Ingredient Substitutions

Ingredient substitutions can be a great way to save money easy.  Simply substitute something you do have for something you are missing in a recipe and save yourself a trip to the shop!

I just found this great list of ingredient substitutions.

Do you have any other tried and true ones you'd like to share?

Cheap Anti-Static Solution For Your Tumble Dryer

Re-use your Aluminium Foil AND save money on anti-static by adding a ball of foil to your tumble dryer to reduce dryer static.  Who'd have thought?

Homemade Chicken Stock

Making your own chicken stock is easy to do and can save you quite a few dollars with not a lot of effort.

If you have a slow cooker, that is the simplest way to make it as you can set and forget it and leave it simmering away all day (or all night). Otherwise, you could make it on the stove in a saucepan.

RAW CHICKEN

Place whole chicken in crockpot with desired seasonings* and cook as usual. When you have removed the flesh from the chicken, return carcass to crockpot, top with water and simmer for 10-12 hours.

Allow to cool a little then strain out the bones, flesh and skin. This will leave you with mainly liquid.

Place liquid in the fridge.



Chicken fat is still slightly liquid at room temperature so you want to chill the stock to allow the fat to rise to the top of your container. When cold, scrape off fat and you'll be left with a delicious, thick stock to use. Freeze in usable portions.

* You can go as simple or as fancy as you like with seasonings. I tend to add some shallots or onions and parsley and occasionally some chicken seasoning.

COOKED CHICKEN

Contrary to popular belief, you can make chicken stock with the carcass of a chicken that has already been cooked. The advantage of store bought cooked chickens when making a stock is that there are already many flavours added so it's simply a matter of boiling the carcass, skin and any other pieces in water to absorb as much of the leftover flavour and goodness as possible.

The stock won't be as thick or as strong but it still makes a tasty stock and is a great way to squeeze an extra meal out of any chicken.

Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe

Image via Wikipedia

This sweetened condensed milk recipe works well and is a great way to save money easy. It's one less thing you need to keep on hand in the cupboard as well and means you can make a recipe requiring condensed milk without having to plan (or duck to the shops).

SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK

This recipe makes the equivalent of 1 can of condensed milk. Most recipes use either a full can or half a can.

1 cup milk powder
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup boiling water
3 Tablespoons butter or margarine

Put butter in a bowl or jug and add hot water. Stir. Add milk powder and sugar and stir until smooth.

It takes only a minute or two to put together but can really save you money!

Powdered Milk Saves Money Easy

Image via Wikipedia

Not everyone is a fan of powdered milk for drinking. However, one place I find it easy to use is in cooking. Some of my most common recipes I have actually done a conversion in my recipe book so that when I am cooking, I simply add the powdered milk and water separately to the dish (rather than having to make up the powdered milk).

It's only a small change to make and may only save cents per use. Those cents can add up to dollars over time.

This also means that I don't use up our supply of fresh milk when cooking which saves me having to run to the store to purchase more (and inevitably buy several other items that you weren't expecting to buy when entering the store).

Homemade Muesli

If you're a fan of muesli of any description, you'll be familiar with how expensive it can be. The thing is, it's so simple to make your own for half the cost of a premixed pack. You can make it up to your own taste as well. Plus there's the added bonus of using generic products without complaint (if you have a family that tends to complain). Simply mix the products into your own container and no-one will know the difference.

I never make 2 batches the same but here is what I put in our latest batch:

* 1 x 900g packet generic quick oats
* 1 x 500g packet generic processed wheat bran (it looks a little like All Bran)
* 1/2 x 500g packet generic cornflakes (we like crunch in our muesli)
* 1 x 200g packet diced apricots (you can save more by purchasing whole and dicing yourself - I was too lazy)
* 2 handfuls sultanas
* 2 handfuls pepitas

Stir together in your own container.

I mix it in a large bowl with an airtight lid and scoop into a plastic pour all style container.

I usually spend $5-$6 on the equivalent of $12 of muesli.

Play around with what you like and see what you come up with.

Simple Take Away Lunch

When we get stuck out shopping around lunch time, the quickest and cheapest lunch we've found is to grab a packet of fresh cheese and bacon rolls from the nearest supermarket. We can feed the family for the price of 1 take away meal. No preparation or filling is needed. Fresh, they taste great just as they are. The kids love them so for them it's still a treat.

A packet of donuts is a popular dessert to finish off the meal too.

Cheap Easiyo

Image via Wikipedia If you like making your own yoghurt with an Easiyo maker, here is a recipe you can use to save you money.

1 1/3 Cups Full Cream Milk Powder
1/3 Cup Sugar
tsp Vanilla Essence (Imitation only as genuine has alcohol which will kill the bacteria culture)
2 Tablespoons Easiyo sachet (contains starter culture to get yoghurt going)

Half fill your Easiyo container with water, add all of the above ingredients and stir/shake until sugar is dissolved. Top up with water and put into Easiyo outer container as usual (with the boiling water as per Easiyo instructions).

When made, you can add fruit, syrup or other flavouring to taste.

This is a much cheaper way to make your Easiyo than using a full sachet each time!

Free Soy Sauce

Image via Wikipedia We recently got to the bottom of our Soy Sauce bottle to discover quite a thick sediment in the bottom. By adding some water and giving it a shake, we now have half a bottle of FREE soy sauce. I gotta admit, I'm a BIG fan of FREE. It's a great way to save money!!!! :)

Vinegar is Great For Sore Throats

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeForget expensive anti-bacterial preparations and drinks for fighting a sore throat. Try apple cider vinegar and honey in some hot water.

Apple Cider Vinegar has great anti-bacterial properties and combined with the soothing honey and warm water, it makes a great drink for when you're battling a sore throat.

To make up, simple place a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and a tablespoon of honey into a mug and fill with boiling water. Stir until the honey is dissolved and sip.

When compared with the cost of throat gargles and sachet drinks, it's a great way to save money when you're feeling a little under the weather.

Freeze Sandwiches to Save Money When Travelling

Image via WikipediaIn preparation for a road trip, make up sandwiches on fresh bread and freeze. On the day you leave, all you need to do is take the sandwiches out of the freezer and take with you. When they thaw, you'll have wonderful fresh sandwiches that you can eat as you travel.

Fillings that freeze well:

* ham & cheese
* ham & chutney
* chicken (fresh chicken not chicken roll) with or without mayonnaise
* cheese & pickles
* vegemite & cheese
* variety of spreads
* other meats

If you like salad on your sandwiches, you can pack a small amount of salad and refrigerate to be added to the sandwiches when they're thawed.

For variety, the same method works well with rolls.

Packing sandwiches is an easy way to save money when travelling.

Travel Show Bags

As a child my mother used to pack us travel show bags whenever we were taking a long trip.

Inside the bags she would put an assortment of food such as:

* fruit box or water
* piece of fruit
* small packet of chips
* cut up salad
* pieces of cheese
* packet of lifesavers

As well as some homemade puzzle sheets.

It was a simple idea but one that kept us happy for a fair portion of the trip. It always included our lunch (cut up salad bits and pieces) but we got to choose when we wanted to eat it.

A great way to make a special treat for a trip but save money on buying food and drink along the way.

Take Your Own Water

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeI really HATE spending money on purchasing bottled water. So we've always been in the habit of taking water bottles wherever we go.

Our children are growing up with the habit of drinking water whether we're at home or away.

It's also much safer in the car than sticky juice of soft drink if a spillage happens.

The bottled water also comes in handy for cleaning up sticky fingers, messy faces and car sickness.

On the odd occasion we've purchased drinks on our travels, it has astounded me how quickly it adds up.

Taking your own water is a great way to save money easy.

Crockpot Recipes

Image via WikipediaA crock pot (slow cooker) is a fabulous way to save money. It's uses less electricity, enables you to cook cheaper cuts of meat and makes cooking simpler (therefore potentially saving on take away).

You can never have too many crockpot/slow cooker recipes.

I plan to go through this lot a bit at a time:

Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Recipes

If you try any and want to share which ones you like, feel free to do so. I'd love to hear.

Keep Your Cheese Fresh For Longer

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeWrap your cheese in grease proof paper and then place it in an airtight container to keep it fresh longer. Greaseproof paper seems to do a better job than either plastic wrap or aluminium foil when it comes to keeping cheese fresh.

Shop With a List to Save Money on Groceries

Image via WikipediaIt is so easy to part with an extra $10 or $20 when rolling down the aisles of the supermarket.

The most effective way to stop unnecessary items jumping into your trolley/cart is to shop with a list.

Not just ANY list but a SPECIFIC list.

How many apples do you need? How many potatoes?

Just a few minutes of thought before you head out to the shops can make the job a LOT easier and help you SAVE MONEY on your groceries.

Grate Your Own Cheese

Image via WikipediaPurchasing cheese already grated is one of modern life's little luxuries. Some people argue that it's a worthwhile convenience for the small extra cost charged (and on special it is even sometimes possible to purchase it for the same money or cheaper).

There are a couple of things not often considered when making this comparison.

1. Cheese is sold by weight. Commercially grated cheese uses additives to stop the grated cheese clumping together. Therefore 500g of grated cheese is NOT 500g of cheese but a combination of cheese and additives.

2. Commercially grated cheese is very course. A handful of hand-grated cheese usually weighs considerably LESS than a handful of commercially grated cheese. Because cheese is sold by weight not by volume, chances are you'll use MORE cheese when purchased already grated than if you grate it yourself.

Cook Double Quantity

Image via WikipediaAn easy way to give yourself a night off cooking is to cook some meals in double quantity and freeze.

It's a great way to beat those "cooking blues" and avoid resorting to take away on a night when you're too tired or busy to cook.

One of my favourites for cooking in larger quantities is spaghetti bolognese. It freezes well and it's easy to cook up some pasta and reheat the sauce.

I also find this a good way to stretch my mince as I add heaps of extras to the sauce (vegies, tomatoes, beans, lentils) and we can often get an extra "free" meal.

Keep Your Freezer Full

Image by Tojosan via FlickrIt takes much less energy to maintain a frozen state than it does to keep air cool. Fill your freezer with bottles of water to reduce the ongoing running cost.

You'll always have frozen water on hand and you'll save money easy.

Boil Water In Your Kettle

Image via WikipediaYou can save yourself money on electricity by boiling water in your kettle instead of on the stove. Although a kettle uses more watts per second, it will boil water a lot faster and more efficient than a pot on the stove.

So if you're heating up water for rice or pasta or any other reason, you can save yourself money by heating the water in your electric kettle first and then pouring it into your saucepan.

Not only that but it'll also boil the water and therefore save you not only money but time.

Using the electric kettle/jug to boil water is a good way to save money easy.