I love a no spend challenge, especially if I’m trying to save money for something particular. I also like to have a visual aid for tracking my no spend days, so I made my own which I’m happy to share with you today.
My tracker is simple but effective. Mark any star green for successful no spend days and red when you have a spendy day. I have made trackers for both 30 and 31 day months.
You can download yours here:
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Do you have budding gardeners in your family and friends circle? Do you want a cheap party favour idea? Why not make some wildflower pouches?
A mix of various wildflower seeds, some of which you could possibly save from your own garden, makes a lovely, thoughtful gift. Cornflower seeds, sunflowers seeds, and calendula seeds are some of the ones I use.
Present them in a small envelope with a label.
I am happy to share my labels with you for free!
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I have mentioned sinking funds on different occasions on this blog and have used them for a while. They are beneficial for saving for annual expenses that you know will be ‘spendy’ or something important you need to save for.
If you haven’t heard of sinking funds, basically they are a saving tool to help you save weekly or monthly toward big purchases, holidays, or expensive times of the year such as Christmas. Set the budget you want to achieve for the event, then work out how much you need to save each week or month to achieve it and put that money aside on pay day. Christmas is a big one for us, and without a sinking fund we’d struggle with the large outlay in one go. Putting a little away each month minimises the financial strain and stress.
Like I said, our main sinking fund for 2023 is Christmas. We have set a £500 present budget for Christmas, and that is a lot for us as a one income family. We like to have our money saved by November 1st if possible, so we can use it in the Black Friday sales and ensure we get the toys our children ask for before they sell out.
I make my own trackers, and I’m happy to share this one with you…
Do you have sinking funds or is there another method you use to save for events such as birthdays and Christmas?
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I love trackers for keeping up to date with my sinking funds. I have a sinking fund for a lot of regular expenses in the year, one of them being school uniforms. Now is the time to get saving for that necessary expense every August/ September (UK).
My tracker is one I designed to use personally, but I thought it may be useful to you. You can set your savings amount to whatever you like! I am aiming for a cheaper year in regards to uniform as last year both my kids were starting new schools and it cost me a fortune. This year, they have a lot of the stuff they need, and a lot of things such as PE kits still fit them with room to spare. I will source 2nd hand items too. £60 is my aim.
You can download yours here:
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I have the simplest of ideas for you that can be handy in your home or make perfect gifts… Memo printables. These are a great way of making reusable note pads/ memo boards for the family. I have even designed 2 for you to choose from. Pick your favourite (or both) and download!
You can simply print them out and laminate them to create a memo board that you can use over and over again with a wipeable pen.
Download the blue memo board here:
Download the flower memo board here:
TIP: If you don’t have a laminator or want the board to match your decor, why not pop them in a frame and write using a white board pen on the glass of the frame!!!
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It’s that time of year again. The time to show the mother figures in our lives that we appreciate them. If you are on a tight budget, these gifts are inexpensive, but would make any Mum happy.
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My kids love a super smoothie. Tastes like chocolate but hides spinach! Great for getting those nutrients into your children, and you will love it too.
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Trying to save some money, but want to let your significant other know you are thinking of them this Valentines day? Check out my free printable quotes! You get both in one download (A4 size each). Print them out and pop your favourite (or both) in frames and you have a perfect gift!
You can download yours here:
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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.
You can download yours here:
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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:
It just isn’t energy efficient to use the oven if the food can be cooked in the air fryer, slow cooker, or microwave.
Only our evening meal is cooked. lunches now consist of lunchbox style meals.
Meat can be a big expense even without the ongoing price rises. Going meat free for more meals helps cut costs.
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
I will 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.
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.
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