Grocery Savings … I lurrrrrve it!

I have a love-hate relationship with grocery shopping which goes back forever. I love sniffing out a good grocery bargain and stockpiling, I love the colours and layout of the grocery store (yep I must be their ideal consumer!) and I love picking up items and reading the packaging. BUT I hate the time that it takes pushing that wonky-wheeled heap of metal up and down each aisle, I hate the forced polite conversation with people you feel obliged to stop and talk to (yes, you know who you are!) and I super-hate trudging the bags from the car into the house and then unpacking the damn things. Now that I have a 5 month old baby who hates everything about grocery shopping, the thought of it really sucks.
I live only an hour and a bit away from the capital city of my state and yet cannot receive mobile service in the house or ADSL broadband. Home delivered groceries??? Yerrrrrright ….. What??? Yes???? You sure??????? You are???? Wahooooooooooo! Bingo! And yes, I am amazed by simple things.

By coming up with a fortnightly meal plan, and ordering the fortnightly groceries on line last fortnight I think I saved a bomb. I know that I saved a hell of a lot of time, but also the bill seemed quite small – aha moment – there was no impulse buying – Eureka!!
Here are the 5 things that I loved most about grocery shopping online. In no particular order they are ….

1. no getting stuck for hours talking to Mrs So-and-So!
2. the ability to compare all products for value with price per 100g details listed for every item
3. the delivery bloke carried every bag to my front door – bless him!
4. it was like Christmas discovering all that I had ordered!
5. no impulse buying = big, big savings!

I’m in the middle of now doing my second order and it will be interesting to see over a period of time what savings can be made by shopping this way. Although only one of the major 2 retailers deliver to my area currently I do know that an online service is offered by both. If you are at all prone to impulse buying it may be worth checking out whether or not they’ll bring the groceries to your door too!

Bargain Beauty Buy!

While women worldwhide hunt for the fountain of youth, I'll keep happily using Rosehip Oil. This nectar has become my beauty staple and it represents serious value for money when comparing it to the potions peddled at cosmetic counters.

The old adage that you get what you pay for is not *always* true. Rosehip Oil - available from many different companies - is a product moderately priced (no it's not cheap, but then nor is it as dear as poison) but capable of delivering much more than the investment.

My skin is problematic and hypersensitive and has been even more so since having children 13 long years ago. I have a stash of creams and lotions stashed away in the bathroom that have all been purchased on a promise but then been no good. Sometimes I am able to use a product for a period of time thinking it is ok and then, without warning, WHAMMY - I'll have an absurd immediate reaction to it and need to rinse it off in freezing water before my skins burns off! Sometimes this honeymoon period can be for a month or two but often I've written a product off well and truly before then. Unbelievably I have now been using Rosehip Oil for 4 months now and love it more and more each day! Those fancy-schmancy department store brands have nothing on this honey coloured liquid gold!

The verdict is in. Skin- softer. Skin - smoother. Skin - more hydrated. Complexion - more even. Cost around $30 a bottle which lasts forever as you only use a couple of drops at a time. I'm loving it and couldn't recommend it more highly to anyone looking for a top value beauty product suitable for even the most sensitive of skins!

Eggcellent Value!

We eat eggs. We are exceptionally eager egg eaters and often in this household six eggs per day can be devoured without a blink. The boys love scrambled eggs for breakfast (I've learnt my lesson NOT to poach them in the microwave unless I want to spend the day cleaning the bloody thing out afterwards!) and Mr loves eggs in his salads and oh boy, the nights I make quiche for dinner ... well you can add more to the tally!

Eggs can be expensive to buy or very inexpensive to grow at home if your local council will allow cluck-clucking in the back yard. Free range, barn range, RSPCA tick of approval, home brand ..... when is an egg not an egg?? Or is an egg always an egg??? Are the ethical and nutritional differences all that advertising tells us? Maybe. I'm not intending to comment on that eggspect (ha ha ha) though as I am certainly not an eggspert (ok, sorry) but rather a homemaker who attempts to squeeze the most value out of each dollar and I've found it.

We are lucky enough to live in a semi-rural area and in our midst are a number of chicken farms producing meat chickens for Steggles and Inghams. These farms come under the management of a single organisation who, from their head office (which is just up the road), sell eggs and also bulk lots of fillets, legs and/or wings. They represent sensational value and at $6.50 for a tray of 30 large jumbo eggs they can not be beaten on price or freshness straight from the farm. 

It may be worth your while to look locally to see if there is anyone in your area selling eggs. You will at least know that they have not been sitting in a supermarket's cold room for months, and you will undoubtedly save yourself some dollars too. Now, I just need to find myself a nearby chocolate farm!!

Thanks a bunch blogger!

Gee blogger. Thank you for deleting the post that I spent yonks working on this morning while bubba was asleep. This is despite me saving it a dozen times too. Gone. Zippo. Back to the drawing board later.

A chill in the air = slow cooker season!

I was excited to wake up to a nip in the air this morning. Mmmmmmm slow cooker weather!

When you are trying to stretch those dollars further, there is hardly a more economical meal maker than the slow cooker ... or crockpot as they say in the USA.

Look what we're having for tea tonight!

Do please excuse the grubby finger marks on the stainless steel exterior of my slow cooker and look into the hearty goodness of the meal!

Here's what I like most about cooking in the slow cooker ....

• 
  
  sooooooooooooo easy - once it's in the cooker, consider it done! Put it on in the morning, leave it on low all day and dinner is done for the evening! Convenience plus! 
• 
  
  budget friendly -  by being able to use cheaper cuts of meat - the slow cooking process tenderises these cheaper cuts so you can make great value healthy dinners
• 
  
  super way to use up all the veges at the bottom of the crisper - cuts back on food wastage
• 
  
  if you are cooking for just one or two, you can make a load and freeze for later!
• 
  
  delicious aromas fill the house all day!

There is a Facebook group dedicated to sharing slow cooker recipes and it can be found here. There are heaps of members (just over 26,500!) and as it's an Australian group the ingredients actually make sense and are easily sourced.

Here though is the recipe for tonight's slow cooked meal - which was all prepared by 9.00am!

Simple Slow Cooked Tandoori Beef

Don't be put off by the name as it is actually very mild and totally delicious!

• 
  
  1 bottle of Taylors Tandoori marinade - this is the brand stocked by most butchers and is around $3.75 for the bottle - wellll worth it mmmmmmmmmmmm
• 
  
  approx 1kg of beef, diced - cheaper cuts work just fine as the meat will be melt in your mouth tender by the time this is done
• 
  
  veges - I added 3 onions (sliced), 4 potatoes (cubed), about half a sweet potato (cubed), a handful of green beans (sliced) and 3 stalks of celery (chopped)
• 
  
  a little bit of water - not much more than a dribble as the cooking process will release moisture

Split the meat into 3 portions. Brown each portion in a non-stick fry pan and add to the slow cooker bowl. This step is not necessary if you wish to save on washing up, but it does enhance flavour and is therefore worthtaking the time to do.

To the beef, add the veges.

Then add the entire bottle of Taylors Tandoori marinade. Put a dribble of water into the bottle and swirl it around to get the last out. Add this to the crockpot.

Stir thorougly to mix everything through.

Put slow cooker onto low setting.

Walk away and come back for dinner tonight!

*this can be served with rice or extra mashed potato if you need to pad it out for many hungry folk

*can be cooked on higher setting for less time if need be

*monitor whilst cooking to see if any extra liquid is needed - unlikely though!

If you have a tried and tested delicious slow cooker recipe that you would like to see featured here, just send me an email here!

Happy slow cooking!

A lucky break with a bargain offer too good to pass up!

I'm amazed at how bargain offers can randomly stumble by when you are least expecting it. Yesterday was one of those days. The mother of SS1's mate called yesterday morning to see if I would be interested in purchasing a couple of electric guitars and an amp that they were no longer using. There was little hesitation on my part and I answered YES before she got the entire question out. Had I budgeted for these? No. So why the willingness to seal the deal?

Well, both boys of mine a very keen on their music. SS1 plays the euphonium (borrowed from the school), the trumpet (bought new but on sale with over $300 off) and the guitar (a birthday gift from the grandparents). SS2 plays the clarinet (bought second hand from a friend), the drums (cost shared with his father), the keyboard (bought second hand from a friend) and borrows SS1's guitar on occasion. They love it and I love that they are so keen about it.

For months and months and months SS1 has been nagging me about an electric guitar knowing full well that it is something that I am unable to afford immediately  .... but he doesn't always get the message and has continued to ask regardless. You can then imagine my surprise when this offer came through: $200 for not one, but two, barely used electric guitars and a little Yamaha amp worth well over $100 on its own.

Not surprisingly there were two *very* grateful and delighted sons yesterday. SS1 even had tears in his eyes as despite the asking, he never actually dreamed it possible. Me? Well, I have brought them some joy, saved a heap and have had to do some financial juggling and rearranging but hey, it's all good. Happy bargain finding to you today too!

There's a cow in my cupboard mooooooooooooooooo

I've just made myself a coffee (white, no sugar) and was thinking about what a damn fine resource long-life milk is. Nutritionally it is said to have the same good-for-you qualities as the bottles of fresh milk in the dairy cabinet with the only notable difference being the pasteurisation process.

In a household where not everyone drinks milk, it is not always practical to keep the fresh stuff on hand. This is where having a cow in your cupboard is ideal.

Many of the major milk brands offer a long-life version but the Devondale Semi-Skim (as illustrated) just happens to be my personal favourite. How simple it is to throw it out of the cupboard and into the fridge. When it's icy cold it's delicious - rich and creamy and with a taste easily on par with the fresher varieties, if not nicer.

This brand usually retails at around $1.66 per litre in the major grocery stores and has regularly been on sale for 10 x 1 litre cartons for $10.00. A huge savings! Only last week I picked up the same great value with 6 x 2 litre cartons on sale for $12.00. If long-life is your milk staple then specials like this are worth stocking up on and stockpiling if you have the room. Do be sure to check best by dates and use them accordingly.

If fresh milk is your regular drop I challenge you to give long-life a go and at the very least you won't be able to beat the cupboard cow for emergency back up and camping trips! Moooooooooooo!

So, what did you do today?

Were you careful with your money today?
Did you use your resources wisely and stretch your dollar till it couldn't stretch any more?

Here are a couple of thrifty tips to incorporate into your daily living and over time they WILL make a difference! You may have heard these concepts preached before ..... BUT have you adopted them? If not, why not?

Be sparing in your use of appliances. Turn off equipment that is rarely used because standby mode is still an energy drain. Avoid tumble-drying your clothes and instead harness the freshness of the sun. Let your hair dry naturally a few days a week - better for your hair and the electicity bill both! Do you really *need* every gadget that you have plugged in this week?

Monitor the price of petrol. It is likely you will find the cheapest days to refuel are Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Aim to put petrol in your car when it is cheapest and not on a Friday afternoon when the price has peaked for the week.

Stock up on grocery specials. When shopping, if you notice a great price on a non-perishable that is  regularly on your shopping list, it is wise to stock up if (a) you have the storage room and (b) you are certain that you will use it. Great savings can be made on goods such as laundry powder, toilet paper and dishwashing liquid if you know the special price represents good value. If you've got nowhere to store them this becomes a bit of an issue .... but hey, it could be a great motivator for clearing some space!

Try a cheaper alternative. Ditch brand loyalty and trial a less expensive version of a product. You may find that the taste or performance exceeds your expectations. If you don't want the neighbour discovering that you serve your kids home brand bikkies just empty the packet into a Tupperware container and throw away the packaging! She'll never guess!

As you can see, it's really not rocket science. In fact it's pretty much habit forming once you start. So, how were you thrifty today?

Yummmy Pasta Budget Beater

As much as I'd love to be great in the kitchen, the sad and pathetic truth is that I'm not.

In fact, I even aspire to be ordinary. Sigh, one day ....

I do say that it's good to know your own strengths and weaknesses though and, in order to improve on my domestic-goddess-cooking-stuff deficiency, I am always on the look out for recipes that are super simple to make and that will satisfy the family. Even better are those meals that taste so much more delicious than the effort required and here is one of those - a Monday night favourite in this household and absolutely quick and easy!

Trev's Tomato and Bacon Pasta!

Thanks go to my father, Trev, for this foolproof easy-peasy dish!

The Recipe

You'll need:

Bacon - approximately 375g (I use more but have a big eating man!)

Onion

Garlic (1 teaspoon crushed or the equivalent fresh)

Tin of Tomatoes (I use home brand diced tomatoes)

Sugar (approx. 2 teaspoons to reduce acidity of tomatoes)

Pepper to taste

Pasta of choice (spirals are good!)

Method:

Chop bacon and onion. In a non-stick pan cook bacon, onion and the teaspoon of crushed garlic until the onion is transparent and the bacon is cooked.

Add the tin of tomatoes and the little bit of sugar. Adjust amount of sugar you use according to taste as it will help reduce any acidity in the tomatoes. Season with pepper to your preference, you won't need salt because of the bacon being salty.

Turn it down to a low heat and let it simmer while you cook the pasta as per packet directions. Serve the sauce over the pasta and top with a little grated cheese. QUICK, EASY and YUM!

All the ingredients can be purchased for under $10 and this easily feeds our family. Bargain! Thanks Trev, you're a legend!

 Let me know if you rustle it up and be sure to share any delicious variations that you invent or stumble across!

Coming soon ....

Coming soon as part of A Thrifty Household is this new project and I am excited!

Keep an eye out for more!

Don't let time slip away!

Being thrifty is all about making wise decisons in the allocation of your resources and time is possibly one of the most precious commodities that you have. Time is limited but also very easy to waste in so many ways and to use your time efficiently is certainly a learned skill for some, my hand certainly goes up to this!

Thinking about making the most of your time is one thing, but getting off your bum and spending this resource effectively is something altogether different. Please be assured that I'm not taking taking a highground here as I can be the world's biggest time waster when I set my mind to it.

This post is dedicated to five simple ways that you can be gainful with your time and therefore thrifty with this valuable resource. Who knows, maybe after a while these can become part of your regular thrifty household routine?


Turn the tele off, now is the time to ......

1. Go for a walk! Going for a brisk walk and focussing on your fitness is never a waste of time. Being in optimal physical health ensures your body functions efficiently and is a super way to clean out any cobwebs! Take an iPod and let 'er rip!
2. Prepare your "To Do" list for the next day (or the next week if you'd prefer). A list provides structure, organisation and focus. Place it somewhere very visible to remind you of what you plan to accomplish. Then you can enjoy crossing off tasks as they are done. Ahhhhh satisfaction indeed!
3. Get in touch with someone you've been thinking of. The world is a complicated place and we all lead busy lives. Keeping in contact is never easy, often getting overlooked or postponed until the inevitable "tomorrow". Spending the time to make a phone call, send an email or even to write a quaint old-fashioned letter is time well spent. Your dear friends will be so pleased that you made the effort!
4. Organise your pantry and plan your meals for the week. Gather any recipes you'll be referring to, arrange a shopping lsit of needed ingredients and post the menu somewhere for the family to see. Think of how efficient you'll feel and just  how much time you'll end up saving by not having to continually answer the "What's for dinner Mum/Honey?" question.
5. Dust two pieces of furniture. That's two, not one. Two pieces at a time is not an overwhelming chore and you'll feel like something has really been achieved!

Ok, it's time to step away from the computer for me. I'm off for a walk and then to do some dusting. Good luck with incorporating these ideas into your routine and don't forget to let us know how you go!

OKMART is better than just "ok" - a review!

With its very American-sounding store name, I was initially a little hesitant to check out the online shopping site OKMART but really I shouldn't have been as already it has saved me many, many dollars.

The things to love most about shopping at OKMART include:

The prices. They are good. Each item lists the manufacturer's RRP and what you will be saving in dollars and as a percentage.

They promote a price-matching policy where you can submit a competitor's price on any product that you can source online cheaper. OKMART will then not only match it, but quite often beat it and adjust their price accordingly so that it then becomes the product's regular selling price for all customers.

Free shipping on all orders over $150. Anything under that total ships for the flat rate of $6.95 which is still very reasonable. Delivery is quick.

PayPal is accepted for online shoppers not wanting to use a credit card.

There is a huge range of products to choose and these are very efficiently organised into clearly defined categories.

Just as an example, the infant formula I have been giving my daughter retails at the local Woolworths supermarket for $28.95 per tin. Ouch! On occasion it has been on special for $25.89, a worthwhile saving of $3.06. The local chemist stocks the same brand for the regular price of $25.99 which is a permanent saving of $3.05.The tins there are a little dusty though (hmmmm) but this is as good as I thought I was going to get until I stumbled across OKMART. At $23.50 the online price at OKMART saves $5.45 per tin on the Woolies price and with a purchase of 7 tins I well and truly qualify for the free shipping and as a bonus am stocked up for a good while! The savings total $38.15 and my supply is delivered to the door. Very thrifty indeed and well worth a looksie!

Value-Schmalue

What does the concept of  good VALUE really mean to you?
Do you think that value means cheap? Well if you do, we'll just have to agree to disagree as I don't think that at all!

When deciding if something is good value or not, here are some factors to be considered ..

• Is it durable? Something may initially seem to cost a bit, but will it see out the task and last the distance? Buying something cheaper may not represent value at all if it has to be replaced in next to no time. Good value often means good quality.
• Will it do the job well? There's not much value in an item that is not fulfilling it's need or its purpose no matter how cheap it may have been. If it doesn't work well or doesn't get the job done then I'm afraid it's not really a bargain no matter how rock bottom the pricetag.
• Do you even like it? If it's not likeable then it's possibly not good value as it may not get its full use! Of course that's not to say everything that is nice represents value so don't twist my words!
• Is it *reasonably* priced? Yes, price is certainly a factor in value. Although manufacturers may nominate a RRP (Recommended Retail Price) remember that retailers are free to sell goods at any price they choose and that shopping around pays off. Check online for some instant price comparisons but don't forget to ring around bricks and mortar stores too!

A challenge this week then is to think about the last 5 things that you purchased and whether or not they represented good value? Let me know if you are surprised by what you find!

Book Bargains!

Books are one of life's greatest pleasures! With a good book in your hand it is nearly impossible to be bored or lonely! Books are wonderful to share with others and with likeminded friends it's quite economical to get into the habit of trading libraries so that there is always plenty of fresh reading material on hand.

If you live in a metropolitan area you may be very familiar with your local library. Many regional areas have great library resources too, often with a mobile library van run by a fellow booklover who is happy to source reading material for you by title, author or area of interest. The very best thing about public libraries is the cost: ususally free to join, free to borrow and an inexpensive place to buy preloved books when they a huge cleanout - sometimes twice a year!

Here are some thoughts on sourcing great value pre-loved books!

• Sharing books with friends or family! You may like to even start a reading group to regularly get together and discuss what's between the pages! There is always great satisfaction loving a book so much that you can't wait to share it with someone else who'll love it too! Be sure to keep a good record of who you borrow from and who you lend to as it can be easy to forget where books belong!
• Your local public library! It's free and many have a booking system where you can nominate to be informed when a book you are dying to read gets returned ready for you to borrow.
• Op shops and garage sakes can be the surprising place for some wonderful books at great prices. Keep your eyes open and you might just find something very interesting indeed!
• See if there is a Lifeline Bookfest in your capital city. I know that there is one twice a year held in Brisbane and the number of books available can only be described as mindblowing. Thousands and thousands of preloved books painstakingly ordered into categories and as cheap as chips. If you can get there, be sure to take along a grandma-shopping-bag trolley!
• If there is a specific title you are chasing, try ebay! There is a good chance that you may find someone selling a gently read copy and of course it never hurts to look.

The joy of reading can be a very inexpensive past time which provides hours of vicarious enjoyment. If it's been a while between books, I challenge you to redsicover the wonderful world of words and share here any other ideas you have for finding good value reading material!

Introductions and welcomes

Welcome to my very new blog! It's nice to have you here!

In the past, I admit that I have been a bit of a serial blogger. A hundred and two fantastic ideas, keen as mustard, make a start, then think of a billion things to write about that don't quite fit the theme. Get a bit frustrated, spit the dummy and back to the drawing board. So what's different this time? Well, finally I've decided to focus predominantly on something I have a great passion for, and under which umbrella many of my thoughts and writings may be able to find a home: thriftiness.

In my circle of friends and family, I do know some who are fortunate enough to enjoy the spoils of generously huge bank accounts. Hard earned, well deserved and half their luck I say. For me, for most others, and for you too I bet, coin is a limited resource that needs to be stretched to its maxiumum potential. I don't just like a bargain, I *love* a bargain but this does not automatically mean cheap as we all know that cheap can be nasty. A bargain represents value, it means making the most of the money you have available by spending it well on creating a good quality life.

A THRIFTY HOUSEHOLD is meant to be a treasure chest of tips, reviews, ideas and thoughts on living well for the best price. It's all about value.

As a mum of three (2 boys, ages 13 and almost 11 and a fifteen week old bubba girl) I am in the firing line of the family budget. I appreciate that it's a hard gig and that the bank account seems to dwindle without intervention. Sounding familiar to you? If so, I am hoping that you will join me on this quest to live the good life on less. Any tips or ideas that you would like to submit will always be welcomed and acknowledged - contact me so I know you are playing too!

I'll be seeing you again soon!