Slash your washing powder costs by using a tablespoon of washing powder in your machine instead of a scoop. It works just as well! My sister was learning about budgeting and the speaker mentioned that you could get the same wash results by using one flat tablespoon of washing powder as you could if you used a whole scoop. I decided to test this theory and found that even with a full load of washing this proved to be true. I buy a top brand washing powder that costs around $10 per two kilo box and it contains around 148 tablespoons. I used to go through a two kilo box of powder every four to six weeks when I was using a scoop. Generally I do a load of washing every second day, so using one tablespoon per wash, my box of washing powder should now last me nearly 10 months! Just changing this small habit will save me $90 every 10 months on washing powder!

Watching my 'non-Simple Savings' sister unpack her groceries this week made me realise how much my shopping habits have changed in the year since I discovered Simple Savings. I used to love supermarket shopping, wandering the aisles for hours, one of this, one of that.

Some products I just don't buy anymore include:

• Liquid handsoap - I now make my own (my first SS project from the Vault). Saves $40/year.

• Spray and cooking oil - I buy 4L of good olive oil on special for about $20 and use a refillable hand pumped spray container (from House, $15 - will last years). I used to buy cans of olive oil spray at about $3.50 each and by changing how I buy oil, I am saving $100 per year.

• Cleaning products - are now missing from my list - we use bi-carb and vinegar and other simple Vault tips.

• Dishwashing cleaner - has gone too. We use citric acid, which I normally keep for my yearly lemon cordial making.

• Soft drinks and cordials - are rarely bought now - we use juice as you would cordial, and have changed our habits in favour of water.

• Yoghurt - we make EasiYo using packets bought in bulk from GoldenGlow online. Saves about $150 a year.

• Eggs and vegies - in the back yard!

• Condensed milk, Yogo, cake and pancake mixes - we M.O.O. ('make our own') using Vault tips.

• Icypoles - M.O.O. using tinned fruit juice or other - search the Vault!

• Magazines - I never buy new, just pick up the free supermarket recipe brochures or occasionally buy some gardening ones from the op shop.

• Junk and pre-prepared foods - we buy a lot less in favour of having our own 'sausage roll make-athons' or other baking with the kids.

As well as noticing the presence of many of the above things in my sister's shopping, I also noticed she buys small quantities of lots of items I now buy in bulk. Each week she has to mentally or physically check if she 'needs another of...', where I buy large amounts from the supermarket and other cheaper sources - and then don't need to think about it again for at least six months. These types of products include:

Washing powder (I'll never buy less than 20kg, and with the Vault advice to reduce our amount per load, this is lasting ages!), teabags, coffee, shampoo, dog and chook food (from pet supplier every six months), ham and meats(buy large piece of ham and store in ham bag per Vault tip - saves at least $50 a year over my previous habit of buying little cute packets of 50g each), bacon (buy from ALDI and freeze), dishwashing powder (ALDI brand is MUCH cheaper than the Finish tablets we were using - saves us $150 a year at least. I buy 12 months supply on one of my ALDI runs), cheese (buy larger amounts less often and freeze if necessary), rice (10kg bag much cheaper), jelly crystals (I bought 5kg bag at IGA last week - makes 20 serves for same cost as three individual packets), tinned fruit, soup, tomatoes and other products (from SPC outlet), nappies, paper towel and toilet paper (I buy lots when on a fabulous special). Fruit and veg I buy from the greengrocer, the market or grow my own. Meat is from the butcher, chicken from the poultry shop and fish from the fishmonger once every three months.

I could go on for every grocery item - nearly everything has changed in 12 months. This is even without noting the savings from changing products - for example, I used to think myself very clever if I bought my Uncle Toby's quick oats on super special for $2.00 per kg box - until I discovered I can buy Home Brand, which I cannot fault, for $1.00 a kilo all the time. Same for most basic products.

With changes like these to my grocery shop and to our home loan, insurance, shopping habits and so on, Simple Savings has saved us thousands of dollars in our first year of membership. Our lifestyle has actually been RICHER since SS. I didn't set out to change my shopping habits - I just started by making handsoap and buying Home Brand porridge oats - but suddenly I have realised how large this change has been. If I see you at the supermarket with your milk, bread, 8 large packets of toilet paper, 6kg of the super special meat, 10kg of rice and three-litre containers of vinegar, I'll know you caught the bug too!

Christmas 2009 was the worst I ever had, having just separated from my husband. At almost 50 I found myself homeless with no money. On the 16th of December I found a share accommodation but had to borrow money from friends to pay for my bond and two weeks rent so that I could have a roof over my head. The only job I was able to do to keep me going was as a housekeeper, yet I could hardly pay for the petrol to get to work.

For four weeks, I avoided going to the shops. I am 90% vegetarian so decided to grow all the vegetables I like to eat at my rented home. I collected some seeds, seedlings and cuttings from friends and customers and decided to spend my last $10 for chicken wire to protect my homegrown herbs and vegetables from possums and bush turkeys. I am spending time tending my garden every day and I now have lettuces, beans, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, herbs and so on for salads and stir fries every day. I even have enough to give some to my friends and customers to thank them for helping me to stand on my own feet and living a healthy life. This week I only spent $16 for organic eggs, milk, a tin of pink salmon and a loaf of bread. These with my homegrown herbs and vegetables will give me a healthy diet for the whole week. I am saving heaps to pay my debts as fast as I can.

At soon-to-be-50 and with no savings, I bought The $21 Challenge book to challenge myself. I am so excited because I spent years of feeding a family of four and now I am alone I have absolute control of what I spend and what I put in my mouth. I feel liberated, I feel young and full of energy. Having less money in 2010 is more enjoyable than my stressful life in 2009!

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.

I have decided I want a house which I can clean in minutes and I don't want any more energy or money draining clutter that makes it harder to control. The more I have the harder it is to control and the more motivation I need to contain it. 'Less is more' is my new mantra! I am applying this principle to my finances as well - when I buy too much it is such a burden and I don't have the motivation to stay on top of all the bills. Therefore, less is more - more energy, more money and more happiness!

I am a young woman on a single income, paying off my homeloan. I know the amazing financial savings that are possible when you make extra payments of any size on a large loan. However, because I am on a low annual income I often find it very hard to find any spare cash after all the bills have been paid.

So for birthdays and Christmas, when my friends and family are seeking ideas for gifts to give me, instead of asking for things I don't really need, I ask them to deposit the amount that they would have spent on a gift straight on to my homeloan. I am very close with my friends and family and they understand my financial situation. They are only too happy to help me get ahead and hopefully one day own my own home. It is a gift that keeps giving and one I truly appreciate. I read recently that for every extra $1.00 you are able to pay against the principal of your homeloan you will save $2.00 in return and take years off your loan. The understanding and generosity of my friends will help save me tens of thousands in interest over the years.

We had the chance to travel overseas several years ago but had to save $1000 to make it happen. On one income with two small children it seemed impossible. Then I had the brainwave - I didn't have to save $1000, I had to save $1.00 a thousand times! This was so much easier - a generic brand product at the grocery store, a chocolate bar at the petrol station and so on, soon added up and the savings contributed to a great family holiday.

I have read heaps about menu planning but found it all just so overwhelming. Choosing a menu for a whole month seemed like a lot of hard work but I have found a way to help even the most disorganised person.

Starting on the first day of a new month, and using a calendar or diary, write down what you have for dinner each night of the month. You will soon see what meals you eat on a regular basis. You can then transfer this information to the next month in your calendar or diary, and there is your monthly menu plan!

I have finally convinced my three daughters that eating a healthy lunch, including sandwiches with salad, is not only good for them but tastes great too. However, soon after changing their lunch habits, I found that this method was taking a large chunk out of our budget.

Being a working mum, it was easier to stop at the supermarket on the way home and buy pre-packed salad ingredients, but I soon discovered it was adding around $55 to the weekly budget. Plus, buying cold meat to match everyone's tastes added another $40 per week. I decided it was time to cut down. After doing some homework looking for the best prices and quality, I now purchase a bag of carrots, a couple of fresh beetroot, some fresh bean sprouts and cucumbers and a variety of lettuce. I noticed that by purchasing these items late on Sunday afternoon, I can pick them up even cheaper.

I grate my own carrot, beetroot and cucumber, throw in the bean sprouts and store in the fridge in an airtight container. I tear up the lettuce leaves and mix together in a plastic shopping bag and store in the vegetable crisper where they stay fresh and crunchy all week. My salad ingredients now cost less than $10 per week and they last longer. Throw in a small portion of sundried tomatoes for my hubby and I add approx another $1.50 to my total.

Instead of buying cold meat from the supermarket deli, I now purchase a couple of extra chicken breast fillets from my Asian butchery for around $4.00; this is cheaper than ALDI or any other local fresh meat source. I cook and shred the chicken myself while tinned salmon and tuna add extra variety; a $0.69c tin of tuna covers two lunches when added to salad. I purchase mince when it is on special and make a large batch of meatballs, which are frozen and used over a period of weeks as another filling alternative. Another favourite is home cooked corn beef; rather than putting the leftovers in the fridge, I slice it thinly and freeze for another filling choice.

My three girls are now involved in the Sunday afternoon preparations. Whilst my eldest daughter is madly grating the salad items, I tear up the lettuce and my younger daughters have great fun mixing the meatball ingredients and rolling them ready to cook.

Our family of five is still eating yummy healthy lunches but for $70 to $75 a week less than before!
We also have the added bonus of spending time together while we prepare and my daughters are learning new skills too.

Over the past four years I have been fighting my way out of debt. I was left with a large amount of debt when my marriage ended and it seemed I would never find a way out, working nights to support myself and five children and trying to reduce the debt in some way. Then, instead of just reading Simple Savings I began implementing as much of it as I could. Along the way I found that things I previously thought were impossible are just every day now!

Two of my children have now left home and are independent and I have three daughters still living with me. I have found new ways to feed them and where once they would have baulked if I offered them home-made soup after school, they now eat it with relish. A home-made frappe was dessert last night and they were happy and satisfied with that. Fruit jellies, home-made scrolls and calzone along with the batch of cake and muffins or bikkies I make are average snacks and lunches. School lunch today was home-made soup with home-made pizza scrolls. It certainly took a while to change their views from believing that everything had to be store bought and chips were the afternoon snack.

I am now debt free and have savings - something I never thought I would have! Bulk toilet paper, bulk washing powder, skim milk powder, and bulk meat buys at a discount butcher and fruit from the growers has saved me a small fortune.

I recently moved in with my partner to his home with the girls and together we have been able to make more and more changes which once would have not been thought possible but with small steps we have cut out television unless it is a special documentary or one of the two shows per week we deem suitable. The girls now play outside or garden, or read and do homework after school instead of being glued to the 'box' and they haven't asked to play Nintendo for weeks now. Water or weak cordial is the staple drink, with the occasional juice for a treat.

I am now a stay at home mum and as long as I can feed this family, pay for petrol in my car and keep the girls clothed for under $500 per fortnight it will stay that way. I am working hard to make sure these dreams come true.

In reality there is no sacrifice - you just need to know what you want and aim for it every day.