Hello, and welcome to all our new members. I hope you have all had a fantastic week. This past week has been hectic (it seems that every week is lately) and I have had so much fun. I spent a day filming a story for A Current Affair and learned lots of supermarket secrets, which I'll share in the June Journal. And then I filmed a segment for Today Tonight about Coles and Woolworths moving into restaurant style deli meals. I have noticed that our two major supermarket chains have really lifted their game, especially since Costco opened here in Melbourne last year. Competition is good and as consumers we have a lot to gain. Supermarkets are trying very hard to provide convenience for their customers, but of course it comes at a price. The meals looked great, and I have tried the salad bar at the Coles supermarket at Tunstall Square shopping centre in Donvale, Victoria, and the salads were lovely but very expensive. It will almost always be cheaper to buy the ingredients and prepare a meal from scratch at home, but even Cheapskates need to sometimes choose convenience over dollars. Just don't let it become a habit.   My right arm is telling me it's time to stop typing so this is a very short, very late newsletter, but it is full of great ideas and a couple of really delicious desserts ideas. Hopefully next week will be back to normal. Have a great week everyone. PS: Love our site? We love referrals! Send a note to your favourite newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV stations, friends and relatives, and tell them about us! PPS: You can read this newsletter and past copies on the website in the Newsletter Archive.

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Cheapskates Tip of the Week

This week's winning tip is from Carol Ryan.  Carol is already a Platinum member so her membership has been extended by one year for submitting a winning tip. If You Really Want to Save Money You Need to be Honest with Yourself Sometimes I just want to get off the place and use a shopping trip as the excuse and that is the truth of it. The time has come to bite the bullet and put on paper what has previously been just an idea of costs. To shop at the closest town is a 40 kilometre round trip, one major and one minor supermarket - not much to be gained on savings there. The major centre is a 120 kilometre round trip with all of the wonderful options of wholesale butcher, supermarkets and  most major stores. This is what I've come to in costs so far (I drive an old Magna): Annual expenses: Rego.$500, Insurance $99, Oil filter $40, Tyres $100, Servicing $100 (Hubby takes care of car). The approximate cost per kilometre @ 10,000 kilometres per year is 9 cents per kilometre. Add the cost of fuel at $1.30 per litre and the 40 kilometre local round trip costs $17.60, the 120 kilometre regional round trip plus 20 kilometres around town costs $48.00. WOW! Did that change my thinking. That means I have to save $30.40 (the difference between getting to the local and the regional centres) before I make any headway at all on savings with my shopping!!!! Yes I usually grow as much as is practical, but I still need to purchase the rest. Now when I open the freezer and look at what is there I'll be adding the cost of running the freezer to the equation. What I've learnt from this little exercise is that if I need/want to get serious about what it costs to live in the country and nail it, I have to be honest with myself. Congratulations Carol, I hope you enjoy your Cheapskates Club membership.

The Cheapskate's Club website is over 2,000 pages of money saving hints, tips  and ideas. Let's get together and make the Cheapskates Club Australia's largest online hint, tip and idea library. Share your favourite money saving, time saving or energy saving hint and be in the running to win a one-year membership to The Cheapskate Club. We publish a Winning Tip each Tuesday, so enter your great money, time or energy saving idea now!

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Submit a Tip

Share your favourite hint or tip that saves money, time and energy and be in the running to win a one-year membership to the Cheapskates Club valued at $29.20. Remember, you have to be in it to win it! Enter your tip here

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Money Saving Meals

Two Easy Winter Desserts This last week has been so cold and wet that I have been craving comfort food - mashed potatoes, casseroles, pumpkin soup and yummy desserts with lots of custard. Here are two desserts that comforted us this week, both made with ingredients from my pantry, freezer and garden. Rhubarb and Apple Sponge Ingredients: 500g rhubarb cut into 2cm pieces 2 medium apples, thinly sliced ¼ cup castor sugar 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind ¼ cup water 2 eggs 1/3 cup caster sugar, extra 2 tbsp cornflour 2 tbsp plain flour 2 tbsp self-raising flour Method: Combine rhubarb, apples, sugar, lemon rind and water in a large saucepan. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes or until tender. Pour hot rhubarb mixture into deep, greased, ovenproof casserole dish (6 cup capacity). Beat eggs in small bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy, about five minutes. Gradually add extra sugar, beating until dissolved between each addition. Sift flours over egg mixture, fold through gently. Spread mixture evenly over hot rhubarb mixture, bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 30 minutes. Apple Shortcake Ingredients: 125g butter ½ cup castor sugar 1 egg 3/4 cup self-raising flour 3/4 cup plain flour 400g stewed apple (or 410g can pie apple) 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind extra castor sugar   Method: Line base and sides of 20cm cake tin with baking paper. Cream butter and sugar lightly, add egg, beat well. Beat in sifted flours. Turn out on to lightly floured surface; knead lightly until smooth, divide dough in half. This is a very soft pastry so roll each piece into a 20cm round between 2 sheets of plastic food wrap or greaseproof paper to prevent sticking. Place one round into tin, press edges to fit tin well. Mix lemon rind into stewed apple. Spread over shortcake base leaving a small border around edge. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of extra sugar. Place second round of pastry over fruit mixture, press edges together around side of tin. Brush top with water, sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake in moderate oven 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to stand 15 minutes before removing from tin. There are over 700 other great money saving meal ideas in the Recipe File.

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Last Weeks Question

  

Last week's question was from  Julia, asking how she can convince her boyfriend he needs to change his attitude to money and debt before they marry. This question brought some very emotional and some very adamant responses. You'll find them in the Tip Store. Here are a few of the many we received. Kathleen Livingstone answered Firstly, you must realise that there is a 99.9% chance that he won't change this habit, so think long and hard before you walk down the aisle. Secondly, you have to sit down with him and create a budget. Life Line and other charities have counsellors who can help you do this if it's too hard. Good luck Julia. Nicholle McEwan answered My husband also had some old debts that we (namely I) wanted cleared before any marriage. If you get your partner to go to www.vedaadvantage.com.au and mail or fax them the requested details, they'll send him/her their credit history for free. My husband had an outstanding phone bill of over $600, we rang them off our own bat and said we would pay half that amount immediately if they'd wipe the rest of the debt. They did! If you know your credit responsibilities and own them, most companies just want some money, it costs them to chase you for it! PLUS, we had a wonderful wedding at the Courthouse ($110) with a beautiful barbecue reception at our house, guests brought a plate and byo alcohol ($100). We have been married six years now, have two beautiful children,  two Labradors, a picket fence and we are LIVING THE DREAM the CHEAPSKATES WAY......Hope it helps, and remember that a wedding is a celebration of your union and commitment, not a chance to throw cash around. Try not to let your new found Credit Freedom enable you to take out a whopping personal loan for a wedding.  Website:  www.vedaadvantage.com.au Ange A. answered Make an appointment for you both to see a financial counsellor. It is a free service and there will be one close to you, there are hundreds of good financial counsellors all over Australia.  Every state has a financial counselling service of some kind. If you Google "financial counsellors your state" you will be able to find the relevant service website  and hopefully find a counsellor in your area. Bridget Thompson answered You can do it - but unless you keep charge of the money, twenty years down the track you will end up in the same position you are in now. Susan Evans answered If your boyfriend is happy to let you control your joint finances and you want to that may be the best solution. Not everyone is comfortable with the responsibility of finances, personal or family. Just make sure he understands that you are living on a budget and that he must stick to it too. Perhaps show him how quickly he can be debt free with a Payment Push.

Do you have a question that needs an answer? Send us your question and receive the combined knowledge of your fellow Cheapskates to solve your problem! Ask a question

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This Weeks Question

Rebecca writes "I am currently on maternity leave and have a four week old and a very active three and a half year old. Does anyone have any suggestions for things to do that are free or inexpensive so that we can all get out of the house and my three and a half year old can get some of his energy out?"

Do you have an idea? If you have a suggestion or idea for Rebecca let us know, send it in, we'd love to hear it. Click here to send your answer

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Join the Cheapskates Club

Join the Cheapskates Club for just  $25.00 until 8pm Sunday 9th May 2010 and get exclusive access to the Cheapskates Club Platinum Member's Centre containing thousands of ideas to save you money, time and energy. Join the Cheapskates Club today

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I change my email address? This one is easy. If you area Platinum member login and click on the Edit Profile button, then on Change Password. If you are a Silver member use the Change Your Address form (under Customer Service in the menu) and fill it out. Once you've filled it in click the send button and we'll do the rest. Please remember to include your old email address so we can find it in the list as well as the new one. How do I know when my membership should be renewed? When you login to the Member's Centre you will be told how many days of membership you have left once you have 30 days left. Just click on the link to renew and your membership will just continue on, uninterrupted. What will you do with my email address? We never rent, trade or sell our email list to anyone for any reason whatsoever. You'll never get an unsolicited email from a stranger as a result of joining this list. How Did You Get on Our List? You signed up to receive our Free Newsletter at our Cheapskates Journal Web site or at the Channel 9 Money Expo. We never add names to our list unless you have voluntarily opted in.

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Contact Details

The Cheapskates Club - Showing you how to live life debt free, cashed up and laughing! Cheapskates Club PO Box 4232 Ringwood Vic 3134 www.cheapskates.com.au info@cheapskates.com.au