Food

Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <-->

Personally, I don’t eat hash browns. But these two recipes proved to be a real hit on Simple Savings!

• Taste - Hash Browns
• Better Health - Hash Browns

Do you have a delicious recipe for hash browns? Have you tried the above two recipes? Let us know in the comments section!

A really useful alternate to eggs is a gluten free product called ‘No Eggs’, available from Orgran. It is useful in your stockpile as it lasts a lot longer than some of the egg replacements.

You can buy it from your local shopping centre or from online stores such as Gluten Free Favourites

I’m fortunate enough to have chickens. They don’t necessarily save money and are more hassle than its worth to use the eggs in cooking.

These two articles on egg replacements may require ingredients you already have:

• Egg Substitutes
• Replace Eggs In Your Cooking

In some cases, you are saving money by food you may have wasted OR are using an item that is cheaper than purchasing eggs from the store.

Have you had success or failure with egg replacements? Let us know in the comments.

This recipe details how you can use flax seeds and water to make your own egg replacement.

There are a few ways you could save money on this recipe:

• Grow the linseed/flax yourself to save the purchase cost.
• It refrigerates for two weeks. It you intend on using a lot of ‘eggs’ consider making in bulk to save on resources.

When I first moved out, I was a brand snob. I equated price with a superior product and taste. It wasn’t until I started befriending those who worked at supermarkets, who told me that ‘no-name’ products are often branded products without the packaging.

I then tested the various ‘no-name’ brands available at Aldi, Coles and Safeway. I found that all three were competing for the budget dollar in many categories so I had a wide selection of food to choose from. In many food groups, I have settled for generic brands that are just as good as the old ones.

I then assessed toiletries and food items without a taste. I now don’t buy flour or sugar at inflated prices. I always test beauty items before regular use but have been pleasantly surprised with many of them.

I’ve dedicated an entire category to reviews of generic brands.

This little tip saves me hundreds of dollars each year.

Brushed potatoes are better value for money than washed potatoes.

This is because washed potatoes have often absorbed water, which contributes to their water. I’ve found that the water in the potato often affects my cooking, especially when there is oil involved.

I’ve now found that when I use washed potatoes, I often use less. An added bonus is that they are cheaper than regular potatoes!

I learnt this little beauty from Ready Stead Cook/

They don’t taste exactly the same as the Arnotts one. The biscuit is more delicate and the flavour is less intense. For the one dollar price difference I was willing to compromise.

I actually now prefer this snack of the Arnotts one. Family and friends don’t agree so it is very much a personal choice.

I still head to Arnotts Shapes whenever I’m craving Pizza Shapes though.

Rather than make a straight out recommendation, I would advise that you buy a packet to trial it. If you or members of your family enjoy it then it is definitely worth buying more of in the future.

When I first moved out, menu planning was the furthest thing from my mind. I had a rough idea of the amount my fellow students spent and would adjust my food purchases according. I assumed that by spending a minimal amount, I was somehow compromising my health.

Two years on, and with the help of Simple Savings, I have realized that menu planning can promote heaps of positive long term changes

Improve your wallet and your waistline.

Many readers are familiar with planning a menu for dietary reasons. Planning to save employs the same concept. The key is going back to the food basics and planning.

Calorie King has an article titled Healthy Eating on a Shoestring which

Menu planning can help the environment

In 2005, it was reported that Australians through out 3 million tonnes of food a year. ggg

Good resources:

• Tasty Planner
• Food Cents
• The Worlds Healthiest Foods
• 30 Day Gourmet
• Mealopedia
• Hillbilly Housewife
• Supercook
• Simple Savings

Aldi can be daunting for the uninitiated. Why would one want to peruse a store where you have to pay to use trolleys and bags?

Aldi employs these techniques to keep the prices down and unlike other stores, there bargains are oft the most delicious!

• Dry Cat Food: At $1.99 a kilo its more than a dollar less than the other dry products on the market. If your cats are like mine, this can amount to huge savings over the long term.
• Shampoo and Conditioner: I can’t believe how good this is. My hair loves it and at just $2 for a large bottle, I can’t go past it. My hairs health has improved dramatically.
• Frozen Chips: I am something of a chip expert and believe these crinkle cuts to be the best offered in Australia. At $1.99, they are the best value as well!
• Sanitary Napkins. They’re cheap and relatively comfortable. Can’t ask for much more (except for not needing to use them!)
• Toilet Paper: Both the recycled and normal options are considerably cheaper than the ones offered at other supermarkets, without sacrificing on quality.
• Chocolate Ice Cream I went through a phase where I was craving just chocolate ice cream, and was refusing to pay $5+ just for one litre because I could only find three-coloured. This was one of my greatest finds, although I rarely buy it now. Its too addictive.
• The Biscuits: The butternut and barbecue ones are two I get if I know guests are coming.
• Bread: Its around $1 a loaf, but is the tastiest budget bread on the market! I use it for broths, toast and sandwiches and LOVE it!
• Multivitamins: I’m not sure how they compare to similar products, but its excellent value at less than $5 for two months!
• Nescafe. I don’t drink coffee but often buy this for my coffee addicted friends. At just $5, its an expense everyone loves
• Garlic Bread: Very cheap and very, very yum!
• Powdered Milk: This is great value. I don’t drink it, but use it in cooking. Its also part of my stockpile.
• Disposable razors: I bought a pack months ago and am still on the first razor. I only use it on armpits but it gives such a close shave.
• Washing powder: This gets rid of all sorts of smells which comes quite handy when it comes to washing cat bedding. It lasts forever and doesn’t irritate my skin.
• The weekly special I get a lot of items as part of their advertised special. Great buys include a cat tunnel and pasta maker.

These green bags aren’t the cheapest at 3 for $10. I only bought to identify other members; forgetting Geelong is a small town. However they were worth the money.

When shopping you feel lke you are being identified. Knowing that another member (lurker or shy) could possibly see my purchases makes me reluctant to impulse buy or purchase junk.

I also Stop and think before making any purchases. I do all my shopping at Aldi. Many times I add a few extra items because having just the one item doesn’t feel enough. I am on a healthy eating plan and think of buying extra of one thing to satisfy cravings.

I stop and think before putting anything in the green bag. The bag itself is nothing special. The constant reminder makes it all worthwhile.