Bundle up your bags and don't get caught short

I have come up with a super easy way to solve my shopping bag dilemma! Like many people, I was sick of trying to organise a whole bunch of bags of different shapes and sizes in the back of the car, ready for shopping trips. I really like my car to be free from clutter, so wanted a thrifty and simple solution, I decided to use an old cosmetic purse and filled it with 99c reusable nylon bags from the supermarket. These roll up tiny and fasten with a elastic tab, making a neat and tidy little roll. I can fit eight of the tiny rolls into my cosmetic purse and this in turn fits nicely into my handbag or centre console of the car. These days I never get caught without a bag and these ones can get used over and over again. Being made of material, they can also be thrown into the washing machine if they have had meat or something drippy in them and are soon as good as new again!

NLP means great nails for me!

If nail biting or picking is an issue for you or someone you know, you may like to consider Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). I had just one session and it made a fantastic difference for me. I was sceptical throughout the session, until the end of the session when the problem had completely gone away. I was really surprised and completely pleased! Would definitely recommend.

Tackling one bad habit a month

I am putting an end to my bad habits for good! I decided to give up one bad habit a month this year - something that costs me money and is not good for me. At the end of each month, I can reward myself have that thing again but I find after not having it for a month I no longer crave them any more!

For January I gave up chocolate. It was hard at first and each time I wanted a chocolate I had to deny my cravings. I also made sure that I did something positive, such as going for a walk until the craving passed. I also made sure that I didn't buy something more expensive to replace what I was giving up. The idea is to save money and look after my health.

When February came I allowed myself chocolate again but found I didn't want it any more! For this month I have given up fruit juice. I am finding that I actually enjoy drinking water and if I need more flavour I just squeeze some fresh juice into it.

In March I plan to stop catching the bus. Instead I am going to walk the 40 minute trip to and from work each day. Although it will take an extra 20 minutes of my time each trip, I will get 40 minutes of exercise for a cost of 20 minutes. Again I hope to continue this indefinitely.

In April I will give up alcohol. When I am out I will order a soft drink or lemon, lime and bitters, which will save me money and be good for me.

Each month I plan to give up something that is small but costly and not so good for my health. By the end of the year I should end up with a lot more money in my pocket and be far healthier too!

'Bench-top notes' keep families on the same page

Here is a hint that has saved our family time, money and arguments, not to mention countless wasted scraps of paper. This year we purchased a large diary for family use, labelled it 'Bench-top Notes' and sat it on our bench. In this diary we write notes to each other that in the past, would have been on scrap pieces of paper that would often be missed or mislaid. Anything from appointment reminders, details of missed phone calls, housework or instructions for our teenage boys, or just simple but personal notes to each other such as 'Hi sweetie, have a great day, I love you, see you at 5.30!' and so on! It has tidied up our bench-top, kept us all organised and an added bonus is that we can look back on our entries for confirmation of bills being paid, appointments kept or cancelled with the reason why and smile at the little love notes to and from each other. This diary cost about $12 but it now contains the priceless and lifetime memories of our 'Bench-top Notes'.