Your Cheapskates Club Newsletter 45:19
In This Newsletter
1. Cath's Corner2. From the Tip Store - Gourmet Breads Cheapskates Style; Another Use for Vinegar; Shoe Pocket Gardening
3. Share Your Tips
4. Own Your Christmas Challenge Week 6 - Getting ready to decorate week
5. The Living the Cheapskates Way Budget & Lifestyle Planner 2020
6. On the Menu - Silverbeet Casserole
7. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - How we can afford schnitzels on our grocery budget
8. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
9. The Cheapskates Club Show
10. Join the Cheapskates Club
11. Ask Cath
12. Frequently Asked Questions
13. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
Welcome to all our new newsletter subscribers, and to all the new Cheapskates Club members.
A couple of weeks ago a lovely friend (thank you Maureen) gifted me a huge bunch of silverbeet and a lovely cabbage, fresh from her garden. Now I love silverbeet and cabbage, but my boys? Not so much. So I need to be a tad creative with how I prepare and serve these delicious and very good for us veggies. One of my favourite ways is Silverbeet Casserole - its' so good, no one complains about hte "green stuff". I've share my original recipe, and a 2019 variation this week. I hope if you enjoy it as much as we do.
How have you been Cheapskating this week? I ask because we're fast moving into the time of year when money can just disappear from your pocket, purse and bank account. And you really won't know where it's gone.
We all get busy, rushing around getting ready for Christmas, holidays and the end of the year so being extra vigilant with our money, time and energy is really important. Using simple strategies such as going back to recording what we spend, making a to do list, shopping with a specific list and setting time and money budgets will help to keep us on track.
Aim to own your Christmas this year – use cash for your purchases or if you must use the credit card only spend what you would if you had cash. Then pay it off in full before the due date. Otherwise you won't own your Christmas, the bank will and you'll be paying for it for months.
When you leave the house remember that the shopping centres are using emotional blackmail to tug at your heartstrings. Be strong and ignore them. Make your plan and stick to it and you will own your Christmas.
Happy Cheapskating,
Cath
2. From The Tip Store
Gourmet Breads Cheapskates Style
My family like homemade food, and as we are remote, takeaway is never an option. Our favourite for fast food Friday night is a double batch of homemade bread. After allowing it to rise the second time, I shape it into 1 loaf, 2 flattened half-length French bread sticks as well as a good number of finger length sized sticks. Once cooked, I have bread - fresh for sandwiches or French toast thick sliced, as well as cheesy toast (made like we used to get at Sizzlers!). One of the flat half sticks I slice in half width ways and make into two pizzas. The second I slice the same and make homemade garlic bread (using cooking butter, parsley and garlic from garden). The little 'finger' sticks? Well, as my one year old is teething - they work just as well, if not better, than the bought bread sticks he likes so much. Actually both boys do! I've always made the sticks for dips or flavoured them with a little Vegemite or cheese before cooking. From one recipe that takes more preparation than effort to make, I get a lot of variety - and it's very popular!
Contributed by Maxine
Another Use for Vinegar
My dear granddaughter spilt Slush Puppy (iced cordial) all over the new beige carpet, we soaked up as much as we could with paper towels and then poured vinegar onto the area - hey presto the cordial which had soaked to the bottom of the carpet just rose to the top and we then moped it up with more paper towel - no red cordial stains.
Contributed by Carolyn
Shoe Pocket Gardening
Remember the old fashioned (now) hanging shoe pockets….material or plastic with maybe 5 or 6 pockets to hold a pair of shoes in a line with maybe 5 lines? Well, these make amazing pockets for growing herbs, lettuce. Plants that I use lots of and am able to pick leaves from often, are my aim. First stop the op shops again or if you sew making a shoe pocket hanger is very easy indeed. My current one I bought from the op shop and it is completely waterproof. Hang your pocket garden somewhere there are 6 - 8 hours of sunlight. I put a med. freezer bag in each pocket, filled with potting mix (because it is lighter than soil usually), popped in my sprigs of mint and lettuce seedlings and now any misc. clear water from the kitchen goes out to keep the plants watered. I have made a hole in the bottom of each section and in the freezer bag to allow for drainage and roots to breathe. What prompted me to try this style of gardening is our house is on the market, there are portions of near clean water in the kitchen often that I could use on the pocket garden and most of all for me, and I have the pocket garden very close to the house so to water it as above is very easy. My Pocket Garden is screwed over an upright leaning against a wall pallet - worked for me.
Contributed by Carol Ryan
Add a Tip
3. Share Your Tips
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.
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. Own Your Christmas Challenge Week 6
It's Getting Ready to Decorate Week!
According to the Own Your Christmas Countdown, this week is the week we drag out the decorations and check them over. Even if you put everything away carefully last year, you still need to do this. Lightbulbs will blow, ornaments will break, get squashed or even dusty no matter how carefully they are stored, so checking now means that when it's time to decorate you can just get it done, without the added stress and workload of fixing things.
It's also time to think about any parcels you normally post and work out the fastest, safest and cheapest way to get them to their destination.
Christmas Central has some new tools and resources to help you with your Week 6 tasks so don't forget to visit soon.
This week's tasks:
Task 1. If you have parcels to post, make a list of them.
Task 2. Get your tree and decorations out and do a stock take.
Task 3. Write up this week's Christmas cards
Task 4. Buy, wrap and label the fourth lot of gifts
Task 5. Continue working on handmade gifts, wrapping and labelling as you finish them
The tasks are outlined here in greater detail
You can get the Own Your Christmas planners here too.
If you'd like the weekly tasks and round-up, you can join the Own Your Christmas challenge here
5. The Living the Cheapskates Way Budget & Lifestyle Planner 2020
1. Cath's Corner2. From the Tip Store - Gourmet Breads Cheapskates Style; Another Use for Vinegar; Shoe Pocket Gardening
3. Share Your Tips
4. Own Your Christmas Challenge Week 6 - Getting ready to decorate week
5. The Living the Cheapskates Way Budget & Lifestyle Planner 2020
6. On the Menu - Silverbeet Casserole
7. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - How we can afford schnitzels on our grocery budget
8. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
9. The Cheapskates Club Show
10. Join the Cheapskates Club
11. Ask Cath
12. Frequently Asked Questions
13. Contact Details
1. Cath's Corner
Hello Cheapskaters,
Welcome to all our new newsletter subscribers, and to all the new Cheapskates Club members.
A couple of weeks ago a lovely friend (thank you Maureen) gifted me a huge bunch of silverbeet and a lovely cabbage, fresh from her garden. Now I love silverbeet and cabbage, but my boys? Not so much. So I need to be a tad creative with how I prepare and serve these delicious and very good for us veggies. One of my favourite ways is Silverbeet Casserole - its' so good, no one complains about hte "green stuff". I've share my original recipe, and a 2019 variation this week. I hope if you enjoy it as much as we do.
How have you been Cheapskating this week? I ask because we're fast moving into the time of year when money can just disappear from your pocket, purse and bank account. And you really won't know where it's gone.
We all get busy, rushing around getting ready for Christmas, holidays and the end of the year so being extra vigilant with our money, time and energy is really important. Using simple strategies such as going back to recording what we spend, making a to do list, shopping with a specific list and setting time and money budgets will help to keep us on track.
Aim to own your Christmas this year – use cash for your purchases or if you must use the credit card only spend what you would if you had cash. Then pay it off in full before the due date. Otherwise you won't own your Christmas, the bank will and you'll be paying for it for months.
When you leave the house remember that the shopping centres are using emotional blackmail to tug at your heartstrings. Be strong and ignore them. Make your plan and stick to it and you will own your Christmas.
Happy Cheapskating,
Cath
2. From The Tip Store
Gourmet Breads Cheapskates Style
My family like homemade food, and as we are remote, takeaway is never an option. Our favourite for fast food Friday night is a double batch of homemade bread. After allowing it to rise the second time, I shape it into 1 loaf, 2 flattened half-length French bread sticks as well as a good number of finger length sized sticks. Once cooked, I have bread - fresh for sandwiches or French toast thick sliced, as well as cheesy toast (made like we used to get at Sizzlers!). One of the flat half sticks I slice in half width ways and make into two pizzas. The second I slice the same and make homemade garlic bread (using cooking butter, parsley and garlic from garden). The little 'finger' sticks? Well, as my one year old is teething - they work just as well, if not better, than the bought bread sticks he likes so much. Actually both boys do! I've always made the sticks for dips or flavoured them with a little Vegemite or cheese before cooking. From one recipe that takes more preparation than effort to make, I get a lot of variety - and it's very popular!
Contributed by Maxine
Another Use for Vinegar
My dear granddaughter spilt Slush Puppy (iced cordial) all over the new beige carpet, we soaked up as much as we could with paper towels and then poured vinegar onto the area - hey presto the cordial which had soaked to the bottom of the carpet just rose to the top and we then moped it up with more paper towel - no red cordial stains.
Contributed by Carolyn
Shoe Pocket Gardening
Remember the old fashioned (now) hanging shoe pockets….material or plastic with maybe 5 or 6 pockets to hold a pair of shoes in a line with maybe 5 lines? Well, these make amazing pockets for growing herbs, lettuce. Plants that I use lots of and am able to pick leaves from often, are my aim. First stop the op shops again or if you sew making a shoe pocket hanger is very easy indeed. My current one I bought from the op shop and it is completely waterproof. Hang your pocket garden somewhere there are 6 - 8 hours of sunlight. I put a med. freezer bag in each pocket, filled with potting mix (because it is lighter than soil usually), popped in my sprigs of mint and lettuce seedlings and now any misc. clear water from the kitchen goes out to keep the plants watered. I have made a hole in the bottom of each section and in the freezer bag to allow for drainage and roots to breathe. What prompted me to try this style of gardening is our house is on the market, there are portions of near clean water in the kitchen often that I could use on the pocket garden and most of all for me, and I have the pocket garden very close to the house so to water it as above is very easy. My Pocket Garden is screwed over an upright leaning against a wall pallet - worked for me.
Contributed by Carol Ryan
Add a Tip
3. Share Your Tips
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.
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. Own Your Christmas Challenge Week 6
It's Getting Ready to Decorate Week!
According to the Own Your Christmas Countdown, this week is the week we drag out the decorations and check them over. Even if you put everything away carefully last year, you still need to do this. Lightbulbs will blow, ornaments will break, get squashed or even dusty no matter how carefully they are stored, so checking now means that when it's time to decorate you can just get it done, without the added stress and workload of fixing things.
It's also time to think about any parcels you normally post and work out the fastest, safest and cheapest way to get them to their destination.
Christmas Central has some new tools and resources to help you with your Week 6 tasks so don't forget to visit soon.
This week's tasks:
Task 1. If you have parcels to post, make a list of them.
Task 2. Get your tree and decorations out and do a stock take.
Task 3. Write up this week's Christmas cards
Task 4. Buy, wrap and label the fourth lot of gifts
Task 5. Continue working on handmade gifts, wrapping and labelling as you finish them
The tasks are outlined here in greater detail
You can get the Own Your Christmas planners here too.
If you'd like the weekly tasks and round-up, you can join the Own Your Christmas challenge here
5. The Living the Cheapskates Way Budget & Lifestyle Planner 2020
The last run of planners is selling quickly. We expect to receive them early December, and we'll be sending them out immediately (on a first ordered, first sent basis). So, it's not too late to order your 2020 Living the Cheapskates Way Budget and Lifestyle Planner.
Click here to find out more and order your 2020 Living the Cheapskates Way Budget and Lifestyle Planner.
6. On The Menu
Silverbeet Casserole
This is a lovely way to serve silverbeet. Serve it as a side dish to roast or grilled meats and it is delicious. But lately, I've been making it into individual casseroles, using Stand'n'Stuff taco boats, and serving it with a salad. Boy are they a hit! I buy the Stand'n'Stuff tacos on half-price sale, or on clearance from NQR to keep the price down.
Silverbeet Casserole
Ingredients:
1 bunch silverbeet
30g butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp plain flour
1 cup milk
60g cream cheese
250g cottage cheese
30g butter, extra
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
Optional: 1 packet Stand'n'Stuff tacos
Method:
Chop spinach and cook in a little boiling water till just tender. Drain. Melt butter and sauté onion till transparent. Stir in flour. Cook 1 minute, add milk and stir until thickened. Add cream cheese. Place a layer of half the sauce in the base of a greased casserole dish. Cover with silverbeet. Spread cottage cheese over silverbeet. Pour over remaining sauce. Melt extra butter in saucepan and toss breadcrumbs until crisp. Sprinkle over sauce. Bake in a moderate oven 20 minutes.
To make the individual casseroles, put six Stand'n'Stuff tacos on a baking sheet. Fill each one as per the instructions for the casserole. Bake in a moderate oven for 15 minutes or until golden on top.
Next week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: Baked Chicken Enchiladas
Tuesday: Spinach Ricotta Lasagne, salad
Wednesday: Fish, wedges, coleslaw
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: Rissoles, gravy, mash, greens
Saturday: Hot Dogs
In the fruit bowl: mandarins
In the cake tin: Shortbread, gingerbread, fruit cake
There are over 1,700 budget and family friendly recipes in the Cheapskates Club Recipe File, all contributed by your fellow Cheapskates, so you know they're good.
Add A Recipe
Recipe File Index
7. The $300 A Month Food Challenge
Schnitzels feature heavily on our menu, we all love them.
I love them because they cook quickly, the kids love them because the leftovers make great sandwiches the next day and Wayne loves them because they make a hearty meal.
It comes as no surprise that I get a lot of questions about how we can possibly have schnitzel so often when even chicken fillets are around $10 a kilo (I NEVER pay more than $6/kg for chicken fillets), with beef and veal being upwards of $15 a kilo.
I'll let you into a little secret - my schnitzels are vegetarian! I make them myself from scratch and they are delicious, tender and moist. They are also a fraction of the cost - around $2 for five large schnitzels.
Don't be put off by the fact they are vegetarian, try them. They really are something special.
Cath's Schnitzels
Ingredients:
1 cup gluten flour*
1 cup water
2 eggs
1 tsp Marmite (or Vegemite)
breadcrumbs
Oil for frying
Gravy:
1 pkt French onion soup mix
1 tsp Marmite (or Vegemite)
2 cups water
Method:
Mix gluten flour, water, 1 egg, marmite and torula yeast together with a fork until dough forms. If you have a food processor, place all ingredients in bowl and process until dough forms. Roll dough into a log and slice into six evenly sized pieces. Beat the remaining egg, dip each schnitzel into egg then into breadcrumbs. Refrigerate 30 minutes to let crumbs set. Heat oil in a heavy based frying pan. Brown each schnitzel on both sides. Drain on paper towel. When all have been browned add soup mix, marmite and water to pan. Stir until boiling. Return schnitzels to pan, turn heat down and simmer gently for 30 minutes. You may need to add more water to the gravy during this time. After 30 minutes the schnitzels should be puffed and the gravy thick.
Serve hot with vegetable and gravy or cold with salad. They are also great on a roll or sandwich with lettuce and mustard mayo.
I often mix these up, and use a tomato gravy instead of the brown gravy. It's easy to make, tomato paste and a little cream (or sour cream works too).
To serve, a mushroom gravy goes nicely with the schnitzels and veggies.
These schnitzels can be frozen in the gravy and then just thawed and heated for a quick dinner.
*Gluten flour can be bought in the health food aisle at the supermarket or from health food stores, but it is much cheaper to buy in bulk, it's about half the price. I suggest, if you aren't a baker who uses gluten flour, to buy a small packet to try the schnitzels and if you like them, then consider buying in bulk from a local wholefoods/bulk foods store.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
8. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
Pantry Staple Vanilla Substitutes
Sugar Scrub Recipes Just in Time for Christmas
Oh How I Love Freeze-Ahead Meals
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
Companion Planting
Christmas 2019
Playing the Half Price Game to Win
Most Popular Blog Posts This Week
MOO Soy Yoghurt
Budget Friendly Gourmet Baking
The Joyco Christmas Hamper
9. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join Cath and Hannah live Tuesdays and Thursdays on You Tube at 7.30pm AET
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.
Thursday: Cheapskates in the Kitchen - want to know how to cook delicious, healthy and cheap meals? Watch Cath and Hannah as they create cheapskates style cuisine and share their favourite recipes.
Latest Shows
Ingredients:
1 cup gluten flour*
1 cup water
2 eggs
1 tsp Marmite (or Vegemite)
breadcrumbs
Oil for frying
Gravy:
1 pkt French onion soup mix
1 tsp Marmite (or Vegemite)
2 cups water
Method:
Mix gluten flour, water, 1 egg, marmite and torula yeast together with a fork until dough forms. If you have a food processor, place all ingredients in bowl and process until dough forms. Roll dough into a log and slice into six evenly sized pieces. Beat the remaining egg, dip each schnitzel into egg then into breadcrumbs. Refrigerate 30 minutes to let crumbs set. Heat oil in a heavy based frying pan. Brown each schnitzel on both sides. Drain on paper towel. When all have been browned add soup mix, marmite and water to pan. Stir until boiling. Return schnitzels to pan, turn heat down and simmer gently for 30 minutes. You may need to add more water to the gravy during this time. After 30 minutes the schnitzels should be puffed and the gravy thick.
Serve hot with vegetable and gravy or cold with salad. They are also great on a roll or sandwich with lettuce and mustard mayo.
I often mix these up, and use a tomato gravy instead of the brown gravy. It's easy to make, tomato paste and a little cream (or sour cream works too).
To serve, a mushroom gravy goes nicely with the schnitzels and veggies.
These schnitzels can be frozen in the gravy and then just thawed and heated for a quick dinner.
*Gluten flour can be bought in the health food aisle at the supermarket or from health food stores, but it is much cheaper to buy in bulk, it's about half the price. I suggest, if you aren't a baker who uses gluten flour, to buy a small packet to try the schnitzels and if you like them, then consider buying in bulk from a local wholefoods/bulk foods store.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
8. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
Pantry Staple Vanilla Substitutes
Sugar Scrub Recipes Just in Time for Christmas
Oh How I Love Freeze-Ahead Meals
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
Companion Planting
Christmas 2019
Playing the Half Price Game to Win
Most Popular Blog Posts This Week
MOO Soy Yoghurt
Budget Friendly Gourmet Baking
The Joyco Christmas Hamper
9. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join Cath and Hannah live Tuesdays and Thursdays on You Tube at 7.30pm AET
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.
Thursday: Cheapskates in the Kitchen - want to know how to cook delicious, healthy and cheap meals? Watch Cath and Hannah as they create cheapskates style cuisine and share their favourite recipes.
Latest Shows
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 $30 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?
As per the terms of sbucription, your renewal will be processed on the due date. Renewal notices are not sent. You can find your membership expiry date on your profile page (membership are active for one year from the date of joining/renewing).
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
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 $30 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?
As per the terms of sbucription, your renewal will be processed on the due date. Renewal notices are not sent. You can find your membership expiry date on your profile page (membership are active for one year from the date of joining/renewing).
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