Don’t know about you, but as we tear November from the wall calendar, a sense of foreboding sets in – December: Christmas only weeks away! Frugality often requires planning, and three weeks or so doesn’t seem like enough time. Never fear, oily rag suggestions are near! Here are some ideas for a great frugal Christmas. […]
Petrol prices are on the rise and more people are now considering switching to electric vehicles. Each year the Inland Revenue Department calculates the cost per kilometre of operating a vehicle, which includes the fixed costs and depreciation and running costs. The good news is that the cost of an electric vehicle has gone down […]
By Frank and Muriel Newman It’s amazing how many money saving and money making opportunities are springing up from the IT revolution. The buzzword is “connectivity”. It’s now so much easier to connect with folk without moving our lips, which is a remarkable thing! Here’s an example. Harriet from Brisbane writes, “Use the Kerb app […]
The first day of September is a Red letter day for the DIY oily rag community. But first to your letters. Alchemist from Dunedin writes, “Sometimes buying meat from a butcher is cheaper than the supermarket. Shop later in the day and make friends with your butcher. S/he will be happy to tell you how […]
It’s that time of the year again when the citrus trees are full of fruit. The big question is, what to do with it all? A reader from Northland, in a place well known for citrus growing, says they juice all of their surplus mandarins. The juice is sweet and delicious, and it freezes so […]
Many thanks for mailing through your tips and suggestions – those living off the smell of an oily rag always have interesting ideas that are new and unusual! Teresa from Auckland writes, “As a bathroom cleaner, I use one bar of sunlight soap and a green foam ‘scratchie’. It sits in my shower and I […]
The chilly weather has arrived early, and heaters have come out of summer hibernation. The onset of winter is a good time for a reminder about heating costs. Fortunately, these days most people have got the message about insulation, so homes tend to be warmer – but here are some interesting winter warmth facts: • […]
A reader recently contacted us saying that they are recent oily rag gardeners and that they enjoyed the summer harvest so much they are planning a winter garden. Winter vegetables include cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, lettuce, spinach and silverbeet. Since we too enjoy feasting fresh from the garden, we decided to include in our winter […]
Many thanks to those who have written in with money-saving tips and questions. We post them up on the oilyrag.co.nz website but here are some of the recent postings. Josephine from Otorohanga has some suggestions about dehydrating greens. “I removed some leaves from a red cabbage and dried them for hours in the oven on […]
A big thank you for sending in your money-saving tips – your suggestions are a great support to those who need to tighten their belt to make ends meet or are saving to make tomorrow better than today. Caro wrote in response to a column about recycling and says, “I live in Auckland and around […]