Your Cheapskates Club Newsletter 28:21
In This Newsletter
1. Cath's Corner
2. From the Tip Store - Just Keep on Peeling; Stop Overdosing Your Garden; MOO Plant Pots
3. Share Your Tips
4. On the Menu - Beef & Vegetable Pasties
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Planning Shopping Trips
6. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
7. The Cheapskates Club Show
8. The Weekly MOO Challenge - MOO Coconut Flour
9. 2021 Saving Revolution - Lesson 28: Protect Your Identity
10. Ask A Question - Have a question? Ask it here
11. Join the Cheapskates Club
12. Frequently Asked Questions
13. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
We had a wonderful week, tucked away on the banks of a river, far from the crowds. It gave us time to stop and just sit. The weather co-operated and was fine, and the sun shone most days. We had a couple of short bursts of rain, but they were overnight and we were tucked up cosy and warm and dry.
Now we are home. There is a lot going on here. We have the spring garden to get started. Then there is some rearranging of furniture to be done. Some painting. I'll be attending a retreat in Tasmania in a couple of weeks so I have to pack and prepare for that. The freezer needs to be sorted and tidied and probably defrosted. If I get that lot done this week, I'll be ready for another holiday!
Have a great week everyone.
Happy Cheapskating,
Cath
PS: Love our site? We love referrals! Send a note to your favourite newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV stations, friends and relatives, and tell them about us!
2. From The Tip Store
Just Keep on Peeling
If I am peeling potatoes for a meal I often peel a couple extra doesn't make much difference but comes in handy for making fish patties the next day.
Contributed by Lisa Johnston
Editor's note: I often do this, especially if I know I am going to be flat chat the following day. Potatoes, sweet potato, pumpkin, parsnip and onion all keep well in a dish of water in the fridge for 24 hours. I also do this when we are camping, vacuum packing the peeled veggies in meal lots. They keep for around 7 days in the fridge if they are vacuumed packed, saving a lot of time, water and mess. Cath
Stop Overdosing Your Garden
I use liquid plant tonics and fertilisers and find it difficult to decant the required amount for the watering can as they only have lids to decant out what you need, you spill it on your hands and everywhere, and once you put the lid back on it drips down the bottle! I have bought plastic twin neck liquid dispenser bottles, with 100ml measure. This allows you to accurately decant up to 100ml of liquid into the chamber, and pour it without spilling it. You are saving your expensive fertilisers, you're not overdosing your plants and its mess free! I have also done this with my liquid laundry detergent also. I peel off the label to the front of the bottle and the application/dose rate on the back, remember to always label your bottles and keep out of reach of children!
Contributed by Tanya
MOO Plant Pots
I have been motivated to start a veggie garden but didn't want to spend too much on containers.
Milk bottles are the answer! I use 3 litre ones as they are the ones we have.
You can use them to start off with as a place to germinate seeds:-
1. Slit them about half way up but not all the way round so that the uncut plastic acts like a hinge
2. Drill some holes in the bottom for drainage and in the top for air flow
3. Fill with potting mix up to the cut line and drop in the seeds you are wanting to germinate
4. Leave the milk cap off
5. Leave in the sun
6. Keep the soil moist
7. When the shoots are through - just cut off the top part - no need to re pot.
I have tried with cherry tomatoes and small lettuce varieties and it works really well. Planning on being a bit more adventurous soon.
Contributed by Gina
Add a Tip
3. Share Your Tips
The Cheapskate's Club website is over 2,000 pages of money saving hints, tips and ideas. Let's get together and make the Cheapskates Club Australia's largest online hint, tip and idea library. Share your favourite money saving, time saving or energy saving hint and be in the running to win a one-year membership to The Cheapskate Club. We publish a Winning Tip each Thursday, so enter your great money, time or energy saving idea now.
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 & Vegetable Pasties
Ingredients:
400g can Coles Beef Stroganoff or other type of canned meat e.g. mild curry, braised steak and onions etc
1 cup frozen corn and pea mix
4 sheets of puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
Method:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius or 180 degrees Celsius for fan forced. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place beef stroganoff in a bowl. Add corn and pea mix and mix well. Cut a 16cm round from each sheet of pastry. Place ¼ of the meat mixture in the centre or each round. Fold the pastry up over the filling to form pasties. Pinch the edges together to enclose filling and seal edges. Brush lightly with egg. Chill pasties for 10 minutes in the fridge. Bake pasties for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve with tomato sauce and salad. Serves: 4 Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 20 minutes
Contributed by Kirsty Harris
Next week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: Steak, eggs, baked beans
Tuesday: Chicken & Mushroom pasta bake
Wednesday: Pumpkin soup
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Veggie Pastie, salad
Saturday: Muffin Surprise
There are over 1,800 budget and family friendly recipes in the Cheapskates Club Recipe File, all contributed by your fellow Cheapskates, so you know they're good.
Add A Recipe
Recipe File Index
5. The $300 A Month Food Challenge
Planning Shopping TripsTo me shopping is a chore, something to be done, like the vacuuming, to keep our home running smoothly and comfortably. It's not a recreational or social activity so I plan my shopping trips.
I shop with a list, a very comprehensive list. It has the item, size, quantity and the last price I paid on it. I write my shopping list in order of stores and I try to write each stores list according to the layout. My shopping list keeps me focused on the task at hand: getting the groceries, as quickly and as cheaply as possible - I have a budget to stick to!
Until the pandemic hit, I would do one giant shop once a year, with a fortnightly top-up for fresh things we needed. But during last year when I was having trouble getting some of the things I wanted, and I noticed that some things I'd normally buy once a year were missing, I changed the way I shop.
Now I still have my very comprehensive list, but I do one shop on Thursday night (and I always look at the markdowns), replacing what we've used so the pantry is now always stocked.
Having a shopping list that leaves nothing to guess work saves a fortune. I know that if it's not on the list, we don't need it, and so it's not in the budget, and I don't buy it. When I find a good markdown, I check the slush fund purse and if there's money in it, then I'll buy it. No money, I put it back.
I limit the time I spend shopping, and not just for groceries, but for everything. Shopping is a chore, not a recreational activity.
If you're in the habit of going to the shops because you're bored, or to meet up with friends, or to have a look around, it's time to find other things to fill your time, and other places to catch up with those friends.
That's it. I stay away from supermarkets until shopping day and I stay on budget.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
6. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
What to do with 20 Kilos of Brown Onions?
5 Simple Ways We Save On Groceries
A Simple Grocery Shopping Challenge
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
MOO Dim Sims
Homemade Mustard
MOO Tinned Soups
7. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join us live on YouTube every Tuesday and Thursday and see how we are living debt free, cashed up and laughing - and find out how you can too!
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.
Latest Shows
1. Cath's Corner
2. From the Tip Store - Just Keep on Peeling; Stop Overdosing Your Garden; MOO Plant Pots
3. Share Your Tips
4. On the Menu - Beef & Vegetable Pasties
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Planning Shopping Trips
6. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
7. The Cheapskates Club Show
8. The Weekly MOO Challenge - MOO Coconut Flour
9. 2021 Saving Revolution - Lesson 28: Protect Your Identity
10. Ask A Question - Have a question? Ask it here
11. Join the Cheapskates Club
12. Frequently Asked Questions
13. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
We had a wonderful week, tucked away on the banks of a river, far from the crowds. It gave us time to stop and just sit. The weather co-operated and was fine, and the sun shone most days. We had a couple of short bursts of rain, but they were overnight and we were tucked up cosy and warm and dry.
Now we are home. There is a lot going on here. We have the spring garden to get started. Then there is some rearranging of furniture to be done. Some painting. I'll be attending a retreat in Tasmania in a couple of weeks so I have to pack and prepare for that. The freezer needs to be sorted and tidied and probably defrosted. If I get that lot done this week, I'll be ready for another holiday!
Have a great week everyone.
Happy Cheapskating,
Cath
PS: Love our site? We love referrals! Send a note to your favourite newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV stations, friends and relatives, and tell them about us!
2. From The Tip Store
Just Keep on Peeling
If I am peeling potatoes for a meal I often peel a couple extra doesn't make much difference but comes in handy for making fish patties the next day.
Contributed by Lisa Johnston
Editor's note: I often do this, especially if I know I am going to be flat chat the following day. Potatoes, sweet potato, pumpkin, parsnip and onion all keep well in a dish of water in the fridge for 24 hours. I also do this when we are camping, vacuum packing the peeled veggies in meal lots. They keep for around 7 days in the fridge if they are vacuumed packed, saving a lot of time, water and mess. Cath
Stop Overdosing Your Garden
I use liquid plant tonics and fertilisers and find it difficult to decant the required amount for the watering can as they only have lids to decant out what you need, you spill it on your hands and everywhere, and once you put the lid back on it drips down the bottle! I have bought plastic twin neck liquid dispenser bottles, with 100ml measure. This allows you to accurately decant up to 100ml of liquid into the chamber, and pour it without spilling it. You are saving your expensive fertilisers, you're not overdosing your plants and its mess free! I have also done this with my liquid laundry detergent also. I peel off the label to the front of the bottle and the application/dose rate on the back, remember to always label your bottles and keep out of reach of children!
Contributed by Tanya
MOO Plant Pots
I have been motivated to start a veggie garden but didn't want to spend too much on containers.
Milk bottles are the answer! I use 3 litre ones as they are the ones we have.
You can use them to start off with as a place to germinate seeds:-
1. Slit them about half way up but not all the way round so that the uncut plastic acts like a hinge
2. Drill some holes in the bottom for drainage and in the top for air flow
3. Fill with potting mix up to the cut line and drop in the seeds you are wanting to germinate
4. Leave the milk cap off
5. Leave in the sun
6. Keep the soil moist
7. When the shoots are through - just cut off the top part - no need to re pot.
I have tried with cherry tomatoes and small lettuce varieties and it works really well. Planning on being a bit more adventurous soon.
Contributed by Gina
Add a Tip
3. Share Your Tips
The Cheapskate's Club website is over 2,000 pages of money saving hints, tips and ideas. Let's get together and make the Cheapskates Club Australia's largest online hint, tip and idea library. Share your favourite money saving, time saving or energy saving hint and be in the running to win a one-year membership to The Cheapskate Club. We publish a Winning Tip each Thursday, so enter your great money, time or energy saving idea now.
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 & Vegetable Pasties
Ingredients:
400g can Coles Beef Stroganoff or other type of canned meat e.g. mild curry, braised steak and onions etc
1 cup frozen corn and pea mix
4 sheets of puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
Method:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius or 180 degrees Celsius for fan forced. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place beef stroganoff in a bowl. Add corn and pea mix and mix well. Cut a 16cm round from each sheet of pastry. Place ¼ of the meat mixture in the centre or each round. Fold the pastry up over the filling to form pasties. Pinch the edges together to enclose filling and seal edges. Brush lightly with egg. Chill pasties for 10 minutes in the fridge. Bake pasties for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve with tomato sauce and salad. Serves: 4 Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 20 minutes
Contributed by Kirsty Harris
Next week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: Steak, eggs, baked beans
Tuesday: Chicken & Mushroom pasta bake
Wednesday: Pumpkin soup
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Veggie Pastie, salad
Saturday: Muffin Surprise
There are over 1,800 budget and family friendly recipes in the Cheapskates Club Recipe File, all contributed by your fellow Cheapskates, so you know they're good.
Add A Recipe
Recipe File Index
5. The $300 A Month Food Challenge
Planning Shopping TripsTo me shopping is a chore, something to be done, like the vacuuming, to keep our home running smoothly and comfortably. It's not a recreational or social activity so I plan my shopping trips.
I shop with a list, a very comprehensive list. It has the item, size, quantity and the last price I paid on it. I write my shopping list in order of stores and I try to write each stores list according to the layout. My shopping list keeps me focused on the task at hand: getting the groceries, as quickly and as cheaply as possible - I have a budget to stick to!
Until the pandemic hit, I would do one giant shop once a year, with a fortnightly top-up for fresh things we needed. But during last year when I was having trouble getting some of the things I wanted, and I noticed that some things I'd normally buy once a year were missing, I changed the way I shop.
Now I still have my very comprehensive list, but I do one shop on Thursday night (and I always look at the markdowns), replacing what we've used so the pantry is now always stocked.
Having a shopping list that leaves nothing to guess work saves a fortune. I know that if it's not on the list, we don't need it, and so it's not in the budget, and I don't buy it. When I find a good markdown, I check the slush fund purse and if there's money in it, then I'll buy it. No money, I put it back.
I limit the time I spend shopping, and not just for groceries, but for everything. Shopping is a chore, not a recreational activity.
If you're in the habit of going to the shops because you're bored, or to meet up with friends, or to have a look around, it's time to find other things to fill your time, and other places to catch up with those friends.
That's it. I stay away from supermarkets until shopping day and I stay on budget.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
6. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
What to do with 20 Kilos of Brown Onions?
5 Simple Ways We Save On Groceries
A Simple Grocery Shopping Challenge
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
MOO Dim Sims
Homemade Mustard
MOO Tinned Soups
7. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join us live on YouTube every Tuesday and Thursday and see how we are living debt free, cashed up and laughing - and find out how you can too!
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.
Latest Shows
8. The Weekly MOO Challenge
MOO Coconut Flour
Last week we MOOed coconut milk. Now I've told you just how easy it is to MOO it, you won't ever want to buy it again.
To make desiccated coconut or coconut flour
You will need:
The pulp from making the coconut milk
A baking sheet
Baking paper
Food processor or blender
Step 1. Pre-heat oven to 80 degrees Celsius (or as low as it will go if it doesn't go down this low).
Step 2. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Do not be tempted to grease the tray or use cooking spray - it will ruin the end result.
Step 3. Spread the coconut pulp in a very thin layer over the baking sheet.
Step 4. Bake for 45 minutes or until the coconut is completely dry.
Step 5. Let cool a few minutes. If you want it as desiccated coconut, let it cool completely and put into a canister.
To make coconut flour add the dry coconut to a food processor or blender and process in short bursts until it is ground to a very fine texture.
That's it. Easy. A little cheaper than buying coconut cream, a lot cheaper than buying coconut flour.
Get in on the fun and discussions here.
9. 2021 Saving Revolution
Lesson 28: Protect Your Identity
Have you ever wondered just who knows what about you? And how they learned what they know?
Are you really as careful as you think you are with the information you share?
I was watching TV last night and the question was asked "how did you hack my password?". The answer was quick - "Easy, you say it out loud as you type it in!"
Or you click on a meme on Facebook and unknowingly give a hacker access to your account.
Or, and this one really, really amazes me, you actually put your credit/debit card details on paper and hand them over to a random stranger! And lots of you do this - just about every day I'm asked if I can just take a membership payment over the phone (no) or via an email - and email, the least secure method of sending anything! NO. I don't and won't - it's not secure, for you or for me. There's a reason we have a secure payment gateway, and it's not to be difficult. It's to protect your information when you pay your membership dues.
So I'll ask again, are you really as careful as you think you are with the information you share?
Week 28 Challenge: Entire books have been written about identity crime. This week's lesson is just the beginning. This week get all your personal details together and put them in a safe place. Put a lock on the letterbox. Practice shredding all paperwork with personal details on it.
Log into the 2021 Saving Revolution forum and join the discussions too. They're fun, keep you accountable, and over the course of the year will be an amazing source of valuable hints and tips for you too.
10. 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
11. Join The Cheapskates Club
For just $25 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!
12. 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.
13. 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
MOO Coconut Flour
Last week we MOOed coconut milk. Now I've told you just how easy it is to MOO it, you won't ever want to buy it again.
To make desiccated coconut or coconut flour
You will need:
The pulp from making the coconut milk
A baking sheet
Baking paper
Food processor or blender
Step 1. Pre-heat oven to 80 degrees Celsius (or as low as it will go if it doesn't go down this low).
Step 2. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Do not be tempted to grease the tray or use cooking spray - it will ruin the end result.
Step 3. Spread the coconut pulp in a very thin layer over the baking sheet.
Step 4. Bake for 45 minutes or until the coconut is completely dry.
Step 5. Let cool a few minutes. If you want it as desiccated coconut, let it cool completely and put into a canister.
To make coconut flour add the dry coconut to a food processor or blender and process in short bursts until it is ground to a very fine texture.
That's it. Easy. A little cheaper than buying coconut cream, a lot cheaper than buying coconut flour.
Get in on the fun and discussions here.
9. 2021 Saving Revolution
Lesson 28: Protect Your Identity
Have you ever wondered just who knows what about you? And how they learned what they know?
Are you really as careful as you think you are with the information you share?
I was watching TV last night and the question was asked "how did you hack my password?". The answer was quick - "Easy, you say it out loud as you type it in!"
Or you click on a meme on Facebook and unknowingly give a hacker access to your account.
Or, and this one really, really amazes me, you actually put your credit/debit card details on paper and hand them over to a random stranger! And lots of you do this - just about every day I'm asked if I can just take a membership payment over the phone (no) or via an email - and email, the least secure method of sending anything! NO. I don't and won't - it's not secure, for you or for me. There's a reason we have a secure payment gateway, and it's not to be difficult. It's to protect your information when you pay your membership dues.
So I'll ask again, are you really as careful as you think you are with the information you share?
Week 28 Challenge: Entire books have been written about identity crime. This week's lesson is just the beginning. This week get all your personal details together and put them in a safe place. Put a lock on the letterbox. Practice shredding all paperwork with personal details on it.
Log into the 2021 Saving Revolution forum and join the discussions too. They're fun, keep you accountable, and over the course of the year will be an amazing source of valuable hints and tips for you too.
10. 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
11. Join The Cheapskates Club
For just $25 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!
12. 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.
13. 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