Your Cheapskates CLub Newsletter 36:21
In This Newsletter
1. Cath's Corner
2. From the Tip Store - Garden Frames for Climbing Plants; Feeding the Garden with Egg Shells; Perpetual Veggies
3. Tip of the Week - A Virtual Emergency Evacuation Box
4. Share Your Tips
5. On the Menu - Blueberry Cake
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - No shopping for the rest of the month
7. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
9. The Weekly MOO Challenge - MOO Coffee & Milk
10. 2021 Saving Revolution - Lesson 36 Take the Opportunity to Downsize - Debt and All!
11. Ask A Question - Have a question? Ask it here
12. Join the Cheapskates Club
13. Frequently Asked Questions
14. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
Welcome to our new members! I hope you're finding your way around, and enjoying our community.
Today the sun is shining so bright, and the sky is that gorgeous misty blue. It feels too nice to be inside. I've opened all the windows and doors to let the fresh spring air through, to blow out that stale winter feeling the house gets.
Our garden renovation is coming along nicely. Between work and rain, it has been stop, start, stop, start, but we're getting it done - and on our budget! And that's what we like.
September is Preparedeness Month, so getting the garden going is a good way towards being prepared. Even being able to cross one or two things off the shopping list, and not being reliant on supermarkets and the supply chain to get what we need saves money, time and energy, and makes us a little more self-reliant.
Don't be afraid to think ahead and prepare; it's just plain commonsense. Think of it this way: "I'm over prepared" said no one ever, when a disaster hit!
Preparing could be building your pantry (it should be!), paying down debt, planting a garden, learning a new skill or two - there are lots of ways we prepare that are done on auto-pilot.
What can you do this week to prepare for the future?
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
Garden Frames for Climbing Plants
I recently found an old wire clotheshorse on the side of the road in my neighbourhood. A bit rusty in some spots, but I carried it home and stuck it in the garden to use as a frame for my tomatoes to grow up. It's easy to pull out and move around to other plants when the tomatoes are done. I also found a standing wardrobe frame that will do the same job with just a couple of pieces of rope, string or wire added. And even if you don't have a clotheshorse laying around, it is actually cheaper to buy a brand new one (about $6 at Bunnings) than it is to buy a similarly sized plant frame or trellis, and the clotheshorse will allow your plant more room to spread out too, giving you better access to the fruits of the plant, rather than being stuck up against one flat surface.
Contributed by Robyn Thomas
Feeding the Garden with Egg Shells
Egg shells are kept in the oven on a oven tray. When they are dried out, I crush them finely in my small blender, pop them in another yogurt container with the lid on. When I have enough I spread the egg shells around my plants. The plants get the good calcium from the crushed eggs shells. Egg shell halves are also good to pop in a little soil, seeds and watch them grow, then plant the whole thing. Seedlings are good to do to as well. I don't have a compost bin but I save all my vegie scraps, mix them up and add them to my soil.
Contributed by Irene Wilkinson
Perpetual Veggies
I use the bottom of celery or spring onions cut off about 40mm from the bottom on each and re-grow in water. Once they start sprouting I pop them to grow in the garden and start off my next lot.
Contributed by Deborah
Add a Tip
3. This Week's Winning Tip
This week's winning tip is from Danni M. Danni has won a one year Platinum Cheapskates Club membership for submitting her winning tip.
A Virtual Emergency Evacuation Box
Rather than burn important documents or photos on to a disc, I take a photo of them with my phone and email them to myself. I have folders set up and can access my emails any where and print out if necessary.
Congratulations Danni, I hope you enjoy your Cheapskates Club membership.
The Cheapskate's Club website is thousands of pages of money saving hints, tips and ideas. There are over 12,000 tips to save you money, time and energy; 1,600 budget and family friendly recipes, hundreds of printable tip sheets and ebooks.
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.
4. Share Your Tips
Share your favourite hint or tip that saves money, time and energy and be in the running to win a one-year subscription to The Cheapskate Journal.
Remember, you have to be in it to win it!
Share Your Tip
5. On The Menu
Blueberry Cake
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups SR flour
½ cup plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1-1/4 cups castor sugar
85 gms butter cut into small pieces
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
250gms blueberries (I use frozen)
Topping:
30gms melted butter
2 tbsp castor sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Method:
Butter the sides of a 22cm cake tin. Line the base with greaseproof paper. Heat oven to 120C/350F. Sift flours and baking powder into a bowl. Add sugar. Crumble together with the butter using your fingertips. Beat together eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla essence. Add to dry ingredients. The mixture becomes very stiff but beat for 1 min. Stir in blueberries. Pour into the tin and bake for 55 minutes or until cake tester is clean. Leave to rest for 1 minute before turning out on to a cake tray. Brush the top of the cake with the butter and sprinkle with castor sugar and cinnamon. Serve with cream or ice cream.
Next week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: BBQ Chops, wedges, salad
Tuesday: Pasta Alfredo, salad
Wednesday: Chicken Pot Pie, veggies
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Corn fritters, salad
Saturday: Toasted Sandwiches
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
6. The $300 A Month Food Challenge
No Shopping Month
Way back in May (it seems like forever ago) Wayne and I went away for a week; just the kids were home. I came home expecting to have to do a huge grocery shop to restock the perishables, but no. My pantry was full. My freezers were full. The fridge was almost full.
There was, and still is, food in abundance, in the form of ingredients, just waiting to be turned into delicious meals and snacks for us, so, apart from milk, eggs, butter and cheese, which I will buy tomorrow from Aldi, I won't be grocery shopping during the rest of September. Our pantry has enough to feed us, keep us clean and keep our house clean without having to shop.
Tomorrow I'll be buying:
2 x 1kg blocks tasty cheese from Aldi
6 x 3L bottles of milk from Aldi
3 dozen eggs from Aldi
And that will be that, barring any unforeseen food emergencies.
I won't be buying any cleaning products or toiletries (the stockpile is well stocked with these items).
Towards the end of the month I'll start to pick lettuce and silverbeet from the garden. The leaves will be small as they've just been transplanted into one of the new beds, but the more they're picked the longer they last and will be a nice fresh boost to our meals.
The orange and mandarin trees will have more fruit to pick for the fruit bowl.
There is yeast and plenty of bread flour for bread and rolls; the bread maker will be getting a good workout.
Breakfasts are covered with porridge, bran, pancakes, muffins, yoghurt.
Lunches will be the usual sandwiches or rolls - tuna, Vegemite, peanut butter, egg, ham and/or fruit or soup or perhaps leftovers.
Dinner will be as per my meal plan for the month.
Snacks will be fruit from the fruit trees, or homemade muffins or fruit cake, pita chips, yoghurt and dips.
Drinks will be water, tea, coffee, MOO cordial and perhaps gingerbeer if I get it made.
I don't plan on going near a supermarket until the end of the month, and if all goes to plan, I won't need to.
Are you up for a pantry challenge? How long will your pantry last? Will you be able to just buy the necessities and roll the leftover grocery budget into your slush fund?
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
7. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
Being Prepared the Cheapskates Way is Peace of Mind
3 Great Reasons To Grow Your Own Salad
Portion Control and Free Meals
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join us live on YouTube every Tuesday 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 - Garden Frames for Climbing Plants; Feeding the Garden with Egg Shells; Perpetual Veggies
3. Tip of the Week - A Virtual Emergency Evacuation Box
4. Share Your Tips
5. On the Menu - Blueberry Cake
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - No shopping for the rest of the month
7. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
9. The Weekly MOO Challenge - MOO Coffee & Milk
10. 2021 Saving Revolution - Lesson 36 Take the Opportunity to Downsize - Debt and All!
11. Ask A Question - Have a question? Ask it here
12. Join the Cheapskates Club
13. Frequently Asked Questions
14. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
Welcome to our new members! I hope you're finding your way around, and enjoying our community.
Today the sun is shining so bright, and the sky is that gorgeous misty blue. It feels too nice to be inside. I've opened all the windows and doors to let the fresh spring air through, to blow out that stale winter feeling the house gets.
Our garden renovation is coming along nicely. Between work and rain, it has been stop, start, stop, start, but we're getting it done - and on our budget! And that's what we like.
September is Preparedeness Month, so getting the garden going is a good way towards being prepared. Even being able to cross one or two things off the shopping list, and not being reliant on supermarkets and the supply chain to get what we need saves money, time and energy, and makes us a little more self-reliant.
Don't be afraid to think ahead and prepare; it's just plain commonsense. Think of it this way: "I'm over prepared" said no one ever, when a disaster hit!
Preparing could be building your pantry (it should be!), paying down debt, planting a garden, learning a new skill or two - there are lots of ways we prepare that are done on auto-pilot.
What can you do this week to prepare for the future?
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
Garden Frames for Climbing Plants
I recently found an old wire clotheshorse on the side of the road in my neighbourhood. A bit rusty in some spots, but I carried it home and stuck it in the garden to use as a frame for my tomatoes to grow up. It's easy to pull out and move around to other plants when the tomatoes are done. I also found a standing wardrobe frame that will do the same job with just a couple of pieces of rope, string or wire added. And even if you don't have a clotheshorse laying around, it is actually cheaper to buy a brand new one (about $6 at Bunnings) than it is to buy a similarly sized plant frame or trellis, and the clotheshorse will allow your plant more room to spread out too, giving you better access to the fruits of the plant, rather than being stuck up against one flat surface.
Contributed by Robyn Thomas
Feeding the Garden with Egg Shells
Egg shells are kept in the oven on a oven tray. When they are dried out, I crush them finely in my small blender, pop them in another yogurt container with the lid on. When I have enough I spread the egg shells around my plants. The plants get the good calcium from the crushed eggs shells. Egg shell halves are also good to pop in a little soil, seeds and watch them grow, then plant the whole thing. Seedlings are good to do to as well. I don't have a compost bin but I save all my vegie scraps, mix them up and add them to my soil.
Contributed by Irene Wilkinson
Perpetual Veggies
I use the bottom of celery or spring onions cut off about 40mm from the bottom on each and re-grow in water. Once they start sprouting I pop them to grow in the garden and start off my next lot.
Contributed by Deborah
Add a Tip
3. This Week's Winning Tip
This week's winning tip is from Danni M. Danni has won a one year Platinum Cheapskates Club membership for submitting her winning tip.
A Virtual Emergency Evacuation Box
Rather than burn important documents or photos on to a disc, I take a photo of them with my phone and email them to myself. I have folders set up and can access my emails any where and print out if necessary.
Congratulations Danni, I hope you enjoy your Cheapskates Club membership.
The Cheapskate's Club website is thousands of pages of money saving hints, tips and ideas. There are over 12,000 tips to save you money, time and energy; 1,600 budget and family friendly recipes, hundreds of printable tip sheets and ebooks.
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.
4. Share Your Tips
Share your favourite hint or tip that saves money, time and energy and be in the running to win a one-year subscription to The Cheapskate Journal.
Remember, you have to be in it to win it!
Share Your Tip
5. On The Menu
Blueberry Cake
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups SR flour
½ cup plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1-1/4 cups castor sugar
85 gms butter cut into small pieces
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
250gms blueberries (I use frozen)
Topping:
30gms melted butter
2 tbsp castor sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Method:
Butter the sides of a 22cm cake tin. Line the base with greaseproof paper. Heat oven to 120C/350F. Sift flours and baking powder into a bowl. Add sugar. Crumble together with the butter using your fingertips. Beat together eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla essence. Add to dry ingredients. The mixture becomes very stiff but beat for 1 min. Stir in blueberries. Pour into the tin and bake for 55 minutes or until cake tester is clean. Leave to rest for 1 minute before turning out on to a cake tray. Brush the top of the cake with the butter and sprinkle with castor sugar and cinnamon. Serve with cream or ice cream.
Next week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: BBQ Chops, wedges, salad
Tuesday: Pasta Alfredo, salad
Wednesday: Chicken Pot Pie, veggies
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Corn fritters, salad
Saturday: Toasted Sandwiches
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
6. The $300 A Month Food Challenge
No Shopping Month
Way back in May (it seems like forever ago) Wayne and I went away for a week; just the kids were home. I came home expecting to have to do a huge grocery shop to restock the perishables, but no. My pantry was full. My freezers were full. The fridge was almost full.
There was, and still is, food in abundance, in the form of ingredients, just waiting to be turned into delicious meals and snacks for us, so, apart from milk, eggs, butter and cheese, which I will buy tomorrow from Aldi, I won't be grocery shopping during the rest of September. Our pantry has enough to feed us, keep us clean and keep our house clean without having to shop.
Tomorrow I'll be buying:
2 x 1kg blocks tasty cheese from Aldi
6 x 3L bottles of milk from Aldi
3 dozen eggs from Aldi
And that will be that, barring any unforeseen food emergencies.
I won't be buying any cleaning products or toiletries (the stockpile is well stocked with these items).
Towards the end of the month I'll start to pick lettuce and silverbeet from the garden. The leaves will be small as they've just been transplanted into one of the new beds, but the more they're picked the longer they last and will be a nice fresh boost to our meals.
The orange and mandarin trees will have more fruit to pick for the fruit bowl.
There is yeast and plenty of bread flour for bread and rolls; the bread maker will be getting a good workout.
Breakfasts are covered with porridge, bran, pancakes, muffins, yoghurt.
Lunches will be the usual sandwiches or rolls - tuna, Vegemite, peanut butter, egg, ham and/or fruit or soup or perhaps leftovers.
Dinner will be as per my meal plan for the month.
Snacks will be fruit from the fruit trees, or homemade muffins or fruit cake, pita chips, yoghurt and dips.
Drinks will be water, tea, coffee, MOO cordial and perhaps gingerbeer if I get it made.
I don't plan on going near a supermarket until the end of the month, and if all goes to plan, I won't need to.
Are you up for a pantry challenge? How long will your pantry last? Will you be able to just buy the necessities and roll the leftover grocery budget into your slush fund?
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
7. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
Being Prepared the Cheapskates Way is Peace of Mind
3 Great Reasons To Grow Your Own Salad
Portion Control and Free Meals
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join us live on YouTube every Tuesday 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
9. The Weekly MOO Challenge
MOO Coffee & Milk
Everyone knows I just love my coffee and since I am down to one cup a day I make sure it is good and that I enjoy it. At home I have my machine and love it, but when we go camping it's another story.
I used to love buying the Nestle Coffee & Milk for camping. Just squeeze the tube into a mug of boiling water and I had a very tasty, albeit very, very sweet, cup of coffee. As a treat it was lovely (and quick on those freezing High Country mornings).
Now I make this coffee creamer, put it into a jar with a tight screw top lid and enjoy my coffee around the camp fire. It's even better than the Nestle product because I use my favourite instant coffee, giving me the strong, rich flavour I adore.
I use MOO condensed milk and a quarter cup of instant coffee. You might like to experiment with the coffee until you get the strength you prefer.
MOO Coffee and Milk
Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 cans sweetened condensed milk (or 1 quantity of MOO condensed milk)
1/4 cup instant coffee
Method:
Over medium low heat warm the milk. Add the coffee and stir to dissolve. Add the condensed milk and stir to combine. Allow to heat to just before simmering, whisking all the time. Cool slightly pour into a clean, sterilised bottle. Keep in fridge. Keeps for up to 2 weeks.
Get in on the fun and discussions here.
10. 2021 Saving Revolution
Lesson 36 Take the Opportunity to Downsize - Debt and All!
Since GFC1 hit, downsizing has been the buzz word. But it's a scary word. It has connotations of failure and poverty. In today's society of bigger is better and more is even better, some people think that having fewer possessions means you can't afford to have more, or you can't afford to live the good life. Or they think downsizing sends a signal to friends, family and acquaintances that you aren't doing so well financially. Downsizing can be emotionally draining.
This week, think about the emotional and the economic value of the big-ticket items in your life. There's a quote by 19th Century designer and artisan William Morris that goes “If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
As you think about downsizing, don't forget to work on ways to downsize your debt too.
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.
11. 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
12. 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!
13. 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.
14. 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 Coffee & Milk
Everyone knows I just love my coffee and since I am down to one cup a day I make sure it is good and that I enjoy it. At home I have my machine and love it, but when we go camping it's another story.
I used to love buying the Nestle Coffee & Milk for camping. Just squeeze the tube into a mug of boiling water and I had a very tasty, albeit very, very sweet, cup of coffee. As a treat it was lovely (and quick on those freezing High Country mornings).
Now I make this coffee creamer, put it into a jar with a tight screw top lid and enjoy my coffee around the camp fire. It's even better than the Nestle product because I use my favourite instant coffee, giving me the strong, rich flavour I adore.
I use MOO condensed milk and a quarter cup of instant coffee. You might like to experiment with the coffee until you get the strength you prefer.
MOO Coffee and Milk
Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 cans sweetened condensed milk (or 1 quantity of MOO condensed milk)
1/4 cup instant coffee
Method:
Over medium low heat warm the milk. Add the coffee and stir to dissolve. Add the condensed milk and stir to combine. Allow to heat to just before simmering, whisking all the time. Cool slightly pour into a clean, sterilised bottle. Keep in fridge. Keeps for up to 2 weeks.
Get in on the fun and discussions here.
10. 2021 Saving Revolution
Lesson 36 Take the Opportunity to Downsize - Debt and All!
Since GFC1 hit, downsizing has been the buzz word. But it's a scary word. It has connotations of failure and poverty. In today's society of bigger is better and more is even better, some people think that having fewer possessions means you can't afford to have more, or you can't afford to live the good life. Or they think downsizing sends a signal to friends, family and acquaintances that you aren't doing so well financially. Downsizing can be emotionally draining.
This week, think about the emotional and the economic value of the big-ticket items in your life. There's a quote by 19th Century designer and artisan William Morris that goes “If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
As you think about downsizing, don't forget to work on ways to downsize your debt too.
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.
11. 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
12. 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!
13. 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.
14. 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