Re-use butcher's paper to save on paper towel

Instead of buying expensive paper towel, which doesn't seem to last in our household, we use the butcher's paper that is wrapped around purchases such as deli products to clean out oily pots and pans. This saves us money, as well as a heap of paper towel, landfill space and our precious trees!

Full strength DIY 'Dettol' spray for just 2c a bottle!

A little supermarket research led me to making a huge saving on keeping germs at bay! When my two young children had a gastro bug, I needed anti-bacterial spray to clean up and stop the spread of germs, which vinegar didn't touch. The cheapest anti-bacterial spray I could find was Dettol anti-bacterial spray which cost $4.20 for 500ml. On reading the active ingredients it said it contained Benzalkonium Chloride 0.095%. Then, I saw that a bottle of Coles brand disinfectant was $1.40 for two litres. I read the ingredients and saw Benzalkonium Chloride 1%. The instructions said to dilute it in a ratio of 1:20, or 30ml to 600ml water. So I bought that one, made up the solution and put it in an old spray bottle I already had. It worked just as well and cost just over 2c per spray bottle of prepared solution, compared to $4.20 for the Dettol spray! While Coles brand disinfectant says it can only be used on “floors, walls, bathroom and toilet areas”, not in kitchen areas like the Dettol spray, for me these were the only areas that I needed to disinfect and worked a treat!

Free on-line classes for computer skills

Save hundreds of dollars on learning computer skills with Hewlett Packard. Their website (www.hp.com) offers free online classes. Become proficient in Microsoft Word or Excel, take better photos and learn heaps of craft ideas to use them with. There are assignments at the end of each part of the course and a short quiz. There is also a message board to leave messages for the instructor and see how others are finding the course or even share ideas. There are two lessons available per week and you receive an email to let you know when each lesson is ready. You even get to print a certificate at the end, stating you have completed the course.

There are various courses available - some for small businesses and others for hobbies such as scrapbooking. Another bonus is you can print each page of the lessons as you go and keep them for future reference. Similar privately run courses or through WEA can cost a minimum of $100!

The secret to great scones

I love making scones, and my Mum passed on this wee hint which makes my scones even better.

When the scone recipe calls for milk, use half milk and half water. For some reason, the water makes the scones extra light with the added bonus that it drastically cuts down on your milk usage.