Monthly Archives: March 2017

Perrrrrfect bread

Bread is so easy to make, and so versatile in that you can start with the basics and add any number of variations to suit your taste and budget. Here’s a simple, failsafe bread recipe (well, almost failsafe!). To make two loaves you need: 5 cups flour, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons […]

Oily Rag tips – from mice to holidays in Europe!

Last week we wrote about Uber and Airbnb and how these “disruptors” were providing money-saving and money-making opportunities. Fiona from the UK has written to us to say that booking holiday accommodation via Airbnb has certainly saved her money. “Here in Europe Airbnb is definitely cheaper. I have just booked nine nights in a lovely […]

Warm war jumpers

JB from Auckland has written in regarding a recent Oily Rag article about the war effort, with her own tip. “My mother during the war would unpick warn jumpers, wash the yarn, and re-knit a new garment. My favourite cardigan was made of contrasting green and pink squares, with pearl buttons.”

Mouse trap

Tony from Blenheim has this suggestion for a bait free mouse trap! “Tired of using up all the peanut butter to catch that pesky mouse? Here’s how to do it cleanly without bait. Mice always avoid open spaces if they can – they prefer to run alongside the skirting board. We can use this trait […]

Last week we wrote about Uber and Airbnb and how these “disruptors” were providing money-saving and money-making opportunities. Fiona from the UK has written to us to say that booking holiday accommodation via Airbnb has certainly saved her money. “Here in Europe Airbnb is definitely cheaper. I have just booked nine nights in a lovely […]

Frugal disruption

Uber is one of the new breed of companies known as a “disrupter”. These are businesses that are so innovative that they seriously threaten the viability of an established industry. For those that don’t know, Uber is like a taxi service, but it differs from traditional taxi companies in a number of ways. Most significantly, […]

WW2 frugality

J.S. of Auckland asks, “I remember hearing of an old WW2 recipe to bulk out butter to make it go further. Does anyone have a copy of that recipe to share? It would be very handy as the price of butter is now getting out of hand.” To find the answer we consulted an expert, […]