Reader tips
By Frank and Muriel Newman

It’s time to dig into the mail bags again and reveal the tips sent in by readers. It’s amazing that after 20 years of collecting frugal living tips readers are still able to come up with new and innovative ways to make more from what they have around them.

Here’s a case in point.

M.E. from Auckland writes, “When using rubber gloves I usually find that the glove I use most (being right-handed) is the one that rips or splits. Splitting one this morning while cleaning my oven and not wanting to take a trip to get more, I turned one of the many left-hand gloves I was reluctant to throw away inside and found that it was quite acceptable for using - so now instead of having 12 useless gloves I have 6 pairs of gloves to carry on with.’

Waste Not Want Not from Whangarei is wasting not the abundant harvest from their passionfruit vine. “Here is an easy way to use passionfruit to make tasty cookies. All you need is: 150g soft butter, 1/2 cup caster sugar, 1 egg, 1/3 cup passionfruit pulp, and 2 cups self-raising flour. Cream butter and sugar, add egg and beat well. Stir in passionfruit pulp, then flour. Roll into small balls, place on baking tray and flatten with a fork. Bake 15 mins at 180C. They can be iced using 2 cups icing sugar mixed with 35g butter and a few drops vanilla but they are yummy - and crunchy – as is!”

Tired of peeling spuds? Faye from Auckland says there’s no need to peel potatoes when mashing. “Most the year round you can get away without peeling the potatoes – just a little trimming is all that is needed. When the boiled potatoes are cooked, smash them the usual way.”

D.B. from Featherston has this tip for making breakfast porridge more appetising. “Whiz a can of fruit to juice and pour it on porridge. It is really tasty and makes a can of fruit go along way.”

Diana from Whakatane has this money saving tip. “I 'make' my own postcards using a collage option - Picasa have one, as do most editing programmes. I did one using various shots of young grandsons whilst they were here on holiday - printed it at one of the stores for next to nothing... eh voila a personal postcard. It probably cost less than the stamp!”

Diana has also sent in a number of excellent fish recipes that have been posted on the oily rag website. Here’s one for baked fish that sounds delicious. “Place mashed potato in bottom of shallow Pyrex dish and place hake or cod fillets on top of the mash - after dipping first into melted butter. Bake until fish is cooked about 12-15 minutes at 180C. Mix together - half cup of mayo, half a cup of grated cheese, 2 egg yolks, a teaspoon of dried mustard, and stir into the whisked egg whites. Place over cooked fish and bake until nicely browned in a moderate oven.

Raglob from Dunedin has this fishy recipe. “Raw fish salads are great. Just dice pieces of fish, mix with chopped up red onion, red peppers, celery, tomatoes, and other favourite ingredients, then pour over a vinaigrette dressing. This salad is good left to marinate for a while, but can be scoffed as soon as it's mixed.”

Lynne from Dunedin writes, “I have lived the oily rag existence out of necessity. My husband left and took our life savings. I had to exist on a benefit which I just hated but ill health has left me unable to work again. My biggest savings came from our local hospice shop and second hand stores. I have bought everything from clothing to gifts for my family from these shops and I really enjoy buying from them. Unfortunately they don't sell food but by buying home brands or things on special and by very carefully using a shopping list I can still manage to save money from my benefit. As well, I save all of the gold coins in my purse that are left over from shopping trips. It is surprising how fast it grows. I put them all into a tin I have and last year alone the amount came to $3000. It was money I never missed at the time. I put the money saved towards a lovely holiday with friends. They just could not believe I had a holiday with the savings I had made from gold coins. Already this year I have saved $250 so it can be done.”

If you have a favourite money-saving tip, please share it with us so we can share it with the oily rag community – send your ideas to us at www.oilyrag.co.nz or write to Living off the Smell of an Oily Rag, PO Box 984, Whangarei.

*Frank and Muriel Newman are the authors of Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag in NZ. Readers can submit their oily rag tips on-line at www.oilyrag.co.nz. The book is available from bookstores and online at www.oilyrag.co.nz.

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