The key thing to remember when planning a day out for toddlers is that it really doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg for them to have a good time. Follow these five tips and you should be able to have a fun day out without it hurting your purse. 1. Fresh Air is Free There's nothing as healthy for toddlers as running around outside in the fresh air and I'm always amazed at how often my daughter tells me she just wants to go to the park and run around. There's so much you can do with young children outside and most of it for free. Running around a new park or wood can be very ... read more
Review: Rechargeable Batteries
I've never tried to stop and count how many batteries are in all my children's toys, but I do know that there are an awful lots of them and that it's always the way that they seem to all run out at the same time. Good batteries are not cheap and it always seems so wasteful when you have to throw away the dead ones. When I was asked if I wanted to review some rechargeable batteries and a charger from rechargeablebatteries.co.uk I jumped at the chance. I'm constantly trying to make our household more green and getting through single use batteries so quickly was ... read more
Thrifty Friday Five: Grocery Shopping
Following on from my little turn on BBC3CR earlier in the week I'm today going to be looking at five tips for saving money whilst doing your grocery shopping. 1. Never shop on an empty stomach It may sound obvious, but how many times have you gone round the supermarket whilst a bit peckish and ended up picking up a few extra things as a result? We've all done it, but if you can just try to shop after you've eaten it really will help you cut down on extra things finding their way into your trolley. 2. Write a shopping list and stick to it Don't go to the shops unless you've ... read more
Mrs C on the wireless
When I first started writing this blog I had absolutely no idea where it would take me. Being a blogger can be a funny existence though and blogging can definitely open doors for you. This lunchtime I took the train north from St Albans to Luton to meet up with fellow blogger Liz from Me and My Shadow. Together we headed over to BBC 3 Counties Radio where we appeared on the Nick Coffer show to talk about all things thrifty. It's years since I was last on the radio. I think I was about 16 the last time, talking about some school project. Today we were talking about being thrifty when ... read more
Thrifty Mrs C – Fixing a broken North Face fleece zip
I was gutted the other week when I went to zip up my North Face fleece as I went into the garden, and instead the zipper just came off in my hand. Closer inspection suggested that a small bit of metal within the zipper had actually broken off meaning that it no longer held the teeth of the zip properly. I'd owned the fleece for a good six years or so, and in that time it had travelled the world with me - keeping me warm on a chilly Los Angeles evening, as part of layers as we treked in New Zealand and to snuggle up in as I waited for a delayed plane in Hong Kong. The coat seemed to be in ... read more
How to save money by learning to unblock toilets and drains yourself
If you're looking to save money around the house then one way to do so is to teach yourself some DIY skills and get yourself the appropriate tools. Trades people can be very expensive, especially if you're having to call them out in an emergency - and we all know that if something's going to go wrong it will happen either on a Sunday or on a Bank Holiday, when call out charges are even more than usual! If you can can unblock toilets and drains yourself then you're bound to save yourself money. When it comes to drain problems you only really need two pieces of kit to be able to resolve many ... read more
Thrifty Friday Five – In the bathroom
One of the smaller rooms in the house, but have you ever thought about how much money you spend on things going on in your bathroom? There's all that water for starters - did you know that 70% of all water usage is in the bathroom. And then think about how much you spend on toiletries too. This week I'm hoping to give you five tips to help you save money in the room where you spend a penny. 1. Reduce the amount you flush Every time you flush the loo water goes down the drain - literally. If your water is metered (and as an aside, if your water isn't metered request a free water ... read more
Thrifty Friday Five – Toddler’s Birthday
A certain little lady is three this weekend so it seemed very appropriate therefore to focus this week's Thrifty Friday Five on Toddler birthdays. All children love birthdays, of that there is no doubt. But if you're not careful they can end up costing a crazy amount of money. If you want to have a huge party and spend lots of money you can, but remember that just because one family does, everyone else doesn't have to follow suit. 1. Plan toy presents in advance It's only natural that you'll want to buy your little one some presents to mark their special day, but if you ... read more
Thrifty Friday Five – Laundry
Whether you've got a big family or live on your own there are still ways to try to be thrifty when doing your laundry. 1. Make sure you've got a full load If you're going to use your washing machine then you really ought to try to do so in the most efficient way possible. Some machines have settings that alter the programmes to accommodate half loads, but the most efficient way to wash has to be to only put it on when you have a full load - it's unlikley that a washing machine really reduces the energy and water used by half if you put it on a half load setting. This might mean ... read more
Thrifty Friday Five – In the Kitchen
I'm kicking off this first week of Thrifty Friday Five with five top tips for saving money in the kitchen. 1. Meal planning One of the most effective ways to save money in the kitchen is to plan what you're going to eat in advance. It may sound obvious, but many don't do this, and even those who do don't always stick to their plan. If you ensure that you plan sensibly and only buy the food that you need, then it should help you to ensure that you don't waste money or food. I've written a separate guide to meal planning which sets out how to plan ... read more