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.
Download yours here:
I think these make a great inexpensive gift as a pair or with a thrifted book for Christmas.
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Halloween costumes can be really pricey, especially if you have multiple children. Here are some of my ideas for cheap, easy to make costumes.
You can find a video tutorial for these costumes on my YouTube channel: Budget Costumes
Wear the shirt like a lab coat. Stick hair up on all ends or in a crazy style, and wear goggles atop of the head. Fill the jar with fake fingers and green food dye.
You can download a free printable for my name badge design here:
Cover the shirt in blood and allow to dry. Print out the name badge and attach it to the shirt pocket. The rest of the costume is all down to the accessories.
This costume is very easy. Simply print and cut out fake money and draw a money sign on the takeaway bag.
I hope this post has been helpful for those of you doing Halloween on a budget!
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The purpose of the following pillowcase costumes is to be easy to make (no sew) and affordable for all.
I have used white pillow cases, but you can make what you have work for you. If you don’t have any old pillowcases at home, you can thrift some second hand inexpensively.
You can watch my YouTube tutorials for all three costumes here: Youtube PIllowcase Costumes Tutorial
Tunic: Cut a neck hole out of the stitched end of the pillowcase, and an arm hole each side. Take a red felt tip and draw a cross on the centre of the tunic. You may benefit from putting the tunic on your child and marking a spot where the cross should go on their chest.
Use a piece of string to create a belt to help gather the pillowcase and give it a better shape. Team with dark trousers and a long sleeved top.
Shield: All you need for the shield is a piece of cardboard, glue, and paint or tin foil. Cut out a shield shape, and from your leftover cardboard, make a handle for the back for the child to hold.
Cover the entire shield with paint or tin foil. You can leave your shield as it is, or draw another cross to match the tunic on a piece of paper and stick it to the middle.
Tunic: Cut your arm and neck holes into your pillowcase. On the centre of the tunic, draw a green’first-aid’ cross. Apply fake blood in a splatter effect.
Accessories: Add a toy stethoscope and a face mask. Halloween props work well for this costume too.
Tunic: Cut neck holes and arm holes out of your pillowcase so the child can wear it under one shoulder and tied on the other. If you have an old scarf, drape it over the child’s shoulder and use a piece of string like a belt to gather the pillowcase and the scarf together.
Head Dress: You will need card and tin foil for the head dress. Cut out multiple leaf shapes from the cardboard and cover each shape in tin foil. Use a strip of card to fit your child’s head snugly and stick on the leaf shapes to look like a metallic, floral head dress.
I hope this post has given you some budget friendly ideas for Halloween costumes using a simple pillowcase.
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I have titled this post using the word ‘professional’ because many people think being frugal is cutting out all unnecessary costs and that hair cuts is one of them, so they do DIY cuts at home. I believe being frugal is being wise with your money and making it stretch for the things you want/ need. A hair cut in a salon is necessary for me now that I have shorter hair. When I had long hair, I could trim my own, but now it is short, any mistakes would be noticeable.
Fortunately, my husband does his and our son’s hair with electric clippers we bought on sale and this saves us money, but the females of the house require a salon. This post is how I save money on my professional hair cut.
Once you are happy with your style, you should only require a trim to maintain it. My salon offers a dry trim (the ladies use a spray bottle to damp the hair when cutting). This cuts out the wash and blow dry prices. My salon only asks that you wash your hair thoroughly at home the morning of your appointment. My dry trim costs £17 instead of a full wash, trim, and blow dry at £27.
I did a little experiment to see how long I could go in between trims. 6 weeks was too short, but 10-12 weeks meant my hair became an awkward length. I now reschedule appointments for every 8 weeks. Of course, this also varies depending on your style and if you have your hair coloured etc.
Once again, this is preference. Senior stylists charge more because they are more experienced/ qualified, so if that is what you require, then that’s fine. I only need a quick trim that takes twenty minutes, so I use an ordinary stylist. I would have used the junior stylist (still in training) and saved an extra £5, but she doesn’t work on the day I have free to get my hair cut.
The first time I went to my salon, they tried to sell me various products for my hair type etc. At £7 for a small tube of curl defining serum, my budget doesn’t cover that, but I know some salons can be quite pushy. Thankfully, mine were not, and they no longer ask me if I would like to buy my styling products from them as they know it is a polite ‘no, thank you’ from me.
In regards to colouring hair, I don’t have to colour mine yet. Once I feel the need to do that (if I want to do that- grey is fashionable, you know), I will do so at home. That is my personal preference due to the cost of a colour in my local salons. Again, if you feel you need the expertise of a salon for this job or want highlights etc, then by all means budget for it. Perhaps you could have the cheaper root touch ups in between full head colours to stretch the time in between.
Do you have any tips for saving money in the salon? Especially, for those who like to colour their hair professionally?
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Incorporating meat free meals into your meal plan is a great way to save money. One meal that works well as a vegetarian meal is chilli. I make a three bean chilli that can be made as it is or with meat (if you prefer).
To freeze your leftovers, portion out the chilli into air tight containers and freeze once cool.
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I have previously done a post on why I meal plan: Benefits of Meal Planning, but I wanted to dedicate this one to HOW I meal plan. I get so many questions on this, and I always say it is not a one size fits all method, just find what works for you, but seeing as I keep getting asked, I wanted to share my method and the templates I use (made by me).
I always take stock of what I have at home. I shop pantry first, and then base my meals around that. I use my inventory printable for this:
I try my hardest to use up what I have on my inventory list in some way. I jot my meals down (based on my pantry inventory) on my meal plan printable. I like to plan breakfasts, lunches where possible, and evening meals:
Using my meal plan, I write my grocery list on the same sheet. Do not forget to add on any extras such as toiletries and cleaning supplies, snacks etc.
I hope this post has answered some of the many questions about my meal planning method.
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When it comes to keeping the kids entertained in the summer, I am all for cheap or free ideas that we can do as a family. I have compiled 30 ideas into one free printable that you can download, print, and check off as you complete each task
Download here: Summer Bucket List
Have a great summer!
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When it comes to the end of the school year, I always stress over what gift s to get the teachers. I don’t want to get them something they’ll end up with 20 of such as cups or key-rings, and I never buy food gifts if I don’t know someone’s dietary requirements. This year, I thought up a gift t that is small, simple, and practical, but a nice gesture of thanks. I also wanted to offer you the chance to download it for free.
A bookmark printed on card stock or laminated is a cute, little token gift. . You can gift t them as they are or with a journal or book. Just keep it practical, so it is more likely to be appreciated and used.
Download your free printable here:
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Are you struggling to think of a gift for Father’s Day? Or do you need to watch the pennies? No fear, I have a free printable that may help. All you need to do is print it out and put it in a frame. You can use a spare frame you have in the house or shop second hand for a really frugal gift.
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This is the healthy ice cream treat that my kids think is awesome. Ice cream for breakfast is cool in any kid’s book, right? Just remember to tell them the actual ingredients in case they tell their teachers that mum or dad gave them ice cream for breakfast *cringe*.
I just throw everything into the blender and let it do its thing. You can add more or less milk depending on your preferred texture.
Voila! A healthy breakfast that is a definite treat! This would be perfect for birthday breakfasts.
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