'Gentle reminder' can lead to a lifetime of saving

Often all it takes is the smallest reminder to make a huge difference. Having just turned 65 and now "eligible" to retire, I am not ready to do so either physically, emotionally or socially. I'm also frequently with younger people, who don't necessarily have the same basic foundation of budgeting that I was brought up with. With that in mind, I have taken to carrying around a subtle reminder of the cost of living which not only works for me, but will hopefully rub off on those around me.

My card wallet has a 'sticker' reminder, which says "$20? Is it worth one hour of work?" It's small and discreet, but effective! It also serves as a talking point when I am out and about with some of the younger ones and buying coffee or lunch. It's simple to make the label on the computer or by hand, then clear tape to the card wallet. Here's to some improved lifestyle options as I age further!

Berry nice savings to be had on blueberries!

I have found the answer to enjoying the health benefits of blueberries is in the freezer aisle! Blueberries are so good for you, but very expensive if you buy the punnets of fresh fruit. The regular price of fresh ones works out at well over $30 per kilo and while they look nice on a fruit platter, they don't have a lot of flavour. Instead, I now buy frozen blueberries at around $4 or $5 per 500g pack - less than a third the price! Simply throw a cupful in the microwave with a teaspoon of sugar and zap for a minute or two. Much tastier and are delicious with ice cream, natural yoghurt or just on their own!

One dollar saving plan

I have devised a simple savings plan which you can use to fund a holiday, new furniture, Christmas or extra payments on the mortgage.
 
By saving just one dollar in week one, and adding an extra dollar each week after that, you will save $1378 in one year! It is a really gentle way to start saving, perfect if you feel you don’t have any spare money to save.
 
In week one, save $1.00. In week two, save $2.00. Week three, save $3.00...and so on! By week 52, when you save $52, you will end up with your grand total.
 
When the 52 weeks are up, you can start the cycle again with just $1.00, or if you're really ambitious you can continue with your saving plan; if you keep doing it for another 52 weeks, you'll have saved $5046! What a saving! If that’s too much of a stretch, and you start again at only $1.00, you will still have saved $2756 in two years. Happy saving!

A wee piece of good advice

Toilet cleaning, deodorising and water conservation has never been easier.

You can kill three birds with one stone by piercing a few holes through the lid of a bottle of vinegar and putting the bottle in your toilet cistern. The weight of the bottle displaces the water meaning you use less water with each flush. The vinegar will slowly seep out, leaving your loo smelling nice and making cleaning easier. When the bottle is empty, simply refill it with homemade vinegar which is simply half a bottle of cheap white vinegar topped with rainwater. Leave for 24 hours and it will be full strength and ready to use.

Now, if we could only get men to leave the toilet seat down...