Create a slow cooker with a straw box or hay box by using a chilly bin or a carton, and putting a folded towel in the bottom. Bring your casserole to the boil so it is all bubbling, then put it into your straw box. Push clean towels around it so there are no gaps. […]
Freezing food is a great cost saver but don’t forget the cost of power to freeze it. You can reclaim the energy you used to freeze the food by taking it out and storing it in the fridge for a couple of days before you need it. The defrosting food will keep your fridge cold […]
To clean burnt pots, cut a lemon in half, squeeze the juice and rub the lemon on the burnt area, then scrub with goldilocks or the steel pot mitts which are a lot cheaper. I find the burnt-on food comes off easily.
Use a cake of sand soap to clean bad water spots off your glass shower. You can pay up to $100 for similar products.
Let kids save for their own college fund by encouraging them from a very early age to earn money by getting paid for what they enjoy doing! Our little boy who is now three loves dogs, so we offered to walk the neighbours’ dog for $5 a week. It makes us get out for exercise […]
Free recycled curtains for bedrooms and living areas are available to people on low incomes through the Community Energy Action’s Curtain Bank. Call 0800 GET WARM for a measurement form.
Do-it-Yourself window insulation is available through Community Energy Action. It starts from $29 and can be as effective as retrofit double glazing in reducing heat loss and condensation. It will help keep your home warmer and healthier for a fraction of the cost of double glazing!” Check them out on their website, www.cea.co.nz; they are […]
We have found that by placing a fan in front of our built in fireplace we use less wood and get more heat from the fire. Basically, the increased airflow over the fires surface, transfers the heat to the air at a faster rate, which makes the room much warmer. The same fan can be […]
Too keep away the winter chills here is a tip for a DIY heater. You will need some tea light candles, a bread baking tin, and two ceramic flowerpots! “The tea lights (up to four) are placed into a bread loaf baking tin then covered with the smaller upside-down flower pot so the pot sits […]
Make sure that you only DIY within your capabilities! I am an industrial electrician, mother, strict budgeter and long-timer oily-ragger, however, I get nervous when I see people cutting corners, risking their future financial stability and well-being to save a few bob in the short term! I’ve seen some lethal situations waiting to happen. The […]