SIMPLE HEALTHY FRUGAL

Ever heard of “Shoppertainment”? No? Well it’s when people are bored and choose shopping as their entertainment. Up until recently I believed this term to be mainly an American trend; however I’m beginning to think we are exactly the same. Being that I visit a large shopping mall about once every five years I am able to notice the difference in the amount of people shopping from one time to the next. The last time I went to a Westfield I was shocked given that Australians are forever being told that our retail sector is struggling, the place was absolutely packed! The question I ask myself every time I go to a large shopping mall is “Why are all these people (and their families) here?”. They are there for shoppertainment. I’d rather eat fried toad than go to a large shopping mall every weekend. But apart from eating fried toad here are some other things we prefer doing over hangin' out at the mall. Walk the dog Go on a picnic with family or friends Go for a hike...

Firstly let me just say thank you to Scott Pape, the Barefoot Investor for giving us the final nudge we needed to cut the credit cards up. I “opened Scott’s wallet” (virtually obviously), where he gives some very sensible financial advice. The piece of advice that excited me the most was to get rid of the credit card. Now the hubby and I have been seriously considering giving the credit card up for ages but a few things were holding us back. “What about the credit card rewards points? We could totally get enough points to go to New York with the kids” – Ummmm no, there is no way this was ever going to happen. “Let’s keep it just in case we need it for an emergency” – isn’t that what our emergency savings is for? “It’s only a small amount! We’ll just use if for bills and absolute necessities.” – yeah like concert tickets and online shopping!!!! What we came to realise is that we are not like the financially illuminated folks that can “hack” their credit card and its re...

One of my favourite frugal hobby’s is veggie gardening. Not only is it a cheap hobby but is has the added benefit of being able to feed the family. For me feeding the family well is a primal urge (bordering on obsession). This may have something to do with my Italian heritage and possibly a little to do with the fact that I’m a guts. I’ve had people question me as to whether a veggie garden really is frugal because there are costs involved such as water, fertilizer, seedlings etc. However once you have set your patch up it becomes quite cheap. Also if you compare it to organic food you will definitely come out on top. Benefits to having your own veggie patch include………. Giving your kids a real sense of where their food is coming from and what it takes to get it to the table. Your kids will often try foods they’ve refused to try from the shop as it is more intriguing for some reason.  We even have numerous kids trying raw chilli’s at the school veggie patch. Maybe ...

I don’t know about you but I just don’t find sharing my sweat with a hundred other people all that inviting. I also am not a great fan of the floor to ceiling mirrors that most gyms seem to have, presuming that people like to check themselves out while exercising (is that a thing? As in does it somehow improve your exercise?). So as you can probably tell I’m not a fan of the gym unless of course I wake up feeling the need to be alone and self-conscious in a sea of people. Ummm no thanks! But having an aversion to the gym (and their fees) doesn’t mean I have an aversion to staying fit. Here are some of the frugal ways I like to exercise …….. 1.       Bushwalking or hiking – my absolute favourite and one you can enjoy with the whole family. Tip – if you have kids who are not yet seasoned hikers it’s a good idea to let them choose the paths you take(as long as you’re not getting lost). If you just follow them instead of trying to lead them it becom...

This is my library. Love it!!!! I’m a book lover and have been since about the age of 11. I’m the type of person that people ask for book suggestions and give book suggestions to on a near daily basis. In my early twenties I was under the illusion that my book collection was a reflection of the type of person I was and how I wished to be perceived.  Basically I wanted to be considered EXTREMELY intelligent and well read and have my book shelves display the proof. Now that I am a lot older (wiser?) and lean towards the minimal I’ve asked myself the question “How often have I read a book more than once?” The answer is not often.  So let me get this straight I’m hanging on to a shit tonne of books (costing an average of $15 each, often more) just so I can be perceived as intelligent. Ha ha ha ha…..the irony! Now here is a smart idea. When someone gives me a rave book review or if its on my book club list I get on my library website and reserve it, taking a total 1 min...