Frugal Down Under

Saturday Night and Too Tired to Cook?

2013-08-03T08:21:00.003-07:00

Hello Frugalites,

Is it Saturday night and you're too tired to cook? You just want to zip into that takeaway shop up the road and grab some fast food for the family? At $8 per person that would be $24 for a three person household. And just maybe you might get side tracked and buy a few extras. But hang on tight and look in your cupboard for the fast food gem. The Tin of Baked Beans!

Yep!!! Tonight I was tempted but we had a feast of baked beans and buttered bread instead. A few years ago I would have NEVER served baked beans for dinner. Why??? - because in my eyes it was a hearty breakfast meal or a camping trip staple. But Home Dinner??? No Way!!! One day I changed as I popped in on a friend who cooks the scrummiest meals, and this particular day she had baked beans with an egg on the dinner table for her hungry daughter. This was my lightbulb moment as I learnt it was ok that we eat a steaming bowl of baked beans for dinner once in a while. We all love it and it's faster then waiting in a takeaway shop.

In the end our meal cost us $2, saved time and $22. That $22 will be better used in our weekly food budget or mortgage.

What are your quick fast food saviours?

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.

Keeping Purse

2013-08-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

When the Rambling Expat lost his position last Christmas and the countdown was on to find a new job, times were stressful. Very stressful as uncertainty took hold. Should we move to another state where there are jobs in his field. Or should we stay put and keep on trying. The pros and cons were tossed at each other, the worry placed strain, times were unsure.

The Rambling Expat applied for job after job and eventually landed himself a 5 month position in his field. A month latter he was offered another position not in his field and at a much lower pay. He took it because it was permanent. A security. Well a kind of security as the original job he lost was also a permanent position.

With the pay cutback in mind he requested, fought and won (with the help of dedicated people) to be paid his previous rate for 1 year. So this means it's time to pay off our mortgage as much as possible and tighten our budget for when his pay reduces by more than $10,000 a year. We are not poor by any means. We both earn an income and as a family live counting the pennies so we can afford the good things in life. We pay for extra classes in dance and circus school for our 6 year old, we go on holidays, we eat out and our fridge is full. We currently both earn under the average wage but live comfortably because of our careful financial management.

We are the lucky ones. We see friends packing up and moving every month as the cost of living rises in our city. Housing has become out of reach for many and day to day living just too hard. We started our frugal journey just over 6 years ago and it has made a huge impact on our life. We think carefully about our purchases, needs, lifestyle. We aim to live rich full lives. An abundant life, but on a budget.

Bills have been rising, costs increasing and further budget cuts make work insecure making budgeting an absolute must. I would love to hear how you manage your budgets. Do you use the envelope systems, spreadsheets, a note book, MINT or any other programs that are similar? I would love to hear what you have to say about your financial incoming and outgoings.

Lets all help each other in good money management to keep afloat or get ahead in life.

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under

My Daily Song - To Do, To Do, To Do.

2013-07-29T05:42:00.002-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I took time away from the computer to be with my daughter over the school holidays, in the aim to relax and play. However I have a To Do List that is so long that I was anxious the whole time. Do you ever get the feeling you will never get through your To Do List? Well that was me! So anxious that I ended up being worried about it all the time instead of getting stuff done and crossing it off. So I decided to not take on ANYTHING else until it is DONE. No more commitments. No more promises. No more yes woman.

My To Do List contains numerous unfinished projects and chores such as; dentists visits, home evaluation and spring cleaning, reworking of the home loan, a new car key cut, assignments to be completed, shortening The Rambling Expats trousers, compile and email 80s photos to an old school friend, conduct a market research interview, enrol my daughter in dance and piano classes, do my taxes, work out a new budget to match our current life, craft gifts, clear out the freezer to start again, blog, upcycle a desk, update a couple of Facebook Pages I help admin and lastly write letters to non internet users. ouufffff - that's a lots on my plate that needs to be cleared because I want to sayYes to more experiences and opportunities.

The frugal road is sometimes the busier road as many of us mend clothing ourselves, craft gifts with our own hands, cook a healthy meal from scratch instead of eating out of a box, look for the best deals and quality, clean with natural products, garden organic produce, keep a tight budget and take time to learn from others the art of penny pinching to live a careful but abundant life.

Are you a To Do lister too? What's on your list?

In Frugality,

Stephanie
frugaldownunder@hotmail.com

Thread.

2013-06-28T09:24:00.001-07:00

Hi there,

I try to find ways to live beneath my means so that I can save for earlier retirement, extra mortgage payments and keep working shorter hours each day. I know it's working as my savings are growing and our mortgage is lowering.

I like to talk money, budgets, saving, ecology, crafting, cooking, gardening and frugality with friends and strangers. I like to share the knowledge I have built since I've started on my eco-frugal journey. I like to care about people and share useful frugal tips. I like to help out friends. And I like to get useful stuff.

Our family babysat our friends infant again while they went to a important yearly work function. In exchange for the 4 hours we babysat I asked for a spool of white sewing thread, fabric scraps they are no longer using and an ice-cream sunday from Macdonalds on their return as an extra sweet treat. We saved them over $50 in babysitting fees and got useful stuff to keep our mending/crafting supplies well stocked. The ice-cream wasn't useful - but it was a nice end to the night :)

Useful Stuff we Received for Babysitting.

When you're counting your pennies and being careful, everything counts. Everything helps and I like the fact I am saving money by not having to buy more thread but I also like caring for my community members even more.

What about you? A budgeting chatterbox? A barterer? I'd love the hear what you have to say...

Stephanie at Frugal Down Under

frugaldownunder@hotmail.com

Fabric Book Cover

2013-06-27T07:18:00.003-07:00

Hello You :)

Guess what! I crafted yet another gift. This time for a grown woman, it was actually for the Director of my local Botanic Gardens who loves all things Plants. I once saw beautiful fabric covered note books at a craft fair. They were so lovely, however I couldn't justify the cost. I have drawn on the memory of them ever since so I decided to look at You Tube for inspiration and a DIY tutorial to do something similar and found this clip.

After watching and thinking how easy that looked, I decided I could do that. But there was no way I was going to the craft shop to look for special glue when i'm trying to make do with what I have at home. And I also know from experience that glue in humid tropics does not always work.

Therefor make do I did... and worked around it. I cut a beautiful vintage tea towel with Australian wildflowers, folded and ironed as recommended in the clip and carefully sewed it into shape instead of glueing. I ended up using pins and repining a few times to get the perfect super snug fit I was after.

It worked out well and I felt pretty happy with myself as it was a gift I was proud to present to another lover of upcycling and environmental care. The cover can be slipped on and off for easy washing or to cover a new note book of the same size making is re-useable and not another throw away item.

My total cost was $2 for the tea towel and $7 for the quality drawing notebook. I'm happy with that.

Have you worked on any similar projects? Do you think it's too time consuming for the end result? I would love to hear your thoughts on crafting gifts and upcycling.

In Eco-Frugality,

Stephanie at Frugal Down Under

frugaldownunder@hotmail.com

Sweet Beading at The Party.

2013-06-25T06:34:00.005-07:00

Hi Everyone,

The past week has been a whirl of activities. So much so that I wish I had pulled my head out of the sand of procrastination and blogged a little more regularly because I have so much to tell. I have had a week of fun activities, great thrift finds, new second hand furniture, a babysitting stint for a friend and Dolly went to yet ANOTHER party.

Today I will concentrate on the party because the main activity that kept little hands busy was gorgeous and so very popular that it absolutely needs Sharing.

Firstly on the Party Day I was so chaotic that I was running super late to the party's 10:00 am start. I was soooo late that when we arrived no one was there. You guessed it!!! We had arrived one day early - Boo. The only thing to do was laugh and return home and get other items on our To Do List done.

Giggling Clowns jumped back in the car.

I should point out my bright happy supermodel clothes ;) in the above pic are; an upcycled headband made from one of Dolly's baby tops, a $1 quality orange jacket and $2 animalistic dress - thrifted of course. Dolly's clothes on both days are also all thrifted and absolutely divine.

So anyway... back to the story. The next morning we were out the door on the DOT with our upcycled homemade owl wrapped in pretty net fabric for the party girl to reuse in crafts. As you can see from the pic Dolly's face tells the story - she was a little unsure as we arrived at the party house.. Could her Mamma in her NEW $1 thrifted top be pulling another disappointing stunt.

Is this really the day...?

On arrival (the tease I am) I said "I'm not sure if the party is on, it all sounds quiet". She shrieked happily that she could hear children's voices and off she ran to hug the party girl.

Party Excitement.

As the party commenced the cutest bunch of four to six year old children in their party best, huddle around a low table creating party jewels as soon as they arrived. A lot of beads went straight into mouths instead of ribbon. The activity was attention grabbing and a lovely way to greet all the children arriving. The pretty beads were life saver lollies and also fruit loops and nutri-grain breakfast cereals. A wonderful mixture of textures, colours and flavours.

Party Crafts.

Sweet Beads.

The result was pretty jewels that the children wore while nibbling away at the sweet beads.

This activity loads of fun for little hands. It was also delicious and frugal too. Have you been to any parties lately with fun children or even adult activities that don't blow the budget?

Don't forget I LOVE reading your comments, tips and inspirations.

Thanks for stopping by.

Stephanie - Frugal Down Under
frugaldownunder@hotmail.com

Crafting Gifts

2013-06-19T08:24:00.002-07:00

Hi Dear Frugalites,

I have been very busy creating gifts every week as my social daughter has headed to one or two parties a week. My staples have been library bags, bird ornaments and owls. I have used mainly recycled materials and some new fabric in my endeavour to upcycle. The new fabrics have mainly been for boys gifts to give their bags that special touch on one side.

I was a little nervous about giving so many home made library bags when everyone else arrives with the huge glossy gifts. Especially to some of her wealthy friends who don't live the green philosophy. But Dolly was super excited to come home last week and tell me how some of her six year school friends had their library bags when another student loudly said "Your bags are COOL! Where did you get them from?" and they proudly said "Dolly made them for us!". This has led to other children asking her if she can make one for them too :) it seems the library bags are becoming the fashion item TO HAVE... So Yay us!

Sewing does not come easy to me. I used to sew for some extra cash when I was 18. That was short lived as it was just to tie me over in desperate times and my Grandma was nearby to help me step by step. After a few months of making a little cash for food and youthful fun I stopped as I moved towns and found stable employment. Now fast forward 25 years and I am sewing again - without Grandma's help. I'm learning from my mistakes as I unpick incorrect stitches and use books for guidance. As my confidence grows so does my satisfaction. My items are becoming better and better with each new stitch and I'm getting faster too.

Here are pictures of Dolly being industrious creating Bird Ornaments with reclaimed and vintage fabrics, beads from broken and unloved op shop jewellery. She has gifted these to girl school friends and also Costa Georgiadis as she knows he "loves the invorinment" (she adores him from his regular visits and enjoys how he always talks to her with enthusiasm).

Beading Bird Ornaments.

Stuffing Birds with old Pillow Stuffing.

Pretty Birds made with reclaimed fabric and vintage fabrics.

Ready to Tweet in a Home or Verandah.

Dolly gifts her friend Costa one of her Bird Ornaments.

And then there are the Library Bags... We have made 6 of these so far this past month. Girly ones and Boyish ones. These are a couple of the boy ones. The Doctor Seuss fabric is new. The blue fabric is an old mens shirt from this stash that some of you may remember, and the red fabric I think may be from the late 70s early 80s. All of these bags are French seamed for extra strength and aesthetics.

Busy Preparing letters and wearing a sleeve as a hat.

Completed and ready for gifting.

For a twin.
His sisters bag was red strawberries on one side & vintage fabric with little girls on the other.

And to top it all off, Dolly has been creating beautiful cards with unwanted seed beads, old patty cake papers, sticks and scrap felt.

Hand me down beads from a older tomboy girl, perfect for decorating cards.

Sticks from the yard and bits of felt scrap that Mama hoarded make perfect candles.

Eco-Frugal Homemade Gift Giving.

If you've never sewed give it a go! Go slowly, learn from your mistakes as I have been in the past year and get on the net for basic tips to get started. If I can do it anyone can :)

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.

Breaking My Rules

2013-05-29T02:33:00.002-07:00

Sometimes I am just too tired. After a busy day at work I collected my daughter from school and we walked the hot walk home. We stopped and fed chickens lunch box scraps half way home and then pushed ourselves the rest of the way to our messy sanctuary.

Tonight I just couldn't face cooking as I spent extra time with my overtired, emotional and sick daughter. Instead we read, while cuddling our cat in bed and asked our family man to purchase Hungry Jacks on his way home from his long work day. Fast food which exploits people, animals and the environment. I like to be good - but I fall prey to the fast and popular - and am always disappointed in the bland taste that leaves me dissatisfied and hungry for more.

So I sit here feeling guilty once again for breaking my own rules. What a waste...

How about you? Do you fall for things that you try to ban from your life?

Op Shops, Charity Shops and Thrift Shops

2013-05-28T08:19:00.001-07:00

Wow - I just watched my 1st lot of Mary Queen of Charity Shops. I hated her and I loved her. I'm a bit confused really. A bit blown away by it all.

Her concept of upscaling Op/Charity/Thrifts Shops to become boutique and trendy is understandable in the aim to reach new clientele. And I will admit the shop looks fabulous however I also know the shops that have become boutique in Australia such as The Red Cross Op Shops has put me off going as my "to go shop" because the prices are much higher, they have too many duplicated new items and it just doesn't give me the same thrill of the hunt. But when I am looking for that special item for a big event and don't have time to go through piles of ill sorted clothing then The Red Cross is my Fancy Pantsy shop. It's my High End Shop. It's the shop where I will splurge a little extra and live the high life of decadence.

But back to Mary. I felt sad about the whole episodes; Mary's tactless manner in speaking to people was aggravating. I wanted to shout at her as the staff were intimated by her bullish ways. She hurt many people in the process to make changes and increase the profits. And that's what it's all about isn't it - PROFITS - it's no longer a service to allow those on lower incomes to obtain inexpensive clothing or be a place for elderly fulfilling their need for meaningful work and company. It's all about profits to run the charity industry... and let us not all be duped. A huge chunk of charity money goes in the administration of running the charities not the poor or lonely themselves. It goes to real estate for buildings, offices and shops. It goes to administrative costs of consumables and advertising. It goes to pay packets of the non volunteers and executives. All of this is big business that crushes some of the very people it is supposed to be "helping".

So would I shop in one of Mary's shops? I think the answer is highly probably... Yes - because it looks stylish, it's second hand and fits with my eco ethics. I would purchase a few of the most inexpensive items from the discount racks, not armloads to play around with or use as dress ups, slash and punk up. I don't think I would find that bargain piece, that begs cutting to be upcycled into a wonderful new creation. I would consider my purchases very carefully and miss some of those lovely eccentric staff members that have a bit of history behind them. Here in my town The Red Cross Op Shops no longer have elderly staff. I see young vibrant retail assistants who have taken over the reigns in the second hand palaces. The music rocks and tempts us to feel good so that we purchase more items displayed on stunning glass shelves. A bit like everywhere else really - Gloss, Gloss and more Gloss. Me... I still like Old World style, with dusty treasures to discover. A place that still gives me a hunter gather rush.

What have you thought of Mary Queen of Charity? Love her? Hate her? Are you a second hand shopper? Come on spill the beans and share your thoughts.

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.

Gifting Babysitting

2013-05-25T08:47:00.001-07:00

As I have said many times gifts of time are gifts well worth giving.

Tonight I babysat for a young couple we know with a eight week old baby. A four hour sit while they went off and enjoyed a music festival just a few minutes walk from my home. The mother was very nervous to hand over her baby to me, I could see the flash of panic in her eyes as this was the very 1st time ever for her to do so. I reassured her as best as I could and let her know she could call me every few minutes as I completely understood her anxiety.

The babysitting went smoothly. I held the tiny baby in my arms for the four hour duration. It seemed not so long ago that my girl too curled her warm little body tight up on my shoulder, cooing and smelling so sweet. What a privilege to hold a being, so small, so new and so innocent.

Now... a babysitter in my town costs on average $15 an hour. A four hour evening out would come to $60. That's a lot of money for a young couple just starting out. Usually people rely on family members for that extra support, however in my highly transient town many people do not have family networks in close proximity. Family are most often, thousands of kilometers away.

So tonight when the young parents asked how much I would charge them, I let them know it was a gift on my behalf to celebrate the new addition to their world. I think it can become problematic when you charge people you know for your time. A personal moral issue as friends should be helping each other out without an expectation of money exchanging hands - a community. However many of us know friends that take. take. take. and very rarely give back in return. They burn us out and encourage us to be wary of others that may need our hand. When it's not an outright gift of time event, I think it could be a practical idea to barter a skill friends might have; an experience they might be able to offer or also their time. This way everyone is a winner and there is a sense of equal sharing while getting ahead.

Have you given your gift time or swapped time for skills or experiences with friends lately? I'd love to hear your stories.

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.

Puppy Love

2013-05-24T09:33:00.002-07:00

Hi Worldwide Frugalites,

One of my girlfriends that I ate out with last night works remote. And I mean really really remote in a small indigenous community on a small island. It takes her two small charter planes and then a slightly bigger plane just to get to my small city which is the states main headquarters. She's here for a weeks work and staying in a small pet free hotel.

Recently in her community, she came across a camp dog suffering from extremely poor health and at threat of being attacked and killed by dingos just like it's brothers and sisters the night before. So with her daughters pleading eyes she saved the puppy from deaths doorstep and got it in top health within a few weeks. However now that she's in town for a weeks work, puppy Rosy was a little hard to cater for. Sure there are kennels but on short notice and without much pet know how, it's a maze to try and know who's who and what's what and really... they cost an arm and a leg at $20 a day.

But our lucky family decided put our hand up to foster the puppy for a few days in our small apartment. And I say lucky because I'm happy to help my friend as a frugal gift giving gesture and because my daughter is thrilled to have a new pet to care even if it's just a few days.

My daughter has been asking for a new pet and I have repeatedly said no. We already own an old street cat from the back streets of Melbourne and this is a logistics nightmare each time we want to travel. We love our cat very much so don't regret having her but I don't want any other full time pets after her. Fostering on the other hand could be a solution to temporarily sheltering native and non native animals - while not having the obligation to long term responsibility, costs and guardianship.

Have you ever taken in a pet for a friend or fostered any animals? Would you foster a native snake, kangaroo, possum or bird? Or maybe a lost cat or dog?

As for us we are so happy with the cute and well behaved Rosy. She's a delight and bundle of fun to have around. We Love Puppy Love.

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.

Dinner Out with Sparkles.

2013-05-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went out to dinner and sparkled!

I caught up with three friends that I rarely see. The last time we went out to dinner together was 2 years ago so this is not a regular the girls go to dinner event at all. I was ok to pull out some of my money ($35 to be precise), for a lovely meal and catch up with two years worth of chatter. At the end of the meal we asked for the left overs to be boxed up to take home which they kindly did. In the past I have been to restaurants that serve huge portions and yet refuse to box up left overs stating it's a health risk. What do you think?

Tonight I also wore "new" sparkly shoes out to dinner. I splurged and purchased a pair of shabby chic flats with plenty of bling at my local op shop for a tidy sum of $1.00. Yep, that's right one whole dollar! You can't get much for $1 in my town, however my local op shop had a $1 sale on shoes, dresses and trousers so I went heady and purchased a pair of shoes and 2 dresses. There's a few stones missing on my pretty shoes which I will try to replace from my broken jewellery craft stash to give them a second chance to glimmer brightly.

Oooh I so love my new shoes and their feminine prettiness.

So let me know... would you ask to take leftovers in a restaurant or is that too tacky and cheap? If you do and they refuse what do you think of that? Is food wastage in restaurants acceptable? I'm interested to hear your thoughts.

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under

Restoration of Self

2013-05-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

As we mend and restore ourselves from our six months of disillusionment I have found a few quiet moments this week for crafting which I find calming, meditative and fulfilling. I have used what I had on hand always being thoughtful to frugality and being ecological.

The simple act of ripping, cutting and pasting beautiful or inspiring images and words from old magazines into a book has been therapeutic. The hand me down magazines have been taking valuable space in our home. As I purge I have ripped my favourite images for reflection, inspiration or the simple act of admiring beauty.

I have also sewn together more pieces of vintage and reclaimed fabric into owls. My skills have improved as each time I learn from my mistakes and work in better ways. This pretty owl was ordered by a friend for a newborn baby girl. We will be given a little money for our work, with this we will purchase new quality sewing threads, needles and pins.

I have also sat down with my beloved stamps from Freecycle, small scraps of fabric, vintage thrifted books, broken jewellery and old cards. I have upcyled them into four new cards for Thank You, Birthdays and Congratulations which I will give with very well thought out gifts. Gifts that are easy on my pocket and under $5, but show that I care and appreciate these people in my life.

The pasting and sewing is not only an exercise in creating but it's also an exercise in calming my busy mind and heart. A process of restoring and reflecting on what is important to me and my family. A time for me and my soul after a busy day.

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.

Sigh of Relief

2013-05-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

As my partner works in a new position he has found for the next five months I sigh with relief. A relief for the pay that will come through the door and join mine to keep paying the mortgage, the food, the bills.

We are not poor. We are not wealthy. We are alright - we have saved hard for the past six years, we have spent wisely most days, we have budgeted and not lived on credit. Except for our home... We have a mortgage. A small one. A small flat - but the city we live in is expensive. We aimed to pay it off in five years but that was not achieved. I think another year and it should be paid off. I really should sit down and crunch numbers. Another job to add to my To Do List. A list with no end in sight.

I think once the mortgage is paid off I will feel more liberated. More free to do as I wish. Not buying more, but cutting back work hours and spending more time reading, laughing, cooking, gardening, sewing, thinking, learning, creating and playing. My partners job loss was another lesson learned in our life journey. He was in a secure stable permanent position. Or so I thought. But it wasn't so. He lost it as the new political party took the reins. He became angry and he became sad. He loved his job - he had passion about it. He went to work each day with a skip. I hope that his smile and energy will return, that he will not let the system drag him down.

Sadness and anger sapped our energy. Our home became a mess. We spent too much time doing nothing. Nothing can be good, but when nothing is destructive it's a sickness that grows and becomes too hard to battle. We are fighting it. We worked on the mundane to commence. We cleaned out the fridge together, as a family, the three of us. We purged the old and unhealthy. We filled it's gleaming insides with fresh healthier food choices. We ate a meal made with thought. We tackled our laundry, the mountain was reduced to mere rubble and we have spoken with more consideration to each other and our daughter. The stresses had strained us all, until our voices could no longer speak with calm or gentleness. We are now mending, cleansing and restoring our home and ourselves after six months of disillusionment and uncertainty. I never imagined that job loss could affect my family so deeply this way. But it did and now I have new experiences and wisdom to draw on when the going gets tough.

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.

Grow Food - Community Education

2013-05-04T10:32:00.001-07:00

Hi Lovely Readers,

Today I spent my afternoon at The Sea Breeze Festival where I was invited to set up a stall for the community garden I am part of. Dolly and I set up a quick stall that fitted in our little city car. Nothing big - nothing flash but we had many visitors pop by and ask a number of questions.

I find it very satisfying, sharing knowledge and letting people know that "Yes" they can grow some of their own produce quite easily with little effort and that supermarkets do not have to be their only source of foods. Our weather is perfect for South East Asian produce and also some European produce during the cooler "Dry Season" months when the monsoonal showers subside.

When our stall had quiet moments I was amazed and proud to see my 6 year old Dolly invite people from the path to come and learn about local foods. Her participation in the community gardens has made her knowledgeable, confident and proud of her contributions. I overheard her explain to children and mothers how you can eat or prepare some of the produce we had on display. The gardening has allowed my daughter to understand where food comes from, what it needs to grow, the importance of insects and animal life and what foods do to her body. Now she readily shares her knowledge and skills with others. Since we started gardening she also happily snacks on green leaves as I garden and loves to show tourists and interstate gardeners around the garden plots, encouraging people to taste some of the plants. I love how they ask me if it's "edible" and I always tell them to trust my daughter as she knows her way around the plots and produce. It's been an amazing educational journey and to think 3 years ago I had never grown a vegetable before. What was I waiting for!!! It tastes good. It's Eco and it's super Frugal!!!

So what do you think about getting your hands in the soil and growing some of your own produce? Scary or something you are comfortable with?

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.

A Hoarders Treasures

2013-04-29T09:17:00.001-07:00

Two years ago I jumped the fence and dug around in a collectors home. His house was about to be bulldozed over and all placed into landfill. Even though I knew we were breaking the rules by entering the house I felt a stronger urge to do so. The experience broke my heart at how a person's lifelong collections equates to nothingness. How one's treasures is seen as clutter and filthy hoarding by others.

I wish I had tried to salvage a few more historical items such as letters, photos, documents, hand drawn maps for the State Library Collection, Museum or Historical Society. However I was so overwhelmed by it all that I did not take much. I didn't even look in some areas of the house and did not enter the garage at all.

Here is that Blog Post I wrote back then... The images are heartbreaking, disgusting and motivating all at once.

I'll leave you now while I go and fill up a bag for the op shop before I too become a hoarder.

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.

Surfing - Links that Rock

2013-04-28T07:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a list of Online Links I have enjoyed this week and thought you may too. It's an eclectic mix - but all have a frugalicious theme. The last one really tinkled my fancy and I would like to give it a try. Let me know if you have ever used your car for other purposes then just driving around.

Why Being Frugal is Satisfying:
Why Should I be Frugal When I'm So Rich - Mr Money Mustache.

Shifting Priorities:
Forest Food - Whole Larder Love.

Mouth Watering Slow Cooked Meals:
Slow Cooked Meals For The Family - NineMSN Food.

Food For $5 Around the World:
At Laughing Squid.

Most of Us Have a Food Dehydrator.
Your Car - The Tangled Mess.

Hope you enjoy,

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.

Pomme D'Amour

2013-04-27T06:04:00.001-07:00

I'm in Love! I have been decadent and allowed myself to bite into the crunchy sweetness to reach the tangy juicy centre. Mmmm heavenly evening. I am eating pomme d'amour after pomme d'amour. Love Apples or as we call them here in Australia, Toffee Apples. I love toffee apples. The sweet sickly treat from my childhood. Red like Snow White's lips.

I was admiring Foxs Lane's blog post when I thought to myself "Stephanie, go on... You can do it. Just give it a go and you might be sweetly rewarded for your effort." And happily rewarded I have been as no one else in my family likes them. A large clear bowl sits in the middle of the fridge filled to the brim with these glittering red jewels. The fridge has never looked so pretty.

These were not as hard to make as I had anticipated and may become a go to recipe when I want to spoil myself. However you do have to work fast as the toffee hardens surprisingly quickly. These sweet treats cost me $1.10 each. I rarely see them for sale in my town - but when I do, I think they are at the $3 mark. I was also thinking how pretty these would look with a ribbon on the stick. They would make lovely gifts for sweet toothed adults.

Do you have any sweet childhood treats you dream about from time to time? Go on do tell, because I love sugar and spice and all things nice,

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.

Sweet Deal

2013-04-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight I'm snacking on a sweet deal of Bread, Butter and Honey. So sweet as it was free.

A week ago an active permaculturalist made contact via a Facebook page I admin. He was on my side of Australia for a few days work and time poor but wanting to meet gardeners in my city. The hotel where he was staying was near my home, so I knew I could give him a tour of a few community gardens on way to my daughter's dance class and not be out of pocket or stressed with time. And not only that - but also... I was able drop him off at the airport on my way home again as it was only a few minutes detour and fitted perfectly with my family's schedule and his flight.

When I picked him up he loaded his minimal baggage into the car and gifted his food items that he was unable to take home. He like many other permaculturalist, does not like food waste as the production and transport of food is a burden on our environment. We all have a responsibility to purchase carefully and keep our waste to a minimum. So he asked me to bring an esky to our meeting place. He filled it with abundant food items. Cheese, butter, yoghurt, bread, cereals, honey, sun dried tomatoes, ice cream, organic soup, dip, olives and more.

I was grateful for the gifts. The gardens were in my line of travel for the day and it was a pleasurable activity to showcase what we grow in the tropics and introduce some of our city's main players in garden activism. He was not new to this world so was reintroduced to people he had already met over the years at workshops and conferences in various parts of Australia.

It was a fun morning acting as tour guide and talking about growing food. And I was rewarded with a new inspiring gardening contact and delicious food items to feast on latter. It was a win for both of us and of course for Dolly, who was able to run around in the gardens showing her skills by talking about plants and animals that she knows well.

What about you? Do you shy away from meeting new people or do you eagerly take up opportunities to meet those that may add to your life experiences?

In sweetness,

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.

Private Luxury Swim

2013-04-25T06:09:00.000-07:00

We recently told an acquaintance that we are available to feed and walk her friendly family dog in exchange for use of the swimming pool if they ever went away. They live a few minutes walk from us and have a generous backyard and stunning pool.

Well the day came and lucky for us, our offer was taken! They were going away for 4 days and asked that we feed and walk their dog. I was so excited I couldn't wait and counted down the days. We live in a tiny cramped unit so having the freedom to play in the grassy backyard and dive in the cool crocodile free waters was a luxury I was dying for.

It was better than I imagined. It was gloriously relaxing without the crowd of the public pool. It felt like I was in a luxury hotel spending hours floating in my own private pool. All that was missing was staff serving me cocktails. As I write this I am so relaxed and grateful, it feels like I have been on a extended holiday with Dolly. Absolutely decadent. Just what the doctor ordered. This is bartering at it's best.

Frugal people like you and I can use our imagination to mould desires with flexibility and make them a reality. It's fun, it's creative and allows us to live on the smell of an oily rag while we save and live debt free. I believe this is what keeps us going when it feels hard sticking to budget.

Have you stories to share of bartering for experiences or luxury?

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under

The Contentment of Up-Cycling.

2013-04-23T07:38:00.002-07:00

The Contentment of Up-Cycling.

It's been a long time since I wrote a blog post. So long that I had over 400 Spam comments! And not one tickled my fancy.

I've been away as the pending loss of employment by my partner caused me many worries that wore me down. I felt so tired, blogging just didn't come easy for some time. I also took on some study and have been overwhelmed by life's over busyness of work, study and mothering.

One new uplifting activity Dolly and I have been up to is up-cycling old clothes and vintage fabric scraps into owls to gift and sell. And also creating small Babushkas dolls out of printed scrap fabric. We had big plans of holding a cute little market stall once a month with our goodies, however a 6 year old creating takes quite a number of hours and hence the process has been snail slow. We have many creative up-cycling projects in the pipeline but it has to fit in with school, homework, dance class, parties, play dates, roller derby, gardening and general living. This allows us very little time for creating and completing our beloved items.

I never imagined how busy it is being a working mum when you want live with conscience, frugality and care. I find the stress and tugging at all directions is incredible. Since I'm a poorly organised person living with clutter, I place extra burdens on myself by my chaos. Yes - I'm that person who hunts for her glasses and keys every second morning. But I'm also that person who tries her very best at being a mum that offers a wide sample of life's wonders to experience and enjoy at a tiny price. So busy I will be for some time.

What about you? How have you been? Is 2013 a kind year to you? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.

Something Fishy

2013-01-14T16:38:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone,

The Rambling Expat has been fishing a bit more than usual as we are on holidays at home. This week he caught and filleted a medium sized Barramundi (he is careful about Fish management and not taking too small-baby or too large-breeding fish). Once filleted and in the fridge, I stepped in and cut up the left over fish carcass and head. I threw some away (tail, gills and guts).

I placed all the salvaged bits into a pot of water on rapid boil for 15 minutes and then simmered for an hour and let it sit to cool down. Once the broth had cooled down, I sieved the liquid into another pot and picked the flesh off the fish bones (a slow and tedious process) to add to the liquid. I placed this in the fridge for the next day.

The next day I blended the jellied broth and flesh together.

In another pot I placed olive oil, garlic, fennel, 1 large spoon of tomato paste, carrot and a little broccoli stem until it was soft and aromatic.

I then added half of my fish soup-stock. I let it boil a few minutes then simmered for an hour. It was the most delicious soup I have had in a long time. As a child I loved bouillabaisse and the taste of this brought me back to those memories.

I was quite pleased with myself because not only did we use most of the fish up (nothing worse then a an animal dying for little) but we also saved ourselves money with the extra meals created. This soup was a family hit and will definitely be made again - however it is time consuming and might be harder to manage when we are back to our regular routine.

I'm not always great at using food wisely but when I do I feel a sense of achievement. How about you? Do you use your food to its full potential?

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.

Extravagant Costs of Underwear

2013-01-13T10:08:00.003-08:00

Hi Frugalicious People,

Why is it that underwear is so EXPENSIVE?! A bit of stretch fabric and maybe some lace to pretty it up. Each year when I look for a couple of new items I am shocked at the ridiculous prices. Being on the Rubenesque side of things, I can not find inexpensive little numbers. So paying 50% of my food budget to hold my boobs up?! Is a No Way - I don't think so, situation - well this week that's for sure because I'm feeling extra frugalicious.

With an increasing need to lift my Balcony to better heights I wandered into an op shop near a public library I was visiting and there... behold my eyes, was a rack of brand spanking new bras for $6.99. Original Target price tags of $39.99 still attached. I tell you, those who look and wait an extra day are often happily rewarded!

So my lovely Blogland friends go and take a look at your local charity shops - there might be some brand new underwear in your size just waiting to help your body lift its game.

Are you willing to go looking in your local charity shop for that tiny bit of stretchy fabric?

To all ladies having to pay the extra costs for having extra flesh (like I do) I wish you luck on your hunt,

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.
(FB - Link)

Budgeting, Planning, Decluttering.

2013-01-05T09:34:00.000-08:00

Hi Frugal Gals and Guys,

I've been slowly working on my new 2013 budget and a updated 5 year plan. It's been a hard slog as it's hot here in the tropics and Australia in general. I've been lazy and procrastinating but it needs to be done NOW if I'm to get ahead and off the rat race merry go round.

The decluttering has also been a slow and painful process as I see use for everything however another bag left our home today and tonight I am busy listing Dolly's out grown clothes and other items on Gumtree and FB to bring in some extra pennies.

How are you doing with pinching extra money so far in 2013? Cutting back on anything? Selling anything? Working an extra job?

Would love to hear what you are up to.

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.

Freedom or Financial Debt.

2013-01-04T07:01:00.002-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I've been watching a bit of Ted lately and becoming inspired by people who are living or doing things I would like to try out. We don't have access to regular TV in our home so the net, blogs, You Tube and the likes are my relaxing evening entertainment. So while everyone else talks about the newest popular TV show and run out to buy the same lipstick as the main character, I'm watching something that is expanding my mind and encouraging me to not fall in those consumer traps.

Many of you living the frugal lifestyle will know of Adam Baker and the changes he made with his wife and baby for a simpler lifestyle - they aimed for freedom, to get off the financial debt round-a-bout. Well the exciting thing is you can watch him talking about his experiment or lifestyle change and how it worked out for them. So sit back and put your feet up for 20 minutes and enjoy!

Don't forget to let me know what you thought... Are you aiming for Freedom too?

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.