Your BEST tips for saving money......

DH and I just bought our first home and we are very excited except that we need to cut about a million corners to stay on top.

So please shoot me your best tips for saving money.

We will be having a 4 min timer in the shower to save water, we will be redirecting all grey water onto our gardens, we already shop at aldi, buy in bulk, make sure no lights or appliances are turned on unnecessarily, ummmmmm what else?

I wont be putting the dishwasher on unless it is totally full and not full of big bowls like i currently do :redface:

I will wash dishes in a sink full of water rather than running water.

Ok thats about all i can think of.

shop with a list and buy only on the list
walk rather than drive to the local shops (assuming this is a possibility)
eat before you go out somewhere (shopping etc) so you don't need to eat while out doing stuff
take a bottle of water rather than buying whilst out - and if you only drink bottled water buy a pack from the likes of big w and take this rather than buying whilst out
make lists of things you want for those who ask re birthday christmas gifts so you can get some things you need then rather than buying yourself


ETA - look at meals that can be made with cheaper cuts of meat (doesn't have to be all the time but can help)
take lunches don't buy
as Liz said - light bulbs make a difference and they don't have to be the expensive energy efficient ones we find the $4each (usually come in packs of 4) last just as long
if you are going to restaurants - byo is much cheaper
shop at op shops
go to the movies tuesday rather than any other night (cheaper)
visit the library rather than buying books
have coffee with friends at peoples houses rather than cafes
plan your wardrobe so not buying on impulse
sell any stuff you don't want need at garage sale/ebay/classifieds
if you want to garden visit other people who have plants you like and ask for clippings rather than purchasing new plants
only run one fridge - they chew power
consider seriously whether you can survive with just one car
make sure you ring around/get on the net when insurances are due - the cheapest company in an area changes from year to year - can save you hundreds
ensure you pay things early/on time if it means getting a discount - rates etc.
take holidays outside peak times
don't buy something unless you can pay cash for it
only use your mobile for people to be able to contact you - ring out from a landline if you have one (assumption here that you aren't on mobile only) especially if a local call
turn off voicemail on mobiles - it is costing you 60c or so everytime someone leaves a message if they really want you they will try again or sms you
if using aircons only use ones in the immediate areayou need - shut doors to everywhere else
if you have a pool look at getting the pump wired into the electricty in a similar manner to your hot water so it can run on offpeak rates and look at getting a pool blanket to cover it
by petrol midweek - usually cheaper
don't fall into the trap of spending money to save money - its only a special if you use it and would normally do so
if you are having people over and they offer to bring something - let them - you don't always have to fully cater for everybody


Now I realise not all of these may apply or be suitable to your situation but just rattling them off as I think of them

I've found shopping online saves money because if I know I've got say $100 to spend, then I can fiddle around with what's in my cart until I'm within budget, whereas shopping at the shops you just gotta pay whatever it adds up to at the till! My only problem with online shopping is I'm never organised enough to do it. They don't do same day deliveries anymore, and you have to place your order before noon for the next day.. and I usually need stuff straight away so end up just grabbing the kids and going shopping.

Have you replaced all your lightbulbs with energy efficient bulbs? This saves a LOT. We have a stack of halogen lights in this house.. we had a monstrous electricity bill, so we stopped using halogens.. we bought a couple of lamps and put the CFL bulbs in them, and we knocked $400 off our bill!! (including a couple of other things like turning off a spare fridge and getting the hot water system replaced). But I swear it was the halogen lighting that was killing us.

This is more of a budgeting tip, we are about to buy our second home & find it's bills that get us each month.
Now each pay an automatic payment of a certain amount of $$$ goes directly to ph, water, elec, rego, savings etc regardless of how much the bills are. That way we only spend what we have left & don't spend too much before the bills come in & when the bills do come in the are either in cr or not much at all.

As what Jaspen said, some mates of ours just had a baby and they went through a recipe book, picked enough dinners for the week, and then bought the ingredients they needed in one shop... they only spent $70 or so on food. So that's pretty good, we're thinking about doing the same.

List shopping is great I also enter comps so we can get the extras like movie tickets etc and well as mystery shopping PM me and I can give you some deatails there is also a good group called simple savings if you would like to google them :)

Hey there
Congrats on making it to mortageville!
A couple of tips which work for us:
1. Try to do a budget, annualise your bills and put away a certain monthly amount away to cover them if cashflow allows i find this makes life quite a bit easier when it comes up to those big bill months;
2. In doing your budget provide an allowance for yourself and DH - Pay yourself first whether by setting aside funds in another account or by withdrawing the cash - I have found having even a little money a week leaves me feeling like i am not on a budget and its good to do what i want to with my $$;
3. If you or DH are working - take lunch to work - total total $$ saver you can buy a weeks worth of lunch ingredients for the cost of one shop bought sandwich and drink.
4. Meal plan prior to shopping this helps you do the list (the online shop is a good tip one but alot more expensive than Aldi, also I find alot of the specials are not available online)
5. Eat whats in season, if you eat alot of asian try shopping at your local asian grocery (if you have one) they have a lovely variety of ingredients including great asian vegies at prices heaps cheaper than supermarkets;
6. Try some vegetarian meals, beans and pulses are alot cheaper to cook with than meat and chicken we have found them to be suprisingly delicious;
7. See if you can find a wholesale butcher who sells to the public in your local area, we have one locally and most items are between 1/2 and 2/3 the price of meat even at Aldi (where do you live?)
8. Try and minimise waste by quantifying the cost of using things and throwing unused things out, sounds silly but it works, eg costs a couple of bucks to use the dryer so will hang the washing instead, a couple of bucks to chuck out the tomatoes which went bad etc etc.
Sounds like you are already on the right track so you probably do all of the above already!
Good luck!
Cheerio
Belinda.

Work out what you can save money on and what you can't. For instance, I've decided never to pay full-price for DD's clothes - I'll either buy them in the sales for her next size up or I'll buy secondhand on eBay. I also bought her cot on an online auction site and SAVED $450! You can also usually save on electrical goods if you wait for the sales.

Equally, sell the stuff you no longer use. I've just sold a chair I bought for $35 for $31!!!

I'm now a lot more choosy about what clothes I buy for myself. Once you've seen what things get marked down to in the sales, it makes you really resent paying full-price! But I do treat myself if it's something I really like and that I know I'll wear a lot.

Food takes up an enormous amount of money. I love food though and that's one area I won't scrimp on. Menu planning and lists are essential. You will also save HEAPS if you buy meat, fruit and veggies at the market (not sure how this compares to Aldi) and freeze the meat. You can buy tins on special.

I treat myself with expensive bread and stuff from the deli and I've actually saved money that way. I'm more likely to be happy with a sandwich for lunch if it's on my favourite olive bread and it's really nice ham. So less wastage.

If you 'deny' yourself stuff, you're more likely to end up resentful and then go and blow your budget. So work out little things that you can treat yourselves with to keep you on track.

Shop with a calculator so you stick to your budget, you'd be surprised how many little extras can sneak into the grocery trolley!

The other thing we do is have several nights where you eat a 'scratch' dinner - something cheap and quick like an omelette, pilau rice & tuna, soup, etc. Eat sandwiches for lunch then have a night where you combine the previous few nights' leftoevers. Then you can still afford to have a nicer cut of meat or fish a couple of times a week & you'd be surprised that you can actually shave $$ off your groceries.

The other big one for me - make sure you have a bill paying system - so that all your bills are paid before the due date, they love to charge late fees!

i shouldnt answer this cause im a bad saver up, but i have those cards for water,gas and elec were you can put money on to cut down you're bill...it works really well.

Everyone has some great tips here!
A few more that I use:
1. Make your own cleaning supplies (eg using vingear, making your own laundry powder)
2. Re-gift appropriately, saves money on presents (just google to find the "guidelines" of re-gifting!)
3. Make your own greeting cards (cut up and re use old cards, save wrapping paper)
4. Make homemade gifts - letter writing set, bath salts, mixes etc.
5. Learn how to make your own spice mixes.
6. Make your own gourmet breads (rather than paying $4 for a vienna loaf at Brumbies!)

DH and I have always been thrifty as we got married while both still uni students! Now we are paying off one mortgage and about to start paying off a second, so I'll be looking at everyone else's tips carefully.

All I can say is - go back to basics as much as possible. Make things from scratch, have more veggo meals, invite friends over for coffee instead of going out (get them to bring morning/afternoon tea), have BBQs instead of takeaway or dining out, set up direct debits for your bills so you are paying off a little at a time, shop at op shops and the like. It works from our perspective.

Oh, and learn to layby instead of using your credit card!

- De-clutter your home and sell all the excess stuff online or at a garage sale
- Pay yourself first. Put some money away automatically from your pay in a separate high interest savings account. If you don't see it you won't miss it. Likewise if you get a pay rise or bonus stick it straight into savings. If you have been living off the lower income then you don't need to increase your expenses to match your pay rise.
- Create a budget, list ALL your expenses and income in 2 columns in a spreadsheet or even just on a piece of paper. The FIDO website has a great budget template spreadsheet and tips. Review your budget regularly.
- Plan your meals before you go shopping and make a list and stick to it. Don't go shopping when you're hungry either!
- Buy cheap cuts of meat and make casseroles and curries etc.
- Supermarket bought cleaning products are expensive. Make your own using vinegar, bicarb, etc.
- Get petrol mid week when the cycle is low even if your tank is not empty.
- Instead of going out for dinner, have a 'pot luck' night with your friends where everyone brings a dish each.
- Check out the Simple Savings and Cheapskates websites, they have some great tips on saving money.

D... there is a meat place called Tasman Meats which is in Werribee which sells really cheap meat and it's great! So maybe give that a try ;)

Saving Money With a Baby

Ps. I read your sig and I reckon there are no such things as mistakes unless you don't learn from them. Then you can have no regrets :)

wow BB folk are a clever thrifty lot. awesome ideas :)

* cut out impromptu coffees at a coffee shop.
* insulate your home the best you can. you can get draft stopper, door and window seals for your whole home for under $50. the more heat/cool you loose the more you have to heat/cool. if you don't have it already, put good insulation in your roof (minimum rating of 4) - it is cheaper to do it yourself and isn't that hard. the upfront cost will bring you savings even in the first couple of years and you will wish you did it earlier especially if you have high energy bills.
* if you live in drier climate, in summer close your house up to keep out the day's radiant heat. use fans instead of airconditioners, they use heaps less energy.
* plant a vegie/herb garden from seeds which are cheaper than ready plants and gives you yummy food all year round and makes it feel like 'home'.
* do away with energy demanding appliances especially big flat screen TVs that cost the earth to buy and run. discover games to play with your family and friends. ie 'go out' at home with your family and friends having game nights where everyone brings a dish to share.
* if you have electric hot water system, turn it down a few degrees. most of the time they are set too high anyway and we have to 'cool' it down with cold water.
* reduce the limit on your credit card so that you have to think more about purchases each month and you have a better idea of how much you are spending.

just some suggestions. enjoy your new home and happy saving!

I shouldn't be answering this either as we don't "budget" as such but we have reached some amazing financial goals through living frugally (managed to pay for our DD's private primary school fees for example, on mostly a single wage).

My basic philosophy is to live simply. Think of solutions that your Nana may have used to economise. You need to make it a way of life. Our ego's are often our biggest expense. If you can examine your 'needs' and discover that they are only "nice to haves" you'll save a fortune. Do you need new clothes? No, you can most likely do with second hand. Do you need a late model car? No, you only need a car that's safe and reliable. Don't let it affect you that you aren't keeping up with the Jones in terms of what "stuff" you have. Remember the best things in life are free!

1. If you use a spray and wipe type product, next time you need more save the spray bottle and get an undiluted "pine o clean" or similar and dilute with water (thats all the spray is anyway) and that will last you months.
2. when cleaning your teeth, put water in a cup & use that not the tap.
3. DP shaving fill the sink with water and dont use a running tap
4. We do all our fruit & veg shoping at the market & it costs between $15 - $30 per week whereas at the supermarket for the same things it was $40-$80 per week.
5.Invite people over for coffee or go to their house, cheaper than a cafe
6.Turn off unused appliances at the wall
7. Use 2/3 of the recommended amount of laundry powder/liquid, it still cleans just as well
8.Use a clothes horse or washing line instead of the dryer
9.If you see something at the shops that you want but dont need, instead of buying it, go home if you still want it the next day then you'll know you really wanted it & it wasnt just something in passing
10. Plan birthday shopping and Christmas shopping well in advance, keep a birthday list & a christmas list in your bag. When you come across something on special for someone, put it away until their birthday or christmas and tick them off the list. We normally have our christmas shopping done by October

Hi I forgot one which has helped us go from being a 2 car family to a one car family - if you or DP can - ride your bike where ever you can - before child DH and I both rode our bikes to work and home most days all up 60km round trip saved heaps on petrol, rid us of public transport frustration and cost etc etc and no need for gym membership! Takes a bit of planning (ie have to get work clothes to work) and a little capital investment but a great great green way of getting around!

Get a good savings account set up. We have one where we get bonus interest (earns us on average an extra $3-$5/month on top of what we put in), we also can't take money out of it by net bank, both of us have to physically go into the bank and sign to take any money out of it, makes you less likely to spend it. Shopping with a list is great, as is meal planning, make as much as you can from scratch (biscuits, slices, pizza etc), start a vegie garden as fruit/vegetables can be expensive.

Buy what you can from wholesalers or green grocers, they are often a lot cheaper than supermarkets. Also if you need something, try going to a cheap store first, like The Reject Shop or Clint's Warehouse or similar, their products while they may not be quite as good a quality, they are cheaper and as long as they do the job they are intended for...

i read in the paper that petrol seems to be cheapest on a Tuesday, so is a good day to fill up your car.

Awesome tips guys.

Making a spreadsheet of weekly meals is a great idea - you can even make up several weeks and, using different tabs, just alter one or two of the meals and end up with a full monthy planner so you arent having to go in and make a new planner each week.

If you have dogs, when i had them, i found it MUCH cheaper to make them some meals each week rather than the cans - chicken gibblets, liver, cheaper mince, shredded carrots, peas and pasta (etc) made kinda like a casserole, they will love you for it!

1. Shop at Op shops for baby/kiddies (& my own) clothes & occasional toy. I wipe the plastic toys with dettol.
2. We buy a big 10kg DUO washing powder from BigW (oh, I miss my dynamo liquid), but the powder does the job.
3. Use plastic shopping bags from the grocery shopping as rubbish-bin liners.
4. Buy up big when nappies are on special.
5. Use Aldi or Coles brand nappies during the day & better brand like Huggies at night.
6. Buy plastic nappy-bags from Warehouse or Go-Lo.
5. Nappy-san (cheaper brand) from the Warehouse.
6. Still bath my 22mth old toddler in her baby bath to save on water (luckily she is short, LOL). We have extremely tight water restrictions in Ballarat.
7. Wash dishes ONLY in sink & wait for a sink full's worth of dishes to do so.
8. YES, I too have heard (on TV) that petrol is cheaper on a TUESDAY !!

Like Bathsheba, we don't really budget, but we do live on one income, and donate nearly $700/month to the church and Christian school that our children will attend. So we know how to live a little tighter.

Just wanted to add a couple of things -
DON'T impulse spend! Go home, think about it, wait a while, talk to your DH, and then decide whether you really need that item.

NEVER pay for things with your credit card that you don't have the money in the bank for. We have a credit card that earns us points towards free groceries, so I use it for purchases on occasion, but I pay it off immediately online when I get home. No surprise bill, or late fees, or outrageous interest.

If you want to eat out once in a while for a special occasion (and make sure you save it for special!) try going out for breakfast instead of dinner. It's way cheaper, and often you get so much food, you don't need lunch!

Shop second hand for as much as possible. I have bought pretty much all of my children's clothes second hand, and I think they look great. :) I buy all good quality, brand name stuff that is in great shape (hurray for everyone else having only one or two babies :)) and it will last a long time. My stuff was bought second-hand for my first DD, and has been used by my three girls and my sister's two girls, and much of it is still fine!

Give up satellite/cable TV. Seriously. You won't miss it. (after a week or two, anyways.) You'll find you and your DH talk more, read more, play more games. It's much nicer for you as a couple, and much cheaper that way!

Learn inexpensive hobbies. Scrapbooking can cost an arm and a leg, if you want your stuff to look like the examples in the store. :rolleyes: Knitting and crocheting, and even quilting, I find, are cheaper. The library is cheap. I'm sure there are lots more.

Don't have a gym membership. Go for walks!

Oh, and BTW, apparently the dishwasher is more efficient than handwashing! Who knew?! But maybe that's just for water usage? :dunno:

Congrats on the new house!

A huge thank you to everyone for your replies. They have been absolutely fantastic!!!

Please keep them coming, even if you think its an obvious idea... you never know!

Im going to ask a mod if this can be made a sticky? there is priceless info on here :D

With the whole dishwahser thing, it depends on your actual washer. Older versions use up to 100 lites of water each load!!! But mine (ASKO) uses 13 lites of water for a full wash. Thats less than what i think i would use to wash in the sink!

Also, the upfront costs of a water saving washing machine mite be a little high, but will work out much better in the end - just like insulation.

And, my best tip that i have recently started doing myself - drink your coffee at work! I have a cup of tea in the morning now (aldi organic green tea, $2 pkt) and then have the more expensive beverage as soon as i get to work, courtesy of my place of employment. Over a year that adds up!

I'm a big fan of online shopping. eBay is great for things like cheap DVDs and CDs, as well as cosmetics (let's face it, us girls still need to shop!).
I just stocked up on my favourite lip gloss, I bought 3 at once from an international seller so they ended up costing AUD $14 including postage each, in the shops here they are about $40 each! I know that's probably a bit of a luxury item, but if it's something you know you'll end up buying, it can be an idea to check online every now and then. Big brands like Clinique, Nutrimetics, Avon etc can all be found on eBay too. You'll also save petrol & parking!

I agree with making stuff from scratch - I've recently discovered how fun it is to make your own pizza! Buy some 'strong' or '000' flour and some dry yeast, that's all you'll need! Oh plus the toppings! Simple!

Make a conscious decision to not buy "stuff". There is always something you will want - a beanbag for the kids, a new set of towels cause your old ones are frayed, a rice cooker cause you are sick of boiling rice on the stove, a new pair of boots cause you don't have this season's style - all stuff you WANT, none of which you NEED. If you actually make a promise to yourself to not buy random "stuff", the next time you see these sorts of items you won't feel deprived because you don't have them - you will feel SMUG because you aren't wasting your $$$ on cr@p that you don't need and will most likely end up in the Salvos bin in a few years. It can be strangely empowering when you realise that all those clever marketing campaigns aimed at separating you from your cash just aren't working.

For a bit of support on this type of living - google the San Franciso Compact. A few years back a group of friends made a promise to eachother to not buy anything for a year. It is now a world-wide anto-consumerism movement........

:

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It can be strangely empowering when you realise that all those clever marketing campaigns aimed at separating you from your cash just aren't working.

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How true! I always say our biggest expense is trying to fix a fragile ego.
Marketers are focused on how to make your purchases come from your heart rather than your head. I studied this at uni! They are trying to sell an emotion. Don't make emotional purchases. Easier said than done! Especially when it comes to revisiting our childhoods ie buying things for our children. For example: My mum never bought me jeans... so I'll be damned if my kids are going to go without the best jeans and lots of them!

Know that, when it comes to shopping, you will be a better person for identifying your emotional weaknesses and resisting them!!!!

Some of these might have already been mentioned but I though I would share them anyway:

- Draw up a meal plan for the week. Check the pantry for what you already have and write a list for what you need. Shop only for what is on the list.

- Set aside an amount each week to buy bulk products. If the supermarket has toilet paper/laundry powder/dishwashing tablets etc on sale then you can buy up and put them away for when you need them (DH and I have enough washing powder to last us 12 months).

- Throw a $5 or $10 voucher in with the shopping every week - you save them up over a year and then you will have christmas dinner more than covered!

- Use a clothes airer and the clothesline for everything - only use the drier when it is completely necessary!!

- Call your electricity company and ask them about peak/off peak times. It takes a while getting used to turning on the dishwasher/washing machine after 10pm but we save around $30 a quarter by doing it this way.

- Get a mobile plan for you and DP that allows you free calls to each other. In 2 years I have never paid a cent to text or call DH.

- Set up a high interest savings account that direct debits from your normal account. We have an account with Bankwest that currently has a 7.75% interest rate with no minimum deposit. It automatically direct debits from our transactional account. Instead of deciding whether we should put away a certain amount each week - it takes it regardless and if there are no funds in there - it takes it anyway (you are not locked into anything - you can cancel the dd anytime). Great way to save as it is automatic. Pay yourself first!

- Make your lunch for work. The cost of bread, salads, cold meats and cheese for a week is usally the cost of 2 bought lunches. Chuck in a yogurt and an apple as well as a bottle of water and there is no need to buy lunch!

- Get a debit card (doesn't have to have an overdraft). This means you can press the "credit" button for everything and you won't pay anymore EFTPOS fees (usually around $2 per transaction I think).

- Pay a little extra per week on your mortgage - even if it is only $10 a week. It will help when the interest rates go up and also if you can't make a payment.

- Buy toiletries/pharmacuticals online through websites such as Pharmacy Direct. We save around $40 a month on these items (pain relief, pads, tampons, razors, deoderants, makeup etc.) They also ship for free if you spend over $50. We shop for these items on a monthly basis.

- Make sure you have some "entertainment" or "play" money put aside each week to do something you enjoy. My DH and I are movie buffs and we have a collection of over 1000 dvd's (not even kidding)! We never pay more than $10 per DVD because we buy ex-rental. When money is tight we have a whole library to choose from!

- Love each other to the ends of the earth and remember why you have a mortgage - to build a firm foundation for your lives. Financial issues are the #1 reason for divorce so try and stay positive when things get tight!!

Wow sorry that was so long - I got a bit carried away!!

oohhh thanks guys! we are really excited about becoming more frugal!!

amysarah, thanks so much!

I don't know if anyone's mentioned it but don't make the mistake that a lot of people make when they get their own home - start spending too much money on it. Some renovate and others upgrade all their furniture. Don't do either. Live with what you already have. Mortgage rates keep going up and look like they will for a while yet so keep your money in the bank so you have it sitting there as your repayment rises. You can always fix things later and get new furniture later when rates start to drop.

Sorry if these have already been said Danni but here are my tips:

1. Grow your own vegies - it sounds daunting and I had no clue when I started but now I have successfully grown capsicum, lettuce, tomatoes, herbs, zucchini. Oh and they taste great too!

2. Make extra repayments onto your mortgage, even if only a tiny bit every week. This reduces your interest and gives you a 'cushion' if you are struggling to make a repayment.

3. Shop at Aldi or similar

4. Usually petrol is cheaper on Tue/Wed and beware long weekends when prices tend to sky rocket

5. Target/Kmart often have 20% off clothing/shoes etc so it pays to wait for those specials before you buy something

6. Plan your meals every week and don't buy lunch if at work

Um I think that is all I have right now, good luck and congrats hun!!!

*bumping* as i reckon this is an excellent thread that can help us curb our costs with rising inflation and interest rates/rent!

any other ideas?

anyone ever done freecycle Segment Publishing : Design.Develop.Host online? have you ever received anything from freecycle?

hello,
Buy meat in bulk packs from a butcher not coles or woolies they charge way too much and the quality is crap. Bulk might be a bigger upfront cost but will save you more in the end

also buy fruit and veg from local markets or small fruit and veg shops they're half the price and once again better quality I work at my local markets tomatoes cost over $3.00/kg at coles we sell them at around $1.80/kg

Its important to have a few things that you consider to be a luxury - for me I buy a coffee from a cafe on payday and I'll also have one longish(4min) shower a week and a bath when it rains (love my bathtub)... these things make me feel that the scrimping is worth it.

I really like the idea of putting extra into the mortgage and then redrawing it if the money gets short (much better than borrowing on a credit card).

We also make it into a game between us - ie who can save the most or how long we can eat out of the pantry for.

Another good one is when you go out to a restaurant for dinner or a coffee - share your meal with your partner.

Love the ideas here :)

Well guys, we have survived three weeks of mortgage payments so far! LOL

All these ideas have helped so much. I love scooping all of the bath water out and watering the garden with endless pots and bowls, catching the cold water from the taps before the hot comes out and even using a lamp instead of the over head lights.

Its really not that hard and we are having fun. I did a HUGE shop when we moved in and I am going to try and only do shopping monthly (apart from bread and milk), and it has worked so well! Im going through every single thing in the pantry so I dont miss anything and there is no wastage. Plus each week that I avoid the supermarket, I am saving sooooo much!

I have even started baking muffins and cakes again which has been cheap as chips for DH to take to work with him and he has been making 2l cordial bottles at home and taking that with him which is obviously much cheaper than endless soft drinks on the go.

We found a local doctor service which bulk bills which is fantastic, and there is also a chemist warehouse here where everything including prescriptions are much cheaper than normal.

Ummm what else. We managed to be able to afford take away twice in the three weeks. We have sussed out the best deals at the local shops and managed to get a huge pizza for only $6!!!! Surely thats cheaper than cooking something other than toast? :D

We also found a great trash n treasure market where we got a few goodies that we would have otherwise spent much more on, and of course we grabbed meat and vegies from there too :)

Well done D - and its great that you have been able to afford some t/away occassionally cause those kind of little treats will help make it feel its not so hard. keep it up!!