Your Cheapskates Club Newsletter 28:18
In this Newsletter
1. Cath's Corner
2. In the Tip Store - I Started a Fruit and Veg Co-Op to Slash the Food Bill; Amazing Organic Groceries Savings; Saving $ at the Pharmacy
3. Share Your Tips
4. On the Menu - Fish Cakes
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Is it doable?
6. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
7. Member's Featured Blog - A Few Important Tasks Sorted
8. This Week's Question - Ready for a Mortgage, how do I Calculate On goings?
9. Ask Cath - Do have a question for Cath? Ask it here!
10. Join the Cheapskates Club
11. Frequently Asked Questions
12. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
Welcome to another Bright Ideas newsletter. I hope you're all able to stay warm during this really frosty weather.
The Member's Centre and Forum are full of great ideas and inspiration to help you save money, time and energy, so don't forget to check in regularly (and don't forget the July Journal will be ready for you on Sunday). We love to hear from you, so while you're in the Forum, or on our Facebook page, say hello. We'll be sure to say hello back!
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
I Started a Fruit and Veg Co-Op to Slash the Food Bill
Approximate $ Savings: $30 per family per trip
I often make a trip to the fruit and veg market (Adelaide Central Market) to buy beautifully fresh produce at prices considerably cheaper than the supermarket. Over time a few friends had said they wished they could do the same but for one reason or another just didn't get the chance, so were buying from the local supermarket. So, I decided to start a fruit and veg co-op. The idea is simple - each family contributes $20 per trip and I go to the market to buy the fruit and veg on everyone's behalf. I buy the 'common' fruits and veg and also pick up others if I see a super special. I might get bread or eggs and anything friends have specifically requested. I asked the market vendor whether he would be happy to give further discount for bulk purchases and he is more than happy to do this - it will be quite a big sale for him! When I get home, I divide it into boxes and everyone in the co-op comes to collect their 'surprise' box. We get a huge amount of produce for $20 and we find it lasts longer than supermarket produce which means less waste! I used to spend about $50 on fruit and veg each time I went to the local shops so the savings of approximately $30 are significant! My mother in-law and sister in-law do a similar thing with meat, purchasing a whole beast in bulk and dividing it up between their two families - that might be next on the agenda!
Contributed by TC
Amazing Organic Groceries Savings
We have attempted to reduce all chemical stress in our family (2 adults and 6 kids) because of one particularly sensitive child who literally goes crazy with exposure to most synthetic chemicals. One of our strategies has been to eat organic produce...but how expensive is that! (I try and garden but haven't been overly successful so far). I regularly spend over budget by shopping at Wholefood Merchants or ordering veggie boxes and doing a top-up. I've saved $100 a week by switching to a regular 'harvest box' subscription with Organic Empire in Monbulk ($135.10) and then topping up at the local Upper Gully market at a stall from a grocery chain called Pellegrino’s. Pellegrino’s does not have certified organic produce, but it is mostly local, and the apples and pears are not waxed. "Local" means that most of the produce has been picked ripe in the preceding week, rather than picked green and chemically coloured. I spend around $20 there. Getting bulk boxes from them means that I haven't had to top up on fruit at all sometimes. I'm now well under my $200/week-for-fruit-and-veg budget, at a saving of around $100 a week.
Contributed by Kerry Alexander
Editor's note: Those who know me or who follow our Facebook page will know that Pellegrino's is my local greengrocer and my absolute favourite for the very reasons Kerry has mentioned. The produce is fresh, local and in season. Of course, that means if you want cherries in June or parsnip in February then they won't have them (they'll be out of season!), but there is a huge variety of fruit and veg in season all year round - more than enough to keep us from getting bored. Pellegrino's have two stores, one in Wantirna South and one in Olinda. Follow them on Facebook for daily specials - they're well worth it. Cath.
Saving $ at the Pharmacy
My husband and I have five children. So, when we take one to the doctor for whatever reason the co-pay is already expensive. So, when they tell you that your child needs an inhaler etc. ask if they have samples. Lots of companies send the doctors' offices samples and they don't always give those out. This sample can help you out until you can come up with the co-pay for that inhaler at the chemist, saving you quite a bit.
Contributed by Angie
There are currently more than 12,000 great tips in the Tip Store
3. 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
4. On the Menu
Fish Cakes
Ingredients:
435g tin tuna
2 cups of cooked potato mashed
1 tablespoon mixed herbs
1 onion
1 egg
Salt & pepper
2 Eggs
Flour
Breadcrumbs*
Method:
Mix together fish, potatoes, parsley onion and 1 egg, add seasonings and form into small round cakes. Using flour on board and hands coat the balls with egg glazing and toss in breadcrumbs until well covered. Fry in fat or oil until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper.
Notes: Instead of breadcrumbs, I use Shake’n’Bake for a crisp coating.
This week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: Fish cakes, potato gems, salad
Tuesday: Macaroni cheese bake, tossed salad
Wednesday: Company roast, steamed veg
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Creamy chicken rice
Saturday: Toasted sandwiches & soup
Cost for this week's dinners: $40.50
In the fruit bowl: bananas, apples
In the cake tin: M&M Cookies, cranberry muffins
There are over 1,600 other great money saving meal ideas in the Recipe File.
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge
Feeding the family has become more of a challenge than ever, even for those who don’t stick to a rigid budget. If you are shopping for groceries on a budget the task can seem impossible.
This week is all about sticking to the grocery budget. I know it's not easy, especially when even basic foods are going up and up in price, but it can be done. We are living proof that you can eat well, and by that I mean healthfully, on a budget. Each week I post the meals planned for the next week, and they are pretty much what we eat. Sometimes I'll shift the order around, or use the same ingredients to make another dish, but for the most part we stick to it.
This coming week is rather an expensive week for our meals, with dinners costing $40.50, or $1.15 per serve (the meal plan is above). But they are still within our budget.
For years I shopped for my family of five once a month — with fortnightly top-ups of dairy and fruit and vegetables — for under $400 and that included toiletries and cleaning supplies (these days I shop once a year and do a fortnightly top up of fresh foods).
Now remember, I’ve been doing this since 1993, so I have lots and lots of experience. Over the years my method of grocery shopping has changed considerably, but the basics remain the same. If you are just beginning to work on your grocery bill, give yourself time to get it under control, and remember $300 a month is just a guide - your circumstances may mean you'll be spending more, or they could mean you'll be spending less.
When it comes to grocery shopping I have a very strict routine and it very rarely ever varies (even for once-a-year shopping):
1. Pantry, fridge and freezer inventory
2. Meal plan
3. Write a shopping list:
a. use inventories and meal plan to work out what’s needed
b. use a price book and catalogues to find best prices
c. write list up in order of stores to go to
d. don’t be afraid to try generic or cheaper, different brands
4. Hit the shops
Whether you are a family of six, a couple or single, the process is the same: inventories, meal plan, shopping list and hit the shops. The only difference is in the quantity of the items on your shopping list and the total at the register.
Once-a-month shopping or being as cutthroat with the prices as I am, might not be for you yet. But don't give up, every time you shop, try to trim just a little off the total.
It’s a simple system and it works for me and it can work for you to, regardless of the size of your family.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge
The Post that Started it All
6. Cheapskates Buzz
Most popular forum posts this week
Mid Winter Cleaning
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3767-Mid-Winter-Cleaning
Be Strong and Say No More Often
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3728-Be-Strong-and-Say-No-More-Often
Tracking Your Goals?
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3276-tracking-your-goals
Most popular blog posts this week
Of Course You can Feed Your Family for $300 a Month
https://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2013/09/of-course-you-can-feed-your-family-for.html
Finding a Substitute for that Weird Ingredient
https://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2014/07/this-week-in-300-month-food-challenge.html
Getting Ready for Grocery Shopping
https://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2015/01/getting-ready-for-grocery-shopping.html
7. Members 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 pri_mukh
A Few Important Tasks Sorted
So, we got some very important tasks sorted this month. We got our Will done. I called up about a dozen law firms and from $890 to make a simple couple's will, I bargained and got it down to only $200 incl GST. The law firms with big names really charge a fortune and I got the same level of service from another law firm with a "not so big name" for a fraction of the cost.
I had inherited some jewellery from my mom and mom in law during my wedding. I had been keeping them at home for some time but realised that there is a fair bit of risk involved - burglary, fire, etc. Called up a few banks for locker facility but they all are fully booked, or I need to be on waiting list or I need to do full business with them for at least 2-3 years (sorry I don't fit their bill). However finally managed to find a locker facility in the city for $265 for the year. Yes, it did hurt a bit to shell out that money, but it really is "better to be safe than sorry".
Donation to Salvos done. Whatever we cleared after decluttering the house, we donated about 60% of that to Salvos.
I have been reading the Cheapskates website for some time and realised Cath talking a lot about planning for retirement - that it's never too early to plan it. That got me thinking. I have been making salary sacrifice for the past one year as well as making voluntary contributions to my Super but is that enough? So, with that in mind, I opened a Retirement Savings account to deposit $30/week for the rest of our lives (or till we retire). Calculated we should have a lump sum of about $30 -$35 thousand dollars in it by the time we retire. We also spoke to a mortgage broker the other day as we have been thinking to purchase an investment property. It's a work in progress and hopefully will have some good news soon (fingers crossed).
Tasman Butchers had a sale on chicken a couple of weeks back, which I came to know from the flier that was left in my post box. Previously I used to dump them in my garbage without looking at them at all. But now after reading Cath's advice, I have started to go through them to see if there is any deal that suits me. Sure enough I found this.
We, as a family, eat chicken more than any other meat. Went there and picked up 2 months' worth of chicken. It was really, cheap and the best bargain that I've had in a long time.
My husband was complaining the other day that we rarely go out to eat anymore. Well partly it is because our baby is too young and refuses to sit at one place. But another big reason is that when we go out for shopping, we get hungry at the mall and end up eating at the food court - thus using our "eating out" budget. So, I started to make sandwiches when we go out plus a bottle of water in the bag. I prepare it the night before and keep it in a takeaway container. We still sit at the food court but take out our lunchbox and eat from it. Nobody said you HAVE TO buy from the shops to eat in the food court.
My husband had a salary increment last March and I have put the difference in the salary to our mortgage repayment. Realised if we were able to manage with lesser salary earlier, we could still do it. What better way to get out of a debt than to pay off your mortgage fast? To be honest with you, I was inspired by a woman I saw on 7news (I think) who paid off her mortgage in 10 years only. Oh....how I wish it happens to me too.
Login to read more Cheapskates Club Member blogs
8. This Week's Question
Kate writes
"I'm currently living at home, but finally (after years of frugal living) ready to purchase my own home. I've done the legwork with the bank and know my borrowing power, but they don't account for the amount of money left over at the end of each week to actually live on. Whilst I meticulously track my income/spending currently, I'm now stuck in the awkward position of not knowing how much I should budget for things I've never had to pay for, like electricity, strata, water etc. Are there any hints or help in how to 'guesstimate' these expenses to figure out how much I'll have at the end of the day?"
Do you have some advice for Kate?
If you have a suggestion or idea, 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
9. 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
10. 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!
11. 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.
How Did You Get on Our List?
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12. Contact Details
The Cheapskates Club -
Showing you how to live life
debt free, cashed up and laughing!
Contact Cheapskates
1. Cath's Corner
2. In the Tip Store - I Started a Fruit and Veg Co-Op to Slash the Food Bill; Amazing Organic Groceries Savings; Saving $ at the Pharmacy
3. Share Your Tips
4. On the Menu - Fish Cakes
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Is it doable?
6. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
7. Member's Featured Blog - A Few Important Tasks Sorted
8. This Week's Question - Ready for a Mortgage, how do I Calculate On goings?
9. Ask Cath - Do have a question for Cath? Ask it here!
10. Join the Cheapskates Club
11. Frequently Asked Questions
12. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
Welcome to another Bright Ideas newsletter. I hope you're all able to stay warm during this really frosty weather.
The Member's Centre and Forum are full of great ideas and inspiration to help you save money, time and energy, so don't forget to check in regularly (and don't forget the July Journal will be ready for you on Sunday). We love to hear from you, so while you're in the Forum, or on our Facebook page, say hello. We'll be sure to say hello back!
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
I Started a Fruit and Veg Co-Op to Slash the Food Bill
Approximate $ Savings: $30 per family per trip
I often make a trip to the fruit and veg market (Adelaide Central Market) to buy beautifully fresh produce at prices considerably cheaper than the supermarket. Over time a few friends had said they wished they could do the same but for one reason or another just didn't get the chance, so were buying from the local supermarket. So, I decided to start a fruit and veg co-op. The idea is simple - each family contributes $20 per trip and I go to the market to buy the fruit and veg on everyone's behalf. I buy the 'common' fruits and veg and also pick up others if I see a super special. I might get bread or eggs and anything friends have specifically requested. I asked the market vendor whether he would be happy to give further discount for bulk purchases and he is more than happy to do this - it will be quite a big sale for him! When I get home, I divide it into boxes and everyone in the co-op comes to collect their 'surprise' box. We get a huge amount of produce for $20 and we find it lasts longer than supermarket produce which means less waste! I used to spend about $50 on fruit and veg each time I went to the local shops so the savings of approximately $30 are significant! My mother in-law and sister in-law do a similar thing with meat, purchasing a whole beast in bulk and dividing it up between their two families - that might be next on the agenda!
Contributed by TC
Amazing Organic Groceries Savings
We have attempted to reduce all chemical stress in our family (2 adults and 6 kids) because of one particularly sensitive child who literally goes crazy with exposure to most synthetic chemicals. One of our strategies has been to eat organic produce...but how expensive is that! (I try and garden but haven't been overly successful so far). I regularly spend over budget by shopping at Wholefood Merchants or ordering veggie boxes and doing a top-up. I've saved $100 a week by switching to a regular 'harvest box' subscription with Organic Empire in Monbulk ($135.10) and then topping up at the local Upper Gully market at a stall from a grocery chain called Pellegrino’s. Pellegrino’s does not have certified organic produce, but it is mostly local, and the apples and pears are not waxed. "Local" means that most of the produce has been picked ripe in the preceding week, rather than picked green and chemically coloured. I spend around $20 there. Getting bulk boxes from them means that I haven't had to top up on fruit at all sometimes. I'm now well under my $200/week-for-fruit-and-veg budget, at a saving of around $100 a week.
Contributed by Kerry Alexander
Editor's note: Those who know me or who follow our Facebook page will know that Pellegrino's is my local greengrocer and my absolute favourite for the very reasons Kerry has mentioned. The produce is fresh, local and in season. Of course, that means if you want cherries in June or parsnip in February then they won't have them (they'll be out of season!), but there is a huge variety of fruit and veg in season all year round - more than enough to keep us from getting bored. Pellegrino's have two stores, one in Wantirna South and one in Olinda. Follow them on Facebook for daily specials - they're well worth it. Cath.
Saving $ at the Pharmacy
My husband and I have five children. So, when we take one to the doctor for whatever reason the co-pay is already expensive. So, when they tell you that your child needs an inhaler etc. ask if they have samples. Lots of companies send the doctors' offices samples and they don't always give those out. This sample can help you out until you can come up with the co-pay for that inhaler at the chemist, saving you quite a bit.
Contributed by Angie
There are currently more than 12,000 great tips in the Tip Store
3. 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
4. On the Menu
Fish Cakes
Ingredients:
435g tin tuna
2 cups of cooked potato mashed
1 tablespoon mixed herbs
1 onion
1 egg
Salt & pepper
2 Eggs
Flour
Breadcrumbs*
Method:
Mix together fish, potatoes, parsley onion and 1 egg, add seasonings and form into small round cakes. Using flour on board and hands coat the balls with egg glazing and toss in breadcrumbs until well covered. Fry in fat or oil until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper.
Notes: Instead of breadcrumbs, I use Shake’n’Bake for a crisp coating.
This week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: Fish cakes, potato gems, salad
Tuesday: Macaroni cheese bake, tossed salad
Wednesday: Company roast, steamed veg
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Creamy chicken rice
Saturday: Toasted sandwiches & soup
Cost for this week's dinners: $40.50
In the fruit bowl: bananas, apples
In the cake tin: M&M Cookies, cranberry muffins
There are over 1,600 other great money saving meal ideas in the Recipe File.
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge
Feeding the family has become more of a challenge than ever, even for those who don’t stick to a rigid budget. If you are shopping for groceries on a budget the task can seem impossible.
This week is all about sticking to the grocery budget. I know it's not easy, especially when even basic foods are going up and up in price, but it can be done. We are living proof that you can eat well, and by that I mean healthfully, on a budget. Each week I post the meals planned for the next week, and they are pretty much what we eat. Sometimes I'll shift the order around, or use the same ingredients to make another dish, but for the most part we stick to it.
This coming week is rather an expensive week for our meals, with dinners costing $40.50, or $1.15 per serve (the meal plan is above). But they are still within our budget.
For years I shopped for my family of five once a month — with fortnightly top-ups of dairy and fruit and vegetables — for under $400 and that included toiletries and cleaning supplies (these days I shop once a year and do a fortnightly top up of fresh foods).
Now remember, I’ve been doing this since 1993, so I have lots and lots of experience. Over the years my method of grocery shopping has changed considerably, but the basics remain the same. If you are just beginning to work on your grocery bill, give yourself time to get it under control, and remember $300 a month is just a guide - your circumstances may mean you'll be spending more, or they could mean you'll be spending less.
When it comes to grocery shopping I have a very strict routine and it very rarely ever varies (even for once-a-year shopping):
1. Pantry, fridge and freezer inventory
2. Meal plan
3. Write a shopping list:
a. use inventories and meal plan to work out what’s needed
b. use a price book and catalogues to find best prices
c. write list up in order of stores to go to
d. don’t be afraid to try generic or cheaper, different brands
4. Hit the shops
Whether you are a family of six, a couple or single, the process is the same: inventories, meal plan, shopping list and hit the shops. The only difference is in the quantity of the items on your shopping list and the total at the register.
Once-a-month shopping or being as cutthroat with the prices as I am, might not be for you yet. But don't give up, every time you shop, try to trim just a little off the total.
It’s a simple system and it works for me and it can work for you to, regardless of the size of your family.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge
The Post that Started it All
6. Cheapskates Buzz
Most popular forum posts this week
Mid Winter Cleaning
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3767-Mid-Winter-Cleaning
Be Strong and Say No More Often
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3728-Be-Strong-and-Say-No-More-Often
Tracking Your Goals?
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3276-tracking-your-goals
Most popular blog posts this week
Of Course You can Feed Your Family for $300 a Month
https://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2013/09/of-course-you-can-feed-your-family-for.html
Finding a Substitute for that Weird Ingredient
https://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2014/07/this-week-in-300-month-food-challenge.html
Getting Ready for Grocery Shopping
https://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2015/01/getting-ready-for-grocery-shopping.html
7. Members 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 pri_mukh
A Few Important Tasks Sorted
So, we got some very important tasks sorted this month. We got our Will done. I called up about a dozen law firms and from $890 to make a simple couple's will, I bargained and got it down to only $200 incl GST. The law firms with big names really charge a fortune and I got the same level of service from another law firm with a "not so big name" for a fraction of the cost.
I had inherited some jewellery from my mom and mom in law during my wedding. I had been keeping them at home for some time but realised that there is a fair bit of risk involved - burglary, fire, etc. Called up a few banks for locker facility but they all are fully booked, or I need to be on waiting list or I need to do full business with them for at least 2-3 years (sorry I don't fit their bill). However finally managed to find a locker facility in the city for $265 for the year. Yes, it did hurt a bit to shell out that money, but it really is "better to be safe than sorry".
Donation to Salvos done. Whatever we cleared after decluttering the house, we donated about 60% of that to Salvos.
I have been reading the Cheapskates website for some time and realised Cath talking a lot about planning for retirement - that it's never too early to plan it. That got me thinking. I have been making salary sacrifice for the past one year as well as making voluntary contributions to my Super but is that enough? So, with that in mind, I opened a Retirement Savings account to deposit $30/week for the rest of our lives (or till we retire). Calculated we should have a lump sum of about $30 -$35 thousand dollars in it by the time we retire. We also spoke to a mortgage broker the other day as we have been thinking to purchase an investment property. It's a work in progress and hopefully will have some good news soon (fingers crossed).
Tasman Butchers had a sale on chicken a couple of weeks back, which I came to know from the flier that was left in my post box. Previously I used to dump them in my garbage without looking at them at all. But now after reading Cath's advice, I have started to go through them to see if there is any deal that suits me. Sure enough I found this.
We, as a family, eat chicken more than any other meat. Went there and picked up 2 months' worth of chicken. It was really, cheap and the best bargain that I've had in a long time.
My husband was complaining the other day that we rarely go out to eat anymore. Well partly it is because our baby is too young and refuses to sit at one place. But another big reason is that when we go out for shopping, we get hungry at the mall and end up eating at the food court - thus using our "eating out" budget. So, I started to make sandwiches when we go out plus a bottle of water in the bag. I prepare it the night before and keep it in a takeaway container. We still sit at the food court but take out our lunchbox and eat from it. Nobody said you HAVE TO buy from the shops to eat in the food court.
My husband had a salary increment last March and I have put the difference in the salary to our mortgage repayment. Realised if we were able to manage with lesser salary earlier, we could still do it. What better way to get out of a debt than to pay off your mortgage fast? To be honest with you, I was inspired by a woman I saw on 7news (I think) who paid off her mortgage in 10 years only. Oh....how I wish it happens to me too.
Login to read more Cheapskates Club Member blogs
8. This Week's Question
Kate writes
"I'm currently living at home, but finally (after years of frugal living) ready to purchase my own home. I've done the legwork with the bank and know my borrowing power, but they don't account for the amount of money left over at the end of each week to actually live on. Whilst I meticulously track my income/spending currently, I'm now stuck in the awkward position of not knowing how much I should budget for things I've never had to pay for, like electricity, strata, water etc. Are there any hints or help in how to 'guesstimate' these expenses to figure out how much I'll have at the end of the day?"
Do you have some advice for Kate?
If you have a suggestion or idea, 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
9. 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
10. 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!
11. 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.
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
12. Contact Details
The Cheapskates Club -
Showing you how to live life
debt free, cashed up and laughing!
Contact Cheapskates