Queensland mum-of-16 Jeni Bonell shares why she buys new pillows for her family every year

A mum to 16 children has shared the family’s New Year’s Day tradition of getting all the kids fresh pillows for their beds – and reveals how she uses all the old ones. 

Jeni Bonell, from Queensland, has made a name for herself online for sharing her life with sixteen kids aged between seven and 32 with nine still living at home.

In a Facebook post, she told her followers about the family’s January 1 ‘tradition’, where she buys all the new pillows and that she uses the old one for a range of things including emergency supplies and camping trips. 

‘One of our traditions is to give all the kids a new pillow on January 1st So every year they get at least one new pillow for their beds,’ the 52-year-old wrote. 

Everyone in the Bonell family gets a brand-new pillow every New Year’s Day. Jeni revealed where she buys the pillows on a budget and what she does with the old ones

‘With so many kids, that’s a LOT of pillows (that means that every two years all pillows are replaced).’ 

Jeni said the kids get ‘excited’ about their ‘new fresh’ pillows each year. 

She usually buys the Tontine brand which start at $18 from Big W but are currently on sale for half price. 

‘It’s a wonderful way to start the year by being able to lay your head down on a brand new pillow,’ Jeni said.  

‘It’s so fresh and clean. All ready for deep sleep and happy dreams.’ 

Jeni puts the old pillows in the family’s ‘B.E.S.S’ or Bag of Emergency Sickness Supplies or as bedding for pets.

The kids also use them on camping trips or on long bus drives and road trips then, Jeni said, ‘at the end of the day the really old ones are disposed of’. 

Health experts recommend people replace their pillows every one to two years so they remain supportive and hygienic. 

Many of the Bonell family’s followers were impressed by their ‘simply brilliant’ idea and shared their own New Year’s traditions.

‘We do the same and also buy new towels every year in the Boxing Day sales,’ one mum said. 

‘Santa bought seven new pillows for Christmas. And I bought two that were lavender infused which I wanted to try…It sure is nice not to sleep on pancakes,’ laughed another.  

Jeni (pictured centre left with her husband and children) has made a name for herself online for sharing her life with 16 kids aged between seven and 32 with nine still living at home

Parents on a tighter budget shared their tricks for making their pillows last longer.

‘I can’t afford to replace ours every year so we use a pillow protector like you do a mattress,’ someone wrote. 

‘I keep mine in pillow protectors. I have purchased some that can be washed and they plump up. I use the clean filling as couch pillows and in dog beds and also to plump up other pillows,’ a second recommended. 

Previously Jeni revealed how she managed to score almost $600 worth of groceries for her super-sized family completely free.

In a YouTube video, she said she saved up $580.90 worth of Woolworths vouchers which she redeemed for cash after handing in thousands of bottles at her local recycling centre. 

Recyclable bottles can be refunded for 10 cents each at a container refund point and redeemed for cash or retail vouchers in most states and territories. 

The 52-year-old said she saved up $580.90 worth of Woolworths vouchers which she redeemed for cash after handing in thousands of bottles at her local recycling centre

‘I saved up all of our 10-cent bottles and I picked up other people’s bottles, took them to the recyclers and got our redeemable vouchers,’ Jeni explained in the clip. 

‘I took them to the grocery store then I redeemed them for cash and that paid for my groceries.’

The thrifty mum received $580.90 in vouchers for all the bottles which she exchanged for cash that fully paid for her $579.55 grocery bill.  

‘We had two trolley loads and groceries cost $579.55 which means free groceries and a handful of change at the end of the day,’ she said in a YouTube clip

‘We had two trolley loads and the groceries cost $579.55 which means free groceries and a handful of change at the end of the day,’ she said.  

‘I am really super pleased with that, had a lot of fun doing that today, it was awesome to watch all those coupons going through.’ 

Included in Jeni’s mammoth shop was two pork leg roasts, two roast chickens, 10 tins of corn kernels for salads, and six three-litre bottles of milk.

‘The pantry is quite empty at the moment. We’ve been using everything up, making sure nothing goes out of date so I’m on a mission to restock the pantry,’ she said. 

To replenish the pantry, Jeni bought a range of sauces, a five kilo bag of rice, and 12 packets of pasta.

Toiletries included four bottles each of shampoo and conditioner, three bottles of bubbles bath, three boxes of tissues and 24 rolls of toilet paper. 

Jeni also stocked up on snacks with 11 packets of biscuits, four bunches of bananas, Jatz crackers and French onion and avocado dip. 

For work and school lunches, the money-saving shopper picked up eight tins of tuna, instant noodles and eight tins of baked beans.