An apple a day keeps green potatoes away!

I have solved the problem of green potatoes in our household! I was constantly throwing out potatoes as we never seemed to go through a whole bag of potatoes in time before they turned green. We are only a small family but I didn't want to buy smaller bags, as the larger bags were so much cheaper. Fortunately I discovered a way to extend the life of them and it's so easy! All you need to do is to keep them in an aerated spot in a gunny bag or bowl (basically out of plastic) with a whole apple . The gases from the apple stops the potatoes from going green, doubling the shelf life of the potatoes. Needless to say, make sure you also check the apple each time you use the potatoes to make sure it's not going bad!

Make your own nut butters for a fraction of shop prices

I save a fortune on buying nut butters by making my own. Almond butter, cashew butter and good quality peanut butter can be fairly expensive to buy so instead I buy roasted almonds for about $4 at a bulk supplier (Bin Inn if you're in NZ) and blend it in my Nutribullet with the addition of a smidgeon of olive oil. This gives me twice the quantity of a shop-bought jar which would cost at least $12! You can also add a little honey or chia seeds to add variety. I use the same method to make cashew butter. I simply buy 200g of cashews for $4.80 from an Indian grocer, roast them in the oven and blend them with the addition of a little olive oil to start the process. At around $15 a jar to buy at health food stores, this is a terrific saving!

Handmade gifts for under $2.00

This tip is from my Mum!

We love Christmas and everyone loves giving and receiving presents. When my mum told me that she had to buy a gift for each of the eight women in her craft group I nearly died! I couldn't understand why they didn't each buy one gift and each receive one random gift.

But was I suprised - they have rules. The gift must be kept to $1.00 and under no circumstances is it to exceed $2.00. You would not believe some of the beautiful gifts that my mother received - handmade decorations for the tree and house that would have cost $20 or more if bought at a shop and an inexpensive hand towel trimmed with a strip of delicate, intricate quilting that used up the creator's scraps.

And there was more. My mum was lucky enough to stumble onto a Royal Doulton Sell-out where she picked up eight tiny dishes, all different and delightful for $1.00 each. She made shortbread biscuits in star shapes and tied them together in pairs like buttons. Wrapped in Cellophane, they made another fabulous gift.

It proved to me that gift giving is not about the cost of the gift, but how hard you make the money work that you have worked for. In years gone by I used to do my Christmas shopping for family and friends on a budget of between $2.00 and $5.00 a person, and I never left anyone out and everyone appreciated their gifts because a lot of thought went into them. I think those gifts meant more than an expensive item bought on Christmas Eve as an afterthought.

Say 'get well soon' with supermarket treats

I have come up with a low cost way to give a 'get well' gift that is always appreciated! Instead of flowers, I send the patient their favourite treats from the supermarket. In the past I used to send flowers but the cheapest I was able to get was about $80! So I came up with this cheaper alternative.
Now, when someone is sick, I buy around $30 of the patients' favourite foods and magazines online from the Coles or Woolworths websites and have it delivered to my friends and family in hospital. You simply put in their hospital address. You can even add a note to say it is a gift from you!
Delivery is usually free, or a maximum of $5.00. This saves me $50 a time on flowers and people really appreciate the thought and effort I have gone to in getting their favourite treats. It is also a very welcome relief from hospital food!