Club's coffers full of fresh money saving tips

We at the oily rag workshop have had one of our busiest weeks ever. At last count, more than 100 people wanted to join the Oily Rag Club to receive our weekly newsletter of money-saving ideas, and the mailbags have been full of tips. Here are some of them:
Trish from Tauranga: To keep slugs and snails away from newly planted seedlings, make a small, flat container out of tinfoil and put three or four slices of cucumber on it. The cucumber and tinfoil together seem to give off an unnoticed smell which slugs and snails don't like. I put a couple of holes in the bottom so they don't collect rainwater.
Jules from Napier: Save seeds from supermarket or market-purchased vegetables. If the seeds are moist, such as tomato, pumpkin, etc, space them out on to paper towels or toilet roll sheets. Write the date and variety on the paper. I love checking out farmers' markets for unusual varieties of vegetables that contain seed to grow. When planting time comes, simply unroll, lay on to a seed-raising container and cover with another layer of potting mix.
Grow New Zealand native spinach vine plants. It is a vine that is fast-growing, provides huge volumes, keeps weeds down and is delicious. Pluck the leaves from the vine and it continues to sprout. Three to four plants will easily keep a family fed for the winter. It grows all year round and is idiot-proof.
Denis from Opotiki: Use broken-up polyurethane packing in the bottom of your pot plants. It keeps them warm and is lighter when you need to move your large pots.
Allie from Nelson: A good way to store and use celery in the winter is to cut off the base and the very coarsest top leaves if necessary and discard. Wash the remainder thoroughly. Dry and chop fairly finely (leaves and all). Store in the freezer in zip-top bags. Add handfuls to soups, stews, stir-fries and casseroles as needed. No waste, quick and convenient, stays fresh.
S.J. from Dunedin: Recently I decided I would like to learn to knit and crochet. Instead of buying expensive magazines or borrowing books from the library, I approached our local rest home and asked if there might be anyone who would be able to teach me. I now receive weekly tuition for free and spend a wonderful afternoon chatting and laughing with the ladies. I've also learned how to play chess with the gentlemen.
Frank and Muriel Newman are the authors of Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag in NZ. Readers can submit their tips online at www.oilyrag.co.nz