Shopping. It's the downfall of many of us when we're trying to be thrifty, but it need not be. The truth is that it's very hard not to shop at all. Some people do manage to go through the challenge of a year where they don't buy anything new, but it is a real challenge for most people. Generally in life we all need new things. Whether they be necessities, gifts for others or just things that we want to treat ourselves with. It's also the case that there are plenty of other goods and services that we have to shell out for over a year, be it train tickets, utility bills or simply a food ... read more
How to Be an Energy Shopper
It can't have escaped your notice that the temperatures have plummeted over the last couple of weeks. In my mind it's reached the levels where putting the heating on is no longer an option, especially when you have children in the house. But, that decision isn't always straightforward if you're having to watch the pennies at home. These days you really do need to "Be an Energy Shopper" to make sure you're getting the best, most cost effective energy deals for you. The whole process can be a tad daunting though, which is why I was actually quite thrilled to be asked to take a look at Ofgem's ... read more
Christmas at Aldi from 17th November
I love an Aldi bargain! I am utterly useless however at realising what is coming into store when though so often it's only when my sister gets in touch and tells me that I need to get there the next morning that I realise when certain lines are coming in. That's not the case with their Christmas range though. This is due in store tomorrow (Thursday 17 November) and I was delighted to be sent some samples from the range to try out at home. Now - the honest bit about being a blogger. I'm sat here today on what has to be the sunniest day of November so far in St Albans. Trying to test out ... read more
When even the best budgeting doesn’t cover it
I am a firm believer in budgeting. Sitting down and working out exactly how much money you have and what you need to spend it on each month. I have a huge spreadsheet that I've been tracking all our monthly incomings and outgoings in for years now and it allows me to keep track of everything. To work out whether I need to find any extra money in a month or whether we can afford to save up for something. Yes, it takes time each month to do that and I do resent having to sit down and work my way through bank statements and make everything balance when I'd much rather be doing something else ... read more
Lidl Back to School Range
I know term hasn't quite finished yet (that's coming soon enough!) but if you're a parent trying to be organised then thoughts are already turning to school uniform for when our little darlings go back in September. Master C will be starting school pre-school come September and so this will be the first year that I will have two children requiring school uniform and hence I'm really starting to see how the cost increases when you need to kit out more than one child. As a bargain lover I'm always on the look out for cheap ways to buy what I need and for a good few years now supermarkets have ... read more
Thrifty Mrs C: 52 Week Saving Challenge
I'm back on the Radio Verulum Drivetime show this evening with my monthly thrifty slot, and one of the things I'm going to be talking about is thrifty new years resolutions. New years resolutions can scare some people, but actually they're a perfect opportunity to help kickstart yourself into a thriftier way of life. It may be that you want to start small and for you the right thrifty resolution might be to start meal planning, or to buy more things secondhand. Possibly to look on a price comparison site and see if you can get a better deal on your utilities bill. Or, if you're someone ... read more
The advice I wanna give to new parents to be…
I found myself the other night sat talking to a friend who is expecting her first baby later this year. It seems strange to think that it's over five years since I was in that position. Five years? Where has the time gone. I was very lucky when I was pregnant with Little Miss C because lots of friends told me about the joys of buying things secondhand for our little baby. I was already pretty thrifty and with only one salary coming into our household I remember planning with meticulous detail what we needed to buy, how much it was all going to cost and where to buy it from to get the best ... read more
Review: Latest Free Stuff App
Free Stuff. Those two words bring joy to the heart of thrifty bargain hunters the world over. And rightly so. After all - who doesn't love getting something for nothing. Some people may be sceptical about the idea of getting things for free. Aren't we all taught that you don't get anything for nothing in this life? Well, that's sort of true, but if you just look at the definition of free as being that you haven't handed cold hard cash over for something, then actually there is still a fair bit in this world that you can get for nothing. I first came across Latest Free Stuff a couple of ... read more
Make do and mend: Charity Shop shirt to summer top #Trash2Treasure
Earlier in the year I treated myself to a sewing alterations course with the lovely Emma from Oh Sew Vintage. Emma makes amazing reproduction vintage dresses and I was luck enough to get to know her through our local WI branch, the Herts Belles, where she is our very efficient secretary. For me, the aim of the course was to learn how I could alter some of the amazing clothes that I find in charity shops that just aren't the right size. When I get a moment I will blog about the course itself and what I learnt, but I'm delighted to say that what I did learn that day has given me the ... read more
Beauty on a Budget – the Braun Silk-epil 9
It can't have escaped your notice that summer is now well and truly here and as such my usual jeans or wooly tights have been abandoned in favour of summer dresses, skirts and cropped trousers. But, as all women, especially dark haired ones like myself, will know, pulling on a skirt or a pair of shorts isn't always that straightforward. Let's not get into a debate about whether or not women should remove body hair, but I think it's an accepted fact that lots of us choose to do so and want to have smooth legs when we head out - especially if our legs are on display. Now I've never got on ... read more