Going vegetarian has saved all round

Going vegetarian has been a great move for me in every way. For me, it was an ethical decision as I no longer wanted to eat animals but as an added bonus I have found it saves a lot of money. Pasta sauces don't need meat; beans and lentils are just as tasty and filling and cost a fraction of the price of meat. These days I make all kinds of delicious vegetarian dishes such as pasta bakes quickly and easily, for less than $1!

Keep the straws from unwanted drink bottles

If you have a drink bottle with an internal straw, when the bottle cracks, leaks or dies, don't throw the straw out! Remove it from the bottle and keep it in your cutlery drawer for whenever you need a straw, or keep a couple in your bag for use when you're out. I keep three in a little cotton bag in my handbag for when we order a drink that would normally come with a disposable straw (milkshakes, iced coffees, spiders, soft drinks). After use, I just give the straw a quick rinse in the restroom sink, or wrap in a serviette, and give a good wash when I get home. A simple way to reduce waste and help the planet!

Make your own chicken nuggets

Follow Jamie Oliver's example and make your own chicken nuggets - it's healthier and cheaper! We used to buy the cheap brands of chicken nuggets but after realising how much of their content was fat/skin/fillers and other unmentionables, we switched to only buying breast nuggets or pieces. However, this soon proved really expensive and they often still have fillers. So I came up with a better way and found this home-made version is much tastier too!

Buy chicken breast fillets or tenderloins on special - I usually get them for between $9 and $10 a kilo. If using breast fillets, slice them into smaller and thinner pieces. Remove the tenderloin as one piece, then fillet the chicken into similar sized bits. Dip them in melted butter, then roll in breadcrumbs (press on firmly). I often use hot and spicy breadcrumbs, or stuffing mixes to add more flavour to the crumbs, but you can just use leftover stale bread crumbed in the food processor and save even more money! Layer the chicken in baking paper, then cover in plastic and freeze until frozen. Remove and separate into ziplock bags or suitable storage container.

When ready to cook, place in preheated oven and bake at approximately 200°C for half an hour, depending on the size of the pieces. Small boxes of prepared commercial fillet pieces/tenderloins cost approximately $7.00 for as little as 400g. In comparison, a one-kilo batch for $10 makes at least three times that amount - and without any junk fillers, additives and skin!

Manual helps home and budget run like clockwork

I am a busy mum of two and my home manual helps my husband and I run our home efficiently, saving money and buying us both precious time to do things for ourselves.
The first section outlines the weekly and daily routines. The daily routine buys me 30 minutes to myself to exercise which makes me feel better throughout the day. My husband can also see when things get done, so he knows what to do if he is letting me have a sleep.
I let the girls watch TV until 9am so that I can complete a chore (clean the bathroom, dusting etc) each day. This helps me keep the house clean and tidy, and then I have the rest of the day to play with my children.
The next section covers dinners for the month. I have a weekly list of which dinners we will have and where to find the recipes for them. This saves time deciding what to have plus hubby or anyone who comes to stay can cook too.
The next section is shopping and supplies. I write all the ingredients needed for the month so I know exactly what I need. I keep catalogues in this section so when it’s shopping time I know where to get the specials.
I also asked for a floor layout plan of my supermarket so I don't need to walk down the aisles I don't need anything from. This saves time (especially when shopping with two young children) and money as I am not tempted by things in those aisles.
I also have a maintenance section with dates when items need maintenance done on them, eg. an oil change for the car. This means everything can be budgeted for and planned and it also helps prevent unexpected expenses, like changing gas bottles.
There is also a budget section of the manual which contains the monthly, weekly and annual budgets in it. We write down everything we spend in this section, so we can see where the extra dollars are spent!
Finally, I have an important numbers section such as insurance companies, medical centre etc so that everyone (including people who are staying) can get to them easily.
The manual doesn't always bring dollar savings, but its our way of making sure we don't waste time doing everyday household things so we maximise our family and down time.