Your Cheapskates Club Newsletter 36:17
In this Newsletter
1. Cath's Corner
2. In the Tip Store - Paying the Credit Card off With a Money Tin; Exfoliating Away the Grime; Marking Garden Tools
3. Share Your Tips
4. On the Menu - Fruity Tea Cake
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge with Wendy - Buying in Season
6. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
7. Member's Featured Blog - Christmas here I come
8. Last Week's Question - How to get all liquid lipstick from the tube?
9. This Week's Question - Is there a frugal Armor All Replacement
10. Ask Cath
11. Join the Cheapskates Club
12. Frequently Asked Questions
13. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
Good morning! Can you believe it's spring? My goodness but we've had some wild, wintery weather this week. We were thinking that we'd start to let the fire go out during the day, but not this week, I've been sure to keep it burning merrily. And then I saw the weather on TV - Darwin 31 - and boy, was I jealous (and I don't even like hot weather!). I wanted to fly north right then and there! It was so tempting; I could see myself in short sleeves and bare feet, I could imagine sitting by a pool enjoying the sunshine and warmth, oh brother did I want to go somewhere warm.
Of course, reality (and a little common sense) kicked in and my want was very quickly turned into a lovely day dream. Recognising a want, rather than a need, saved us money. If I'd given into the urge to fly away to somewhere warm, our budget would've taken a big hit, and the money to pay for the things we need (food, electricity, water, gas, petrol, medicines this week) wouldn't have been there.
And we'd have been up a creek without a paddle (or the money to buy one!).
That's a rather extreme example of the consequences of choosing a want over a need, but it's one I struggled with this week. Next time you're tempted to give into a want, remember you have needs that must come first.
And I just put another log on the fire, made a cup of tea and went back to my daydream for a few minutes, happy knowing our needs would be covered this week, and content to enjoy the dream.
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
Paying the Credit Card off With a Money Tin
I buy a large money tin from the cheap stores for $3, and every time I have been shopping I put some coins into it. Every three months I take this to the bank to pay my credit card. I don't miss the $1 or $2 as much as I do paying off a larger sum of money. The bonus is it’s an extra payment, reducing the balance even faster.
Contributed by Sonya
Exfoliating Away the Grime
When I've finished using my exfoliating gloves, instead of throwing them out, I use them to clean my bathroom and shower. It now takes me half the amount of time it used to as I can use both hands. Of course, you don't have to stick to the bathroom, they come in handy when dusting and I've also found my dogs like it when I use them to wash them.
Contributed by Rachael H.
Marking Garden Tools
I used to laugh at my Mum for marking all her garden tools, but now I see the value of doing so. Dipping the handles into a bright coloured paint or painting it on not only helps identify your tools should they be stolen, but also prevents them from being lost in the first place in amongst the greenery of a garden. I have fluoro hot pink as my colour of choice as I know it is not only an unpopular colour but is hi viz.
Contributed by Margaret
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
Fruity Tea Cake
This is the quickest and easiest fruit cake you'll ever make and it tastes great! Slice and serve with butter or freeze for a quick grab-n-go snack.
Ingredients:
2 cups cold tea
2 cups mixed dried fruit
2 cups SR flour
Method:
Soak the fruit in the cold tea for 10 minutes. Beat in the self-raising flour. Pour into a greased and baking paper lined loaf tin. Bake at 180 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let stand in tin for five minutes before turning out onto a cake rack to cool.
Variations:
Chocolate Tea Cake: Use 2 cups chocolate milk to replace the cold tea.
Orange Tea Cake: Use 2 cups orange juice to replace the cold tea.
Spicy Tea Cake: Add 1 teaspoon mixed spice with the flour.
Sultana Cake: Add 1 teaspoon lemon essence with the cold tea. Use 2 cups sultanas to replace the mixed fruit.
This week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Lamb
Monday: Sausages, vegetables and onion gravy
Tuesday: Refrigerator Lasagne
Wednesday: Butter chicken, steamed rice, pappadums
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Haystacks
Saturday: Stuffed potatoes with cheese, coleslaw, pineapple, sour cream
In the cake tin: Lemon Coconut Slice, Fruity Tea Cake
In the fruit bowl: lemons, apples, bananas
There are over 1,500 other great money saving meal ideas in the Recipe File.
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge with Wendy
Buying in Season
Welcome fellow Cheapskaters.
Have you ever wondered why you can't seem to reduce your grocery budget any further? Does $300 a month for a family seem like an unreachable goal? Surely you can't eat well for less than $300?
These questions and thoughts are what I'm hearing lots of people talking about. As soon as I mention my food budget, some people view it as something I can do but no one else can. There are any reasons for spending too much money on food but an obvious one is " Not Buying in Season ".
In Winter, we eat lots of mandarins, oranges and apples for our fruit intake. We don't buy grapes at $14.99 kg when in Summer they sell for $2.99 kg. The vegetables we buy are potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower (if we are waiting for ours to grow), frozen beans and corn. We don't buy tomatoes at $8.99 kg when they are rock hard and tasteless. I can buy delicious ones in Summer for under $1 a kg.
In Summer we buy salad ingredients, capsicums, zucchinis, tomatoes (if ours are still ripening), stone fruit, melons, strawberries, grapes and other summer fruits.
Buying fruits out of season just because you can, will increase your grocery budget more than you'll realise. Keep in mind that out of season fruits and veggies offer lower nutrients.
Buying in season can also extend to buying soups in Winter only, salad dressings in Summer, baking ingredients around Easter and Christmas, lollies / chocolates / snack foods around footy finals and cleaning products in Spring.
What items do you only buy in season?
Have a great week and BE ENCOURAGED!!!
The $300 a Month Food Challenge
The Post that Started it All
6. Cheapskates Buzz
Most popular forum posts this week
The Bare Bones Grocery Challenge
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/forumdisplay.php?61-The-Bare-Bones-Grocery-Challenge
Breville Pie Maker
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3278-Breville-pie-maker
How Many of You Shop Monthly?
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/forumdisplay.php?36-Shopping-Habits
Most popular blog posts this week
The Perfect Pantry
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2013/11/the-perfect-pantry.html
Go Thrifty when Buying for Your New Baby
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2014/05/go-thrifty-when-buying-for-your-new-baby.html
Drying Mushrooms
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2013/12/drying-mushrooms.html
7. Members Featured Blog
Christmas, Here I Come
Ok, yes, I know it's only September but I am all set for planning for a great, debt free, cashed up, no credit card Christmas.
I have made the decision to not go on holiday this year. It's a bit sad but I thought that the holiday money I have saved will more than cover Christmas gifts plus maybe I can do a small break away (a few days or so) maybe, but it's not a priority.
I think I mentioned in my last blog post that I was making a list (and yes, I will check it twice to see whose naughty and nice!). I have quite a few gifts that I will need to post interstate so I need to keep in mind that postage can be expensive. I am trying to think of easy and cheap to post gift ideas that are going to be loved. I would like to make as many gifts as possible using my craft stash. So, I am, brainstorming and looking at Pinterest to get ideas.
I am also working on ideas to treat my parents at Christmas, to say thank you for all they do for me. I gave them a movie gift card last year, I need a different idea this Christmas.
I am also hoping to work on my grocery budget between now and Christmas time. It's a continual goal of mine. I want to make this year a wonderful festive season and a happy time.
I am also going to focus on the time beyond Christmas and into next year, yes again I know it's only September!
I am planning on having a holiday early to mid-next year so I will begin saving soon. I am also planning to add to my emergency fund, hopefully in a fairly major way next year. I will be going over my spending plans and doing spending plans for next year and I will be adding in emergency fund as a category. At the moment, it just gets allocated whatever's left in my budget rather than being a category, which is not sitting well with me at the moment and hasn't for a long time.
OK, back to Christmas plans! Am aiming to keep to a budget for my Christmas gifts and I also don't want my budget to determine the quality of gift if that makes sense. I am starting to get excited about Christmas and all it entails because I now have the money there ready to spend on gifts whereas before I was worried where I would come up with the money for all my gifts.
I hope that 2017 continues to be a great year.
Login to read more Cheapskates Club Member blogs
8. Last Week's Question
Last week's question was from Toni who wrote
"I don't wear much makeup, but I do use lipstick and I get frustrated when using the lipsticks that are liquid type in coloured reservoir type covers (rather than the ones that are a stick of colour and you twist to see the stick). You never know how much lipstick is in the container as the container tube is the colour of the lipstick and the applicator brush cannot reach around the container tube as it is treaded. Any suggestions on how you can use the last of what is in the container? This looks to me like it would be an issue for a number of cosmetic products, as they colour the packaging, so you never visually see how much you are actually buying or how much is left in the container."
Chris Peachey answered
Flexible cotton buds are great for getting the last bit out of all your makeup containers. They are usually longer than the applicators supplied and can easily bend to get the last drops out of lipstick, lip gloss, foundation and even powders. Tubes can have the bottoms cut off and cotton buds used to get the last bit out - often lasting at least another couple of weeks.
Amber Lyons answered
If I have read your question correctly, I believe you are describing liquid lipsticks or glosses that have a doffa applicator. To use the remaining amount, you can try cutting the top off or filing it down, otherwise using a lip brush which usually have long handles on them to make sure you are getting all the product.
Sandra Darling answered
Place your mostly-empty lip gloss tubes standing upright in the mug of hot water. (They should be sealed tightly so the H2O doesn't contaminate the products.) After 10 minutes, the gloss on the sides of the tubes should have settled to the bottom. Now remove the gloss from the package. To do this, use your knife to pop out the stopper, which prevents the liquid from seeping out of the tube. Then pour the remaining gloss into a small container- or use a small stirrer spoon (the micro spoons they use at Gloria Jeans, McDonalds and even beauty counters use them to give you a 1ml tester) to scoop it out. Further, you can approach your high-end beauty counters (such as KIT at Myer) for a small sample of whatever takes your fancy, they often decant it into micro pots, clear miniature lip balm pots that are perfect for re-using, or decanting your own beloved-but-almost-done products into. I wouldn't recommend cutting a hard tube of gloss with a wand open though (like a mascara wand, not a flexible crimp sealed tube) as the harder plastic can turn to small slivers which could contaminate your gloss.
Lee H answered
My advice is to change to a solid lipstick. I keep my lipsticks that have worn down in with my makeup. I firstly apply a lip pencil over all my lip and then use a lip brush to use up the last of the lipstick in the bottom of the tube. This makes sure I use all the lipstick and I find it stays on longer. I carry a newer lipstick in my bag of the same or similar colour for reapplying when needed.
9. This Week's Question
Michelle writes
"I used to love using Armor All Protectant to make the dashboard in my car shiny but it's expensive. Does anyone have a MOO recipe or alternative? Do you have the answer?
Do you have the answer?
If you can help Michelle, 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
10. 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
11. 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!
12. Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change my email address?
This one is easy. Members can update their email address or any other details by clicking on "Edit Profile" directly under their membership number after they have logged in to the Member's Centre. Subscribers to our free newsletter can use the Change Your Address form (under Customer Service in the menu) and fill it out. Once you've filled it in click the send button and we'll do the rest. Please remember to include your old email address so we can find it in the list as well as the new one.
How do I know when my membership should be renewed?
When you login to the Member's Centre you will be told how many days of membership you have left once you have 30 days left. Just click on the link to renew and your membership will just continue on, uninterrupted.
What will you do with my email address?
We never rent, trade or sell our email list to anyone for any reason whatsoever. You'll never get an unsolicited email from a stranger as a result of joining this list.
Read our privacy policy
How Did You Get on Our List?
You signed up to receive our Free Newsletter at our Cheapskates Club Web site or are a Platinum Cheapskates Club member
1. Cath's Corner
2. In the Tip Store - Paying the Credit Card off With a Money Tin; Exfoliating Away the Grime; Marking Garden Tools
3. Share Your Tips
4. On the Menu - Fruity Tea Cake
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge with Wendy - Buying in Season
6. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
7. Member's Featured Blog - Christmas here I come
8. Last Week's Question - How to get all liquid lipstick from the tube?
9. This Week's Question - Is there a frugal Armor All Replacement
10. Ask Cath
11. Join the Cheapskates Club
12. Frequently Asked Questions
13. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
Good morning! Can you believe it's spring? My goodness but we've had some wild, wintery weather this week. We were thinking that we'd start to let the fire go out during the day, but not this week, I've been sure to keep it burning merrily. And then I saw the weather on TV - Darwin 31 - and boy, was I jealous (and I don't even like hot weather!). I wanted to fly north right then and there! It was so tempting; I could see myself in short sleeves and bare feet, I could imagine sitting by a pool enjoying the sunshine and warmth, oh brother did I want to go somewhere warm.
Of course, reality (and a little common sense) kicked in and my want was very quickly turned into a lovely day dream. Recognising a want, rather than a need, saved us money. If I'd given into the urge to fly away to somewhere warm, our budget would've taken a big hit, and the money to pay for the things we need (food, electricity, water, gas, petrol, medicines this week) wouldn't have been there.
And we'd have been up a creek without a paddle (or the money to buy one!).
That's a rather extreme example of the consequences of choosing a want over a need, but it's one I struggled with this week. Next time you're tempted to give into a want, remember you have needs that must come first.
And I just put another log on the fire, made a cup of tea and went back to my daydream for a few minutes, happy knowing our needs would be covered this week, and content to enjoy the dream.
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
Paying the Credit Card off With a Money Tin
I buy a large money tin from the cheap stores for $3, and every time I have been shopping I put some coins into it. Every three months I take this to the bank to pay my credit card. I don't miss the $1 or $2 as much as I do paying off a larger sum of money. The bonus is it’s an extra payment, reducing the balance even faster.
Contributed by Sonya
Exfoliating Away the Grime
When I've finished using my exfoliating gloves, instead of throwing them out, I use them to clean my bathroom and shower. It now takes me half the amount of time it used to as I can use both hands. Of course, you don't have to stick to the bathroom, they come in handy when dusting and I've also found my dogs like it when I use them to wash them.
Contributed by Rachael H.
Marking Garden Tools
I used to laugh at my Mum for marking all her garden tools, but now I see the value of doing so. Dipping the handles into a bright coloured paint or painting it on not only helps identify your tools should they be stolen, but also prevents them from being lost in the first place in amongst the greenery of a garden. I have fluoro hot pink as my colour of choice as I know it is not only an unpopular colour but is hi viz.
Contributed by Margaret
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
Fruity Tea Cake
This is the quickest and easiest fruit cake you'll ever make and it tastes great! Slice and serve with butter or freeze for a quick grab-n-go snack.
Ingredients:
2 cups cold tea
2 cups mixed dried fruit
2 cups SR flour
Method:
Soak the fruit in the cold tea for 10 minutes. Beat in the self-raising flour. Pour into a greased and baking paper lined loaf tin. Bake at 180 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let stand in tin for five minutes before turning out onto a cake rack to cool.
Variations:
Chocolate Tea Cake: Use 2 cups chocolate milk to replace the cold tea.
Orange Tea Cake: Use 2 cups orange juice to replace the cold tea.
Spicy Tea Cake: Add 1 teaspoon mixed spice with the flour.
Sultana Cake: Add 1 teaspoon lemon essence with the cold tea. Use 2 cups sultanas to replace the mixed fruit.
This week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Lamb
Monday: Sausages, vegetables and onion gravy
Tuesday: Refrigerator Lasagne
Wednesday: Butter chicken, steamed rice, pappadums
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Haystacks
Saturday: Stuffed potatoes with cheese, coleslaw, pineapple, sour cream
In the cake tin: Lemon Coconut Slice, Fruity Tea Cake
In the fruit bowl: lemons, apples, bananas
There are over 1,500 other great money saving meal ideas in the Recipe File.
5. The $300 a Month Food Challenge with Wendy
Buying in Season
Welcome fellow Cheapskaters.
Have you ever wondered why you can't seem to reduce your grocery budget any further? Does $300 a month for a family seem like an unreachable goal? Surely you can't eat well for less than $300?
These questions and thoughts are what I'm hearing lots of people talking about. As soon as I mention my food budget, some people view it as something I can do but no one else can. There are any reasons for spending too much money on food but an obvious one is " Not Buying in Season ".
In Winter, we eat lots of mandarins, oranges and apples for our fruit intake. We don't buy grapes at $14.99 kg when in Summer they sell for $2.99 kg. The vegetables we buy are potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower (if we are waiting for ours to grow), frozen beans and corn. We don't buy tomatoes at $8.99 kg when they are rock hard and tasteless. I can buy delicious ones in Summer for under $1 a kg.
In Summer we buy salad ingredients, capsicums, zucchinis, tomatoes (if ours are still ripening), stone fruit, melons, strawberries, grapes and other summer fruits.
Buying fruits out of season just because you can, will increase your grocery budget more than you'll realise. Keep in mind that out of season fruits and veggies offer lower nutrients.
Buying in season can also extend to buying soups in Winter only, salad dressings in Summer, baking ingredients around Easter and Christmas, lollies / chocolates / snack foods around footy finals and cleaning products in Spring.
What items do you only buy in season?
Have a great week and BE ENCOURAGED!!!
The $300 a Month Food Challenge
The Post that Started it All
6. Cheapskates Buzz
Most popular forum posts this week
The Bare Bones Grocery Challenge
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/forumdisplay.php?61-The-Bare-Bones-Grocery-Challenge
Breville Pie Maker
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/showthread.php?3278-Breville-pie-maker
How Many of You Shop Monthly?
http://www.cheapskatesclub.com.au/memberforum/forumdisplay.php?36-Shopping-Habits
Most popular blog posts this week
The Perfect Pantry
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2013/11/the-perfect-pantry.html
Go Thrifty when Buying for Your New Baby
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2014/05/go-thrifty-when-buying-for-your-new-baby.html
Drying Mushrooms
http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2013/12/drying-mushrooms.html
7. Members Featured Blog
Christmas, Here I Come
Ok, yes, I know it's only September but I am all set for planning for a great, debt free, cashed up, no credit card Christmas.
I have made the decision to not go on holiday this year. It's a bit sad but I thought that the holiday money I have saved will more than cover Christmas gifts plus maybe I can do a small break away (a few days or so) maybe, but it's not a priority.
I think I mentioned in my last blog post that I was making a list (and yes, I will check it twice to see whose naughty and nice!). I have quite a few gifts that I will need to post interstate so I need to keep in mind that postage can be expensive. I am trying to think of easy and cheap to post gift ideas that are going to be loved. I would like to make as many gifts as possible using my craft stash. So, I am, brainstorming and looking at Pinterest to get ideas.
I am also working on ideas to treat my parents at Christmas, to say thank you for all they do for me. I gave them a movie gift card last year, I need a different idea this Christmas.
I am also hoping to work on my grocery budget between now and Christmas time. It's a continual goal of mine. I want to make this year a wonderful festive season and a happy time.
I am also going to focus on the time beyond Christmas and into next year, yes again I know it's only September!
I am planning on having a holiday early to mid-next year so I will begin saving soon. I am also planning to add to my emergency fund, hopefully in a fairly major way next year. I will be going over my spending plans and doing spending plans for next year and I will be adding in emergency fund as a category. At the moment, it just gets allocated whatever's left in my budget rather than being a category, which is not sitting well with me at the moment and hasn't for a long time.
OK, back to Christmas plans! Am aiming to keep to a budget for my Christmas gifts and I also don't want my budget to determine the quality of gift if that makes sense. I am starting to get excited about Christmas and all it entails because I now have the money there ready to spend on gifts whereas before I was worried where I would come up with the money for all my gifts.
I hope that 2017 continues to be a great year.
Login to read more Cheapskates Club Member blogs
8. Last Week's Question
Last week's question was from Toni who wrote
"I don't wear much makeup, but I do use lipstick and I get frustrated when using the lipsticks that are liquid type in coloured reservoir type covers (rather than the ones that are a stick of colour and you twist to see the stick). You never know how much lipstick is in the container as the container tube is the colour of the lipstick and the applicator brush cannot reach around the container tube as it is treaded. Any suggestions on how you can use the last of what is in the container? This looks to me like it would be an issue for a number of cosmetic products, as they colour the packaging, so you never visually see how much you are actually buying or how much is left in the container."
Chris Peachey answered
Flexible cotton buds are great for getting the last bit out of all your makeup containers. They are usually longer than the applicators supplied and can easily bend to get the last drops out of lipstick, lip gloss, foundation and even powders. Tubes can have the bottoms cut off and cotton buds used to get the last bit out - often lasting at least another couple of weeks.
Amber Lyons answered
If I have read your question correctly, I believe you are describing liquid lipsticks or glosses that have a doffa applicator. To use the remaining amount, you can try cutting the top off or filing it down, otherwise using a lip brush which usually have long handles on them to make sure you are getting all the product.
Sandra Darling answered
Place your mostly-empty lip gloss tubes standing upright in the mug of hot water. (They should be sealed tightly so the H2O doesn't contaminate the products.) After 10 minutes, the gloss on the sides of the tubes should have settled to the bottom. Now remove the gloss from the package. To do this, use your knife to pop out the stopper, which prevents the liquid from seeping out of the tube. Then pour the remaining gloss into a small container- or use a small stirrer spoon (the micro spoons they use at Gloria Jeans, McDonalds and even beauty counters use them to give you a 1ml tester) to scoop it out. Further, you can approach your high-end beauty counters (such as KIT at Myer) for a small sample of whatever takes your fancy, they often decant it into micro pots, clear miniature lip balm pots that are perfect for re-using, or decanting your own beloved-but-almost-done products into. I wouldn't recommend cutting a hard tube of gloss with a wand open though (like a mascara wand, not a flexible crimp sealed tube) as the harder plastic can turn to small slivers which could contaminate your gloss.
Lee H answered
My advice is to change to a solid lipstick. I keep my lipsticks that have worn down in with my makeup. I firstly apply a lip pencil over all my lip and then use a lip brush to use up the last of the lipstick in the bottom of the tube. This makes sure I use all the lipstick and I find it stays on longer. I carry a newer lipstick in my bag of the same or similar colour for reapplying when needed.
9. This Week's Question
Michelle writes
"I used to love using Armor All Protectant to make the dashboard in my car shiny but it's expensive. Does anyone have a MOO recipe or alternative? Do you have the answer?
Do you have the answer?
If you can help Michelle, 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
10. 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
11. 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!
12. Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change my email address?
This one is easy. Members can update their email address or any other details by clicking on "Edit Profile" directly under their membership number after they have logged in to the Member's Centre. Subscribers to our free newsletter can use the Change Your Address form (under Customer Service in the menu) and fill it out. Once you've filled it in click the send button and we'll do the rest. Please remember to include your old email address so we can find it in the list as well as the new one.
How do I know when my membership should be renewed?
When you login to the Member's Centre you will be told how many days of membership you have left once you have 30 days left. Just click on the link to renew and your membership will just continue on, uninterrupted.
What will you do with my email address?
We never rent, trade or sell our email list to anyone for any reason whatsoever. You'll never get an unsolicited email from a stranger as a result of joining this list.
Read our privacy policy
How Did You Get on Our List?
You signed up to receive our Free Newsletter at our Cheapskates Club Web site or are a Platinum Cheapskates Club member