The Vicky Challenge. Use it up.

This week I want to add to our savings with a Use it up Challenge.  There are so many ways this will help.... it will save money. It will clear cupboard space. It will clear freezer and pantry space.
It will make room in your craft supply cupboard as well. Maybe also your bathroom and linen cupboards!

Getting ahead can be hard. A Use it up Challenge can free up some funds for your pantry, debt or savings.

Many of us have purchased cleaning products that we had great intentions with but they have been sitting around for ages taking up room. Lets use them up! Do not buy cleaning products until they are gone! Save the money for something else and use them. Better still have a cleaning blitz and that will result in a super clean house as well!

Clean out the fridge and be inventive with what needs using up. This might save the cost of a meal or two.

Have a meal a week to use up meals from the freezer or odd bits and pieces. It will reduce the weeks grocery budget and help you get ahead.

If you are in Spring look a what seeds you have. Use them! They do not last forever and if you get them going they could bless you with so much produce! Get some going in pots to give as gifts.

Do you have a moisturiser you never use but paid good money for? Really if you don't love it use it as a treatment for your feet or hands. Just now while I am painting I am using some of these up then I put gloves on to paint. It is a treatment then and doing my hands the world of good! You can have a cleaning session with gloves on and this is a great hand treatment.

The same goes if you have shampoo or conditioner, bubble bath etc that you just put off using... they can all be used up as detergent for hand washing, swishing the toilet... as Flylady says "soap is soap" and you can use them in many ways.

In the craft cupboard... if you have lots of odd bits of yarn make a rainbow blanket. Several ladies have shown "use it up" yarn projects recently and they are all wonderful! Or look for small projects such as dish cloths.

Same with other craft supplies.... have a look at what you have and plan projects to use it all up. No buying until these things are used! Add to your gift cupboard for free!

Take a look around... what assets do you have that you could sell, trade, donate or use? Turn them all into something useful. Maybe plan a garage sale? Or see a few things on E Bay.  Sometimes we don't see what we have as we are so used to it just being there!

If you haven't cleaned out your linen cupboard in some time this is a good time to do it. Things you don't use may become fabric for future sewing projects. Pretty sheets or doona/duvet covers, even pillowcases can become table cloths, napkins, aprons, fabric for all kinds of projects. You might make room in your linen cupboard and it will look neater and you will have sewing supplies.

There are just so many things that we can use or substitute. Each one can be a big money saver plus reduce clutter at the same time.

Ok! My Vicky Challenge went pretty well last week.

We had Chloe's Birthday at home and it was lovely. I would estimate it saved $200.

I did more painting (it just about goes without saying now) and I think I will count $200.

We lived on left overs for two days... $20 This included "Fridge Pizza" as I had heaps of tomatoes...

I did repairs in our plaster and stone work. From work I had done once at another house I will estimate this saved $300.

Painted nails and toes with a DIY pedicure which saved over $100.

I made baby food in the crock pot for Harper and froze in portions. I got twenty serves for a saving of $35.  (besides it is better than bought!) I cooked a lamb shank with pumpkin, sweet potato, potato and carrots.

Packed a picnic for Andy's fishing trip. $50.

Packed all lunches for the week $100.

Amazingly this equals $1005 which is way more than last week.
I think taking on the job of the repair to the wall helped a lot. At my old house a painter came in and did this, repaired the crack and colour matched the paint and so on. I spied on how he did it and it was nothing to it. Then I kicked myself about hiring someone. And doing this was roughly half an hours work. Yet he charged over $300. Never again. Saving that feels a lot better.

What do you have that you could use up and save money?

How was your week? I hope you can see your efforts are worth a lot. Imagine paying someone for it all! Now I understand a little more what "she is worth far more than rubies" means. You are an asset to your family beyond measure in every way! xxx