Thrift

Whether you like dancing, drinking or hanging with friends - or even all of the above - everyone needs to cut loose sometimes. So how can we do it on the cheap? Katy Gosset finds out how people hit the town without spending a fortune.

Our grandparents did it and now a whole new generation wants to learn to pickle and preserve. Pickling novice, Katy Gosset, meets the self- described Preserving Queen who's bringing back 'the old ways'.

When the wheels come off the weekly budget, it's often car repairs that are to blame. So, what kind of maintenance do we need to do and how much can we do ourselves? Katy Gosset looks at how to avoid budget blowouts and keep our cars on the road.

You may have heard of Permaculture, how about Hügelkultur? What are they and can they help you grow your own food without spending any money? Katy Gosset gets the answers at a community garden and learns how making the perfect compost can become a lifetime addiction.

Why is our stuff always breaking and how can we avoid spending on new products? Katy Gosset gets some tips on buying well to start with. And she visits a Repair Cafe where volunteers fix items, saving them from the landfill and saving pennies at the same time.

We're all trying to trim costs. What money-saving tips can we learn from some of New Zealand's diverse cultures? Katy Gosset joins a cooking class at Canterbury's Refugee Resettlement and Resources Centre.