five frugal things

Cheap Wedding Rings | Five Frugal Things for January 2019

February 1, 2019

In an effort to pay off my debt as quickly as possible, I’m looking beyond simply making extra money. I have been assessing all of my spending habits, adopting a more frugal lifestyle wherever I can. Each month I will be sharing Five Frugal Things that I have done to help improve my finances and ensure I can reach my goal of becoming debt free as soon as possible.

One

Free flowers. A week or so ago a blogger that I follow posted an Instagram story about some beautiful flowers she had received in the post. At the beginning of the year I set myself some goals and always having fresh flowers in the house was one of them. Yes it’s a small goal, but they make me really happy and so it was an important one for me.

It turns out that the flowers had been free thanks to a coupon code which I could use too. I ordered my flowers straight away and we both received a free bunch of flowers. Now that they’ve arrived I’ve shared my own code with friends and family and it looks like I might be getting free flowers for another month or so. I’m so happy! (Of course this is a subscription service, so I’ll be cautious of the future payments).

Two

Using loo rolls in my living room decor. This one sounds classy doesn’t it? Are you picturing a sofa made of toilet roll or something? Don’t worry, it’s not that weird. I have curtains with eyelets at the top which hang straight down. When I open them in the morning, if I don’t spend time evening them out they always look a bit…meh.

Then Beckyhomesweethome (if you love interiors and chatty stories you’ll love her) shared a tip on Instagram. Pop a loo roll tube between the eyelets of your curtains as you loop them over the curtain pole. It spaces them out really nicely and means that they hang well without any effort. Of course the loo rolls are also free and recycled now too!

Three

Cheap wedding rings. I have mentioned previously that I will be getting married this year. All the big things are sorted now so we’ve been working through the “bits and bobs” list as the big day gets closer. One of the most important things left on our list was wedding rings. We had been warned by friends who have married recently that they would be really expensive so we braced ourselves.

We had a good idea of what we were looking for, something simple and classic with mine matching my engagement ring. Now we just had to find them. A quick browse online took us too Amazon (of course it did) and within about half an hour we had both chosen rings that we loved. The grand total? Around about £115. For both! I was a little sceptical about quality but they’re both high quality materials (14k rose gold for me) and just as promised.

Four

Using the resources I have. As someone who runs two businesses from home I am always looking to expand my knowledge. In the past I have been the worst for purchasing course after course, filled with motivation to learn more. Of course most of them were looked at for a moment and then quickly forgotten about. If I’d given them focus I’m sure they would have been brilliant but without actually using the courses they were just the biggest waste of money.

Predictably, as often happens when a new year rolls around, I found myself filled with new motivation once again at the beginning of January. This time however, I chose to look through the resources I already had stored away instead of looking for something new. I’ve tried to keep things as simple as possible and just focus on one course at a time. So far the one I am working through is helping me a lot and I am now actually gaining value from it and I have spent nothing!

Five

A romantic meal for two…at Ikea. So I know Ikea is a bit like Marmite; some people love it and others hate it. Well myself and my better half LOVE strolling round the shop, having a nosey at all the decor ideas and of course always enjoy the classic meatballs!

Normally we go during the day, most likely on a Saturday but when I found out that the shop stays open until 10pm we had to change things up. This time we arrived at dinner time, enjoyed our usual wander and then sat down for an awesome and very cheap meal. No, it’s not a swanky place and OK it’s not the most romantic, but that’s not the point of dinner with your significant other is it? We had a blast and dinner cost us a whopping £12.

There they are, my Five Frugal Things for the month of January. You can read last month’s post here.

I’ve seen a number of people talking about doing a “no spend month” in February and Nicola from Mum on a Budget has even written a great survival guide about it here so that may be frugal approach to the next 28 days. You’ll need to come back next month to see how I get on!

I’m linking up with Cass, Emma and Becky in this week’s Five Fabulously Frugal things I’ve done this week linky.

Preparing for Christmas | Five Frugal Things for November 2018

November 23, 2018

One

Low cost Christmas. If you have read any of my posts about preparing for Christmas you will know that I am cutting right back this year in order to help my debt total come down further, even over the festive period. We won’t be hosting Christmas Day this year and that will save us a lot of money alone. We have also suggested a pot luck style dinner and drinks at ours with friends on the 23rd, saving us the expense of a night in town.

Gifts do tend to take up most of the budget though. Secret Santa’s, lots of price comparisons, cashback and affordable hampers are all going towards my efforts for a frugal Christmas. Doing a secret Santa with siblings in both of our families has been particularly helpful in reducing the number of presents we will be buying this year. It will save us all a lot of money and it actually means that we will all receive something that is more thoughtful instead of something cheaper and silly.

Two

Ditching the coupons. HUH?! Aren’t coupons supposed to save you money? Well yes…if you are planning on spending money in the first place. For a while we ordered our weekly shop online from Tesco and it worked really well. We’d have it delivered on a Monday ready for the new week and the new meal plan. It would stop us from picking up things we didn’t need. We would even get regular coupons through the door saving us a lot of money.

The catch was that we had to spend £40 in order to get free delivery with many of the coupons having an even higher minimum purchase requirement. On the way home one day my better half decided to try Aldi, our old favourite. As he had no set total to reach he ended up spending a lot less than we would online.

Now that Christmas is on its way the high value coupons are coming through the door. The latest one was £10 off when you spend £70 or more. That’s great if you have a big shop planned but they won’t be enticing us. The fancy catalogue looks beautiful, don’t get me wrong. This year however, we’ll be sticking with Aldi and spending on just what we need and not a penny more.

Three

Drawing the curtains. As the nights drawn in and it gets colder and colder we’ve been closing the curtains in the evenings. I’ve just checked the temperature outside today and it is 1 degree. Brrrrrrr! Normally we would just close the blinds for some privacy but the living room feels so much cosier when the curtains are closed as well. Of course, this has the added benefit of keeping the room warmer too. I’ve written a post about saving money on your heating bills and I’m sure you know this already, but even pulling that small bit of fabric over your windows can make all the difference.

Four

Buying soft drinks. This month I’m making a lot of effort to be healthy, both to help my weight and in preparation for an indulgent Christmas. As part of this I’ve not been drinking alcohol at all in November. Honestly, I thought this would be a bigger deal in terms of the old FOMO and struggling with having a soft drink whilst friends were enjoying some wine. Honestly, the impact it has on my waist line AND my pocket has been a much bigger shock.

If, like me, you’re in the habit of having several drinks over an afternoon and evening spent with friends you will know how quickly that bar bill adds up. Often I’ll come home on a Saturday at least £50 lighter and that’s with both myself and my better half contributing. This month however, I’ve been opting for water mostly. This past Saturday alone I saved around £30 as a result. In ONE day. Whilst I will be drinking again in December the quantities will be a lot smaller than usual and I know my health and my bank account will thank me for that!

Five

Simple and affordable home decor. For a while now I’ve felt like we needed to do something with our living room. It was decorated last year a few months after we moved into the house, frugally of course, but it has always felt a bit unfinished. The cushions we had on the sofa were a bit of a mish-mash and the amazing 50s unit we have in the corner just looked a bit empty. We took a quick trip to Ikea, predictable but reliable, to look for some inspiration.

One hour, lots of walking and two portions of Swedish meatballs later and we had our answer. We came home with five cushions in a mix of dark grey and a really deep green colour which finish off our sofa and chair perfectly. We also picked up an ivy and a fern, both in simple pots which match the decor. They add a bit of life to the room and tie it together so nicely. The cherry on the cake? We spent no more than £25.

There they are, my Five Frugal Things for the month of November. You can read last month’s post here.

I’m linking up with Cass, Emma and Becky in this week’s Five Fabulously Frugal things I’ve done this week linky.

A Frugal Autumn | Five Frugal Things for October 2018

October 26, 2018

One

Pumpkin soup and pumpkin pie. Off the back of a very autumnal weekend we spent pumpkin picking with friends earlier in October we wanted to make the most of our orange friends. The tendency is of course to carve up your pumpkins and leave them on the front step of course, but after a very quiet Halloween last year we wanted to put them to better use.

We decided to try out some new recipes, one sweet and one savoury. Both were delicious and the ultimate comfort food for the season. Of course the added bonus is they cost us very little, having spent just a few pounds on the pumpkins themselves. Everything else we needed was already in the cupboards!

Two

Walks instead of taxi fares. As the nights get colder and darker drinks in the garden are no longer an option. Instead, we’ve been favouring the pub quiz down at our local with friends. The distance from our house to the pub is just long enough to warrant a taxi if you’re not feeling energetic. With the drinks themselves being quite affordable, or at least cheaper than your standard city prices, it’s always easy to try and justify throwing money at a black cab.

Of course it is healthier and cheaper to just walk. We give ourselves plenty of time to get ready so we’re not in a hurry and force ourselves to do the walk. It never takes too long in the end. That’s a tenner saved each night!

Three

Shopping my cupboards. At the beginning of the month I had a long shopping list of several toiletries and household things I thought I needed. Everything from cleaners to toothpaste. Minutes before going leaving to go to the shops I thought I should quickly check my laundry cupboard, just in case.

I soon realised that I had bought duplicates of most things last time I was at the shops and forgotten about them. Money saved and I got to avoid some of the busy shops I had planned to visit. In fact, I actually had multiples of some things and should be set until the new year. Make sure to always check your stash before giving money to the shops!

Four

Lunch leftovers. For years and years sandwiches were my go to lunch. Now that I live with my fiance however, we rarely buy lunch food. He is the cook in our house and when I first saw the amount of food he was cooking for just the two of us I panicked, what a waste!

In fact, it became quite a handy trick instead. Most of our dinners can be split into four portions, if not more. Two become dinner that evening, the rest becomes lunch for the next day. It means we always have something filling to eat and it saves the effort of having to make another meal which is great on a really busy day.

Five

A week in the countryside. Frugality isn’t just about pinching every penny. Sometimes it is about affordable treats. If you read my other blog, Sunshine and Rain, you will know that I have been enjoying the quiet of the countryside this week. To celebrate my Mother in Law’s birthday we have taken a trip to the Yorkshire Dales as a family.

Whilst I am on my my debt free journey holidays aren’t really an option. However, time away from work and life in general is important for all of us. We found the perfect compromise here, staying in a big house in a tiny village for just £480. For a five night stay and with ten of use here, we were really happy with that price. We have been making all of our own meals and spending a lot of time outside so costs have been kept low but the enjoyment hasn’t been compromised. It’s the perfect frugal week away!

There they are, my Five Frugal Things for the month of October. You can read last month’s post here.

I’m linking up with Cass, Emma and Becky in this week’s Five Fabulously Frugal things I’ve done this week linky.

A birthday gift for £3 | Five Frugal Things for September 2018

September 28, 2018

One

Home made pizza. We do this at least once a month if not more. It’s just as much of a treat as if we were ordering in or going out for dinner, but it costs a fraction of the price. You also get to choose exactly what goes on your pizza…and exactly how much cheese. (lots)

To be specific, a packet of the premixed dough that we buy comes in at 65p and does one pizza. You could of course be more frugal still and make your own. We just like to be lazy with this, we do normally have them on a Friday after all and that’s chill time! The toppings for me are normally a bit of tomato puree, a ball of mozzarella (around 60-80p depending where you shop) and a couple of olives. That means that instead of paying a standard tenner for a takeaway pizza we’re spending about £2 all in per person, if that.

Two

Switching to Bulb. Earlier in the month I wrote this post about saving money on bills as the cold months creep in. We realised we could save money on our heating and decided to make the switch to Bulb. After a quick quote check on their website we realised we could save £160 over the year! Using a friends referral code we also made an extra £50 of credit which was added to our account straight away. That adds up to a huge £210!

I have my own referral code. If you use it we both receive £50. If you choose to use it, thank you! Just click here

Three

Homemade comfort food. Earlier this week I found myself slumped on the couch with a stuffy nose feeling rotten. We had soup on the meal plan that night and I was ready for a cosy bowl to try and get rid of whatever it was I had picked up.

Much to my joy my better half came through from the kitchen at dinner time with homemade leak and potato soup AND homemade bread that he had kept a secret. (My nose was blocked remember, so I couldn’t smell it coming from the kitchen. Bit sad about that to be honest.)

I went to bed with a full tummy and very very happy. What’s better, dinner cost pennies to make. Oh, and there were leftovers for lunch too!

Four

Inexpensive birthday gifts. A friend of ours turned 30 this month. We don’t normally do gifts with friends at all anymore, choosing drinks or dinners together instead, but it was a special birthday. This particular friend is fascinated by storm chasing and everything to do with it. We jumped onto amazon and found a “you choose the adventure” style book on storm chasing for just £3. When she opened it her response was absolutely priceless! The perfect gift, and it cost almost nothing. As always, it’s the thought that counts. Not the price tag.

Five

Healthy breakfast bars from home. In an effort to stick to healthier breakfasts and stay full until lunch time, I’ve been on the hunt for alternatives to cereal. If you’ve ever bought any form of breakfast bar from the supermarket, the raw/healthy kind in particular, you will know how expensive they can be so making them myself seemed like the best option.

A quick google led me to a no-bake bar filled with healthy ingredients. You can find a post about them here on my other blog. Now, they are filled with nuts and dates which can cost a lot in small amounts, but all of the ingredients can be altered to suit your tastes and your budget. They took me ten minutes to make, they last all week in the fridge and they fill me up. Definitely a success!

There they are, my Five Frugal Things for the month of September.

I’m linking up with Cass, Emma and Becky in this week’s Five Fabulously Frugal things I’ve done this week linky.