5 Easy Ways To Cut Your Heating Bill Part 2

Here are 5 more easy heating tips for you to try -

* If your heater turns off automatically before you go to bed.  don't be tempted to turn it back on.  Instead,   grab a blanket and snuggle underneath.  You'll be warm and toasty in seconds.  Dig out your throw rugs and blankets and strategically place them where family members can grab them easily.

*  Keeping busy on a cold day is a wonderful way to keep warm.  Feeling a little cold ?  Instead of turning the heater on,  pull the vacuum cleaner out and give your home the once over.  Do your showers need a clean ?  Then grab your Miracle Spray and microfibre cloths and give them a good scrub.  Not only will you feel much warmer,  your home will be sparkly clean.  I've been cleaning homes for over 15 years and love walking into an unheated home in Winter.

*  Cook up a storm in your kitchen.  Winter is a wonderful time to bake and cook in bulk.  With your oven or stove on there will be enough heat generated to keep you warm.  Your family will be thanking you for the wonderful homemade treats too.

*  Keep your heater temperature set at 18 - 20 degrees Celsius during the day and before you go to bed ( or lower if you can handle it ).  For every degree over 20 you are adding 5 - 10% to your heating bill.

*  Reduce your heater temperature overnight.  Once you are snuggled under your doona,  you won't need the house heated to 20 degrees.  We have our heater on 15.5 degrees overnight.  This means the heater turns on just a few times for about 30 seconds to prevent the temperature dropping too low.

This Week's Frugal Tasks 4th July 2015

With school holidays upon us and being too cold to be outside, it's a wonderful time to be busy around the house catching up on baking, cooking and maybe a few crafts.  I try to use this time to bake extra school snacks for the freezer.  Here's what I got up to this week -


*  I gave both Jessica and Megan a haircut.  Their hair was due for a good trim.  This saved us $10 - $15 each.

*  Made a litre of vanilla yoghurt using some natural yoghurt given to us as a starter.

* Baked two loaves of white bread with chia seeds and two wholemeal loaves.

*  Filled up my car before the school holiday price hike and used a discount coupon too

*  Gratefully received a couple of boxes of clothes from a family member.  There were lots of jeans and other items we can put to good use.  All were in as new condition.

*  Froze two single serves of a pasta dish.

*  We've started using newspaper in the bottom of the chicken coop nesting boxes with a smaller amount of hay.  It gives the boxes better insulation during the colder weather and means we don't have to use as much hay.

*  Made Annabel's Golden Syrup pudding.  This is a very frugal pudding and wonderfully comforting in Winter.

*  Refilled all my spray bottles with Miracle Spray.

*  Started saving the washing machine water again.  With the two big birthday celebrations lately,  we just didn't have time to do it.  It's great to get back into the routine.

*  Dried most of the washing on clothes horses.  Some was put into the dryer.

*  Watered all our pot plants and bulbs with water saved from the kitchen.

*  Gratefully received some meat and vegetables.  Most of the vegetables I blanched and froze straight away as I couldn't use it quick enough.

*  Donated another couple of bags to Savers and received some discount stamps.  Megan bought some tops from Savers as she's doing work experience shortly at a local hospital.

*  Baked raspberry and white choc muffins for snacks.

*  Picked lettuce from our garden for two meals.

*  Collected a fair few eggs.  One day we collected four eggs from five chooks.  Not bad for the cold weather.

Raspberry and white choc muffins

Annabel's Golden Syrup Pudding

A lamp from the Titanic Restaurant

Beauty at The Titanic Restaurant

Our chickens - busy as usual

Bread rising.


What frugal tasks did you complete this week ?

Grocery Specials Wednesday 1st July 2015

There are quite a few good specials on offer at the supermarkets.  I hope you have lots of money in your food slush funds to stock up.  Here are the best of the best specials -

COLES -

*  Lynx Deodorant Body Spray 96g-100g 1/2 PRICE Was $5.99, Save $3.00  Now $2.99 each.  Well worth buying some and putting them aside for Father's Day and Christmas stockings.

*  Cadbury Family Block Chocolate 190g-200g 1/2 PRICE Was $4.99, Save $2.50  Now $2.49 each

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

*  Tip Top Café Raisin Toast 650g 1/2 PRICE Was $5.80, Save $2.90  Now $2.90 each

*  Nestlé Cooking Chocolate Melts 375g Save $2.96  Now 2 for $5.00. 

*  Campbell’s Condensed Soup 400g-430g 1/2 PRICE Was $2.09, Save $1.05  Now $1.04 each

*  Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner 250mL 1/2 PRICE Was $5.44, Save $2.72  Now $2.72 each

*  Sorbent Facial Tissues Aloe Vera, Eucalyptus 70 Pack or Soft White 200 Pack 1/2 PRICE

Was $1.99, Save $1.00  Now $0.99 each  For those who don't have an Aldi nearby,  the price for the 200 ack is almost as good as the Aldi price.

WOOLWORTHS -

*  Nescafe Blend 43 140-150g or Gold Blend 95-100g – Excludes Decaf 100g Now $6.90 each Save up to $2.59

*  Cadbury Sharepacks 160-180g Now $2.25 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.34

*  Steggles Whole Family Roast Chicken – From the Meat Dept  Australian Grown.Now $2.99 kg Save $2.00 kg

*  IXL Conserve 600g Now $1.99 each Save $2.00.  If you don't make your own,  this is a great price and well worth buying at least a few.

*  Riviana Basmati Rice 5 kg Now $8.99 each 1/2 Price, Save $9.00.

*  Cinnamon Donuts Pk 12 Now $2.00 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.00.  A great price and they freeze well.

*  Cheese & Bacon, Spicy Mexican or Cheese & Caramelised Onion Rolls Pk 4 Now $2.00 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.20. A great lunchbox treat and they freeze well

* TRESemme Shampoo or Conditioner 750-900ml Now $5.00 each 1/2 Price, Save $5.49

*  White King Oxy-Lift Booster 2 kg Now $5.00 each 1//2 Price, Save $5.00.  I don't buy this product but it seemed like a good price for those who need it.

*  Pine O Cleen Disinfectant 1.25 Litre Now $2.49 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.50.  At this price I buy a few.

*  Head & Shoulders Shampoo or Conditioner 350-400ml Now $6.25 each 1/2 Price, Save $6.25

Please add any specials you find.

Apple Rose Pastries

I first saw a tutorial for Apple Rose Pastries on facebook a few weeks ago.  They are easy,  tasty and very impressive looking.  After looking at the tutorial a few times I thought I'd give it a go.  I've made a few changes as I came across some problems when making them.  Here's my version of a delightful dessert -

2 sheets of puff pastry
3 medium red apples
1 1/2 tablespoons of jam - any flavour,  store bought or homemade
1 cup of boiling water
flour for the bench
juice of half a lemon
cinnamon -optional
icing sugar - optional

Cut the apples in half and neatly cut out the core.
Thinly slice the apple halves discarding the small end pieces

Place and spread out the apple slices in a large microwavable bowl
Pour the boiling water over the apple and add the lemon juice.  Stir slightly.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap and punch a couple of holes in it.
Microwave on high for 3 minutes or until the apple is cooked and soft ( not mushy )
Drain the water and let the apple cool.

Defrost the pastry until it's almost room temperature. 
Lightly flour your kitchen bench and roll the pastry out with a rolling pin until it's longer by about 20%.  Make sure your rolling pin is lightly floured too.
Cut the pastry sheet into 5 long strips.

Warm the jam in the microwave until it's easy to spread
Spread the jam over the top half of each pastry strip

Layer the apple pieces over the jam. Make sure the apple overlaps each other.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and fold the bottom half of the pastry up towards the top.

Starting at one end,  roll the pastry up taking care that the apple doesn't fall out.
Pinch the pastry end to the rose.
Place each rose in a lightly greased muffin tin

Cook at 180 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes
Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with cream or icecream

Makes 10 apple roses.

NOTES -

*  The original tutorial said to cut the pastry in 6 strips.  I found the pastry too firm to roll it out this thin.  I think the pastry in the tutorial was American and might be more flexible.

*  The apple slices must be cool or it will soften the pastry too much making it hard to work with

*  Make sure the jam is just warm or it will soften the pastry.

*  The original recipe used cold water to cook the apples.  This takes too long to heat up in the microwave

*  The apple roses can be made and cooked ahead of time.  I found them easy to reheat in the oven on a baking tray.

This Week's Frugal Tasks 27th June 2015

*  We had lots of leftovers from Darren's party on Sunday.  So Monday night our tea consisted of sausage rolls,  mini quiches and birthday cake.  Jessica and Megan had celery sticks,  carrot sticks,  cheese ,  kabana and pita chips in their lunchboxes a few days running.  They were very happy with their lunches.

*  Two more of our chickens are back on the lay. SO EXCITING  !!! It looks like three out of five are laying.  We sold one dozen eggs this week.

*  Dried most of the washing on clothes horses with a few things put in the dryer.

*  Turned the heater off for two days when the sun was shining.

*  I had some dental work done early this week so I sent Darren out to get some milk. This was the only grocery spending for the week as we made do with the fruit and veg we bought last week.

*  Saved some tissue paper,  ribbon and gift bags from presents recently given.

*  Darren planted out some veg seedlings he'd grown from seed.

*  Megan made a double batch of scones for the party.  Although they were very popular,  we had some left over so I popped them into the freezer for future morning teas.

*  Donated two bags of clothes to Savers and received a discount stamp.

*  Hand washed the dinner dishes a few times this week.

*  I opened a new foaming hand wash dispenser a couple of weeks ago.  On Sunday the bottle was half empty so I topped it up with water.  The soap still feels luxurious.  I bought a few of the foaming pumps last year when they were on sale.  I wanted to have a few spare as I didn't know how long they'd be on the market for or if they broke easily.  My girls have been using the same pump for over a year.

*  I was searching the internet for a picture suitable for my kitchen wall but couldn't find anything I liked. So I  printed off one of my blog photos and put it in a frame that was given to me a few years ago.  Cost - ZERO and it looks fantastic.  I'm very proud of myself as I'm a bit tech challenged.  I somehow worked out how to print it off without my family doing it for me.

Lovely colored eggs from our chickens..

Darren's birthday cake

The birthday boy

Some of the party food

My free wall art.

An avocado plant given to Darren as a present

Snow pea plants in flower

Our first broccoli head forming

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

Grocery Specials Wednesday 23rd June 2015

Here are the grocery bargains for this week -

COLES -

*  SunRice Medium Grain White or Brown Rice 5kg 1/2 PRICE Was $13.60, Save $6.80 Now $6.80 each.  This is a fabulous price especially for brown rice

*  Organic Care Shampoo or Conditioner 400mL Was $3.49, Save $1.49  Now $2.00 each

*  Colgate Maximum Cavity Protection Toothpaste 110g Was $3.49, Save $1.49  Now $2.00 each.  $2 for a tube of toothpaste of this size is well worth stocking up on.


WOOLWORTHS -

*  Mars Sharepacks 144-216g  1/2 Price, Save $2.25 Now $2.24 each   Might be worth putting a few away for Father's Day or for the footy finals.

*  M&M’s 160-200g $2.12 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.13

*  Cottee’s Cordial Varieties 1 Litre Now$2.49 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.49.  I rarely buy cordial but this seemed like a good price.

*  Uncle Tobys Vita Brits 1 kg Now $2.25 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.34.  If you eat this for breakfast,  you might want to clear the supermarket shelf.   A fantastic price. 

*  25% off Nescafe coffee.

*  Palmolive Body Wash 1 Litre Now $4.35 each 1/2 Price, Save $4.35 1/2 Price All Palmolive Hand & Body Wash. 

One Year Ago Today ......

One year ago today,  something big happened.

One year ago today,  my family's story appeared on A Current Affair.  It was the 23rd of June 2014.    Approximately one week before,  I received an email from a producer telling me they were doing a story about living on a budget.  Would I be able to help them ?  Oh my goodness !!!!  My heart skipped a beat and I started shaking.   I quickly told Darren about the email.  This was our chance,  This was the opportunity we had been waiting on God for.  We knew we had a story to tell,  we had lived this story for so long.

I replied to the email with excitement and shared a few ideas.  The producer ( Stef ) quickly rang me to see what else I could share.  We had a lovely conversation but when I mentioned that I fed my family for $270  a month,  Stef almost came through the phone ( it was so funny ).  She said that a reporter by the name of Ben Mc Cormack would be ringing me to have a further chat.  He rang a few nights later with a list of questions to answer.  We spent about 30 - 45 minutes on the phone discussing all sorts of budget related topics.  He too couldn't get over our low food budget. 

We arranged to meet at Aldi a couple of days later to start filming.  In the mean time,  the planning for the story was big.  My family helped me tidy up around our home.  Not that it really needed it but we wanted to present ourselves in the best light possible.  For two nights I couldn't sleep.  I had so many ideas whirling around in my head that I couldn't settle.  The night before filming,  I wrote all my ideas down.  I had so much to share that I didn't want to forget anything.  That night I slept like a baby.

The filming for the story went smoothly.  The camera crew were wonderful and very supportive.  I couldn't have asked for a better crew.  In fact,  I had prayed that God would send the right people for this amazing story.  God provided and I'll be forever grateful to God and A Current Affair for their wisdom in sending Ben,  Drew ( camera ) and Johann ( sound ).  Whatever I had to share,  they eagerly filmed.  I can honestly say that nothing was made up to " create " a story.  Everything that was filmed was and to this day,  is exactly what my family does to live on a small budget.

After two days of filming we said our goodbyes.  I was a little sad as we'd all formed a special bond over the story and I didn't know if I'd ever see them again.  Since then I done five more stories with Ben and three with Drew.  We just work so well together.

It was five days of waiting from the time the story was filmed until it went to air.  That's when the nerves set in. I knew this story could possibly change lives.  I knew this story would be talked about.  I prayed during those five days that my family's story would help those who needed help.  I also prayed the story would be an inspiration to those who couldn't find any hope.  Nothing could have prepared me for what was to follow.

After the story went to air, Darren's facebook page was buzzing. ( I wasn't on facebook at the time ).  The emails and texts started coming through from family and friends.  The next day I received phone calls from Stef and the camera crew asking if I was happy with the story.  I was thrilled.  They couldn't have done a better job.  The story was the second highest rating story on A Current Affair in the last four years.  OH MY GOODNESS  !!!  It was bigger than I had ever expected or dreamed.  No,  I'm not big noting myself.  I'm really not that sort of person.  My family's story had struck a cord with so many struggling families across Australia.

So much has happened since the 23rd of June 2014.  So much more than we'll ever know.  I've received emails from strangers who now feel like someone understands why they live frugally.  These emails have bought tears of happiness to me.  Even to this day,  just about every time I'm out and about,  I'm recognised and stopped by strangers who want to talk about my tv stories.  So many have shared their own story with me.  So many are inspired to live the Abundant Life on a budget.  So many see hope for their own family.

I'm blessed.  Truly blessed   My heart is overflowing with joy.