Have you got any plans or goals that you want to achieve/ do in 2023? I always find a visual list can help you stay motivated. My free printable is a great way to solidify your goals and you can pop it up on a fridge or notice board for a constant reminder.
The cost of living crisis has all of us looking at our expenditures and how we can save money. I have noticed changes in how I cook, some I’d never thought I’d say would work out cheaper, but sadly do. Here are the ways I have changed how I cook:
Air Fryer, Slow Cooker, and Microwave Instead of the Oven
It just isn’t energy efficient to use the oven if the food can be cooked in the air fryer, slow cooker, or microwave.
One Cooked Meal a Day
Only our evening meal is cooked. lunches now consist of lunchbox style meals.
More Meat Free Meals
Meat can be a big expense even without the ongoing price rises. Going meat free for more meals helps cut costs.
Opting for Ready Made
Sadly, it is just not cost efficient for me to cook meals such as lasagne in the oven etc. Buying ingredients and then paying for electricity is really adding up. It sometimes works out cheaper to buy ready made and microwave to heat in 2023
Baking Less
Iwill only bake if I am already having to use my oven.No-bake options are my new go to, or I buy shop-bought cakes if it is more cost effective.
Using the Whole Oven Space
If I have to put the oven on, I will try to double the batch or bake something else at the same time to use the energy most efficiently.
I hope you are all heading into the New Year on a positive foot. I wish you all the best for 2023.
If you saw my previous post recapping my 2022 goals, you’ll know that I teased some more plans for 2023. Some of my plans are blog related, but I also have Youtube, and Etsy plans.
Blog Plans
I plan to keep up with the fortnightly posts. More if I can, but fortnightly worked great for 2022. One post will be a frugal tip, musing, or other, and the other will be a free monthly printable for you to download. Whether that be a tracker or a gift idea etc who knows. Just know you will be getting a freebie from me each month. And that leads me nicely onto my next goal…
Etsy Plans
2023 is the year I start to sell digital downloads on Etsy. It’s all still a work in progress, but I do have ideas for trackers, printable templates etc. I will give you more details when I know more. The free templates available on my blog will only be available via my blog.
Youtube Plans
I am still building my Youtube channel. My plans are pretty simple- to keep plugging at it and build my subscribers. I post frugal tip videos, day in the life videos, fun shorts etc. If you aren’t already, why not head over and subscribe. (Link below)
I hope you continue to stick around for 2023. I am appreciative of all the support!. THANK YOU!
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. My family had a brilliant time, and now the festivities have calmed down, it’s time to get reflective. All the way back to my plans at the start of 2022. Feels like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it?
I made myself a promise that I would post fortnightly to this blog- on the 14th and 28th of every month. For the most part, I have stuck to this. Yes, a couple of re-blogs were thrown into the mix where relevant, but I am pleased that I stuck to this plan. I feel more connected to my blog once again.
My second goal was to post three times a week on Youtube (click the link below for my YT channel). I have stuck to that goal and then some. Once I discovered the joy of YT Shorts, I was hooked, and although I do stick to full videos 3 times a week as a rule of thumb, I am happy to post as many YT Shorts as I can come up with. December was a jam packed month on the Youtube front.
Overall, I feel that I can possibly be a little more ambitious in 2023- watch this space for my 2023 goals.
It’s that time of year again, and whether your work colleagues organise a Secret Santa, or you are starting one with family and friends to lower the cost of Christmas, it can be daunting trying to find a gift that won’t break the bank.
It can be stressful to buy a gift for someone you may not know particularly well, or if there is a small price limit. I can help you out with some ideas.
I have made a conscious effort to find gifts that are not only inexpensive, but steer away from the boring and conventional. There should be something for all ages and situations. *affiliate links used.
Greeting note-cards are a little like postcards. Printing out your own note-cards may work out as a good option to save money. Better still, I have a free printable for you to download and print as many times as you like. There are 9 mini note-cards per sheet. Simply cut them out and write a little message on the back.
Buying Christmas cards and having to mail a lot of them was getting very expensive for me. In 2019 we decided to stop sending Christmas cards to extended friends and family and make a charitable donation instead. I’d much rather my money go to a good cause, and a lot of my friends and family have decided to do the same.
My 9 year old likes to write her school morning routine down, so I repurposed an old photo frame into a wipe clean to do list for her bedroom. It was incredibly simple to make, and I have made it simpler by creating a free A4 printable of our template for you to download.
This is a brilliant idea for Christmas gifts (if you are thinking that far ahead). You can hunt n local charity shops for some second hand frames, print off some templates, pop the print outs inside, and gift them with a white board pen.
You know I love a good bookmark. I made myself and my daughter some for the Christmas season, and wanted to share them with you. I have included a free printable, so you can get some of your own.
I love polymer clay. I enjoy the satisfaction of how quickly you can get the end result. This past week, I have been working on Christmas tree earrings to try and sell as a side hustle or gift, and I thought it a good idea to share this simple idea with you.
What You Will Need:
Polymer Clay
Small Christmas tree cutter
Rolling pin
Tray
Baking paper
A skewer
Earring hooks and jump loops
Black or white acrylic paint pens
Method:
Roll out your clay to an even thickness of approximately 2 – 3 millimetres.
Using your cutter, cut as many shapes as you can from your clay.
Carefully use your skewer to make a hole in the very top.
Lift the earrings carefully from your surface, smooth the edges lightly and place the on a tray lined with baking paper
Cook to your clay’s instructions. Mine cooks perfectly at 130 for 15 minutes.
Once cooked, put them straight into a bowl of water to cool, then allow them to dry.
Once dry, use your paint pens to add detail.
Allow the paint to dry before adding jump loops and earring hooks.