How much did you earn when you first started working? Overlooking my paper-route, my first job was as a Subway sandwich artist the summer before my last year of school. I hated every second of it (the embarassing story of my mother sitting in on my interview is for another day) but I loved having the...

This is a great side dish that is quick to make and as appropriate for a dinner party as for a weeknight dinner at home. Makes a nice substitute as a winter version of a garden salad. Serves 6. Ingredients: 300g green beans, ends trimmed 1/3 cup of unsalted, uncooked nuts (I like pine nuts) Tbsp olive...

This is a great recipe for the winter months ahead (in the southern hemisphere, anyway!). All the ingredients can be easily obtained from the supermarket, keeping your costs down considerably. This risotto is particularly enjoyable with a warm side dish or two. It serves four as a main course when served...

This is part b in a series on creating a budget that actually works.You can read part a here. In part a I set the homework of spending a month putting all bills and receipts into a shoebox. Here’s what you’re going to do next. Before you start, you’ll need your shoebox and a computer...

I remember quite vividly when Sex and the City was first appeared in Australia. Everyone was talking about it – four women who aired the details of their sex lives like, well, like only men had previously been socially allowed (and expected?) to do so. Somewhere in there though, Sex and the City...

Part One in a three part series I’m writing for my friends at Savings Guide is now available. The first post is about ‘finding your money mojo’ – that is, getting your head in the right place to start getting your financial butt into gear. You can read the post here: http://www.savingsguide.com.au/budgeting-101-finding-your-money-mojo-1of3/

If you’re looking at the name of the meal below and thinking it’s too boring, think again! This is so tasty I’m always asked for the recipe the next day. Ingredients: Fresh basil Beef mince (depends on how many you’re serving, but I use about 100g per person. I also prefer the...

Bargaining, haggling and negotiating are very interesting skills, and key to the frugal shopper’s aim of getting the best value for his/her budget. (Although I’m not for a second suggesting that getting something on sale or for a ‘good deal’ is an excuse to buy). When these...