Grocery Specials Wednesday 29th June 2016

Here are this week's best grocery specials -

COLES -

*  Cadbury Family Block 180g-200g1/2 PRICE Was $5.00, Save $2.50  Now $2.50 each

*  Lynx Deodorant Body Spray 96g-100g1/2 PRICE Was $5.99, Save $3.00  Now $2.99 each

*  Cadbury Boxed Favourites or Mini Blocks Chocolate 320g 1/2 PRICE Was $12.00, Save $6.00  Now $6.00 each.  Father's Day is coming up soon

*    Ocean Spray Fruit Drink 1.5 Litre1/2 PRICE Was $5.69, Save $2.85  Now $2.84 each

*  20% OFF All Vodafone Recharge

*  Spam Ham 340g1/2 PRICE Was $4.90, Save $2.45  Now $2.45 each

*  Alfa One Rice Bran Oil 3 Litre1/2 PRICE Was $18.00, Save $9.00  Now $9.00 each

*  Old El Paso Soft Taco Kit 405g1/2 PRICE Was $6.50, Save $3.25  Now $3.25 each

*  Heinz Big Red 420g1/2 PRICE Was $2.20, Save $1.10  Now $1.10 each

*  Golden Circle Beetroot Slices 450g1/2 PRICE Was $1.80, Save $0.90  Now $0.90 each.  It's never too early to stockpile for Summer.

*  ASC Basa Fillets Thawed1/2 PRICE From the Deli.Was $11.00, Save $5.50 kg Now $5.50 kg.  Always ask from frozen so you can pop it in your freezer.

*  1/2 PRICE all Sistema Multipacks

*  10% OFF Google Play™ & Hoyts Gift Cards

*  Radox Antiperspirant Deodorant 250mL1/2 PRICE Was $5.99, Save $3.00  Now $2.99 each

*  L’Oréal Elvive Shampoo or Conditioner 250mL1/2 PRICE Was $5.95, Save $2.98  Now $2.97 each

*   Golden Crumpet Rounds 6 Pack1/2 PRICE Was $3.30, Save $1.65  Now $1.65 each

*  Uncle Tobys Cheerios 305g1/2 PRICE Was $3.98, Save $1.99  Now $1.99 each

WOOLWORTHS -

*  Cadbury Sharepacks 160-180g Now $2.30 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.30

*  Streets Magnum 250-428ml Pk 4-6 Now $3.99 each1/2 Price, Save $4.00.  They don't get any cheaper than this.

*  Heinz Baked Beanz or Spaghetti 420g Now $1.00 each1/2 Price, Save $1.09

*  Heinz Condensed Soup Cans 420g Now $1.10 each1/2 Price, Save $1.10

*    Cottees’s Jams or Marmalade 500g Now $1.70 each1/2 Price, Save $1.70

*  Mildura Sunrise Drink 2 Litre Now $1.80 each1/2 Price, Save $1.89

*  Shortcut Bacon Rashers – From the Deli Now $8.49 kg1/2 Price, Save $8.50 kg

*  Tip Top Raisin Toast 520g or Wholemeal Raisin Toast 600g Now $2.70 each1/2 Price, Save $2.70

*  Sunsilk Shampoo or Conditioner 700ml Now $5.00 each1/2 Price, Save $5.00

* Pine O Cleen Disinfectant 1.25 Litre Now $2.49 each1/2 Price, Save $2.50.  The lowest price you'll find.

*  Vittoria Mountain Grown, Oro or Organic Coffee Beans or Ground 1 kg Now $15.00 each1/2 Price, Save $15.59

*  Tip Top Muffin Varieties Pk 6 Now $2.45 each1/2 Price, Save $2.45

*  30% off all Corelle.

*  30% off all Inspire Saucepans & Knives

*  30% off all Pyrex.

*  10% off Selected Gift Cards

*  BabyLove Nappy Pants Bulk Pk 20-28 Now $8.49 each1/2 Price, Save $8.50

*  Smith’s Thinly Cut 175g Now $1.59 each1/2 Price, Save $1.60

                          

Whole Orange Cake

This orange cake has a lovely rustic flavour and texture.  It's not too sweet and the orange flavour is authentic.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

1 whole orange
1  cup of  white sugar
3 eggs
1 cup of Canola or Olive oil
2 cups Self Raising flour

Cut the orange in 8 pieces taking out any pips.  Whiz in a food processor until smooth.

Add the eggs,  sugar and oil and whiz until well combined.

Add the flour and whiz again,  scraping down the sides of the processor.

Pour the cake batter into a large greased and floured fluted ring cake tin or two medium loaf tins

Bake in a 180 degrees Celsius  oven for about 40 minutes until  the middle springs back.

When  the cake is cool,  turn onto a cooling rack

This cake can be iced with lemon icing and dusted with coconut.

Notes -

*  Yes you need to use the whole orange - rind and all ( except the pips and sticker ).

*  The batter can be baked into little cup cakes.

*  The cake can be frozen.

*  If you use olive oil make sure it's mild in flavour.  Otherwise,  combine it with canola oil for a mild flavour in the cake.

* When oranges are in season and cheap,  I whiz up lots of oranges,  divide into small containers and freeze for future baking.  This makes the cake budget friendly.

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 25th June 2016

With the weather turning quite cold we've tried to stay busy and warm.  Here's what I got up to this week around the house-

*  Went to the Cheapskates card making day and made 6 beautiful cards.  I also gratefully received a card making magazine from Cath and some sausage rolls for Darren,  some glass jars,  and card making cut outs from the swap table.   Pamela kindly bought old books and an atlas for some of us to use in card making.

*  Made a double batch of raspberry and white chocolate muffins for the freezer.  The raspberries were from our garden that we had frozen for this purpose.

*  Bought two bottles of Windex on half price sale at $1.99 a bottle.  I then diluted it 50 / 50 with water.  It still work really well.  I mostly use it for my kitchen window that gets lots of splashes of dirty water and food.  I think I have enough for the next 4 years or so.

*  Kept the heater off when the Sun was shining ( a few hours here and there ).

*  Froze six single serves of leftovers. 

*  Gratefully received card making parcels from two of my blog readers.  I feel so blessed that they thought of me  xoxo.

*  We all made a big effort to use up some odd things from the pantry.  In a month's time I'll need to start packing up my kitchen so I'm trying reduce my stocks..

*  Picked some silverbeet from the garden for two meals.

*  Froze a jar of tomato paste into ice cube trays.   This eliminates any waste.

* Made a quadruple batch of laundry powder.

*  Gratefully received some potatoes from a cleaning client.

*  Dried most of the washing on clothes horses with only a few things thrown into the dryer.

*  Did the usual water saving tasks.

*  Spent about $7 on milk and veggies for the week.

*  Picked a couple of lemons from our tree.

    

An abundance of lettuce

Our only rose at the moment.

The lemons are turning yellow

Tomato paste frozen into cubes 

Drying the washing in Winter

Making room in one of our freezers.

What frugal tasks did you complete this week ?

Grocery Specials Wednesday 22nd June 2016

Here are this week's best grocery specials -

COLES -

*   Head & Shoulders Shampoo or Conditioner 350mL-400mL1/2 PRICE Was $12.49, Save $6.25 Now $6.24 each

*  Moccona Specialty Blend Coffee 150g1/2 PRICE Was $14.32, Save $7.17  Now $7.15 each

*  Golden Circle Tetra Fruit Drink 1 Litre1/2 PRICE Excludes Pineapple, Tomato & Nectar.Was $2.05, Save $1.03  Now $1.02 each

*  Tetley Green Decaf Tea 50 Pack 87.5g 1/2 PRICE Was $4.50, Save $2.25  Now $2.25 each

*  Vittoria Mountain Grown Coffee Beans or Ground 1kg or Organic Beans 1kg1/2 PRICE Was $36.70, Save $18.35  Now $18.35 each

*  Continental Pasta & Sauce 85g-120g1/2 PRICE Was $2.09, Save $1.09 Now $1.00 each

*  Campbell’s Country Ladle or Chunky Soup 495g-505g1/2 PRICE Was $3.29, Save $1.65  Now $1.64 each

*  Campbell’s Condensed Soup 400g-430gWas $2.00, Save $1.00  Now $1.00 each

*  Tip Top English Muffins 6 Pack1/2 PRICE Was $4.90, Save $2.45  Now $2.45 each

*  Tip Top Raisin Toast 520g1/2 PRICE Was $5.40, Save $2.70  Now $2.70 each

*  Dove Shampoo or Conditioner 640mL1/2 PRICE Was $11.89, Save $5.95  Now $5.94 each

*  Chux Heavy Duty Scourer Scrubs 6 Pack1/2 PRICE Was $4.70, Save $2.35  Now $2.35 each

*  Kleenex Luxury Collection Aloe Vera Toilet Tissue 6 Pack1/2 PRICE Was $5.50, Save $2.75  Now $2.75 each

*  Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid 700mL-750mL1/2 PRICE Was $5.49, Save $2.75  Now $2.74 each

*  Energizer Eco Advanced AA or AAA Batteries 10 Pack1/2 PRICE Was $16.97, Save $8.49  Now $8.48 each

*  Oates Tilt-A-Matic Squeeze Mop1/2 PRICE Was $16.49, Save $8.25  Now $8.24 each

*  Décor Match Ups Blue Container 2 Litre1/2 PRICE 2nd week on sale.Was $7.50, Save $3.75 Now $3.75 each

*  Continental Cup A Soup 2 Serve 40g-75g1/2 PRICE Was $2.00, Save $1.00  Now $1.00 each

*  Arnott's Tim Tam or Mint Slice Value Pack 330g-337g1/2 PRICE Was $4.50, Save $2.25  Now $2.25 each

WOOLWORTHS -

*  Nestle Blocks 118-200g Now $2.25 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.25

*  Golden Crumpets Rounds Pk 6 Now $1.65 each1/2 Price, Save $1.65

*  Nestle Sharepacks 158-185g Now $2.30 each1/2 Price, Save $2.30

* Peckish Rice Crackers 100g Now $1.10 each1/2 Price, Save $1.10

*  25% off All Nescafé

*  Golden Circle Drink 1 Litre Now $1.00 each1/2 Price, Save $1.05

*  Heinz Classic Soup 520-535g Now $1.74 each1/2 Price, Save $1.75

*  Campbell's Real Stock Varieties 500ml Now $1.14 each1/2 Price, Save $1.15

*  1/2 Price All Sistema Klip It.

*  20% Bonus iTunes Gift Cards* 20% Bonus value on iTunes $30, $50 & $100 gift cards

*  25% off All Pixar DVDs

*  Tip Top Cafe Raisin Toast or Cafe Style Breakfast Toast 650g Now $2.95 each1/2 Price, Save $2.95

*  Cinnamon Donuts Pk 12**Only available in stores with an in-store bakery. Now $2.00 each1/2 Price, Save $2.00

*  Stayfree Ultra Thin Pads Pk 10-16 Now $3.00 each Save $2.00

*  Herbal Essences Shampoo or Conditioner 300ml Now $3.29 each1/2 Price, Save $3.30

*  1/2 Price All Dermaveen

*  30% off All L’Oreal Women's Skincare

*  Dynamo Laundry Liquid 900ml-1 Litre Now $5.00 each1/2 Price, Save $5.00

*  1/2 Price Wiltshire Easybake Bakeware

*  30% Off All Arcosteel

*  Kleenex Viva Paper Towel Pk 3 Now $2.45 each1/2 Price, Save $2.45

*  Duck Fresh Discs 36ml Now $2.89 each1/2 Price, Save $2.90

*  Windex Glass Cleaner 500ml Now$1.99 each1/2 Price, Save $2.00

*  Mars M&M's or Maltesers 140-180g Now $2.15 each1/2 Price, Save $2.15

  Please feel free to add any great specials you find.                               

Running Out Of Groceries Or Grocery Money

Running out of food can be a scary situation to be faced with. What to do ? What to do ? I guess the first question you need to ask yourself is " Have I really run out of food or do I have food but don't know what to cook ? " If you have run out of food just because you didn't buy enough,  then it's time for a new plan of attack. Writing a menu plan for the week might be a good place to start. Then write your shopping list from the menu plan. Don't forget to include breakfasts, lunches and snacks as well as the main meal.    Once you've mastered shopping for a week then you could try fortnightly or monthly shopping.

You might be in the situation where you haven't run out of food but feel like the food you do have isn't going to make great meals. This is the perfect time for experimentation. Grab your cookbooks or use the internet to try something different. There are websites where you can search for recipes with certain ingredients. This could be the making of a new family favourite recipe.

If you have run out of grocery money for whatever reason, you have a few options. Can you make meals out of the food you DO have ? Can you find some extra money from another area of your budget ? I'm not talking about hundreds of dollars. $20 or $30 could last a week or two with a carefully planned shopping list if you have basic ingredients on hand like herbs, spices and a few baking ingredients like flour and sugar

Once again a menu plan will help you through a tough time until money becomes available again. A packet of quick oats will give you a filling breakfast for a week. Two loaves of bread will be enough for lunches. Buying one piece of the cheapest fruit available per person could be a snack. In Winter apples, pears and citrus fruits are very cheap. In Summer it could be stone fruit or grapes.

Dinner doesn't have to be fancy if money is tight. Here are some cheap meal ideas -

* Boiled potato with steamed veggies, seasonings and a little grated cheese on top is very yummy and cheap.
* 300 grams of mince can be bulked out with rice, rolled oats and cheaper vegetables like beans, cabbage or carrots.
* Eggs, baked beans or spaghetti on toast
* Pasta with tomato sauce and cheese
* Pasta with a tin of tomatoes and grated vegetables
* Fried rice without any meat.
* Pancakes

Remember,  water is free ( or almost free ) so drink lots of it.  If you are after a hot drink,  then tea is cheaper than coffee.

Have you ever run out of grocery money or groceries ?  What did you do in this situation ?

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 18th June 2016

This week seemed to fly by without me noticing.  My days were filled with errands,  appointments,  food shopping,  housework and looking at new carpet and flooring.  Here's what I managed to get done in the frugal department -

*  We went to the football on Monday as a family outing.  We took snacks and bottles of water with us and only bought hot chips for lunch.

*  Refilled all the foaming hand wash pumps using watered down shower gel. The one in my bathroom was a new one so I tipped half into another pump and topped up both of them with water.

*  Made a big batch of pita chips for snacks.

*  Made a whole orange cake with pureed orange from the freezer.  This recipe makes a large cake so this time I made a smaller ring cake for us and a small loaf cake for morning tea at church.

*  Gratefully received a couple of fuel dockets from Tania and Rachel Ann.  Thankyou  xoxo

*  Dried the washing on the line on Wednesday including the bed sheets which usually go in the dryer at this time of the year.

*  Found another silicon baking mould from the op shop for $1.99 that can be used for soap making.

*  Megan found a birthday present for a friend in our present cupboard ( top of Jessica's wardrobe ) and a hand made card from my card box.

*   Saved a few more envelopes that had pretty patterns inside. They'll be used  for card making

*  Mended two pairs of socks.

*  Froze three single serves of leftovers.  I'm trying to build up my stockpile again as they will be needed when the kitchen is being replaced.

*  Bought lots of packets of choc bits on sale in Coles.  At $2.09 they are worthy of clearing the supermarket shelf.  .

*  Kept the heater off on days I was doing lots of housework.

*  Saved lots of shower and washing machine water for each next load.

*  Made a double batch of pumpkin scones sing cooked pureed pumpkin from the freezer.  The scones were frozen for morning teas.

*  Darren's birthday was on Friday.  Instead of going out for dinner he opted to have a roast leg of lamb at home and a bought birthday cake.  We still saved a small fortune by eating at home.  It was much quieter than a noisy restaurant too.

Pumpkin scones

Whole orange cake

Pita chips

Saving the washing machine water

What did you do this week to save time,  money and energy ?

Grocery Specials Wednesday 15th June 2016

Here are this week's best grocery specials -

COLES -

*   40% OFF Bonds

*  Lean Cuisine Balanced Serve Thai Green Chicken Curry 280g or Lamb & Rosemary Hot Pot 290g
1/2 PRICE Was $5.70, Save $2.85  Now $2.85 each.  Good for emergencies or if you can't cook.

*  Heinz Chunky Soup 520g-535g1/2 PRICE Was $3.59, Save $1.80  $Now 1.79 each

*  CSR Raw Sugar 2kg1/2 PRICE Was $3.50, Save $1.75  Now $1.75 each

*  Heinz Big Red 420g1/2 PRICE Was $2.20, Save $1.10  Now $1.10 each

*  Maharajah’s Choice Basmati Rice 5kg1/2 PRICE Was $17.50, Save $8.75  Now $8.75 each

*  Alfa One Rice Bran Oil 3 Litre1/2 PRICE Was $18.00, Save $9.00  Now $9.00 each

*  Arnott’s Marie or Milk Arrowroot Biscuits 250g1/2 PRICE Was $2.00, Save $1.00  Now $1.00 each

*  Lindt Lindor Gift Boxed Chocolate 147g-154g1/2 PRICE Was $12.00, Save $6.00  Now $6.00 each

*  Mars M&Ms, Maltesers or Pods 140g-180g Save $3.50  Any 2 for $5.00

*  Cadbury Cooking Chocolate Melts 225g1/2 PRICE Was $4.19, Save $2.10  Now $2.09 each

*  Vegeta Stock Powder 180g-250g Was $3.59, Save $1.59  Now $2.00 each

*   Peters Drumstick 16 Pack81¢ per cone.Was $22.50, Save $9.50  Now $13.00 each

*  Golden Crumpet Rounds 6 Pack1/2 PRICE Was $3.30, Save $1.65  Now $1.65 each

*  Mission Wraps 8 Pack 567g1/2 PRICE Was $5.00, Save $2.50  Now $2.50 each.  Stock up and store in the freezer.

*  Redwin Sorbolene Moisturiser 1 Litre1/2 PRICE Was $6.25, Save $3.13 Now $3.12 each

*  Herbal Essences Shampoo or Conditioner 300mL1/2 PRICE Was $6.49, Save $3.25  Now $3.24 each

*  Vanish Napisan Oxi Action Stain Remover 2kg1/2 PRICE Was $16.35, Save $8.18  Now $8.17 each

*  Dynamo Laundry Liquid 1 Litre1/2 PRICE Was $10.00, Save $5.00  Now $5.00 each

*  1/2 PRICE OFF all Décor Match Ups or Microsafe

*  Tresemme Shampoo or Conditioner 700mL-900mLBETTER THAN 1/2 PRICE Was $10.50, Save $5.50  Now $5.00 each.   It doesn't get any cheaper than this.

*  Frantelle Spring Water 24x600mL1/2 PRICE Was $11.00, Save $5.50  Now $5.50 each.  Great for sporting events,  holidays and parties.

*  Handee Ultra Paper Towel 4 Pack1/2 PRICE Was $5.20, Save $2.60  Now $2.60 each

*  Uncle Tobys Plus Antioxidant 765g1/2 PRICE Was $6.75, Save $3.38  Now $3.37 each  

WOOLWORTHS -

*  Campbell's Real Stock Varieties 1 Litre Now $1.99 each1/2 Price, Save $2.00

*  Arnott’s Chocolate Biscuits 160-250g Now $1.82 each1/2 Price, Save $1.83

*  Arnott’s Shapes 160-190g or Savoy Crackers 180-250g Now $2.00 each Save $1.00

*  The Natural Confectionery Co. Medium Bags 200-260g Now $2.00 each1/2 Price, Save $2.00

*  Nestle Cooking Chocolate 180-290g Now $2.00 each1/2 Price, Save $2.00

*  Campbell's Condensed Soup 400-430g Now $0.99 each1/2 Price, Save $0.99.  Stock up to make casseroles and pasta bakes.  It much cheaper than buying ready made sauces.

*  Campbell's Chunky or Country Ladle Soup 495-505g Now $1.64 each1/2 Price, Save $1.65

*  Riviana Basmati Rice 5 kg Now $8.99 each1/2 Price, Save $9.00

*  Tip Top Raisin Toast 520g or Wholemeal Raisin Toast 600g Now $2.70 each1/2 Price, Save $2.70

*  Tip Top English Muffin Varieties Pk 6 Now $2.45 each1/2 Price, Save $2.45

*  Golden Crumpet Breaks Pk 6 Now $1.99 each1/2 Price, Save $2.00

*  Australian Cauliflower Australian Grown.$1.90 each

*  Australian The Odd Bunch Carrot 1 kg Pack Australian Grown.$0.90 each

*  40% off all Olay

*  40% off all Dove

*  All Rimmel Face 1/2 Price

*  Nivea for Men Shave Gel Moisturising 200ml Now $2.99 each1/2 Price, Save $3.00

*  Brut Deodorant 150g Varieties Now $3.14 each1/2 Price, Save $3.15

*  20% off Vodafone Recharge, Verbatim USBs & Facebook Gift Cards

*  All Sistema Home Storage 1/2 Price

*  All Bonds Baby & Fashion Stationery 30% off

*  All Inspire Bathroom Manchester 40% off

*  Morning Fresh Dishwashing Liquid 400ml – Excludes Eco Range Now $1.97 each1/2 Price, Save $1.98

*  Birds Eye Oven Bake Fish 425g Now $4.39 each1/2 Price, Save $4.40

*  Continental Cup-a-Soup 2 Serve 40-75g or Continental Standard Pasta & Sauce 85-105g Now $1.00 each 1/2 Price, Save up to $1.10

  

                          

5 More Ways To Reuse Bread Bags

Who would have thought that the humble bread bag can be used so many ways ?  By reusing a bread bag,  you're saving money by not needing snap lock bags,  freezer bags,  nappy bags and cling wrap as often.  An added bonus is the environmental factor.  Less plastic going into landfill has to be good.

Here are 5 more tips for using your bread bags - 

*   Bread bags are great for putting dirty nappies in.  The bags are long enough that you can tie a knot in the top to prevent odour escaping.  Although nappy bags are reasonably cheap,  there's no need to buy them if you have bread bags in the house.

*  Use a bread bag to put your sandwich in.  After all,  the bag did originally contain a loaf of bread.

*  If you bake bread or rolls,  use a bread bag to store your homemade bread in the freezer.  I've been doing this for years and the bags can be used over and over again.  My use of new freezer bags has dwindled significantly.

*  Bread bags are great for coating meat in flour.  For example,  I like to make honey soy chicken drumsticks.  I add 2 - 3 tablespoons of plain flour to a bread bag.  Then I  drop a couple of drumsticks in,  fold the bag over a couple of times and give it a good shake.  The drumsticks come out evenly coated in flour and my hands remain clean.  This saves on washing a  sticky,  floury plate.

*  Pack a couple of bread bags in your suitcase.  They are perfect for storing dirty shoes..

Homemade bread in reused bread bags.  It just makes sense.

Bread rolls in reused pita bread bags

Ths Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 11th June 2016

I'm on the home stretch with ordering everything for my new kitchen and flooring.  Lots of time has been spent getting the best deal,  researching,  picking colors,  putting down deposits and measuring.  Next week we'll be getting quotes for the flooring.  Then we'll get a few week's rest before the packing begins.

 In the $300 A Month Food Challenge at The Cheapskates Club I mentioned that I have too much food in my pantry.  Normally this wouldn't bother me.  Infact,  I love having lots of food.  But with the prospect of packing it all up for the new kitchen, I've realised we need to use up some of the food.  So until the kitchen is installed ( early August ),  I'll only be buying milk,  fruit and veg each week unless I run out of something.

Here's what I managed to get done this week -

*  Baked a batch of raspberry and white choc muffins to sell to a friend.

*  Made a large saucepan of creamed rice.  This was made from slightly over cooked rice that couldn't be use with a main meal.  I know rice is cheap and I did consider throwing it out but the family really enjoyed it as a dessert over the next few days.

*  We bought five new chickens that will give us eggs in about 9 - 10 weeks.  They re a little younger than the last ones we bought.  Megan is beside herself with happiness because they are so cute.

*  Dried the washing on clothes horses.  Only the sheets were put in the dryer.

*  Kept the heater off on the milder days or when the sun was shining.

* Baked four loaves of wholemeal bread with extra goodness.

*  Made a batch of natural yoghurt.  Then I used two tablespoons of the yoghurt to make vanilla yoghurt using this recipe.

*  Megan gave me a haircut.  I was tired of the rats tails at the bottom of my hair and didn't want to pay $20  $30 at the hairdressers.  I think Megan did a fabulous job.

*  Made some cranberry hootycreek  biscuits for morning teas.

*  Cooked a chicken curry in the slow cooker and froze three single serves of leftovers.

*  Saved lots of washing machine water and shower water to put back into the machine for each next load.  Saved water in the kitchen sink from drink bottles,  washing hands and the warm up water.  This was used to soak pots and scour dishes before putting the dishwasher.

*  Picked silverbeet from the garden for two meals.

*  Mended another shoe using shoe glue.

*  Only spent $6.10 on milk and veg for the week.  We had plenty of fruit left over from last week.

Our new babies.

Trying to get them to keep still.

Apricot tree

Pear tree changing color.

Picking my kitchen colors.

In full bloom

For a newborn baby

Jessica's birthday flowers

More of Jessica's birthday flowers

Even more of Jessica's birthday flowers

What did you get up to this week ?

Grocery Specials Wednesday 8th June 2016

Here are this week's best grocery specials -

COLES -

* Campbell’s Real Stock 1 Litre 1/2 PRICE Was $3.99, Save $2.00  Now $1.99 each

*  Cadbury Sharepacks 160g-180g1/2 PRICE Was $4.60, Save $2.30  Now $2.30 each

*  Smith's Crinkle Cut Potato Chips 170g 1/2 PRICE Was $3.20, Save $1.60  Now $1.60 each

*   Campbell’s Country Ladle or Chunky Soup 495g-505g 1/2 PRICE Was $3.29, Save $1.65  Now $1.64 each

*  SunRice Medium Grain Brown or White Rice 5kg1/2 PRICE Was $13.60, Save $6.80  Now 6.80 each

*  Gold Choice Canola, Sunflower or Vegetable Oil 4 Litre1/2 PRICE Was $18.00, Save $9.00  Now $9.00 each

*  La Española Rice Bran Oil 3 Litre 1/2 PRICE Was $18.00, Save $9.00  Now $9.00 each

*   Cadbury Boxed Favourites or Mini Blocks 320g1/2 PRICE Was $12.00, Save $6.00  Now $6.00 each

*  Sakata Rice Crackers 90g-100g1/2 PRICE Was $2.40, Save $1.20  Now $1.20 each

*  Darrell Lea BB’s 180g-200g1/2 PRICE Was $3.75, Save $1.88 Now $1.87 each

*  20% OFF $30, $50, $100 iTunes Gift Cards Excludes $20 iTunes Gift Card

*  Lavazza Coffee Beans or Ground 500g1/2 PRICE Was $18.95, Save $9.48  Now $9.47 each

*  Four’N Twenty Traditional Pies 4 Pack 700g1/2 PRICEWas $8.00, Save $4.00  Now $4.00 each

*  Tip Top English Muffins 6 Pack1/2 PRICE Was $4.90, Save $2.45  Now $2.45 each

*  Palmolive Naturals Shower Gel 500mL1/2 PRICE Was $5.39, Save $2.70  Now $2.69 each

*  Macleans Extreme Clean White Toothpaste 170g1/2 PRICE Was $5.00, Save $2.50  Now $2.50 each

*  Norsca Anti-Perspirant Deodorant 150g1/2 PRICE Was $5.99, Save $3.00 Now $2.99 each

*  Brut Long Lasting Original Deodorant Body Spray 150g1/2 PRICE Was $6.49, Save $3.25 Now $3.24 each

*  L’Oréal Elvive Shampoo or Conditioner 250mL1/2 PRICE Was $5.95, Save $2.98  Now $2.97 each

*  L’Oréal Elvive Shampoo or Conditioner 700mL1/2 PRICEWas $13.95, Save $6.98  Now $6.97 each

*  Olay Moisturising Lotion 150mLWas $14.70, Save $6.70  Now $8.00 each

*  Bosisto’s Eucalyptus Oil 200mLWas $9.79, Save $2.79  Now $7.00 each.  This rarely comes on sale.  Great for making Miracle Spray.

*  Duck Fresh Discs Toilet Cleaner Primary 1 Pack1/2 PRICE Was $5.69, Save $2.85  Now $2.84 each

*  1/2 PRICE OFF all Sistema Klip It & To Go

WOOLWORTHS -

*  TRESemme Shampoo or Conditioner 750-900ml Now $5.25 each 1/2 Price, Save $5.25

*   1/2 Price all Decor Match-Ups & Tellfresh

*  Cadbury Blocks 290-350g Now $3.15 each 1/2 Price, Save $3.15

*  Sorbent Toilet Tissue Pk 10 30¢ per roll. Now $3.00 each1/2 Price, Save $3.49

*  Arnott’s Cream Biscuits 200-250g Now $1.42 each 1/2 Price, Save $1.43

*  Cheezels 110g Now $1.00 each 1/2 Price, Save $1.00

*  Heinz Baked Beanz or Spaghetti 420g Now $1.00 each1/2 Price, Save $1.09

*  Heinz Soup Condensed 420g Now $1.10 each1/2 Price, Save $1.10

*  1/2 Price* all Freedom Foods *Excludes Freedom Foods Vege Spread

*  Golden Crumpets Rounds Pk 6 Now $1.65 each1/2 Price, Save $1.65

*  Tip Top Cafe Raisin Toast or Cafe Style Breakfast Toast 650g Now $2.95 each1/2 Price, Save $2.95

*  Cinnamon Donuts Pk 12 Now $2.00 each1/2 Price, Save $2.00

*  Lynx Body Spray or Antiperspirant 96-100g Now $2.99 each1/2 Price, Save $2.99

*   30% off all Bonds Baby

*  20% off City Beach Gift Cards or Xbox 3 and 12 Month Subscription Cards

*  Energizer Max Batteries AA Pk 10 Now $6.58 each1/2 Price, Save $6.59

*  Vileda Dual Action Sponge Scourer Pk 3 Now $2.19 each1/2 Price, Save $2.20

*  Vanish Gold Oxi Action or Crystal White 2 kg Now $9.99 each1/2 Price, Save $10.00

*  Sunrice Medium Grain Rice 10 kg Now $12.00 each1/2 Price, Save $12.00

                                        

Cutting The Budget When There's Nothing Left To Cut - Part 3

Making ends meet can be a challenge when you don't have a lot of money in the first place.  Here are eight ideas that might put some money back into your purse -

*  Mend your clothes instead of buying new ones.   Buttons are easy to sew on and only takes a couple of minutes.  Many tops and cardigans have spare buttons sewn inside the item of clothing.  Torn seams are easy to sew up.  Just turn the clothing inside out and sew a few stitches.  It really is true that a stitch in time saves nine ( and it saves some money too ).

*  Throw out all the junk mail before the family sees it.  Having junk mail lying around the house fuels the urge to spend money.  Of course,  take the time to have a quick look yourself in case there are some grocery or clothing bargains.

*  To avoid all the unnecessary spending give yourself and your spouse a little bit of pocket money each week / fortnight or month.   Up until about four months ago I'd never had pocket money in the 20 years I've been married.  I'd never really needed it as I was just happy to spend money on groceries and household items when needed.  When our family budget had to be slashed late last year, we switched to a cash budget which meant we couldn't afford to put anything on the credit card except petrol ( too hard to carry that money around ).  To avoid denying ourselves completely Darren and I now get $15 a month each to spend any way we choose.  It might not sound like much but it's enough to buy a food treat / cuppa or in my case,  a small craft item.

*  Cancel magazine and newspaper subscriptions.  Many of these are available for free at your local library.  Maybe ask for a subscription as a birthday present instead.

*  Clean and declutter your home.  When your hands are busy you'll forget about the need to spend.  Having your home in order will give you peace and a longing to enjoy time relaxing in your nest.

*  Avoid overpriced restaurant meals. Instead,  invite your friends and family over for a meal where everyone brings a plate.

*  Read a book instead of turning the tv or computer on.  Reading doesn't cost anything and can be quite relaxing.  If you need something new to read,  go to your local library for inspiration.

*  Buy fruit and veggies in season to save lots of money.   Buying in season is when the food is at it's nutritional  best too.