This Week's Frugal Tasks 15th August 2015

Hi everyone.  By the time you read this post Cath and I will be in Adelaide meeting some lovely people who want to learn how to live well on less.  My list is a little shorter this week as I've been preparing for the workshop,  packing and getting the house ready for me to leave.

Here's my frugal list for the week -

*  Made a double batch of Cranberry Hootycreek biscuit dough for the freezer.

*  Cleaned the dishwasher with bi carb and vinegar.  I wiped the inside of the door and seals with Miracle Spray.

*  Cleaned the kettle with citric acid.  It looks like new.

*  Cleaned the inside of the washing machine with vinegar and a small squirt of detergent.  Cleaned out the lint bag and holder with detergent and a toothbrush.

*  Made seven male birthday / all occasion cards for the first ever Cheapskate's card swap.

*  Kept the heater off when the sun was shining through the windows.

*  Picked up 1 kilo bags of carrots for 69 cents,  pears for 99 cents a kilo and small mandarins also for 99 cents a kilo.

*  Made a double batch of peanut butter choc chip biscuit dough for the freezer.

*  Made two chocolate cakes.  One for the family to eat and one for church morning tea on Sunday.  It's our turn to serve tea and coffee but I'll be in Adelaide so the cake for this is in the freezer for the family to take out Sat night.

*  Made a double batch of Raspberry and white choc muffins for lunchboxes and the freezer.  Gee,  the freezer gets fed well.

*  With both Darren and I having colds,  we eat simpler,  cheaper meals a couple of nights.  Eggs featured in a few meals as well  as English breakfast muffins.

*  Saved lots of washing machine water and dried most of the clothes on clothes horses.

I'm learning to make men's cards.

Filling the oven with baking.

Chocolate cake

Raspberry and white choc muffins

What frugal tasks did you complete this week ?

Grocery Specials Wednesday 12th August 2015

Here are this week's super duper grocery specials -

COLES -

*  Ocean Spray Craisins 150g-170g 1/2 PRICE Was $4.10, Save $2.10  Now $2.00 each

*  TRESemmé Shampoo or Conditioner 750mL-900mL 1/2 PRICE Was $10.50, Save $5.25  Now $5.25 each

*  Reflex A4 Copy Paper 500 Sheets 1/2 PRICE Was $6.99, Save $3.50  Now $3.49 each

*  Birds Eye Ocean Selections Atlantic Salmon 700g 1/2 PRICE Was $31.00, Save $15.50  Now $15.50 each


WOOLWORTHS -

*  Multix Cling Wrap 33cm x 60m Now $2.00 each Save $1.69  

*  30% off selected Inspire bakeware and Pyrex.

*  Pine O Cleen Disinfectant 1.25 Litre Now $2.49 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.50.  This is the best possible sale price.  Worth buying a few bottles.

* Kleenex Viva Paper Towel Pk 3 Now $2.47 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.48

*  40% of all Garnier hair color.

*  Colgate Extra Clean Toothbrush Pk 1 Now $1.00 each 1/2 Price, Save $1.00.  Well worth buying lots.

*  Colgate Waxed Dental Tape 50m Now $2.03 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.04  

*  30% off all Palmolive hair, hand wash,  and body wash

*  Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner 250ml 1/2 Price.Now $2.72 each, Save $2.73  All Garnier Haircare & Skincare 1/2 price.

*  Cadbury Sharepacks 160-180g Now $2.29 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.30

Please feel free to add any specials you find.

Rissole Casserole

This is another one of my made up recipes.  I love a good casserole and mash and this one ticks all the boxes.  I'm the best Mum ever when I make this for my family.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

500 grams of beef mince

1 medium carrot peeled and diced

2 – 3 medium mushrooms sliced

½ a zucchini diced

1 cup of frozen or fresh beans

1 stick of celery diced

1 tin of tomato soup

Salt and pepper to taste

Good shake of dried oregano,  basil,  onion flakes and garlic

500 - 700 ml of water

1 cup of uncooked shell or 1 1/2 cups of spiral pasta

Roll mince into small balls. 

Place into a large oblong casserole dish. 

Add carrot,  celery,  mushrooms,  beans and zucchini over the top. 

Sprinkle on the seasonings.  

Mix the soup with 500 - 700 ml of water and pour over everything..
Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius 

Take out of oven,  remove the foil and add the pasta.  

Push the pasta under the liquid so that it cooks.  Replace the foil.  

Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes or until the pasta has cooked through. 
Serve with mash and crusty bread.  

Serves 4 – 6 people. 

Freezes well.

NOTES -

*  If you have the time,  brown the rissoles in a fry pan first then add to the casserole dish.

*  I'm all for budget ingredients but this is a dish that needs a good quality tomato soup.  The Aldi brand is strong in flavour and dilutes well without loosing too much taste. Please don't use a generic brand unless you add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste for extra flavour..

*  This is a recipe where you can add any vegetables you have on hand. 

*  Left overs are great on toast.

Winter comfort food.

Browned rissoles with added carrot.

Adding silverbeet - because I can.

Ready to serve.

This Week's Frugal Tasks 8th August 2015

Here are this week's frugal tasks.  I hope you can add your list to this post.

*  Fixed my vacuum cleaner.  One small part broke off when I was cleaning the filters.  This part helps to keep the filters in place so that the main barrel can be locked in.  My $6 bottle of super glue saved me spending $150 -  $600 on another vacuum cleaner.

*  Used some peanut butter choc chip biscuit dough from the freezer to bake cookies for the Cheapskates card making afternoon.

*  Gratefully received lots of card making scraps from Joy.

*  Used some frozen chocolate brownies to take to an afternoon tea.  They were meant to be for Darren's birthday party but I forgot all about them.

*  Sold two dozen eggs and some card making starter kits.

*  Picked some silverbeet from the garden to hide in a chop suey for tea one night.

*  Gratefully received some left over biscuits ( cookies ) from the card making afternoon.  These were eaten for morning teas at home and school.

*  Finally wrote out a menu plan for the next six weeks.  Life has been very unpredictable lately so it was too hard to stick to a plan.  We did eat out of the freezer though so all is good.

*  Made a batch of Miracle Spray.  Even though it was for a tv story,  I still needed to make some.

*  Baked four loaves of wholemeal bread.

*  Saved the bath water and bucketed it into the washing machine.

*  Lined the bathroom bins with saved bread bags

*  Made lots of pita chips for snacks.

*  Made a double batch of peanut butter choc chip biscuit ( cookie ) dough for the freezer.

Chocolate brownies

Bread making

Pita chips

Peanut butter choc chip biscuit dough

Making Miracle Spray

Lining the bathroom bin.

Cheapskates On Today Tonight In Adelaide

Just wanted all my readers to know that Cath Armstrong and myself were on Today Tonight in Adelaide last night 5th August 2015.

I hope you enjoy the interview.  The excitement is building for next week's  Adelaide workshop.

Here's the link to the story

http://www.todaytonightadelaide.com.au/stories/cheapskates-workshops

Grocery Specials Wednesday 5th August 2015

Here are this week's great specials.  Please feel free to add any others you find.


COLES -

*  Sunsilk Shampoo or Conditioner 750mL 1/2 PRICE Was $10.49, Save $5.25  Now $5.24 each

*  Cadbury Cooking Chocolate 200g-225g Was $4.19, Save $1.19  Now $3.00 each.  Not the best price possible but still a good saving.

*  Tip Top Raisin Toast 520g 1/2 PRICE Was $5.20, Save $2.60  Now $2.60 each

*  U By Kotex Ultrathin Regular Pads with Wings 14 Pack Was $5.00, Save $2.00  Now $3.00 each

*  Norsca Anti-Perspirant Deodorant 150g 1/2 PRICE Was $5.99, Save $3.00  Now $2.99 each

*  Brut 33 Deodorant For Men 150g 1/2 PRICE Was $6.29, Save $3.15  Now $3.14 each

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

*  NEW Duck Fresh Discs Bleach Citrus 36mL Dispenser plus 6 discs Was $6.59, Save $2.59  Now $4.00 each.  I haven't used these before but it seems like a great price.

*   Golden Crumpet Rounds 6 Pack 1/2 PRICE Was $3.10, Save $1.55  Now $1.55 each

WOOLWORTHS -

* Australian Lamb Shoulder Roast Bone In Australian Grown.Save $2.00 Now $7.99 kg.  Not as cheap as some butchers but certainly a good price.

*  Imported Smoked Cod Fillets^Seafood. Thawed for your convenience.Now $9.99 kg Save $5.00 kg .  Remember to ask if they have frozen to take home and freeze yourself.

*  Tip Top English Muffin Varieties Pk 6 Now $2.35 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.35

*  Uncle Tobys Vita Brits 1 kg Now $2.25 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.34

*  Cottee’s Jams or Marmalades 500g Now $$2.00 each Save up to $1.40.  This is a great price if you don't make jam.

*   Ansell Silverlined Gloves, Select Domestic Wipes Pk 20, Select Domestic Wipes Extra Large Pk 10, Chux Magic Erasers Pk 8, Oates Bamboo Non Scratch Dish Cloth Pk 2, Handee Ultra Paper Towel Double Length Pk 1 or Fab Laundry Powder 500g
 
$2.00 each Save up to $2.99

*  Dickies Plain Bath Towel 68 x 130cm Now $7.99 each 1/2 price Save $8.00 – Also Available in Dickies Bath Sheet 82 x 160cm $11.49 ea, Dickies Hand Towels $4.49 ea or Dickies Face Washers Pk 2 $4.49 per pack

1/2 Price All Dickies Bathroom Manchester.

*  Lynx Body Spray 100g Now $2.99 each 1/2 Price, Save $3.00

*  Pantene Shampoo or Conditioner 350ml Now $3.94 each 1/2 Price, Save $3.95

*  Morning Fresh Dishwashing Liquid 400ml Now $1.97 each 1/2 Price, Save $1.98

TASMAN MEATS -

*  Chicken breast fillets skin on $5.99 kg.

5 Easy Ways To Cut Your Heating Bill Part 3

I hope you've enjoyed this three part series on cutting your heating bill.  Here is the last installment.

*  Feeling a little cold at night and want the heater on when you are in bed ?  A much cheaper option is to buy a Winter weight doona.  I bought an Australian Wool  Doona ( king size ) from a manchester shop last year for $80.  It's much warmer than the standard polyester doona but only slightly heavier in weight.  Darren and I no longer need to pile the blankets on the bed or freeze when the overnight temperature drops outside.  Our wool doona will last for many years as we only need it for 3 months each year.  If it lasts for 10 years then I've only spent $8 per year to be warm.  Compare that to having the heater on a higher temperature and the costs invloved.  At the end of Winter I fold the doona back into it's bag and store it away for the next year.

*  Keep your windows and doors closed.  Yes,  I know I'm stating the blatantly obvious but I hear from mums all over how their kids leave the door open.  It's just one of those things you need to keep on top of.  I'm always asking my girls if they've closed the front door when we come home from school.  95 % of the time they have but I ask anyway. It pays to check.

*  Install a programable thermostat.  Ok,  this is going to cost you a bit of money but it will save you so much more in the long run.  We changed over from a manual one to a programable one back in 2001 for $150.  It was one of the best decisions we've made.  No longer is the heater left on 20 degrees overnight.  No longer  do we keep turning it up " just a bit more ".  If you can't afford one right now,  make it a goal for next Winter.  Maybe start a savings tin.  I've been known to use a soft drink can to save $2 coins.

*  Don't heat an empty home.  It's just dollars out the window.  If we think we'll be out when the heater switches back on for tea time heating,  we turn the heater off all together.

*  Keep all ducting vents clear of furniture and curtains.  There's no point in heating a couch or having curtains billowing in hot air.

*  Wear a dressing gown and slippers.  You might not be wearing high fashion but you will be warm.

*  Turn the heating off before bed and place heated wheat packs between the sheets.  Doing this 15 - 30 minutes before bed will give you a toasty spot to climb into.