Insourcing and Budgeting....DIY wins Every. Single. Time.

I know that you know that I've been banging on about this topic since...well...forever. DIY may as well be my middle name. It's a peculiar passion, that even now, when I don't NEED to DIY, I still find I WANT to.

I'm also fascinated by the societal changes, that worship buying ready made everything, whilst also bemoaning being locked out of the housing market due to rising prices. Amongst other things.

When we were kids, we actually felt sorry for the kids who only had 'bought stuff'. Everything we had, from cupcakes in our lunchboxes, to hand embroidered, pure wool, satin lined Winter coats, was made-from-scratch. 

Where did that mentality, that level of skill, go to?

Me? I couldn't make a hand embroidered, satin lined Winter coat to save myself. But my Nanna could. 

She could also behead a fowl, pluck it, remove it's innards, and have it in the dinner pot, before you could say Chicken Soup. Apologies for that visual. I couldn't do that either.

BUT.

I can make a dang mean vegetable flan, complete with made-from-scratch gluten free pastry. When I say made from scratch, I mean I made the home made Bisquick multi-purpose baking mix on one day, and turned it into pastry on another. I'm not completely immune to time saving tactics. 

Waffles. We craved them. I made them. Gluten free of course. Courtesy of the same Bisquick stuff.

And when you decide that you love a good statement necklace as well as those cute brooches, what else is there to do, but buy a couple and upcycle those into something uniquely 'self'.

Of course, the Daughter continues to need the occasional bulk cook-up, and not wishing to have rusty skills in this area, Mother provides.

Another necklance, meanwhile. This one is indicative of the next stage of my life.

And in the midst of it all, there's always cupcake decorating with the granddaughters. A special pleasure, always. Why would we pay for entertainment, when it can be had for free at home?

Custom statement necklaces can be up to $300 each on Etsy. Mine were $50 each, plus vintage beads at around $10. Three necklaces at $900 all up, mine, $160. 

Savings $740.

Ready made meals...two weeks worth. Around $350. Cost to me...around $25. 

Savings $325.

Those gluten free waffles are $14 for a pack of 4 at the local posh deli. I make a dozen at a time for about -75c. That's a saving of $41.25 on waffles for petes sake!

Time with the granddaughters...well I dare not put a price tag on that. If they really wanted an outing, we'd have one and not think twice. But they look forward to just hanging round the place.

Savings of $1131.25 this week on equivalent bought items.

DIY wins. Every. Single. Time.

Tell me about your DIY in the home. I'd love  to hear!

...Mimi...

Insourcing....how I saved money in June 2018...

Let's start with this wondrous antique wedding gown circa 1887, Cincinatti. Via Pinterest. Daughter, who is all of 18 1/2 years old and fresh in love with her Boy, declared this to be her future wedding gown. No pressure on the Boy, you understand. It might be another Boy. But boy, when daughter shows you this and says that's what she wants, well, you'd better get a start on it!

I'm thinking it's a simple boat neckline on a fitted bodice, with a semi-gathered skirt, and the under-bust waist cincher over the top. I'm not worried about that bit.

It's those beaded dangles! Hundreds, if not thousands of them!

I made an experimental one here, with what I had on hand, and that hasn't resolved the issue of the flower top bit...

I explored the local haberdashery, and found this pretties, which might do well as a substitute...

 Future (distant future perhaps, but one has to start somewhere!) savings in the thousands!

I cut Daughters hair...oh those ringlets! Saving $100.

I fizzed our own tap water with the Soda Stream and bottled it up into my fancied $2 water bottles. This saves us over $60 a week in purchased water or mineral water!

Many, many lasagnas were made. Some for immediate consumption by the family, some for later. These gluten free FODMAP friendly lasagnas would cost a minimum of $40 EACH at a specialty deli (which is the ONLY place you'd find one this size). A single serve frozen one from the supermarket is $10. So these are worth their weight in gold. Savings of at least $160.

I conjured up a pretty decent home made gluten free pizza base too. I'm not a fan of pizza, but the family is, so it became a necessity to avoid spending $40 on a pizza on lazy nights.

Here's my recipe for rustic gluten free pizzas:

1 1/2 cups GF flour combined with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum in a bowl. Then in a separate bowl, 1/2 cup blood warm water with 2 teaspoons dry active yeast whisked in till dissolved, with 1/2 teaspoon each sugar and salt and a tablespoon of olive oil added. Wet added to dry ingredients then kneaded for 2 minutes with extra flour added to the bench as required, just to smooth (kneading for elasticity is not required for gluten free dough). Let it rise in a really warm place. It will take longer than you think. GF can be challenging at times. Tear off chunks and spread them with your fingers, on well greased trays, before topping and baking in a hot oven till bubbly and golden.

Looks pizza-ish to me! Savings $160 on bought pizza as this batch yielded 4 pizzas.

I made some new napkins (serviettes to some of us).

I love that this are floral, yet bold...

And such a pretty accent with my blue dinnerware.

I'll talk about the Glampavan makeover in a minute, but lets just say that the offcuts alone of the $3 a metre fabric purchased for curtains, yielded 12 good sized napkins in a happy neutral daisy pattern...



Savings on new purchased napery, of at least $100.

I made up a new batch of Miracle cleaner, and tinted it a pretty peach colour. That stuff saves us $25 a month in cleaning products.

I also made a new batch of our favourite sensitive laundry detergent, saving $50 in laundry products.

I'm experimenting with making citrus cleaner with the Makrut Limes that would otherwise just be binned. These are not good eating. We grow them for the leaves which we use in Thai dishes. They add a fabulous depth of flavour, much like an intense lime zest, but more earthy if that makes any sense. But the fruit are inedible. They taste like soap. We'll see how successful this is as a spray cleaner in a week or two. Potential savings of $20 a month on citrus bathroom cleaner.

I made Petit Fours for a celebration for a friend. Mainly so I could remember how to do them. They're not hard. But they are a start one day, finish the next kinda thing.

Bake a slender sheet cake, any kind. Denser cakes are better though.

Cut it in half....

Sandwich with jam or marmalade. I used orange marmalade and chocolate cake.

Freeze overnight. This just makes them easier to cut and coat.

Cover in marzipan for a nice smooth finish, and cut into fingers, then into squares. Remember these should only be a mouthful or two at most...

Freeze again for an hour or so. The icing hardens more effectively if the cakes are well chilled. Also they won't crumb as much.

Line them up on a cooling rack with a baking paper lined tray underneath.

Make a simple sugar icing, by combining 4 cups of powdered (icing) sugar with 4 tablespoons of liquid (water, citrus juice etc). I used lemon juice which is a great foil for the cloying sweetness of the cake, the marmalade and the sugar in the icing. You can make yours any flavour you like. You need a good pouring consistency, much like pouring cream.

Pour the icing over the cubed cake-lets, letting the drips accumulate on the lined baking tray underneath. You can re-use that icing, but I often find it has crumbs in it so I don't bother.

As you pour the icing, use a spoon dipped in the icing, to swirl squiggles or dots on top of your petit fours.

Decorate them with bought or hand made sugar flowers. I made these ones while watching a football match with husband. They're not perfect, but they're pretty...

Note that I don't worry if my petit fours aren't completely covered too...

Position them prettily in a box with cellophane and they're a perfect Hostess or Thankyou gift...

...also Pearl dust (available from cake decorating suppliers) covers a multitude of sins...look...

Petit fours cost $6.50 each at my local posh bakery. EACH people. I made 24. That's about $150 I've saved!

And look how pretty they were. I ate one for breakfast. Sorry...

Poached chicken. Where do I start. Magical. Bring a pot of water with some aromatics added to a simmer. Throw in a chicken breast. Turn the heat source off, and put a firm fitting lid on the pot. Let it sit for about 30 minutes. The chicken is cooked when it's white all the way through, but perhaps just pinkish white. This ensures it's succulent and moist. See below. Chill the chicken breast in it's cooking liquid, then slice thinly for sandwiches. This is a single half breast here, all sliced and ready to go. Amazing.

Savings on deli meat, up to $30.

Chicken, mayo and lettuce sandwiches...yummm…

Speaking of sandwiches, my favourite filling is actually a protein like egg, chicken or meat, layered with rocket, sliced cheese, mayo and hot chilli sauce. What's yours?

 Daughter and her Boy are off to a music festival soon. It's a coming-of-age thing here. They're camping too, which will be a new experience for them both. We're glampifying a van we used to transport Mr A in his wheelchair when he still lived at home. Alas he is too tall for it now, but it's a handy little runabout.

Daisy curtains, done and dusted. Wait till you see the inside! Next week ;-)

Accomodation costs saved $2000.

Meanwhile, in the thrift shop corner, I discovered this very attractive tassel necklace. Hopelessly tangled, so a bargain at just $3. It's a classy addition to my accessories hanger. Let's call that a $30 saving.

We continue to drink our home fizzed water...even in Winter here. That's an achievement in itself...

And no roses in this garden, but I do follow VIP roses on Instagram, and am treated daily to visions like this....

That's a saving if ever there was one! Bought roses of the type I like are $75 a bunch.

Estimated insourcing savings this month around $2,930-ish dollars, and that doesn't include potential savings on a formal or bridal gown somewhere down the track. Add another $1000 or two just for fun.

That's a successful month.

How was June for you?

Motherly Advice....stop giving away your Power...

 

YOU. Yes. you. You have enormous power.

 

You knew that, right?

 

It's not a bank balance, or the number of cards or paper notes or coins in your wallet.

 

It's the power within you, to create the life you desire, money or not.

 

Hard work and industry are a formidable power.

 

We all have the potential to work hard and be industrious.

 

Do you know the biblical tale of Samson and Delilah?

 

 

Samson was a Nazirite. He took a vow of abstinence from cutting his hair, amongst other things. Whilst he had long tresses, he had enormous physical strength. But once he revealed to Delilah that his long hair was the source of his fearless vigour, leading her to cut his hair whilst he slept, and betraying him to his enemies, he was powerless. Poor Samson.

 

We too, have our 'hair of Samson'.

 

It's our ability to create the life we desire, sometimes with money, alas. It's a modern necessity.

 

But we have huge, huge, HUGE potential to do much with our own hands. That's our 'hair'. Our power.

 

So WHY do we insist on 'cutting our hair' a la Samson and Delilah, by giving that power away?

 

We do, you know.

 

Every single time we interact with someone other than ourselves to get something done, we are giving away our power.

 

Buy takeaway? Yep, a bit of your power gone.

 

Nail salon, hairdresser, gym membership? Power relinquished.

 

Ready made meals from supermarket? Bye-bye power.

 

Have car 'detailed' at expensive Carwash? See ya.

 

Pay someone to bake celebration cakes...yep...power gone walkabout.

 

Buy gifts at the last minute? Ta-ta power.

 

Expecting The Government, The School, The Authorities...to do everything that's needed for a comfortable life, a healthy, educated child, a parent at peace in their latter years. Big mega power...just given away with narry a thought.

 

Pretty soon, you've sacrificed so many Powers, that like Samson without his hair, you are captured, blinded and enslaved, and you don't even realise it.

 

You do realise that this belies the modern day myth of the Superwoman, don't you?

 

Supposedly she can Have It All.

 

Supposedly she can work outside of the home, in the home, raise well balanced humans and lavish attention upon pets, and keep her relationships with partner, friends and family alive and kicking.

 

But this has meant, that in the process, she has given so. many. powers. away.

 

The power to create, to nurture self, to be at peace.

 

Those are mighty, mighty powers to be giving away, good people.

 

Those are the powers that lead to a gentle and contented life.

 

STOP

 

I want to tell you something really, really important.

 

Here it is....

 

The Real Superwoman, KEEPS as many powers as she can.

 

She doesn't give them away willy-nilly. She doesn't leave herself and her family exposed by letting her hair be shorn (also known as becoming a slave to money).

 

She understands that Life is a journey of learning, self discovery, and ultimately, peace and contentment.

 

PEACE AND CONTENTMENT

 

When people talk about paying off the mortgage, they're not really talking about a financial transaction.

 

They're talking about having Peace and Contentment in their frazzled existence.

 

They're talking about finding TIME to do what they really want to do.

 

They don't realise that they could be doing that now, or at least very soon, if they only looked at life differently.

 

They don't realise that they're giving away the one thing they can never get back.

 

TIME.

 

I heard this week on the radio, that 50 years ago, it cost four times your annual income, to buy a house. Now they said, it costs ten times your annual income. That may well be so.

 

But hang on....

 

The house my Mother purchased in 1974 for $12,000, was a two bedroom high set, with a tiny combined bathroom and toilet, an eat in kitchen, a long living room, and a small sleepout, which was another small entry room, most often turned into another bedroom back then. There was no 'laundry', the washing machine sat on a concrete slab under the house. No dryer. We hung our washing on the rotary clothes hoist. No lock up garage, we didn't have a car. We used public transport.

 

My Mother and seven children lived in that house. Happily. We were happy. Really happy. We had a big back yard with fruit trees and a macadamia nut tree, tomatoes, herbs, flowers to cut and give as gifts. Our clothes were clean, we were disciplined well and in a timely fashion, we were expected to contribute and work together.

 

Here's what it did NOT have:

 

Four bedrooms, a study, a gourmet kitchen, a media/TV room, a double lock up garage (presumably housing two newish, probably European cars), 2-3 bathrooms, a swimming pool, a professionally landscaped garden with water features and statues, a paved driveway, a dog kennel and a double storey play castle with cubby house and sandpit.

 

THAT is why houses cost ten times the annual salary.

 

THAT is why we have Mortgage Stress.

 

Nobody wants to start (or finish) small any more.

 

It's a whole new insanity.

 

Giving away your power for a house, for a car, to fit in, to be admired, to be slimmer, healthier, a better person.

 

It has to stop.

 

 

Make your own breakfast parfaits, with home made yoghurt, home baked toasted muesli, and home grown strawberries.

 

Impress people with your beautiful handcrafted gifts. This is a microwave brownie, wrapped in foil squares made for Easter Eggs. You can also do this with home made fudge.

 

Make your own fabulous burgers. I use a tiny meat pattie, sometimes bacon, and lots and lots of vegetables on mine. Utterly delicious and quite famous in our social circle. You too can be 'famous' for your burgers. But not while you're giving that power away to McDonalds, Burger King, Grill'd, or any one of a million other burger specialty stores. Since when was a burger a 'specialty' item?

 

Fill your refrigerator and pantry with home made goodies. I give away a tiny bit of power by purchasing gluten free buns (I just cannot master these but I keep trying) and cheese slices, as well as prepacked fruit tubs for my daughter to take to University. That gives her the power to make and take her own lunch for a small sacrifice, over relinquishing more power to buy it.

 

Make your own simple salads, like my coleslaw. Just shredded cabbage, carrot and cheese. No mayo necessary.

 

Plan ahead and make your own gifts. These water bottles cost me about $13 including the chocolates with which they are filled. They look like a $40 gift.

 

Likewise these dolls. Five dolls from a panel purchased for $5 at Spotlight our local haberdashery.

 

We make our own Iced Tea Syrup. Others make their own Ginger Beer. Find a way to enjoy your favourite tipple by home brewing.

 

Create your own family heirlooms, and display them so they can be appreciated. These silver serving spoons were my Grandmothers. She didn't leave me Handbags and Shoes. She left me memories and well loved kitchenware. She gave me her TIME to skill me for a better life for myself.

 

 

Now I do that for my own granddaughters.

 

Bake your own treats. Fill your families tummy with preservative free, and free up some power in the process.

 

Grow something. That indeed is a power that leads to Peace and Contentment.

 

Teach your children and your grandchildren some life skills. My granddaughter spent an hour cutting up leeks with a plastic knife a little while back. She had a ball.

 

Master the replication of things you love to eat so that your life feels abundant. We love Ricotta cheese. We used to buy it until we realised how easy it is to make. Now we made some whenever we like for mere cents.

 

This bed cost us $50. My daughter loves it. Don't give away your power to buy furniture to impress other people.

 

The Wrap is a new food insanity. Who gives away $10-$15 for someone to wrap a couple of things...not even $1 worth of ingredients, into what is essentially a dry crepe???

 

Make your own filled wrap.

 

It's much yummier.

 

Find new skills to enable you to gift generously. Sewing, painting, mosaic, knitting, crochet, card making, papier mache', cooking, baking, cake decorating, and so on and so forth. They can all be a giftable skill. Learn just one new skill every year. In twenty years, you'll practically be self sufficient in the gift creation area. One of my favourites is my French inspired trimmed pillow cases. If you can sew a straight line, you can make these too.

 

Cake decorating....a power given away if ever there was one. I made this cake for my daughters 18th birthday. She wanted a VW campervan. I didn't know how to do that. But I worked it out. It wasn't perfect, but to her, it was perfection. Does that make sense? I have lots of cake decorating posts. Just enter the words cake decorating into the search box to your left!

 

Hotcakes anyone?

 

Café style treats? You don't have to buy those either. Why is everyone paying $10 for a cuppa and a slice of something. What the absolute heck???

 

Stop. Giving. Away. Your. Power.

 

We CAN be Superwomen, or Supermen.

 

Just not in the way we've been brainwashed to believe.

 

Start being mindful about where you relinquish your powers.

 

You Are Powerful.

 

You'd better believe it.