$21 Challenge

Here are 4 "$21 Challenge" tips.

A Dash of Soy and a Splash of Lemon

A Dash of Soy and a Splash of Lemon

My friend reckons you can fix pretty much anything with soy sauce or lemon juice. At first I thought he was quite possibly mad. Many times I would watch aghast as he liberally squeezed fresh lemon into all kinds of dishes I would never have dreamed of shaking one anywhere near! But the thing was, every time he added lemon to something, it turned out good. Better than good; in fact quite often sensational. And as I’ve watched him cook more and more I’ve had to admit to myself that he’s not mad after all; he just ‘gets’ food. As in, he understands its many different flavours and knows exactly what a dish needs to improve it. Eight times out of ten, it’s soy sauce or lemon; the other two it might be sweet chilli sauce or curry paste – but he always gets it right and these days I also find myself shaking the soy sauce bottle over many a saucepan or bowl and running out to the garden to pick a lemon! I have been so grateful for this knowledge over the past 12 months when both money and food have been particularly tight. No matter how little food I have had or how plain, I have learned how to make it taste special, even fantastic, with these few things. Sometimes all you need is one simple tip passed on from one person to another, to make a huge difference.

And it is tips like this and many thousands more I have learned from Simple Savings which have helped me through the toughest year of my life both financially and personally. This wonderful site and community has been my lifeline for almost ten years now – but never more so than this last year. I honestly can’t imagine what life would be like for the boys and I now without all the knowledge, skills, tips and recipes I have gained from the Vault and Forum over the years. The bank balance may not show it yet, but I feel our lives are extremely rich.

I wanted to be able to give something back as a thank you for all the support, advice and encouragement I have received from members during my first year as a solo mum. The following is a collection of recipes which have helped get me through meal times on many an occasion. Most of them I’ve had for years, some even since I was a small child but it’s only really now they are coming into their own and I am thankful for every one of them. Some are completely made up and I’m not sure if I’m doing you a favour by inflicting them on you but if you are brave enough to give them a go, please do, I would love to hear what you think! I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as my boys and I do but most of all, I hope that perhaps one day they may just help someone else the way they’ve helped me.

With much love and gratitude to you all,

Penny x

Click the attachment below to download the recipe book.

4 responses in the members' forum

The $21 Challenge

Welcome to the home of the $21 Challenge!

 

The $21 Challenge Book is now an eBook!

If you would like a copy of the eBook. Go to Amazon

What exactly IS the $21 Challenge?

In a nutshell, it is a one-week grocery slashing marathon where you can save a big pile of money, declutter your pantry and learn new skills all at the same time!

How does it work?

Simple! For one week you try as hard as you possibly can to stay out of the shops.  Instead of going out and doing your usual supermarket shop you have to stretch the food you already have in your cupboard, pantry, garden and freezer to stay within your $21 budget.

It is a fun way to save $300 in one week!

You see, the average household of four people spends $320 per week on food. By completing the $21 Challenge for just one week you will have an extra $300 in hand. This means if you do a $21 Challenge once a month in your household, you can save yourself $3600 in one year.

Can you do it? Absolutely!

We have already done all the hard work for you. All the information and inspiration you need to succeed is in this book.  Enjoy learning great new skills, time-saving tips, and ideas to turn leftovers into delicious new meals.

The first and second chapters are free.

To help you get started here are links to the first and second chapters of the $21 Challenge book.

First chapter

Second chapter

Sample pages from each chapter

To give you an idea of what is in the book here are sample pages from each chapter.

Sample pages

Printable Forms from the Book

The following PDF files are copies of the various pages in The $21 Challenge which you will need to write on. Download them and print as many copies as you need for your Challenge week.

Bulk biscuits recipe from page 176

For the full list of variations to the Bulk Biscuits recipe, see this page.

Penny's $21 Challenge Survival Guide

Can you feed YOUR family for a whole week with just $21? The Survival Guide contains tips and recipes to help you beat the $21 Challenge.

The $21 Challenge: Sample Chapters

You can download and read the first and second chapters of the $21 Challenge book here:

First chapter

Second chapter

To give you an idea of what is in the book here are sample pages from each chapter:

Sample pages