Bumping...found this great thread slipping to page 6!!!

angela137 - 2010-08-01 09:31:00

I once read that vinegar regained its strength if you diluted it with water and left it for a week, but was I seeing things?

I'm going through heaps, and like everything, it's not getting any cheaper.

mamabecs - 2010-08-01 19:30:00

The member deleted this message.

mamabecs - 2010-08-13 13:12:00

mamabecs wrote:

I once read that vinegar regained its strength if you diluted it with water and left it for a week, but was I seeing things?

I'm going through heaps, and like everything, it's not getting any cheaper.

It works for White vinegar, not sure about malt! You put half the vinegar into another bottle, top both bottles up with water (500mls vinegar, 500mls water etc) then leave in a light place for 24 hrs. I do this with mine, I only use vinegar for washing/cleaning etc so not sure how good it would be for cooking.

twinsforus - 2010-08-13 19:55:00

twinsforus wrote:

It works for White vinegar, not sure about malt! You put half the vinegar into another bottle, top both bottles up with water (500mls vinegar, 500mls water etc) then leave in a light place for 24 hrs. I do this with mine, I only use vinegar for washing/cleaning etc so not sure how good it would be for cooking.

Magic -- thank you! I only want to use mine for cleaning, too, but I am heartily sick of spending so much money on it. (I have an elderly cat with a urine problem, so vinegar gets used a lot around here.)

Edited by mamabecs at 6:53 pm, Mon 16 Aug

mamabecs - 2010-08-16 18:50:00

Liquid soap

just pour boiling water over a little bit of soap .Makes a nice liquid soap.put in a bottle.

chirpygirl - 2010-08-16 19:40:00

I buy the budget handsoap, $1.99 for a litre of it, once its in a dispenser nobody knows. Something i did last week which turned out being lovely is I ran out of my herbal essense conditioner before my shampoo and as i was changing brand i poured the remaining shampoo into the soap dispenser, now everyone is saying how come the soap smells so beautiful......

Must go.. washing machine just bleeped. I brought a second A Frame airer this winter and haven't used the dryer once!

toadfish - 2010-08-17 06:57:00

Hey toady i have even been known to use shampoo to wash the laundry when i have run out of soap powder or having an extremely frugal week......i have very sensitive skin so sometimes the shampoo is too stingy for my head so great to use it up as hand soap or washing liquid because of the rinsing process it dilutes it that well you cant feel it where as if i used it on my scalp im itchy for days.....or i just put it in the kids rooms for there next mummy pack

kob - 2010-08-17 07:39:00

well i have finally put my foot down with sky and changed my rental package ive cut movies off and i made then document that there movies are crap, and i will spend my $21 on fatso dvd rental, what a hoot aye bugger them for all the repeats they have on there, she said what would make me restore the movie package i said when you take the adds off sky like 15 years ago when we were one of the first to get it installed that was the whole purpose of having it to bypass adds, she said that wont happen, and i replied well sports will be going as soon as rugby finishes too, so take that sky, if i didnt need ya to get 1,2&3 youd be gone, (i cant be bothered getting freeview) so making the best of the situation at least with fatdo i can choose to watch a repeated movie not be forced too

kob - 2010-08-17 07:45:00

when i lived in the country i used to pay sky 18 dollars a month just for the ariel access, it was a nice cheap option to get all my channels clear

kob wrote:

well i have finally put my foot down with sky and changed my rental package ive cut movies off and i made then document that there movies are crap, and i will spend my $21 on fatso dvd rental, what a hoot aye bugger them for all the repeats they have on there, she said what would make me restore the movie package i said when you take the adds off sky like 15 years ago when we were one of the first to get it installed that was the whole purpose of having it to bypass adds, she said that wont happen, and i replied well sports will be going as soon as rugby finishes too, so take that sky, if i didnt need ya to get 1,2&3 youd be gone, (i cant be bothered getting freeview) so making the best of the situation at least with fatdo i can choose to watch a repeated movie not be forced too

motorbo - 2010-08-17 07:51:00

yer well basic package is now $43 dollars then add on to it from your choices, i need it in the bedroom as well as we have no tv access at all, so got to have 2nd decoder @ $25 per month so basic package for me is $68 i dont mind that BUT i do mind paying for CRAP & REPEATS thats why i have taken us back to basics (once rugby finishes that is) we have to compromise somewhere, as i said to them i would happily pay $20 a month for extra golf or cooking channels but the crap they have doesnt interest me so ill stop them, ive moaned enough about it so now im acting on it.....if i went to freeview i would still have to buy the decoder, wire it up get the 2nd tv connection bla bla bla so im better off staying with the basics

kob - 2010-08-17 15:09:00

tich50 wrote:

i get the simple savings emails and love the budgeting tips. a couple of months ago i tried the envelope system whereby i put $200 in 4 envelopes each for each week of the month. the pantry was stocked, beast in the freezer. i freeze milk, bread and soup. we even put petrol in the cars from that money and didn't do unneccesary trips. money left over from the one week were used the second for treats, etc. we would each have $20 in our purses for incidentals but were careful with our spending as we didn't want to run out of money.
i avoid processed foods as much as i can and never buy luncheon, packets and bottled stuff. we eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies but i also have frozen in the freezer. we are 2adults and a 5year old. i very seldom buy lollies and give master 5 a date if he asks for something sweet, a snack platter, 1 hour after breakfast on weekends, raisins, few slices of apple, pear, orange, dates, cheese, carrot sticks, etc. and this prevents him asking for chips, lollies, etc....

i don't budget well and we have good meals as i love cooking but try to use the things in my pantry before i go out to buy.
years ago i used the envelope system for years as we were both on monthly salaries and had to make the money last the month.....it worked well.

Another great system from Tich50

toadfish - 2010-08-19 06:52:00

KOB..... Just playing devils advocate here....do the maths at $68 a month you would pay for a free to view box in 3 months... in 6 months... you will own 2 and be $68 a month better off.

We brought a new TV for the bedroom for $900 (22"?slim line job) this had free to view included. so after 13 months you could own one of those... and I am sure their are much cheaper ones that include free to view. Its quite funny if their is nothing good on the TV in the lounge, 3 toadfie often go down to the bedroom and watch free to view.

Enjoy Fatso, my neighbour does it and loves it.... Me I save the coupons off the back of the supermarket docket and for $8 I can get a new release and a free New release, or a New release and 2 free weeklies. We also have a dvd recorders, so I try and go through the TV guide and record all the movies & good programmes that are at ridiculous time, then they are free.

Have a great day all.

Edited by toadfish at 7:03 am, Thu 19 Aug

toadfish - 2010-08-19 07:01:00

toady i hear ya i hear ya, BUT i have another half and believe me until the rugby, golf, tennis etc etc finishes there will be no hope of distroying sky, so i might as well grin and bear it, free view does not have the same sporting options, and you know the add old saying......''i work hard all week and all i look forward toon the weekends, is sitting on the sofa with my remote flicking through a trillion channels to watch every sporting event known to man....... lol.....YER RIGHT

kob - 2010-08-19 07:12:00

Bless my awesome local butcher! I am having trouble getting through until Thursday and my cats were out of food, so I thought I would buy some chicken skins from the butchery. The owners did not charge me, so I got a big bag full of free food for my fur babies and they loved it.

mamabecs - 2010-08-22 19:59:00

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satisfire - 2010-08-25 15:09:00

Hi satisfire, recently I started using just plain old baking soda for cleaning my scalp and apple cider vinegar or plain white vinegar for the rinse. I have long hair and it has a tendency to frizz sometimes. Before I get in shower I put 2TB baking soda in a little bowl. Add enough water to make a paste (so not a lot). Get a plastic sippy drink bottle and put 1/4 cup of vinegar in it and fill with hot water. Wet hair and rub in BS paste into scalp. Gently massage all over. Use up the paste, then rinse through with water thoroughly. Then add the vinegar rinse. I usually rinse with fresh water after that but the vinegar smell does go. My hair is unusually detangled using this method and my hair is calm and not frizzy. No lovely scent from this method but my hair/scalp etc is clean and it's ever so frugal!

sonshine - 2010-08-25 15:21:00

bumping for the grocery girls

kob - 2010-08-26 06:58:00

crails wrote:

We went to the Avondale Fleamarket this morning, Washed potatoes .50c kg Royal Gala Apples and Granny Smith Apples no more than $1.50kg Golden and Green Kiwifruit .99kg Tomatoes $4kg.

I was going to check that out but I don't think I will now. My vege places kiwifruit 49c kg, carrots 49c kg, potatoes $4.47 10kg, NZ oranges 49c kg, caulis 79c, cabbage 79c.
Latest pace I've been is Food For Less in Veronica St, new Lynn, its a supermarket of sorts. Chicken $4.99kg too.

lythande1 - 2010-08-26 08:00:00

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satisfire - 2010-08-27 14:09:00

Way too far down the pages.

Got a great score on Thursday... The butchery had mispriced the premium Lamb chunks, instead of $24.99 kg (High way robbery) they priced them as casserole chunks at $7.99kg, so I grabbed all 4 trays.... knew it was an error as on the same day the scraggy ones were $7.99 and yesterday the ones i brought were the proper price. Even the lady behind me in the check out queue congratulated me on my score lol.

Also had a very lucky escape due to a good mechanic. Hubbys work van was boiling and everyone thought it was a $2000-$2500 head gasket issue.... arrrggghhh took it in and when stripped was found to be a faulty thermostat... phew!! Its a great Toyota Hiace he has had for years and we have decided to love it rather than spend the $20,000 to upgrade it.... As in our view it does the job and we would rather spend our money elsewhere... rather than keeping up appearances.

Edited by toadfish at 7:58 am, Sun 19 Sep

toadfish - 2010-09-19 07:53:00

This message was deleted.

survivorr - 2010-09-19 07:56:00

gosh not alot of action on here aye.
Well this is not a grocery tip but may save you money for groceries.
There is a new store called the Clearance Shed opened on Moselle ave in henderson auckland it is where mastertrade used to be it is a bright yellow building.
They have alot of cheap sheets, toys, drawing stuff loads of kid stuff

chonnni - 2010-09-21 14:23:00

Want to share with you my delight in a bargain.
I had been looking for Danske Mobler "Eden" chairs to go with my table (That Hubby had made years ago)... I had had enough of my resin chairs. They retail at $450 EACH.... daylight robery but very beautiful and very heavy. So I saved a search on trade me. Second hand they were going for between $125 and $150 each. I kicked myself when I missed out on 4 for $500... well I needn't of. Early one Sunday morning my saved searchs were emailed through and someone IN THE SAME SUBURB had listed A Danske mobler Eden SET.. 6 chairs, 6 chair cushions (like new), 3 metre (like new) umbrella and an Oval Table... Would retail for well over $5000 and they had a $700 Buy Now on it. They had listed it late Saturday night so I was the first to see it Sunday morning and hit the Buy now... What a Bargain. The chairs worked out at $115 each and all the rest was Free! If it had gone to Auction they we have got so much more... As I have been watching it for a while. They just didn't realise what things were going for I guess.

Now the story gets better... the Table looked dreadful, they had done a shocking job and it was patchy and had dark mouldy bits... I had resigned myself to ditching the table.... Well making the most of the daylight savings I have sanded the top down.... OMG its come up beautiful... I just look at it and smile. So I am going to spray it with something to make sure the mould doens't come back (Think it was in the stain as its not visable in the wood) then restain it.

So I have the most lovely Outdoor setting for this summer, ..... I would much rather have second hand beautiful than new cheap stuff... thats just me though.

Edited by toadfish at 7:40 am, Sun 3 Oct

toadfish - 2010-10-03 07:30:00

When I want to make a major purchase... thats not an essential, I do my homework. The saved search function of trademe is excellant... every day they email whats been listed... thats how I do my "research" so to speak... put a few on my watchlist... see what they go for.... I was quite specific I started off with Kwila furniture but got too much rubbish... so I made it Danske Mobler Eden.... and that worked a treat!

Slowly Slowly catchy Monkey as my Grandad would say.

toadfish - 2010-10-03 07:35:00

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indy95 - 2010-10-03 08:57:00

patience is a vertue as my gran always stated LOL good for you Julia

kob - 2010-10-03 19:23:00

And Bump

solo2 - 2010-10-04 21:41:00

This message was deleted.

satisfire - 2010-10-05 12:51:00

Woollies/Countdown/Foodtown have some great specials this week. I didn't need to do a shop this week so wrote a list from the flyer and stocked up on things that I normally buy that were at a great price... to name but a few.
Colgate toothpaste - $2
Select Kidney Beans - $2 for 2 cans (ie $1 each)
Pataks Simmer Sauce - $10 for 3
Sunsilk 400mls Conditioner & Shampoo $5 each (normally over $8)
Coffee $2 (luckily we like special blend and have drunk it for years so brought 10)
Flora Marg - 2 for $5.50 (the only thing we actually were running low on)

For a treat I brought L&P at $1 bottle and for $7 I got 2 x reduced cream and 2 x Onion soup mix and a delightful "collectors" ceramic dip bowl.... So I am ready for summer!

I spent $80 but would have saved over $30 i would say. I left 15 mins early for work and brought it on the way in.... very painless (put the marg in the work fridge). I am trying to find ways to not offset my wage increase (1st Oct) with increased prices...

My freezer is chocca of reduced to clears and specials meat so the next few weeks I am going to only go to the fruit and veg shop... plus maybe another couple of Monday morning raid as I call it... depending on the flyer that arrives in my box next Sunday... think they must hate me.. I didn't buy 1 thing that wasn't severly reduced..

toadfish - 2010-10-12 06:21:00

Toadfish I had a good day at Countdown yesterday. Went in for a couple of things but the butchery guy had done his markdowns early so I got 5 packs of 6x chicken thigh cutlets which were normally around $11 each for just over $3 each. One lot of beef scotch fillet usually $10 but paid $5; pork rump steak normally $9, paid $4.60 and a couple of pork shoulder chops for about $4 each. So I was well pleased with my purchases, even though I spent more than what I planned when I went in, like you I now won't have to get any meat for the next week or so - depending on what is on special of course!!!!

raewyn64 - 2010-10-12 15:21:00

i love meat markdowns, i go to the supermarket in the evening half an hour before closing usually (closes at 8pm) and grab all the markdowns and stock my freezer.

mistrycelebrity - 2010-10-12 22:30:00

My supermarkets don't seem to have a set time, in fact the butcher at woolies told me he specifically doesn't as some people wait for him to mark it down..... who would do that lol. I have struck really lucky at one at 8am, and also do quite well at another one in my lunch break... seems to be hit and miss in East Auckland. Thats why I grab it when I see it even when the freezers full.

toadfish - 2010-10-13 07:01:00

PS.... Great buying Raewyn64!! Feels good doesn't it.... I have a crockpot just started with 9 fat drumsticks in it that cost me the princely sum of $5..... leaves me more money to spend on cool things.... like.... braces for teenagers... oops I mean cool things like travel....

toadfish - 2010-10-13 07:03:00

I asked the butchery guy if he would mark down a leg of lamb for me seeing he was doing markdowns (not that there was any reason for him to markdown the lamb leg) but he wasn't up to that idea lol

raewyn64 - 2010-10-13 19:27:00

My old butcher at foodtown was lovely. A few years back when things were tighter budget wise... he saw me looking at the xmas hams... he said "can I help you"... I said "yes please... find me a lovely ham that I can afford".... He said "here you go, this one lost its seal overnight" and marked it down from over $80 to $30.. Hubby said I can flirt with the butcher whenever I like lol.

toadfish - 2010-10-13 19:42:00

I got a 2kg bag of frozen drumsticks for under $10 at Foodtown recently - so less than $5 a kg, thought that was pretty good. There was about 12 in the bag, so about 4 meals for the 2 of us.

mistrycelebrity - 2010-10-13 22:18:00

Hey guys, really enjoying this thread - thanks heaps!!! Lots of reading to do!!! :)

missmuppett - 2010-10-13 22:30:00

hehe yesterday i was doing my usual walk around the meat section as I browsed through NW and found 4 packs of mince reduced from 9 bucks to 4 so grabbed them and as im going up to the counter 3 people stopped me and asked me where i found it,,,,,,dur you have to look in the right places, BUT WHAT IS ANNOYING ME is the expired meat being put in in the pet section for $3 it clearly states not for human consumption BUT times are tough and people will risk shit like that to feed there families.I love the thrill and its a adrenaline rush i got 5 pork chops for $10 on Sundays 4 pork steaks for $8 8 crumbed chops for $3 and gravy beef for $4 and it was enough to have casserole for tea and then put the rest into a pie base and cover with mashed potato so that excites me........small thrills and all that.So my eyes just make an auotmatic bee line to the yellow sticker LOL.

kob - 2010-10-14 05:55:00

New World used to be harder to track.. you had to have a trained eye for the double stickers.... Which i have lol. Now they have a special orange sticker that they stick on as well. The bargains are very calculated now though in the foodtown chain... I watched a butcher with his machine markdown what looked like 2 identical packs... one to $6 and 1 to $4... turns out he scans them and one was 1 day old and the other 2.

My latest best buy was Santa Rosa Chicken crumbed sausages, they had a stack marked down to $2 a tray (between 8 & 9 Sausages) so brought about 6... these are great on the BBQ.... especially when i have a house full of teenagers... they think I have "posh" sausages.

I have lost my source of Pita bread in Auckland, my little eastern kebab shop that sold packs (5) for $1.80 has closed down... can anyone reccomend anywhere? in fact I might start a thread.

On the other side of the coin... just finished paying for our next family holiday yesterday... yippeeeee..... Now just can't wait till we go......
Makes it all worth while!

Edited by toadfish at 6:44 am, Thu 14 Oct

toadfish - 2010-10-14 06:42:00

The Top Shop the block of shops at the top of Gossamer Drive have a Halal Shop, there were packs of Pita not sure of the price though. I

crails - 2010-10-14 09:57:00

Bumping........

dinkydi5 - 2010-10-25 19:54:00

Bumping for Chuckles

beagle12 - 2010-10-27 20:08:00

well my house smells lovely this morning i just made a chicken pie this morning to put into a pie crust tonight, I boiled 1 onion chopped 1 carrot a handfull of peas ans some cup of pumpkin in 1 litre of water with 3 chicken stock cubes left to simmer once it had boiled for 45 mins then add 2 cups of cooked shredded chicken(you can boil it if you only have raw and debone) simmer for 10 more mins to heat all through and thicken with 3 tablespoons of cornflour and 1/4 cup of water mixed seperately and then add, add s&p to taste and then was cool chill, then add filling to a pie crust base & top with either pastry, mashed potato or potato pompoms and bake and serve with a mesculan green salad with a couple of tomato slices and a few slices of red pepper, sounds good enough to me, tomatos can be added to the pie before topping, mushrooms camembert cheese the worlds you oyster, but my lot like it plain, I used a half rostiserie chook for this which i had brought from the deli cold at $3.95 and froze so have enough filling to make a thick round pie or a thin long pie, prob make a thick round and then make a few pasties for hubbies lunch with left overs

kob - 2010-10-28 06:49:00

ok spell check bring to the boil then simmer for 45 mins, you know i get abit excited with i have yummies to share.....and it was a handfull of peas and some cubed chopped pumpkin and a chopped carrot LOL

kob - 2010-10-28 06:51:00

bumping as this thread is awesome!!!

norja - 2010-10-30 21:34:00

how's everyone's christmas prep going - much blessing!!

timetable - 2010-10-30 21:58:00

funny you should say that ive just laid all the xmas pressies out on the spare room bed about 1 hour ago, and have been writting down whos is what and listing what i need to still buy.
I contribute to secret santa for 1 church and 1 person who delivers to people around the neighbourhood who dont have much around this time of year so all those are wrapped and in grocery bags ready to deliver to those 2 people so im feeling pretty good, plus I have my youngest sons 21st in jan so have planned his gifts and his 21st key today as well as we have to have it earlier than planned as he is off back to Antarctica to unload the annual ship of all its produce etc etc, so i am feeling very orginised today.

kob - 2010-10-31 14:27:00

Kob you are depressing me - I haven't even started thinking about Christmas yet - we bought a new property about 2 months ago and every minute not at work is trying to get the new place organised (we downsized and went to a rural property).
I really must start thinking about presents - argh!!!!

raewyn64 - 2010-10-31 15:35:00

you guys are awesome :) Using Kob's budgeting advice I saved for my house 6 years ago. After 2 years of bloody depression and not giving a damn, I am now trying to crawl out of 20k (yep really) HP and credit card debt. My spending is in hand, its the long long march out that I'm doing now. Back to being sensible... Anyway I'm enjoying this thread, Kob etc always make budgeting fun, that is the best bit. And those of you who see your depressed friends spending, stop them if you can. :) hugs all.

Edited by brusselsprout at 3:45 pm, Sun 31 Oct

brusselsprout - 2010-10-31 15:44:00