Dishwashing liquid breaks down hard to remove stains

I have found a cheap and effective solution for tough laundry stain removal! Stains such as fats or body odours can be notoriously hard to remove. Normal washing powders may be made for getting out dirt and stains but not for breaking down fats and body fluids. To combat the problem, I simply add a squirt of dishwashing liquid to the wash, along with my normal powder and soaker and it works like a charm. After all, it breaks down grease and fatty food residue when doing dishes, it makes sense for it to work on clothes too!

Lower price promise saved on a new cistern

I saved an easy $40 recently on a new cistern by price shopping between competitors! I first checked the prices at both Bunnings and Mitre 10 and found the latter to be the dearer option. Seeing as they promise to better the lower price on the same item, I showed them the proof of the cheaper Bunnings price. They did indeed hold true to their promise and charged me another 15% less than the lower Bunnings price!

Quick hint about slow cooking

I leave for work at 7.30am and get home at 6.30pm, but I still need to prepare dinner for my husband who starts night shift at 5pm. If I turn on my slow cooker at 7.30am, the food is sometimes overdone by the time he gets up at 3.30pm.

To solve this problem, I have purchased a cheap plug-in timer, just like the one people use to turn on their lights when they go on holiday. My cooker now comes on during the day and dinner is perfectly cooked by 3.30pm! This saves on power because the slow cooker is not turned on all day.

'Purse system' helps me budget

To help me stick to my budget, I use the 'purse system', where I allocate a certain amount of money each payday to pay for different things, for example, petrol or groceries.

I found the envelope system aesthetically unappealing and difficult to operate, so I purchased a number of small pencil cases from Office Works; they're the perfect size to fit dollar notes into and any receipts for that particular 'budget purse'. I have a red case containing money for my groceries, a black case for my petrol and so on. They are also attractive enough that I use them as my wallets for these purposes; unlike envelopes, I am never too embarrassed to pull a case out and carry it into a shop. The cases cost $8.00 each but they motivate me to stick to a budget - a huge long-term saving!