this post was submitted on 28 May 2025
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Aussie Frugal Living

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Monthly Frugal Discussion Thread - June ‘25 (aussie.zone)
submitted 4 weeks ago by melbaboutown@aussie.zone to c/frugal@aussie.zone
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(Posting a few days early to remember)

Winter is coming, bills will be high. Do you have tips to help us get by?

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[–] melbaboutown@aussie.zone 1 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

I thought I was out of lotion because it wasn’t pumping out - even after adding a little water and shaking it. Well I looked inside and there were still gobs of perfectly good product remaining at the bottom. Heaps left. It’s just very inefficient packaging.

I heard about some lady who would cut open her foundation tube to get the last of it and thought it was a bit crazy but I actually might do that, transfer it all into a clean squeeze tube or a tub to finish it.

I wonder how much I ended up throwing away in the past.

[–] Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone 4 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Saunders Malt Extract for a warming drink.

$10 at my local IGA, one tin lasted me all Autumn/Winter last year, and then some this year.

Its a delicate taste, so i only have milk and water with it, extra sugar isnt needed in my opinion. I add the milk first, i feel like it burns a bit if hot water goes in first.

Its super cheap per cup, less wasteful (no teabags), doesn't leave that dryness that tea tannins leaves in your mouth, and doesn't have the caffeine high of coffee.

Theres apparently a bunch of vitamins that are meant to be pretty good for ya, but i'm not great on understanding all that vitamin a, b, c, stuff so i'll leave it there.

[–] melbaboutown@aussie.zone 3 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (1 children)

That’s right! I used to sometimes stir a little bit into hot soy milk. It is very sweet and goes far

[–] Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone 3 points 4 weeks ago

Yeah, i don't know much about how much sugar is too much, but if its got one downside i'd guess its pretty sugary stuff.

[–] melbaboutown@aussie.zone 3 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (1 children)

I think I need to pull out the mending basket… and the spare blankets.

If you don’t have an electric blanket or a hot water bottle absolutely get one, it’s really efficient to have a small heat source underneath blankets to trap it. (For a hot water bottle wrap it up to prolong the heat and avoid giving yourself chilblains.)

For little kids that you don’t want to take the scalding risk with try a wheat bag.In a pinch you can fill a sock with rice and microwave it for a minute. It will be small but better than nothing.

Just avoid burning the rice/wheatbag. Give it another 30 seconds to a minute if you really have to but take it out after the first minute, feel it and shake the filling around before putting it back. ~~Also consider occasionally microwaving it with a mug of water to maintain the moisture in the grains.~~ And putting it on the edge of the turntable so it gets more of a distribution of the radiation. You really don’t want to burn the rice by microwaving it too long, letting hotspots form ~~or having it too dry~~.

Edit: I retract the part about the cup of water, I was wrong https://www.wholesale.kiwiwheatbags.co.nz/pages/do-not-put-a-cup-of-water-in-the-microwave-when-heating-your-wheat-bag

Also you may want to insulate your windows.Bubble wrap works for large windows - or for windows that are narrow enough you can buy cheap tension rods as temporary curtain rods to hang blankets in the window frame behind the existing curtains or blinds. (This is also a great solution to preventing drafts from doors you don’t want to close, ie pets need to randomly access the next room for their litterbox). Check eBay or IKEA.

Thick Italian style hot chocolatemay be made by cooking milk with cornflour and cheap chocolate (or sugar and cocoa). Just be mindful that milk burns very easily on the stove and don’t leave it unattended for even a second. You might also want to mix the cornstarch with milk and add it as a slurry to avoid lumps, and sift the cocoa.

[–] maniacalmanicmania@aussie.zone 2 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

Is it safe to microwave a sock?

[–] melbaboutown@aussie.zone 2 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

Probably? A fully cotton sock would be pretty safe.

My cat has her own little wheat bag that I microwave with the synthetic faux fur cover on and that hasn’t melted so far. (Though I usually give it one minute, maybe 1 min 30s, and never more than two - always removing it and checking it after the first minute).

However after reading up on this I probably will remove that cover before microwaving as polyester is a fire risk. https://www.reddit.com/r/sewing/comments/w6cedh/microwaveable_fabric/

I probably wouldn’t be microwaving wet cloth either which would create much more heat.~~(The occasional cup of water microwaved with it is to provide very slight humidity to the grains, not get the cloth wet.)~~ I also wouldn’t be microwaving anything for too long.

Edit: I retract the part about the cup of water, I was wrong https://www.wholesale.kiwiwheatbags.co.nz/pages/do-not-put-a-cup-of-water-in-the-microwave-when-heating-your-wheat-bag

The sock is more of a temporary or emergency solution though. Definitely consider buying a proper wheat bag of the proper materials that comes with specific usage instructions if you can afford to/justify the cost.

[–] CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone 2 points 3 weeks ago

Large jars of Vittoria coffee are half price this week at Coles for $19. 50.

[–] Krudler@lemmy.world 0 points 4 weeks ago

What's the best value way to get 18650 batteries? Lots of battery packs for an in different things have them, and they could be harvested