frugal living

3 biggest money wasters

People often ask me about our finances as we have a mortgage, 4 children and one main income. If someone is telling me they don’t have enough money I start with a checklist similar to this one.

1. Do you have a credit card/s?
If you really want to save money – get rid of it! If you have credit card debt make it your no. 1 financial priority to pay it off (and cut the card up immediately!)

2. Do you have pay T.V?
Not only a waste of time, a waste of money. With the money and time you would save by not having it you can invest in other things, the main one being yourself.

3. Do you smoke?
Not much to be said here. Do whatever you can to quit. Tobacco is an ongoing expense in every way – you become addicted to it, so repeat buying, your health will suffer whether you admit it or not and end up costing you not only money but quality of life. (For those who think I’m simplifying the problem – I’m an ex – smoker of 6 years. Quitting is one of the very best things I’ve ever done!)

If you change even one of these money wasters you will notice a big difference in your budget.
Happy saving!

The $7 dress

by Kelly 5 Comments

Oh, the angst this dress caused me!! I wanted to make my own dress to wear to my sister’s wedding. I spent a good deal of time pouring over patterns before deciding on Simplicity 3503. Then I agonised over fabrics for about a week. I haven’t made many garments for myself and I’m not good with knowing what colours and style suit me.

So… after carefully measuring I started the dress and finished fairly quickly. I tried it on a lot before finishing, but somehow it ended up with problems. Like it was way too big. The neckline was too low and gaping. It was extremely long. And the waistband was completely wrong. Then the worst part – the style made me look about 6 months pregnant!!!

I was determined not to give up. So I did something that really surprised me. I put the instructions and pattern away. I said a prayer. I took the dress apart and started again. Don’t ask me what I did – I cut, sewed, gathered, put in darts and somehow it all came together for a perfect fit!

Now here is the cool part. The fabric was off the Spotlight clearance table. At $2 a metre the dress worked out to roughly $7! (Not including the pattern cost)

I received many, many positive and flattering comments at the wedding. My husband gazed at me all night long. He is still gazing at me 4 days later. It was great to feel “pretty” again, it’s been a long time!

I couldn’t mention the wedding without showing my gorgeous sister being presented by Dad. She was so happy and beautiful. Marriage is a truly beautiful gift.

Disclaimer: The shots of me were taken by my 10 year old “photographer”. He needs practice!

Buying scondhand

by Kelly 2 Comments

I have another purchase to add to my secondhand list for this year. My old and cheap vacuum cleaner went out in spectacular fashion last week with a flash that shorted out the entire house. This left me with some anxiety (4 kids, carpet, no vacuum, gasp!!)

So yesterday I brought home a Wertheim with a power head and all attachments. The new model of this cleaner retails for about $1500 – the one that I bought secondhand has been re built and has a new motor for a price of $500.

We’ve spent a bit of time running around the carpet with it and are amazed (and a little disgusted) at how much dirt and dust the new machine lifts.

Secondhand price $130

New price $ 1500

Saving $1000 (!!!)

– Total savings tally for 2010 – $1, 320

Hey, don’t forget the giveaway (click on the button on the sidebar). I’ll be back later today to draw the random winner.

Easy fix for old pants

by Kelly 1 Comment

How many times do you find the elastic gone in a pair of pants or skirt that are otherwise fine? I saw these cute stripey knit pants at the op shop for a few dollars but the elastic around the waist was useless.

I had a length of fold over elastic (FOE) in my stash and thought of a quick way to fix the pants. I unpicked the old elastic band (admittedly this took a while but I knew it would be neater than just cutting it off). Then I simply stitched on the FOE (I had measured it around my daughter’s waist to get the right size first) with a zig zag stitch while stretching it as much as possible.

Have you ever used FOE? I know some of the Crafty Mamas use it for neck binding on t – shirts and tops but of course it’s main use is nappy making. Nappy supplies stores stock it.

The odd things our children do! This is how I found my almost 3 year old girl the other day, sitting perfectly still. Can’t say I blame her, it gets pretty rowdy here!

Buying seconhand as well as this and that…

by Kelly 1 Comment

Do you remember my previous post about buying secondhand?

The latest purchase is a lawn mower, which was a necessary after the other mower (which was also secondhand and very old!) gave up the ghost. The cost of this one was $130 – a new one would have been about $350. It runs beautifully.

Secondhand price $130

New price $350

Saving $ 220

Total savings tally for 2010 – $320
So far, all savings have gone towards the mortgage as extra repayments.

In other news my sewjo seems to have evapourated this week, it must be the tiredness. I think right now I am more tired than ever before, I really need a good nights sleep but the little one won’t have it. I keep telling myself it will soon improve, I know it will…

We are going away over the weekend for one night, I’ve been looking forward to that! I’ll give details upon our return, there may also be some pics of a new feline addition to our family.

God bless and have a great weekend!

Turn a top into an apron…

by Kelly 7 Comments

I bought this top at an op shop for a few dollars. When I put it on at home it didn’t suit me and looked very apron – like. Well, a girl can never have too many aprons! A pair of scissors and a sewing machine later….. Here’s an overview of what I did:

I started by cutting straight up the middle of the back so that when laid out it looked like this.

Then I cut out the sleeves, just following the seam lines (cut out the seams too.) Because of the style of the yoke and neckline, mine now looked like this.

Next I folded it exactly in half and cut an “apron shape” – that is that sort of curved look where the sleeve was. You can either “wing it” or use an existing apron as a guide for the shape. I also cut a few inches of excess from the back edges for a good fit when wrapped around.

The next step is to overlock (serge) all raw edges, which in this case was right around the sides and the top ties of the apron. Using the tie that came with the top, I cut it in half before attaching it by the raw edges to the sides where I wanted the apron to wrap around and tie at the back. Once all the edges were tidy and finished I sewed the ties at the top together to form a loop to go over my head.

Don’t you think it looks much better as an apron?!

Free range versus cage chickens

by Kelly 1 Comment

We just got our new batch of Isa Browns which is always exciting. We keep them in a large enclosed pen which also has a wooden house and laying boxes (a converted dog kennel), nothing fancy but warm. cosy and comfortable.

We bought these ladies from a local cage egg farm, which is a bit strange because I’m completely against cage egg farms. But my reasoning is quite simple. You buy the young chooks from their elevated cages from which they’ve just been yanked out of by the legs by the staff member. You get them home and let them out of a cardboard box into the yard you have prepared for them. And this is the good part. You watch.

These feet have never stepped on bare earth. They have never pecked at a worm or insect. They have never walked freely!

So, my husband and I both agree it’s worth freeing these chooks from a life of misery in a cage and giving them the opportunity to do what comes naturally. This morning they had their first hot mash and were suitably impressed.

I’ll discuss egg farms again in a later post, I think it’s time for change.

A successful barter and a whinge!

by Kelly 6 Comments

Remember my post about bartering? Here is what I received in the mail today, thank you Gilly, what a welcome parcel! I don’t own many crafting books, so you’ve just doubled my collection. I just love surprises!

Now for the whinge. I picked up my sewing machine yesterday after it jammed and had to wait a week whilst it was (apparently) repaired. Naturally, I was very eager to use it yesterday, but what with h.schooling starting back today I had a lot to organise. Anyway…… I managed to steal a few moments earlier to work on a skirt, and, lo and behold – it’s still jammed!!
This is the point where I had to stem my natural inclination to run to the phone to ask the repairer if there had been a misunderstanding, as in – I give you $80, you give me fixed machine. Yes I appreciate your dusting my machine, after all it was a bit dusty, but I actually wanted to use it not just look at it. Ok, Ok, now I’m getting snitchy, but surely not without justification?!

On a lighter note, our first day back at h.school after the hols’ went brilliantly despite a toddler with a tummy upset and it has generally been a very good day.

Off to the sewing centre I go…………

Buy secondhand!

by Kelly Leave a Comment

One of my goals for this year is to save money by always looking for a second hand alternative before buying new. Not only will this save me money, but can often mean better quality in the age of the “made in China” sticker. I also think in this throwaway society we waste far too much, and I don’t want to contribute to that.

Throughout the year I’m going to keep tabs here on how much I’ve saved on items that I’ve bought second hand. Here is the most recent purchase – a used television (no I haven’t relented on my views of TV, it’s for a new Xbox, not for watching! )

1. Television –

Second hand price $170

New price – Couldn’t find an exact price but it would have to be at least $270, more like $300.

Saving – $100

For the record, I looked at used xbox ‘s but the price was no different, so decided to buy new.

Next purchase – bunk beds………

Total savings tally for 2010 – $100

Is bartering dead?

by Kelly 6 Comments

I’m about to find out. I’ve offered this doll for barter over at the Crafty Mamas forum. I’ve been thinking for some time about the differences between city and country living, and this is one of them. It’s not called bartering in the country though – it’s just what you do. For example:

Mrs. Randell has a glut of apricots this year, she gives you a box of them and you give her a basket of fresh vegetables from your garden.

You have excess eggs from your chooks so you ask the Robertsons if they want any. They do, and they have just made a batch of strawberry jam from their strawberry garden so you become the happy recipient of a couple of jars.

Things are really different here in the city. I find it hard to trust people and to take their word. I don’t ask people for help because that’s just not what you do here. And bartering? Well, that’s just non existent here, whether you call it bartering or not.
I’d love to barter more because, to me, it’s not all about making a sale. It’s about sharing something of yourself and what you have with others and receiving the same in return.
I’ll let you know how my attempt turns out!