Low petrol prices are good news for frugal motorists, but an oily ragger has asked why, given the collapse in crude prices, petrol pump prices are not a lot lower. The answer is actually quite simple. At US$27 a barrel, crude oil prices are at their lowest level since 2003 – and a long way […]
It’s that time of the year when oily rag gardeners are being rewarded with barrow loads of fresh and nutritious produce. The problem for many will be finding ways to use the bounty – but it’s a good problem to have because the oily rag community has lots of ideas for summer treats using in-season […]
With Christmas just around the corner, we have ventured into the oily rag archives and dug out some favourite ideas and tips to take the cost out of our special day. The trick of course is to enjoy all of the good things about Christmas and the holiday season, but to do so in a […]
We have received lots of replies to questions. Gaynor from Kapiti has a suggestion for Two-minute Mum from Wellington, who has a habit of leaving things on the stove for two minutes too long. The latest incident involved boiling milk and a stainless steel saucepan. The result was a pot with very stubborn burn marks. […]
This week we dive into the mailbags and find tips about cleaning, cheap meats, DIY, and more. And we have a number of questions from readers. Two-minute Mum from Wellington has a problem. Things tend to get left on the stove for two minutes too long. The latest incident involved boiling milk and a stainless […]
This week we go bananas, but before doing so, here are a couple of questions from readers that you may be able to help with – and a tip. Warren from Tauranga asks, “Does anyone know how to kill aphids on a swan plant bush, without killing the caterpillars?” If you can help out Warren, […]
It’s busy times for oily raggers. The gardens will now be a hive of activity and some will be planning ahead for frugal summer meals. Last week Busy Mum from Wellington asked, “I am looking for low-cost recipes for a family of four, that can be made in next to no time.” J.O. from Christchurch […]
It’s New Zealand Chicken Week so we thought we would mention a little about chickens and eggs. Well, actually, there’s no such thing as New Zealand Chicken Week that we know of so we thought we would create one – there are weeks for all sorts of things so we thought chickens should have one […]
According to the New Zealand Pet Food Manufacturers Association, New Zealand’s pet ownership statistics are one of the highest in the world. They say, “68% of households own at least one companion animal, with a total pet population of 5 million, they outnumber people. Cats are New Zealand’s most popular pet with 48% percent of […]
Jacqui from Block House Bay was rummaging recently and came across a bunch of old newsletters from ‘Friends of the Home’. They dated back to 1976, but since good oily rag ideas never age, this week we thought we would reproduce some of the tips from those newsletters. We will also be progressively posting them […]