This Week's Frugal Tasks 28th March 2015

Writing a list of all the frugal things I've done during the week gives me a great sense of satisfaction.  I know I've done the very best I can with the money I have without being stingy.  Here's what I got up to this week -

*  Gratefully received some sandwiches,  mini quiches,  salad rolls,  milk and bread, 

*  Dried all washing on the line and clothes horses.

*  Baked four loaves of wholemeal bread.  It's been about a month since I last baked as we've been eating bread that was given to us.

*  Made chocolate truffles with homemade sweetened condensed milk I had in the freezer.

*  Continued to pick raspberries each day.  I think they are starting to slow down in production.  Darren and I are thinking about a second location in our backyard so we can grow even more next year.  I'll be very happy if I never have to buy them again.  In one season we've got our money back on the cost of the two plants. 

*  Gratefully received two bags of glass jars with lids from a cleaning client.   There were 15 jars in total and all were just the right size.  I can see a bumper stockpile of homemade jam and relish next Summer.

*  Filled up my car with petrol bought at 108.9 cents per litre.  Everywhere else had gone up to 133.9 cents a litre.

*  Continued to only do five loads of washing a week.  I seem to have formed a new washing routine after 19 years of washing three loads every Mon,  Wed and Fri.

*  Picked up some reduced fruit and veg on the bargain table at my local fruit and veg shop. $1 a bag of carrots ( over 1.5 kilos ),  $1 a bag of apples ( 2 kilos ) and a huge piece of watermelon for 50 cents.

*  Made chunky beef and veg soup using 1 1/2 slices of leftover roast beef and the stock it cooked in.

*  Darren and I went to the Melbourne International Flower Show on Thursday.  Yes I do spend money from time to time ( hehehe ).  To save some money we took afternoon tea,  snacks and water bottles with us.  We also collected any free samples that were being handed out.  We'll be right for Powerfeed and Seasol for a while.

*  Refilled and diluted the dish washing liquid and shampoo / conditioner.

*  Saved and reused lots of bread bags for bin liners and to store food in the freezer.

*  Washed and reused some zip lock bags.

Here are a few photos from the Flower Show.  I'll post more over the coming weeks.  They really are a feast for the eyes.

Raspberry and white choc muffins with our own fruit.

Such a blessing to receive these glass jars.

What fugal tasks did you complete this week ?

My Menu Plan

Oops,  I'm a bit late with my menu  plan.  Here's what we will be eating for the next four weeks -

Mon 23rd -  Chop suey and brown rice
Tues 24th - Sausage casserole in the slow cooker with mash
Wed 25th - Roast beef in the slow cooker with roast potato,  pumpkin,  carrots and steamed veg
Thurs 26th - Tuna pasta bake
Fri 27th - Honey mustard chicken and rice
Sat 28th -  Homemade hamburgers and wedges
Sun 29th -  Get your own but feed me

Mon 30th -  Tacos and a baked dessert of some description
Tues 31st -  Beef stew in the slow cooker with mash
Wed 1st -  Roast chicken with roast veg and steamed veg
Thurs 2nd -  Fish portions,  rice,  zucchini slice and steamed veg
Fri 3rd - Spag bol
Sat 4th - Chops,  mash and steamed veg
Sun 5th -  Get your own but feed me

Mon 6th - Homemade meat pie and steamed veg
Tues 7th -  Homemade KFC drumsticks with mash and steamed veg
Wed 8th -  Silverside in the slow cooker with roast veg and steamed veg
Thurs 9th -  Tuna casserole and greens
Fri 10th -  Freezer bits and pieces that need using up
Sat 11th - Chicken schnitzel,  mash and steamed veg
Sun 12th - Homemade pizzas

Mon 13th -  Meatloaf and gravy with mash and steamed veg
Tues 14th -  Chicken flan with herb /garlic bread
Wed 15th   Roast leg of lamb with roast veg and steamed veg
Thurs 16th -  Salmon patties with brown rice and steamed veg
Fri 17th -  Shepherd's pie with herb bread
Sat 18th -  Freezer meals
Sun 19th - Family over for lunch so maybe leftovers for tea.

Homemade Hawaiian pizza

Roast veggies

Homemade hamburgers and wedges

Krispy Fried Chicken

Grocery Specials Wednesday 25th March 2015

Here are this week's super duper specials. I noticed there was a lot of chocolate,  junk food and convenience foods on sale this week.   Please remember,  I generally only buy ingredients or whole foods to feed my family.  The products listed below are items I'd buy and the best price possible.

COLES -

*  Vegeta stock powder $2 per 200  250 gram tin.  Saving $1.59.  This is a once or twice a year sale price so stock up ( pun intended ).  Yes I do make my own liquid stock and freeze it but sometimes soups and casseroles need a little stock powder to lift the flavour.

*  Morning Fresh dish washing liquid half prices at $3.40 for 900mls.  If you missed out last week here's your chance to stock up.

*  Cadbury blocks of bubbly chocolate half price at $2 a 155 gram block.

WOOLWORTHS-

*  Streets Magnum ice creams half price at $3.99 a 4 - 6 pack.  Best possible price and great as a treat.

*  Lynx Anti perspirant half price at $2.99 a 96 gram can

*  Garnier products half price.  We don't normally buy these products but I do include a shampoo and conditioner in my girl's Christmas stockings..

*  TRESemme shampoo and conditioner half price at $5.48 for a 750 - 900ml bottle.

Dried Seasoned Bread Crumbs

These homemade bread crumbs are very tasty,  cheap and easy to make.  I use them to coat chicken fillets,  chicken drumsticks and salmon patties.  Unfortunately I don't measure out the ingredients when I make the seasoned bread crumbs.  It's usually a shake of this and a good shake of that and some taste testing along the way.  However you make your bread crumbs,  they'll be much nicer than anything you'll buy in the supermarket.

Here are my approximate measurements -

3 cups of dried bread crumbs.
1 cup of crushed corn flakes or wheat bix
1 tablespoon of dried onion powder or 2 tablespoons of dried onion flakes.
1 tablespoons of rock salt ( less if desired )
2 teaspoons of paprika
1 teaspoon of dried garlic granules or powder
few peppercorns or pepper
about 1 tablespoon of dried chives or parsley

If you are using granules or flakes for your seasonings,  whiz them in a coffee grinder or use a mortar and pestle.

Mix everything together in a large bowl.  Place in an air tight container..  Once the lid is on give it a good shake to distribute the seasonings evenly over the bread crumbs.  Store in the pantry.

NOTES -

*  I use a food processor to blitz bread crusts from the ends of loaves of bread. ( saved up in the freezer ). Any bread can be used.  The crumbs are then spread evenly on large oven trays and baked at 160 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes until golden and dry.  You may need to use a spoon to loosen the bread crumbs half way through baking to even out the drying process

*  If you are running low on seasoned bread crumbs,  add a couple of handfuls of crushed corn flakes and / or wheat bix to the mix.

Ready to make.

The seasonings in a large bowl.

Mixing it up.

Storing in an air tight container.

This Week's Frugal Tasks 21st March 2015

As the seasons change,  so too do my tasks around the house.  I've moved away from jam and relish making and moved onto the garden as we prepare for the next planting.  Here's what I got up to this week -

*  Gratefully received some raisin bread,  a few slices of fruit cake,  a couple of sandwiches,  breakfast muffins,  bread rolls,  dried soup mix,  dried onion flakes and lentils.

*  Continued to pick a handful of raspberries each day.

*  Darren planted silver beet,  beetroot,  lettuce and broccoli into a prepared veg garden bed.  He's added lots of coffee grounds to the soil and turned it over a few times.  I must say,  the garden smells lovely.

*  Gratefully received a 15 kilo bucket of white bread flour mix from a facebook follower .  My girls love white bread and I don't like buying the supermarket bread.  Now I can make my own and hide a few extras in the mix.

*  Gratefully received some glass jars from my sister inlaw.  I love receiving glass jars as they hold so much potential.  I could use them for jam,  relish,  lemon butter,  dry mixes or  biscuits.  A great way to recycle as I use them any times over.

*  Found and bought some plain card stock in Spotlight on sale for 35 cents a sheet.  I can get at least two cards per sheet making them very cheap.

*  Made lavender air freshener for the toilet.  Here are the instructions

*  Saved the shower warm up water each day.  Some was poured into the washing machine.  The rest was poured into a watering can and used on my mango plants.

*  Saved the washing machine water when possible for the next load.  I don't save water from a dark load of washing because it's not suitable to use for a white load the next day.

*  Sold a jar of jam and a dozen eggs.

*  Picked the last of the tomatoes before Darren pulled them out.

*  Made 20 hamburger patties for the freezer.

*  Made more dried bread crumbs from bread crusts.  The crumbs will eventually be made into seasoned bread crumbs when the container gets low.

*  Bought 4 punnets of blueberries for $1 each.  They have been washed and frozen in snap lock bags to be added to muffins.

Mango trees grown from seed. They are 2 years old.

Our tallest one is about 50 cms.

Raspberries I pick each day.

Bargain blue berries

Princess smooching my laptop screen.

Hello Mum.  I'm cute  !!!

She just likes being near me.

Hamburger making.

Ready to freeze.

What frugal tasks did you complete this week ?

What Makes You Happy ? March 2015

Here are three things that make me happy and bring a smile to my face -

*  My daughters calling me Mama.  When they were young they like to watch the Aristocats movie.  In this movie the kittens call their mother " Mama ".  Ever since then on occasion my girls call me mama and it makes me smile.  It's such a lovely endearing name and I feel special when I hear it.

*  Having a free day when there's no housework to do.  It's very rare in my house but lately I've been able to work extra hard during the week so that I have Saturday free to do what I want.  I've spent the time making cards and other craft items.

*  Autumn.  Darren and I love to get into the garden during this time of the year when the weather is mild.  We prepare the vegetable garden beds for Winter planting.  Vegetable seeds are planted then transplanted,  bushes need to be trimmed or pulled out and we do lots of weeding.  The weather isn't too hot or cold and we enjoy breathing in the fresh air.

What makes you happy ?

Grocery Specials Wednesday 18th March 2015

Time to post the weekly grocery specials.   The ones I've listed below are products I regularly buy to keep my food budget under $300 per month.  These are the best prices possible. Of course there are any more specials advertised.  Here is the pick of the crop-

 Coles specials -

*  Palmolive shower gel 500 ml 1/2 price at $2.99.  Well worth stocking up at this price.  I add them to presents and always put a bottle in my girls Christmas stocking.

*  Norsca deodorant 150 grams 1/2 rice at $2.99.

*  Lindt blocks of chocolate 100 grams 1/2 price at $2


Woolworths specials -

*  Vita Brits 1/2 price at $2.29 for a 1 kilo box

*  Continental Cuppa Soups 1/2 price at $1 per box of two serves.

* 20% off all chocolate Easter Bunnies.  Never pay full price for Easter eggs etc.  They always come on sale the week or two before Easter.

*  40% off all Nivea products.

*  Morning Fresh dish washing Liquid 1/2 price at $1.97 for 400 ml.  This is a great price.  Clear the shelf if you'd like.  You know I do.