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!

No more shopping lists with free app

We have eliminated paper shopping lists by using a free app called Our Groceries. You can link the app via entering one email address, so everyone who does the shopping at your house has the up to date grocery list at any time. The best thing is, you can customise the list to be very specific about what you want. There is a paid version of the app but we have been successfully using the free version and love it. No more wasted paper and no more forgetting things as the list is always with us!

A platter from 'nothing'

This hint was a saviour during our last $21 Challenge.

The girls were looking for lunch and complained there was nothing to eat, so I found a large plastic platter and put the following treats on it:

A leftover BBQ sausage, thinly sliced

Two slices of leftover bread, buttered and cut into quarters

A diced kiwifruit

Four strawberries

A small piece of cheese, diced

1/4 tin corn kernels in a lettuce leaf

A muffin, cut in quarters

Four leftover chicken nuggets, cut in halves

A dob of cream cheese with a little corn relish mixed in

Four cucumber slices

Four cherry tomatoes

One Vita Wheat, halved

I gave the girls and myself a saucer each, plus a cocktail fork and everything was eaten and enjoyed. Now we often have 'platter parties' for meals and snacks. A novel way to serve up a meal when you have 'nothing' to eat!

Monthly get together without spending

My mother, sister and I have changed our spendthrift ways to help each other out and enjoy quality time and a regular meal together.

We used to spend our weekends shopping. Of course we bought things we did not need. Even worse, we spent tons of money on eating out in the mall! So, we changed our habits! Once a month we spend a day at one of our houses, taking it in turns. The hostess is responsible for lunch and the others help her with a project around her house.

For example, we have painted a playroom, done general cleaning, cleaned a garage, collected items for charity and more!