April 10, 2026 • 5 mins
Especially in this economy, catching up with someone doesn’t have to mean spending over $40 at a cafe or a bar.
Kate Hall has a few suggestions on how you can turn your social time into something fun, practical, and a bit cheaper.
Ideas to try:
- Seed or plant swap – everyone brings seedlings or cuttings, go home with a garden upgrade
- Baking swap – make one thing, leave with a full spread
- Meal prep swap – cook one big dish each, swap portions = dinners sorted
- Clothing swap – especially good for the autumnal seasonal change or kids clothes
- Pantry swap – jams, chutneys, sourdough starter, bulk goods
- Home goods swap – books, decor, kitchen extras
Why it works:
- It saves money
- It reduces waste
- And it builds actual connection (not just sitting across a table spending money)
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks, that'd be time.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
To catch up with our sustainability expert Kate Hall is
always here giving us great practical tips on stuff we
can do that are never too painful to be just
a little bit more sustainable in our lives. Good morning,
What am I Jack? You have for us some hangout
ideas with mates that save you money and are sustainable.
So you are trying to catch up with your buddies
(00:35):
without going and spending an absolute bomb on a super
fancy dinner or anything like that, something that can be
a bit simpler.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Yeah, exactly. I think, you know, it's important to still
be social, but sometimes the thought of going out and
having to pay drinks and a meal or you know,
like all the kind of costs that come with it,
especially at the moment, can feel a bit overwhelming. And
there are so many particularly sustainable ways that we can
still gather and still have a lot of fun. I
would argue probably more fun at these ideas than just
(01:04):
sitting at a bar and kind of just so making
them small talk.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Yeah, it's funny, you know they always say with men
that men have to be doing stuff. I mean they
don't have to be, but you know, I mean, like
do stuff to socialize because they're not very good at
the kind of steering opposite each other over a long
black steering into each other.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Yeah, yeah, let's just go for a walk or something,
you know, like it. I feel like then you can
talk about something and yeah, that's right, you're like doing stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Anyway, so you've got some great little practical ideas for
us this morning. Let's start off with a seed or
plants swap.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Yes, so everyone would bring a seeds, like a packet
of seeds, seedlings or cuttings. So you should bring like
cuttings from your house plants or some seedlings that you
know you've grown heaps and you've got some excess. So
you imagine if okay, let's say there's like ten people.
Imagine if you bring ten little seedlings of tomatoes, and
(01:59):
then you'd come home with ten seedlings, but of all
different varieties because they're bringing something different, so yeah, it
could be a really really fun one. Also a baking slop,
so the same idea, but you're bringing his favorite thing
that you like to bake. Then again, you go home
with a whole lot of different things from new flavors,
(02:20):
and you're not just left with like a bulk load
of brownie. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah, that's a good idea. Yeah, I'm into that. It's
good and that could kind of work for other meals
as well, I suppose.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Yes, yeah, exactly, I like the idea. I'm actually planning
on doing. This is my friend. So it's a meal
prep slop. So you imagine if you cook just one
big dish. So like Tim and I really like making nachos.
So if you just bulk make a whole of nachos,
put them in little portion containers and bring them to
your meal crip party if you want to call it,
(02:53):
and then you come home with all sorts of different
meals and so you've got like a whole variety and
you haven't had to make everything or go out and
get all the ingredients. And yeah, you've got a whole
lot of different meals for your fridge or freezer.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Yeah that's a really good idea. You could just do
like a let say you did a massive lasagne or yeah,
you don't want to mak a Lasania, but you know
what I mean, Like you could do you could just
do a really big batch and then you could actually
end up with five different meals if you did a
really Yeah, that's cunning. I'm into that you can do
the same kind of swap when it comes to clothes.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Yes, yeah, I think people have likely heard of clothing
stop and so yeah, you bring a whole bunch of
clothes you no longer want, and that's less less like
the baking and meal one when you kind of bring
sort of portions. But I've seen clothing stops at best
when you just bring kind of all the clothes that
you don't need that you think so different people coming
(03:47):
to the party, and then anything that you no one
kind of takes home that nothing finds a home. You
can donate to the upshop.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Nice and the swat theme continues for things from your pantry.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
I've seen some awesome slop parties of people bring like
jams and chutney, the sourdough starters, you know, like any
different things like these ex reps. I really love making
these x reps. So again, it's like using everyone's different
skills to do something you know you love but do yeah,
like a home goods slop. You can even do like
(04:21):
things around your house that you no longer love, or
you know, like homedake or just get yeah, get creatives,
and it could be so much fun and actually be.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Quite a last yeah, and a great way to socialize
while kind of saving money as well. And I suppose
like there's something about that kind of shared experience thing
too that actually I don't want to get too like
grandiose on this, but it can kind of actually helps
to forge connections.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Ah, yeah exactly, And it's part of like community resilience
as well, that you you know, you're kind of connecting,
you're sharing skills, you're not just sharing drinks. You know,
you're kind of you have someone to talk about, and
you get to know your friends much more too, because
you're like, yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
You're you're talking about the things you're going to be labor.
Yeah exactly, you can talk about the things that you're
going to be wrapping in Kate's beeswax.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
That's a really good idea. No, I'm into it. I
think it's a really good idea. I guess you could
call them swat parties.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Yes, exactly right, you can stop anything really Yeah, very good.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Hey, thank you, kay, love that we'll put those suggestions
up on the News Talks ib website and of course
you can find Kate on social media to search Ethically
Kate on all of the main platforms and she will
pop right.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Up for more. From Saturday Morning with Jack Tame. Listen
live to News Talks i'd be from nine am Saturday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks, that'd be time.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
To catch up with our sustainability expert Kate Hall is
always here giving us great practical tips on stuff we
can do that are never too painful to be just
a little bit more sustainable in our lives. Good morning,
What am I Jack? You have for us some hangout
ideas with mates that save you money and are sustainable.
So you are trying to catch up with your buddies
(00:35):
without going and spending an absolute bomb on a super
fancy dinner or anything like that, something that can be
a bit simpler.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Yeah, exactly. I think, you know, it's important to still
be social, but sometimes the thought of going out and
having to pay drinks and a meal or you know,
like all the kind of costs that come with it,
especially at the moment, can feel a bit overwhelming. And
there are so many particularly sustainable ways that we can
still gather and still have a lot of fun. I
would argue probably more fun at these ideas than just
(01:04):
sitting at a bar and kind of just so making
them small talk.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Yeah, it's funny, you know they always say with men
that men have to be doing stuff. I mean they
don't have to be, but you know, I mean, like
do stuff to socialize because they're not very good at
the kind of steering opposite each other over a long
black steering into each other.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Yeah, yeah, let's just go for a walk or something,
you know, like it. I feel like then you can
talk about something and yeah, that's right, you're like doing stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Anyway, so you've got some great little practical ideas for
us this morning. Let's start off with a seed or
plants swap.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Yes, so everyone would bring a seeds, like a packet
of seeds, seedlings or cuttings. So you should bring like
cuttings from your house plants or some seedlings that you
know you've grown heaps and you've got some excess. So
you imagine if okay, let's say there's like ten people.
Imagine if you bring ten little seedlings of tomatoes, and
(01:59):
then you'd come home with ten seedlings, but of all
different varieties because they're bringing something different, so yeah, it
could be a really really fun one. Also a baking slop,
so the same idea, but you're bringing his favorite thing
that you like to bake. Then again, you go home
with a whole lot of different things from new flavors,
(02:20):
and you're not just left with like a bulk load
of brownie. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah, that's a good idea. Yeah, I'm into that. It's
good and that could kind of work for other meals
as well, I suppose.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Yes, yeah, exactly, I like the idea. I'm actually planning
on doing. This is my friend. So it's a meal
prep slop. So you imagine if you cook just one
big dish. So like Tim and I really like making nachos.
So if you just bulk make a whole of nachos,
put them in little portion containers and bring them to
your meal crip party if you want to call it,
(02:53):
and then you come home with all sorts of different
meals and so you've got like a whole variety and
you haven't had to make everything or go out and
get all the ingredients. And yeah, you've got a whole
lot of different meals for your fridge or freezer.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Yeah that's a really good idea. You could just do
like a let say you did a massive lasagne or yeah,
you don't want to mak a Lasania, but you know
what I mean, Like you could do you could just
do a really big batch and then you could actually
end up with five different meals if you did a
really Yeah, that's cunning. I'm into that you can do
the same kind of swap when it comes to clothes.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Yes, yeah, I think people have likely heard of clothing
stop and so yeah, you bring a whole bunch of
clothes you no longer want, and that's less less like
the baking and meal one when you kind of bring
sort of portions. But I've seen clothing stops at best
when you just bring kind of all the clothes that
you don't need that you think so different people coming
(03:47):
to the party, and then anything that you no one
kind of takes home that nothing finds a home. You
can donate to the upshop.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Nice and the swat theme continues for things from your pantry.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
I've seen some awesome slop parties of people bring like
jams and chutney, the sourdough starters, you know, like any
different things like these ex reps. I really love making
these x reps. So again, it's like using everyone's different
skills to do something you know you love but do yeah,
like a home goods slop. You can even do like
(04:21):
things around your house that you no longer love, or
you know, like homedake or just get yeah, get creatives,
and it could be so much fun and actually be.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Quite a last yeah, and a great way to socialize
while kind of saving money as well. And I suppose
like there's something about that kind of shared experience thing
too that actually I don't want to get too like
grandiose on this, but it can kind of actually helps
to forge connections.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Ah, yeah exactly, And it's part of like community resilience
as well, that you you know, you're kind of connecting,
you're sharing skills, you're not just sharing drinks. You know,
you're kind of you have someone to talk about, and
you get to know your friends much more too, because
you're like, yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
You're you're talking about the things you're going to be labor.
Yeah exactly, you can talk about the things that you're
going to be wrapping in Kate's beeswax.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
That's a really good idea. No, I'm into it. I
think it's a really good idea. I guess you could
call them swat parties.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Yes, exactly right, you can stop anything really Yeah, very good.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Hey, thank you, kay, love that we'll put those suggestions
up on the News Talks ib website and of course
you can find Kate on social media to search Ethically
Kate on all of the main platforms and she will
pop right.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Up for more. From Saturday Morning with Jack Tame. Listen
live to News Talks i'd be from nine am Saturday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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