This May we are going on our very first family holiday abroad. Actually it is our very first family holiday anywhere! Our daughter will be 18 months old, and up until now, she has never stayed anywhere other than our home. I am going to let you know about all the 'frugal' things we have done to ensure this is a memorable holiday for us without spending too much money.
1. We have been saving for this holiday for 2 years! On my 24th birthday I was given one of those unopenable pot money boxes. They are made so you have to break the pot to get in to the money which means we weren't tempted to open it up and pinch the pennies. We decided to just put £2 coins in to it. We opened it 1 and a half years later when it was nearly full and there was just over £900 in there!
2. Book your holiday at a time when most people don't book. We went with Thomsons as they seem to offer the best deal. We booked our deal in the time between Christmas and New Year because they were offering £100 off any package holiday.
3. See what upgrades are available when you book. We were researching half board options but checked how much it would be to upgrade to full board. It was an incredible 10 pence per person!! This was for 10 days so effectively we were getting an evening meal for 1 pence per day per person! Clearly, this was too good to pass up so we added this to our booking.
4. Go through a cashback website. We used Quidco and they gave us £10 just for clicking through to the Thomson website via theirs.
5. Choose carefully when you go on holiday. As I said earlier, my daughter is 18 months old and it is usually the case that under 2's fly free and stay free in hotels. If we had waited until next year to go then it would have cost 100's of pounds more. Go while your little ones are little.
6. Prebook your airport parking. We also did this through Quidco and made £4.08 cashback.
7. Use price comparison websites to research your travel insurance. We found a great deal through them with a company that offered us great cover as a family for just over £10.
8. Check if your bank account offers free travel insurance. Some bank accounts have this included so you could save yourself money by using it.
9. When you check in, see if you can upgrade your seats to get extra legroom. This is something I really love to get but rather than prebooking it I wait until I get to the airport as they offer them for less than half price. Likewise with upgrading to business class. I have never travelled abroad before without doing this last minute and each time have got a great deal.
10. This last one is maybe obvious but if you are able to travel outside of school holidays you will save bucket loads. We are trying to save up again for a holiday next year so we can make the most of the time our daughter isn't in school. It is incredibly unfair how travel companies increase prices during school holidays but I suppose they are the optimum times for people travelling.
I can't wait for our holiday. I am not ashamed to admit I have packed our bags already! When we get back I will share some more tips with you about keeping spending costs low while we are over there, and also some pictures too.
Thanks for reading,
xx
Wednesday, 30 April 2014
Tuesday, 29 April 2014
Cheap and easy brownies
I am a chocoholic! I love a bit of chocolate and love to bake. These are my favourite brownies. I don't often make them as they are crammed full of calories but they are so yummy and quick to make.
The ingredients
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Heat the butter in a pan until melted then stir in the sugar and cocoa until it has turned into a chocolatey goop.
Add the flour, coconut and beaten eggs then stir well.
Dollop it in to a square cake tin and put in the oven.
Bake for 40 minutes then check. It should be springy to the touch. Take out the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
These are great served still slightly gooey with ice cream. If you like them gooey, let them cook for just 30 minutes before removing from the oven.
It costs less than £3.70 for the whole thing and you can get 16 pieces out of it, that's less than 24p per piece. Bargainous brownies!
The ingredients
250g of butter or margarine
100g of cocoa
500g of sugar
4 beaten eggs
100g self raising flour
100g of dessicated coconut
Heat the butter in a pan until melted then stir in the sugar and cocoa until it has turned into a chocolatey goop.
Add the flour, coconut and beaten eggs then stir well.
Dollop it in to a square cake tin and put in the oven.
Bake for 40 minutes then check. It should be springy to the touch. Take out the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
These are great served still slightly gooey with ice cream. If you like them gooey, let them cook for just 30 minutes before removing from the oven.
It costs less than £3.70 for the whole thing and you can get 16 pieces out of it, that's less than 24p per piece. Bargainous brownies!
Monday, 28 April 2014
Cheap and easy sausage hotpot
I have been using this recipe for a year or so. It is quick and easy to do and I nearly always have all the ingredients in stock ready to go.
You will need-
6 sausages
2 or 3 carrots
1 large onion
Optional spinach
3 cloves of garlic or garlic granules
5 medium potatoes
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin beans
stock cube
500ml boiling water
seasoning (I use a dollop of brown sauce or worcester sauce)
Slice your potatoes and put them in a pan to boil. Put sausages under the grill or fry them.
I get 4 portions out of this and it costs below 80p per person to make. It is a great meal for families and is a firm favourite in our household. It can be premade in the morning and put in the oven when you get home in an evening if that is easier for you.
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do,
Thanks for reading
xx
You will need-
6 sausages
2 or 3 carrots
1 large onion
Optional spinach
3 cloves of garlic or garlic granules
5 medium potatoes
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin beans
stock cube
500ml boiling water
seasoning (I use a dollop of brown sauce or worcester sauce)
Chop onion, garlic and carrots and fry in a pan until onion is soft.
Make up the stock and pour into pan with the onions carrots and garlic. Simmer for 15 minutes or until carrots are soft.
Add beans and tomatoes. I sneak some spinach in at this point as no one else in my family likes it but I want to get some extra greens in to their diet!
Chop up sausages and put in a big cooking dish.
Add the contents of the pan on top.
Drain potatoes and layer on top.
Bake in the oven for around 40 minutes.
I get 4 portions out of this and it costs below 80p per person to make. It is a great meal for families and is a firm favourite in our household. It can be premade in the morning and put in the oven when you get home in an evening if that is easier for you.
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do,
Thanks for reading
xx
Sunday, 27 April 2014
Saving money with a newborn- Freebies
Having your first baby is such an expensive time. There is so much to buy and you are never quite sure what you really NEED. When I discovered I was pregnant I spent a lot of time on the internet researching ways to get every thing I needed but at a lower price. I discovered a lot of companies offer a sort of 'club' that you can join where they will send you free stuff when you register with them. I thought I would share with you a few of the best ones that I found for getting free baby stuff!
Boots parenting club.
Perhaps the best one out there. They send you lots of coupons which offer discounts off nappies, breast pumps, clothes, wipes and all sorts of other baby products. They also offer you a completely free changing bag if you buy a pack of pampers new born nappies or pack of pampers wipes. I used this offer and I am happy to say I am still using this changing bag 17 months later. It is showing no signs of wear and tear and holds everything that I need it to.
Pampers.
Lots of money off coupons for their nappies. I still receive them in the post and they have saved me a lot of money.
Sainsburys.
You receive a welcome pack with lots of free samples in when you buy a pack of nappies from one of their stores.
Hipp baby club.
These offer free baby weaning spoons, discounts off the baby food, free bibs,
Ella's Kitchen.
Free coupons for discounts off their pouches. Also a few coupons for completely free pouches.
Mothercare.
I signed up to this one in store. I was buying a maternity bra when a sales lady approached me with one of the leaflets where if you sign up you get £10 off a purchase of any bra. There are lots of other money off coupons but most are off big purchases like cots and pushchairs.
Others worth mentioning are:
Emma's Diary
Aptamil
Cow and gate
SMA
Heinz Baby
Huggies
Tesco
Babies R Us
I registered for as many clubs as I could find and although you do receive a lot of junk mail in your email box it is worth it for the money you save.
Thanks for reading,
xx
Boots parenting club.
Perhaps the best one out there. They send you lots of coupons which offer discounts off nappies, breast pumps, clothes, wipes and all sorts of other baby products. They also offer you a completely free changing bag if you buy a pack of pampers new born nappies or pack of pampers wipes. I used this offer and I am happy to say I am still using this changing bag 17 months later. It is showing no signs of wear and tear and holds everything that I need it to.
Pampers.
Lots of money off coupons for their nappies. I still receive them in the post and they have saved me a lot of money.
Sainsburys.
You receive a welcome pack with lots of free samples in when you buy a pack of nappies from one of their stores.
Hipp baby club.
These offer free baby weaning spoons, discounts off the baby food, free bibs,
Ella's Kitchen.
Free coupons for discounts off their pouches. Also a few coupons for completely free pouches.
Mothercare.
I signed up to this one in store. I was buying a maternity bra when a sales lady approached me with one of the leaflets where if you sign up you get £10 off a purchase of any bra. There are lots of other money off coupons but most are off big purchases like cots and pushchairs.
Others worth mentioning are:
Emma's Diary
Aptamil
Cow and gate
SMA
Heinz Baby
Huggies
Tesco
Babies R Us
I registered for as many clubs as I could find and although you do receive a lot of junk mail in your email box it is worth it for the money you save.
Thanks for reading,
xx
Saturday, 26 April 2014
How I earn money online
When I was on maternity leave we had less disposable income than our household was used to. I turned to the internet to see if there were any ways I could earn money online. The following websites are ones that I use to earn myself extras for my family.
Nectar Adpoints.
This website asks that you watch short videos (usually between 30 seconds up to 2 minutes) and rate them at the end. It gives you nectar points for every one that you watch and sets a limit of 250 nectar points per week. This is the equivalent of £1.25. In case you don't know, Nectar points are a reward scheme from Sainsbury's and you can also earn these points by shopping in store.
Nectar Canvass.
Following on from the last website, Nectar Canvass is also a Sainsburys run website. You complete surveys in return for nectar points.
Yougov.
This is another survey website. They email you when a survey is available, I usually get 2-3 a week. They issue points when a survey is completed. The points are usually 50 or 75 depending on the length of the survey. Once you reach 5000 you can 'cash out' for £50 sent via cheque or bank transfer. I average £50 every 7 months.
Ipsos Panel.
This is another survey website. Points are given for each survey completed. Can vary between 5 points and 400 points. Once you reach 1380 points you can 'cash out' for a voucher of your choice. Lots of high street retailers vouchers are included in the option list.
Shop and Scan.
This is an usual one where you have to apply to be on the panel. Once accepted you are sent a barcode scanning device and a user manual. They ask that each time you purchase anything you scan the barcode with the device and upload it by Sunday evening each week. For this you earn 1100 points per week. If you upload a picture of the receipt you earn an extra 500 points per week. Once you reach 10000 points you can 'cash out' for a voucher. You get to pick which voucher you want. Retailers include Argos, H Samuel, Toni and Guy.
Petrol Panel.
This is also run by the Shop and Scan company except you upload your petrol purchases. You don't need to keep the receipts for these, you just type in how many litres you have bought, from where and for what price. 2500 points are given per month.
The vouchers and Nectar points I earn from these surveys are nice little extras to have. The nectar points usually get spent on nappies or other baby items during their half yearly baby event. The vouchers are being saved up to buy our wedding rings from Ernest Jones.
Most of the ones I have mentioned require little effort and can be done whilst watching the TV on an evening. You don't realise how much they can add up to buy I sure would miss the rewards if I didn't do it anymore!
Thanks for reading,
xx
Nectar Adpoints.
This website asks that you watch short videos (usually between 30 seconds up to 2 minutes) and rate them at the end. It gives you nectar points for every one that you watch and sets a limit of 250 nectar points per week. This is the equivalent of £1.25. In case you don't know, Nectar points are a reward scheme from Sainsbury's and you can also earn these points by shopping in store.
Nectar Canvass.
Following on from the last website, Nectar Canvass is also a Sainsburys run website. You complete surveys in return for nectar points.
Yougov.
This is another survey website. They email you when a survey is available, I usually get 2-3 a week. They issue points when a survey is completed. The points are usually 50 or 75 depending on the length of the survey. Once you reach 5000 you can 'cash out' for £50 sent via cheque or bank transfer. I average £50 every 7 months.
Ipsos Panel.
This is another survey website. Points are given for each survey completed. Can vary between 5 points and 400 points. Once you reach 1380 points you can 'cash out' for a voucher of your choice. Lots of high street retailers vouchers are included in the option list.
Shop and Scan.
This is an usual one where you have to apply to be on the panel. Once accepted you are sent a barcode scanning device and a user manual. They ask that each time you purchase anything you scan the barcode with the device and upload it by Sunday evening each week. For this you earn 1100 points per week. If you upload a picture of the receipt you earn an extra 500 points per week. Once you reach 10000 points you can 'cash out' for a voucher. You get to pick which voucher you want. Retailers include Argos, H Samuel, Toni and Guy.
Petrol Panel.
This is also run by the Shop and Scan company except you upload your petrol purchases. You don't need to keep the receipts for these, you just type in how many litres you have bought, from where and for what price. 2500 points are given per month.
The vouchers and Nectar points I earn from these surveys are nice little extras to have. The nectar points usually get spent on nappies or other baby items during their half yearly baby event. The vouchers are being saved up to buy our wedding rings from Ernest Jones.
Most of the ones I have mentioned require little effort and can be done whilst watching the TV on an evening. You don't realise how much they can add up to buy I sure would miss the rewards if I didn't do it anymore!
Thanks for reading,
xx
Friday, 25 April 2014
Five little things - Friday 25th April
This is a new tag to tell you five little things I have done during Friday each week to save myself money. I will try and mention 5 different things each time to keep things varied!
This week....
1. Sent Mr MFW to work with a packed lunch of leftovers from last nights dinner.
2. Received money off coupons through post for nappies after signing up to Pampers baby club.
3. Upcycled old milk bottles into plant pots. We get the 4 pint plastic cartons which I chopped the tops off so the remaining carton was about 4 inch deep. Poked holes in the bottom for drainage and put them away ready for planting tomatos in to.
4. Sold our old cooker on a Facebook selling page. Buyer collected within the hour and gave me cash.
5. Claimed £10 voucher from a panel I am part of. Put towards our wedding ring fund.
What have you done today to save money?
Thanks for reading,
xx
This week....
1. Sent Mr MFW to work with a packed lunch of leftovers from last nights dinner.
2. Received money off coupons through post for nappies after signing up to Pampers baby club.
3. Upcycled old milk bottles into plant pots. We get the 4 pint plastic cartons which I chopped the tops off so the remaining carton was about 4 inch deep. Poked holes in the bottom for drainage and put them away ready for planting tomatos in to.
4. Sold our old cooker on a Facebook selling page. Buyer collected within the hour and gave me cash.
5. Claimed £10 voucher from a panel I am part of. Put towards our wedding ring fund.
What have you done today to save money?
Thanks for reading,
xx
Thursday, 24 April 2014
How to save money by cutting out 10 things you don't need
When you embark on a money saving journey you have to re-evaluate every part of your life to see where you are overspending. Below is a list of 10 things you could be wasting money on each month. My family have made these changes in our life to save money and invest in our future and the future of our children. I would rather live a modest lifestyle now in order to pay our mortgage off quicker and have a happier retirement, along with knowing that our future children's future will be more secure.
1. Fast food and takeaways
Before we got a bit more savvy with our money we used to have 2 takeaways per week. Monday night was chippy night where we would spend £10 between both of us, and Friday night was pizza/indian/chinese night where we spent £20 between us. That's £30 per week! My food budget for the whole week is now only £40. Stop being lazy and cook a meal from scratch, it is much cheaper and healthier.
2. Gym membership.
Do you really need to go to a gym to get fit? Go for a run or a bike ride. Fill old bottles up with water or sand and use them as weights. If you're stuck inside you can run up and down the stairs or dance to burn calories.
3. Sky membership.
There are plenty of free ways to watch TV shows and films. Netflix and Love Film offer a months free subscription. If there are 2 people in your household you can get 4 months of free subscriptions by each signing up to these.
4. Cars
If you are a multicar household, do you need 2 cars? Public transport can be a lot cheaper than the running costs of a car once you have paid out for tax, insurance, maintenance, MOT, servicing and the original cost of buying one. Why don't you get up a little earlier and walk to work instead if you live close enough?
5. New clothes.
Try and make do with the clothes that you have. It has been YEARS since I bought something new for myself. I have stayed pretty much the same size since I was 18 years old so haven't NEEDED anything new for 7 years. If things get worn out then I ask for clothes as a Christmas or Birthday gift. During my pregnancy I wore stretchy tank tops and loose fitting jogging pants. If I needed to wear posh trousers I would stretch a hairband around the button and loop it through the button hole to keep them up.
6. Days out.
These should be an occasional treat and not a weekly occurrence. There are plenty of free places to go on a family trip out instead of spending £100 on a trip to the zoo. Visit the national trust website and you will find places to visit in your local area. In the summer go to your local park and take a picnic with you. Play catch or a just run around and burn energy off. My daughters favourite place to go is Pets at Home where she can look at the animals that are for sale and this is absolutely free.
7. Home phone.
Nearly everyone has a mobile phone nowadays. If you are tied in to a contract you probably have free minutes each month and therefore no need to ring people off the house phone as well. I pay £10 per month for my mobile phone on a rolling contract and get unlimited free texts and 500 free minutes.
8. Holidays.
I never went abroad when I was younger. If we had a lucky year I would get to go to Scarborough for a weekend in the summer holidays. Why is it now that children expect to go to Spain or Tenerife for 2 weeks in the sun? It is ridiculous how expensive holidays are especially if you can only travel in summer holidays. (I just had a look on a travel website and 2 weeks in Spain during August is £3000+ for a family of 4)
9. Haircuts.
You don't need to go to a fancy salon every 6 weeks to get your hair trimmed. I go twice a year and it costs me £16 per time. I trim my own fringe to keep it looking fresh in the mean time. If you are a man, buy a trimmer and DIY, or get your partner to do it for you.
10. Cleaning products.
There are so many on the market to buy. I don't buy any of them except for bleach, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar, along with washing up liquid. Every thing in my house gets cleaned with one of these. (Post coming up soon about this)
1. Fast food and takeaways
Before we got a bit more savvy with our money we used to have 2 takeaways per week. Monday night was chippy night where we would spend £10 between both of us, and Friday night was pizza/indian/chinese night where we spent £20 between us. That's £30 per week! My food budget for the whole week is now only £40. Stop being lazy and cook a meal from scratch, it is much cheaper and healthier.
2. Gym membership.
Do you really need to go to a gym to get fit? Go for a run or a bike ride. Fill old bottles up with water or sand and use them as weights. If you're stuck inside you can run up and down the stairs or dance to burn calories.
3. Sky membership.
There are plenty of free ways to watch TV shows and films. Netflix and Love Film offer a months free subscription. If there are 2 people in your household you can get 4 months of free subscriptions by each signing up to these.
4. Cars
If you are a multicar household, do you need 2 cars? Public transport can be a lot cheaper than the running costs of a car once you have paid out for tax, insurance, maintenance, MOT, servicing and the original cost of buying one. Why don't you get up a little earlier and walk to work instead if you live close enough?
5. New clothes.
Try and make do with the clothes that you have. It has been YEARS since I bought something new for myself. I have stayed pretty much the same size since I was 18 years old so haven't NEEDED anything new for 7 years. If things get worn out then I ask for clothes as a Christmas or Birthday gift. During my pregnancy I wore stretchy tank tops and loose fitting jogging pants. If I needed to wear posh trousers I would stretch a hairband around the button and loop it through the button hole to keep them up.
6. Days out.
These should be an occasional treat and not a weekly occurrence. There are plenty of free places to go on a family trip out instead of spending £100 on a trip to the zoo. Visit the national trust website and you will find places to visit in your local area. In the summer go to your local park and take a picnic with you. Play catch or a just run around and burn energy off. My daughters favourite place to go is Pets at Home where she can look at the animals that are for sale and this is absolutely free.
7. Home phone.
Nearly everyone has a mobile phone nowadays. If you are tied in to a contract you probably have free minutes each month and therefore no need to ring people off the house phone as well. I pay £10 per month for my mobile phone on a rolling contract and get unlimited free texts and 500 free minutes.
8. Holidays.
I never went abroad when I was younger. If we had a lucky year I would get to go to Scarborough for a weekend in the summer holidays. Why is it now that children expect to go to Spain or Tenerife for 2 weeks in the sun? It is ridiculous how expensive holidays are especially if you can only travel in summer holidays. (I just had a look on a travel website and 2 weeks in Spain during August is £3000+ for a family of 4)
9. Haircuts.
You don't need to go to a fancy salon every 6 weeks to get your hair trimmed. I go twice a year and it costs me £16 per time. I trim my own fringe to keep it looking fresh in the mean time. If you are a man, buy a trimmer and DIY, or get your partner to do it for you.
10. Cleaning products.
There are so many on the market to buy. I don't buy any of them except for bleach, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar, along with washing up liquid. Every thing in my house gets cleaned with one of these. (Post coming up soon about this)
Wednesday, 23 April 2014
Meal plan for next week
As mentioned in my previous 'weekly shop' blog, here is a look in to what my meal plans for next week look like. I hope you're like me and like having a nosy at what other people have for their meals just to give me inspiration.
I find that by planning meals for the week ahead, it helps me organise my shopping list and only buy what is necessary. I still buy bargains if I see them but I freeze them if I think they will go out of date before I use them.
Monday.
Breakfast - Cereal and milk (everyone)
Lunch - Spaghetti hoops on toast (Baby and me) Chicken salad (Mr MFW)
Dinner - Corned beef hash (everyone)
Tuesday
Breakfast - Toast and jam (everyone)
Lunch - Egg mayo sandwich. Yoghurt (Baby and me) Leftover corned beef hash (Mr MFW)
Dinner - Gammon, chips, egg (Mr MFW) (Baby at babysitters) (Me at work)
Wednesday
Breakfast - Cereal and milk (everyone)
Lunch - Jacket potato and beans with salad (Baby and me) Chicken salad (Mr MFW)
Dinner - Lasagne and salad (everyone)
Thursday
Breakfast - Toast and jam (everyone)
Lunch - Cheese and tomato on toast (baby and me) Leftover lasagne (Mr MFW)
Dinner - Bacon and onion quiche with potatoes and salad (everyone)
Friday
Breakfast - Cereal and milk (everyone)
Lunch - Leftover quiche (everyone)
Dinner - Toad in the hole, mixed vegetables (everyone)
Saturday
Breakfast - Cereal and milk (everyone)
Lunch - Sausagey pasta (everyone)
Dinner - Leftover Toad in the hole (baby and Mr MFW) (me at work)
Sunday
Breakfast - Full english, bacon, sausage, eggs, tomato (everyone)
Lunch - Omelette (baby and Mr MFW) (me at work)
Dinner - Roast beef, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, gravy (everyone)
For snacks I have flapjack, chocolate muffins, yoghurts and an overflowing fruit bowl.
I will be doing an occasional post on our family meals and home made snacks so you can see how I do them for as smaller price as possible.
Thanks for reading,
xx
I find that by planning meals for the week ahead, it helps me organise my shopping list and only buy what is necessary. I still buy bargains if I see them but I freeze them if I think they will go out of date before I use them.
Monday.
Breakfast - Cereal and milk (everyone)
Lunch - Spaghetti hoops on toast (Baby and me) Chicken salad (Mr MFW)
Dinner - Corned beef hash (everyone)
Tuesday
Breakfast - Toast and jam (everyone)
Lunch - Egg mayo sandwich. Yoghurt (Baby and me) Leftover corned beef hash (Mr MFW)
Dinner - Gammon, chips, egg (Mr MFW) (Baby at babysitters) (Me at work)
Wednesday
Breakfast - Cereal and milk (everyone)
Lunch - Jacket potato and beans with salad (Baby and me) Chicken salad (Mr MFW)
Dinner - Lasagne and salad (everyone)
Thursday
Breakfast - Toast and jam (everyone)
Lunch - Cheese and tomato on toast (baby and me) Leftover lasagne (Mr MFW)
Dinner - Bacon and onion quiche with potatoes and salad (everyone)
Friday
Breakfast - Cereal and milk (everyone)
Lunch - Leftover quiche (everyone)
Dinner - Toad in the hole, mixed vegetables (everyone)
Saturday
Breakfast - Cereal and milk (everyone)
Lunch - Sausagey pasta (everyone)
Dinner - Leftover Toad in the hole (baby and Mr MFW) (me at work)
Sunday
Breakfast - Full english, bacon, sausage, eggs, tomato (everyone)
Lunch - Omelette (baby and Mr MFW) (me at work)
Dinner - Roast beef, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, gravy (everyone)
For snacks I have flapjack, chocolate muffins, yoghurts and an overflowing fruit bowl.
I will be doing an occasional post on our family meals and home made snacks so you can see how I do them for as smaller price as possible.
Thanks for reading,
xx
Tuesday, 22 April 2014
My weekly shop
Our family has drastically cut down on the amount we spend on our grocery shopping each week. We aim to stick to a budget of £40 per week for the 3 of us. Included in this budget are nappies and wipes for our 1 year old daughter.
I work in a place where I can get a free evening meal if I am working the 2pm-11pm shift so this helps me on a couple of nights per week.
I have been to Aldi this morning and thought I would give you a glimpse of what we buy on a typical weekly shop.
I always meal plan for the week to make sure nothing goes to waste and that we don't have days wondering what we are going to have for tea. I bake snacks for us so we don't have to buy any brand named cakes or biscuits. They cost a fraction of what shops charge and I get satisfaction out of making them. Especially as our daughter is at the age where she likes to help so it becomes a nice activity to do together.
I batch cook certain meals and freeze them so if I am out at work my partner can microwave a precooked tea when he gets home and not have to cook for himself. This saves his time and ensures he gets a decent tea rather than chips and sausages!
I buy a lot of veg so we can have healthier meals. In this particular shop I bought a massive joint of beef which I will get my dearly beloved to chop into 4 or 5 pieces and freeze so we can get more meals out of it. If I cooked it all in one and told myself we would use the spare for packed lunches it would probably go smelly and out of date.
Later in the week I will share with you what our meal plan looks like for the week ahead.
Thanks for reading
xx
I work in a place where I can get a free evening meal if I am working the 2pm-11pm shift so this helps me on a couple of nights per week.
I have been to Aldi this morning and thought I would give you a glimpse of what we buy on a typical weekly shop.
I always meal plan for the week to make sure nothing goes to waste and that we don't have days wondering what we are going to have for tea. I bake snacks for us so we don't have to buy any brand named cakes or biscuits. They cost a fraction of what shops charge and I get satisfaction out of making them. Especially as our daughter is at the age where she likes to help so it becomes a nice activity to do together.
I batch cook certain meals and freeze them so if I am out at work my partner can microwave a precooked tea when he gets home and not have to cook for himself. This saves his time and ensures he gets a decent tea rather than chips and sausages!
I buy a lot of veg so we can have healthier meals. In this particular shop I bought a massive joint of beef which I will get my dearly beloved to chop into 4 or 5 pieces and freeze so we can get more meals out of it. If I cooked it all in one and told myself we would use the spare for packed lunches it would probably go smelly and out of date.
Later in the week I will share with you what our meal plan looks like for the week ahead.
Thanks for reading
xx
Monday, 21 April 2014
How I save on my water bill.
As with any bills that you have, it is always best to see if you can adjust your lifestyle to lower them. I have mentioned before how annoying I find it to give my money to energy companies, the same goes for the water company. So here are a few things I do to reduce our family water consumption.
We don't take baths. My daughter has one every 3 nights but because she is so little she only needs 2 inches of water in the bottom of the tub. We try and share a shower with her where possible to further save on water. (She only has 1 every 3 nights due to her eczema. More often than this aggravates it)
When you have a shower set a timer so you don't spend too much time in there. 3 minutes is plenty to have a quick wash and clean. If I need to wash my hair I add on an extra 2 minutes.
Don't leave the tap running while you're brushing your teeth. Same goes for when you're washing your hands, turn the tap off while you're rubbing soap on to them.
Our hot water takes a while to come through the taps so when I'm running it for washing up I use the cold water coming through to water my plants.
I only use the washing machine only when I have a full load to put in. If the clothes aren't stained and are just grubby or smelly then I put it on a quick wash which uses less water, less electricity, and takes less time.
Have a water butt in the garden if you have outdoor plants to water. We have a detached garage and have put guttering on it with a downpipe into a water collecting device. It soon fills up after it has rained and because it has a lid on it, it doesn't tend to evaporate and escape in hot weather.
The most important one - look at getting a water meter! When we moved into our current house, the water board sent us a letter stating that we would have to pay £390 per year for our water. I knew that I was reasonably good at using minimal amounts of water so immediately requested that we be fitted with a water meter so that we only paid for what we used. Severn Trent Water were very quick and helpful with this, it was fitted within 2 weeks from my phone call. Fast forward 8 months and we are only paying a £27 direct debit, which I am sure is still too high but they won't change it until later in the year when they have monitored our usage fully. I am anticipating that our usage is around £20 per month, maybe less.
You can usually work out if you're better off having a water meter by looking at how many people live in your house compared to how many bedrooms you have. We have 3 bedrooms and 3 people, so technically we are under occupied. However, I would suggest giving a water meter a trial anyway. You can change your mind and revert back to the old billing method if it isn't saving you any more.
I feel lucky that our water rates are fairly cheap compared to the likes of Cornwall. People down there can pay over £1200 a year! That's £100 per month!
If anyone has any other tips for saving water please do let me know.
Thanks for reading
xx
We don't take baths. My daughter has one every 3 nights but because she is so little she only needs 2 inches of water in the bottom of the tub. We try and share a shower with her where possible to further save on water. (She only has 1 every 3 nights due to her eczema. More often than this aggravates it)
When you have a shower set a timer so you don't spend too much time in there. 3 minutes is plenty to have a quick wash and clean. If I need to wash my hair I add on an extra 2 minutes.
Don't leave the tap running while you're brushing your teeth. Same goes for when you're washing your hands, turn the tap off while you're rubbing soap on to them.
Our hot water takes a while to come through the taps so when I'm running it for washing up I use the cold water coming through to water my plants.
I only use the washing machine only when I have a full load to put in. If the clothes aren't stained and are just grubby or smelly then I put it on a quick wash which uses less water, less electricity, and takes less time.
Have a water butt in the garden if you have outdoor plants to water. We have a detached garage and have put guttering on it with a downpipe into a water collecting device. It soon fills up after it has rained and because it has a lid on it, it doesn't tend to evaporate and escape in hot weather.
The most important one - look at getting a water meter! When we moved into our current house, the water board sent us a letter stating that we would have to pay £390 per year for our water. I knew that I was reasonably good at using minimal amounts of water so immediately requested that we be fitted with a water meter so that we only paid for what we used. Severn Trent Water were very quick and helpful with this, it was fitted within 2 weeks from my phone call. Fast forward 8 months and we are only paying a £27 direct debit, which I am sure is still too high but they won't change it until later in the year when they have monitored our usage fully. I am anticipating that our usage is around £20 per month, maybe less.
You can usually work out if you're better off having a water meter by looking at how many people live in your house compared to how many bedrooms you have. We have 3 bedrooms and 3 people, so technically we are under occupied. However, I would suggest giving a water meter a trial anyway. You can change your mind and revert back to the old billing method if it isn't saving you any more.
I feel lucky that our water rates are fairly cheap compared to the likes of Cornwall. People down there can pay over £1200 a year! That's £100 per month!
If anyone has any other tips for saving water please do let me know.
Thanks for reading
xx
Friday, 18 April 2014
Completely free save the date cards
In my previous post about my upcoming wedding, I mentioned that we got our save the date cards for free. I did a search on google just to see if there were any I could print myself to save on costs. Luckily, I found a website that offers new customers 20 customised save the date cards absolutely free. (try googling free save the date cards to find same offer)
I thought I would show you which ones I went for to give you an idea of the theme I am aiming for.
This is the postcard version and measures 10cm x 10cm. They would normally cost 80pence each so I saved a whopping £16.
I opted for a white English rose design on mine, I am trying to keep our colour scheme quite neutral. I am not a fan of garish colours and I think you have to be careful not to make things look too tacky and cheap.
I am so impressed with the quality of these cards I ordered. They are on lovely quality paper and the design I chose looks very sophisticated.
The customisation option is a great add on. You can chose the font it is printed in and change the wording.
There are a few different websites which offer free samples but I haven't come across any others which offer free delivery and complete customisation options. The delivery was quick, I received mine within a week from ordering and approving the proof that they email over. When it arrived it was wrapped beautifully in tissue paper. I felt like the business really cared about the product they were sending out. Safe to say, I will be using them again for my wedding invitations.
Thanks for reading
xx
I thought I would show you which ones I went for to give you an idea of the theme I am aiming for.
This is the postcard version and measures 10cm x 10cm. They would normally cost 80pence each so I saved a whopping £16.
I opted for a white English rose design on mine, I am trying to keep our colour scheme quite neutral. I am not a fan of garish colours and I think you have to be careful not to make things look too tacky and cheap.
I am so impressed with the quality of these cards I ordered. They are on lovely quality paper and the design I chose looks very sophisticated.
The customisation option is a great add on. You can chose the font it is printed in and change the wording.
There are a few different websites which offer free samples but I haven't come across any others which offer free delivery and complete customisation options. The delivery was quick, I received mine within a week from ordering and approving the proof that they email over. When it arrived it was wrapped beautifully in tissue paper. I felt like the business really cared about the product they were sending out. Safe to say, I will be using them again for my wedding invitations.
Thanks for reading
xx
Monkey Forest
Each month I put away a small amount of our wages into an 'entertainment fund' which enables us to go on a family trip out once a month, or for me and my partner to have a date night out to a pub or cinema. This month, we went to Monkey Forest which is in Trentham, Staffordshire.
We went on Good Friday so it was quite busy. I'm glad we were there at opening time because later in the day the queues were horrendous to get in the place. Make sure you're there for 10am. We had to park around 10 rows back even thought we were there early. By the time we left parking had gone in to the overflow carpark which was about 40 rows back. On the plus side, parking is completely free.
It cost us £15 to get in for 2 adult tickets at £7.50 each and our 1 year old got in for free. There are optional extras of buying guides and maps but we didn't get these. There is only really 1 way to walk around the forest, the 3/4mile path leads you in a big circle so you can't get lost and there are information boards around the place to tell you interesting facts about the monkeys.
They do regular feeding times which you can go watch. This brings all the monkeys from far and wide so they wander across the paths and you can get a better look at them. We found that most of the monkeys gathered around the open grassy area which is situated half way through the walk. We didn't see any in any other places.
There is a cafe and gift shop near the entrance/exit which were both very busy by the time we got there. We took our own pack up so didn't need to queue for the cafe but we struggled to find a table to sit and eat at.
We were lucky that we went on a lovely sunny day, it's not somewhere I'd like to go in miserable weather.
We went on Good Friday so it was quite busy. I'm glad we were there at opening time because later in the day the queues were horrendous to get in the place. Make sure you're there for 10am. We had to park around 10 rows back even thought we were there early. By the time we left parking had gone in to the overflow carpark which was about 40 rows back. On the plus side, parking is completely free.
It cost us £15 to get in for 2 adult tickets at £7.50 each and our 1 year old got in for free. There are optional extras of buying guides and maps but we didn't get these. There is only really 1 way to walk around the forest, the 3/4mile path leads you in a big circle so you can't get lost and there are information boards around the place to tell you interesting facts about the monkeys.
They do regular feeding times which you can go watch. This brings all the monkeys from far and wide so they wander across the paths and you can get a better look at them. We found that most of the monkeys gathered around the open grassy area which is situated half way through the walk. We didn't see any in any other places.
There is a cafe and gift shop near the entrance/exit which were both very busy by the time we got there. We took our own pack up so didn't need to queue for the cafe but we struggled to find a table to sit and eat at.
We were lucky that we went on a lovely sunny day, it's not somewhere I'd like to go in miserable weather.
Here are a few pics of our day.
Meeting the monkeys for the first time.
Tucking in to their dinner.
Mummy and daughter time.
Play fighting baby monkeys.
I would recommend this for a family day out. It is great for young children to see the monkeys in real life and it educates them about what they're like in the wild.
Thanks for reading.
xx
Making a resolution.
I often find myself making resolutions. I convince myself I am going to do something to better myself in some way, this could be eating better or exercising more. However, like a lot of people I last for a week or two before I have completely forgotten about it. Now that I have a blog, I have made a resolution that whenever I make a resolution I will post it on here so that I can't forget about and will not be able to without feeling ashamed I have failed myself.
Resolution number 1!
On my way to work yesterday, I was idly thinking about our upcoming holiday and how it would be nice to sit on the beach and read a good book. I love reading and have done ever since I can remember. It is not often now that I have the spare time to sit down and spend half an hour or so catching up on a book. So... my aim is to get through 25 books on the 'BBC's top 100 book list' by this time next year. I printed off a list of these books when I got to work and today I am going to go to the library and see which ones they have. (Edited to add - I got Vicky Angel by Jaqueline Wilson, The Stand by Stephen King and Mort by Terry Pratchett) I have no idea if I will like any of the books that are meant to be so good, but I will feel like I've accomplished a task if I have a go at reading them. Plus, it will be nice to have a bit of 'me-time' every once in a while.
Have you kept up with your resolutions?
Thanks for reading
xx
Resolution number 1!
On my way to work yesterday, I was idly thinking about our upcoming holiday and how it would be nice to sit on the beach and read a good book. I love reading and have done ever since I can remember. It is not often now that I have the spare time to sit down and spend half an hour or so catching up on a book. So... my aim is to get through 25 books on the 'BBC's top 100 book list' by this time next year. I printed off a list of these books when I got to work and today I am going to go to the library and see which ones they have. (Edited to add - I got Vicky Angel by Jaqueline Wilson, The Stand by Stephen King and Mort by Terry Pratchett) I have no idea if I will like any of the books that are meant to be so good, but I will feel like I've accomplished a task if I have a go at reading them. Plus, it will be nice to have a bit of 'me-time' every once in a while.
Have you kept up with your resolutions?
Thanks for reading
xx
I am a gardener!
I never thought that I would be the green fingered type. I love the outdoors and being out in the garden, but I'm not the sort of person who likes to maintain a garden. However, on this journey to skimp and save I thought I would dabble in the world of gardening and see if my fingers are green after all!
Here is my first project. Please note I am not trying anything to challenging to start with!
I bought some tomato seeds from Aldi a few months ago. They sat in the packet on my windowsill for a while until I realised they were meant to be planted by the end of March, oops! I found an old seedplanter/plant pot/insert correct term here/ and popped a couple of seeds into the compost we had that was stored in the garage from our previous house owners. I watered them and then left them on the windowsill in the porch with no high hopes. Imagine my surprise when I glanced at them in passing today and saw 7 teeny sproutings!! I feel like a Mother again and I do hope that they will continue to grow in to some lovely big tomato plants. I can't wait to eat something that I have grown from a little seed.
Now comes the hard bit - keeping them alive. I will keep you up to date with their progress. (imagine proud mummy posting lots of pictures of their newborn - that will be me)
Thanks for reading
xx
Here is my first project. Please note I am not trying anything to challenging to start with!
I bought some tomato seeds from Aldi a few months ago. They sat in the packet on my windowsill for a while until I realised they were meant to be planted by the end of March, oops! I found an old seedplanter/plant pot/insert correct term here/ and popped a couple of seeds into the compost we had that was stored in the garage from our previous house owners. I watered them and then left them on the windowsill in the porch with no high hopes. Imagine my surprise when I glanced at them in passing today and saw 7 teeny sproutings!! I feel like a Mother again and I do hope that they will continue to grow in to some lovely big tomato plants. I can't wait to eat something that I have grown from a little seed.
Now comes the hard bit - keeping them alive. I will keep you up to date with their progress. (imagine proud mummy posting lots of pictures of their newborn - that will be me)
Thanks for reading
xx
Thursday, 17 April 2014
How I save on my electricity bill.
It really annoys me how much energy bills are. I work hard to earn money and then have to give it away to the energy firms just because I want to have the light on or cook a family meal.
Since the beginning of my frugal living journey I have done my best to cut our electricity consumption. This time last year we lived in a small 2 bedroom flat and had a prepayment meter which are more expensive than other tariffs. Our average monthly usage was around £90 (we had no gas supply). This month we have only used £26 which is a huge difference considering we now live in a big 3 bedroom house.
1. Always check for the cheapest tariff that you can get. There are comparison websites that do this for you.
2. Once you have found the cheapest tariff, check cashback sites to see if they have that provider listed. They often offer money for people switching between providers.
3. Now you have got the best deal, you can work on reducing your energy consumption. Everything you have with a plug is costing you money!
It might seem like common sense but I didn't realise what a difference it would make to my monthly bills just turning things off at the wall. Leaving TV's on standby, cookers switched on at the wall, phone chargers plugged in, these are all draining electric.
We don't turn lights on and off as we go to each room. If we are going to be upstairs we put the landing light on and this is sufficient to light each room up there. Same with downstairs when we try and stay in the living room all evening with a small lamp on.
Check that your bulbs are energy efficient ones. They take a little while to come bright but they cost a fraction of a normal bulb to use.
Wait until you have a full load of washing to do, rather than doing a half wash. This saves on both electric and water. If your clothes aren't stained and just a bit smelly, see if your machine has a 'quick wash' setting which should freshen them up in half the time.
Batch cook to save on using your cooker so much. If I make a lasagne for example, I cook enough to do 8 portions and freeze what I don't need. That way I can get away with not using the cooker for so long on another night.
Have a quick shower. I usually allow myself 4 minutes in the shower and I find this more than sufficient to get myself clean. Bath times are a once a month treat.
If you have a work mobile phone then always charge it at work. Even if you have a personal mobile see if you can charge that at work too.
Most importantly, I'd advise keeping a check on how much electricity you are using by checking your meter and giving regular meter readings to your supplier. They often guestimate what your consumption is and can drastically overcharge you this way. When I moved in to this house they told me my direct debit for electric would be set at £108!!! I had to wait 3 months until they would re-evaluate it and because of that I am now massively in credit with them.
What suggestions can you give me to help further save on my bills? Any help is always appreciated! Lets not give any more of our hard earned money than we have to to those big companies!
Thanks for reading
xx
Since the beginning of my frugal living journey I have done my best to cut our electricity consumption. This time last year we lived in a small 2 bedroom flat and had a prepayment meter which are more expensive than other tariffs. Our average monthly usage was around £90 (we had no gas supply). This month we have only used £26 which is a huge difference considering we now live in a big 3 bedroom house.
1. Always check for the cheapest tariff that you can get. There are comparison websites that do this for you.
2. Once you have found the cheapest tariff, check cashback sites to see if they have that provider listed. They often offer money for people switching between providers.
3. Now you have got the best deal, you can work on reducing your energy consumption. Everything you have with a plug is costing you money!
It might seem like common sense but I didn't realise what a difference it would make to my monthly bills just turning things off at the wall. Leaving TV's on standby, cookers switched on at the wall, phone chargers plugged in, these are all draining electric.
We don't turn lights on and off as we go to each room. If we are going to be upstairs we put the landing light on and this is sufficient to light each room up there. Same with downstairs when we try and stay in the living room all evening with a small lamp on.
Check that your bulbs are energy efficient ones. They take a little while to come bright but they cost a fraction of a normal bulb to use.
Wait until you have a full load of washing to do, rather than doing a half wash. This saves on both electric and water. If your clothes aren't stained and just a bit smelly, see if your machine has a 'quick wash' setting which should freshen them up in half the time.
Batch cook to save on using your cooker so much. If I make a lasagne for example, I cook enough to do 8 portions and freeze what I don't need. That way I can get away with not using the cooker for so long on another night.
Have a quick shower. I usually allow myself 4 minutes in the shower and I find this more than sufficient to get myself clean. Bath times are a once a month treat.
If you have a work mobile phone then always charge it at work. Even if you have a personal mobile see if you can charge that at work too.
Most importantly, I'd advise keeping a check on how much electricity you are using by checking your meter and giving regular meter readings to your supplier. They often guestimate what your consumption is and can drastically overcharge you this way. When I moved in to this house they told me my direct debit for electric would be set at £108!!! I had to wait 3 months until they would re-evaluate it and because of that I am now massively in credit with them.
What suggestions can you give me to help further save on my bills? Any help is always appreciated! Lets not give any more of our hard earned money than we have to to those big companies!
Thanks for reading
xx
Super quick pasta recipe
I'm sure every family has a 'fall back' meal option for when they know they are rushing around and need something quick and filling to keep them going but are bored of sandwiches. This is mine.
200g Pasta (12p)
50g Soft cheese (12p)
400g tin of vegetable soup (24p)
Sprinkle of salt and pepper
Optional sausages x3 (20p)
Once I've boiled and drained the pasta I put it back in to the same pan (saves on washing up).
Throw the can of soup in and scoop out a spoon of soft cheese and add that on top then mix it all together while the pasta is still hot.
Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and plate it up. If you want to add sausages for a meaty meal then chop them up pop them on top. (I use the sausages if we have had them for tea the night before and have cooked a few extra) Easy peasy pasta.
These amounts here serve me once for my lunch, my 1 year old once for her lunch, and I also box a portion to take for my pack up the next day if I am working.
2 and a half vegetarian portions for 48p, or meaty portions for 68p, not bad for a super quick frugal lunch.
Thanks for reading
xx
Wednesday, 16 April 2014
The little things add up.
I have been thinking more and more about what I can do to save money each day.
My colleague struck up a conversation at work yesterday asking why I had a packed lunch with me and didn't I get bored of eating home made food. It seems so common to spend £3-£4 per day on a sandwich from Greggs along with a morning coffee and lunchtime coffee at £2 per go. I can't imagine wasting £8 per day/£40 per week/£160 per month on these things. £40 per week is my entire food budget for my family! This is when I realised that there are alot of little things I do each day without realising that add up to a big saving.
Let me give you an idea of my money saving little bits for today...
My colleague struck up a conversation at work yesterday asking why I had a packed lunch with me and didn't I get bored of eating home made food. It seems so common to spend £3-£4 per day on a sandwich from Greggs along with a morning coffee and lunchtime coffee at £2 per go. I can't imagine wasting £8 per day/£40 per week/£160 per month on these things. £40 per week is my entire food budget for my family! This is when I realised that there are alot of little things I do each day without realising that add up to a big saving.
Let me give you an idea of my money saving little bits for today...
- Shared a shower with my daughter (she is only 1!). Saved money on water/electric.
- Put a load of washing on a 'quick wash'. Takes half the time, half the energy.
- Hung the above washing out on the washing line as it is a beautiful drying day. Saved money on energy of using tumble drier.
- Went out for a brisk walk. Saves money on having the TV on at home and going to the gym for exercise.
- Rang up an appliance company to complain about my recent cooker purchase. It had arrived with a small dent in it. They immediately gave me £32 back as compensation.
- Baked a batch lot of muffins. I make 3 times as many as I need for the week and freeze the surplus. Saves energy on oven and also my time. Plus is a fun activity for daughter.
- Re-potted my tomato plants. I have grown these from seeds and will hopefully have proper tomato plants in a couple of months. Saves money on having to shop-buy tomatoes.
And it is only 12pm!
By making little changes to your way of thinking you can save money without realising it. Do you really need a shop bought lunch each day? Do you need to have the TV on as background noise? Do you need to give more of your hard earned money to energy companies and big supermarkets?
Thanks for reading!
xx
Don't like spending money!
I have previously mentioned that we bought our first house 8 months ago. It needed alot of work doing on it which we were/are fully prepared to do. Yet I am finding it difficult to spend money on the place! It is not unliveable by any means. It has electricity and gas and water. Yes the carpets are old and tatty and yes the wallpaper is from the 70's but I can look past all that.
My partner is the 'fixer-upper' one of us. He always has a new project in mind. This week is the beginning of our saving for a new boiler and radiators. We have had a quote from our electrician/plumber guy that it will cost £1800 if we let him have the old boiler and radiators for scrap. This was a pleasant surprise and I think it is quite a good deal - I had figures of £3000+ in my head.
I can completely see the point of getting a new boiler and radiators. Our current boiler is very old and has gone on the blink a couple of times. I highly doubt it is at all energy efficient. And out of our 5 radiators, 3 don't work.
So why am I dreading having to fork our money for an essential purchase? Maybe it is because I am so unused to having to spend money. I like to save it, I'm just that kind of person.
Do any of you also have this problem? Please tell me I'm not the only one!
My partner is the 'fixer-upper' one of us. He always has a new project in mind. This week is the beginning of our saving for a new boiler and radiators. We have had a quote from our electrician/plumber guy that it will cost £1800 if we let him have the old boiler and radiators for scrap. This was a pleasant surprise and I think it is quite a good deal - I had figures of £3000+ in my head.
I can completely see the point of getting a new boiler and radiators. Our current boiler is very old and has gone on the blink a couple of times. I highly doubt it is at all energy efficient. And out of our 5 radiators, 3 don't work.
So why am I dreading having to fork our money for an essential purchase? Maybe it is because I am so unused to having to spend money. I like to save it, I'm just that kind of person.
Do any of you also have this problem? Please tell me I'm not the only one!
Tuesday, 15 April 2014
Did I mention we are getting married?
To most people, the thought of getting married is immediately paired with the whopping amount of money it can cost. I view it as a challenge to have the best day possible using as little money as possible.
I have always been quite a girly girl, dreaming of wedding dresses and my dream man when I was younger. This poses a problem as I have a very exact view of what my wedding will be like! (Think princess dress, castles, fireworks) I have had to tone this down slightly to fit with our realistic budget.
The wedding is going to be in April 2015 and so far we have booked the church, the reception venue and the photographer. I also have the save the date cards to send out.
The church is our local family Catholic church and will cost £210 including them dressing the church with flowers.
The reception venue is also my place of work (thank goodness for staff discount!) and is costing between £1500 and £1600 depending on who comes. We have a big guest list due to my partners massive family. We are only inviting family members to the reception but the guest list is still likely to be 60 people. The price of the reception venue includes room hire, red carpet welcome, table linen, chair covers, master of ceremonies, use of cake stand and knife, arrival drinks, 3 course meal, 1/2 bottle of wine each during dinner, glass of champagne for the toast, evening buffet for 70-80, honeymoon suite for the bride and groom. All in all it is quite a good deal! (If you live in Derbyshire and are looking for a cheap but beautiful wedding venue please message me and I can give you the details.)
The photographer is one thing that I am not prepared to skimp and save on. I love photographs and want them to be the very best considering they are all I will have to remember my 1 special day. I have spent a stonking £1995 on him! This was after ALOT of research of photographers from near and far. He was the only one I could find that captured exactly the kind of photos I want from my wedding. He is a lovely chap and I am extremely happy with him even if he is costing me a lot of money!
I wasn't sure what sort of save the date cards I wanted. Some people told me not to bother with them and just text people the date of the wedding but that seems far too impersonal and new-agey to me. I had a look for different styles online and came across a great site which offers 20 save the date cards absolutely free! They don't even charge post and packaging. Of course I thought I had nothing to lose so ordered some and I am thrilled with the quality of them. They are exactly what I had hoped for and I can't wait to post them out to our guests.
So... the grand total so far is £3805. I am aiming to spend less than £5000 altogether yet I still have to think about suit hire, wedding dress, flowers, invitations, rings, favours... the list goes on.
Hopefully, I will have some tips on how to make the most out of a restricted budget as my wedding journey goes on.
I have always been quite a girly girl, dreaming of wedding dresses and my dream man when I was younger. This poses a problem as I have a very exact view of what my wedding will be like! (Think princess dress, castles, fireworks) I have had to tone this down slightly to fit with our realistic budget.
The wedding is going to be in April 2015 and so far we have booked the church, the reception venue and the photographer. I also have the save the date cards to send out.
The church is our local family Catholic church and will cost £210 including them dressing the church with flowers.
The reception venue is also my place of work (thank goodness for staff discount!) and is costing between £1500 and £1600 depending on who comes. We have a big guest list due to my partners massive family. We are only inviting family members to the reception but the guest list is still likely to be 60 people. The price of the reception venue includes room hire, red carpet welcome, table linen, chair covers, master of ceremonies, use of cake stand and knife, arrival drinks, 3 course meal, 1/2 bottle of wine each during dinner, glass of champagne for the toast, evening buffet for 70-80, honeymoon suite for the bride and groom. All in all it is quite a good deal! (If you live in Derbyshire and are looking for a cheap but beautiful wedding venue please message me and I can give you the details.)
The photographer is one thing that I am not prepared to skimp and save on. I love photographs and want them to be the very best considering they are all I will have to remember my 1 special day. I have spent a stonking £1995 on him! This was after ALOT of research of photographers from near and far. He was the only one I could find that captured exactly the kind of photos I want from my wedding. He is a lovely chap and I am extremely happy with him even if he is costing me a lot of money!
I wasn't sure what sort of save the date cards I wanted. Some people told me not to bother with them and just text people the date of the wedding but that seems far too impersonal and new-agey to me. I had a look for different styles online and came across a great site which offers 20 save the date cards absolutely free! They don't even charge post and packaging. Of course I thought I had nothing to lose so ordered some and I am thrilled with the quality of them. They are exactly what I had hoped for and I can't wait to post them out to our guests.
So... the grand total so far is £3805. I am aiming to spend less than £5000 altogether yet I still have to think about suit hire, wedding dress, flowers, invitations, rings, favours... the list goes on.
Hopefully, I will have some tips on how to make the most out of a restricted budget as my wedding journey goes on.
Hello =)
Welcome to my blog!
I have been contemplating making a blog for quite some time. I enjoy reading other blogs and enjoy writing so it seems the right thing for me to do now I have some spare time in the day.
A bit of background about me and my family...
Myself and my partner bought our first home in August 2013. We had saved up for quite some time and had a good deposit to put down. We didn't want to rush in to buying a house and it took us a few months to find one we were both happy with and thought could be our 'forever' home.
We bought a 3 bedroom semi detached house in Derbyshire near our places of work. It had been quite neglected inside by the previous owners who were both retired. We didn't view this as a problem - in fact it was better for us as we could negotiate a better price due to the state of the property.
In money terms, the property was for sale for £134,995 and we paid £122,500 for it. (It always pays to negotiate!) Our first offer of £120,000 was declined which we expected would be the case but we wanted a number to work up from. With our £32000 deposit this meant we had a mortgage of £90500. We took the mortgage out over 27 years so I will be 52 and my partner will be 57 by the time it ends.
Ideally, we would both like to retire at 60 and 65. To do this, we need to get the mortgage paid off as quickly as possible so we can start organising our retirement!
The journey begins....
I have been contemplating making a blog for quite some time. I enjoy reading other blogs and enjoy writing so it seems the right thing for me to do now I have some spare time in the day.
A bit of background about me and my family...
Myself and my partner bought our first home in August 2013. We had saved up for quite some time and had a good deposit to put down. We didn't want to rush in to buying a house and it took us a few months to find one we were both happy with and thought could be our 'forever' home.
We bought a 3 bedroom semi detached house in Derbyshire near our places of work. It had been quite neglected inside by the previous owners who were both retired. We didn't view this as a problem - in fact it was better for us as we could negotiate a better price due to the state of the property.
In money terms, the property was for sale for £134,995 and we paid £122,500 for it. (It always pays to negotiate!) Our first offer of £120,000 was declined which we expected would be the case but we wanted a number to work up from. With our £32000 deposit this meant we had a mortgage of £90500. We took the mortgage out over 27 years so I will be 52 and my partner will be 57 by the time it ends.
Ideally, we would both like to retire at 60 and 65. To do this, we need to get the mortgage paid off as quickly as possible so we can start organising our retirement!
The journey begins....
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