jumpers from moths, place into bag and use ziplock before storing. I am sure there are other ideas as the plastic is very strong and didn't tear easily.
Contributed by Yvette Newton
End of Week Veggies
At the end of every week I empty out my crisper of all the veggies that are left, even the sad ones, and make a lot of stew or soup. Everything goes in with stewing steak or chicken (even mince can be used). I boil away for hours, thicken, add curry or tinned soup for extra flavour and we have at least three meals . I always use one for making pies. It's great having ready meals for busy nights and a cleaned out crisper to start again.
Contributed by Anne Gray
My Hodgepodge Flower Bed
I had a large spot in my yard that needed some plants and colour but I didn't have a budget to do it. After a couple of years of bare dirt I started putting any extra plant babies I found from other beds into it. I also sprinkled the finished seed heads left from the flowers in other areas of the yard. I divided perennials and planted the divisions here. Any plants friends shared also went in. Lots of things that would have gone into the compost pile got a last chance in this bed. Now I have a full, pretty, growing garden from leftover plants.
Contributed by Kathryn Maxson
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
Beef & Black Bean Oven Nachos
Ingredients:
500g mince
1/2 small onion
1 tbsp taco seasoning**
1 can black beans***
Salt and pepper
1 pkt corn chips*
1-1/2 cups grated cheese
200ml sour cream
200ml guacamole
Method:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Brown the mince and drain. Return to frying pan and add the diced onion and taco seasoning. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes until onion is cooked. Mix in the black beans and toss for a minute or two over low heat, then remove from heat. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the corn chips to the base of a 7×11 or 9×9-inch baking dish. Add the beef-bean mixture over the top and then add the shredded cheese on top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese has melted through. Top with dollops of sour cream and guacamole or other favourite nacho toppings.
*Use pita chips instead of corn chips. They're cheaper (MOOed of course) and healthier. Season them with garlic before baking for extra flavour.
** MOO Taco Seasoning to keep costs down. MOOing taco seasoning will save you 80% on the cost of buying the packets.
***No black beans? No problem - use a tin of baked beans in tomato sauce. They're just as good and readily available, you probably have a can in your pantry, just waiting to be used.
This week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Beef
Monday: Beef Black Bean Nachos
Tuesday: Pasta Carbonara, salad
Wednesday: Fish, wedges, salad
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Haystacks
Saturday: Soup & Crumpets
In the fruit bowl: mandarins
In the cake tin: Lemon cheesecake, shortbread
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
Does the $300 a Month Shopping Plan Still Work?
Just lately all I've been hearing is how much food is going up. Meat is so expensive. Cheese has gone up again. Who can afford butter? Bread has gone up, milk has gone up. It's getting hard to find affordable fruit and veg.
So?
Fifteen years ago, I wrote a little book called Super Shopper. It outlined how I fed my family of five for $70 a week. It was very popular, selling out in just a couple of days. Then, in 2007 I wrote Eat Well, Spend Less, the updated version of Super Shopper. This book outlined how I feed my family of five for $80 a week (kids grow, inflation is a pest - the grocery budget has to be flexible). Then Wendy posted in the forum that grocery shopping made her smile.
And the $300 a Month Food Challenge was born!
Since then the challenge, and Super Shopper, have gone crazy. You'll hear it mentioned on blogs, on Facebook, on TV and radio.
Safe to say it is one of the most popular forum threads EVER!
There are thousands of fans, cheering each other on and working their grocery spending to benefit their budgets.
And not surprisingly, it has its share of negative feedback.
Here are some of the complaints that regularly end up in my inbox.
You can't possibly eat organic for $300 a month
Can't you? It really depends on how much effort you are prepared to put into eating organic. But the challenge has never claimed to be organic. Frankly it is really, really hard to find truly organic produce. Even when you grow your own chances are it isn't truly organic - it can easily be contaminated by whatever neighbours or even your local council are using in their yards. Having a totally organic diet and lifestyle would be amazing, but I firmly believe you can have a healthy diet without the expense of an organic label.
These prices are lower than I can find in my area.
Great! I put a lot of effort into making sure I pay the lowest possible price for the best possible quality when I do my grocery shopping, so chances are I do find lower prices. But I haven't always had the advantage of multiple supermarkets, greengrocers, butchers, health food stores and bulk stores close by. For a long time I had to travel at least a 240km round trip to get to a decent sized supermarket. If my prices are lower than yours you just need to be more creative with your shopping. Plan to do big shops when you are in an area with cheaper prices (I did two huge shops a year when we went to Sydney, just for the lower prices). If you aren't shopping at Aldi yet (and you have one in your area) you are spending money you don't need to spend. Try Aldi, I highly recommend checking it out.
Your prices are out of date – there’s no way you could do this now!
Maybe they are - for everyday shopping. But I still pay $3.50/kg or less for chicken fillets, 30c/kg for carrots and onions, $2.99/kg for whole chickens. I just shop around, watch prices and stock up when something is at my best buy price. If you stock up, then wait for the sales you will always get your groceries much cheaper. I'm not brand or store loyal, I go where the price is best for my budget.
Of course the cost of living is going to be higher in some areas. I understand that. What I don't understand is why some people choose to spend their time complaining about something I can't fix, instead of working the plan and spending less on their grocery budget.
The rules are simple, easy to follow and easy to adapt. If you want totally organic, then you still follow the rules; your monthly grocery budget will be more, but you'll still be saving money. If you have dietary restrictions, the rules are the same; you'll spend more (or in some cases less!) and still be saving money. If you live in a remote area, only have a small choice in supermarkets, work full time or part-time, have children or don't have children - the rules are the same!
You simply work them to suit your needs, wants, budget and situation.
Here are some simple tips that will save you grocery money, wherever you live and whatever budget you set:
1.Don't be store or brand loyal. Aldi has consistently been the cheapest supermarket, so shop there and skip Coles and Woolworths for regular shopping unless it is for the rare grocery item Aldi doesn't stock. No Aldi (or Coles or Woolworths)? Look for discount grocery stores and small, independent grocers where the sales can be absolutely fantastic.
2.Learn the sale cycle for your basic grocery needs and shop to it. Most things come on sale in either four or six week cycles. Some things, such as baking needs, come on sale once a year during November/December; some snack foods come on sale for school holidays and football grand final time. Get familiar with the sale cycle to save even more.
3.Meal plan and cook from scratch and you'll save a bundle. Buying ingredients gives you options. When you have options you don't need to buy convenience foods or resort to takeaway.
4.Stockpile! You don't need to be worried about the zombie apocalypse, but you do need to be worried about paying full price when you don't need to. Even a small stockpile (one or two months of groceries) is insurance against slow sales, price hikes, illness, bad weather, strikes, holidays and dozens of other common events that can bring a grocery budget down. Stocking up on the non-perishables that you use regularly when they are on sale is money in the bank. There are a lot of things that will keep just in the pantry, fridge and freezer for a long, long time, giving you plenty of opportunities to use them.
You can make the $300 a month food challenge work. …but it’s up to you to find the determination to make it happen.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
6. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
Stove Top Potpourri
Oh How I Love Freeze-Ahead Meals
Top Tips for Saving for a House Deposit
Most Popular Blog Posts This WeekJ
ust Say No!
Please, Please, Please Don't Let Marketing Dumb You Down!
Zero Waste
7. The Cheapskates Club Show
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 27th June - Cath's Incredible Gluten Steaks
Tuesday 2nd July - The Minimum Wage Challenge
8. Ask Cath
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 27th June - Cath's Incredible Gluten Steaks
Tuesday 2nd July - The Minimum Wage Challenge
8. Ask Cath
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