Aussie Frugal Living

I saw a news article going around recommending that people grow their own vegetables to stretch their food budget and thought people might also consider foraging, which is why I’ve been posting resources for how to do those things with lower risk.

(I’m not fully confident in plant identification, in fact I’m a bit shit at it, it’s just a casual interest. So I don’t give advice or actually forage. I have just been linking known public fruit tree maps where you won’t gather something inedible or get in trouble, and resources for soil safety testing.)

However - while I think I did mention this before it’s probably important enough to get its own post.

Don’t trust every foraging guide off Amazon.

That recent Melbourne mushroom poisoning case was charged as murder but it’s a reminder of how risky inexperienced foraging can be, and the fake ai guides recommendations of tasting mushrooms to identify them could be deadly.

Please please, if you find yourself in food insecurity and want or need to turn to foraging because the food bank can’t help then please buy reputable guides with known authors, stick to well known plants only or link in with experienced local foraging groups. Preferably all of the above.

Some of them charge like a wounded bull for ‘tours’ but as community gardens and seed libraries exist I’m sure there are groups that would help you for free.

Also try to get onto organisations like FareShare or Food Not Bombs if possible.

Edit: Mushrooms are fantastic nutrition though if you can’t afford to buy much meat anymore. Protein, chewiness, umami, B12. If you don’t have any issues with FOD MAPS they can help keep you well fed.

I can’t guarantee that homegrown would be cheaper than buying them (kits can get a convenience markup) but if you have your heart set on picking mushrooms and don’t have an expert to show you the ropes, consider buying a kit.

This will come with known safe varieties of mycelium and as they come in a flat compact growing box and prefer low/indirect light they can potentially be grown in a small spot inside.

I was posting stuff about foraging from public fruit trees a few years ago on Reddit and in this cost of living crisis/food insecurity it seems timely to give it another bump here.

Though we shouldn't have to. :(

The Local Food Connect map posted for the main article seems really limited to inner Melbourne which is annoying.

The map from Public Fruit Melbourne requires you to request access.

However the article links a much more comprehensive map at the Falling Fruit website. This also offers locations for the outer suburbs of Melbourne as well as quite a few other Australian states.

We all know about unit cost. Yeah.

But sometimes I'm exhausted and get mentally foggy while working it out manually (when not listed) and also the unit prices in supermarkets can be listed for different sizes and measurements (like one is per kg and the other is per 100 grams) so you have to convert things. Just for fun.

So I found a tool where you can just plug multiple items of different sizes or listed costs in.

Or put in the unit cost per amount and easily tot it up.

This one looks complicated but for example just pick the price and number for the first product (I did $37 for 750ml pet shop biological cleaner), add another item ($36.30 for 1L of biological cleaning concentrate or 20L when reconstituted) and it spits out the unit price for both and tells you which is cheaper.

Well duh. The largest size pack of something is cheaper always right? Well not always. I was comparing bulk shampoo sizes and noticed that the cheapest unit price was somewhere in the middle.

So while it seems obvious what the best deal would be it does pay to do a quick check of things.

Here's another just for when things come in pieces or multipacks like apples, screws, toilet paper rolls or chocolate bars. The previous one does have that feature too but the buttons on this are a bit less cluttered on the eye. https://www.priceperpiece.com/

Thankfully I don't go through heaps of cleaning product in a small apartment.

Dish soap alone or with vinegar does a lot of heavy lifting for general cleaning and mopping, a lazy $4 bottle of Earth Choice spray lasts me a while and if something really needs to be disinfected I hit it with the bleach.

But if you want proper cleaners and do get through a lot then concentrates could work out to cents.

A concentrate I do buy is Bio Blitz Biological Cleaner. It's multipurpose but I use it a lot on carpet accidents with an older cat and it works out at a fraction of the pee cleaner bottles from the pet shop. (Those can go for between $30-40 per 750ml. That much gets you 1 litre of concentrate which depending on dilution strength can make 20 litres of cleaner.)

Basically it contains cultured bacteria that breaks down the biological stuff until the urea crystals, vomit, grease or whatever residue is completely gone and won't smell. It works fairly well. Just blot as much of the stain off as possible and soak letting it stay damp for some time, repeating if necessary. The only drawback for me is the artificial lemon smell. It's not overpowering but it's noticable.

Initially I used to get their Wee Off in bulk because it had an unscented option and it was urine specific which was the main occurring issue at the time. It's still the one I'd prefer to use. However that was a fair bit more expensive and you couldn't get it as a concentrate. It also smells a bit funky itself up close while wet (that disappears when it's done its work).

For transparency, Simple Green from Bunnings was the product actually on my mind when I began this post. I thought it was a great idea. But I saw that in 2020 there was a settled class action in America disputing the non-toxic claim. The reason for this is 2-butoxyethanol.

(Someone on Reddit said the Bunnings Activ'O spray and wipe concentrate also contains Oxirane which is apparently carcinogenic. So be mindful of industrial stuff.)

Simple Green also can damage surfaces if you don't dilute well enough, as with many things (off label it's used undiluted to remove acrylic paint). So if you use any kind of cleaning product concentrate definitely pay attention to the dilution, ingredients, ventilation directions and the safety sheet.

You could try a multipurpose orange cleaner concentrate from an autoshop or cleaning supplies place instead but definitely test in inconspicuous spots first for damage. Orange oil is a powerful degreaser and could potentially damage anything that isn't solvent resistant. The smell could be pungent too, potentially not good for asthmatics or migraine suffers. Also it might give you unwanted memories of school.

Now this tip is not for everyone. But I’m a hippie tightarse and shampoo bars are now up to $15 or much more.

When staying somewhere for a short time I used to throw a bar of the sensitive version in my backpack as a spill proof 2 in 1.

As Dove is a non-soap detergent bar it’s milder and has a ph closer to neutral (unlike soap/soap based shampoo bars) so isn’t really damaging. Other syndet bars may work as well.

They’re very cheap and harder to waste than liquid. The individually sold bars are plastic free packaging. And while a little too drying on my face and a little too gentle for my body, in a pinch they very much can be multipurpose.

If you’re already confident with using shampoo bars give it a go.

If you had to cancel Netflix (or never had it) Tubi is free with ads and you don’t have to download anything or sign up. I don’t remember there being ads for me, or if there were it wasn’t enough to remember.

I will admit the stuff on there mostly isn’t that great. At least for my interests. But have a dig around, you might find a trashy cult classic or something just ok to have on in the background.

If YouTube is pissing you off with intrusive ads and you don’t want to pay (I don’t) they also have ambient relaxation videos like of a crackling fire.

Ps. There are also library based options but I know less about that as I never bothered to set it up and they’re also expensive for libraries. (Kanopy was free with a library card or student login but is shutting down because the cost of so many people using it.)

But I guess if more people use them it can justify more public library funding, so… I don’t know. If that sounds good maybe try it.

I’m also considering checking out Plex.

Funky Food is a fruit and vegetable delivery service in the eastern states. They also have recipes online.

Here's a reminder about the half price app. As much as I try to avoid these money hungry grubs I do have to shop there sometimes.

We all know fruit and vegetables are cheaper in season so here's a list.

If you have any food related questions, recipes to share or you've made an awesome piece of toast come and join Food Australia. Don't let me be the only one there. Please.

I think of Ayam as a good brand but it's a bit pricey.

Had anyone tried all the home brand stuff and have any thoughts?

Free shipping if you sign up for their club iirc.

These zip wondersuits are the absolute best. If you know someone having a baby soon they make great gifts. Totally not a bonds spokesperson, just a happy customer.

This design is $7, others are $10. https://www.bonds.com.au/zip-wondersuit-little-leopard-marscapone-bzbva-g9r.html?queryID=daeedae389e1b9055ec67dc1ac4ca11a&objectID=342563&indexName=prod_bonds_m2_bonds_products

If you live in a gentrified or gentrifying area you may have noticed over the years that some op shops have gone all upmarket with boutique remodelling of their stores. Don't get me wrong, it's great to be able to walk around and not breath in musty, stale op shop air while listening to some fairly recent tunes as you swish through items on the clothing racks.

But it's not nice to be presented with what appear to be retail prices for loads of second hand fast fashion items. If I wanted to pay retail prices for H&M garbage I'd go to H&M or any number of shitty modern 'clothing' stores.

So if you see a Noffs, take the opportunity to check it out and you may come away with a new pair of shorts to wear outdoors during your first of many apocalypse Winters like I'll be doing today.

I've started cooking some red lentils in some beef stock, adding them and some breakcrumbs to mince meat to pad the meat out a bit (and hide some extra veg in the meat). With meatballs you cant even tell the difference. What are some of your hacks/tips/tricks?

https://www.energymadeeasy.gov.au/ My current provider, like all of them, jacked up my leccy prices in July, but a bit too far for my liking. The Gov comparison site, which I used last time, is still pretty good and you dont need to give your data to private corps lile iselect / meerkat. Hopefully a considerable saving on the new provider, but sill not as cheap as last years prices.

I enjoy doing outdoor activities like visiting parks, but it is a bit cold for that at the moment. A lot of indoor activities get pretty expensive, but I have in the past found a few free building tours and similar which are really good.

I'd love to hear about things everyone else enjoy doing that don't cost too much, and any resources you use to find activities.

For anyone who was unaware, Eligible motorists who spend more than the minimum amount on tolls in a financial year can claim a 40% rebate. Also applies to small business.

Buy Apples Avocado Beetroot Broccoli Broccolini Brussels sprouts Capsicums Carrots Cauliflower Celery Leeks Mandarins Oranges Parsnips Pears Persimmons Potatoes Pumpkin Quinces Rhubarb Spinach

Avoid Asparagus Cabbage Grapes Strawberries

For those unaware you can get a power rebate from your state government. Should help with the rising power bills.

Hey All, and welcome to frugal. This community is all about saving a buck, something we can all appreciate these days. It’s not about being cheap and forgetting your wallet when you go out for dinner with mates. More about good deals, tips, tricks and how tos. So feel free to post any bargains you find, any good recipes you discover or how tos you know about.