Nmkozik from Oamaru says she swaps home grown veges with neighbours – as well as giving surplus produce to her elderly neighbours, so they don’t go without. What a nice person Nmkozik is, and it just goes to show the good things that come from living off the smell of an oily rag.
Defn financial success: “Affording 3ply toilet paper, instead of 2ply.” – anonymous
Frugal Kiwi from Whakatane writes, “I love your oily rag newsletter and books! It is such a peace of mind to leave within our means and very empowering to be resourceful and find ways of getting what we want or need without going into debt. I would like to invite your readers to comment on […]
I have some of the first sets of ‘Oily Rag’ books you published and my daughter in Tasmainia has my mother’s set since she ‘passed away’ and also gets your news letters. Having grown up in Whangarei in a family with 5 brothers, and a very tight budget, my mother was very frugal, and, looking […]
I started to measure as a weight watchers gimmick. Then I discovered the huge savings in it. The flour has a cup, and the tea has a spoon. I measure the cats dinner, soap powder and peas. The porridge and Blitzen, sultanas and cheese. I measure the milk for a cuppa as well. If visitors […]
With all the earthquakes happening in Chch, I have rethought my emergency supplies. I buy each week dried veges, peas, corn, onion etc and store them away. Also UHT milk is a little more expensive, but can be stored in a cupboard. Only need to refrigerate when opened. Candles stored in a freezer for a […]
I would love to see a free copy of your book put in with every food parcel given out by the food bank. Is this possible? Is there anyone out there that would sponsor this initiative as I think it would help many people in the long term. (If there is – could they please […]
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 […]
I would like to recommend to your readers a non-fiction book called ‘A Secret Gift’ by Ted Gup (published 2010). It’s the secret stories of people who were obliged to learn to live off the smell of an oily rag during the Great Depression, particularly Christmas of 1933. It doesn’t exactly list frugal hints, but […]
I get the most enormous thrill out of making/growing things and generally avoiding supermarkets etc with the consequence that we were able to buy our modest little house here in the pricey S.E. of England for cash on a very meagre income.