To simplify out of necessity

A few years ago I joined a fantastic site called Simple Savings.  It originally started in New Zealand, but had a huge Australian following as well.  It was around the time that we were struggling a bit with our finances, and we needed to make some changes to cope with our lack of savings.

Through the Simple Savings website I discovered a book called "The Tightwad Gazette", by Amy Dacyczyn.  This book was actually a bringing together of many years worth of newsletters on how to be frugal with day to day things.  I have read the book from cover to cover many times, even though some of the things she discusses are not relevant to Australia or this time (the newsletters were written in the 1990's).

As well as this book, I also bought another book called "The $21 Challenge" by Fiona Lippey and Jackie Gower.  These two woman are the creators of the Simple Savings website.  The book is fantastic.  It helps to show you how to feed your family for $21 (or $5.25 per person) for one week when you most need it.  I have had the book for a while but I have never done the challenge.  This week I am going to give it a go.

I won't be spending $32.50 (which is our allowance for 6), but I am going to use the basis of the book, which is looking at what I have in the pantry and fridge already and then menu planning from there.

Chocolate cookies from the $21 Challenge book.  There were more of them.

I have been making bread all this week and the last, to cut back on how much I spend on that.  Plus, Harry said mine is yummier!!  I have made cookies, muffins and 2 slow cooker meals, and discovered that I had puff pastry and a frozen lasagne in the freezer (discovered when we switch to our new fridge).   I also have frozen fish and some frozen vegetables.  I mainly need fruit and some vegetables, and some baking supplies.

It is kind of fun to get through a week without spending a heap of money, but at the same time, I hate not having enough some weeks to get the kids things that they really need.  We really need to get two lots of fruit a week, so they don't eat them all in the first few days, and have nothing for the rest of the week.

 Our new Refrigerator thanks to Harvey Norman 50 months Interest free.  It is the only way we can ever buy bigger appliances.

Frozen slow cooked meals

So the Simple Savings website is Simple Savings  It does cost an annual fee to join, but the wealth of knowledge is well worth it.  Their Savings Vault is fantastic, and the Savings Forum is great for asking questions and finding others around you who are really great at saving and paying off their debts.

I am really trying to get our family back to the basics, and not spending money on prepackaged foods and quick meals.  Healthy home cooking and whole foods, that is the plan.