Make every cake of soap last twice as long

To make a cake of soap last twice as long, simply paint the top or bottom with some PVA wood glue and let dry. Doing this means only one side of the soap dissolves, enabling the cake to last double the time. I paint the top side of the cakes of soap when we bring them home. Sometimes my granddaughter even glues a pretty picture to the side!

4 simple and effective tips to stop nail biting

For some low cost and effective nail biting solutions which just might work, I can recommend trying the following:

1. For those who have a UV light for gel polishes, get 'IBX Strengthen'. This is a product you can put on underneath the gel (still using the lamp to set) to also help strengthen the nail. It won't get rid of the habit, but may allow for better results when they get any kind of length to them.

2. Carry a nail file. I would bite mine to 'neaten them up' so if there was a sharp bit or a daggy bit I would even them up. This was a never-ending cycle that led to very sore quicks! By carrying a nail file, you can make sure there is nothing that can snag or anything.

3. I actually think that a few months of artificial nails (I like 'Prescription Nails' by GO30 as they don't damage your natural nails as much) while you are breaking the habit is helpful, as they are very hard and you can't really bite them. I do find I still put them in my mouth or tap my teeth with them so I really need to break that habit too! But after that, refer to tip1.

4. This article is also a good one to read! https://hellogiggles.com/beauty/how-to-stop-nail-biting-10-steps/

Make wedges at home quickly and easily

Making potato wedges at home is much cheaper than buying them frozen from the supermarket. I use my OXO Good Grips apple divider (bought from a kitchen shop) to cut up a 5kg bag of spuds. I give the spuds a wash before cutting them up into eight wedges and one cylindrical wedge (the kids all fight over these ones). After popping them in boiling water for a couple of minutes I put them onto paper towel to dry, then into freezer bags. These are quick, economical and you can vary the seasonings in different bags, and have them on hand in the freezer for a quick snack or side dish.

A dollar a day keeps money struggles away

Saving $1.00 a day has helped me afford things I would have otherwise struggled to pay for. I started doing this when my sons started at a private school in the city. They would be invited to several birthday parties throughout the year, so to ease the financial burden of gift giving I used my money box. At the end of the year I would use whatever was left to buy school supplies for the following year.

My children have left school now but I still save my $1.00 a day which I use to treat myself to a pedicure, go to a movie or have coffee with friends. It's such a small amount each day that I find it doesn't really affect my household budget, but it always came to my rescue when I needed it, and now affords me my treats.