Recent Hints
Bundle up your bags and don't get caught short
I have come up with a super easy way to solve my shopping bag dilemma! Like many people, I was sick of trying to organise a whole bunch of bags of different shapes and sizes in the back of the car, ready for shopping trips. I really like my car to be free from clutter, so wanted a thrifty and simple solution, I decided to use an old cosmetic purse and filled it with 99c reusable nylon bags from the supermarket. These roll up tiny and fasten with a elastic tab, making a neat and tidy little roll. I can fit eight of the tiny rolls into my cosmetic purse and this in turn fits nicely into my handbag or centre console of the car. These days I never get caught without a bag and these ones can get used over and over again. Being made of material, they can also be thrown into the washing machine if they have had meat or something drippy in them and are soon as good as new again!
By: Yvette Summers 1 response in the members' forumDIY 'mixed vegie bags' makes meals faster and easier
This simple tip saves me money and time every day when preparing meals. Whenever I buy frozen vegetables, I bring them home and immediately divide them into portions, placing them into ziplock bags, then popping them in the freezer. I often divide up broccoli, peas, cabbage, sprouts, carrots into the same bag. This way, they take up less space in the freezer and I know exactly how many meals they will serve. None ever get wasted and they can be either stored together or placed with other food to make it instantly possible to grab a complete meal. The same method works well with fresh food in preparation for things such as school fruit or lunch breaks, when time is at a premium in the mornings!!
By: Ann w 1 response in the members' forumHottest Hints
Professional rug cleaning - at the carwash!
I save over $300 every time I clean my rugs with this ingenious tip! About 12 months ago I bought three large rugs at a garage sale. They were marked, but mainly from day to day use. I figured even if I had to pay for them to be cleaned, it would still work out much cheaper than buying them new. Was I in for a shock when I rung around to get prices! To get just ONE of my average room sized carpets cleaned it was going to cost me around $100. Apparently they are harder to clean than a regular carpet, hence the hefty price. I was very disappointed and felt like I had just wasted the $110 I had spent on my 'bargain' rugs. I thought surely there had to be a better way - and there was! I rolled up one of the rugs and went down to the local do-it-yourself car wash. I hosed the dirt off the ground and then laid the rug down. Using the pressure spray on the soap cycle, I sprayed the rug, then used the rinse cycle to clean it all off! It was so easy; the high pressure made very light work of all the marks and left no soap behind. Best of all, it cost me less then $10 - a saving of $270 for all three rugs! The rugs dried in a day in the sun and they came up like new. My friends have all started doing this too and one of them swears that her rugs come up better then they did when she was paying to have them done professionally. It gets rid of all smells and marks right down to the backing. I wash my rugs every couple of months as I have three dogs and two young kids and this has saved me a whopping $1620 to date!
By: Kym Frick 29 responses in the members' forumCareful planning feeds large family for $115 a week
I feed my family of six on a little over $230 a fortnight with a bit of planning and a lot of baking! I buy a bulk 2kg pack of beef mince from Aldi ($11) and a 2kg pack of chicken ($20) as well as jars or packs of sauces. I separate the mince into four 500g lots and make rissoles with one lot (adding grated carrot and zucchini), then I put the rest away for spaghetti, pasta bake and burrito/taco night. This makes four main meals and we often have leftovers for lunch the next day.
I take three or four of the chicken breasts and slice them in half or into thirds, tenderise them with a mallet and cook them for sandwiches. I slice and dice the rest of the chicken for stir fries, casseroles, wraps and burritos. This gives me another four or five main meals plus leftovers. This way I spend around $230 on my main shop a fortnight, including nappies. I bake a lot which cuts back on the cost of expensive snacks for the children and I always have a pack of jelly on hand to 'treat' them when the cupboards are really bare
I also plan my meals around what fresh veggies I have in the fridge and leave the frozen ones until after I have run out of fresh ones, and I alternate rice and pasta with couscous and potatoes or cauliflower bake.
It just goes to show that frugal and planning don't have to mean boring!
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