Your Cheapskates Club Newsletter 50:21
In This Newsletter
1. Cath's Corner
2. From the Tip Store - Keep Cool While Exercising; Portable No-dig Garden;
3. Tip of the Week - Shop Around Online for Newbie Bonuses
4. Share Your Tips
5. On the Menu - Quick Christmas Truffles
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Stock
7. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
9. The Weekly MOO Challenge - Newspaper Seed Pots
10. 2021 Saving Revolution - Lesson 51: Tis the Season to Give
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,
Oh boy the year is winding down fast! That means I am in planning mode. There's a lot going on, on the home front, and on the website. I'm so glad Christmas is organised and everything is ready.
The weather has been lovely this week and I've spent a lot of time early in the morning and then after dinner in the garden, pottering, planting, transplanting, weeding, watering of course, shifting pots around. Over three days the strawberry bed was completely moved; not a great time to be uprooting and transplanting strawberries but they needed to be shifted. Lots of TLC and so far we haven't lost any.
The craft room studio is almost finished. It's all the little things that take the time isn't it? Organising spaces so the are the most efficient, setting out a nice work zone and of course constantly reminding the rest of the family that this is MY space and they can't dump their hobbies in it!
I've finished the Christmas shopping, I hope you have too. If you haven't, I'm thinking of you and praying you'll find everything you need within your budget.
Have a great week everyone.
Happy Cheapskating,
Cath
P.S. Don't forget to register for the 2022 Saving Revolution!Registration closes 5pm 31st December 2021 and late registrations will not be accpeted, so register now and you won't miss out.
2. From The Tip Store
Keep Cool While Exercising
I am a self-confessed gym junkie, I love my daily workout. What I don't like though is getting hot and this happens during summer even though the gym is well air-conditioned. To help keep me cool I made two cooler scarves, similar to what troops use in the dessert to keep cool. Using scraps of fabric I had in my stash and buying the jar of water saving crystals from Aldi, I saved myself around $30. Best of all they are re-usable, I just need to soak them in cool water for 20 - 30 minutes before I want to wear them to re-charge the water crystals. And the leftover crystals have been put to use in my pot plants, ready for the onslaught of summer heat. They are really easy to make, the steps may seem complicated but they should take no more than 20 minutes each, less if you are an experienced sewer.
To make your cooling scarf you will need:
10cm strip fabric 115cm wide
Matching thread
Water saving crystals
Instructions:
1. Fold the fabric in half, matching the selvedge.
2. Measure in 15cm from each end and mark with a pin. Use tailor's chalk or a light pencil to draw a line from the pin to the middle of the selvedge. Trim along this line to make a pointed end on your scarf.
3. Neaten the raw edges of the fabric either with a zig zag stitch or an overlocker.
4. Fold the material lengthwise, right sides together.
5. Mark the centre of the length of fabric.
6. Measure 20cm each side of the centre and mark with a pin.
7. Sew a 6mm seam on the long edge between the marks. Remove the pins.
8. Turn right side out. Lay the fabric so the seam runs down the centre of the top side. Press. Sew across one end of the scarf at one end of the seam.
9. Place 1 teaspoon of water saving crystals into the pocket. Don't be tempted to use more, these crystals really swell and they will burst the seams if you use too much.
10. Stitch across the other end of the pocket to close.
11. Place scarf in cool water for 20 - 30 minutes to plump up. Then it's ready to wear.
Contributed by Michaela Lamb
Portable No-dig Garden
We are renting, and recently moved from a house with a huge yard where we had an extensive herb and vegetable garden. I wanted another vegetable patch where we are now, but our current place does not have enough space, and I was not sure how our landlord would feel about us digging up his yard. I began to price raised garden beds online, but was looking at a minimum of $200 for a small bed, up to $300 for the size I wanted (then we would have had to pay a lot to fill it with garden soil). So we built our own no-dig veggie patch in a free corner of the yard, using two pathways as borders on two sides, and building trellises as borders on the other two sides for climbing plants. The materials cost under $100, including plants, and when we move, we can just lift it and go without having damaged the property. Meanwhile, we have fresh vegies and herbs, and will save money on food in the long run.
Contributed by Amanda
Add a Tip
3. Cheapskates Winning Tip
This week's winning tip is from Alyce Fenton. Alyce has won a one year Platinum Cheapskates Club membership for submitting her winning tip.
Shop Around Online for Newbie BonusesWhen shopping for products online, try different websites each time! Most sites have 10-20% or $10-20 discount bonuses, and sometimes free shipping as well for new members who sign up to their website or mailing list (which you can always unsubscribe to later). So if you regularly buy a favourite product that is available on different websites, by purchasing from a new website each time, you'll save heaps for months or even years!
Congratulations Alyce, 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
Christmas Treats
Sometimes the best gifts are simple and homemade. This Christmas we are giving a variety of sweet treats in cute little tins I found at the $2 shop. These sweets are easy to make and inexpensive to give, if they last that long. They are also very nice to nibble on after dinner too.
Russian Caramels
Ingredients:
125g butter
250g sugar
1 tin condensed milk
vanilla essence
Method:
Melt the butter first, then add the sugar and condensed milk. Stir constantly until the mixture boils. Still stirring, allow to boil for 15 minutes then add 1 or two teaspoons vanilla and remove from heat. By this time the mixture should be the colour of light caramel. Test for setting in cold water. Pour into a buttered pan and when cold cut into small squares with a sharp knife.
Baileys Truffles
Ingredients:
500g Milk Chocolate
1 cup whipped cream
1/4 cup Baileys Irish Creme (you can use your homemade version)
Method:
Melt chocolate. After melting, leave chocolate at room temperature for 2 minutes. Fold together whipped cream and Baileys. Fold into melted chocolate. Spoon mixture into pastry bag fitted with a fluted tip and pipe into foil candy cups. Terrific TrufflesIngredients:
1 pkt marshmallows
1 pkt Smarties or M & Ms
1 pkt choc melts
small patty pans
Method:
Melt chocolate. Cover base of patty pans with chocolate. Place marshmallow on top. Put more melted chocolate on top of marshmallow and decorate with smarties. Place melted chocolate into icing bag for easier control.
Irish Cream
Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 tin evaporated milk
1 tin sweetened condensed milk
A few drops vanilla essence
300ml Whisky (or more to taste)
2 tablespoons drinking chocolate
Method:
Mix the above ingredients in a blender. Check that you have put in enough whisky. If not, give it more. Bottle and store in fridge.
Do you have a favourite Christmas recipe? We can't wait to try it and add it to the Recipe File. Share it with us here.
Next week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: Rissoles, salad
Tuesday: Pasta bake
Wednesday: Curried chicken & noodles
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: BBQ meat, salad
Saturday: Christmas Dinner
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
Stock
Stock is so handy to have for making soup, flavouring gravy and sauces and cooking rice or pasta, and it is easy to make, you don't need to buy salt laden stock cubes or powder or expensive liquid stock.
And this time of year, with all those lovely bones that will be leftover from Christmas dinner, making stock just makes sense.
Chicken or turkey stock is so easy to make, and so much better when you make it. It's rich and thick, full of flavour. Compare that to the thin, watery packaged stocks or the over-salted, artificially coloured cubes and, well, there really isn't a comparison. Homemade stock is just better.
To make a simple stock you need:
Chicken or turkey carcasses - two or three (and they can be frozen unti you have enough to make a pot of stock)
4 stalks celery
3 carrots
2 brown onions
4 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
1/2 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried thyme
pepper to taste
12 cups cold water
Step 1. Add the chicken carcasses and any scrap meat to a large stockpot or saucepan.
Step 2. Add the cold water and bring to a boil.
Step 3. Add the vegetables and seasonings. Bring back to the boil and turn down to a simmer.
Step 4. Cover and simmer the stock 3 - 4 hours.
Step 5. Strain the vegetables and bones from the stock.
Step 6. Return the stock to the pot and simmer a further 1 - 1-1/2 hours until it has reduced by half.
Notes: Use the stock for gravy, to cook rice or pasta, or as a soup base. It will keep in the fridge for 3 days, and can be frozen for up to 3 months. This stock has no salt added to it during cooking; if you think it needs to be salted do so when you use it in a recipe.
I save the carcasses from roast chickens in the freezer until I have enough to make stock. You can buy fresh chicken carcasses from the butcher, deli or supermarket but why pay for something you will have after a roast? The roasted bones give the stock a much richer flavour than a stock made from raw bones.
The recipe indicates you use fresh veggies, but stock is a great way to use up those sad veggies at the back of the fridge, and toss in the onion skins and carrot peelings too for extra flavour and colour. You'll strain them out before bottling the stock. Using veggies you would normally feed to the chooks or compost (just make sure they're not mouldy!) brings the cost down to almost nothing for around 3 litres of the loveliest, tastiest stock - and you'll wonder why you wasted money buying it.
When you're finished, don't throw the vegetables and bones out, add them to your compost bin.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
7. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
Pantry Staple Vanilla Substitutes
A Foodie Gift Suggestion: Soft Maple Salted Caramels
Gift Ideas from Cheapskaters
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
Is It Really Worth Cooking and Eating at Home?
My Craft Room
Shopping Day Spring Clean
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join Cath and Hannah live Tuesdays on You Tube at 7.30pm AET
Show ScheduleTuesday: 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 - Keep Cool While Exercising; Portable No-dig Garden;
3. Tip of the Week - Shop Around Online for Newbie Bonuses
4. Share Your Tips
5. On the Menu - Quick Christmas Truffles
6. The $300 a Month Food Challenge - Stock
7. Cheapskates Buzz - Cheapskaters are talking in the Forum and on Cath's blog
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
9. The Weekly MOO Challenge - Newspaper Seed Pots
10. 2021 Saving Revolution - Lesson 51: Tis the Season to Give
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,
Oh boy the year is winding down fast! That means I am in planning mode. There's a lot going on, on the home front, and on the website. I'm so glad Christmas is organised and everything is ready.
The weather has been lovely this week and I've spent a lot of time early in the morning and then after dinner in the garden, pottering, planting, transplanting, weeding, watering of course, shifting pots around. Over three days the strawberry bed was completely moved; not a great time to be uprooting and transplanting strawberries but they needed to be shifted. Lots of TLC and so far we haven't lost any.
The craft room studio is almost finished. It's all the little things that take the time isn't it? Organising spaces so the are the most efficient, setting out a nice work zone and of course constantly reminding the rest of the family that this is MY space and they can't dump their hobbies in it!
I've finished the Christmas shopping, I hope you have too. If you haven't, I'm thinking of you and praying you'll find everything you need within your budget.
Have a great week everyone.
Happy Cheapskating,
Cath
P.S. Don't forget to register for the 2022 Saving Revolution!Registration closes 5pm 31st December 2021 and late registrations will not be accpeted, so register now and you won't miss out.
2. From The Tip Store
Keep Cool While Exercising
I am a self-confessed gym junkie, I love my daily workout. What I don't like though is getting hot and this happens during summer even though the gym is well air-conditioned. To help keep me cool I made two cooler scarves, similar to what troops use in the dessert to keep cool. Using scraps of fabric I had in my stash and buying the jar of water saving crystals from Aldi, I saved myself around $30. Best of all they are re-usable, I just need to soak them in cool water for 20 - 30 minutes before I want to wear them to re-charge the water crystals. And the leftover crystals have been put to use in my pot plants, ready for the onslaught of summer heat. They are really easy to make, the steps may seem complicated but they should take no more than 20 minutes each, less if you are an experienced sewer.
To make your cooling scarf you will need:
10cm strip fabric 115cm wide
Matching thread
Water saving crystals
Instructions:
1. Fold the fabric in half, matching the selvedge.
2. Measure in 15cm from each end and mark with a pin. Use tailor's chalk or a light pencil to draw a line from the pin to the middle of the selvedge. Trim along this line to make a pointed end on your scarf.
3. Neaten the raw edges of the fabric either with a zig zag stitch or an overlocker.
4. Fold the material lengthwise, right sides together.
5. Mark the centre of the length of fabric.
6. Measure 20cm each side of the centre and mark with a pin.
7. Sew a 6mm seam on the long edge between the marks. Remove the pins.
8. Turn right side out. Lay the fabric so the seam runs down the centre of the top side. Press. Sew across one end of the scarf at one end of the seam.
9. Place 1 teaspoon of water saving crystals into the pocket. Don't be tempted to use more, these crystals really swell and they will burst the seams if you use too much.
10. Stitch across the other end of the pocket to close.
11. Place scarf in cool water for 20 - 30 minutes to plump up. Then it's ready to wear.
Contributed by Michaela Lamb
Portable No-dig Garden
We are renting, and recently moved from a house with a huge yard where we had an extensive herb and vegetable garden. I wanted another vegetable patch where we are now, but our current place does not have enough space, and I was not sure how our landlord would feel about us digging up his yard. I began to price raised garden beds online, but was looking at a minimum of $200 for a small bed, up to $300 for the size I wanted (then we would have had to pay a lot to fill it with garden soil). So we built our own no-dig veggie patch in a free corner of the yard, using two pathways as borders on two sides, and building trellises as borders on the other two sides for climbing plants. The materials cost under $100, including plants, and when we move, we can just lift it and go without having damaged the property. Meanwhile, we have fresh vegies and herbs, and will save money on food in the long run.
Contributed by Amanda
Add a Tip
3. Cheapskates Winning Tip
This week's winning tip is from Alyce Fenton. Alyce has won a one year Platinum Cheapskates Club membership for submitting her winning tip.
Shop Around Online for Newbie BonusesWhen shopping for products online, try different websites each time! Most sites have 10-20% or $10-20 discount bonuses, and sometimes free shipping as well for new members who sign up to their website or mailing list (which you can always unsubscribe to later). So if you regularly buy a favourite product that is available on different websites, by purchasing from a new website each time, you'll save heaps for months or even years!
Congratulations Alyce, 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
Christmas Treats
Sometimes the best gifts are simple and homemade. This Christmas we are giving a variety of sweet treats in cute little tins I found at the $2 shop. These sweets are easy to make and inexpensive to give, if they last that long. They are also very nice to nibble on after dinner too.
Russian Caramels
Ingredients:
125g butter
250g sugar
1 tin condensed milk
vanilla essence
Method:
Melt the butter first, then add the sugar and condensed milk. Stir constantly until the mixture boils. Still stirring, allow to boil for 15 minutes then add 1 or two teaspoons vanilla and remove from heat. By this time the mixture should be the colour of light caramel. Test for setting in cold water. Pour into a buttered pan and when cold cut into small squares with a sharp knife.
Baileys Truffles
Ingredients:
500g Milk Chocolate
1 cup whipped cream
1/4 cup Baileys Irish Creme (you can use your homemade version)
Method:
Melt chocolate. After melting, leave chocolate at room temperature for 2 minutes. Fold together whipped cream and Baileys. Fold into melted chocolate. Spoon mixture into pastry bag fitted with a fluted tip and pipe into foil candy cups. Terrific TrufflesIngredients:
1 pkt marshmallows
1 pkt Smarties or M & Ms
1 pkt choc melts
small patty pans
Method:
Melt chocolate. Cover base of patty pans with chocolate. Place marshmallow on top. Put more melted chocolate on top of marshmallow and decorate with smarties. Place melted chocolate into icing bag for easier control.
Irish Cream
Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 tin evaporated milk
1 tin sweetened condensed milk
A few drops vanilla essence
300ml Whisky (or more to taste)
2 tablespoons drinking chocolate
Method:
Mix the above ingredients in a blender. Check that you have put in enough whisky. If not, give it more. Bottle and store in fridge.
Do you have a favourite Christmas recipe? We can't wait to try it and add it to the Recipe File. Share it with us here.
Next week we will be eating:
Sunday: Roast Chicken
Monday: Rissoles, salad
Tuesday: Pasta bake
Wednesday: Curried chicken & noodles
Thursday: MOO Pizza
Friday: BBQ meat, salad
Saturday: Christmas Dinner
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
Stock
Stock is so handy to have for making soup, flavouring gravy and sauces and cooking rice or pasta, and it is easy to make, you don't need to buy salt laden stock cubes or powder or expensive liquid stock.
And this time of year, with all those lovely bones that will be leftover from Christmas dinner, making stock just makes sense.
Chicken or turkey stock is so easy to make, and so much better when you make it. It's rich and thick, full of flavour. Compare that to the thin, watery packaged stocks or the over-salted, artificially coloured cubes and, well, there really isn't a comparison. Homemade stock is just better.
To make a simple stock you need:
Chicken or turkey carcasses - two or three (and they can be frozen unti you have enough to make a pot of stock)
4 stalks celery
3 carrots
2 brown onions
4 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
1/2 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried thyme
pepper to taste
12 cups cold water
Step 1. Add the chicken carcasses and any scrap meat to a large stockpot or saucepan.
Step 2. Add the cold water and bring to a boil.
Step 3. Add the vegetables and seasonings. Bring back to the boil and turn down to a simmer.
Step 4. Cover and simmer the stock 3 - 4 hours.
Step 5. Strain the vegetables and bones from the stock.
Step 6. Return the stock to the pot and simmer a further 1 - 1-1/2 hours until it has reduced by half.
Notes: Use the stock for gravy, to cook rice or pasta, or as a soup base. It will keep in the fridge for 3 days, and can be frozen for up to 3 months. This stock has no salt added to it during cooking; if you think it needs to be salted do so when you use it in a recipe.
I save the carcasses from roast chickens in the freezer until I have enough to make stock. You can buy fresh chicken carcasses from the butcher, deli or supermarket but why pay for something you will have after a roast? The roasted bones give the stock a much richer flavour than a stock made from raw bones.
The recipe indicates you use fresh veggies, but stock is a great way to use up those sad veggies at the back of the fridge, and toss in the onion skins and carrot peelings too for extra flavour and colour. You'll strain them out before bottling the stock. Using veggies you would normally feed to the chooks or compost (just make sure they're not mouldy!) brings the cost down to almost nothing for around 3 litres of the loveliest, tastiest stock - and you'll wonder why you wasted money buying it.
When you're finished, don't throw the vegetables and bones out, add them to your compost bin.
The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
The Post that Started it All
7. Cheapskates Buzz
From The Article Archive
Pantry Staple Vanilla Substitutes
A Foodie Gift Suggestion: Soft Maple Salted Caramels
Gift Ideas from Cheapskaters
This Week's Hot Forum Topics
Is It Really Worth Cooking and Eating at Home?
My Craft Room
Shopping Day Spring Clean
8. The Cheapskates Club Show
Join Cath and Hannah live Tuesdays on You Tube at 7.30pm AET
Show ScheduleTuesday: 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
Newspaper Seed Pots
MOO your starter pots, it's easy to do and costs you nothing - you're recycling the newspapers, turning them into something useful that will eventually nourish the soil and give back to you and the earth. You'll be getting the cost of that newspaper back many, many times when you use it like this.
Newspaper Seed Pots
MOO your starter pots, it's easy to do and costs you nothing - you're recycling the newspapers, turning them into something useful that will eventually nourish the soil and give back to you and the earth. You'll be getting the cost of that newspaper back many, many times when you use it like this.
You will need:
Newspapers (don't use shiny, colour printed pages)
A straight sided drinking glass
Scissors
Soil or potting mix or seed starter
Seeds
Step 1.
Open the newspaper out flat. Lie the glass on the long edge of the newspaper and use it as a guide to see how deep the strip of paper needs to be and where you should cut the newspaper. I cut through the entire paper, it saves time and is less fiddly than trying to do a page at a time.
Repeat until you've used the entire paper.
Step 2.
Take two strips of paper (this makes a sturdier pot).
Place your glass on the newspaper and leave about 3cm hanging off the end. Roll the glass along the newspaper until it’s loosely wrapped all the way around. (Loose being key for easy removal of the glass later.)
Step 3.
Using your fingers, fold the excess paper towards bottom of glass, pressing down and creasing firmly. It doesn't have to be perfect, just fold and crease all the way around. If there is a small hole in the centre don't worry, it will just help with drainage.
Turn the glass over and press down firmly, just to really crease the edges against the bottom of the glass.
Step 4.
Don't worry if it looks flimsy or unstable, once you fill it with seed starter, soil or potting mix it will be just fine, this is what makes the pot steady. Once the pots are filled and watered they are surprisingly sturdy and hold their shape very well
Recycled newspaper pots can be transplanted straight into the garden. The newspaper will decompose naturally in the soil. If you'd rather not plant the pot so to speak, carefully unwrap the seedling. As you're not tipping it out of a plastic pot you won't disturb the young roots and plant stress will be minimal. Then just toss the newspaper into the compost bin or use it as bedding in your worm farm.
Tips
Use spice jars or small tins (180g size, think tomato paste, passionfruit pulp etc.) for smaller pots, and larger tins for larger pots. If you use larger tins (500g coffee tins for example) use at least six layers of newspaper so they are strong enough to hold the soil.
Once you get a routine going you can make dozens of these little pots in no time at all, it's a great activity to do while watching TV, or to keep the kids busy on a "boring" day.
Grouping the pots together in a tray or a recycled blanket bag mini greenhouse will give them extra stability and create a micro environment they'll thrive in.
Mist them daily (watering is too heavy for seedlings) so they don't dry out and watch your seeds sprout and grow.
10. 2021 Saving Revolution
Lesson 51: 'Tis the Season to Give
You may not feel like giving this year. You may believe you can't afford to give not just presents to family and friends, but to charities too.
But you can. And you should. That's what this week's lesson is all about - giving, and giving generously, even as you live the Cheapskates way.
Yesterday I was able to give to a charity that is dear to my heart (Royal Flying Doctor Service - an amazing organisation). While we have never had to call on the RFDS for help, there is a better than fair to middling chance that sometime in the future we will. And so giving a little to help keep those planes in the skies, to keep the doctors and nurses and ancilliary staff waiting for those emergencies is worth not buying a pair of shoes or eating out or getting my nails done.
Priorities folks! And giving should be a priority, and included in our spending plans.
Enjoy the lesson when it arrives tomorrow morning.
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 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
Newspapers (don't use shiny, colour printed pages)
A straight sided drinking glass
Scissors
Soil or potting mix or seed starter
Seeds
Step 1.
Open the newspaper out flat. Lie the glass on the long edge of the newspaper and use it as a guide to see how deep the strip of paper needs to be and where you should cut the newspaper. I cut through the entire paper, it saves time and is less fiddly than trying to do a page at a time.
Repeat until you've used the entire paper.
Step 2.
Take two strips of paper (this makes a sturdier pot).
Place your glass on the newspaper and leave about 3cm hanging off the end. Roll the glass along the newspaper until it’s loosely wrapped all the way around. (Loose being key for easy removal of the glass later.)
Step 3.
Using your fingers, fold the excess paper towards bottom of glass, pressing down and creasing firmly. It doesn't have to be perfect, just fold and crease all the way around. If there is a small hole in the centre don't worry, it will just help with drainage.
Turn the glass over and press down firmly, just to really crease the edges against the bottom of the glass.
Step 4.
Don't worry if it looks flimsy or unstable, once you fill it with seed starter, soil or potting mix it will be just fine, this is what makes the pot steady. Once the pots are filled and watered they are surprisingly sturdy and hold their shape very well
Recycled newspaper pots can be transplanted straight into the garden. The newspaper will decompose naturally in the soil. If you'd rather not plant the pot so to speak, carefully unwrap the seedling. As you're not tipping it out of a plastic pot you won't disturb the young roots and plant stress will be minimal. Then just toss the newspaper into the compost bin or use it as bedding in your worm farm.
Tips
Use spice jars or small tins (180g size, think tomato paste, passionfruit pulp etc.) for smaller pots, and larger tins for larger pots. If you use larger tins (500g coffee tins for example) use at least six layers of newspaper so they are strong enough to hold the soil.
Once you get a routine going you can make dozens of these little pots in no time at all, it's a great activity to do while watching TV, or to keep the kids busy on a "boring" day.
Grouping the pots together in a tray or a recycled blanket bag mini greenhouse will give them extra stability and create a micro environment they'll thrive in.
Mist them daily (watering is too heavy for seedlings) so they don't dry out and watch your seeds sprout and grow.
10. 2021 Saving Revolution
Lesson 51: 'Tis the Season to Give
You may not feel like giving this year. You may believe you can't afford to give not just presents to family and friends, but to charities too.
But you can. And you should. That's what this week's lesson is all about - giving, and giving generously, even as you live the Cheapskates way.
Yesterday I was able to give to a charity that is dear to my heart (Royal Flying Doctor Service - an amazing organisation). While we have never had to call on the RFDS for help, there is a better than fair to middling chance that sometime in the future we will. And so giving a little to help keep those planes in the skies, to keep the doctors and nurses and ancilliary staff waiting for those emergencies is worth not buying a pair of shoes or eating out or getting my nails done.
Priorities folks! And giving should be a priority, and included in our spending plans.
Enjoy the lesson when it arrives tomorrow morning.
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 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