My husband and I have become '30 Day Gourmets' and enjoy both the savings and the extra time we spend together as a result! We recently looked into 'Once a Month Cooking', which we were interested in because neither of us really enjoys cooking tea when all we really feel like doing is relaxing after being at work.

After gathering ideas of how the scheme works (literally - you cook once a month!), we thought we would try it by cooking for a fortnight first. We gathered recipes from the Internet and raided the recipe books (the recipe must be able to be frozen) and came up with such things as marinated chicken, curried sausages, spaghetti sauce, apricot chicken and all kinds of things.

We then picked a Sunday, turned up the stereo and did nothing but cook! It turned out to be a really enjoyable day. Once cooked and cooled, the food is put into freezer bags or takeaway containers (which cost almost nothing) and frozen. What we thought would last two weeks actually lasted three!

Each night, I would take out a container or bag for the next night and leave to defrost in the fridge. We then dragged out the steamer, threw in all the vegetables and once a week cooked up a big pot of rice. We would then have a small portion of meat (which also lowers fat-intake levels), have a pile of yummy steamed vegies and a little rice - the result being full bellies, smiling faces and very minimal washing up!

This not only saved us money but also time. Usually groceries cost us $150 for two weeks. With the cost of buying meat and grocery items needed for the cook-up ($100) and in-between buyings of vegetables once a week ($10), we spent a total of $130 when we would have spent over $150. (This is because at each shop we would grab things we liked, but didn't really need). Having a selection of meals already cooked for the weeks ahead feels great!

At first a big cook-up seems difficult if you aren't motivated, but you can start small and next time you are cooking something that would freeze well, cook double or triple the recipe and freeze excess. I also went to the local library and got out some books on freezer cooking which also had suitable recipes in them.

My husband and I honestly can't believe how we survived before our cook-ups and love the idea of actually doing things we want to each night, rather than being a slave to the kitchen!

NB - A book from the library which was a big help in planning recipes was 'The Freezer Cooking Manual from 30 Day Gourmet'. The '30 Day Gourmet' book is available on eBay and from most bookstores.

We have saved hundreds of dollars on making our daughters' room cosier! We are living in a rental property which we really like. However, our daughters are in the front bedroom and although it has a window, the room itself it doesn't get a lot of sunshine. This makes the room rather gloomy and feels damp in winter. We have a small heater which we use to try and take the chill off the bedroom before they go to bed but using it makes us feel we're watching money disappear before our eyes!

The perfect alternative would be spend hundreds of dollars on installing a skylight but since we're only renting, this really isn't an option.

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a couple of mirrors for $4 each to stick on the inside of a wardrobe. While I was preparing the area, I put the mirrors on the windowsill and to my astonishment, noticed how much brighter the room was when the sun hit the mirrors and bounced off the ceiling. It was as though I'd switched on a light!

By using those two mirrors and angling them slightly, I was able to bring sunshine and some warmth into the room. I have since purchased two more mirrors to make sure I take full advantage of the entire time that the sun hits the windowsill. The room is heaps brighter and feels more cheerful and warmer. It only cost $16 and it was all done with mirrors!

A fantastic and unique gift for under $25 is the 'Useful Box'. It makes an ideal Christmas gift but can be used for any occasion. Basically this comprises of a pretty box which contains lots of those little useful things everyone needs but doesn't always have in one place; such as extra pens, string, Blu-Tac and so on - all the sort of things you want now and again but don't usually have on hand when you need them!

By buying all the supplies at the supermarket and a beautiful gift box at a discount store to present them in, I was able to create an entire Useful Box for just under $25, but you could make it even cheaper depending on where you purchase your supplies. To make it extra special, I wrote a little poem to go with the package! Here is a breakdown of the items I bought and their prices:

Bag of rubber bands - $0.69c
Self-contained sewing kit - $3.98
2-hole pencil sharpener - $0.79c
Paperclips - $0.59c
2-pack of stickytape - $1.19
5-pack of blue pens - $1.99
3-pack of 2B pencils - $1.29
2-pack of erasers - $0.55c
Post-it notes - $0.99c
Permanent marker - $0.83c
Blu-Tac - $1.80
String - $1.99
4-pack of AA batteries - $4.07
Gift box to put it all in - $4.00

TOTAL - $24.75

Other things that might be useful to add include fridge magnets, staples and safety pins. I do recommend keeping everything in its original packaging, to avoid people being stabbed by pins or the erasers getting grubby. Just pop everything in the gift box (including the poem if you wish) and either wrap the box itself up, or simply tie it securely with ribbon.

I printed my poem out and taped it to the underside of the gift box lid, then wrote in the card 'be sure to look under the lid!' You are welcome to use the poem below to make your own 'Useful Box'.

'The Useful Box'

I am a box of useful things,
Gathered from across the land.
Inside me find those things you need
But do not always have on hand.

Next time you scratch your head and think
'I wish I had some Post-it notes'
Just open up my lid and find
The very thing you needed most.

When pencils break or pens run out,
When sticky tape just disappears,
When batteries fail or string is needed,
Let this box allay your fears.

So use me as your Useful Box,
And if you wish please add to me
Those things you like to have on hand
So wanting you need never be!

I have a family of five children and I like them to eat healthy food that is inexpensive. I often try healthy recipes, and have found one for muesli bars that the kids (and Dad) and their school friends love. It's quick, easy, healthy (you know exactly what's in it) and economical.

Muesli bars

1 1/2 cups toasted muesli

(we use the apricot and almond variety; it doesn't have to be an expensive type)

2 1/2 cups of Rice Bubbles

1/2 cup coconut

1/4 cup crushed nuts

125 g butter (salt-reduced butter is good)

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup raw sugar

1/2 cup choc chips

(I also add a tablespoon of linseed for extra fibre and omega-3 vitamins; they don't even taste this healthy addition.)

Mix the dry muesli, rice bubbles, coconut and nuts in a bowl. Place butter, honey, peanut butter and sugar into a small pan. Stir over low heat until melted. Allow to come to the boil then reduce the heat to simmer without stirring for five minutes. Pour this into the dry ingredients and stir well. Allow to cool to room temperature (about 20 minutes). Add choc chips and mix again. Line a scone tray with aluminium foil and press the mix into the tray until it is flat (you can use a glass to do this). Refrigerate until firm. Slice and serve. Store in the fridge for up to three weeks (if it lasts that long).

These save a fortune. This mix makes just over a kilo of muesli bars (I use a tray that is approx 28 cm x 36 cm and this will slice up to 30 standard size muesli bars). It costs around $3.50 to make (which can be less if you shop around and use generic or Aldi brands of butter, Rice Bubbles and muesli). Home Brand muesli bars are about $1.69 for six ($0.28c each) compared to around $0.11c each for these home-made ones. Uncle Toby's muesli bars cost between $0.40c and $0.49c per muesli bar.

Skint but stylish. That's how I like to think of my lifestyle, because it is such fun to live on the smell of an oily rag without anyone else knowing! Eighteen months ago, although in recovery from depression, I found myself many thousands of dollars in debt and with several accounts having been sent to collection agencies. I was also 31kg overweight and at risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. The excess weight (not to mention the stress!) was also making my arthritis worse. I was no longer able to work in my former profession and, as I was in my early sixties, I wasn't able to find other work and was on Centrelink (Social Security) benefits. I have since been transferred to the Age Pension. I knew I had to make some drastic changes, and pretty darn quickly too! I had just a few things going for me:

• My Visa card was a debit, not credit, card.

• My account was with a credit union, rather than a bank, and fees are much less.

• I was knowledgeable about nutrition.

• I was willing to face unpalatable facts about myself and make lifestyle changes.

With this small armoury, I prepared to do battle! The first thing I did was to sit down with all the paperwork, and list all the accounts, personal loans and the total. I nearly had a heart attack right there and then, but with the information, I was able to draw up a projected payments schedule. I contacted all the collection agencies and told them how much I proposed to pay each fortnight until all were paid. I did the same with private lenders. Nobody turned my proposal down; it really is true that, if you get in contact and show willingness, most lenders will give you time to pay. They would rather have their money than you in jail!

Step 2 was to organise payment of my electricity account by direct debit from my pension - what you never have, you never miss. Once the phone bill was paid off and reconnected, I did the same with that too. In all, my debt reduction program was going to be about $200 per fortnight, or roughly 34% of my pension and Centrelink allowances. Since my rent costs another 34%, the remaining 32% had to stretch to cover food, cleaning materials, clothing, pharmacy costs over the pharmacy allowance, fares for trips outside walking distance, presents, postage, life insurance and credit union fees (direct debit from my credit union account), occasional small charitable donations and the occasional small treat.

Step 3 was to go on to a sensible eating program (not a fad diet) that would help me to lose weight, bring my blood glucose and serum cholesterol levels into the normal range. A low GI, high carbohydrate, moderate protein, low-fat pattern fitted the bill in all respects. The challenge was: could I do it on $50-$75 per fortnight? The answer is yes! I make my own wholemeal bread, soups, skim milk yoghurt and lots of interesting dishes from many countries, based on grains and vegetable proteins, and stock up on tinned oily fish for essential fatty acids when on special. I have red meat and poultry only once or twice a fortnight and the rest of the time my proteins are derived from legumes, eggs and low-fat cheeses. It's just as well that I like oats! I drink two litres of water a day and make my own herbal teas from homegrown herbs. I don't buy soft drinks and buy leaf tea rather than tea bags, as it's better value per unit serving. I find whole fruit better all round than juice as a rule.

Step 4 was to get mobile! I walk, because I can't afford gym membership, and walking can be done by those who can't jog. Being out in the open air blows away the blues too. Having won a free pedometer, I wear it and try to reach 10,000 paces a day. I also started a vegetable garden and this saves me money where it counts, on vegetables, as well as being another source of fresh air and exercise.

Is it working? Is it what! In the last financial year I paid off $5000 in debts on the pension alone, and am on track to achieve the same amount this financial year. I lost 13kg in the same period - a nice, sustainable rate. My blood glucose level is normal, my serum cholesterol almost so, although because of familial hypercholesteraemia, I need some medication to help with that. I am continuing to lose weight slowly but surely and have much more endurance and less pain. My GP is nearly as stoked as I am. I take care of my clothes, believing that 'well-pressed is well-dressed', so my appearance doesn't give me away either. Occasionally I earn a little money from magazine contributions and this usually goes towards seeds or something else for the garden, but occasionally I restock the pantry with staples. I make my own cleaning products with such simple substances as vinegar, bi-carb of soda, washing soda crystals, soap scraps, eucalyptus oil and - wait for it - Worcestershire sauce (cleans brass and copper a treat, and one nearly always has it handy). I turn my appliances (apart from the fridge) off at the wall when not in use and have noticed a difference in my power usage. All my incandescent light bulbs have been replaced with long-life fluorescent ones, and by crafty use of acrylic-lined curtains I keep my house cooler in summer and warmer in winter. I pile on the clothing layers in winter and wear cool clothing in summer. If I'm watching TV in the winter, I cover my legs with a woollen rug and put on another cardigan if necessary, rather than turn up the heater.

Because I can't afford much for presents, I give of myself. A nice present is a 'book of vouchers', made attractively and containing such redeemable coupons as: 'This voucher is good for two hours' ironing... or an evening's baby-sitting... or... whatever!' Very few people say no to home-made goodies either. It makes me feel truly wealthy to give someone a loaf of bread still warm and fragrant from the oven, or a jar of chutney.

I am saving around $100 a month on my grocery bills, thanks to a few simple changes to our family meals. I wanted to reduce our food bill and after some thought came up with the idea of making two nights per week a '$2 Dinner Night'. For example, one night we will have something like toasted baked bean sandwiches or stuffed baked potatoes; the other I use up all the leftover vegetables in the fridge to make a self-crusting quiche. This reduces the amount of food we waste and the kids love it. Even the simplest meals can be delicious and filling and the savings we are making from our twice-weekly $2 dinners are well worth it!

This simple bill payment system lets you take a holiday from paying bills at Christmas time.

Every time I receive a bill, I pay $10 more than the amount required. For example, if the monthly phone bill is $50, I pay $60. This has worked really well for me, and come December I am able to stop the phone, internet, power and rates payments. I use this money for Christmas gifts, safe in the knowledge that my bills are covered.

I’ve saved countless dollars on expensive gourmet ice cream by getting creative with the cheaper varieties. My kids love it when I buy them what they call 'special' ice creams. These are the expensive varieties that come in exotic flavours and cost between $7.00 and $9.00 for a two-litre tub! Needless to say, they really are a rare treat. However, during the school holidays, my kids and I became gourmet ice cream chefs! Using a four-litre tub of Home Brand vanilla ice cream (that cost $4.59), we scooped it out of the tub and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes. Then we mixed green food colouring, a couple of drops of peppermint essence and some chocolate chips into the softened ice cream to create our very own Mint Choc Chip flavour! We placed it in an airtight container and popped it back in the freezer to enjoy later. The kids were so excited to have made their own special ice cream that we have since concocted many different ‘gourmet’ flavours just by adding ingredients from the pantry.

My husband and I have finally found the key to successful saving! The two of us are dreadful savers; while we're good at putting spare change in a jar, we don't know what to do with it once the jar is full! We thought a saving thermometer would be helpful, but wanted something that wouldn't be so obvious when people came over to visit. So we came up with a more subtle brainwave - a jigsaw puzzle!

We bought a jigsaw of what we wanted (a house) and assigned a dollar amount to every piece. Now we 'buy' pieces of the jigsaw puzzle, the money goes in our jar and we bank the money once a month. We even set up challenges for ourselves, such as who 'buys' the most pieces in a month, and we never have to worry about what to buy each other for presents - we buy pieces of the puzzle of course! Once we've completed the puzzle we're going to hang it on the wall - of our new house!

I can make four litres of handwashing gel soap for under $1.00! To make your own liquid gel soap, grate a bar of Sunlight or generic laundry soap into a two litre ice cream container. Pour boiling water to half fill the container and mix to dissolve the soap. Carefully fill to the top with boiling water and mix well. Pour half the mixture into another two litre container and top up both with boiling water again. The gel is very thick once it sets, but a good consistency for its purpose. Store in the two litre containers and refill pump bottles as needed. One pump is all it needs to clean your hands and can even wash dirty dishes if you squirt into the sink!