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!

An apple a day keeps green potatoes away!

I have solved the problem of green potatoes in our household! I was constantly throwing out potatoes as we never seemed to go through a whole bag of potatoes in time before they turned green. We are only a small family but I didn't want to buy smaller bags, as the larger bags were so much cheaper. Fortunately I discovered a way to extend the life of them and it's so easy! All you need to do is to keep them in an aerated spot in a gunny bag or bowl (basically out of plastic) with a whole apple . The gases from the apple stops the potatoes from going green, doubling the shelf life of the potatoes. Needless to say, make sure you also check the apple each time you use the potatoes to make sure it's not going bad!

All new parents love this gift

When someone you know has a baby, it can be hard to choose a gift that will be appreciated – but this gift is always well received!

I like to give new parents the gift of dinner for a week, which is delivered each night. In the weeks leading up to the due date, I cook and freeze meals that will feed my family and theirs. It gives the new parents one less thing to worry about as they are settling in with their baby, and ensures they are not living on takeaway food.

I make things like pasta sauce, casseroles, soup and garlic bread. Roast dinners and chicken salads are easy to make fresh in large amounts and I also bake cakes and biscuits so they have something to offer their visitors. If they have school age kids, I even give them food for their lunchboxes such as slices of cake, sandwiches, pizza rolls and muffins.

This may not be as spectacular as a large gift with a bow, but all my friends say that it was their best gift, as they are so tired by the afternoon that the last thing they want to think about is cooking dinner.

$2 boxes filled with mini pudding and rum balls

Last Christmas, instead of buying everyone gifts, I bought some small gift boxes for $2.00 each at cheap stores and baked mini puddings and mini rum balls (I made heaps from one recipe), which I put in the boxes. I then tied them with a length of curling ribbon to make them look attractive. Everyone loved the goodies inside, and the maximum cost was $20 for at least six boxes.

I will definitely be doing this again this year. It will probably become a tradition - and why not?