Enthusiastic fans send us speeding to the post office

We received an urgent phone call from a woman at NZ Post. Desperate, she was. "Please come and clear your mail box. Oily rag mail has overflowed on to the floor."
We of course responded swiftly - as one does in emergencies - by dispatching our strongest staff members to relieve the situation. We are now going though the long but pleasurable task of opening, reading, and posting the material on the oily rag website. Here are some of the tips we have received.
The aftershocks have not stopped JO from Christchurch coming up with this tip: "How much toothpaste do we need? TV advertisements show us to cover the whole toothbrush. Why not try and use a little less each day and find out how little we actually need."
That reminds us of the old oily rag motto which goes: "Use half as much and get the product at half price!"
VM from Levin has fun with competitions. "If you have time, enter online competitions at winstuff.co.nz. Also, if there's a competition in the paper or on a chocolate wrapper, then enter it. I have won loads of stuff over the years, including a prams, make-up and label clothing. Lucky Break and That's Life magazines are very generous and have sent me cheques for photos I sent by email. Not only do your children get published in a magazine, you get $50. My children have also won prizes from these magazines.
"Go for it - it's fun and it's great receiving prizes in the post."
ME from Auckland has had a busy Christmas emailing her favourite frugal tips.
"Shop for specials. In our local supermarket every week they rotate the brands on special so one of the icecreams and yoghurts will always be on special. For example, a major brand of icecream is discounted from $5.99 to $3.99. My supermarket always marks bakery breads and rolls down to half price after 8.30pm every night, and marks down cakes as well.
"Buy a fresh or frozen whole chicken on special and cut it up yourself. It is so easy, and you get two full chicken breasts, two thighs, two wings, two drumsticks and a carcass for chicken stew and dumplings.
"Cooking for one, a chicken can last me up to two weeks.
"I also get three servings out of each breast by cubing it and using it in gravy and steamed rice dishes like butter chicken, Thai curries or teriyaki chicken.
"Make your own hummus, its cheaper and yummier. You need: 400g can of chickpeas, juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 2 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil, salt to taste, and a pinch of ground cumin if you like it. Blend the lot with half the liquid from the can, adjusting the amount for the consistency you prefer. If you don't have a blender, peel the chick peas in some water and then mash with a fork. It comes out smooth and creamy with little effort."
Frank and Muriel Newman are the authors of Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag in NZ. Readers can submit their oily rag tips on-line at www.oilyrag.co.nz.