Going vegetarian has saved all round

Going vegetarian has been a great move for me in every way. For me, it was an ethical decision as I no longer wanted to eat animals but as an added bonus I have found it saves a lot of money. Pasta sauces don't need meat; beans and lentils are just as tasty and filling and cost a fraction of the price of meat. These days I make all kinds of delicious vegetarian dishes such as pasta bakes quickly and easily, for less than $1!

No need for takeaways with home 'auto replen' system

I have finally found a grocery system that works for me! My husband calls it 'auto replen' grocery shopping. First, I buy discounted Woolworths e-gift cards from the Entertainment Book (saving 5%). Then, having downloaded the Woolworths app on to my phone, I purchase a delivery saver, $50 for three months of deliveries. This works out about $2 per delivery for us.

Whenever we run out of something, or it is getting low, I add it to my shopping list on my phone. Once we reach $100, I then purchase the groceries. Woolworths has the same prices in store as online and the same specials. I have found this reduces takeaway significantly, as we order 2-3 times per week (I have three adults and three children in my household, plus frequently two to four young children or teenage guests. If we want something in particular, we need only wait one day for it.

We liken it to the automatic replenishment system that the larger department stores have. It works for them and it works for us too!

Chemical-free toilet bowl freshener

This simple tip saves money on toilet cleaners and air fresheners! A cheap and easy way to keep the toilet clean and smelling fresh is to make your own antibacterial spray. I have a spray bottle on the window sill filled with water and a few drops of tea tree oil. After each flush, we spray two or three squirts in the toilet bowl and close the lid. It keeps the room smelling lovely and our toilet sparkling clean without yucky chemicals.

How to plan meals for a family of six

I only need to shop for food once a month and am saving $3000 per year on feeding our family of six.

With four children, I was spending at least $800 per month on shopping, so I came up with a plan to try and cut costs. I went through recipe books and chose meals that I was going to cook for dinner. I wrote a list on an A4 page for every day of that month and what I was going to cook for each day. Then, on another page I wrote all the food items that I needed for the recipes I had pre-chosen and that was my shopping list for the month.

The best thing is I now knew what I was cooking every day, without walking to the fridge and thinking 'what am I cooking?' I also put the A4 page of what we were having for dinner on the fridge and the family knew what we were having each day without asking me!

To start with I went shopping every fortnight for food, but now I do it once a month and only spend $550 each month.

Before I began this routine, I was spending $9600 per year on food for four children and two adults - now I am spending $6600 per year! The extra $3000 we save each year goes into our children's bank account, which they just love!