Dishwashing liquid breaks down hard to remove stains

I have found a cheap and effective solution for tough laundry stain removal! Stains such as fats or body odours can be notoriously hard to remove. Normal washing powders may be made for getting out dirt and stains but not for breaking down fats and body fluids. To combat the problem, I simply add a squirt of dishwashing liquid to the wash, along with my normal powder and soaker and it works like a charm. After all, it breaks down grease and fatty food residue when doing dishes, it makes sense for it to work on clothes too!

Tomato paste doubles as cheap puree

Tomato paste saves me valuable dollars on buying puree! Whenever a recipe calls for tomato puree, I just use a sachet of tomato paste and then add water to it to make it up to whatever quantity of puree is required. It works as well and tastes just as good. I like to buy the Delmaine concentrated tomato paste, which comes in four little tubs of 70gm each. It is so versatile, and compared to tomato paste takes up far less room in the pantry!

A memorable family gift

Instead of buying Christmas presents this year, I asked my parents to write a 'book' for their grandsons. My boys love listening to bedtime stories so I thought this would be a great way for them to learn more about their grandparents and what they did when they were younger.

At first, my parents didn’t know what to write about, so we went through old photographs, scanned them into the computer and they wrote about what was happening in the pictures. We didn’t just use the usual photos like wedding pictures, but chose lots of candid shots and even photographs of places that evoked memories for my parents.

In the process of putting these books together, I learned things about my parents that I didn’t know and it made me realise that the 'book' would also be a perfect Christmas present for my brother and his family. So, for the cost of a few sheets of paper and some printer ink, I have an inexpensive gift that is priceless!

11 years of baking helped pay for our cars

I bake everyday because I enjoy baking and my family (5) enjoy eating. This has saved us thousands over 11 years. We have paid cash for 2 new cars and we have owned our house outright after only 5 years of mortgage. To save money grow a vegetable garden and flowers for enjoyment. Shop for specials and buy in bulk but not so much that it expires before you can use it.