New Idea – March 19, 2018

(Chris Devlin) #1

REAL-LIFE


Katrina sees things like
pre-grated cheeses and herbs
bought in the supermarket as an
extravagance and happily grates
and grows her own!
‘Buying some seedlings at
Bunnings is the same price as
a packet of basil or parsley and
they last for ages.
‘I’m no green thumb but
even I can keep herbs alive,’
she laughs.
Buying in bulk is another
important part of her mantra
and Katrina advises everyone
to have an area at home to store
a few extra items.

‘I never buy laundry powder
or dishwasher tablets at full
price,’ Katrina says. ‘If they’re
on half price I buy three or four.
The same with toiletry items
like mouthwash and toothpaste
and when I had kids in nappies
I’d buy six boxes at a time if I
found them on special.’
Katrina’s pantry is also
super organised so she can see
at a glance what needs to be
replenished and what she has
lots of. ‘It’s a simple way to
keep saving,’ she says.
With teenage children
now, what started as a few

tips for her friends to share
has become an online sensation.
Katrina loves blogging as The
Organised Housewife, helping
other Aussies save cash
wherever they can.
And it looks like she could be
heading into a new area.
‘I used to hate clothes
shopping. I’d never go because
I couldn’t find anything to fit,’
Katrina admits. But a new world
has just opened up to her.
‘I had weight-loss surgery six
months ago,’ she smiles. ‘I’ve
lost 25 kilos and gone from a
size 20 to a size 14.

‘I’ve got another 10 kilos to
go, but I feel great and that’s
what I wanted. I can try on
anything I want but I don’t
think clothes shopping will
ever be my great love!’
Whatever she’s blogging
about, though, she’ll be doing it
more quickly and she jokes that
after the weight loss she’s
buzzing around the shops now.
And, as she teaches her
readers, the less time you can
spend in the supermarket means
the smaller amount of cash you
spend there, so it’s a win-win!
By Emma Levett

‘I WASN’T
B ORN

ORGANIS ED, ’
TH E M U M
A D M I TS.

THE SU PERMARKET!


15 WAY S TO SAVE AT


THRIFTY MUM TELLS


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