OILY RAG
INDEX

What are you doing in your backyard?

Times are tough and want-to-be oily raggers want to know what they can do to make the most of their backyard. Can you help? What have you done to save or make money from your "quarter-acre" paradise? Send in your comments and ideas >>>

Breakfast

A reader has asked what is the cheapest breakfast cereal, so we got our calculators out and come up with some answers. Click here to find out more >>>

Share your oily rag tips?

Do you have a favourite money saving tip, a funny frugal yarn, or a comment about living on the cheap? How about sharing it with others. Click here >>>

Questions and answers

Tamzin from Auckland has been trying to save power by switching off their hot water cylinder at night. “I am very keen to find out the real deal re hot water savings. I too can check daily usage online -BUT after alternating off/on for the hot water cylinder am now using MORE power. This does not make sense to me or my provider. I have tried on at 6pm and off at 9am, but there seems to be a meter reading surge once the power is switched back on the cylinder. Anyone know what's going on? I need to get this sorted to stop wasting power when not needed.” C to help Tamzin.

Good question. The answer seems to come down to a trade off between the daily cost of keeping the water in the cylinder up to temperature, and the one-off cost to bring the cylinder back up to temperature when it is turned on again. A factor is the type of cylinder you have. Modern hot water cylinders have a higher R-value and cool down at a slower rate than those with a lower R-value. In other words, the lower the R-value, the more benefit to be gained from turning off your cylinder because the greater the cost of maintaining the water temperature when it is on (but a greater benefit would be gained by wrapping an old cylinder).

One could get pretty technical about this and quote Newton’s Law of Cooling but all said and done, the Oily Rag Rule of Thumb is that if you have a modern cylinder its not likely to be worth your while unless you are heading away for about a week.

The best way to save money on hot water is to wrap cylinders that have a low R-value, set the thermostat temperature below 60 degrees, fix leaky taps and faulty valves, and use low flow shower heads.

Chris from Tirau asks, “What can I do to make my washing smell nice without spending a fortune on conditioner.” C to help Chris.

Marie from Kawerau has a problem keeping pesky white butterflies and insects away from her vege garden. If you have a low or no cost solution to Marie's problem, she would love to hear from you. C to help.

Young Mum has a conundrum – one many families will relate to. “We have silver beat growing all year round. It’s easy to grow, and free which is even better, but unfortunately it’s not a favourite with our young children. Can anyone help me with ways to introduce silver beat into our meals in a way that makes it more palatable to young tums?”  If you can help Young Mum, then click here >>>. 

“Not sure if kids like it, but adults will do.  Need a big pan with a lid.  Cook chopped silver beet in a little water (cut off big stalks), chop a bit more then drain well.  Separately cook 2 rashers bacon chopped (microwave) and cupful of chopped pumpkin (micro wave). Assemble all in big pan with olive oil, stir till mixed well and hot, then add bits of feta on the top, put the lid on, heat well down, then off, 5 mins. Eat as main or side dish.” - Silver Beet Fan, Whangarei.

Hammelschwanz from Whakatane suggests, “In answer to young mum whose children do not like silverbeet I would suggest to make a thick white sauce with whole milk and add finely pureed silverbeet or spinach. The creaminess hides that 'teeth blunting' feeling, serve the vegetable with mashed potatoes and a fried or poached egg. Try and add a little vegetable stock powder or nutmeg to the blended vegetable and sauce mix.”

LandP writes, "Young Mum wanted a recipe for silverbeet which her youngsters will enjoy. What follows works just as well with Spinach and is delicious. Here are the ingredients for a meal for four: 750 grams of silverbeet, 2 eggs, 6 tablespoons flour, 500 grams cottage cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, nutmeg, freshly ground pepper, and 1½ cups grated tasty cheese.

“Wash the silver beet, trim & chop finely; cook & drain squeezing out excess water. Beat eggs & flour together until smooth, add silverbeet, cottage cheese, salt, nutmeg & pepper combining them well. Put into a well greased 23 x 34cm baking dish sprinkling more grated cheese over the top. Bake uncovered at 180 degrees for 45 minutes; it can be eaten hot or cold. A decadent option is to chop & & precook a couple of rashers of bacon sprinkling these & the bacon fat over the top a little prior to serving.”

Lorraine Barnes suggests this. “This is a useful way to use as little or as much silverbeet as you prefer. I use 4 leaves of silver beet chopped finely, a batter mixture of 3/4 cup flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 or 2 eggs whisked, add flour etc., milk to thin and greens. Fry in a little hot oil. It’s lovely with tomato sauce, which should appeal to children.” [Who can disagree with that – adding tomato sauce to anything usually does the trick!]

G M from Christchurch has a tip for spinach (which could also be used for silverbeet). “Chop the stuff up finely as if it is parsley and sprinkle it in everything...muffins with cheese, quiche type recipes, sprinkle on spuds, add loads to salad, add to soups, casseroles. The flavour is negligible but that iron goodness is incorporated into lots of food.”

Sylvia from Napier asks, "Has anyone got a recipe to cook rhubarb with not much sugar but adding baking soda to the cooked rhubarb?" 

“To stop using heaps of sugar I roast the ruhbarb. Here’s what I do. Slice as normal and place on baking paper. Cook at 180 about 25 minutes until tender, then store in a container I use it on muesli. You won't need to add sugar. I freeze sliced rhubarb and cook from frozen when I want it.” - B.B., Napier.

MM from Whangarei replies, "You should never cook rhubarb or for that matter any fruit with sugar - unless of course you are making jam.  Sugar should be added at the end of cooking. As for rhubarb cook with a pinch of salt - depending on how much rhubarb you are cooking - then add the sugar when cooked. this way you will find you need far less sugar."

Kariong from Wellington says, "Stew rhubarb in ginger beer instead of water and sugar. I use Bundaberg Diet ginger beer - tastes great and very low cal'." 

Colleen from Hastings writes, "If you are trying to reduce the amount of sugar needed when cooking rhubarb, just cut up the rhubarb into a pot, pour boiling water over it and leave for about 30 minutes.   Drain and use how you wish.   1/2 cup sugar sweetens a 2 litre pot full of rhubarb.  This was taught to me by my mother at least 60 years ago!"

Susan asks: "Could you please help me out with an economical recipe for ice-cream. " If you can help Susan please click here >>>   

Melanie KB from Auckland replies, "Here’s an easy super cheap ice cream recipe. Freeze left over ripe bananas in slices or chunks. Blend in a food processor until ice cream consistency. Add flavouring ideas – like shredded coconut, a splash of cream or coconut milk, a spoonful of milo or cocoa, nuts, peanut butter, chocolate chips. Give it one more blast and your good to go. Easy, cheap, healthy and yummy." 

BW from Auckland says, "This ice cream recipe doesn't cost much and it's easy to make.  The kids would love to get involved too. Use 3 bowls. Place four egg whites in the first bowl. Beat till stiff then add ¼ cup of sugar and beat again. In the second bowl beat 4 egg yolks with another ¼ cup of sugar until frothy. In the third bowl, beat 300ml of cream until fairly stiff. Use a metal spoon to fold in the contents of the first and third bowls into the second bowl.  Pour the mix into a 2 litre ice cream container and freeze approx 6 hours. No need to beat again.  How easy is that!" 

Click for details >>>

READER COMMENTS: "I have read your 'Living off the Smell of an Oily Rag' book and think it is fantastic!… Thank you for such an inspiring book. I have told all my friends about it.” – Wayne. "Thank you  so much for a wonderful book. I hope my son and daughter get as much reward (financial and contentment - knowing that they have done it / made it themselves) from the book as we have. We are about to embark on the next adventure of our life - buying a little bit of land so we will soon be the family on the front of your book - free range chooks included! Can't wait to extend our veggie garden and plant fruit trees and save even more whilst having fun! Thank you - Tina"  "Your book is fantastic and now has a permanent place on the coffee table, where we can brush up on ORT's (Oily Rag Tips) whilst chilling on the sofa. Our enthusiasm for keeping our money in our pockets has been ignited and we look forward to many happy hours of ORA's (Oily Rag Adventures). Many thanks." - Sarah

  “Until recently, my home office had a computer, camera, speakers, external drive, router, photo copier/scanner, telephone/fax machine, all consuming power even when turned off. (Most of the items have LED lights or displays that never go off unless the individual machine is turned off.) The power comes off one hot point which before entering the multi-box, has a 24hr timer set to switch on between 7am and 10pm and off outside those hours. My power savings should be better now and if I want to work outside those hours, the timer override switch allows me to do this.” - On2it, Palmerston North.

If you have leftover buns freeze them. When ready to use quickly run them under water and place in a hot oven for 10 minutes. Outsides crisp up and the insides are soft just like freshly baked buns. Sounds crazy but it really works. - B.B., Napier.

I hang my newly washed shirts etc on coat hangers on the line and then ironing, if necessary is a breeze. - A.K., Carterton.

I put any left over boiled water from the jug into a thermos to use later.  I also use water that I have boiled pasta in to boil potatoes in for use another time. - Sharlyn Stanaway, Warkworth

Use Baking Soda and White Vinegar to unblock drains.  After the commercial drain cleaner failed I used the above (1/2 Litre water to half a packet of Baking Soda) and left it for 15 mins to bubble away then turned the hot water tap on for several mins.  Drain cleared. - TM, Waiuku

When your soap is too small to use don’t throw it out. Save it in a dish and when you have what you think is enough finely cut up the pieces. Place the prices into an old saucepan and add water. Boil it up and stir it about then pour into blocks and let it cool and there you have it – more soap. Soap varies in price from $2.50 to $4.50 for just one bar. – Ray Manicaros, Tauranga.

I used to buy yellow top milk and drink up to half a litre a day, to make sure I got enough calcium and protein. Now I use skim milk powder plus a 3 month calcium prescription from my GP, which costs $3. Skim milk powder makes 10 litres of milk per 1kg. I also have a yoghurt maker. To make the first one I get a probiotic packet mix, use 1-2 tablespoons plus 140g skim milk powder. Keep the rest in fridge in recycle peanut butter container. Then I just leave some in the container to act as a starter for the next batch, plus 140gs milk powder. - R.D.

Transporting pets. Put in a pet cage and cover with a towel to keep pet calm. Securing cage with a seat belt gives extra protection in case of accident. - Stella Hughes, Napier.

Vogel-type bread recipe. You will need: 2¼ cups (315g) white flour, 2¼ cups (315g) wholemeal flour, ½ cup (75g) kibbled wheat, ¼ cup (35g) kibbled rye, ½ cup (70g) sunflower seeds, ¼ cup (22g) rolled oats, 2 teaspoons Surebake yeast or 1 teaspoon Bakels dried yeast, 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon of sugar, and 3 cups plus 1 tablespoon of warm (30-35°C) water (total, 765ml). Combine all in a large bowl and mix till a shaggy dough.  Place in loaf pan and leave on top of hot water cylinder for 5 hours or until risen to the top of the pan.  Bake at 220°C fanbake for 45 minutes. The ingredients can be altered (e.g. different flours, seeds, etc) successfully. The cost including electricity to be about $2.20 a loaf, which is less than half the normal retail price.- Shirley, Masterton.

While I know it's cheaper to bake your own bread, on reading a Vogel-type recipe, and it being touted as 'only' $2.20 per loaf, it's not the cheapest Vogel-type bread out there. Try the Budget, Giant or Big brands of Multigrain loaves.  These are delicious, nutritious and filling, and cost somewhere around $1.69 per loaf in New World supermarkets.  IMO they're even nicer than Vogel's, but that's just my opinion. - Lorri, Kawerau.

Hurry Curry Beans recipe. “You will need an onion, some cooking oil, 1 tablespoon of cheap brand curry, 500g mince, 2 cans of baked beans (house brand or on special), cooked rice, and green beans. Fry up onions with oil and curry till clear. Add the mince and fry until brown. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add seasoning, then eat with rice and green beans. Yummy and filling!” - Anonymous, Rotorua.

A good nasal spray is mixing 640 ml of warm water with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 salt.  Irrigate [which sounds a little agricultural] nostrils (tip head forward, keep mouth open, pump water up nostril using plastic squeeze bottle) to help relieve sinus symptoms and flush flu virus from your system. - L.M., Wellington.

This tip is actually from an English actress.  The only product she uses to remove make-up and moisturise her face is grape seed oil.  Have used it myself for ages now and it's perfect.  I have used a baby oil but my eyes always felt gritty afterwards.  I have even used the grape seed oil on my hands and arms.  Don't use too much and rub it well in. - Auntie, Timaru.

Kids garden. The good thing about a kids garden is that it does not need to be big… something about a metre square should be enough. We recommend a raised garden, using a timber frame with a minimum height of 150mm (and if they get tired of gardening it can always be turned into a sand pit!).

Place the frame on a flat sunny spot free from shadows and chilly winds. Line the bottom with newspaper then fill the frame with a mix of topsoil and compost or growing mix – you will only need about one-eighth of a metre or half a trailer load. That’s all there is to it! You’re now ready to plant, and you won’t need special equipment – just your typical beach bucket and spade will do fine!

You could grow anything but to avoid disappointment start with things that are easy and do not require sprays. Try various types of lettuce, dwarf beans, mini tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage silver beet and capsicum. If you have space try water melons and pumpkins (grow the giant ones and using the shell to make a Halloween face). 

How to make cheap crumbed steak with a difference. “You will need enough meat to serve a family - I use blade steak. I cut the meat into the sizes you want to serve and then get the mallet out and pound it on both sides. Make up a milk and egg mixture, put out a tray with plain flour, and tray of a cheap home brand of stuffing mix you use in a roast chicken etc. Coat the meat in the flour dip into the milk/egg then into the stuffing mix place in the fridge for at least 3/4 of an hour. I also use light olive oil to pan fry it. It does not take long to cook so keep an eye on it. Serve with mashed potatoes and any other vegetables you want. A whole new taste to a boring bit of steak.” - Scattycat, Mooloolaba in Australia.

“I am 76 years of age so was brought up in the days of "waste not want not". It amazes me sometimes when I see waste especially electricity eg: lights being left on, food being thrown out when it could be used the next day, vegetable scraps going down the thing  in the waste disposal unit, huge pieces of land covered in lawn or weeds instead of it being a vegetable garden etc." - Maureen.

As Marmite lovers know, you will use less spread if you spread it on toast instead of bread. - Jill, Warkworth.

Getting from A to B and elsewhere is a major cost for most, and therefore an obvious area for savings for many. It’s also one of the cost areas that have increased the greatest in the last year, with rising fuel costs and creeping ACC charges included in the annual relicencing fee.

So we have been running the motoring cost numbers using figures published by the AA in late 2011 and this is what we have come up with. In all of these figures we have only looked at actual cash costs incurred in any one year. We have excluded depreciation, which is a whole story in itself and would make the figures much worse.

Fixed costs (registration, insurance, and warrant of fitness) range from about $1,100 for a small car (under 1500cc) to $1,650 for a large car (+3500cc). You pay these costs even when the car is parked up in the garage. Fixed costs represent roughly about a third of the total cash cost for the average 14,000 km a year motorist.

Running costs make up the other two-thirds, and of this between two-thirds and three-quarters is fuel. The petrol cost alone of running a small car is 13 cents per km click, 15 cents per km for what’s called a compact vehicle (1501cc to 2000cc), 21 cents for a medium sized car (2001cc to 3500cc) and 25 cents for a large car.

On top of that there is the cost of tyre wear, repairs, oil and so on which takes the running cost per km to 20 cents, 22, 28 and 33 cents for a small, compact, medium and large car respectively.

Just think of your bank account clicking down every time your odometer clicks up and you will get the general picture of how the numbers work.

The other thing to consider is the cash cost of a vehicle you are not using. For example, having a large vehicle (like the ones people use to tow a boat or caravan) just sitting in the garage for a year costs about $1,600, or $30 a week. For example, a large car that is only used for say 2,500 kms a year is actually costs $1 a km in cash per every km travelled! On top of that, time is eroding its value so when you eventually sell the vehicle the loss in resale value is crystallised. 

I dilute flavoured milk 1 to 1 with plain budget milk. It's better for you and saves money. My kids still love it. - Amy, Whangarei.

 I use self raising flour, sugar to taste if adding dried fruit, a pinch of salt and old milk. Put in COLD oven. Turn oven on to 200 degrees. When the scones should just about be ready, test to see if cooked. No butter needed. While waiting for oven to reach 200, mix up a batch of biscuits or a cake etc and place in the oven when it is up to temperature.  This cuts electricity costs. - Maude, Wanganui

J Fairhall from Nelson suggests selling fruit from your back-yard trees and says using shampoo when she runs out of laundry powder works just as well.

When your teenagers have jobs and are still living with you, get them to pay the monthly power bill in lieu of a board payment. It is powerful (excuse the pun) motivation to turn off lights and heaters and have short showers. The more power they can save, the more money in their pockets at the end of the month. They will probably start policing other family members' power use too. - Nana of five, Rotorua.

Here’s an idea to make a cheap jam or fruit to spoon onto porridge or desserts without using sweeteners or sugar. Boil down rhubarb then add 1/2 to one package of Weight Watchers jelly use berry flavours then put in fridge lovely over cereals and desserts and even great on toast. Use your imagination with other fruits and jellies combined. You can also use regular jellies. - Melanie, Auckland. 

If you cover the rhubarb with water, and slowly bring to the boil, then pour off the water the bulk of the acidity will go down the drain. Add more water and when cooked you will only need a fraction of the sugar you would of needed before. Rhubarb cooked like this is comparatively 'acid free'. – Jen, Whakatane.

My daughter in law served this pumpkin pie dish with a barbecue when we were last in Cape Town but her kids eat it for pudding. This recipe serves 12. Ingredients: 4 cups cooked pumpkin/butternut, 1 cup flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, a pinch of salt, half a cop of sugar, 3 to 4 eggs (beaten), a sprinkle of cinnamon. Cook & mash the pumpkin/butternut. Sift in the flour, baking powder & salt. Add the sugar & beaten eggs. Pour into pie dish, sprinkle cinnamon on top. Bake at 180C until edges pull away from pie dish (which will be about an hour). DF, Whakatane.

Pumpkin muffins. To make pumpkin muffins you will need 2 cups of flour, 1½ cups of sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 egg, ¾ cup milk, ¼ cup cooking oil, ½ cup cooked and mashed pumpkin, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg. Mix all of the dry ingredients together, and the pumpkin, milk, oil and egg into another mix. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients mix and add the wet mixture. Stir to form a batter then place a large spoonful of the batter into a greased muffin pan. Bake at 200C for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. This mix makes about 10 muffins. - KJ, Wellington.

This recipe is quick and easy to make and is yummy too.  It serves 2 but for 4 people, just double the ingredients. You will need: half a regular can of baked beans, 2 to 3 sausages, sliced thinly 1/2 bell pepper, diced (you could use 1/4 red pepper and 1/4 green pepper for added colour), and a few lettuce leaves (stacked together and sliced thinly). Here’s what you do. 1. Empty baked beans into a microwavable bowl/plate. Add cut sausages. Cover with microwave-safe cling wrap and leave a small opening. Microwave for about 2 minutes on high or until warm. 2. Use a spoon to mix the sausages and baked beans well. 3. Microwave the peppers for about 2 minutes on high. 4. Mix in half of the cooked peppers, then top the dish with some lettuce, and the remaining peppers. Serve with rice. – BW, Auckland.

Dust off the sewing machine because there is gold in there! When my daughters sweat shirts get a bit snug I cut then a the front down the middle add a full length zip & make a roomier sweat jacket. Zips cost at local op shop a dozen for $1.00. I also extend the length of the sleeves by cutting the arms off at the mid upper arm & adding a piece in. This takes me about 10 minutes & I am a beginner sewer. It can be easier to remake clothing from existing pieces as they often already have hems, zips, waist bands. A second hand $2.00 long skirt became three skirts with additional elastic at $2.00. Total cost for three skirts $4.00. One skirt used the existing waist band & zip & button. The others used the existing hem & elastic. The material is stunning. I have made short sleeve tops into long sleeve, shirts to skirts & dresses (apologies to my husband!), knit shirts to tights. There are a lot of tutorials on the internet so ...no excuses.  Teach your kids. P.S. I share my machine with three other friends, Second hand it cost us $25.00 each. 2 weeks about gives us a month to get our stuff together. When we have the machine it is sew, sew, sew. – SMP, Mangonui.

I am using my coffee maker to cook my small meals. It uses less power than the slow cooker! Great for cooking 2 minute noodles, egg's, fish, chicken, veges…lots of thing's you can do with it, just use your imagination! - Carol, Adelaide

At our place I make all our costly sauces and recently some other things, rather than buy their pre-made relatives. Everything from Hummus, tabouleh, satay, pasta sauce, Aoili, mayonnaise, pesto and my latest favourite is body scrub. I bulk buy ingredients such as olive and sunflower oils and grow all my own herbs. And best thing, next to low cost, is everything is natural, fresh and without a single artificial ingredient or preservative. I found it took me ages to make this stuff to start with, but now I can easily whip up a fresh satay or pasta sauce in 5 minutes when I get home from work. My advice for those wanting to start out - have a decent recipe, the right supply of ingredients and the right tools for the job. - Shih_Tzu_Mum, Auckland

I have found it useful to learn to cook/prepare only as much food as you require. There is only one thing I hate more than wasted food and that is containers filled with leftover food in the fridge that often gets pushed to the back behind everything else until it starts wafting an awful odour and then get wasted. Learning this technique will save you a fortune! - Shih_Tzu_Mum, Auckland

I tend to bake once a fortnight. Purchasing ingredients in bulk is best value for money and making 2-3 items at a time is the most energy efficient. All my recipes come from my Grandmother's old handwritten recipe books. I will mix and match recipes so we have a combination of eat fresh and eat from the freezer recipes. While home baking is not necessarily the cheapest way to 'get' your sweet indulgences, I have found they last longer than the commercial rubbish as you only need 1 or 2 to get the satisfaction. All of that aside, all my baking has real ingredients, not ingredients with numbers as names and they taste SOOOO much better! - Shih_Tzu_Mum, Auckland

We shop at the supermarket once per month, meat shop once every 3 months and vege/milk/bread shop weekly. I spend no more than $250 for the month for 2 people on general groceries - which ends up meaning $29 per person per week for food.  This also includes lunches for work.  I buy meat in bulk, package into meal size portions and freeze. I do not buy pasta sauces or satays etc - I make them from scratch, much cheaper and healthier for you (I do not have ingredients whos names are numbers).  Initially I thought it was much more expensive to home make, but that is really only for the initial outlay for specialised products. Buying ingredients in bulk is the way to go but only if you have the capacity to store what is left over - using fresh herbs grown in your garden makes for very tasty seasoning - easy to grow herbs are mint, parsley, basil, chives, coriander and thyme. I attempt to only buy products whereby I can recycle the packaging (our small 80L rubbish bin is less than one quarter full every week). And my final oilyrag suggestion is to run a household system which is "one product in use and 1 spare” (or more sometimes - 1 have 6 kg of soap powder in my cupboard right now) in the cupboard.  This works out well as there are times the product is not at a reasonable price so we do not get one every month.  This works particularly well with regards to cleaning products (I will often buy 2 spares if these are on special). - Shih_Tzu_Mum, Auckland

Here’s an easy super cheap ice cream recipe. Freeze left over ripe bananas in slices or chunks. Blend in a food processor until ice cream consistency. Add flavouring ideas – like shredded coconut, a splash of cream or coconut milk, a spoonful of milo or cocoa, nuts, peanut butter, chocolate chips. Give it one more blast and your good to go. Easy, cheap, healthy and yummy. - Melanie KB, Auckland.

I have a friend who brings me day old bread rolls that are left over from a meal service for the elderly. I freeze them and when I want to use them I reheat them in a turbo oven which uses less energy than a microwave. - Helen, Sunshine Coast Qld.

With meals I will cook up a storm and make a fortnight’s worth of dinners and freeze, same with deserts. As I tend to cook from my mums old cookbook I have found some wonderfully cheap meals. - Helen, Sunshine Coast Qld.

I also have 2 single burner gas camping stoves I use them for simmering things and quick fry items. - Helen, Sunshine Coast Qld.

I have an ice cream churn and make my own. - Helen, Sunshine Coast Qld.

I buy cheap steak and pound it, cut up, and dip in a flour/egg/milk mix and then into a cheap seasoned stuffing mix to coat it for crumbed steak. - Helen, Sunshine Coast Qld.

To make butter go further I mix light olive oil into butter and whip it. It almost doubles the amount and still tastes like butter. I can put it in the fridge and still be able to spread it as needed. - Helen, Sunshine Coast Qld.

When vegies I like are a good price I buy more then blanch and freeze them. - Helen, Sunshine Coast Qld.

I buy my clothes at op shops. - Helen, Sunshine Coast Qld.

My oven is rarely turned on and has become a storage space for my bake ware. - Helen, Sunshine Coast Qld.

I buy good quality knitted items from second hand /church shops. Unpick the garments and wash the wool. You need to wind the wool around the legs of a chair or something similar, like someone’s hands if you have a helper to make a skein. Tie it loosely. Wash /soak for a while till all the crinkles of the previous knitting are gone, then tie on the line to dry. Then rewind.  If you try to knit previously knitted wool without washing it will not look nice. I recently did this, buying an item for 50 cents which gave me wool worth $6-$7 dollars in the shops. -  Erina.

When you think your mascara has run out or dried out just stand it (the container) in a cup of hot tap water for a few minutes I get 1-2 more months use from the mascara. – Susie, Hawkes Bay.

I used to buy my groceries every Thursday (pay day),I then moved it by one day each week; Friday then Saturday etc, till grocery day came around to Thursday again. When you reach the day you started you will have two weeks grocery money! This can then be used for unexpected bills or saved!  It really works!  A great way to ensure you use everything in the freezer etc. – Susan, Hastings

Garlic is impossibly easy to grow.  Don't plant supermarket bulbs as they are sprayed so they don't sprout.  Go to your farmers market, garden centre or friendly neighbour.  One bulb will produce 10 or more the next year and so on and so on.  We had over 150 this year.  It also keeps the bugs down in the garden.  We're always giving them away! - M C Geisser, Invercargill.

When raising seedlings, put old tea bags in a dish of water and sprinkle or place your seeds on top. When they shoot and grow up a bit, transplant them to potting mix in raising cups with tweezers from your wife's manicure set (while she's out!). This way you definitely get only one seed per cup. - Shane Dumbell, New Plymouth.

While camping one year we had trouble keeping things cool, milk, butter, cheese and meat, and flies were also keen to get our supplies. I found an old beer crate (or use a box with holes or a grate box, like a bird cage for instance). Place a shallow tray, like foil oven tray or old baking dish (use imagination anything that will hold water will do). On top of the box/cage and pull a muslin bag over the lot and then hang this up in a cool shady place where there is a breeze, like under a tree or at least in shade. Now weight the muslin into the tray with some stones no bigger than say about fist size, and fill the tray with water. Put your food items inside the box and let the Muslin fall down to cover the box and its contents. Hang all this on a previously prepared hook or wire or tree branch in the previously chosen shady place. The water will slowly wick down the muslin and keep it wet. The action of the breeze through the shade will evaporate the water from the wet muslin and lower the temperature inside the food store box so much so that I guarantee the butter will go so hard you will not be able to spread it easily on your bread. If you walk through you wet washing hanging on the line, even on a hot day it is very cool, as long as it is wet, same principle. To take this contraption to the next level fill a glass jar with water and stand it upside down into the pool of water in the tray, chicken feeder style, and you can leave your new fridge for hours unattended, bigger jar longer periods between filling. A fridge of the grid and good for camping as long as there is water in the tray. - Shane Dumbell, New Plymouth.

I have a family of 7, 2 adults and 5 kids. My growing lot can go through 2 loaves of bread a day, so you can do the math with the amount I spend on bread a week, so I started experimenting with some cheaper alternatives. The best one I have come up with is this. Grab yourself a bag of high grade flour cheapest being home brand at $2.15 for 1.5kg. Add enough warm water to form a firm dough, leave to stand for 30 minutes. Break off small amounts of dough roll into a ball, then roll out on floured surface to circles about the size of small dinner plate. Heat non stick pan (medium heat) then dry fry each dough round about 2 minutes either side. One bag of flour makes about 40 "wraps". Fill with desired filling and send the kids off to school happy. I also fill them with salad, chilli and cheese. Kids think they’re much better then boring sandwiches plus you don’t need butter. So butter bill also goes down...winner! - KM, Te Puke.

Live in a motor home/bus, van etc and join the assoc to get tips about places where you can still camp for free. - E.L., Christchurch.

To make chocolate ice blocks that turn out exactly like the expensive store-bought ones, at a significant savings. First make a chocolate custard. Place 500ml milk in a saucepan (I use fresh whole milk, but you can use reconstituted powder milk for extra savings) and bring it to the boil. Then add a tablespoon of sugar, a tablespoon of cocoa, and a tablespoon of cornflour. Stir constantly until thickened, then cool. Second, pour the cooled chocolate custard into pre-moistened ice block moulds. Freeze for at least three hours. Cost to make one ice block (if using powdered milk): approx 6 cents. Cost to make one dozen: approx 80 cents. Savings: $27.60 per dozen (based on the price of a dozen chocolate ice blocks at the corner shop). - LTB, Auckland

I absolutely love your book and I use it in combination with other frugal advice websites. The amount of information about frugal living available is astounding. I am a living example of living a frugal life style. I have 4 children and a husband who all have learnt how it works. Mu eldest son is saving for a house and has told me he would rather pay me rent or board than putting the money in a stranger's pocket. So he is able to save up for his own house while helping his family financially by paying board. What are families for? We are here to look after one another and build each other up. As a unit we are stronger than when we are scattered. By the way we love our vege garden and hot water solar heating system Our average power bill yearly is $140.00 for 6 people in the house! Well I could go on and on. - Anneke

Check out www.whatsmynumber.org.nz to see if you can get a cheaper deal on your power. Power companies constantly change their prices and you may find a cheaper company who won't lock you in to a contract. - Lucie, Wellington.

How fuel efficient is your car? Click here >>>

Calculate the energy cost of your household appliances. See Energywise >>> 

A reader has asked about loo paper... specifically if we use the "flat roll approach" mentioned on page 107 of Living off the Smell of an Oily Rag in NZ. Here is my reply: "Nowadays visitors are subject to a quota per visit system. Each visitor is provided with a toilet roll as they are greeted at the door and the number of squares on that roll inventoried. They are given a usage quota of 1/2 a square per hour of their stay (or part thereof). On their departure a stock take is done of the remaining squares on that visitors roll. Visitors can elect to become part of an emissions trading system (ETS) modelled on the internationally recognised  carbon trading approach, whereby a group of visitors (typically a family but not necessarily so) may trade their allocated quota. This we believe is a fair system as it accommodates individuality and diet. Those visitors who exceed their tissue allocation are required to provide suitable compensation in cash or bartered goods (at a rate determined by market pricing), while those under quota are provided a return invitation." Just kidding. Oily Rag Ed.  

The great NZ FLOUR Survey

The results are out! We asked the oily rag community where to buy the best value flour. This is what we found:

• The cheapest way to buy flour is in a 20kg bag. A reader from New Plymouth pays $15.60 for a 20 kg bag of high grade bakers flour; that’s 78 cents a kg. The next best price was 90 cents a kg for a 20kg bag bought at Gilmours in Tauranga.

• The only other place to buy flour for under a $1 a kg is in a 10kg bag purchased from New World in Oamaru.

• For those buying smaller bags, 5kg bags averaged around $1.40. There was very little difference in the supermarket prices, ranging between $1.35 and $1.43 a kg, with Pack N Save coming in with the lowest price.  Supermarkets offered better value than some of the bulk bin outlets. The average cost of a 1.5kg bag was $1.55.

• One word of caution, bulk is not always the best buy and there is quite a big price difference depending on the retailer. We found one bulk outlet that promotes the economies of bulk buying, had higher prices.

• Our pick? We reckon you can’t go to far wrong buying a 2.5kg bag of plain Campion flour from Pak N Save. It costs just over a $1 a kg and offers good value and a convenient size for most oily rag kitchens.  

Thank you to everyone who took part in the survey. 

What can you do with a can of baked beans

 We want to know what you can do with a can of baked beans. send in your tips and suggestions.  Click here >>>

Clean the empty Baked Bean tins and take outer wrapping off. Grease , flour and set aside. Ingredients: 1/2 cups of raisins, 1 1/2 cup of sultanas , 1 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of mixed spice and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda. Combine all ingredients. Mix well with 500 mls of boiled tea. Empty into  greased and floured cans. About 3/4 the way up each can. Cover with grease proof paper or baking paper and tie with string. , let stand overnight. Stand in a large pot of boiling water 1/2 full. Steam for up to an hour and a half.  Serve cold , buttered or hot with hot custard.- S.J., Dunedin.

Hide keys, rings, jewellery etc in an empty baked bean tin and place it up high on a shelf when you go away. Should anyone break in when you're away, valuables will appear to be part of the larder ! Harder to find than easy places like the dressing table in the bedroom! - D.H. - Howick

We empty a tube of sausage meat and a finely chopped onion into a glass dish, squish together, then microwave until cooked. Add tin of baked beans and spread over, then cover with mashed potato and a sprinkle of grated cheese. Grill until brown. - Linda Mitchell, Te Puke.

Make a yummy toasted sandwich variation... tortilla wrapped baked beans and grated cheese parcels. Looked in the cupboard for something quick and easy the other night and saw baked beans, but felt bad about serving just that...saw the tortillas and well that was it.  The kids LOVED them! Just be sure to wrap edges so you don't have any explosions.  Stick in sandwich press and YUMMO! - M.A., Hokitika.

An empty used tin of beans can be used as packaging to post things in. It's quite strong and keeps whatever you are sending safe inside. - L.O., Rangiora

I love putting mashed leftover veges with cheese on top with a can of baked beans underneath & heated well.  Its a vegetarian version of a cottage pie! - A Hume, Wairoa.

Carol from New Plymouth says, a tasty easy meal consists of a tin of baked beans and a tin of pineapple pieces. Heat both together gently in a pot and serve on toast! Delicious!

S.J. from Dunedin writes, When we have a surplus of *baked beans* I make Tacos. Ingredients:

Brown mince in a little oil. Add chopped onions and cook until onions are transparent. Add about 1 tsp chilli powder or less if you don't like hot tacos Wash most of the sauce off the baked beans and add to mince mix. Now use enough tomato sauce to make mix moist. This is usually about 1 cup. Add fresh chopped tomatoes and cook through. Serve in taco shells with bean sprouts, spring onions and lettuce, topped with grated cheese. Reinvent recipe to suit your own tastes.

We are looking for New Zealand's biggest pumpkin. Click here >>> Check out the latest newsletter from Sam at GiantPumpkins.co.nz. Here's the link >>>

Media play catch-up on milk pricing

TV3’s Campbell Live have discovered what oily raggers have known for quite some time. Read more >>>

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Frank & Muriel Newman on Breakfast TV 
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Living the real simple life  
(ABC Nightline)

A New Zealander and his family live on a fifth of an acre section in the Los Angeles community of Pasadena. To view the video click here >>> 

Links of interest

Down to Earth blog. Australian site, very interesting stories and tips. Go to >>>

The Oily Rag Club

Join the hundreds (thousands!) of people who are already members of the Oily Rag Club. It's fun, it costs nothing, and we will email you when a real pearler of a tip is sent to us. Be part of the oily rag community! Click >>> for more.

Number of members: 3721
(as at ) - and growing by the day!

The price of milk

Oily Rag News Headlines

Adrian pays between $30 & $60 a month for power

Frugality finds a home in the US...

Wedding cost take the cake (NZ Herald)...

 Tightening budgets and soaring meat prices are fuelling a revival in the cheaper, old-fashioned cuts that granny used to cook.

Don't know how to boil and egg? You are not alone.

Heat pumps blamed for power bill rise (NZH) ...

 See stories click >>>

Oily Rag Club Newsletters

Oily Rag Questions

Do you have any oily rag questions you would like to ask the Oily Rag Research Department? They have their clip-boards in hand, pencils at the ready... to ask a question click here >>>

Oh boy...what have I done now?
When we first wrote How to Live off the Smell of an Oily Rag in 1991, we didn't realise what we were getting ourselves into! Since then the Oily Rag tips have been published as a syndicated column in 30 or so community newspapers in New Zealand and as far afield as Norfolk Island. We have received thousands of letters from those eager to share their favourite penny pinching tips. It would be a shame not to share these gems and what better way to do so than through the web. So here goes...   

The oily Rag 
Stampede 

New Zealander's are joining the oily rag movement in their droves! Lots of kiwi's are becoming disenchanted with the rat race. Millions of New Zealanders (OK, that may be an exaggeration!) are realising they don't have to sell their soul for the sake of a few extra dollars when they can save heaps around the home and have a better quality of life by living off the smell of an oily rag. 

Why live off the smell of an oily rag?

There are lots of very good reasons why so many people are living off the smell of an oily rag. To view or add your own reasons click >>>