Here are 3 "System: 2019" tips.
April 2019 - Simple Savings Newsletter
Simple Savings Newsletter - April 2019
- When the Path Is Blocked
- Lower Your Food Bill With Wicking Beds
- Competition Winners: Save-O-Meter
- New Competition: What Would You Plant?
Hi,
How are you doing? I hope you are well. Before we go any further; thank you for your support, your patience and your kindness. Sometimes being a mum and being a business woman is bloody hard. Thank you for sticking with us through our ups and downs. I'm very sorry we didn't send a newsletter in March, and April's newsletter arrived in May.
This month my family did something really cool: They helped me build two IBC wicking garden beds. If you would like to grow vegies but it always seemed too hard, you are going to love this newsletter!
All the best,
Fiona
When the Path Is Blocked
Our planner theme for March was 'Get Moving' and I had great plans. Not far from the dojo where my kids do karate is the Buderim Rainforest Park. It is beautiful. My goal for 'Get Moving Month' was to run this path four times a week while my kids were at Karate.
Sadly, this was not to be. The path is being upgraded:
So instead, I started gardening...
Lower Your Food Bill With Wicking Beds
Many years ago when life started throwing us curve balls, we let our garden die. The only produce coming out of our yard for the last few years has been edible weeds.
Edible weeds are food plants that keep producing even when neglected. They grow and grow and grow like weeds. In our yard, these are bananas, mulberries, paw paw, comfrey, pumpkins and cherry tomatoes.
While edible weeds are tasty, they aren't enough to make a dent in our food bill. It was time to turn that around and morph our neglected, weed filled yard into an oasis of free food.
Our first step towards this oasis was to build two 1x1m wicking beds.
What is a wicking bed?
Wicking beds are sort of like really big, self-watering plant pots. They have a large reservoir of water and gravel in the bottom. The water wicks up through the gravel to the soil, creating a perfect growing environment for thirsty plants and healthy soil.
This drawing from Little Veggie Patch shows how they work.
They are a simple way to create an oasis of vegies. The cheapest way to make one is with recycled intermediate bulk containers (IBC). IBCs are used to transport chemicals and food by farmers and manufacturers. When they are empty they are disposed or recycled.
IBCs are popular for re-use as wicking beds, aquaponic systems and small water tanks. Even if you've never heard of them, you've almost certainly seen one:
Buying an IBC
Many people recommend buying your IBC on Gumtree or Facebook. The cost ranges from free to about $180. This depends on what was stored in the IBC, the ease of cleaning it, and and why it's being sold.
The first rule for buying an IBC is to ask what was stored in it and how easy it will be to clean. If the container was used to store hazardous or difficult to clean chemicals, don't buy it.
You can find a good deal on second hand IBCs on Gumtree or Facebook, but I found it was easier to ring around some local factories. I found one who sells their old IBCs for $60.
IBC Wicking Bed How-to Videos
Here are two good videos showing how to build IBC wicking beds. The first is by our beloved Rob Bob. The second by Sophie from Gardening Australia. These videos are a great place to start.
What We Did
Step 1: Choose your spot and level it.
Your wicking bed needs to be fairly level. Choose a sunny spot and level it. An IBC is pallet-sized, so a pair of 1.2m square areas is about right (one IBC is cut in half to make two beds.)
Step 2: Go shopping
Here is a list of everything we bought for our new wicking beds. We were building our vegie garden from scratch so our expenses are a bit high.
Making the wicking beds:
| 1 | IBC | $60 |
| 1 roll | Weed mat (1.8 x 5m) | $9.97 |
| 10m | 50mm ag pipe (plenty spare for a few more beds) | $18.45 |
| 2 | 15mm tank outlets to go through side of IBC | $7.60 |
| 2 | Grey water hose adaptor | $8.80 |
| 2 | Threaded to barbed elbows from tank outlet to overflow/sight tubes | $2.90 |
| 2 | 19mm barbed polypipe elbows for fill tubes | $3.40 |
| 1 | Length of 19mm clear PVC tube for overflow/sight tubes | $7.90 |
| 2 | Grey water hose adaptors | $8.80 |
| Subtotal: | $127.82 |
Filling the beds:
| 1 | ½m3 5-7 mm screenings | $40 |
| 1 | ½m3 soil mixed by nursery; 30% compost, 70% loam | $40 |
| 1 | 1 Litre Grow organic fertiliser/microrobes | $15.95 |
| 1 | Dr Worms 500 live worms | $30.00 |
| 1 | Sugar Cane Mulch | $12.00 |
| Subtotal: | $137.95 |
Planting the beds:
| 1 | Gourmet 4 cell | $4.69 |
| 1 | Sugar Snap Dwarf Seedlings | $2.99 |
| 1 | Coriander Seedlings | $2.99 |
| 1 | Capsicum | $2.99 |
| 1 | Basil Seedlings | $2.99 |
| 1 | Tomato Cherry | $2.99 |
| 1 | Beetroot Crimson Seeds | $2.90 |
| 1 | Snow pea Seeds | $4.63 |
| 1 | Silverbeet rainbow | $2.99 |
| Subtotal: | $30.16 |
Step 3: Cutting the IBC
Separate the cage from the tank by unscrewing the cage and pulling them apart.
Mark the half way point with a marker and electrical tape.
Use a saw to cut the tank and an angle grinder to cut the cage.
Hammer the cut ends of the cage flat. These will be stuck into the ground.
Place the container and cage in position. Then install the plumbing...
Step 4: The plumbing
Here you can see the fill tube and the overflow pipe.
The fill tube is a vertical piece of polypipe with an elbow to another piece which is fed into a 1 metre length of ag pipe. It's just sitting in the ag pipe, not in any kind of adaptor or fitting. The purpose is to allow the incoming water to disperse faster. It can accept a fast-running hose in the top and not have water backing up out of the fill tube.
The overflow pipe is a length of 50mm ag drain with the end stuffed with some weed mat (because caps are absurdly expensive for a little piece of plastic).
A tank outlet goes through a hole drilled in the side of the bed near the bottom. The ag pipe is connected to this with a 50 -> 25mm 'grey water adaptor', chosen because it happens to be a snug push-fit onto the tank outlet. These are all just pushed together then buried carefully in gravel so the gravel holds them. All of the ag pipe is laid flat along the bottom of the tank.
Here is how it looks from the outside before we add the elbow and clear pipe.
Then the outlet receives an elbow and a short piece of clear tube. This tube should be a bit over half the height of the bed initially, but is later trimmed so it sets the water level exactly right for the level of gravel in the bed.
There is more detail about this in the links further down. This level is crucial, as it decides whether or not the wicking bed works properly, and it prevents the bed flooding (killing all your plants) when it get too much water, such as during heavy rain.
Next we added ½ cubic metre of screening 7mm or under. Do not use aggregate larger than 7mm. For more info about that, read this article.
Then level out the gravel. Fill it with water up to almost the gravel level, then walk around in there and pack the gravel down until it is exactly at the water level all around. Compacting the gravel and then trimming the overflow tube is how you accurately set the water level.
Add woven weed mat.
Fill with soil.
Add mulch, and it's ready for planting!
References:
How to Make a Wicking Bed - We mostly followed this system, but we're using two IBC halves instead of raised timber-framed garden beds.
Water-Right is Colin Austin's site. Colin is the man who started the whole wicking bed thing.
Competition Winners: Save-O-Meter
The winners from our 'Criticise and Win' competition are Lyndall, Natasha, Alessandra and Corajean. Each have won $50
Thank you to everyone who sent in suggestions. The Save-O-Meter has some upgrades in its future!
I think the Save-O-Meter looks amazing at first glance and would really inspire people because it puts a concrete dollar value on the savings achievement, which is very satisfying, and allows you to track how you're going. It could be improved by adding functions to allow you to compare different time periods and/or place it in a visual graph against a target to see how close you are to your goal.
However, the biggest problem I see is how to actually define what counts as a 'saving' - as in, how strongly do you have to intend to buy something before 'not buying it' can count? Obviously, if I walk past a car dealer and have a fleeting thought about buying a new car, it would be too easy and meaningless to add the price of a new car into my Save-O-Meter just because I resisted the temptation to buy. As extreme as it sounds, that is one of the reasons it wouldn't work for me because I make a habit of almost never buying groceries when they're not on special or at a good price so it's hard to tell how much I 'save' if I rarely buy full price.
For people who don't have these kinds of habits, I think it's a great first step to creating thrifty practices. In order for the Save-O-Meter to be more meaningful, perhaps the criteria needs to be something like: you can only count savings against already-established practices, e.g. you cancelled an existing subscription or switched to a cheaper brand of something you regularly buy.
Natasha
I don't think this really reflects your saving, because, lets be honest, you wouldn't really have gone out and spent all that money ie buying books. As exciting as it is to see how much you saved, it would be easy to save more than you actually earn as it's not realistic.
Lyndall
I would like to know "more"! So when someone say they saved money by making a weekly snack OR with Supermarket Savings, I'd like to know more details. Perhaps under the name you could add a "more" button to click on and read a short explanation of how they achieved this win.
Alessandra
Great to save BUT it needs to be 'What I Spent' rather than 'What I Saved.' You need to have an idea of what it should cost per week - ideally for a family the size of yours and keep within that amount.You could go way over budget by arguing that you "saved" so much but it cost you more than it should. Love your site and follow every month
Corajean
New Competition: What Would You Plant?
You have seen our new wicking beds. If those wicking beds were yours, what would you plant in them and why?
We are awarding four prizes of $50.
Send your answers to competitions@simplesavings.com.au by May 31st to be in the competition.
Updated Soap Recipe
After our last newsletter, some more experienced soap makers helped improve my novice recipe.
That's all for now!
I hope we've inspired you to have a go at growing some of your vegies. As always, stay in touch and tell us how you're going.
All the best,
Fiona
January 2019 - Simple Savings Newsletter
Simple Savings Newsletter - January 2019
- Save $10,000 in 12 Months
- Do You Have 'Poor Habits'?
- How Much Will You Save by Changing Just ONE Habit?
- Your 12 Month Habit Changer is HERE
- The Save-O-Meter is BACK, Baby!
- Competition Winners: Inspiring Wealthy Habits
- New Competition: Get Growing
- Best Gluten Free Bread Ever!
Happy New Year!
2019 is going to be a great year, I'm really looking forward to it!
Let's get straight into it!
Fiona
1. Save $10,000 in 12 Months
Yes, you read right! We challenge you to save $10,000 in the next 12 months by swapping your wasteful 'poor habits' for clever, frugal 'wealthy habits'.
Before you dismiss that as being impossible, first have a look at the numbers and our list of poor habits. These are some of the possible savings you can make by switching from poor habits to wealthy ones.
Habit Savings
| Poor Habit | Cost | Wealthy Habit | Cost | Week | Year | 10 Year |
| Buying meat | $50 | Becoming Flexitarian | $10 | $40 | $2,080 | $20,800 |
| Over fuel budget | $30 | Car pooling | $15 | $15 | $780 | $7,800 |
| Kmart addiction | $23 | Visiting Garage sales | $5 | $18 | $936 | $9,360 |
| Buying lunch | $80 | Making food at home | $20 | $60 | $3,120 | $31,200 |
| Drinking alcohol | $80 | Not drinking | $0 | $80 | $4,160 | $41,600 |
| Smoking (3 packs/wk) | $96 | Not smoking | $0 | $96 | $4,992 | $49,920 |
| Ready made groceries | $180 | Food from scratch | $90 | $90 | $4,680 | $46,800 |
| Takeaway once a week | $30 | 'Leftover night' | $0 | $30 | $1,560 | $15,600 |
| Pokies | $40 | Candy Crush | $0 | $40 | $2,080 | $20,800 |
| All clothing brand new | $40 | Clothes from Op Shop | $10 | $30 | $1,560 | $15,600 |
| Buying coffees at work | $40 | Box of coffee bags | $7 | $33 | $1,716 | $17,160 |
| 3 bottles of wine a week | $30 | 1 bottle on Friday | $10 | $20 | $1,040 | $10,400 |
| Buying fresh milk | $15 | Using powdered milk | $4 | $11 | $572 | $5,720 |
| Drinking Coke | $14 | Drinking water | $0 | $14 | $728 | $7,280 |
| Total savings | $577 | $30,004 | $300,040 | |||
Good grief, how quickly do those numbers add up? And we've only listed 14 of countless poor habits. But, no worries. We have made a second list! This one is FULL of them.
2. Do You Have 'Poor Habits'?
There's an easy way to find out - simply click here to download our list! We've made it a free printable resource, to help keep you on track all year round.
3. How Much Will You Save by Changing Just ONE Habit?
What sort of difference would changing one habit make to your life? The answer may blow your mind. To give you an idea, we have made a free printable for you to work out how much money you can save:
Full members get the full package!
Our entire Wealthy Habits program is available to paid members. If you aren't yet a full member it costs just $21 a year to become one and you can save much, much more. You can upgrade your membership here.
4. Your 12 Month Habit Changer is HERE
Here at Simple Savings, we really do want our members to be happy. That's why we have a 365 day refund policy. So if you aren't sure whether or not you are going to like the program, you can become a paid member and download the full version. If you don't like it, simply ask for your money back. How easy is that? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
5. The Save-O-Meter is BACK, Baby!
Do you remember our beloved Save-O-Meter? Members used to use this feature to track their saving successes. As well as keeping track of your individual saving, it also added up everyone's collective saving. Together, we saved an astounding 46 MILLION DOLLARS in the few years it was running.
The great news is, it's back! Better still it's absolutely free to enter in your savings as they happen, all year round. No personal information is required, only the savings you make for your own satisfaction and to share the joy with others. So pop over, check it out and have fun saving with us!
6. Competition Winners: Inspiring Wealthy Habits
Last month's entries for our 'Inspiring Others to Adopt Wealthy Habits' competition were fantastic. So good in fact, we had to increase the number of prize winners! Here are our five favourites:
A whole day's work for just one meal
'My husband is a spender, but I am a saver. To curb his wasteful spending I suggested he think about how many hours he would have to work to earn the money he wanted to spend. For example, if he wanted to take our family of five out to dinner, that would cost about $100 to $120 at our local club, which is equal to approximately one day of work, just for one meal. That was a few years ago now and his spending habits have changed dramatically. He no longer wants to frivolously spend money he worked so hard to earn and has become a real bargain hunter!'
Contributed by: Jacquelene P.
Let your spending reflect your values
'The best piece of advice I was given is to ask "Is this in line with my values? Is buying this what is important to me?" I find that asking myself this with all my purchases and expenses means that I spend my money in a way that more accurately reflects who I am and what matters most to me in life. Therefore I am less likely to get hooked into brand names, or cosmetics, or fashion, or trends, or mindless spending because these things do not matter to me. Removing the spending that doesn't fit with our values gives us the freedom to put money into the things that mean the most. In turn this increases our joy and sense of fulfillment in life.
It's all about choice - and the choice is yours
The advice I would give to someone who is wanting to save but is extravagant is to say "You get to choose. It's your money, and you get to decide what's important to you. If these habits such as buying new clothes and eating out each week, fine, spend on them. But if they aren't what you really want; if there are things that are more important to you, then it's your choice. When you spend money in one area of your life, you are choosing not to allocate it to another. If you are choosing to live beyond your means, then you are choosing debt. It's up to you."
I am all about choice, and freedom. I know I can choose to spend my money on things that won't last and won't ultimately bring me happiness. They may even bring misery (debt) or regret, or I can choose to spend on things that enhance my life, and the lives of others and bring peace of mind and joy. It's all about choice'.
Contributed by: Nicki C
How much is your time REALLY worth?
'There are two things people have said to me, which have helped me to change my mindset around spending. The first was to consider my hourly wage when making a purchase. To ask myself how much time I would be paying for this item, and if I would really be prepared to work that amount of time simply for whatever I was about to purchase - or look for a more cost effective alternative.
The second tip applies to clothing. I try to keep a wardrobe of clothes that I love, and to only buy new clothes to replace those that have been worn out. I was told when purchasing clothes to consider the cost in the amount of time worn. If I imagined that I was hiring the item and had to pay per use, the total cost of hiring the item each time would be the cost of purchasing it. As a result, I allow myself to look for higher quality (and perhaps more expensive) clothing which are staples and are worn daily/very regularly, and to be much more careful when looking at "special occasion" clothing that may not be worn very often (as well as to make sure that I avoid any "fads" that will only be worn for a short time!).
Contributed by: Gillian Richardson
From daily coffee to early retirement
'That takeaway coffee you buy every day adds up. So does the bought lunch, that cute top you saw that was on special while you were in your lunch hour going for a walk, that extra drink after work - there are lots of things we do daily that eat up our money and make it disappear slowly through the week. If we only think about every dollar we save as money we don't have to work for!
When you write down every cent you spend you can soon see where your wages go. Just imagine all that money redirected into your home loan instead of being frittered away - it could amount to thousands and enable you to pay your debt off quicker. Every dollar saved is like $1.30 after tax in your pocket - and that could even mean earlier retirement, yay!'
Contributed by: Emma K
What IS your goal? Make sure you know!
My advice to others to help with their savings goals is to actually HAVE a goal. It can be as big or as small as you want, but if you have a goal and a direction it will give you purpose and is easier to work out a plan. I find it also helps to make that goal visual. Write it down. Put it up on the wall. Fill in a savings tracker, whatever. Anything you can do to see your progress as you go!
Contributed by: Salli M.
7. New Competition: Get Growing
February is get Growing Month and we are challenging readers to invest in themselves. Some examples of the kind of self-improvement goals we have in mind are:
- Easy: Borrow/buy and read a self-help book and do the work contained in it. (that last part is the tricky bit!)
- Moderate: Enrol in a short course online or at a local vocational college and pick up a skill you've always wanted
- Difficult: Enrol in a diploma or degree qualification in a field you'd like to get into
This month's competition is to inspire others to Get Growing. Tell us about something you've done to improve yourself, and inspire others to follow in your footsteps. What did you do? What did it take, and what impact has it had on your life?
We have four prizes of $50 to award for the winning entries. To enter, send us your entries by January 26th. Email your entries to: competitions@simplesavings.com.au
8. Best Gluten Free Bread Ever!
A couple of months ago, when I mentioned I had found a way to make gluten free bread for $2.40 per kilo, many members wrote in asking for the recipe. Before we get started, I'm going to tell you some of the pros and cons about this recipe.
The good things are:
- Taste. It tastes divine. This is my kids' favourite gluten free bread, better than store bought
- Size. It makes a big enough loaf to make a Breville toastie
- Satisfying. It feels like a real slice of bread
- Texture. Soft enough to wrap around a sausage
The not-quite-so-good things are:
- Equipment. You will need to buy new bread tins
- Time. Making this delicious bread takes a good part out of your day. Twenty minutes to make and mix dough, two hours for the dough to rise, two hours in the oven, two hours to cool before slicing.
The recipe we use originally came from Quirky Cooking and Artisan Bread in Five
While I really liked the taste of their recipe, it was inefficient. I didn't want to spend any more time cooking than necessary. And, I wanted big slices of bread. Big enough to make a jaffle.
The first problem I had was finding a deep loaf tin. Gluten free bread does not rise the same way regular bread does.
If you want big slices of GF bread, I recommend you invest in two GF bread tins. Mine cost around $25 each.
If you are using a Thermomix, make two batches of dough following Quirky Cooking's method.
If you are using regular cooking methods, make two batches of dough using Bread in Five's recipe.
Once your bread has risen, turn your oven on to 200C and place the dough into your lined loaf tins.
Let the dough rise again till the oven is heated, then cook the bread for two hours.
Remove the bread from the oven and trim the edges to remove it from the GF loaf tin.
Let the bread cool completely before cutting it into very thin slices. I usually store the slices in four containers. The first we eat and the other three go in the freezer.
Ta-daa! You have two beautiful GF loaves.
That's all for now!
I hope you're looking forward to 2019 as much as I am. Stay in touch and let us know what inspirational things you have planned for the year.
All the best,
Fiona
February 2019 - Simple Savings Newsletter
>> Get Growing in February! <<
Simple Savings Newsletter - February 2019
- Growing Online
- How to Make Soap at Home
- Recipe: Lazy 'Everything at Once' Soap
- Save-O-Meter: Watching Your Savings Grow
- New Competition: Criticise and Win $50
- Competition Winners: Inspiring Others
- New: Tools and Downloads Area
- Learning With the Lippeys
Hi,
I hope you have been having a fantastic February; learning new things and growing your brain. We have taken "Grow Your Brain" month seriously in the Lippey household and February has been filled with lessons from library books, online videos and articles and offline workshops. We have learned how to make soap, improve the Save-O-Meter, edit video, and we've discovered lots of ways Simple Savings members have been improving themselves.
Keep up the great work! Remember to stay in touch and tell us what you've been up to.
Many grins,
Fiona
1. Growing Online
My kids will tell you the best part of the internet is the games. For me it is learning new things.
I love how easy it is to learn online.
Two months ago I had no idea how to make soap. None!! Soap was this magical thing that appeared in the shops. The trouble is my kids have super sensitive, 'peel off in large chunks' skin and we live in the bacteria-laden sub-tropics. This means we need hypoallergenic, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial soap, which is really expensive.
So I hopped on to Google, checked out a few recipes and watched some YouTube videos to learn the basics of soap making. From there I created my own soap recipe from cosmetic grade macadamia oil, olive oil, neem oil and caustic soda.
The results were brilliant. It is the best soap I have ever used. It cleans, moisturises, disinfects and kills fungus.
With the help of YouTube, online blogs and my local library I have learned how to make a 1.4kg batch of incredible soap in an hour, which is fantastic. The best part, though, is what I found after doing some more research. I discovered soap similar to mine sells for $89.95 per kilo. This means the retail value of my hand made soap is about $125. Yet I had only spent $21 on ingredients. This means I had saved myself $104 making soap. How brilliant is that?
2. How to Make Soap at Home
If you would like to learn how to make soap watch this series of videos from Liz from Night Owl Crafts. In it she will show you everything you need to know to make hot or cold process soap.
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oN7KuRcmqY
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRX3BB-4ER0
In Liz's video she talks about Hot Process and Cold Process soaps. Here are the advantages and disadvantages I found with each method.
Cold Process
- Easier to make. You only need to raise the temperature to 40 degrees, stir it together and pour into the mould
- Good for beginners
- It is easier to pour into moulds because it is runny
- Soap must sit for 6-8 weeks before you can use it to allow the caustic soda and oil to turn to soap
- The effectiveness of essential oils is reduced as they interact with the caustic soda
Hot Process
- Takes about an hour to make
- It can be used the same day
- Essential oils are more effective because they are added after the caustic soda and oils have reacted with each other
- It is hard to stir because it sets
- It is hard to put in the mould
Let's move onto the soap recipe...
3. Recipe: Lazy 'Everything at Once' Soap
It is time for a confession: When it comes to beauty, I'm really lazy. I don't want to have to cleanse, rinse, scrub, rinse, moisturise and then oil my skin. I wanted a product that does all those things in one go. I also want it to kill all the germs, treat dandruff, tinea, thrush and BO at the same.
This soap recipe does all those things, which is why I call it my Lazy 'Everything at Once' soap.
Equipment
- Protective gloves
- Eye protection
- Slow cooker
- Stick blender
- Stainless steel mixing spoon
- Candy thermometer
- Scales
- Glass jug
WARNING!! The caustic soda is dangerous. Do not get it on your skin. Wear eye protection and gloves. Work in a well ventilated area.
Ingredients
- 120g Caustic Soda (Lye) from Bunnings
- 750g Cosmetic grade macadamia oil
- 260ml Distilled water
- 200g olive oil
- 50 drops neem oil
Put on your gloves, eye protection and a long sleeve shirt.
Then take the caustic soda and water to a well ventilated, pet and child free area.
The order you do this is important: Do not pour water into the caustic soda! Mix the caustic soda and water in a glass jug by slowly adding the caustic soda to the water while you stir. It will froth and heat itself up.
Let it cool down while you prepare other things.
Put all oil in a slow cooker and heat it to 40 degrees.
Pour the caustic soda into the oil. Mix with a stick blender.
Put the slow cooker on low and stir with a wooden spoon every ten minutes.
When the soap has thickened how long?, stir in the neem oil.
Place soap in moulds and leave overnight.
Empty soap from moulds.
Cut up soap.
Store it in a sealed container.
4. Save-O-Meter: Watching Your Savings Grow
When you have been frugal for a long time it is easy to take your savings for granted. It is easy to forget that when you are saving money you are doing something AMAZING!! That is why I love the Save-O-Meter.
The Save-O-Meter reminds me that my decisions - learn how to make soap; make school lunches instead of buying them; learn how to film and edit our own videos; mend and keep instead of throwing and buying; learn how to cut our own hair; shop at the factory outlet instead of the supermarket; and cook instead of take away - all make a difference. It reminds me these little savings are valuable and I am valuable.
It does this by adding up every cent saved. Here are my savings I have recorded in the last month.
How cool are they?
Looking at my savings from the last month makes me feel fantastic. I hope this time next month you will be able to look at your Save-O-Meter results and say "Wow! The things I do make a difference!"
5. New Competition: Criticise and Win $50
This month we want you to criticise us. Really, I mean it. I want the Save-O-Meter to be brilliant! I want it to inspire, motivate and teach people how to save money. Not just frugal people, but spendthrifts as well and people who would like to lower their bills but don't know where to begin.
I want all this, but I designed the Save-O-Meter and I have stared at it for too long. I need fresh eyes to see the things we have missed. That is why this month we are giving away 4 prizes of $50 to people who send in the best criticism.
When I say criticism we are open to all types of criticism, such as:-
- I think it is crap because...
- I would never use it because...
- It really needs to be...
- You can improve it by...
Send your criticism to competitions@simplesavings.com.au by March 20th to be in the competition.
6. Competition Winners: Inspiring Others
This month we were blown away by members' fantastic stories. From Veronica who turned her life around after reading The $21 Challenge, to Alison who has been learning new languages, Melanie who has learned how to re-organised her whole home, Leah who started with a second hand book found while out walking and Jane who is completing entire courses online.
(This month we increased the number of prizes to five because these are all brilliant.)
$21 Challenge Led to Great Changes
I have learnt so much from Simple Savings book which I bought many years ago and continue to pick up and re-read at times.
Over the years we have made big savings on our gas, power, Sky TV, mobile phone, home phone and internet accounts, grocery purchases and rubbish collections to name a few.
In 2012 we were putting out a rubbish bag on a weekly basis, now we're lucky to put one out every four to five weeks and I am sure we could get that down to once every 6 weeks if we tried harder. We do recycling which has helped a lot plus I shred any papers for use in my compost bins of which I have 10.
We cancelled our subscriptions to newspapers - 2 a day, and have saved over $1000.00 per year. I stopped buying magazines on a regular basis. I used to get Lucky Break and That's Life delivered weekly to do the competitions and those two alone made a savings of $6.60 per week. Yearly that is a saving of $343.20. As well I also regularly bought some other magazines - NZ Gardener, Woman's Weekly, Australian Woman's Weekly to name a few. That also ceased from 2012. I then occasionally bought magazines, usually 3 for $15.00, to read when I was flying to Australia or back but I don't even do that now.
We have made a big dent in our grocery bill over the last 7 years going from spending $10,000 per year to $6,000 per year. I started a spreadsheet in which I write down everything we buy. It includes EVERYTHING for the house, not just edible stuff!! The year I started was the "wake up call". We changed our purchasing and made a special effort NOT to buy what I could make at home as in jams, relishes, sauces, dressings, pesto, biscuits, yoghurt, and occasionally bread. We have a vegetable garden so the produce was at my fingertips!! As well we made a conscious effort to eat out of the fridge, freezer and pantry and it was amazing how long we could survive without a trip to the supermarket. We now do this on a regular basis.
We have also made big savings with our power account going from $1,589 per year in 2012 to $433.20 after discounts and savings in 2018. We just became aware of what was using power and stopped using them - dryer, dishwasher, heated towel rails, and wall heaters. I also do a spreadsheet for the power we use on a daily basis and I am able to accurately work out our bill each month.
Sky TV has been clawed back by $700 by cancelling our sky box when we head away for five months and cancelling programmes we weren't using.
After retiring we had a major revamp of our landline phone, internet and mobile phones packages. The landline phone and internet package has been cancelled saving $89 per month. Now we pay $39 for our wifi per month and can stop it when we head overseas. The cost has gone from $1,736 in 2012 to $463 in 2018 and this year will be less again. I would expect 2019 to cost us $273
Our mobile phones went from being on account to using prepay and we wonder why we took so long to make the change as the savings are huge. We're not big mobile phone users so don't need lots of data, etc. We've clawed that back from $1,000 per year in 2012 to $400 in 2018. Again this year will be less as we change our plan regularly.
My vegetable garden for the last 2 years has cost nothing as I have saved up and converted Westpac Hotpoints, Flybuys points and Perceptive points into Mitre 10 and / or Warehouse vouchers to buy my gardening requirements.
Every little bit helps and we are continuing to try and make changes on a daily, monthly and yearly basis.
Learning A New Language
I have always enjoyed learning languages and one of my goals I set in my twenties was to learn more languages but I never got seriously stuck into this goal. I would dabble now and then but did not keep it up. Then in 2015 I started learning Spanish on a whim when it was offered by someone locally. At this time I realised that the internet has allowed language learning lovers to come together, to blog, to share information and provides free or cheap learning opportunities and dictionaries! Now it's easier than ever to learn a language!
Since 2015 I have continued a habit of regular study of the languages I am learning (Maori, New Zealand Sign Language, Spanish and Hindi). Learning languages opens your mind and world. It enables you to have new experiences and meet people you would otherwise not have met and allows you to become more patient and understanding of other people learning your own native language!
If learning a new language is on your mind, I highly recommend reading the blog 'Fluent in 3 months' and considering applying for 'The #add1challenge' which is a three month language learning challenge that keeps you accountable. There is a cost to this but a little cost can keep one motivated to complete the challenge! Italki is a free to join site where you can find exchange partners and tutors for many many languages. Youtube is awesome to get you started on pretty much any language you want. If a rare language native to your country is what you are hoping to learn, you might have to visit a local cultural centre or talk to the local people who speak that language to find out how to learn. I can guarantee that it is well worth the effort.
If you are an SS member, maybe you can start a forum thread to find other SS members growing themselves through language learning to hold each other accountable.
Enjoy your language learning journey!
*please note that I get no rewards and have no affiliations with the links I have provided.
Learning To Declutter
What and Why
Like most people, I and my family of four have too many possessions and we had reached the point where it was difficult to keep the house tidy due to the amount of clutter. Piles of random items - school bags, wet towels, water bottles, sunhats - would randomly sprout in (in)convenient places and it was rare to have a clear view of the skirting board in any room. Windowsills and any available horizontal spaces were littered with papers, empty snack packets, socks, you name it! Tired of this situation and faced with the opportunity of several child and husband free days, I planned a massive decluttering session.
How I Prepared
I started off by watching several Marie Kondo YouTube tutorials. Marie Kondo, or KonMarie, is a Japanese organization specialist who suggests that people use the question, 'Does this item spark joy?' when considering what to keep in your home. She has written several international bestsellers on organizing and decluttering homes, which will be available at your local library and which I had read previously. She advocates a specific way of folding clothing both to get full use out of your storage space and to easily see what you have available.
KonMarie suggests decluttering by 'type', ie if you want to streamline the amount of books you own, gather ALL your books, from all areas of the house where they may be found. This way, you can see what you are dealing with and gauge the size of the problem!
I also read a new book, 'Declutter Your Life: How Outer Order Leads to Inner Calm' by Gill Hasson, which discusses the physical and psychological barriers that can hold people back from streamlining their possessions. I didn't feel that any of this information applied to me; like most people, I am mainly time-poor, rather than holding on to items for sentimental reasons, but I am sure the information in this book will apply to some people.
In the days leading up to my free time, I made sure I had several cardboard boxes and a plan for the unwanted items. In my case, a friend wanted me to give her first dibs on any unwanted possessions and she would then pass on unwanted items to others or take to an op shop. This was ideal for me as she lives very close by and, each day, I was able to take items to her house to avoid 'stealth reclaiming' by my family, which is to be avoided at all costs!
Results
After a week of decluttering in bursts of up to a couple of hours at a time, I am seeing some serious results and enjoying the oasis of calm created by removing unwanted clutter. I have spent approximately 20 hours decluttering and I have:
- Filled a large recycling bin twice over (paper, card and plastic mainly)
- Filled 2 rubbish bags with non-recyclable rubbish (hair encrusted 'slime' anyone?)
- Passed on to the friend 5 large bags and 4 large boxes of unwanted items, from clothes to games, DVDs, music, kitchen items, etc. She and her children have been delighted to receive new or hardly-worn items of clothing, lunch boxes, kitchen utensils, etc, that they can put to good use.
Tips for Decluttering
Make a list of the priority areas that are bothering you that you want to declutter. Start with these, ideally at a time when you can avoid distractions. Take before and after photos! You will reach a point, mid-decluttering session, when you are knee-deep in one hell of a mess. It's important that you only take on what you have the time and energy to finish in one session. Depending on what you have in your house, you may wish to assign boxes and bags as:
- Rubbish (bin at the end of each session)
- Recycle (put in recycling bins/stations at the end of each session)
- Return (to whoever it belongs to, or relocate to another part of the house at the end of each session, where possible. Put items that need to be returned to other people/organisations by your front door or in your car to remind you to do it)
- Sell (store these items away from prying eyes and make a time in your diary to list items for sale)
- Give away/op shop (action asap)
- Clean/fix/mend/replace batteries (attempt to resolve these items before you start your next decluttering session)
At the end of each decluttering session, cross the area off your list, give yourself a big pat on the back, make a cup of tea and be sure to skite (brag) to your friends! They will be impressed and encourage you to continue.
Ideally, in a family situation, you would include other family members and I did for items that belonged to them or their own spaces. For general household and kitchen purposes though, as the chief cook and bottle-washer (not the mention the person who mainly keeps things tidy), I just made executive decisions. I doubt that anyone will actually miss what I've decluttered as, by its nature, most possessions were stuffed in cupboards or drawers so hardly top of mind.
For a quick declutter, when you only have 5-10 minutes, clear and wipe down windowsills, counters or tabletops, for an instant calming result.
Going Forward
From this point, I am going to be very vigilant about what comes into the house, to avoid a slow return to our previous situation. I have also set up periodic diary reminders to declutter certain items, eg kids shoes and clothes, DVDs and games and books every school term or so.
Decluttering, especially with kids in the house, is an ongoing exercise and, luckily, something I'm usually itching to do along with spring cleaning so there will be a natural continuation of what I've started from this point.
I keep forgetting to take 'before' and 'after' photos but have attached some from when I remembered!
Happy Decluttering!
Before
After
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After
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After
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After
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After
Op Shop Inspiration
Last year I was out for my daily walk (aka free, easy, quick exercise), and I suddenly had a thought "what I really need is somebody to tell me how to live my life, like a general set of instructions/coaching for my entire life, that doesn't cost me hundreds of dollars per session."
I walked past a local op shop that had a free book bin outside. I had a quick glance and found three self-help books. Two of these, The Winners Bible and If It's Going To Be It's Up To Me, are books filled with an incredible amount of information which can be applied to anyone and any area of your life. I couldn't believe it. I walked home filled with excitement and planned to read a paragraph or two of one of these books every day. It's a whole year later and I am nearly at the end of If It's Going To Be It's Up To Me. I have grown and changed in so many ways, and I managed to fit in a big overseas trip which I previously thought I'd never be able to do because I wouldn't be able to afford it.
I would encourage anyone on a budget to look around at op shops for books that will help you change your life. Aside from the books mentioned previously, I have also found books about finances, running a business, relationships, and more.
Massive Online Open Courses
I have found one of the best ways to keep on learning and growing is by taking MOOCs (massive open online courses). With MOOCs you can travel around the world and visit some of the best universities without having to leave your home, or spend a single cent!
I've taken courses on happiness, brain health, learning to learn, nutrition and mindfulness. These courses have completely changed the way I think and live.
I recently completed an online course on brain health and an online culinary course, both of which were life changing. The online culinary course cost me US$10 per month (the first week was free). In 3 months, I learnt how to chop, cook pasta to perfection and cook confidently with a range of plants and whole-foods. This really was the best defence against buying expensive take-away. Eating out at restaurants has gone right down and my nutrient intake has gone way up!
Compared to going to university, MOOCs are incredibly cheap (and usually free).
You will find MOOCs on lots of different platforms (e.g. Coursera, Udacity and edX). But a word of warning: it's easy to get lost on these sites and it's hard to know what's good and what's not so good.
This is why I recommend jumping on a site called class-central.com. This gives you reviews on each MOOC and compares the different MOOCs.
You've also got Degreed. This site is pretty amazing. You type in the topic you want to learn about and Degreed will serve up some great articles, books, videos, courses and people based on your interests and learning habits.
So if you want to learn about a new topic, I encourage you to enter the world of MOOCs. Don't be scared. There is no passing or failing. All you need is a computer and an internet connection!
Here is what I have found helps me to study MOOCs:
- Setting aside a couple of hours every week to work through the content
- Being organised: Keeping my notes in a file and regularly reviewing my notes
- Making sure I apply what I learn (otherwise what's the point?!)
- Connecting with others who are taking the MOOCs
- Clearing away distractions and closing distracting sites (e.g. Facebook and email) when I am studying
7. New: Tools and Downloads Area
This month we redesigned the Tools and Downloads area. I hope you like it. If not, please write and tell us how you think we could improve it.
8. Learning With the Lippeys
We have been very busy growing this month. To help Jacqui with her 3D pen videos we went to a full day workshop at the Noosa Film Academy. The workshop was run by Academy Award Winning cinematographer Greg Huglin and it was incredible!
It is really unusual for someone as skilled as Greg to run well priced*, beginner workshops. Which made me wonder, 'What is the catch?' The catch is, when Greg moved to Australia, the Immigration Department made it a condition that Greg teaches others how to become Academy Award Winning Cinematographers. It is called a Distinguished Skills Visa and I would like to thank the Immigration Department for giving us the chance to learn from a master.
Jacqui was so inspired after the workshop she started working on her next video. Here it is..
If you would like to see how much Jacqui learned from a one day workshop with Greg, here is Jacqui's 'Before Workshop' video. We still have a lot to learn, but it is great to see the improvement from a one day workshop.
*Greg's wife, Andrea, arranges the workshops and she does discount for groups of 10 or more.
That's all for now!
"Get Moving" month begins tomorrow. What ways (or new ways) are you going to get moving in March? Let us know what you have planned.
All the best,
Fiona
