Make-up removal wipes make tough cleaning a breeze

I stumbled across a fantastic household cleaning product quite by accident! While cleaning and decluttering the makeup drawer, I accidentally found myself smearing broken-off eyeliner and other cosmetic dust around. The standard multi-purpose cleaners were not helping and the mess was getting bigger. In desperation, I grabbed out a make-up remover wipe and attacked the mess. Just like that, it removed all the old eyeliner, plus power foundation and everything else from the bottom of the drawer! I'm adding make-up wipes to my regular bathroom cleaning routine from now on!

Eat your way to lovely, strong nails with blancmange!

If biting your nails is a problem, start growing them from the inside out, with this easy coffee blancmange recipe! All you need is:

One x 400g can coconut milk or cream. 2 tbsp gelatin 2 tsp coffee 1/4 cup hot water Sweetener of your choice, e.g. sugar, stevia or artificial sweetener

Stir the gelatin into the hot water and mix well.
In a separate bowl, put in the coffee and sweetener of your choice and stir, then tip in the can of coconut milk or cream. Pour in the hot gelatin mixture and stir all together well. Refrigerate for one hour.

The result? Delicious, smooth coffee blancmange, with the health benefits of coconut, and gelatin for nail growth!

Laminating without a laminator

I have saved a fortune on laminating costs over the years, by doing my own at home. I don't have a laminating machine though - I don't need one! I just buy the laminating pouches I need and get exactly the same effect using my household iron on a low setting. You just need to ensure you are working on a fairly rigid surface - if your ironing board is too 'spongy', strengthen the surface by adding a piece of cardboard, covered with cloth before laminating. When applying the iron, put a cloth or other fabric between the plastic and the iron. The results are just the same as using a machine and the heat will gently fuse the pouch together. I have done this for so long, that I don't know how much laminating costs any more, because I never pay to have it done!

Being frugal can be fun

Sometimes I feel as though I've lived on a budget all my life! I live alone in a second floor rented apartment - no yard or garden, just a concrete car park. To combat that 'locked in' feeling, I have endeavoured to bring the outside in for little cost.

I have several indoor plants; beautiful, green and healthy. My small cold water fish tank has two goldfish in it, they are healthy and lively and provide colour and movement darting around. Very cheap pets too, a can of fish food lasts for ages and you can get all kinds of tanks to suit any budget.

I conserve water by using the 'old' water from the fish tank when I change it to water my plants, giving them lots of nutrients! I also use the water left from steaming vegetables to water the plants too.

I have no car, so must walk to get my groceries and other needs. I tell myself this is all POSITIVE. Everytime I walk to the shops and back it is exercise and energy sustainable. I'm not creating any air pollution either!

Almost all my clothing comes from the local opportunity shops - guess you could call me Second Hand Rose! I have three good op shops in my area, which are also great for cheap books, kids' toys - just about anything you can think of!

Frugality is not about being 'mean'; it's often very necessary for those on a fixed and limited income - and it can be a lot of fun!