Calendar 2023

This year we are going to help people tackle the rising costs of living.

The challenges for this year are:

January: Emergency Preparedness February: Conserve Power and Water March: $21 Challenge April: Control Your Cash May: Frugal Indulgences June: Chuck or Flog July: Fix it Month August: Grow Your Own Food September: Needs Not Wants October: No Spend Month November: Frugal Beauty December: Christmas Challenge

Quarantine Supply List

Here is a list of supplies you will need for a two to three week home quarantine.

Simple Savings Calendar 2020

To help finish off the year on a high note and go into 2020 feeling strong, positive and excited. We have made you a printable Simple Savings calendar, to say thank you and help you to save money every day of next year.

You can download the 2019 calendar here (1.4Mb)

Chocolate Sauce

Here are the chocolate sauce labels referred to in the December 2015 newsletter.

Detailed views are further down the page, along with the recipe.

First, the PDFs for you to download:

 

  

  

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...and here is the full article from the newsletter, with the recipe at the end:

For years I have watched to see which gifts people enjoy the most. These gifts are the ones that appeal to the heart, the mind and/or the senses. They are often:-

• gifts that are hand-made
• gifts that make them laugh or smile
• gifts that taste good.

If you can find a gift that does all three things, then you have a hit! So I've combined all three to make the ultimate frugal gift to use for Christmas and birthday gifts. It is a killer chocolate sauce recipe, stored in easy to buy jars with a great selection of labels to match your friends' tastes.

We have had a ball making the labels and we uploaded them so you can do it too.

First I'll show you all the labels up close and then the all-important recipe.

We have 'Troll blood' for your friends who find internet trolls really frustrating.

For teachers and coaches with a wicked sense of humour, we have 'Essence of Revenge'!

For the friend who likes things simple, we have some basic Christmas labels.

For friends who like coffee, we have altered the recipe (see below), offering to blow their heads off!

Or, help them concentrate :-)

For your friends who love chocolate. We have..

Here is the recipe (and all important labels) to make two delicious jars of 'Troll Blood' (or whatever else you'd like to call it!) to give to loved ones and others who share your dislike for trolls!

Troll Blood

Makes 2 x 1 litre jars

Shopping list:

• 2 x 1 litre jars ($6)
• 1 box (380g) cocoa ($4)
• 2kg sugar ($2)
• Vanilla essence
• Salt

Labels:

Print out chosen labels

Glue stick

Scissors

Ingredients

• 2kg sugar
• Box of cocoa (380g)
• 1 litre water (or coffee)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbs vanilla essence

Put sugar and cocoa in a really big stock pot. Stir together to remove all the lumps from the cocoa. Add liquid (water or coffee) and salt. Turn stove to high and stir continually. When it is boiling, turn heat to medium. Keep stirring and watching. If it gets too hot it will bubble over. Let syrup simmer until it thickens, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla essence.

Pour into two jars. When cooled add your labels.

And now you have two awe-inspiring, home-made gifts for a tiny $6 each! It is the ultimate frugal gift.

4 responses in the members' forum

Saving Money: The Easy Way

This year we are going to have a great time making the most of what we have. We are going to make saving money easy and stretching every penny simple by combining the best of olden day wisdom with modern day technology. It is about being smarter, and learning how to make the most of what you have.

Starting with money saving basics, then moving onto budgeting and avoiding wallet sinkholes. Then we're going to tackle food savings with lazy ways to grow and cook cheap delicious food. Then we’ll be moving on to saving money on bills that seem essential and non-trimmable, like insurance, tax, services, car expenses, rent and mortgages. Then we are going to be looking at family life and planning your future. We will be finishing with going over all the skills you have learned in the past twelve months.