Until last week, I didn't have proper wardrobes in our bedroom *hangs head in shame*.We always meant to buy some but we kept putting off buying them as we've been planning to get some fitted wardrobes installed since we moved in. It's never really been a top priority though and we've always had something else to spend our money on so the temporary wood and canvas wardrobes we bought when we moved in became less temporary and ended up staying for almost five years.Then my Dad bought some new wardrobes and arranged for his old ones (less than a year old) to be collected and delivered to … [Read more...]
Thrifty Thursday – Make your own curtains (take two)….
I wouldn't usually re-publish a post but every now and again, I remember about a post I wrote that's hidden away in my archives craving a little bit of attention (aren't we all?). This post, for example, was originally published a year or so ago but I really wanted to share it with you again today as I've just made a second pair of curtains using the same method.I've been after a pair of thick cream curtains for my living room for a while now but I'm struggling to find a pair that I like enough to buy! It's not that I'm fussy though, I just have very specific requirements ;-)I want … [Read more...]
It’s time for the Summer Bag….
You all know that I have a present bag, which was replenished yesterday with some brilliant bargains from the 75% off sale in Claires and the '5 cards for £1' offer in the Card Factory, but I don't think I've told you about my Summer bag yet.My Summer bag is basically a bag filled with all sorts of outdoor toys and other things that mean we can have fun wherever we are and without having to plan things or spend time getting ready.This is what's in there at the moment, starting with the sensible stuff:Sun tan lotion. Hats - not their favourite hats just cheap ones just in … [Read more...]
Thrifty Thursday – 15 Ways to save money in the kitchen….
It's OK, I'm not going to go on about meal planning again although that's clearly my first way to save money in the kitchen - if you don't already meal plan, you should. If you do, you'll be nodding your head right now agreeing that this is by far the easiest way to save money in the kitchen. But even aside from meal planning, the kitchen is one area where you can save money easily without really changing much at all. Here's my favourite kitchen moneysaving tips.... Cook and serve the right portion sizes - Pasta and rice are the main foods that I regularly over estimate the amount I need to … [Read more...]
Thrifty Thursday – Last minute meals….
I'm a big fan of meal planning but even so, there's often an occasion when I have to magic up a meal with just what I have in the house - usually when someone has eaten a key ingredient of the meal I was planning because they fancied it! I do have a few standby recipes that usually save the day though....Some sort of variety of Macaroni Cheese depending on what we have in the fridge. I generally have some of my homemade tomato sauce in the freezer which is great with most things - mixed with pasta, as a base for tuna pasta bake or even with some grilled chicken wrapped … [Read more...]
Thirty Thrifty Family Meals from around the web….
I've said this before and I'm pretty sure I'll say it again many times in the future but meal planning is definitely my favourite way to save money - it costs me less each week when I go shopping and saves me time each day as I know what I'm cooking.I wrote a guide over on my Meal Planning blog about what meal planning actually means and how I do it but it's not just about the planning side of things. You need to be able to stick to it which is where I've often struggled in the past - mainly because I get bored of cooking (and eating) the same things week after week but I find that a lot … [Read more...]
