I will be back tomorrow well rested and relaxed.
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Friday 30 January 2015
Child free night
Hello readers by gum it's cold here tonight. We have put the heaters on economy 7. That will cost us £9 just to heat the house for one night grrrrr. No post tonight as Lee and I have a vary rare child free night so it's snuggling up in a warm bed, watching films, and munching on yummy food night for us.
I will be back tomorrow well rested and relaxed.
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
I will be back tomorrow well rested and relaxed.
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Thursday 29 January 2015
Holiday Budgeting
Hello readers less than 2 weeks till we go away and I'm just a tad excited lol. Regular readers will know me well enough to know I NEVER pay full price for anything and that is not limited to the UK. I have been doing lots of research on Cyprus over the last few weeks and have come up with lots of ways to save money whilst we are away without detracting from our fun. I thought I would share how I intend to keep costs down whilst we are away.
Transportation= We could get a taxi transfer from the airport to our apartment at a cost of 55 euros however I have been looking at bus routes and timetables. We will be buying a weekly bus pass each anyway to get around on our holiday saving on taxi fares. The weekly bus pass will cost 15 euros each and as we will be buying one for our stay in Cyprus anyway we will use this to get buses to the apartment instead of taxi transfers saving us 110 euros on both the arrival and return journeys. As we are leaving home extremely early in the morning to make our flight to Cyprus we have no choice other than a taxi transfer. I have rung around a few local taxi companies and the best price I could get was £80 which Lee and I will go halves on so £40 each. When we arrive back in the UK we will take the bus from the airport to the train station and a train home using our friends and family discount card so will save a hefty amount there also.
Entertainment= I have sourced some activities for us to do whilst we are away. Some are cheap, some are free, and some are more expensive but we will be using tips and tricks to bring the cost of the more expensive ones down. We have a pool with pool toys available to us at the apartment as well as a BBQ so we will take advantage of that whilst we are there and have a few stay at home and chill by the pool days. We also have 2 beautiful beaches close by where we can pack up a picnic and have a few beach days. Both of these activities are free and will cost no more than a picnic or BBQ food. A lot of the activities that cost money offer reduced rates for disabled people or allow an adult to go free as a carer. I will be taking both Brad and Brandons disability letters with us so that we can take advantage of these reductions. Also if you book in advance online you can save a percentage on admission so between the reductions and advance booking we should be able to save a fair bit of money. Unless the venue has rules against bringing your own food we will always take a picnic with us saving us the cost of buying food and drink whilst out for the day.
Food= Just because we are on holiday does not mean we have to eat out for lunch and dinner every day and we won't be. I have found a large supermarket close by and from the reviews I have read they are reasonably priced and have lots of offers available. I will do a big food shop when we arrive so that we don't have to eat out all the time. We will have breakfast in the apartment before we leave for the day and I will make up a picnic to take with us for lunch (providing the place we are visiting does not have any rules about bringing your own food). We will have dinner around 7pm at the apartment as we will not be out in the evenings with the children anyway. We have agreed to lunches out when we are not allowed to take our own food and 2 evening meals out a week. Lee and I will take it in turns to pay for eating out and go halves on the food shopping. This should drastically reduce our food costs whilst away but we are on holiday so eating out 2 nights a week will be a nice little treat and give mum a night off from cooking.
I plan to take my Kindle with me so I will continue posting even when we are away. Not only will I share with you what we have been up to that day but I will also be posting any money spent that day and what it has been spent on. I am hoping by doing this I will hold myself accountable and will think before I spend plus I will be able to keep track of how much money we are going through and cutback if necessary.
So what are your thoughts on my holiday budgeting ? Is there anything I have not covered ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Transportation= We could get a taxi transfer from the airport to our apartment at a cost of 55 euros however I have been looking at bus routes and timetables. We will be buying a weekly bus pass each anyway to get around on our holiday saving on taxi fares. The weekly bus pass will cost 15 euros each and as we will be buying one for our stay in Cyprus anyway we will use this to get buses to the apartment instead of taxi transfers saving us 110 euros on both the arrival and return journeys. As we are leaving home extremely early in the morning to make our flight to Cyprus we have no choice other than a taxi transfer. I have rung around a few local taxi companies and the best price I could get was £80 which Lee and I will go halves on so £40 each. When we arrive back in the UK we will take the bus from the airport to the train station and a train home using our friends and family discount card so will save a hefty amount there also.
Entertainment= I have sourced some activities for us to do whilst we are away. Some are cheap, some are free, and some are more expensive but we will be using tips and tricks to bring the cost of the more expensive ones down. We have a pool with pool toys available to us at the apartment as well as a BBQ so we will take advantage of that whilst we are there and have a few stay at home and chill by the pool days. We also have 2 beautiful beaches close by where we can pack up a picnic and have a few beach days. Both of these activities are free and will cost no more than a picnic or BBQ food. A lot of the activities that cost money offer reduced rates for disabled people or allow an adult to go free as a carer. I will be taking both Brad and Brandons disability letters with us so that we can take advantage of these reductions. Also if you book in advance online you can save a percentage on admission so between the reductions and advance booking we should be able to save a fair bit of money. Unless the venue has rules against bringing your own food we will always take a picnic with us saving us the cost of buying food and drink whilst out for the day.
Food= Just because we are on holiday does not mean we have to eat out for lunch and dinner every day and we won't be. I have found a large supermarket close by and from the reviews I have read they are reasonably priced and have lots of offers available. I will do a big food shop when we arrive so that we don't have to eat out all the time. We will have breakfast in the apartment before we leave for the day and I will make up a picnic to take with us for lunch (providing the place we are visiting does not have any rules about bringing your own food). We will have dinner around 7pm at the apartment as we will not be out in the evenings with the children anyway. We have agreed to lunches out when we are not allowed to take our own food and 2 evening meals out a week. Lee and I will take it in turns to pay for eating out and go halves on the food shopping. This should drastically reduce our food costs whilst away but we are on holiday so eating out 2 nights a week will be a nice little treat and give mum a night off from cooking.
I plan to take my Kindle with me so I will continue posting even when we are away. Not only will I share with you what we have been up to that day but I will also be posting any money spent that day and what it has been spent on. I am hoping by doing this I will hold myself accountable and will think before I spend plus I will be able to keep track of how much money we are going through and cutback if necessary.
So what are your thoughts on my holiday budgeting ? Is there anything I have not covered ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Wednesday 28 January 2015
To write or not to write
Hello readers why is it my most frugal days are the ones I have the least to blog about ? lol. I have not spent a single penny today. I have not even left the house. I have been busy with school and housework today as well as a little soul searching.
Anonymous left me a comment asking if I had ever thought about writing a book about my experiences with frugality and autism. A friend of mine has said the same thing to me over the years. You know what it's like though when a friend says it to you you think they are just being nice you don't take it to seriously. When someone you have never met says it to you you sit up and take notice and begin wondering if in fact your friend had been right all these years. So today I have been doing a lot of thinking. Do I have what it takes to write a book ? Do I have the patience to write a book ? Do I have the time to dedicate to writing a book ? So many thoughts have been swimming around in my head today lol. I have done some research and have come to the conclusion that writing an ebook would not be beyond my abilities. I may in fact get a lot of pleasure from writing a book a cathartic release if you will. After all I get great joy from writing this blog and sharing both our lives and my knowledge on frugality with you all. So the decision has been made I am going to write an ebook on frugality and if that all goes well I will look at writing a second book about my experiences with autism. Wish me luck readers I may well need it lol.
Brad has handed his application in for the little Saturday job I spoke about in yesterday's post and we are now just waiting to see if he gets called in for an interview. Please continue to send positive thoughts on this one as it all helps.
Dinner tonight was mummys yummy scrummy carbonara
Half a bag of value pasta 15p
Half a pack of value cooking bacon 41p
A jar of asda carbonara sauce 75p
1/4 of a bag of value grated cheese 55p
Total £1.86 served 4 so 47p per portion
Finally my random picture for the day.....
So my lovely readers what are your thoughts on me writing a book ? Have you ever written a book yourself and have some words of wisdom to share with me ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Anonymous left me a comment asking if I had ever thought about writing a book about my experiences with frugality and autism. A friend of mine has said the same thing to me over the years. You know what it's like though when a friend says it to you you think they are just being nice you don't take it to seriously. When someone you have never met says it to you you sit up and take notice and begin wondering if in fact your friend had been right all these years. So today I have been doing a lot of thinking. Do I have what it takes to write a book ? Do I have the patience to write a book ? Do I have the time to dedicate to writing a book ? So many thoughts have been swimming around in my head today lol. I have done some research and have come to the conclusion that writing an ebook would not be beyond my abilities. I may in fact get a lot of pleasure from writing a book a cathartic release if you will. After all I get great joy from writing this blog and sharing both our lives and my knowledge on frugality with you all. So the decision has been made I am going to write an ebook on frugality and if that all goes well I will look at writing a second book about my experiences with autism. Wish me luck readers I may well need it lol.
Brad has handed his application in for the little Saturday job I spoke about in yesterday's post and we are now just waiting to see if he gets called in for an interview. Please continue to send positive thoughts on this one as it all helps.
Dinner tonight was mummys yummy scrummy carbonara
Half a bag of value pasta 15p
Half a pack of value cooking bacon 41p
A jar of asda carbonara sauce 75p
1/4 of a bag of value grated cheese 55p
Total £1.86 served 4 so 47p per portion
Is it bath time yet mum lol
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Tuesday 27 January 2015
Working and disabilities
Hello readers how are we all today ? I have had a busy day with Brandon but a productive one. We started off with a meeting with Brad and Brandons disability worker H. You may remember me talking about the boys respite package in a previous post. It has now been agreed and finalised that the boys will have one weekend each a month with a respite career so that I can have a little break from the demands that inevitably come with having 2 children with autism, learning disabilities, and ADHD. This is a huge relief for me as up until recently I have had very little help with Brandon and his needs.
After our meeting we popped into town as I had to do some photocopying in the library and get the shopping for the week which consisted of.....
1 Loaf of bread
Cat food
Toilet roll
On our way home we treated ourselves to a cone of chips (£1.10) to eat in the park and Brandon had a little play before heading back home. This afternoon I have been helping Brad apply for a little Saturday job which is perfect for him. It will help with his independence training and give him a little pocket money also. It is very important to me that my children have a good work ethic in life and realize that if you are fit and healthy then work is how you go about earning a living.
I myself worked from the Age of 14 and it was the making of me. At 16 I held down 3 jobs so that I could pay my own way through college in spite of being eligible for state grants and funding I was determined to pay for it all myself. I held down several part time jobs after getting married and having the 2 eldest munchkins. It was not until I had Brandon and developed menieres disease during pregnancy that I was forced to quit working (it's hard holding down a job when you constantly have vertigo attacks and throw up everywhere). At one point I did try to return to work but on my first day I had a major MD attack and an ambulance had to be called for me. The employer was very nice about it but I was informed my services were no longer required which I completely understood and we parted on amicable terms. In spite of having a disability I claim no benefits for it I have been told I can claim income support, esa, and dla for myself but I don't. I receive a small carers allowance for looking after the boys with their disabilities and this is enough to get me by so I see no reason why I should milk the system for more money than I need. I have been told by family and friends alike that I should claim every penny I can but I am fiercely independent, a very proud woman, and I have a very strong work ethic. My hope is that by the time Brandon goes back to full time school (secondary school) my menieres disease will be in full remission and I can return to full time employment working with special needs children as I was before developing menieres disease.
I have never disclosed the fact that I am in fact unemployed on my blog before as there is such a stigma attached to people that don't work nowadays. I hope that by sharing this information with you you will be able to see that in fact I am someone who has always worked with a strong work ethic which I have instilled in my children and that the only reason I don't currently work is because I was struck down with this damn menieres disease in the prime of my career (a special needs teaching assistant for those who are interested).
Please pray, send good vibes, or just cross your fingers that the employers will see past Brads autism and he gets the job as he really wants it and he has the right qualifications and work experience to do the job well.
What are you thoughts on working with a disability ? What are your thoughts on those who genuinely have no choice but to give up working ? I always love to hear from you readers.
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
After our meeting we popped into town as I had to do some photocopying in the library and get the shopping for the week which consisted of.....
1 Loaf of bread
Cat food
Toilet roll
On our way home we treated ourselves to a cone of chips (£1.10) to eat in the park and Brandon had a little play before heading back home. This afternoon I have been helping Brad apply for a little Saturday job which is perfect for him. It will help with his independence training and give him a little pocket money also. It is very important to me that my children have a good work ethic in life and realize that if you are fit and healthy then work is how you go about earning a living.
I myself worked from the Age of 14 and it was the making of me. At 16 I held down 3 jobs so that I could pay my own way through college in spite of being eligible for state grants and funding I was determined to pay for it all myself. I held down several part time jobs after getting married and having the 2 eldest munchkins. It was not until I had Brandon and developed menieres disease during pregnancy that I was forced to quit working (it's hard holding down a job when you constantly have vertigo attacks and throw up everywhere). At one point I did try to return to work but on my first day I had a major MD attack and an ambulance had to be called for me. The employer was very nice about it but I was informed my services were no longer required which I completely understood and we parted on amicable terms. In spite of having a disability I claim no benefits for it I have been told I can claim income support, esa, and dla for myself but I don't. I receive a small carers allowance for looking after the boys with their disabilities and this is enough to get me by so I see no reason why I should milk the system for more money than I need. I have been told by family and friends alike that I should claim every penny I can but I am fiercely independent, a very proud woman, and I have a very strong work ethic. My hope is that by the time Brandon goes back to full time school (secondary school) my menieres disease will be in full remission and I can return to full time employment working with special needs children as I was before developing menieres disease.
I have never disclosed the fact that I am in fact unemployed on my blog before as there is such a stigma attached to people that don't work nowadays. I hope that by sharing this information with you you will be able to see that in fact I am someone who has always worked with a strong work ethic which I have instilled in my children and that the only reason I don't currently work is because I was struck down with this damn menieres disease in the prime of my career (a special needs teaching assistant for those who are interested).
Please pray, send good vibes, or just cross your fingers that the employers will see past Brads autism and he gets the job as he really wants it and he has the right qualifications and work experience to do the job well.
What are you thoughts on working with a disability ? What are your thoughts on those who genuinely have no choice but to give up working ? I always love to hear from you readers.
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Monday 26 January 2015
Pants and chickens
Hello readers how was your weekend ? We had a lovely weekend here at Tilly Towers. On Saturday Lee took me and Brandon out for some lunch and he treated me to a luxury pedicure at a beauty salon. They had an offer on so it worked out a little cheaper than it would have been normally. I never have beauty salon treatments as I always do them myself at home so this was a real treat for me and although it's not something that would see its way into my budget it was lovely to feel pampered for an hour. So Mr if you are reading this (as he sometimes does lol) thank you so much for my little treat I loved it. We had lunch in our favourite local sandwich bar and I had my usual £3.50 mini breakfast (why Mike calls it a mini breakfast I have no idea as its pretty darn big lol). We then spent the evening watching films together and enjoying each other's company. Sunday was all about working as a team to get on top of the housework and we all pitched in and had it done in no time.
Today I popped into town to pick up some more pants for my little poop machine (you may remember me mentioning before Brandon has toileting problems due to his autism). We go through a lot of underwear with Brandon and his issues. Sometimes I'm able to save them but more often than not it is just to bad to rinse out and save so they end up in the bin. I have been told on occasion that he should go back into nappies but at seven years old I see this as a major step backwards as at times he will use the toilet other times he forgets. I buy cheap basic pants for him from asda 7 pairs for £3 and today I got him 2 packs so that should last him about a month. I also picked up 10 packets of smartprice mashed potato at 28p a packet. It is the yummiest instant mash any of us have ever tasted and at 28p a pack is much cheaper than I could make it for.
I also had a look in the butchers to see if they had any good deals on and I was not disappointed.....
4 Large chickens which should have been £20 in total but thanks to the offer I paid just £9 which works out just £2.25 per large chicken and each chicken will make 2-3 meals.
As we walked past the discounted book store I saw this book in the sale in the shop window. It will really help with Brandons home education as history is not one of my strong subjects.
Finally a random picture I found on my Kindle that made me smile as I hope it will make you smile to.....
So readers how was your weekend ? Did you get up to anything exciting ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Today I popped into town to pick up some more pants for my little poop machine (you may remember me mentioning before Brandon has toileting problems due to his autism). We go through a lot of underwear with Brandon and his issues. Sometimes I'm able to save them but more often than not it is just to bad to rinse out and save so they end up in the bin. I have been told on occasion that he should go back into nappies but at seven years old I see this as a major step backwards as at times he will use the toilet other times he forgets. I buy cheap basic pants for him from asda 7 pairs for £3 and today I got him 2 packs so that should last him about a month. I also picked up 10 packets of smartprice mashed potato at 28p a packet. It is the yummiest instant mash any of us have ever tasted and at 28p a pack is much cheaper than I could make it for.
I also had a look in the butchers to see if they had any good deals on and I was not disappointed.....
4 Large chickens which should have been £20 in total but thanks to the offer I paid just £9 which works out just £2.25 per large chicken and each chicken will make 2-3 meals.
All bagged up ready for the freezer
As we walked past the discounted book store I saw this book in the sale in the shop window. It will really help with Brandons home education as history is not one of my strong subjects.
£3 Not bad hey ?
Finally a random picture I found on my Kindle that made me smile as I hope it will make you smile to.....
Isn't she the cutest
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Thursday 22 January 2015
Living a frugal life
Hello readers I had a lovely message today from one of my readers and I just wanted to say thank you you know who you are :)
I started this blog several years ago and posted sporadically for some time as I learnt to change our lifestyle and live a frugal life instead. I have been living what I would deem a fully frugal life now for about 2 years. There have been occasions when I have fallen off the wagon and had monetary splurges but there is something about the frugal life that always lures me back.
For a long time I didn't really know who I was, what I wanted to be, or what I was good at. I was young and had not really found myself. I knew I loved being a mum and homemaker but that was not enough for me I had to find my niche before I could be truly happy.
My search for homemaking blogs lead me to frugalism as the 2 often go hand in hand. As I had debts I felt frugality was a subject I should study in more depth and really get to grips with. I read every article and blog I could on frugality, homemaking, and debt reduction. I educated myself in ways to cut my expenses and ways I could make a little extra money here and there.
Since starting my journey I have learnt to knit, bake, cook from scratch, make candles, jam, soap, laundry detergent, how to make do and mend and so much more. I have learnt how to do my research and always pay the lowest price possible for products and services. And dear readers the best thing of all is over the past 2 years I have reduced my debt by almost £7000 :)
I have finally found my niche my area of expertise and it fills me with joy everyday. I enjoy sharing my knowledge with others in the hope that they to can find their own way out of debt and to live a more meaningful and happy life.
As I have said in the past if sharing my life's journey helps just one person then it is worth it. I will leave it there for now I just wanted to share with you all how important frugal living has become to me and as a result my family.
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
I started this blog several years ago and posted sporadically for some time as I learnt to change our lifestyle and live a frugal life instead. I have been living what I would deem a fully frugal life now for about 2 years. There have been occasions when I have fallen off the wagon and had monetary splurges but there is something about the frugal life that always lures me back.
For a long time I didn't really know who I was, what I wanted to be, or what I was good at. I was young and had not really found myself. I knew I loved being a mum and homemaker but that was not enough for me I had to find my niche before I could be truly happy.
My search for homemaking blogs lead me to frugalism as the 2 often go hand in hand. As I had debts I felt frugality was a subject I should study in more depth and really get to grips with. I read every article and blog I could on frugality, homemaking, and debt reduction. I educated myself in ways to cut my expenses and ways I could make a little extra money here and there.
Since starting my journey I have learnt to knit, bake, cook from scratch, make candles, jam, soap, laundry detergent, how to make do and mend and so much more. I have learnt how to do my research and always pay the lowest price possible for products and services. And dear readers the best thing of all is over the past 2 years I have reduced my debt by almost £7000 :)
I have finally found my niche my area of expertise and it fills me with joy everyday. I enjoy sharing my knowledge with others in the hope that they to can find their own way out of debt and to live a more meaningful and happy life.
As I have said in the past if sharing my life's journey helps just one person then it is worth it. I will leave it there for now I just wanted to share with you all how important frugal living has become to me and as a result my family.
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Wednesday 21 January 2015
Fur babies and pet care
Hello readers how are we all today ? Today has been all about the fur babies here at Tilly Towers and teaching Brandon about pet care.
We have thoroughly cleaned out the fish, cat, and rabbit as well as given the rabbit and cat a good grooming, checked for fleas and ticks, and checked the rabbits nails. Good pet care is pretty high on the agenda here at Tilly Towers and as well as fresh food and water we also give them a basic tidy up and clean the cat litter daily. Once a week we give them a thorough clean out stripping all bedding and litter and giving a good disinfectant before putting fresh bedding and litter in and reassembling. I think it's important that if your child has a pet they learn how to look after them properly although I have to be honest I'm usually the one who does the cleaning out due to my OCD no one else can do it to my standards lol. Here are our fur babies all nice and clean....
I also managed to tick off one of my goals for the week by making some cupcakes. Ok so I originally said a cake but I had 2 packs of value fairy cakes in the cupboard that needed using up so I made cupcakes instead. I went a little overboard with the frosting and had loads left so I have stored it in the fridge for when I make next week's cakes. Here is how my cheat cupcakes turned out.....
Dinner tonight was an "On it night" meaning something on toast
6 Eggs (Tesco value) 60p
6 Slices of bread (Tesco value) 20p
Total 80p served 3 so 27p per portion
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
We have thoroughly cleaned out the fish, cat, and rabbit as well as given the rabbit and cat a good grooming, checked for fleas and ticks, and checked the rabbits nails. Good pet care is pretty high on the agenda here at Tilly Towers and as well as fresh food and water we also give them a basic tidy up and clean the cat litter daily. Once a week we give them a thorough clean out stripping all bedding and litter and giving a good disinfectant before putting fresh bedding and litter in and reassembling. I think it's important that if your child has a pet they learn how to look after them properly although I have to be honest I'm usually the one who does the cleaning out due to my OCD no one else can do it to my standards lol. Here are our fur babies all nice and clean....
My reliable assistant
My baby girl
Kindy the bunny
Spongebob and Patrick the fishes
Don't they look yummy
Dinner tonight was an "On it night" meaning something on toast
6 Eggs (Tesco value) 60p
6 Slices of bread (Tesco value) 20p
Total 80p served 3 so 27p per portion
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Goals
Hello readers well the alarm worked. I managed to hear one of the three alarms I set and was up at 8am. I have tidied up already and Brandon is still asleep in bed lol. I have never been one to make new years resolutions as I never stick to them and end up feeling a failure. This year though I have decided to set myself little goals each week and share them with your good selves. At the end of the week I will let you know what goals (if any lol) I have completed that week. So here are my goals for this week.....
1= To lose another 2lb in weight
2= To finish the 2 books I currently have on the go
3= To watch at least another 2 episodes of The following
4= To book our taxi transfers for the holiday
5= To make a cake
6= To make some ice cream
Well as its Wednesday already I better get a wriggle on with these goals. Do you make new years resolutions ? Or do you prefer to set yourself small achievable goals throughout the year ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
1= To lose another 2lb in weight
2= To finish the 2 books I currently have on the go
3= To watch at least another 2 episodes of The following
4= To book our taxi transfers for the holiday
5= To make a cake
6= To make some ice cream
Well as its Wednesday already I better get a wriggle on with these goals. Do you make new years resolutions ? Or do you prefer to set yourself small achievable goals throughout the year ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Tuesday 20 January 2015
Why does to much sleep make you tired ?
Hello readers had a bit of bother today with my liver going into spasm again so I have not been able to get as much done as I would have liked. Never mind the bare essentials have been taken care of and that is what matters.
I have been sleeping in a bit recently and I don't like the effect it is having on me. I feel tired all the time and sluggish which I hate. Why is it the more you sleep the more tired you feel during the day ? I have found that 8 hours is perfect for me. I wake up feeling well rested and raring to go and don't stop all day and those are the days I love. As most of you will know I am partially deaf due to my menieres disease. As a result I can't hear alarms and rely on Ben to wake me up in the mornings. Just recently he has been forgetting to wake me up before he leaves for school hence the sleeping in. Tonight I will be reminding Ben to wake me up in the morning and setting 3 alarms in the hope one of them will be loud enough to wake me up. I really need to get back to getting up at a reasonable time and stop feeling so sluggish.
Dinner tonight was Chicken and vegetable pie with potato wedges and baked beans...
4 Chicken and vegetable pies (Tesco value) £1
Half a bag of potato wedges (Tesco value) 50p
2 Tins of baked beans (Tesco value) 48p
Total £1.98 and served 4 so 50p per portion
Thank you all for the wonderful book suggestions I will be sure to check them all out.
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
I have been sleeping in a bit recently and I don't like the effect it is having on me. I feel tired all the time and sluggish which I hate. Why is it the more you sleep the more tired you feel during the day ? I have found that 8 hours is perfect for me. I wake up feeling well rested and raring to go and don't stop all day and those are the days I love. As most of you will know I am partially deaf due to my menieres disease. As a result I can't hear alarms and rely on Ben to wake me up in the mornings. Just recently he has been forgetting to wake me up before he leaves for school hence the sleeping in. Tonight I will be reminding Ben to wake me up in the morning and setting 3 alarms in the hope one of them will be loud enough to wake me up. I really need to get back to getting up at a reasonable time and stop feeling so sluggish.
Dinner tonight was Chicken and vegetable pie with potato wedges and baked beans...
4 Chicken and vegetable pies (Tesco value) £1
Half a bag of potato wedges (Tesco value) 50p
2 Tins of baked beans (Tesco value) 48p
Total £1.98 and served 4 so 50p per portion
Thank you all for the wonderful book suggestions I will be sure to check them all out.
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Monday 19 January 2015
Flights done
Hello readers I am writing to you tonight from my very own pink kindle :) Lee bought it for me as a belated Christmas present and I love it. He knows I have been wanting one for over a year now as I always borrow the boys for EVERYTHING lol. Now I have one for myself I will be able to carry it round with me in my bag whenever we go out so you can expect to see lots more pictures on the blog now.
We had an awesome weekend (as you can see from my previous 2 posts) even though it has been super cold. Today we popped over to Lee's to book the flights for our holiday in February (Lee has a printer but we don't). I was a bit miffed to find the price had gone up and not down as I had expected it to by waiting till just a few weeks before we go to book the flights (so much for my bright idea hey ?). I did all the usual comparison sites and everywhere I looked lead me back to easyjet. I then checked all the cash back sites to see if I could claw back a little money from our purchase but to no avail. It has ended up costing £927 for the 5 of us to travel to Cyprus and back with 3 lots of hold luggage between us. Lee's share was £200 meaning I had to pay £727 for myself and the boys. So far my costs for 2 weeks in Cyprus are £727 for flights, and half the cost of the apartment £135 So £862. Not to bad for 2 adults and 2 children to spend 2 weeks in Cyprus (Brad is now classed as an adult as he is 16). I do of course still have to purchase travel insurance and I am expecting that to be a pretty hefty cost due to my health issues. But I consider it a necessity as I will not play Russian roulette with mine or the boys health needs whilst in a foreign country.
Dinner tonight was a mix and match of yellow sticker items I got from Morrison's. We each had a sandwich, the youngest 2 munchkins had a sausage roll each in addition to their sandwiches, and Brad had a vegetable samosa in addition to his sandwich.
2 Chicken salad sandwiches 38p
1 Egg salad sandwich 15p
1 Cheese and tomato sandwich 5p
2 Sausage rolls 10p
1 Vegetable Samosa 9p
Total 77p served 4 so 20p each
I think all this extreme frugalism is paying off in other ways and not just the financial benefits we are seeing. Lee and I have both lost weight. I have lost 1st 2lbs and Lee has lost 9lbs so almost 2st between us. Don't get me wrong we are not going hungry or anything we have just cut down on the amount we eat and cut out a lot of the crap and "treats" in order to save some extra money for the holiday.
Anyway off to read some more of my ebook "living cheaply in the UK". What are you currently reading ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
We had an awesome weekend (as you can see from my previous 2 posts) even though it has been super cold. Today we popped over to Lee's to book the flights for our holiday in February (Lee has a printer but we don't). I was a bit miffed to find the price had gone up and not down as I had expected it to by waiting till just a few weeks before we go to book the flights (so much for my bright idea hey ?). I did all the usual comparison sites and everywhere I looked lead me back to easyjet. I then checked all the cash back sites to see if I could claw back a little money from our purchase but to no avail. It has ended up costing £927 for the 5 of us to travel to Cyprus and back with 3 lots of hold luggage between us. Lee's share was £200 meaning I had to pay £727 for myself and the boys. So far my costs for 2 weeks in Cyprus are £727 for flights, and half the cost of the apartment £135 So £862. Not to bad for 2 adults and 2 children to spend 2 weeks in Cyprus (Brad is now classed as an adult as he is 16). I do of course still have to purchase travel insurance and I am expecting that to be a pretty hefty cost due to my health issues. But I consider it a necessity as I will not play Russian roulette with mine or the boys health needs whilst in a foreign country.
Dinner tonight was a mix and match of yellow sticker items I got from Morrison's. We each had a sandwich, the youngest 2 munchkins had a sausage roll each in addition to their sandwiches, and Brad had a vegetable samosa in addition to his sandwich.
2 Chicken salad sandwiches 38p
1 Egg salad sandwich 15p
1 Cheese and tomato sandwich 5p
2 Sausage rolls 10p
1 Vegetable Samosa 9p
Total 77p served 4 so 20p each
I think all this extreme frugalism is paying off in other ways and not just the financial benefits we are seeing. Lee and I have both lost weight. I have lost 1st 2lbs and Lee has lost 9lbs so almost 2st between us. Don't get me wrong we are not going hungry or anything we have just cut down on the amount we eat and cut out a lot of the crap and "treats" in order to save some extra money for the holiday.
Anyway off to read some more of my ebook "living cheaply in the UK". What are you currently reading ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Sunday 18 January 2015
Kindle Unlimited
Hello readers 2 posts in one day I am doing well a'rent I lol. I wanted to share an offer with you all that I have recently stumbled across and am making good use of. I should mention this is not a sponsored post and there are no affiliate links here. If I ever write a sponsored post it will be for a product or service that I would be happy to use and pay for myself. The offer I am referring to is a 30 day free trial with Kindle Unlimited. If at the end of the 30 days you would like to continue the membership you can do so for £7.99 a month. If on the other hand you do not want to continue the membership you simply log into your Amazon account and cancel the Kindle Unlimited subscription before the 30 day free trial is up. So far I have read The simple life by Rhonda Hetzel, The shoestring girl how I live on practically nothing and so can you by Annie Brewer, and I am currently reading Living cheaply in the UK by Bill Ricardi. There are over 650000 titles available with the membership plus thousands of audio books. If like me you are a big reader this could save you some money. I can easily read 2 books a week sometimes more which equates to at least 8 books a month. With this membership I will be able to read as many books as I like for less than it would cost to buy one book from a book store. Why not get your books from the library for free I hear you say and you would have a point. However by having this membership I won't have to walk to the library and back which in this weather and with my health is a bonus. Also if the library does not have my book in stock and they have to order it in from another library I would have to wait a week before I could read it. With the Kindle Unlimited membership I can instantly download the book of my choice and start reading giving me instant gratification. Another bonus is I will never have to pay any overdue fees ever again the book is instantly downloaded to your kindle and remains there for as long as you want it to. Another bonus is I can download books to the boys kindles using my membership as like me Ben is an avid reader. I am not for one minute suggesting we completely abandon libraries as there are so many other services that they offer in this day and age such as free WiFi, free use of computers, DVD rental, CD rental, daily newspapers, crafting sessions etc. I will continue to frequent our local library for Brandons school reading books as he is using their reading scale to measure his progress. I will continue to take him to rhythm time every Friday and crafting sessions as well as holiday programs they offer. I will continue to rent DVDs from my local library and I will occasionally borrow a book for myself when I feel the need to read a real book you know the sound of the pages turning and that musty smell you get from a good old library book. But on the whole I will be using my Kindle Unlimited membership to read in the future as will Ben as it suits our needs a lot better and the price of the membership is that low I can justify the additional cost to my monthly budget. Anyway hope some of you find this information useful.
How do you prefer to read digital download or hardcopy ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
How do you prefer to read digital download or hardcopy ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Yellow stickers and a roast
Hello readers still cold here in Wiltshire. Boy I'm looking forward to our two weeks in Cyprus :) Today has been a lazy day for us here at Tilly Towers. Lee and I spent most of the day just chilling out and chatting about what we have been up to (we haven't seen each other for 2 weeks). The boys have been playing on the Xbox and computer for most of the day. I had a real hankering for a roast dinner today and we toyed with the idea of going to the local pub for lunch but decided against it. Instead I decided to pop to Morrison's just before closing and see if I could get some yellow sticker chicken to make my own roast dinner and I was in luck. As well as the chicken I was able to get a few other yellow stickers. Here is what I got.....
3 Chicken legs 15p each so 45p
8 Stuffing balls wrapped in bacon 35p
2 Chicken salad sandwiches 19p each so 38p
1 Egg salad sandwich 15p
1 Cheese and tomato sandwich 5p
2 Bags of grapes 5p each so 10p
4 Chocolate eclairs 95p
2 Sausage rolls 5p each so 10p
1 Vegetable samosa 9p
Total £2.62
This milk was reduced to 29p a bottle and still had 2 days left on it so 87p for the 3. However because of a pre promotion on the milk I received an 87p reduction so it worked out the milk was free :) It has gone into the freezer and will be pulled out one at a time once we finish our current bottle.
I picked these bits up for my friend K as she is a vegetarian and a full time carer for her elderly mum so I like to help her out in little ways when I'm able. There is a Caesar salad with dressing, croutons, and parmesan shavings which cost 15p and 2 bags of lambs lettuce 5p a bag so 10p.
Dinner tonight was roast chicken
Left over chicken from yesterday £1.67
3 Chicken legs (yellow sticker) 45p
4 Stuffing balls (yellow sticker) 18p
1 Bag of roast potatoes (Tesco value) £1
1/3 Of a bag of mixed veg (Tesco value) 33p
10 Yorkshire puddings (Tesco value) 33p
1/3 Pot of gravy granules (Tesco value) 7p
Total £4.03 served 5 so 81p per portion. Not one of my more frugal meals but when you compare it to how much it would have cost had we given in and gone to the pub for lunch we are quids ahead plus I got to satisfy my hankering for a roast dinner lol.
And finally.....
LOL I forgot to add this picture to yesterday's post of Ben helping to grate the soap for my laundry detergent. Doesn't he look a loony toon lol.
Do you ever get a hankering for a food that you just have to have ? How do you deal with food cravings on a budget ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
3 Chicken legs 15p each so 45p
8 Stuffing balls wrapped in bacon 35p
2 Chicken salad sandwiches 19p each so 38p
1 Egg salad sandwich 15p
1 Cheese and tomato sandwich 5p
2 Bags of grapes 5p each so 10p
4 Chocolate eclairs 95p
2 Sausage rolls 5p each so 10p
1 Vegetable samosa 9p
Total £2.62
This milk was reduced to 29p a bottle and still had 2 days left on it so 87p for the 3. However because of a pre promotion on the milk I received an 87p reduction so it worked out the milk was free :) It has gone into the freezer and will be pulled out one at a time once we finish our current bottle.
Dinner tonight was roast chicken
Left over chicken from yesterday £1.67
3 Chicken legs (yellow sticker) 45p
4 Stuffing balls (yellow sticker) 18p
1 Bag of roast potatoes (Tesco value) £1
1/3 Of a bag of mixed veg (Tesco value) 33p
10 Yorkshire puddings (Tesco value) 33p
1/3 Pot of gravy granules (Tesco value) 7p
Total £4.03 served 5 so 81p per portion. Not one of my more frugal meals but when you compare it to how much it would have cost had we given in and gone to the pub for lunch we are quids ahead plus I got to satisfy my hankering for a roast dinner lol.
And finally.....
LOL I forgot to add this picture to yesterday's post of Ben helping to grate the soap for my laundry detergent. Doesn't he look a loony toon lol.
Do you ever get a hankering for a food that you just have to have ? How do you deal with food cravings on a budget ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Saturday 17 January 2015
Weekend Fun
Hello readers by heck it's freezing we are literally blowing steam here at Tilly Towers. No matter we are all wrapped up and sitting on electric blankets lol. I've had a fab day and got plenty done. This is what I woke up to this morning...
Lee went off into the next town and Brad took himself off to Bath for the day. I decided to take the boys over to the skate park with our bikes and the scooter. Here is a little video that might make you smile lol...
What you don't see in the video is the fact that I had just ridden down a rather steep ramp. The boys were in stitches as were the couple of teenagers who were also in the park. Well if you can't beat them join them I say lol. Here are some more pictures from the skate park...
After the skate park we decided to go over to the normal park as there is more room to cycle without the stunts and Ben had had enough of the ramps for one day. Here are some pictures from the other park...
When we got in I decided to make some laundry detergent and a pre treatment stain remover...
And for tea tonight ...
4 Chicken thighs £1.67 (8 pack bought on a 3 for £10 deal)
2 Jars of Tesco value curry sauce 40p
1/3 Of a bag of Tesco value rice 15p
Served 5 so 45p per portion
How are you all enjoying your weekend ? What are you doing to keep warm ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Lee went off into the next town and Brad took himself off to Bath for the day. I decided to take the boys over to the skate park with our bikes and the scooter. Here is a little video that might make you smile lol...
What you don't see in the video is the fact that I had just ridden down a rather steep ramp. The boys were in stitches as were the couple of teenagers who were also in the park. Well if you can't beat them join them I say lol. Here are some more pictures from the skate park...
After the skate park we decided to go over to the normal park as there is more room to cycle without the stunts and Ben had had enough of the ramps for one day. Here are some pictures from the other park...
When we got in I decided to make some laundry detergent and a pre treatment stain remover...
And for tea tonight ...
Chicken curry
4 Chicken thighs £1.67 (8 pack bought on a 3 for £10 deal)
2 Jars of Tesco value curry sauce 40p
1/3 Of a bag of Tesco value rice 15p
Served 5 so 45p per portion
How are you all enjoying your weekend ? What are you doing to keep warm ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Friday 16 January 2015
Vinegar as fabric conditioner
Hello readers brrrrrrr it's been cold here today I have even resorted to having the little electric fire on in the front room for an hour or two. We started our day with homeschool as we always do now. Brandon is doing so well since leaving school in September. He knows nearly all his timetables he only has 7, 8, 9's left to learn. He can speak a little Spanish and is picking the language up nicely. Today in science we learnt all about man-made vs natural materials and he did so well with it all.
I read somewhere that white distilled vinegar is a good fabric conditioner and at 44p a bottle much cheaper than store bought fabric conditioner. I bought a couple of bottles to try out and I'm pleased to say that it works. The clothes are coming up lovely and soft and do not smell like a chip shop in the slightest lol. I will definitely be using this in future in place of my usual value fabric conditioner. This weekend I intend to make a big batch of laundry detergent and a bottle of pre treatment stain remover as well as a cake and some ice cream for the week.
For tea tonight we had homemade shepherds pie.....
2/3 of a bag of value mince £2
2 tins of value baked beans 48p
2 packets of value instant mash 56p
Served 5 so 61p per portion
Anyway I'm off to watch a film with Lee and Bradley whilst we munch on some homemade popcorn. What frugal activities do you have planned for the weekend readers ? Whatever your up to stay safe and stay warm.
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
I read somewhere that white distilled vinegar is a good fabric conditioner and at 44p a bottle much cheaper than store bought fabric conditioner. I bought a couple of bottles to try out and I'm pleased to say that it works. The clothes are coming up lovely and soft and do not smell like a chip shop in the slightest lol. I will definitely be using this in future in place of my usual value fabric conditioner. This weekend I intend to make a big batch of laundry detergent and a bottle of pre treatment stain remover as well as a cake and some ice cream for the week.
For tea tonight we had homemade shepherds pie.....
2/3 of a bag of value mince £2
2 tins of value baked beans 48p
2 packets of value instant mash 56p
Served 5 so 61p per portion
Anyway I'm off to watch a film with Lee and Bradley whilst we munch on some homemade popcorn. What frugal activities do you have planned for the weekend readers ? Whatever your up to stay safe and stay warm.
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Thursday 15 January 2015
Migraines
Hello readers :) I have had a busy day today catching up on the housework I didn't get done yesterday due to the migraine I had. Oh it turned into a right humdinger. Lee surprised me by turning up for a few days unexpectedly and I'm sooooo glad he did. I took a migraine tablet which had no effect what so ever so I waited 2 hours and took another one as I have been told to do by the gp and still nothing. I then had to wait 4 hours in agony before I could take some paracetamol and see if that would help. Thankfully it did and I eventually got some relief and was able to get to sleep at 12.30am.
So today has been all about catching up on the housework I didn't get done yesterday and getting homeschool done. I also managed to pay off one of my smaller creditors today. It was one of the smaller debts but nonetheless it feels really good to have one less debt hanging over my head :)
Do any of my lovely readers suffer from migraines ? How do you cope with them ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
So today has been all about catching up on the housework I didn't get done yesterday and getting homeschool done. I also managed to pay off one of my smaller creditors today. It was one of the smaller debts but nonetheless it feels really good to have one less debt hanging over my head :)
Do any of my lovely readers suffer from migraines ? How do you cope with them ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Wednesday 14 January 2015
Snow and home education
Hello readers wow it's been cold today. Did you get snow where you are ? We had a little here this morning but it didn't settle. Brandon and I had HE group today and it was the busiest I have seen the group. It was nice chatting with other HE mums that I had never met before and Brandon was able to make some new friends. We started off with a few jigsaw puzzles and then moved on to some clay work. Brandon made an alien that he has named sloppy and a little star shaped bowl for me to store little things in such as buttons and the like. We have brought them home to dry and then he will paint them. We had a vote on what this terms topic will be and Brandon was chuffed when the group decided to go with his idea of space. We then went over the park for half an hour with some of the other mums. The kids had a great time running off some energy but most of us mums just wanted to get home out of the bitter cold and rain lol. By the time we got home my head was pounding with a migraine probably because of being out in the cold weather. I have taken my migraine tablets and crawled into bed and I intend to stay here for the rest of the night lol.
Have you had snow in your part of the world ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Have you had snow in your part of the world ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Tuesday 13 January 2015
Feeling Thankful
Hello readers hope everyone is well ? Well that was a humdinger of a meeting yesterday lol. The outcome was actually very positive brads respite package is to remain as it is and Brandon is to have a respite package of his own put in place. I won't go over everything that was discussed as I don't have the time to cover it all but wanted to let you know that it was positive and if all goes to plan brad will have a very bright future ahead of him living independently and working full time in spite of his autism :) The reason I was soooo tired was there was a lot of information to take in and think about. That and an unruly 7 year old fighting for my attention as children with ADHD do. I will admit I'm terrified about brad moving out when he is 18 but I know I can't wrap him up in cotton wool for ever as much as I would like to lol. I am so proud of him and how far he has come. When he was diagnosed with autism I was told he may never walk or talk and could be in nappies for the rest of his life. Look at him now passing his exams, working, and planning an independent life. He truly is an inspiration to me and has surpassed all expectations of him. I know he is my son but he is amazing.
Homeschool today went really well I don't think I've ever seen Brandon that focused he got all his work done in 4 hours and refused all his usual little breaks. He is doing so well educationally since I removed him from school and his confidence is slowly returning and he is believing in himself a lot more. He rarely calls himself an idiot or stupid anymore and is starting to realise that he is actually quite clever and can do things he didn't think he could do before. I have to arrange the statementing process and a visit with the educational psychologist just in case he ever does go back to state school. That way he will be placed in an appropriate setting with all the help he will need should this ever happen. I am so happy with the progress he is making since leaving school and so is the EWO who can't believe the difference in him. He is a lot more talented than that school gave him credit for he really is :) We have home education group tomorrow and it looks like there are going to be quite a few of us there this time. It will be nice for Brandon to see his home ed friends as well as making lots of new ones.
The bestie popped over for a bit this evening and it was nice to have a good old catch up with her and spend a little time with my beautiful God daughter Leia. Leia is in a glee club and they are working on a musical fundraiser to be held in April and she wanted me to come along and watch her perform. She also invited me to the parents evening coming up which made my heart sing. She obviously thinks a lot of her auntie Claire to invite her to an evening that is for parents :) I truly am blessed to have 4 amazing children in my life 3 wonderful sons and 1 beautiful God daughter.
What makes you feel truly thankful in your life ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Homeschool today went really well I don't think I've ever seen Brandon that focused he got all his work done in 4 hours and refused all his usual little breaks. He is doing so well educationally since I removed him from school and his confidence is slowly returning and he is believing in himself a lot more. He rarely calls himself an idiot or stupid anymore and is starting to realise that he is actually quite clever and can do things he didn't think he could do before. I have to arrange the statementing process and a visit with the educational psychologist just in case he ever does go back to state school. That way he will be placed in an appropriate setting with all the help he will need should this ever happen. I am so happy with the progress he is making since leaving school and so is the EWO who can't believe the difference in him. He is a lot more talented than that school gave him credit for he really is :) We have home education group tomorrow and it looks like there are going to be quite a few of us there this time. It will be nice for Brandon to see his home ed friends as well as making lots of new ones.
The bestie popped over for a bit this evening and it was nice to have a good old catch up with her and spend a little time with my beautiful God daughter Leia. Leia is in a glee club and they are working on a musical fundraiser to be held in April and she wanted me to come along and watch her perform. She also invited me to the parents evening coming up which made my heart sing. She obviously thinks a lot of her auntie Claire to invite her to an evening that is for parents :) I truly am blessed to have 4 amazing children in my life 3 wonderful sons and 1 beautiful God daughter.
What makes you feel truly thankful in your life ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Monday 12 January 2015
No post
No post tonight readers I have just finished a 3 hour meeting about brads respite package and his future needs as an independent adult whilst trying to keep Brandon happy and stop him from jumping on all the professionals present at the meeting. My brain is completely fried, my nerves a little frayed, and I'm exhausted beyond belief. I will be back tomorrow well rested and ready for life but for now I just want to curl up with my dinner and a light hearted film.
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Sunday 11 January 2015
Happy birthday Ben
Hello readers today we celebrated the birth of my beautiful, clever, and kind son Ben eleven years ago today. I woke to find him sitting on the end of my bed waiting patiently for me to wake up. I gave him a big cuddle and kiss told him how much I love him and gave him his presents and cards to open. He loved all of it thanked me and told me I really didn't need to get him anything as I am giving him money towards his computer but that he was thankful for his additional gifts. We then had bacon sandwiches for breakfast as a treat for Ben's birthday. I then tidied up, whizzed the hover round, and washed up before we all got washed and dressed and waited for Nanny and grandad to arrive from London. He got a nice computer desk, chair, and lamp from Nanny and grandad for when we order the computer he has spent over a year saving for. At 1pm his 2 friends turned up to join in the celebrations with him. As well as the Chinese buffet I laid on sandwiches, sausage rolls, popcorn, and cupcakes which they all seemed to enjoy. About an hour and a half after Ben's friends arrived Brandon came running down stairs to tell me Ben was crying his eyes out in Brads room. I promptly ran upstairs to find my entire upstairs had been trashed and Ben in a heap crying his eyes out. I managed to ascertain that Ben's friend N had trashed the entire upstairs of my house despite Ben's pleas for him to stop. He had also taken Ben's other friends phone and refused to give it back to her as well as pushing Ben off of his bed and calling him a tw@t. Well this is one mumma not to be messed with and no one upsets my boy on his birthday I was furious readers. N has asphergers and I cut him a LOT of slack because of this but this was a step to far. I very calmly explained to N that he had to leave early because of his actions and what exactly his actions were. I reminded him he is supposed to be Ben's best friend and that friends don't make each other cry especially on their birthday. N apologised for his actions and swiftly made his exit. Once N left things calmed right back down and Ben had a fab time with his friend K playing, watching a movie, and munching on goodies. After tidying up the mess left by N I did the washing up, whipped the hover around, and made up a batch of butter using yellow sticker cream. Brandon has been bathed and Ben has had his bath. Brad will have his a bit later as he is nearly 17 he has a later bedtime than the 2 little munchkins. I intend on catching up with my blog reading and finishing my current book A 50's childhood before settling down with a film and an early night.
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Saturday 10 January 2015
Birthday preparations
Hello readers I'm up late tonight as I've been preparing for Ben's birthday in the morning. He is having a movie day with 2 of his friends and Nanny and grandad are coming down from London for the day. This morning we popped to the library so Ben could choose some DVDs for him and his friends to watch tomorrow. We have 4 good films all recent ones that none of them have seen yet so that should keep them happy. We had a little mooch about town but all we came away with was a pair of fingerless gloves for me £1.49 in one of the cheap shops. Do you know with the exception of putting the little electric fire on in the front room for the odd hour here and there in the evenings we have not put the heating on at all so far this winter. We keep warm by layering up if we are cold we will put on an extra jumper, thick bedsocks, slippers, and a fluffy warm nightgown. If we are still cold we put our electric blankets on and sit in bed with a film on or use the kindle. At bedtime we have our electric blankets on, wear our gowns to bed, and if needed throw an extra quilt on the bed. We have not gone cold at all and its now January. The only thing I have found is my hands get very cold hence the fingerless gloves I bought today. After our mooch about we popped to Morrison's so I could get a couple of bits. 2 Reduced loaves of bread 15p each, a new keyboard for the pc £6, a jar of carbonara sauce 89p, and a tub of soft cheese 52p. We then walked home. We dropped everything off and took a walk to Ben's friends house to invite her over for the day tomorrow. The only thing was Ben got lost so we was walking in circles for ages lol. We did eventually find the house and I had a chat with her mum.... all sorted and she will be here tomorrow at 1pm. I could have just called her but I do enjoy a nice walk when I'm not ill and its so much nicer to talk to someone face to face than over the phone especially with my hearing lol. All in all we did about 2 hours walking today :)
Once we eventually got home it was time to sort things out ready for tomorrow. I tidied up and hovered the house top to bottom, gave the whole house a good airing, saw to the animals, did dinner, got Brandon bathed and done the washing up. I also made Ben's birthday cake, some sausage rolls for tomorrow, some sweet popcorn for tomorrow, some cupcakes for tomorrow, and got all his presents wrapped and his card written out. I am now officially shattered and after writing this post will have a quick tidy up before falling into the land of nod lol.
Do you let the cold stop you getting out and about or like us do you just wrap up nice and warm ? Have you had your heating on yet this winter ? Don't be shy readers I love hearing from you all.
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Once we eventually got home it was time to sort things out ready for tomorrow. I tidied up and hovered the house top to bottom, gave the whole house a good airing, saw to the animals, did dinner, got Brandon bathed and done the washing up. I also made Ben's birthday cake, some sausage rolls for tomorrow, some sweet popcorn for tomorrow, some cupcakes for tomorrow, and got all his presents wrapped and his card written out. I am now officially shattered and after writing this post will have a quick tidy up before falling into the land of nod lol.
Ben's birthday cake I made for him
One of his presents I made him
The scarf I made him as a gift
All his presents nearly wrapped and a very nosey puddy tat lol
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Friday 9 January 2015
Charity Shop finds and a birthday on a budget
Hello readers I'm feeling much better today :)
Yesterday Brandon and I popped into our local town to get a few little bits of food shopping total spent was £4.36. Whilst in town we decided to have a little look in my favourite charity shop. I managed to pick up a pair of school shoes for Ben £2, a pair of walking boots for Brandon £1.50, a nice pink sewing basket for me £1.50, and 2 PS2 game for Ben towards his birthday on Sunday £2 for both. I also picked up a few other little goodies towards Ben's birthday on Sunday.
This morning was all about homeschool and housework. This half term Brandon has decided on the topic of space. I had a look at the museum @Bristol as I know they have some fab hands on exhibits and experiments as well as a planetarium show perfect for the topic of space. It costs £9 for a child and £13 for an adult so £22 plus £1.50 each for the planetarium show so £25 total. Well you know me readers never one to pay full price for something if I can get it cheaper I did some digging. They offer concessions for home educators which would bring the total cost down to £17. However they also have concessions for people who are registered disabled (as Brandon is due to his autism) and allow one adult in for free as his carer bringing the cost of the visit down to £8 a saving of £17 on the original price. I also noticed that they have concessionary yearly memberships to the museum and one for Brandon would cost £18 and I of course would go for free as his carer as many times as we like in a year. So for an extra £10 and still working out £4 cheaper than the original quote we can go as many times as we like during the year. As homeschoolers it's a bit of a no brainer here lol. After we finished with school and the housework I turned my attentions to Ben's birthday on Sunday.
Ben's birthday
As you know we are doing extreme frugality here in the run up to our holiday in February. So how do you do an 11th birthday on as tight a budget as possible ? Here is what we are doing....
Presents= Ben decided he does not want presents instead he would like money towards his super duper gaming pc fund. Ben has been saving for a year and a half for this computer and has saved £280 So far from birthday and Xmas money as well as bits of his pocket money. After getting money on Sunday from grandad and his dad he will nearly be at his target. I have spoken with Ben and he has agreed to wait until after we get back from holiday in February to receive his money from me and in return I will give him a little extra taking him up to the total needed. I did however want to get him a few small things so that he had something to open on his birthday. I have got him the following.... a big bar of his favourite chocolate £1, a nice notebook for his story writing free it was a left over Xmas gift I did not get round to giving, a set of artists colouring pencils £1.99 from the cheap shop, an IQ puzzle book £1.29, a set of quality card games along with dice £1.29, I have knitted him a scarf for free using wool I already had at home, and I have done a cross stitch of a teddy and his name which will be framed again free using resources I already had at home. It will all be wrapped up using brown parcel paper and blue curling ribbon again something I already have at home. I will also be making his birthday cards from myself and his brothers using resources I already have at home so total cost here £5.60.
Celebrating= Ben decided he did not want a party or a sleepover but instead a movie day with a Chinese buffet for him and a few friends. Rather than buying a Chinese takeaway I have bought 2 Chinese meal deals from Morrison's for £7 So £14 for the 2 and will serve himself and 4 of his friends. Tomorrow we will pop to the library where he will choose a few DVDS for him and his friends to watch for free. I will make a big bowl of homemade popcorn and some homemade ice cream both of which I already have at home. So total spent on celebrating is £17.
Cake= I have bought a chocolate fudge cake mix, a box of chocolate fingers, and a bag of maltesers to make the cake Ben wants. I have candles at home already so the total cost of the cake is £3.69.
Total cost for Ben's birthday is £23.29
How do you save money on birthdays ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Yesterday Brandon and I popped into our local town to get a few little bits of food shopping total spent was £4.36. Whilst in town we decided to have a little look in my favourite charity shop. I managed to pick up a pair of school shoes for Ben £2, a pair of walking boots for Brandon £1.50, a nice pink sewing basket for me £1.50, and 2 PS2 game for Ben towards his birthday on Sunday £2 for both. I also picked up a few other little goodies towards Ben's birthday on Sunday.
This morning was all about homeschool and housework. This half term Brandon has decided on the topic of space. I had a look at the museum @Bristol as I know they have some fab hands on exhibits and experiments as well as a planetarium show perfect for the topic of space. It costs £9 for a child and £13 for an adult so £22 plus £1.50 each for the planetarium show so £25 total. Well you know me readers never one to pay full price for something if I can get it cheaper I did some digging. They offer concessions for home educators which would bring the total cost down to £17. However they also have concessions for people who are registered disabled (as Brandon is due to his autism) and allow one adult in for free as his carer bringing the cost of the visit down to £8 a saving of £17 on the original price. I also noticed that they have concessionary yearly memberships to the museum and one for Brandon would cost £18 and I of course would go for free as his carer as many times as we like in a year. So for an extra £10 and still working out £4 cheaper than the original quote we can go as many times as we like during the year. As homeschoolers it's a bit of a no brainer here lol. After we finished with school and the housework I turned my attentions to Ben's birthday on Sunday.
Ben's birthday
As you know we are doing extreme frugality here in the run up to our holiday in February. So how do you do an 11th birthday on as tight a budget as possible ? Here is what we are doing....
Presents= Ben decided he does not want presents instead he would like money towards his super duper gaming pc fund. Ben has been saving for a year and a half for this computer and has saved £280 So far from birthday and Xmas money as well as bits of his pocket money. After getting money on Sunday from grandad and his dad he will nearly be at his target. I have spoken with Ben and he has agreed to wait until after we get back from holiday in February to receive his money from me and in return I will give him a little extra taking him up to the total needed. I did however want to get him a few small things so that he had something to open on his birthday. I have got him the following.... a big bar of his favourite chocolate £1, a nice notebook for his story writing free it was a left over Xmas gift I did not get round to giving, a set of artists colouring pencils £1.99 from the cheap shop, an IQ puzzle book £1.29, a set of quality card games along with dice £1.29, I have knitted him a scarf for free using wool I already had at home, and I have done a cross stitch of a teddy and his name which will be framed again free using resources I already had at home. It will all be wrapped up using brown parcel paper and blue curling ribbon again something I already have at home. I will also be making his birthday cards from myself and his brothers using resources I already have at home so total cost here £5.60.
Celebrating= Ben decided he did not want a party or a sleepover but instead a movie day with a Chinese buffet for him and a few friends. Rather than buying a Chinese takeaway I have bought 2 Chinese meal deals from Morrison's for £7 So £14 for the 2 and will serve himself and 4 of his friends. Tomorrow we will pop to the library where he will choose a few DVDS for him and his friends to watch for free. I will make a big bowl of homemade popcorn and some homemade ice cream both of which I already have at home. So total spent on celebrating is £17.
Cake= I have bought a chocolate fudge cake mix, a box of chocolate fingers, and a bag of maltesers to make the cake Ben wants. I have candles at home already so the total cost of the cake is £3.69.
Total cost for Ben's birthday is £23.29
How do you save money on birthdays ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Thursday 8 January 2015
Feeling Crappy
No post tonight readers I'm feeling crappy :(
Have been out and since getting back I'm exhausted, cold, and have a sore throat. So I'm wrapped up warm in my bed with my electric blanket on high, a hot chocolate with marshmallows, and a cat who likes to use me as a padding pillow lol. Well if your going to feel under the weather this sure is the nicest way of doing it lol.
Will be back tomorrow to tell you all what we have been up to today.
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Wednesday 7 January 2015
January blues what are they ?
Hello readers January blues huh what are those ?
I have been reading a lot about how the UK are suffering with the January blues. Not me readers I'm happier than I have been in a long time. While I write this post I'm listening to free music on Brandons kindle that Ben put on here for me. It's all music from my youth and I'm loving dancing round the room making the munchkins giggle. I'm sure the boys think I was born old lol. As many of you will know I am partially deaf due to my menieres disease and music is one of the things I miss the most. For Xmas I bought the boys a good quality pair of headphones each and to my surprise I can hear music clearly using them with the kindle. I can actually hear all the words being sung its amazing. I am so looking forward to rediscovering my love of music. I am a big believer that music can be a very powerful tool in lifting one's mood and it is certainly having a good effect on my mood.
I mentioned in a previous post that we would be going extremely frugal over the next few weeks to save money for our holiday in February. I thought I would share a few of the little things I am doing to save a few pennies here and there....
1= Using tissues instead of toilet roll (my mum always puts a couple of boxes in my Xmas hamper and these have been kept over the last few years. I have 5 boxes of tissues which will be used before buying toilet roll).
2= Hanging clothes inside to dry on airing racks (a lot of people will use their tumble driers in this poor weather or partially dry them on the line and then finish them off in the drier. I am solely using my racks for drying)
3= Using up every scrap of food in the house before buying more.
4= Baking treats instead of buying them using ingredients from my fully stocked baking cupboard.
5= Enjoying free films on the kindle and for new releases I am using blinkbox (at the moment if you sign up and credit your account with £1 you can watch a new release film for £1 instead of the usual £3.49. I also have a code from tesco for £10 of free blinkbox credit which means I can watch 4 new release films for the low cost of £1.47).
We had an appointment with the behaviour specialist today for Brandon. I know E well as she has helped me with Brad in the past so it was nice to see her again and have a little catch up. We have decided to use reward charts to try and help Brandon with his toileting and his jumping on people and furniture. It has been an approach I have tried in the past but am willing to give it another go under E's guidance. We have decided to tackle his behaviour in small chunks rather than overwhelming him with everything all at once. E also mentioned using a weighted jacket with Brandon to try and calm him down a little. I had a look on eBay and can find lots of weighted lap blankets but no suitable weighted jackets. I had a look on Google and did manage to find a few suitable options but the prices ranged from £60 upwards by gum. It's a lot of money but I think it is a necessary expense that I will have to find the money for.
Tea last night was pancakes
3 packs of batter mix 45p (Tesco value)
3 eggs 30p (Tesco value)
Served 4 so 19p per serving
Tea tonight was tinned spaghetti Bolognese with bread and butter
2 tins of spaghetti Bolognese 40p (Tesco value)
A bread roll each 5p (yellow sticker)
Butter for roll 15p (Morrison's savers)
Served 3 so 20p per serving
Anyway off to listen to my free music whilst reading my free book and maybe later I will partake of a free new release movie who knows ?
Anyone else avoiding the January blues like me ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
I have been reading a lot about how the UK are suffering with the January blues. Not me readers I'm happier than I have been in a long time. While I write this post I'm listening to free music on Brandons kindle that Ben put on here for me. It's all music from my youth and I'm loving dancing round the room making the munchkins giggle. I'm sure the boys think I was born old lol. As many of you will know I am partially deaf due to my menieres disease and music is one of the things I miss the most. For Xmas I bought the boys a good quality pair of headphones each and to my surprise I can hear music clearly using them with the kindle. I can actually hear all the words being sung its amazing. I am so looking forward to rediscovering my love of music. I am a big believer that music can be a very powerful tool in lifting one's mood and it is certainly having a good effect on my mood.
I mentioned in a previous post that we would be going extremely frugal over the next few weeks to save money for our holiday in February. I thought I would share a few of the little things I am doing to save a few pennies here and there....
1= Using tissues instead of toilet roll (my mum always puts a couple of boxes in my Xmas hamper and these have been kept over the last few years. I have 5 boxes of tissues which will be used before buying toilet roll).
2= Hanging clothes inside to dry on airing racks (a lot of people will use their tumble driers in this poor weather or partially dry them on the line and then finish them off in the drier. I am solely using my racks for drying)
3= Using up every scrap of food in the house before buying more.
4= Baking treats instead of buying them using ingredients from my fully stocked baking cupboard.
5= Enjoying free films on the kindle and for new releases I am using blinkbox (at the moment if you sign up and credit your account with £1 you can watch a new release film for £1 instead of the usual £3.49. I also have a code from tesco for £10 of free blinkbox credit which means I can watch 4 new release films for the low cost of £1.47).
We had an appointment with the behaviour specialist today for Brandon. I know E well as she has helped me with Brad in the past so it was nice to see her again and have a little catch up. We have decided to use reward charts to try and help Brandon with his toileting and his jumping on people and furniture. It has been an approach I have tried in the past but am willing to give it another go under E's guidance. We have decided to tackle his behaviour in small chunks rather than overwhelming him with everything all at once. E also mentioned using a weighted jacket with Brandon to try and calm him down a little. I had a look on eBay and can find lots of weighted lap blankets but no suitable weighted jackets. I had a look on Google and did manage to find a few suitable options but the prices ranged from £60 upwards by gum. It's a lot of money but I think it is a necessary expense that I will have to find the money for.
Tea last night was pancakes
3 packs of batter mix 45p (Tesco value)
3 eggs 30p (Tesco value)
Served 4 so 19p per serving
Tea tonight was tinned spaghetti Bolognese with bread and butter
2 tins of spaghetti Bolognese 40p (Tesco value)
A bread roll each 5p (yellow sticker)
Butter for roll 15p (Morrison's savers)
Served 3 so 20p per serving
Anyway off to listen to my free music whilst reading my free book and maybe later I will partake of a free new release movie who knows ?
Anyone else avoiding the January blues like me ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Tuesday 6 January 2015
Beauty treatments that don't break the bank
Hello readers what do you make of do it at home beauty treatments ?
I will let you all into a little secret I trained as a hairdresser and beauty therapist many moons ago before I had the munchkins. I do all my beauty treatments myself at a fraction of the cost you would pay in a beauty salon. I regularly give myself a manicure, pedicure, defuzz, facial, and eyebrow shape for pennies instead of pounds. Here's how I do it....
Manicure
Cut and shape your nails
Soak hands in warm soapy water for ten minutes
Push back dead cuticles using an orange stick and cut away using a pair of cuticle scissors
Wipe each nail using a cotton ball and a little nail varnish remover (this gets rid of any soap residue and leaves a clean nail bed ready to be painted.
Paint nails with desired colour (you can get some lovely colours in Poundland and a bottle will last you ages)
Dry nails quickly by going over them with the hairdryer
Once nails are completely dry give them a good moisturizing using a deep moisturizing lotion such as coco butter (again this can be picked up in poundland)
Nail clippers can be picked for £1 in poundland
Ten nail files for £1 in poundland
Ten orange sticks £1 in poundland
Cuticle scissors £2 in superdrug
Cotton balls £1 in poundland
Nail varnish remover £1 in poundland
Nail polish £1 in poundland
Coco butter £1 in poundland
Once you have bought the nail clippers and cuticle scissors they will last you years so I don't take this into account when working out the cost of my DIY manicure. Total cost of home manicure 60p, Total cost of a basic salon manicure £10, Saving of £9.40.
If you have one manicure a month at a salon but switched to a DIY at home manicure you could save yourself £112.80.
Pedicure
My pedicure is exactly the same as my manicure just on my feet instead so the same figures apply here.
Defuzz
I like clean underarms, legs, and bikini line so regularly defuzz these areas. You could go for a number of home treatments in this section but my goal is to get the same results as cheaply as possible. I buy tesco value razors and tesco value soap to defuzz my hairy areas and then use a little coco butter afterwards to moisturize. I use one razor for my underarms, one for my legs, and one for my bikini line and yes ladies soap is just as good as shaving foam when it comes to defuzzing.
Tesco value razors 5 for 30p
Tesco value soap 15p
Coco butter £1 in poundland
Total cost of home defuzzing 30p, Total cost of salon defuzzing £50, saving of £49.70. Again if you have this done monthly and change to my extreme frugal method of self care you could save yourself £596.40 per year.
Facial
The basis of any basic facial is cleanse, tone, and moisturize but I like to throw in a face mask as well.
First remove all make up using deep cleansing facial wipes
Then give your face a good wash using soap and water
Then apply your facemask for the required amount of time (always read the instructions and always buy a facemask suitable for your skin type)
Once your time is up rinse off the face mask using water and a flannel.
To tone your skin submerge your face into a bowl of cold water for as long as you are able to hold your breath (cold water is a fabulous toner and much cheaper than store bought versions)
Finally moisturize your face using coco butter
Deep cleansing facial wipes £1 for a pack of 25 in poundland
Tesco value soap 15p
Face mask £1 in poundland
Coco butter £1 in poundland
Total cost of home facial £1.22, Total cost of salon facial £27, Saving of £25.78. Yearly saving of £309.36.
Eyebrow shape
Again there are many home treatment options with this. I choose straight forward easy tweezering. I have a good quality pair of tweezers that I have had for years and was given to me by my mum in one of my Xmas hampers. You could probably buy a pair like this for around £5 and as long as you don't lose them they will last you a lifetime.
Total cost of home eyebrow shape 0p, Total cost of salon eyebrow shape £8, Saving of £8. Yearly saving of £96.
So there you go that is how I save £1227.36 per year by doing all my beauty treatments at home using very low cost alternatives.
Anyway off for my monthly beauty regime now see you soon. What do you do to save money on beauty treatments ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
I will let you all into a little secret I trained as a hairdresser and beauty therapist many moons ago before I had the munchkins. I do all my beauty treatments myself at a fraction of the cost you would pay in a beauty salon. I regularly give myself a manicure, pedicure, defuzz, facial, and eyebrow shape for pennies instead of pounds. Here's how I do it....
Manicure
Cut and shape your nails
Soak hands in warm soapy water for ten minutes
Push back dead cuticles using an orange stick and cut away using a pair of cuticle scissors
Wipe each nail using a cotton ball and a little nail varnish remover (this gets rid of any soap residue and leaves a clean nail bed ready to be painted.
Paint nails with desired colour (you can get some lovely colours in Poundland and a bottle will last you ages)
Dry nails quickly by going over them with the hairdryer
Once nails are completely dry give them a good moisturizing using a deep moisturizing lotion such as coco butter (again this can be picked up in poundland)
Nail clippers can be picked for £1 in poundland
Ten nail files for £1 in poundland
Ten orange sticks £1 in poundland
Cuticle scissors £2 in superdrug
Cotton balls £1 in poundland
Nail varnish remover £1 in poundland
Nail polish £1 in poundland
Coco butter £1 in poundland
Once you have bought the nail clippers and cuticle scissors they will last you years so I don't take this into account when working out the cost of my DIY manicure. Total cost of home manicure 60p, Total cost of a basic salon manicure £10, Saving of £9.40.
If you have one manicure a month at a salon but switched to a DIY at home manicure you could save yourself £112.80.
Pedicure
My pedicure is exactly the same as my manicure just on my feet instead so the same figures apply here.
Defuzz
I like clean underarms, legs, and bikini line so regularly defuzz these areas. You could go for a number of home treatments in this section but my goal is to get the same results as cheaply as possible. I buy tesco value razors and tesco value soap to defuzz my hairy areas and then use a little coco butter afterwards to moisturize. I use one razor for my underarms, one for my legs, and one for my bikini line and yes ladies soap is just as good as shaving foam when it comes to defuzzing.
Tesco value razors 5 for 30p
Tesco value soap 15p
Coco butter £1 in poundland
Total cost of home defuzzing 30p, Total cost of salon defuzzing £50, saving of £49.70. Again if you have this done monthly and change to my extreme frugal method of self care you could save yourself £596.40 per year.
Facial
The basis of any basic facial is cleanse, tone, and moisturize but I like to throw in a face mask as well.
First remove all make up using deep cleansing facial wipes
Then give your face a good wash using soap and water
Then apply your facemask for the required amount of time (always read the instructions and always buy a facemask suitable for your skin type)
Once your time is up rinse off the face mask using water and a flannel.
To tone your skin submerge your face into a bowl of cold water for as long as you are able to hold your breath (cold water is a fabulous toner and much cheaper than store bought versions)
Finally moisturize your face using coco butter
Deep cleansing facial wipes £1 for a pack of 25 in poundland
Tesco value soap 15p
Face mask £1 in poundland
Coco butter £1 in poundland
Total cost of home facial £1.22, Total cost of salon facial £27, Saving of £25.78. Yearly saving of £309.36.
Eyebrow shape
Again there are many home treatment options with this. I choose straight forward easy tweezering. I have a good quality pair of tweezers that I have had for years and was given to me by my mum in one of my Xmas hampers. You could probably buy a pair like this for around £5 and as long as you don't lose them they will last you a lifetime.
Total cost of home eyebrow shape 0p, Total cost of salon eyebrow shape £8, Saving of £8. Yearly saving of £96.
So there you go that is how I save £1227.36 per year by doing all my beauty treatments at home using very low cost alternatives.
Anyway off for my monthly beauty regime now see you soon. What do you do to save money on beauty treatments ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Monday 5 January 2015
Back to normal
Hello readers hope all is well in blogland. Things will finally get back to normal here at Tilly Towers tomorrow as the boys go back to school and Brandon and I start back with homeschool. I have had a busy day getting all the housework sorted so we are on schedule ready to get back into our normal routine (oh how I love my normal routine). So not much to report really popped over the shop to get some electric but that's about it.
Tea tonight was a spaghetti carbonara
3 packs of spaghetti carbonara 45p (approved foods)
Large knob of butter 15p (tesco value soft spread)
1/6 of a pack of grated cheese 36p (tesco value)
1/2 a pack of cooking bacon 44p (Morrison's savers)
Serves 6 so 24p a serving another yummy but frugal meal :)
Anyway going to do a spot of reading before bed nighty night.
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Tea tonight was a spaghetti carbonara
3 packs of spaghetti carbonara 45p (approved foods)
Large knob of butter 15p (tesco value soft spread)
1/6 of a pack of grated cheese 36p (tesco value)
1/2 a pack of cooking bacon 44p (Morrison's savers)
Serves 6 so 24p a serving another yummy but frugal meal :)
Anyway going to do a spot of reading before bed nighty night.
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
Sunday 4 January 2015
Extreme Frugalism
Hello readers are we all recovered and back to normal after the madness of Xmas ?
We went to London for a few days over the New year and I have to be completely honest it was a disaster :(
Brandons behaviour escalated to off the chart. I won't go into detail but will tell you that I broke down and cried more than once while we was away. A few people have asked me if I have considered the possibility that he has ADHD as well as Autism and I have to be honest I really think he does. He has to be the centre of attention at all times and he has very poor concentration skills. I will be taking him to the doctors this week to be referred back to the peditrition in the hope of getting some answers and much needed help for him.
Since getting home on Friday he has calmed right back down again. He really isn't good with change and so I made a hard but necessary decision. I informed both my mum and my dad that I will not be going back to London again as the 3 hour train journey each way and the escalation in Brandons behaviour is just to much to cope with and it really isn't fair to put Brandon through that or myself. In future if family members wish to see us they will have to come to us for a few days.
As I mentioned in a previous post we are going on holiday in February as a result we are looking at several weeks of extreme frugalism whilst I save every penny I can to take away with us. I certainly don't plan to spend it all but want to be prepared. I fully intend to come back with a good few pounds in my pocket lol. So there should be a fair few posts over the coming weeks about what I'm doing to save extra money for holiday.
Tea tonight was a bacon curry uber cheap and the boys assure me that it was delicious :)
Half a pack of Morrison's savers cooking bacon 44p
2 cups of tesco value rice 15p
A jar of tesco value curry sauce 20p
Serves 4 so 20p per portion
I will be looking for other cheap meals to make between now and February so if you have any suggestions please feel free to share them with me. I have also done a stock take of everything we have in the house and we will be eating down the food we have in before buying anything else. I made a comment to Lee before leaving London that I would have to go food shopping when we got back as it had started to look like old mother hubbards here at Tilly Towers but when I did my stock take and sat down with a pen and paper I managed to come up with a list of 19 meals. We have lots of snacks leftover from Xmas and lots of cereal (it's handy having a partner who works in a cereal factory lol) so the only things I will have to buy will be lunch food and the occasional top up shop. I will let you all know how I get on with this.
What do you do to save money on your weekly shop ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
We went to London for a few days over the New year and I have to be completely honest it was a disaster :(
Brandons behaviour escalated to off the chart. I won't go into detail but will tell you that I broke down and cried more than once while we was away. A few people have asked me if I have considered the possibility that he has ADHD as well as Autism and I have to be honest I really think he does. He has to be the centre of attention at all times and he has very poor concentration skills. I will be taking him to the doctors this week to be referred back to the peditrition in the hope of getting some answers and much needed help for him.
Since getting home on Friday he has calmed right back down again. He really isn't good with change and so I made a hard but necessary decision. I informed both my mum and my dad that I will not be going back to London again as the 3 hour train journey each way and the escalation in Brandons behaviour is just to much to cope with and it really isn't fair to put Brandon through that or myself. In future if family members wish to see us they will have to come to us for a few days.
As I mentioned in a previous post we are going on holiday in February as a result we are looking at several weeks of extreme frugalism whilst I save every penny I can to take away with us. I certainly don't plan to spend it all but want to be prepared. I fully intend to come back with a good few pounds in my pocket lol. So there should be a fair few posts over the coming weeks about what I'm doing to save extra money for holiday.
Tea tonight was a bacon curry uber cheap and the boys assure me that it was delicious :)
Half a pack of Morrison's savers cooking bacon 44p
2 cups of tesco value rice 15p
A jar of tesco value curry sauce 20p
Serves 4 so 20p per portion
I will be looking for other cheap meals to make between now and February so if you have any suggestions please feel free to share them with me. I have also done a stock take of everything we have in the house and we will be eating down the food we have in before buying anything else. I made a comment to Lee before leaving London that I would have to go food shopping when we got back as it had started to look like old mother hubbards here at Tilly Towers but when I did my stock take and sat down with a pen and paper I managed to come up with a list of 19 meals. We have lots of snacks leftover from Xmas and lots of cereal (it's handy having a partner who works in a cereal factory lol) so the only things I will have to buy will be lunch food and the occasional top up shop. I will let you all know how I get on with this.
What do you do to save money on your weekly shop ?
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx
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