Monday 13 December 2021

Christmas Packaging - What can you Recycle?


A pile of wrapped gifts, under a small Christmas tree
Over Christmas, the UK population generates 25% more waste than normal. With waste collections becoming less frequent and rubbish bins getting smaller (in our county, anyway!), this can pose a real problem for households. Add to that, the strain on the environment, and this means it is even more important than ever to up our recycling and upcycling game to try to keep landfill to a minimum. This post aims to sort out the facts when it comes to recycling your Christmas packaging, as well as what you can do to ensure you don't end up with a lot more landfill waste this Christmas and some alternatives to traditional wrapping.
SHARE:

Wednesday 16 September 2020

Antique Jewellery - Why and How to Buy It

A garnet necklace and earrings faded out, with the title over the top
A hot topic right now is fast fashion; cheap clothes which may be a bargain but don't last very long and have to be frequently replaced. This is obviously not good for the environment, as the cast-offs often end up in landfill, but have you ever considered that the same can apply to jewellery? When I decluttered to make my office space recently, I was surprised at how much of my jewellery had quickly become tarnished and unwearable, because it was made from cheap metal. Cheap metal goes from shiny to shoddy very quickly and often has a limited lifespan. Here's how you can look for quality when you buy a piece of jewellery and how antique jewellery, such as the collections you can find at Carus Jewellery, could be the answer to sustainability. 
SHARE:

Thursday 10 September 2020

Creating my Small Space Home Office

An office chair faded out, with the title text over the top
I had to take a long break from 'serious' blogging, due to ill health and a certain global virus that has turned everyone's lives upside down, one way or another. In many respects, the enforced break did me good, and I've come back with a renewed determination to make the most of my little slice of the internet. So, I did something I'd been talking about for years, I set up a home office. The fun part was, I had zero available space in my little house, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. Here's how I got creative and created a quiet, comfortable working environment, without taking any space from the room layouts I already had. 
SHARE:

Wednesday 6 March 2019

The Natural Soap Company Review and Trial


A selection of soaps from The Natural Soap Company
I've suffered with eczema for years and other skin conditions too, like sebhorric dermatitis, which effects the scalp. I don't want to gross anyone out, but I do want to give a bit of background as to why I decided to switch my shampoo for natural hair soap, and maybe give hope to fellow sufferers with my results. I've never officially been told what causes these conditions, but I've always felt that harsh hair products could be making it worse. This post offers a review of the products I bought from The Natural Soap Company, and how their shampoo bar helped improve my skin.
SHARE:

Monday 4 March 2019

Over 50 Easy, Cheap World Book Day Costumes


Taken from above, hands holding the book Guess How Much I Love You.It's nearly World Book Day again and if you've got more than one child, a tight budget or not a lot of free time, you may be having a little panic about this. You don't need to worry though, because this list includes every simple, cheap World Book Day costume you could think of and there's bound to be one that will suit your expectant offspring. They may not be the most elaborate costumes, but they will get you out of trouble last minute, and can be made from items you probably already own. Just pick the one that fits what you have in the cupboards. Easy! 

SHARE:

Wednesday 27 February 2019

Half Term on a Budget with a Teen


Air balloon decorations above a shopping streetIt's becoming more of a challenge to find things to do with my son as he gets older, but it's also becoming more important. L is nearly thirteen and as such, he likes nothing more than to while away countless hours gaming or watching YouTube, as (he tells me) is perfectly normal at his age. As anyone who's got sucked into an angry thread on Facebook or hilarious parking videos on YouTube (that last one might be just me) it is too easy to sacrifice hours to the internet. So, I vowed to take decisive action this half term and do something appealing enough to drag a teen off the sofa every day, on a budget of under £50. For the whole week. That equates to just £10 per day and this is how we did it. 
SHARE:

Thursday 23 August 2018

10 Skills all Children should Learn before Leaving Home


University places are being allocated and it's time to start thinking about whether your pride and joy is ready to venture out into the world unsupervised. I'm not sure anyone is ever totally ready, to be fair, there will always be situations no one planned for and initiative will be required now and again. As parents, though, we can help by providing our children with the tools and skills necessary to survive on their own, and take on the challenges life throws at them along the way and it's never to early to start. Here is a list of the skills that all children should learn before leaving home and how to make sure they do.
SHARE:

Wednesday 30 May 2018

5 Quick Ways to Cut Your Monthly Costs


A flowery piggy bank with a hand dropping in a coin. Sometimes, the key to reaching your financial goals is taking a lot of little steps. Most of us can't afford to pay for big things straight away, like a new car or a family holiday. However, when you commit yourself to saving a little bit out of each wage slip, you can reach your goals faster than you might think. This is particularly true when you know how to cut down your outgoing expenses too. While cutting your monthly costs will mean making some compromises, it's important to remember why you're budgeting in the first place. Whether you're hoping that you'll soon be able to afford that next big purchase, or you simply want to stop living from pay-check to pay-check, these tips might help.
SHARE:

Thursday 8 February 2018

House Cleaning: Budget Tricks and Short Cuts!


Rubber gloved hand cleaning a kitchen sinkI do love a good old fashioned housewifely remedy for a tricky cleaning task. In our current economy, you can really save a lot of money by having a few household staples in your cupboard for tackling a variety of cleaning tasks. Sometimes, even if you are really short of cash and everything is looking a bit tired and dated, a good spring clean can make you feel so much better and give your home a much needed lift. It's also much better for the environment and your health too. Everyone would love a sparkly clean home, but no one once the bleach smell and rough hands that often comes with it. 
SHARE:

Wednesday 20 December 2017

Making Money from Home using the Internet


Alarm clock with title above.
Since the invent of the internet, it has become a lot easier to earn money from home. Whether you want to be a millionaire, or just earn a bit while the children are at school or in bed, there are a variety of ways to make money, using tools you already have, with no outlay or risk. As with all money-making ventures, it will depend how much time you have to spend on it, as you generally get out what you put in, but that's the beauty of it, it fits in around what you can manage, alongside other commitments. Whatever your eventual money-saving aims, this post will give you some ideas to get started increasing your cash-flow from your sofa.
SHARE:

Wednesday 29 November 2017

Ideas for Helping Those in Need, When Money is Tight


A mitten with the words how to give a helping hand when money is tight across it.
There are so many charities vying for our attention at Christmas, that it can become overwhelming to find who best to help and how to do it. If you have cash to spare, it's a bit easier, because money is always welcomed by any charity, because it gives them the flexibility to buy the things that they need. What about when you are on a low income, though? Even when you don't have much money coming in, you can still be acutely aware that many people have less, and at Christmas especially, it's natural to want to reach out to those in need. Fortunately, there are lots of other ways you can help and here are some ideas.
SHARE:

Friday 17 November 2017

A Garden Makeover on a Budget


Shed and patio of stone chippings. I've been working on the garden for a few years now. There are a few reasons why it's taken so long; there isn't much money to spend on it, I'm not very good at it, and time and weather are not always our friends. So, this is this season's update, and I have to say, I am really, really happy with it. The aim has always been to make the garden effort-proof and I think that part is almost perfect. Aside from a little mowing and picking up stray leaves, there's not much to do day to day, but it still looks pretty good. I am still very much an amateur and gardening for me will probably always be trial and error, but it's so great when something actually grows! Here's how we did it, what we've added recently, what worked and what didn't. 
SHARE:

Sunday 11 December 2016

Christmas Shopping at B&M Stores Saves a Fortune!

Penguin microwave warmer with title textFirstly, I would like to say, this post is entirely unsponsored. I wouldn't normally say that, as I would tell you if it was, but I want to make it clear that I'm writing this because I am really impressed with the quality and prices at B&M Stores and have saved so much money, that I wanted to share my bargains with you. Let's face it, there are tough times for a lot of people these days, and most of us could do with saving a few pounds this Christmas. The beauty of B&M is that these aren't cheap products at cheap prices, these are quality, brand-name products at cheap prices and there is no way anyone would know their Christmas gift came at a substantial discount. Except my family, if they read this. Ahem. 
SHARE:

Saturday 29 August 2015

Saving Money with Back to School


All your back to school shopping should be done by now, unless you are really disorganised, like me! It seems like a never ending list of 'essentials' are required for even the smallest of eager pupils, embarking on the new term of their school life. The good new is, though, the list doesn't change much from one year to the next, so here are my top tips for what to buy now, to save you money in the coming months on your essential school purchases. Summer is coming to a close, and there are lots of bargains to be had on items that you will be getting letters home about before you know it! Stock up now, and save your pennies, with our saving money with back to school guide. 
SHARE:

Tuesday 21 May 2013

Thrifty is the Word!


This is a competition post, in association with fromspendingtosaving and whichoffshore and it is on a subject we are very, very fond of at The Parent Game, saving money! Fromspendingtosaving is a brilliant new blog, by the writer of Northern Mum, charting one family's all-too-familiar road to solvency, surviving on one income. It's a story most of us know all too well and we all do what we can to make the best of it. It's all about imagination I think, when it comes to a thrifty life with children. We've all heard the older generation telling us how they managed to entertain the children with next to nothing but their imaginations and the great outdoors, but things were different then.
SHARE:
© The Parent Game. All rights reserved.
MINIMAL BLOGGER TEMPLATES BY pipdig