Aussie Frugal Living
I've been playing around with DIY cleaning at home and thought I'd share my current setup. Love to hear suggestions or other tips **Equipment** * I bought a couple of glass spray bottles from amazon but you could reuse old ones (mine had all broke) * box of rags - I like microfibre but also old tshirts and tea towels (tea towels are great for drying off surfaces) * old toothbrush for fiddly bits in the bathroom **Basic cleaner - option 1** : Grease / shiny things / tough surfaces - fill up bottle with 3:1 white vinegar to water - add a good bloop of dishwashing soap - I add in a few drops of eucalyptus oil (optional) I use this for most things. People caution against using it for stone top benches. I haven't had an issue but if you want to be cautious use this **Basic cleaner - option 2**: Gentle and deodorising - fill up bottle with 100% water - add a good bloop of dish washing soap - add a couple of teaspoons of bicarb - I add in a few drops of eucalyptus oil (optional) Don't mix the vinegar + bicarb. They will neutralise each other and add nothing. If you are sensitive to smells etc - use option 2 for everything ## In the bathroom **Not quite basic glass and metal cleaner and disinfectant** You can use the vinegar mix for this but I have a fair bit of glass so I bought a litre of isopropyl alcohol from amazon and mixed this in a separate bottle that lives in the bathroom: * 70% Isopropyl alchohol * 30% water (you want a 70% mix for disinfecting) * Bloop of dish washing soap * optional drops of oil - again I do eucalyptus or clove oil but doesn't matter **toilets and drains** * a tablespoon or two of bicarb in the drain or in the bowl and flush with water is simple gentle cleaner * For the shower I have one of those squidgy glass wipers and a refillable dish cleaner wand thing for the shower - filled with dishwash soap and some drops of clove oil). I wipe down the excess water after every shower and once a week give it a scrub with the dish cleaner wand and dish soap. I do still use a name brand toilet cleaner once a week and maybe once a month use some oxygen cleaner or bleach on the shower tiles but I'd like an alternative. **Hard floors** I've got a spray mop and am still working through a bulk by of some eco floor cleaner but I'm thinking i'll just use mix #2 (bicarb) above when that runs out - suggestions welcome
Seems like a free version of Gumtree or the online equivalent of kerbside hard rubbish. It’s up to you whether you feel comfortable picking stuff up or having stuff picked up, but it might save some money on acquiring or getting rid of it.
It isn’t easy for me to get to a tool library so I don’t use one, and I understand any hygiene concerns about shared toys (especially now). But if you need something you’re not likely to use regularly or your kids like variety these are a cost effective option. Some tool libraries have a low annual membership fee and some have criteria (such as being over 18 and signing a safety waiver). I’m not sure what a toy library involves.
You wouldn’t download a Blåhaj…
I won’t link as it would be a very specific and incomplete list but check out what your local library offers.
This program launched 6 months ago but better late than never. There is apparently a questionnaire and the items are mailed to you so it’s not anonymous, but the source (Family Planning) seems legit. I don’t have to tell you what the impact of unplanned pregnancy is on your career/finances or even just short term medical bills and time off work. Grab em if they’re free, and also hand them out to your mates. For people over 30 and/or not in NSW the local family planning centres are likely to have these free as well.
I should’ve posted this later in the month but won’t remember. Here is the image as it’s not wanting to show up 
The waiting list may be very long but it says here that there is usually no cost in a public hospital as it’s covered by Medicare. If you had been wanting it but money was the barrier.
www.ozbargain.com.au
Pair of Adidas sneakers for 30 bucks. The adidas stuff aint bad, especially on sale. Still rocking a pair of [thsese ](https://www.adidas.com.au/galaxy-5-shoes/FW5717.html) 2 years on.
Personal care products have gone up a lot and Cetaphil (multipurpose cleanser and makeup remover) has now been reformulated in a way that’s irritating to a lot of people, so here you go. While it’s often considered as a moisturiser sorbolene was created as a gentle soap free cleanser and can remove makeup because of the oil in it - like dissolves like. I have even used it in the past to remove eye makeup. **Disclaimer:** Despite being gentle and unscented some people (unfortunately including me) can still be sensitive to sorbolene and find it causes stinging and redness. I have no idea whether this is due to the glycerin, the fact that it contains a small amount of detergent, or something else. ie. a damaged skin barrier, a reaction to a preservative, or just some kind of allergy. You might want to do a patch test first (which is a good idea for any new product) and be aware it wasn’t originally made to be left on your skin. However if your skin doesn’t have these sensitivities? It’s a great multipurpose product that removes makeup, can be used as a gentle cleanser or baby wash, and may be used as a basic face/body lotion *if it does not cause you issues to do so*. Try a small $2-3 bottle. If it works for you, spending $8 for a 1L multipurpose bottle may help you save heaps on all the specialised products.
I knew about sunscreen losing its effectiveness after expiration, but that apparently goes the same for toothpaste and mouthwash. It isn’t really a ‘best before’ situation for these things as much as a use by date. It can still be used after expiry. ie. toothpaste will still be a mild abrasive cleaner and mouthwash may remain antiseptic. However the fluoride will no longer be effective or protect against cavities. (And the sunscreen will let you burn.) Anyway. I just had the thought that as belts tighten there might be more people resorting to bulk buying or other cost effective measures, and wanted to share for others that didn’t yet know. Generally toothpaste is good for two years from the manufacture date so buy accordingly. Or if an older tube is given to you by a friend, food pantry or shelter you might want to throw it away and buy a fresh one.
www.forbes.com
I wasn’t a member but if you were make sure your passwords are unique
www.computerbank.org.au
These are refurbished computers that may be bought by people who are eligible. Just to let you know though that they are not running Windows, they are all on Linux.
I don’t remember if I’ve shared this before but I was reminded by seeing that Clip Studio Paint can work on Linux via Wine. (Though apparently there can be difficulties and CSP can be expensive to buy outright or involve a subscription?) If you happen to have an iPhone (even secondhand and as old as iPhone 13… which is still pretty new tbh…) you can buy Procreate Pocket for a one off of $9.99 to draw on your phone with your finger or whatever cheap stylus. Procreate for iPad is $19.99. For Android there are [free or cheap options](https://www.reddit.com/r/androidapps/comments/162ukev/best_drawing_app_for_android_if_possible_free/) (Reddit link). [Ibis Paint seems to be a popular option](https://www.reddit.com/r/DigitalPainting/comments/1cmmtep/android_painting_app_best_for_finger_on_phone/#) (Reddit link) for Android phone (free with in app purchases) but isn’t the only one. Apologies that I can’t find a neat list of free Android apps that are specifically for phone - even with Boolean search the search engines seem to have enshittified and I am tired. Ps. Some might say that having an iPhone or iPad isn’t frugal. However it might have been a gift, bought before hard times came, secondhand, a work phone, part of a family plan, a loaner, a donation from a domestic violence service, or simply bought for the functionality to do everything without buying a separate computer. Let’s not fuss about it. I think we can all work to get the most out of what we have regardless of what it is.
Have you found a good bargain lately, made a repair, or figured out something that works for you? This is also for any topic requests, suggestions, or tips that might not require their own thread.
Dodo's Price Hike and Speed Cap Change - Worth Switching Plans? Dodo’s plan used to be perfect for me. I’d always hit the 2GB cap, but the unlimited calls, texts, and 1Mbps unlimited data worked just fine. Now, they've raised the price from $10 to $15 and reduced the speed cap to 256Kbps, which has made it much less usable. I'm thinking of switching to Amaysim’s $5 unlimited call/text-only SIM ($60 yearly) and using the extra savings to find a $5-$10 data-only SIM as second SIM card. But I'm struggling to find unlimited (capped) data at all now within that price point. Has anyone made a similar switch, or do you have better suggestions for a budget-friendly setup? I’m not big on SIM-slutting since I don’t want to risk losing my number, but I’m open to moving around from time to time. Tags for federation: [@frugal](https://aussie.zone/c/frugal)
Title. I’m still trying to get mine to work but in theory owning one of these will allow you to use a computer without a cd drive to play or rip cds, play dvds, and burn backup cds of your music. Obviously it’s better to have a computer with a cd drive but this creates options if you don’t. Pairs nicely with secondhand cds and dvds from the op shop. Look for these usb drives on eBay and at Officeworks.
Dropping this here after noticing a couple similar posts. > This is a curated list of documentaries, to offer you only the ones worth watching. No religion, conspiracies, aliens or pseudo-science in here. We watched [Cosmos: A Personal Voyage](https://ihavenotv.com/series/cosmos-a-personal-voyage) a little while ago. [List of all documentaries](https://ihavenotv.com/listofalldocumentaries). Docos with 'Australia' in the title: * [Aerial Hunters (Wild Birds of Australia)](https://ihavenotv.com/aerial-hunters-wild-birds-of-australia) * [Asia and Australia (Earthflight)](https://ihavenotv.com/asia-and-australia-earthflight) * [Australia (First Peoples)](https://ihavenotv.com/australia-first-peoples) * [Australia (Seven Worlds, One Planet)](https://ihavenotv.com/australia-seven-worlds-one-planet) * [Australia and Oceania (The Magic of The Big Blue)](https://ihavenotv.com/australia-and-oceania-the-magic-of-the-big-blue) * [Feathering the Nest (Wild Birds of Australia)](https://ihavenotv.com/feathering-the-nest-wild-birds-of-australia) * [Fraser Island (Australia) (The Living Beach)](https://ihavenotv.com/fraser-island-australia-the-living-beach) * [Human (Australia: Earth's Magical Kingdom)](https://ihavenotv.com/human-australia-earths-magical-kingdom) * [Land (Australia: Earth's Magical Kingdom)](https://ihavenotv.com/land-australia-earths-magical-kingdom) * [Lord Howe Island (Islands of Australia)](https://ihavenotv.com/lord-howe-island-islands-of-australia-series) * [Ocean (Australia: Earth's Magical Kingdom)](https://ihavenotv.com/ocean-australia-earths-magical-kingdom) * [Oceans & Australia (Animals with Cameras)](https://ihavenotv.com/oceans-australia-animals-with-cameras) * [The Emu (Wild Birds of Australia)](https://ihavenotv.com/the-emu-wild-birds-of-australia) * [The Little Penguin (Wild Birds of Australia)](https://ihavenotv.com/the-little-penguin-wild-birds-of-australia) * [The Pettingill Clan: Australia's Heroin Dynasty (Drug Lords)](https://ihavenotv.com/the-pettingill-clan-australias-heroin-dynasty-drug-lords)
I’m not sure if anyone would be interested but Internet Archive is another free resource. They’ve recently lost a legal battle over copyright infringement resulting in the removal of 500,000 books but there’s still plenty of public domain media left. Playing *one of the audiobooks works so I assume downloading will too.
Not sure if this quite qualifies for this community (after all - the ultimate frugal move would be to cancel Spotify and either just listen to the radio, or use YouTube/YouTube Music Revanced or UBlock Origin), but you can save a couple bucks a month on Spotify by buying gift cards and using those Spotify gift cards are sold at a set number of months for a specific price, both of which are printed on the gift card, so they haven't gotten around to reprinting or redesigning the cards with the up to date values yet, so they're still sold in packs of 3, 6, or 12 months for $36, $72, or $144 ($12 a month), versus online where it's sold as $14 a month ($13.99 if you want to be fussy). Which works out to 2 free months per year using gift cards The gift cards last for 3 years (although I don't know if they last on your account forever once redeemed), so you could theoretically buy 3 X 12 month cards for $432, then redeem them all, which saves $72, or 6 months worth of premium. But they seem to be putting the prices up every year, so by the time they expire, a month of premium will probably be going for $16 or $17. Or $20 if they do what everyone else seems to be doing and shooting prices up disproportionate to replacement Not much, and it basically only benefits people with enough money to actually drop 400 bucks on Spotify at once, but even buying a 3 month voucher saves about $6
Things have been chaotic here. I recently received an Outlook reminder I’d set… but it came after the applications closed. And I am straining my tired brain to remember if that was the closing date for the previous rebate or if I missed a new one. Or even missed the previous one! However the reminder itself was very useful. I’m planning to set another reminder for next year, this time for *May or June*.
whatson.melbourne.vic.gov.au
South East Asian food market, zero waste expo, Moon festival, Chinese culture, sea shanties, art exhibitions, running clubs… If any of these look good and you’re able to participate then go wild. Ps. For some reason the link preview still says August but the listed events are for September.
www.booitsbloo.com
Tip - just buy a generic tangle teezer style brush as it works fine, or use something like that you own. I’m finding for some things (generic oodie) the matting even starts to happen on cold gentle washes if I’m not careful.
Have you found a good bargain lately, made a repair, or figured out something that works for you? This is also for any topic requests, suggestions, or tips that might not require their own thread.
Have you found a good bargain lately, made a repair, or figured out something that works for you? This is also for any topic requests, suggestions, or tips that might not require their own thread.
Have you found a good bargain lately, made a repair, or figured out something that works for you? This is also for any topic requests, suggestions, or tips that might not require their own thread.
www.afl.com.au
If you have a kid/grandkid who loves footy, this is the time of year to take them. A single adult can take three kids to a game for the price of one ticket. For me today, the adult ticket was $58. With two kids, that worked out at less than $20 a ticket. Take your own snacks. Prices at the footy are actually offensive.
If like me you've always wanted in on the cheap coffee ($2 for a regular, $3 for a large and a 50c discount for bringing your own cup OR app scan) but couldn't because of the milk good news! 7/11 now have oat and soy options. Their website even provides locations. $1.50 for a half decent regular oat flat white is a heck of a deal! If your a little hesitant abut the quality of the coffee I have to say it wasnt bad! is it Barista level? Course not, but its better than passable-but-bland effort maccas baristas manage.
You may have noticed most, if not all, basic monthly prepaid SIM plans have had a price hike within the last year. For example, mine went from $10 a month to $15 a month. I've been shopping around for an alternative and, with the EOFY sales on currently, the annual prepaid plans are a significantly cheaper alternative than the monthly plans (often with more data too). The cheapest I have found so far is Catch Connect's [60 GB](https://catchconnect.com.au/home/left-image/product/20) plan which is currently discounted to $89. That works out to ~$7.42 per month, with 5 GB of data per month on the Optus 4G network. If that's not enough data, their two higher tier plans work out to ~$9.08 and $12.50 per month over a full year with way more data. Other options you may want to look at are Kogan (Optus 4G network) and Lebara (Vodafone 4G network), though neither have an option as cheap as Catch Connect. There may be differences in how your data allowance is provided (up-front or monthly) and whether rollover is included so check that out as well.
There are also [free community meals](https://localfoodconnect.org.au/links/free-community-meals/). Please double check that the info in the links is still valid though as this seems to be from pre-pandemic. The Local Food Connect site seems to focus mainly on the North East suburbs Melbourne. For other suburbs and states you may have better luck with sites like [Foodbank](https://www.foodbank.org.au/find-food/). If you're food insecure don't be ashamed to seek help and take what you need. The system has let us down. Edit: Added community meals link
www.ozbargain.com.au
I think I missed the boat on the 30 dollar sneakers, but work setting up a ozbargain account and registering for alerts for the adidas store. I've got a couple of pairs of sneakers I got for like 30-40 bucks for about 12 months now and they're still going strong! Seems to be really good quality, doesnt look terrible either and if you can get it for under 50 bucks (which they seem to do every few months) its a frigging steal! Theyre socks are pretty great too!
Have you found a good bargain lately, made a repair, or figured out something that works for you? This is also for any topic requests, suggestions, or tips that might not require their own thread.
Maybe you just moved out of home or don't have a lot of space, maybe your jaffle iron or sandwich press broke, or your ex took it. You can still have a cheap easy hot meal with minimal washing up. Some fillings like baked bean or spaghetti jaffles do need a special jaffle iron to seal the crusts and keep it inside but plenty can be done in just a frying pan + a [multipurpose lid](https://www.kmart.com.au/product/silicone-universal-lid-41870082/) or even a plate to cover. 1. Butter an even number of bread slices on one side. 2. Place as many slices as will fit in the pan, butter side down, and put the filling on. Keep it a little more to the middle. Options include plain cheese or any variations like ham/cheese/tomato, Hawaiian etc. Shredded leftover chicken with cheese or BBQ sauce. Leftover/tinned meat sauce or stew as long as it's thick enough to quickly flip without spilling out. Leftover pasta bake or scrambled eggs. Anything you have leftover. Or you can do a sweet version like Nutella or the Elvis (banana/honey/peanut butter). 3. Put more slices of bread on top butter side up, and cover with a lid or a plate to cook it on low for a while. (5 minutes? Ten? I never actually timed it.) The combo of low heat and a lid will allow the sanga to steam a little, get heated through and let any cheese melt without quickly burning the outside. 4. Check it after a while by removing the plate/lid and lifting a corner of a sandwich with a utensil. Be extra careful not to burn your fingers if using a plate, it's not ideal for the purpose. If the sanga looks hot and melting and the bottom of the bread is golden brown then carefully flip it, replace the lid and cook the other side to the same done-ness. Put them on a plate then let them cool a bit before you cut them in half and bite in. Cook more if your pan was small.
A 6 pack of Nexgard Spectra for large cats is $84.99 there while the same at Petcircle is $102.99. (Both without autodelivery.) There also seem to be discount codes on dry food with a discount up to $20. Definitely shop around as I've seen products vary wildly in price between sites.
This is probably common knowlege but try Project Gutenberg and the Internet Archive for free e-books and music. There's the option to view in browser for no downloads. The art books are limited and be mindful that there might be copyright issues with the Internet Archive. But there may be some good finds. Edit: I think there might also be audiobooks available
I don't have a recommended recipe (I'm not big on smoothies and haven't tested this out) but there are heaps of recipes out there depending on what you have. Apparently using full fat coconut milk or Greek yogurt helps the icypoles stay a bit softer, as will adding cornstarch, and blending in pre frozen fruit. You could even chuck some protein powder in and have a frozen smoothie on a stick for dinner when it's too hot to cook. The freezing container is a bit awkward without dedicated equipment but depending on freezer space you could freeze it onto teaspoons in small cups or muffin tins. Or freeze it as small icecubes and blend it again into something thick and semi-frozen like soft serve or a thickshake. Make sure your blender is up to handling ice though. I'm not liable for puffs of smoke. Ps. Yogurt by itself is also ok to freeze this way. Warning: It's kind of hard so you might have to chip at it slowly, and the texture will change into something gross on defrosting though. At least Greek yogurt did when I ate it. It doesn't freeze smooth and soft like froyo from the shop.
This is probably something you already know but a reminder doesn't hurt on such a hot day. You don't need syrup or real coffee to make an iced coffee or Big M style drink. Stirring instant coffee and sugar into a very little hot water first dissolves the crystals, avoiding the grittiness and unsweetened taste of throwing them straight into cold milk. Ice cubes or icecream optional. If you have any icecream toppings or another kind of syrup those can also be a milk flavouring.