Low cost fake nails stop me biting real ones

I have found fake nails are the best solution to stop me from biting my real ones. You don't have to spend a fortune on salon acrylics every four weeks either. There are DIY kits on AliExpress such as Belle Fille which look easy and are affordable. Making sure to use a cuticle oil or cream regularly during the day also helps to stop picking of said cuticles too!

Keep nail bitten hands busy doing good

I have found an easy way to stop biting my nails and do a good turn for others at the same time! I have bitten my nails all my life, and especially do so when I sit down to do something like watching TV, when my hands are idle. A couple of years ago however, I began crocheting for charity and gift giving during these times. While being more conscious about what my hands are doing, I am also creating things to bring happiness to others. My nails grow and are stronger than they were, my hands are away from my mouth and I don't have the same urge to bite my nails!

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!

$25,000 saved in three years

I was renting for nearly three years on a medium salary and really just living day by day. I decided that I wanted to get out of the renting cycle, so thought I would become educated financially. I started reading the 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' by Robert Kiyosaki series of books and immediately I saw there was no way out unless I changed my psychological views dramatically and acted on them.

I started a savings plan by setting up three bank accounts - one for daily spending (which gave me a small amount of easily accessed money), one for bills (which I used to pay credit cards and so on) and one for long term savings (through ING Direct) which was only to be touched for large goal purchases.

I requested my employer split my pay 30% in the daily and 70% in the bills accounts. Once the 30% ran out, I just sacrificed a bit more and went without the usual luxuries until the next pay. I soon found that I would spread the money out for longer until I hardly ever ran out. At the end of each month (or whenever the deadly credit cards had been paid), whatever balance was left in the bills account was transferred to my savings account.

I am happy to say that after three years, I have managed to save nearly $25,000 for a deposit for my new home, whilst accumulating 5.25% interest!