#MySundayPhoto - Trip to the cinema

We decided this week to take the kids to the family films at the cinema. We love the weekend showings. At £2.50 per person (including adults) we can afford to take the kids to see a film. Its not the latest ones and they only have a small selection but it at least means the kids get the experience of going to the pictures. 

Here is the kids waiting to go in to see this weeks films :)

Make It Monday: DIY dishwasher tablets

I own a dishwasher. He's called Gareth :D 

Ok so i do not own an actual dishwasher so this is one i can not personally try. Saving money is saving money though right? and anything which is made chemical free is fantastic in my books. 

I come across these DIY dishwasher tablets over at Popsugar while searching for some scents for homemade toilet fizzes. Like with an homemade product, you could personalize them using your own scents, or even mix and match them have a little bit of a lucky dip when you go to use one. 

Photo from Popsugar.com

You can find a great deal more penny costing homemade products over at popsugar too. 

To see how to make these dishwasher tablets click here. 

Frugal Friday: keep icecream soft

I hate hard icecream! The problem is when it is softer, I find I eat more of it :) maybe a not so frugal tip after all! 

We Eat Wednesday: Milk and cookie ice cubes

*This has been shared on several sites so I am not aware of the original owner. I found this on Pinterest*

If you are looking for a fun or different flavour for your drinks, this is a great idea. Being kid friendly it's a great thing for kids to make too. 

Make It Monday: DIY ice packs

The warmer weather is expected to creep up on old Blighty at some point (hopefully!). Usually when I know there is a heatwave coming I freeze yogurts and fruit, ready to keep the sandwiches and other foods in the kids lunch boxes cool while they sit in the heat. 

While browsing bloglovin, this popped up from My Kitchen Escapades Which I thought was a great idea and very money saving. 

                            Photo from My Kitchen Escapades.com

Sponges can be brought cheaply, they can be cut to size and you can buy different colours so each child had their own unique sponge. They will also come in handy for keeping food cool at parties, on picnics, school trips, day trips.. The list goes on. 

Click here for instructions and more ideas. 

Frugal Friday: Save money on spices

I've recently started to experiment more with flavours. I am usually quite a plain eater, preferring to eat food as natural as possible and only using a select few herbs to flavour my meals. The reason I became like this as I couldn't afford to buy spices to use just for one recipe and then leave them in the cupboard to be forgotten about. 

We Eat Wednesday: useful baking tips

I won't admit to being a good baker, I have 2 kids who love cake as much as I do but I've never been able to perfect it and will throw away more than we actually eat. 

This was sent to me by a friend who was giving me pointers when I expressed a desire to attempt baking my own wedding cake. I found it so useful in my last batch of Victoria sponges that I had to share to all my frugal friends. 

Make It Monday: DIY thread box

This one is for all the sewing fans out there. I'm not a keen seamstress, but I do have a lot of thread for the button which needs putting  back on or the odd seam which needs doing. I usually bung it all into a bag but it gets tangled easy and I end up getting annoyed with the huge tangle that I throw the lot... Not very frugal! 

While browsing for organizing ideas, I come across this DIY thread box from Mur Mur and thought it was a great idea. Cheap, cheerful and looks quite nice. 

                   Photo from Mur Mur 

Click here to see how to make it. 

Week 3: Feeding a family of 4, for 6 weeks - £170! Plus recipes

Apologies for the delay in posting this weeks meal plan. We have had a couple of bereavements in the family and have been pre occupied. 

I have not made recipe cards to go with this weeks meal plans as i have the websites i found the recipes on, bookmarked. 

The shopping list for the whole 6 weeks will be live tomorrow too if you would like to look at that :)

#WeEatWednesday: Bliss ball recipes

I've mentioned Bliss balls a couple of times in my Feeding a family of 4, for 6 weeks - £170 posts, I love how versatile they are, how yummy they are and how cheap they are to make.

They can be made in huge batches, frozen, stored in airtight containers in the fridge and are handy for healthy snacking, lunch boxes, parties or just as a treat.

Week 2: Feeding a family of 4, for 6 weeks - £170! Plus recipes.

As promised, here is part 2 of my 6 week meal plan. 

If you would like to see what i done on week 1 you can check out my post by clicking here 

Week 2 is pretty similar. As mentioned in week 1, i'm using a 3 week rotation, so some of these meals will be batch cooked for use in weeks 4, 5 or 6. 

This post includes, week 2's meal plan and recipes. Week 3 will be live on Friday and the shopping list and some meal planning tips will be live on 31st Jan. 

Week 2

Meal plan monday: Feeding a family of 4, for 6 weeks -£170! Plus recipes.

The leftover Christmas shop has finally run out, so i am back to meal planning. Like most of us, i need to watch the pennies so my shop has to come in as cheap as possible. 

I had a £200 budget this month to feed 4 people, 2 cats, including 3 packed lunches a day, breakfasts, cleaning products and treats. I managed to do the biggest shop for under this and have some left over to top up the perishables towards the end of the month. 

Ill explain how i have done this and provide a shopping list and recipes. This of course will not work for everyone, this works personally for my family. But do feel free to take bits and pieces if it helps you to make you're own food plan. 

Waitrose online deals: Saving money on your food shop.

Right after Christmas, i like many, many others, is poor! It is this time of year i look for the best deals food wise and try stock my cupboards up a little. 

Stop paying to see your credit report. Try this for free

Since working on my debts, ive been keeping an eye on my credit score. Its not gone up much but it is nice to see it when it does. 

I used to pay Experian £15 a month, as they were recommended as the best credit report checker. Then it struck me that i was trying to save money, and paying someone that amount of money for something as simple as a credit report, seemed ridiculous. At the time step change were dealing with my debts and when i told my adviser that £15 a month was being spent on Experian, she said the same thing i am saying now.... Why? I told her i wanted to keep reviewing it, it made me feel in control of my finances as well as being pleased and giving me a boost when i saw the figure go up. That is when she advised me to cancel Experian and sign up for Noddle, 

Frugal Friday : How to store veggies to keep them fresh for longer

I saw this over on Door to door organics and thought it would be a great tip for the start of the new year. 

I usually chop up veg to freeze it before it goes bad but this could save alot of hassle. 

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 54 - My favourite mince pie recipe.

Christmas for me is not Christmas, without my Nan's mince pies! For many years we have had to make do with our own or with shop brought until i found this recipe from Family Friends Food. 

It is honestly, in my opinion,  the easiest and most homemade tasting i have found as well as being really frugal as you can make alot of mince pies out of the ingredients you buy. While i would prefer my Nan's mince pies, unfortunately that can no longer happen and mine are just not the same. These are generous on filling, the pastry is light and they are moreish! I'm sure there is other recipes or similar on the net but this is most definitely my favourite. 

You can find the recipe here 

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 53: Free Lego gift box template

One thing i do try to do when giving gifts is to give them in unique gift boxes or bags. I know my hubby likes Lego and star wars and anything geeky. My daughter likes my little pony and my eldest likes her crafts. I think it makes a cheap looking gift more unique and personal to stick items in a handmade box, specifically made with them in mind. Plus it throws them off scent when they are having a root around trying to figure out the gift! 

I come across this gift box template via Lines Across when i was searching for homemade gift boxes and decided they would be perfect for the little Lego sets i had brought my husband for his birthday. 

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 52 : 50% off Christmas items in The Range

I like to grab a few cheap Christmas items to pack away ready for the following year. I wait until after Christmas for the wrapping paper and card deals as they are always cheaper but things like Christmas decorations - tinsel, garlands etc, i like to browse before hand. I have a set price in mind that i am willing to pay and if it is not at the right price, i write it down to look at in the sales, in January. 

If however you are looking for some cheap decorations or you do not have a set price in mind, then 50 % off is a great saving. The Range currently have a 50% off sale across their Christmas Home section, which includes trees and decorations from as little as 40p each. 

Order by midnight 22nd December for Christmas delivery. 

Click here to browse the deals 

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 51: Free toy and half price toy deals

I'm sure most of you have done your Christmas shopping already and are busy preparing for the day. If you still need to go shopping and are heading to boots for the toys, this could provide a little extra gift. 

Boots currently have a few offers in the toy section, both online and instore at the moment. 

You can order online by 8pm 23rd Dec to collect instore to receive in time for Christmas.

Selected toys are on offer both instore and online in Boots right now. Spend £60 or more and recieve this cute doggy toy. 

Selected play sets are half price and there is a few stocking fillers on the 3 for 2 sale. Stock is shifting fast though. 

Click here to browse Boots toy deals 

#SMPXmasCountdown: Day 49: Make a Santa key plus free printable

This is a lovely idea for those who do not have a fireplace but still want their kids to know Santa can still come put presents under the tree. 

Making a key is simple enough, you could cut one out of card and paint it or you could paint an old door key using paint, glitter or even nail polish. 

The printable is provided by Nellie Bellie 

You can click here to see the tutorial and download the printable