Monthly Archives: June 2017

The tale of two families

We recently read an article about how many coffees one would have to forgo to save for a deposit on a house. The answer was… quite a lot! We think expressing home ownership in terms of coffees is a bit silly and misses the point. The issue is really pretty simple. Having enough money to […]

Your tips: Westies, bickies and feijoas

Many thanks to those readers who have sent in interesting tips and questions – here’s a selection. PAL from Christchurch has a question for readers. “Does anyone own a Westie dog [a West Highland Terrier] with a very bad itch and found something that either cures it or relieves the scratching? We have been advised […]

Bubble wrap insulation

A piece of plastic bubble wrap package material rolled up and measuring the width of the window can work above the curtain rod as an insulator if no pelmet is available. Good when renting houses to avoid expense.  – Yn from Victoria

Smelly bones

Put meat bones/scraps in a plastic bag in the freezer. Come collection day there is no smell in your rubbish bin. – Audrey from Tauranga.

Dog buscuits recipe

The recipe I always use for dog biscuits is cut some liver (whichever kind is the cheapest) into chunks and bring to boil in water until just cooked. Then cut into small dice or mince the meat, add the cooking water, and enough wholemeal flour to make a firm dough. You can also add some […]

Itchy Westie dog

Does anyone own a Westie dog who has a very bad itch and found something that either cures it or relieves the scratching? We have been advised to put ours on steroids for the rest of his life and really don’t want to. Westies are prone to a bad itch so we have been told […]

Recycling pantyhose

Adrienne from Chch writes: Always buy same brand and colour. When you find a ladder cut the leg off. After the 2nd ladder wear together with 2 tops – keeps you warm! The cut off leg is excellent for washing children’s soft toys. The small pieces of soap from the shower put in the feet […]

Frugal pets

New Zealand is a nation of pet lovers, with 64 percent of households owning at least one companion animal. Our total pet population of 4.6 million outnumbers people, giving us the second highest rate of pet ownership in the world! According to the New Zealand Pet Food Manufacturers Association, cats are New Zealand’s most popular […]