Pig Tits  started as an idea in my head. I  thought I could save at least $200  a week if only I didn’t spend so  much at the supermarket. The  Taranaki Daily News thought  this positive savings project was  worthy and the weekly column  Pig Tits and Parsley Sauce was  born.

I’ve chronicled our weekly budgeting endeavours and the column was devoured by recession-conscious readers in Taranaki and beyond. When I discovered how to make a really good homemade laundry powder at a fraction of the cost of the bought stuff, everybody started to get excited.

I started up weekly workshops teaching the skills I had learnt and they really caught on. Then I was featured on Campbell Live on TV3 and the rest of the country wanted in on it, too. Overwhelmed by the demands on my time, I quickly organised a website – www.pigtitsand parsleysauce.co.nz – and started selling books and recipes. To date, I have sold over 2000 cleaning and cosmetic recipe pamphlets and the baking soda and vinegar book sales are approaching 1300. The website has had over 130,000 page downloads.

I’ve been on the Good Morning show on TV1 six times now and who knows what the New Year will bring?

Women’s magazines are into us, too: watch out for Lucky Break Magazine and New Idea , both of which have upcoming features about my family’s exploits.

Lynn Putt was keen to offer classes to the Coastal Taranaki people unable to attend my Waitara workshops and Niki Perrett picked up a franchise for South Taranaki, teaching people how to save heaps by making their own household cleaning products and cosmetics cheaply at home. Eleven other franchises have now been sold all over New Zealand and recently across the Tasman.

Closer to home, I have been in demand as a paid public speaker and fund-raiser for businesses, clubs, schools and kindergartens around Taranaki and was even flown to Invercargill to do a presentation. There’s another one booked in Lower Hutt for February.

Best of all, I have nearly tripled my savings goal of $12,000 and my dream of buying a rental property is now a matter of when, rather than if. In fact, I am looking at a house right now and that is a great feeling. I’ve come into contact with positive people from Riverlea to Uruti, Tuatapere to Tikorangi, all of them supporting my money- saving ideas and keen to jump on the bandwagon and make some savings of their own. It all looks set to continue well into the future.

I have turned my shopping habits around, not only saving money but also making healthier and more environmentally friendly choices. Who knew you could make your own peanut butter at Bin Inn? And it’s cheaper, healthier, you can recycle packaging and you know exactly what is in it. People ask me now that the column is finished, will we be relaxing the budget and treating ourselves a bit more? My answer is: no way! We love our new lifestyle and will definitely be sticking to it. I’m going to continue writing Pig Tits, too, and posting it weekly on my website to keep you all up to date.