Tip #16 - Make your Christmas presents

This is clearly a little late, but I couldn't post what I made for people until after Christmas... otherwise they would know!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've made Christmas presents for the past few years. I simply don't believe that it's necessary to spend loads of money on Christmas presents. Especially when making presents for a medium to large number of people, it's possible to save a lot of money in financial terms, while still giving thought-felt gifts. Certainly, if I added up all the time I spent this year and paid myself minimum wage, I would have spent a lot more than I could afford!

I had 10 people + my boyfriend to give gifts for this year. For the 10, I made gift bags (see here for how I made the gift bags) with three sweet Christmas treats: peppermint bark, gingerbread cookies, and chocolate-covered candied orange peel. In total, including the gift bag supplies, I spent (in cash terms) approximately ₤25, but probably spent about 3 full days between the treats and bags. 

Chocolate peppermint bark, courtesy of a recipe by canida on the instructables site (http://www.instructables.com/id/Chocolate-Peppermint-Bark/#step1). Really tasty, and would be great melted into hot chocolate.

 

These chocolate covered candied orange peels are simply to-die for. Absolutely incredible. I used a recipe from the food network (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/candied-orange-recipe/index.html), then dipped the resulting concoction into melted dark chocolate, let it cool in the freezer, and yum-tastic!

I have no reference for this gingerbread recipe because my friend sent it to me several years ago. It's got a big kick to it thanks to the cloves and pepper, but do not be deceived! It's delicious.

Spicy Gingerbread Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup dark-brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

1 cup unsulfured molasses

6 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

4 teaspoons ground ginger

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

Raisins, dragées, and/or red hot candies for decoration (optional)

Royal Icing for decoration (optional)

In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and molasses. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture. Divide dough into thirds and wrap each third in plastic wrap. Chill for about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 F. Roll dough 1/8 inch thick between two pieces of waxed paper. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer shapes to ungreased cookie sheets. If desired, decorate with raisins, dragées, and/or red hot candies. Refrigerate about 15 minutes. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crisp but not dark. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute, then remove to wire racks to cool completely. If desired, decorate with Royal Icing.

And finally, ready for Christmas! :)

 

 

Craft time: Christmas gift bags

I have a bit of a trend that I make people presents, rather than buying them. The trend is sometimes broken, but generally I bake or sew or make a big batch of something, then divide it up amongst my family. But I always have difficulty finding things to put them in... the gift bags that are in my price range (read: really really cheap) look it. So this year I decided to do things a bit differently. I swallowed my pride, and went on Amazon.

Oh gosh, I know, Amazon doesn't pay its taxes. But the items I purchased amounted to about ₤6, so I don't think the tax man is losing out on too much. I purchased 15 white paper bags with handles, 1 bottle of gold paint, "Cadburry" purple tissue paper, and some cellophane bags (for the as-yet mysterious goodies!). So my packaging was sorted with very little headache and even less expenditure!

Now to make the bags a bit more special. I bought some doilies from the local super market (unfortunately, we live in a time when doilies are hard to find, so I didn't have much selection of where to buy them or what pattern to choose) and a sponge. 

I placed the doily on to the paper bag, and sponged the gold paint so that it came through the holes, creating a pattern. I then removed the doily, wrote the name of the recipients, also in gold paint, and voila! Beautiful, home decorated gift bags for very little. 

I will be filling these with delicious unnamed goodies (yum!), with purple tissue paper coming out the top. Luxury on a budget, no artistic talent required!

Inspiration credit:  http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/2009/11/21/diy-doily-canvas-bag/

Tip #15 - Fun for free

I got really annoyed the other day by a commercial for a new board game called "telestrations". It's currently retailing at about ₤20. It involves one person picking a word or common phrase and drawing a picture of it, then passing it to the next person, who guesses the word or phrase and passes to the next person, who draws a picture based on that guess, and so on. 

What annoyed me so much is that my friend Michelle taught me how to play this game using a ripped piece of paper folded like an accordian and a pencil, and I've used it in ESL classes as a fun way to teach certain verb tenses or idioms. It costs absolutely nothing, yet some company is trying to copyright it and charge a rediculous amount of money for it! So I started thinking about what other fun group activities I've played which cost nothing (many of which have since been copyrighted by greedy toy companies). Most of these won't be a surprise to many, but in an increasingly commercialized world I thought it would be nice to compile some of the more simple joys of large gettogethers. Perhaps this list can be useful for free family fun this Christmas!

Charades: Physically acting out a common word or short phrase or idiom. Talking is not allowed. If you've somehow never heard of charades, look on youtube for some hilarious examples. 

Possible variations: Either the group gets together to write various phrases on bits of paper, and the person who's "in" picks one out at random, or (as my boyfriend insists is the correct way) if someone has an idea they just "have a go". It can also be played as a competitive team game or a free-for-all.

Pictionary: Similar to charades, but instead of physically acting out a word or phrase, it is drawn. No words are allowed, either spoken or written. There is usually a time limit, but this may be forfeited when small children are playing.

Possible variations: Same as above; Using an easle, whiteboard or chalkboard for a bigger picture; Using plasticine to create 3D models of the word or phrase.

Who am I?: Everyone writes the name of a famous person on a sticky note, and are randomly assigned to place the sticky note on another player's head. Each player then has to ask yes/no questions to find out who the famous person is.

Possible variations: You could do certain categories, such as athletes, politicians, etc.; Playing in teams, where, like charades or pictionary, the player pulls a famous person out of a hat and has to describe them to their team; 

20 Questions: The player thinks of a noun (proper or not), and answers up to 20 yes/no questions until the group figures out what they have thought of. If they get to 20 questions without guessing correctly, the player wins.

Possible variations: "He(She)'s a he(she) and he(she)'s dead/alive" My Mum's family used to play this one when she was a kid, essentially 20 Questions but narrowing to only famous people.

Categories: We played this in English class. Grade 12 English class, to be exact, and yes at age 17/18 it was awesome fun. Players sit in a circle (or some sort of identifyable order). Each player in turn names something in a specific category, such as items of clothing, fruit, animals, etc. Too much pausing results in the person being "out" and a new category being chosen.

Possible variations: Alphabetized, where each sequential item has to be the next letter of the alphabet (ex: Apple - Banana - etc); Clappng game version, where a pattern is started before the start of the game - in English class, we used *knee slapp*knee slapp*clap*clap*snap*snap* - during the *snap*snap* section of the pattern was the time where the individual had to state their contribution

Hide-and-seek: this requires a big enough house or outdoor area, and areas such as the kitchen should probably be out of bounds for the kids, but it provides hours of entertainment for kids of all ages! The player who is "it" counts to 100 while the remaining ones hide. They then find all the remaining players. The last player found is the new "it".

Possible variations: Sardines, basically reverse hide-and-seek, where the player who is "it" hides and the remaining players have to find them. By the end of the game, there are usually limbs flying everywhere and some very squished people and loads and loads of giggles! 

Stay tuned over the next few weeks for some more Christmas treats (although I won't post my actual Christmas presents until after Christmas to avoid anyone on my list catching wind of my plans!)

Tip #14 - Eat less meat

I'm not a vegetarian, and I can eat platefulls of baked or roasted ham or bacon. But with the price of meat so high, and set to increase in Canada next year, it may be worth finding some alternatives.

Anyone who has a vegetarian friend has probably seen the meat substitute products, usually made from ground mushrooms or soya, but these too can be very expensive. I also find them hit-and-miss - some aren't bad, but some just have a strange aftertaste or texture.

So I'm going to put in a plug for that most basic of protein, the one we sing about, the one which makes family gatherings that little bit more odorous.

Beans.

Canned, dried, fresh, it doesn't matter. Beans are incredibly good value for their weight and volume, and they're packed with nutrients like protein and iron. They're a good source of complex carbohydrates and fiber as well, so can act as both a veg and a meat substitute. And they're just so cheap!

I tend to have several different cans of beans in my cupboard for when I want to bulk something out. So I'll add chickpeas to curries, or pinto beans to tacos (this is relatively new), or lentils to shepherd's pie or bolognese sauce.

Lentils are especially good for bulking out ground beef-based meals. If you add a can of lentils to a pot of shepherd's pie filling or spaghetti sauce, you can cut out the equivalent volume of ground beef. And, it hides the lentils for picky eaters! I never spotted them in my Mum's cooking until I was much older and able to appreciate them more.

If, unlike me, you're a meat and two veg cook (I'm a one-pot cook so the beans trick works well for me), you can cut down on your meat bill by only buying what's on sale or special (i.e. going off that day), in bulk, and freezing it until you are ready to eat it. Freezerbags are great for this - you can freeze individual chicken breasts or steaks out of a value pack, or stick a whole chicken in one. Just make sure that you take the freezing into account when you cook, and make sure you consume the products within about a month!

Finally, a trick for you turkey or ham lovers. The week after Thanksgiving or Christmas, go to your supermarket, and buy one or two frozen turkeys or hams. They and their leftovers will last for a good long time and are at huge markdown! It's like the adult equivalent of buying marked down halloween or easter candy.

CHALLENGE: Day out in London for ₤10

I'm visiting my Aunt in London this weekend, and thought I'd set myself a challenge: to have a Saturday out in London for only ₤10. Sound impossible? Well, there's more.

You see, I know London. I lived here for a year. So I thought I'd up the ante. The ₤10 must include all transportation, all food (not including breakfast and supper, which I'm having at my Aunt's), and include at least 1 museum, 1 gallery, and 1 live performance. I used some of the tricks from my previous blog post on entertainment on a shoestring, but still I was nervous that I couldn't pull it off...

Tip #13 - What's in a name?

More often than not, brand names mean you're paying for the product's name, not its contents. If you insist on buying only brand named products, you will be spending too much money.

Here are my general guidelines on buying products:

-  Think of the use of the product: Will it be used once or repeatedly? Will it be mixed in with something or eaten as-is? Will you use all of it or waste half?

- What benefit does this product offer: Do you know that your hair will be silky and smooth or does it only promise? Will your garbage be truly smell-free (unlikely...)? When mixed in, will these brand name lentils realy add extra protein above the standard lentils?

- What benefit does the company offer: Do they refuse to test on animals? Do they give back to charity or invest in the community? Have you investigated the criticisms of the company (Wikipedia is a good place for this...) and find it to still be a company you want to give money to?

- Finally, the most important question: Which is cheaper? Brand name products are more likely to have sales, which can bring the unit price below that of a store brand.

I'm a big fan of store brands, and for most products find that they are equivalent to brand name products, with a very few exceptions. One for me is a facial moisturizer from Lush, which is the only one I've found which deals with both my dry skin and my oily breakouts. Another is curry paste, which needs to be done by a reputable company which understands the balance of flavours. Yet another is salad dressing - I'm sorry, but I just love Kraft Golden Italian, and no matter what else I've tried, I can't find a suitable cheaper replacement.


Are you a brand fiend? I challenge you to take one product per week which you would normally insist on being brand named, and try the store brand version. Perhaps chopped tomatoes. Or beans. Or frozen peas. Or if you're really going out on a limb, maybe try store brand cleaning pruducts. I promise you will find some savings, if a bit difficult along the way :)

Tip #12 - DIY Frozen Berries

My Dad and I went to the supermarket yesterday, and joy of joys, there was a sale on blackberries! Four tubs for $5. Clearly, they were trying to get rid of their stock before they all went furry.

So we bought four. And took them home. And then I spent the whole night thinking what the heck we're going to do with four tubs of blackberries which are about to go furry in a house which doesn't have any baking ingredients (because the obvious answer would be blackberry apple pie or crisp, but my Dad doesn't have flour... don't ask).

So I thought I'd try freezing them.

Anyone who has tried freezing fruit before knows that throwing them into a tupperware container or a freezer bag as-is turns the berries into a giant messy mess which is essentially inedible. My awesome Menonite cookbook, however, suggested freezing them on a baking tray, not touching, before tipping them into a container. And... it works! Three of the four tubs successfully frozen and no mushy berries.

The best part is, you can now stock up on fruit (or vegetables) which are at the end of their life-cycle and being sold cheaply, and preserve them for a significantly longer period of time, AND save the premium that store-bought frozen berries and vegetables have on them. Win-win!

Tutorial: DIY Frozen Berries

1 - Arrange your berries neatly on a baking tray. My Dad doesn't have a baking tray, so I used some oven bakeware.

2 - Put into freezer for about an hour until hard (the time will depend on the type of fruit). This can be tested by throwing at people's heads, but it's inadvisable.

3 - When hard, pour into a freezer bag or tupperware and put back into freezer until ready to eat!

This can also be used to freeze par-boiled vegetables, but I haven't tried it yet, though it's on my to-do list.

Tip #11 - Bank fees

Oh, bank fees. Evil, evil bank fees.

A bank account is necessary for life, but banks are businesses. They want your money, and they want to keep it!

The goal: 
Avoid all bank fees.

The method:
1. Shop around to major banks to find an account which doesn't charge fees. They do exist! In the UK, bank fees on current are pretty much unheard of, but in Canada they're ubiquitous. I've managed to find a good one :)

2. Know the limits and/or benefits of your account. If you are being charged a fee, is this fee waived if you maintain a minimum balance? Does it limit you to a certain number of transactions per month? Does it provide you with bonuses such as loyalty points? It's important to really know your account details and work with and within them.

3. ATM fees. OMG AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE! If you live in Canada, you CANNOT take money out of a bank machine which doesn't belong to your bank, or which doesn't belong to a bank which is affiliated with your's. DON'T USE THEM unless you're REALLY desperate. I mean, you're stuck down a back alley with a snarling tiger and need a cab to escape desperate. If you're in the UK, happy days! No ATM fees from reputable banks.

An idea to avoid bank fees is to buy using your credit card, then pay off at the end of the month. Another idea is to live on cash only, taking a lump sum out each month. However, this requires careful budgeting and needs a significant amount of discipline to accomplish. 

4. Direct Debits. These can be a dangerous business. While it's nice to "not have to worry about it", if you forget to have enough money in the account, you get charged for insufficient funds. This is my big difficulty. I have been charged 24 pounds in the past year through stupid mistakes of not having enough money for my direct debits.

So here's the thing. If you KNOW you will have the money in your account every month, then direct debit may be useful. However, if you are like me, and live without a steady income, it's more useful to be forcefully on top of your bills by feeling the need to open them. Damn you, UK and you're direct debit culture! Thank you, Canada with it still a modern thing which I can avoid!

5. Cheques. Similar to the above, you need to make sure there is enough money to cover the cost of a cheque. Cheques should be dated, and can be post dated to when they are needing to be used and/or when you know you will have the money. It is the responsibility of the cheque casher to ensure that they are cashing a cheque within time allowances. I've had this happen to me before - I had a cheque bounce because the recipient didn't notice I had post dated. In the end, they appologized and we agreed that I would re-write the cheque minus the cost of the bank fee.


And, finally, a caveat. Bank fees can sometimes bundle in useful services which would otherwise cost you more if purchased separately. These can include, but are not limited to, the cost of cheques, free currency exchange, travel insurance, mobile insurance, and discounts on outings. I made a decision last year to upgrade my account to one which charged a monthly fee, but included all of these. In the end, I didn't have to use any of the services, but the travel insurance and mobile phone insurance meant I had peace of mind. It's something to consider, certainly!


Have I missed any fees? Do you have tips about which accounts have low or high fees? Which accounts reward you the most? Let me know!

Tip #10 - Keeping Warm

This tip is based on a suggestion from my friend Meghan, who pointed out that, with the cold weather approaching, a higher proportion of our money will be spent keeping warm. Here are some pointers on how to cut down the cost of toasty fingers.

Keep your heating equipment functioning well

Make sure your boiler or heater gets a check-up early. Like, now. It will decrease your headache if it goes on the fritz in January. This has to be done by a qualified professional, but in order to make sure the boiler isn't working overtime for nothing, you need to make sure your radiators are free of dust. Before you turn them on for the first time, run a dusting cloth attached to an unbent coat hanger between the heating panels of the radiator, making sure all the dust is gone.

If you have hot-water radiators, connected to a boiler, make sure the air is thoroughly bled from them. Do this by using either a wrench or a special radiator key to open the valve on the side of the radiators. Hold an old cloth or some paper towels against the valve to prevent any spillage when the air is removed. As an added bonus for this style of radiators, stick sheets of aluminium foil with blu-tak to the wall behind the radiators. This will propagate the heat out into the room, heating it faster and more effectively.

Know your energy plan

There are many energy plans out there, with different prices for different types of energy (gas, oil, and electricity). Know what your house or apartment uses for heating, cooking, and water heating (these can be different), and what your energy plan is charging you per unit. This information should be found on your energy bill. Use this information to compare to other energy suppliers. If you find a cheaper solution, phone up your own supplier and threaten to switch. Chances are, they want to keep a paying customer, and will put you on a cheaper plan if one is available.

Another tip for dealing with the energy suppliers is not to pay by direct debit. Although it may seem nice to have a single, flat rate each month to pay, and to have it leave your bank account worry-free, you could be paying too much. By paying through a per-usage, meter read system, you could not only save money, but you will be more conscious of your monthly usage, and therefore able to cut down on your usage in a conscious way.

Acknowledge your circumstances

If you need to heat your house, you're not living in a tropical country. There is therefore no reason why your house should be heated to 30*C. Lower the temperature and add a layer. You will save loads of money.

There are some other tricks of the cold-country trade which should be learned if you're new to this situation:
(1) take your shoes off at the door and switch to slippers or thick socks
(2) eat more complex carbohydrates (providing heat and energy for longer) and protein
(3) have a sofa-blanket so you can snuggle up warmly while watching TV or reading a book
(4) wear warm pyjamas and sleep under a duvet (better than blankets!)
(5) turn the heating down at night and when you're not in the house - you need it to be warm enough to not have pipes freeze (minimum inside temperature of about 16*C) - but it needn't be blasting heat when you're not going to enjoy it
(6) get any door and window leaks seen to and plugged, before the cold weather really starts. Nothing kills your buzz like a draft.

Recognize other areas your energy cost is going

Cooking, showering, and using hot water cycles on washing machines and dishwashers also contribute to your monthly energy costs. Cutting down on these is a hidden way to cut your expenditures.

Cooking: as above, with changing the type of food you eat, you should also think about the method of preparation. Use a kettle to boil water; Use more one-pot recipes such as home-made soup, stir-fry, or curry, making sure you use a good thick-bottomed pot; If you have one, use a Crockpot, which can cut down on energy costs dramatically. Make more than you need, freeze it, and re-heat in a microwave.

Showers: it's no secret that hot water uses energy, but in winter a hot shower can be incredibly enticing. If you want to save money, buy a cheap water-proof timer and time your showers. Aim to reduce them by 10 seconds each shower until you reach a point where you feel you couldn't take any more time off and still come out clean (and shaven). I usually have my showers at night, allowing my body to cool down ready for sleep and reducing the need for hair drying equipment.

Washing clothes and dishes: some countries offer discounts to households which run large appliances only at night. If you have a washing machine or dishwasher equipped with a timer function, and these discounts are available in your area, take advantage! Just make sure you empty it in the morning. Also, make sure you have a full load each time you use one of these machines, and use the cold water cycle of washing machines. If you're running your dishwasher during the day, open it before the heat dry cycle begins. Your dishes will still dry, they will just take a bit extra time and won't be warm.

And the final and most important tip: dress warmly, inside and out...

... because being blue isn't sexy.

Flower headband for under $2

I taught myself to crochet last week, because I'm separated from my fabric and sewing machine, and this was cheaper than buying a new machine in utter desperation. My first project was a bunny rabbit, which has major issues with lopsidedness. But my second project was this super-cute flower headband.

It was incredibly easy to make. I used this free pattern for the flower from the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog (which I found while searching on Pinterest) and I made the band by doing a continuous chain from the light coloured yarn until it was the right length to go around my head, and then putting a double crochet into each stitch all the way along. I then attached the loose ends of the band to the flower to make the headband. 

The hook cost $1.69, and the coloured yarns cost $1.99 each, but I already had the hook, and I only used a small portion of each ball of yarn, so I work out the cost to be under $2. It would probably cost about $10 if bought ready-made (although it might also look a bit more polished!).

I’ll be coming back with a new tip next week, but it’s taking a bit of time to put together and research.