Recently, I have focussed on the various uses of lemon balm and sharing frugal ways that you can make use of this fast growing plant. I wanted to include links to all my posts in one easily accessible post.
I hope you find these posts helpful. There are many ways to use lemon balm in cooking and for medicinal purposes, just do a little research and see how you can save yourself some money.
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In the UK, air conditioning doesn’t really feature in our houses, but this post will benefit those of us trying to cool our house without spending out on fans, or anyone with AC that wants to try and cut that cost a little.
If you feel safe to do so (and I would advise only upstairs windows) letting the hot air out and sucking the cooler night air in is a great way to cool your house. Small top openers are the best for this if you have children.
If you cannot leave windows open all night for safety issues, why not try just opening them in the early evening and closing them when you go to bed. If you are an early riser, you can also do this first thing in the morning until the sun is up.
*Please, be sure to assess the risks thoroughly, especially if you have children.
Who needs an oven cooked meal on those hot, summer days? Try and stick to summer foods ideas such as salads, wraps, bagels etc as much as possible.
This not only prevents extra heat in your house, it also cuts the energy costs of using your oven.
This works especially well if you have full sun on a particular side of your house. Closing blinds and curtains, or using shutters and awnings can drastically reduce heat retention.
Lighter colour window coverings are also best for reflecting sunlight away from the house.
You might not think this makes a huge difference to the heat in a room, but it really does. A traditional 100 watt bulb is only about 10% efficient, so about 90% of that wattage is heat.
Even appliances that are not in use still give off heat if left on standby/ plugged in. If you take a few minutes to go around and switch off devices, appliances, and chargers, you will realise how many you actually have plugged in.
This also saves on energy costs.
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Now that lockdown restrictions have eased, many people are wondering how they can celebrate birthdays (especially children’s birthdays) whilst maintaining social distancing guidelines. I had a little think about this and wanted to share some ideas that may work for you or a member of your family.
Any picnic outside would be a great way to have a small gathering of friends. If you want to make a theme for a younger child’s party, then a teddy bear’s picnic is easy and fun. Invite a few friends, provide some simple picnic snacks, and ask everyone to bring their favourite stuffed toy.
This idea is similar to the above, and can be held in an outside space. Either set up a picnic blanket or table and provide a tea party with cakes and finger sandwiches. You can find Alice in wonderland themed party supplies here:
Talking Tables TSALICE Alice in Wonderland Props Mad Hatter Tea Party, Plastic, Mixed Colours
This sort of party can be held indoors or outdoors depending on how many guests you invite, and if you can find a venue with capacity for your guests in line with social distancing guidelines. Please, remember that capacity is drastically reduced for venues such as public halls or sports courts etc. If you have the garden space, save some money and hold your party there.
Many fitness instructors etc are looking for ways to find more work. Why not hire a zumba instructor to teach a group of friends some zumba dances? This also works with dance instructors, sports instructors, and martial arts!
There are a few football party businesses local to me who are operating their children’s parties outside. They provide fun, sports games for kids, and then a small football match. This is worth looking into if you want to organise a party for a sporty child. Once again, there will be a change in how they operate and how many guests you can have.
You can’t go wrong with a beach party. All the fun of the beach is already provided, and you could take a picnic and cake. Please, do not take a disposable barbecue if you do not know how to dispose of it correctly.
For an adult party, why not take some cocktails for an evening get-together. Please, be aware of the risks of drinking alcohol around water.
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*Disclaimer: I am a member of the Amazon Associates program. This post contains affiliate links to products. At no extra cost to you, I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links
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With the children in the UK (and some other areas) returning to school in September, it is worth browsing Amazon for some back to school bargains. I have been doing just that and wanted to share some with you to cut the expense.
I have tried to include most of the important items your child may need and that I found at a good price.
Puckator Lunch Bag – Elephant Thermal Lunch Bag
Puckator Cool Bag, Fabric, Blue, 13 x 20 x 16 cm
Rex London Children’s Insulated Lunch Bag – Choice Of Designs (Dinosaurs)
Disney Frozen 2″Destiny Awaits” Anna and Elsa Girls Character Backpack
BagBase Unisex’s B125JORGP Fashion Backpack, Orange/Graphite Grey, Medium
Winwinfly Square Black Ear Cats Silicone Pencil Case Long Zipper Pen Bag Pouch
Tiger pencil case – clear see through – short 20x12cm x 1 single
Fruit of the Loom Childrens T Shirt in White Size 9-11 (SS6B)
Unisex Slip On School Plimsolls Art no 7231 (Juniors Shoe Size 1, Black)
Centrix Premium Gymsac Drawstring Gym bag Rucksack – 15 Colours (ORANGE)
Staedtler 120SETBKD School Stationery Student Set
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*Disclaimer: I am a member of the Amazon Associates program. This post contains affiliate links to products. At no extra cost to you, I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links
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Cereal boxes have many more uses than just packaging for your favourite cereals. Here are some of my favourite repurposing ideas to make the most out of those cardboard boxes:
Did you know you can turn a cereal box into one of those fancy paperwork holders/stands? Copy the design above for the desired shape, and then stack your paperwork inside.
You can decorate it by wrapping it in card or gift wrap, but I don’t bother if they are tucked away in my cabinet.
Simply cut the box to shape and use as dividers to organise drawers. The bottoms and tops make great holders for pens and little bits and bobs.
My 9 yo and I have great fun making little notebooks for her to use as journals or for school work. I have a tutorial on how we make this fun notebooks here: DIY Cereal Box Notebook. Seriously, they are so simple to make.
This may be the most impressive of all of our repurposing crafts. Those bookmarks pictured were once a cereal box. My 9 yo decorated them by wrapping washi tape around the cardboard (front and back). The top was hole punched and then some braided yarn was added.
I found this project so useful, especially when in a pinch. It’ll save any last minute stores dashes. Don’t have any gift wrap etc to wrap it in? No worries, use newspaper! You can find my tutorial here: DIY Cereal Box Gift Bag
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If you are in a pinch or simply want to learn a useful way to repurpose cereal boxes, then this is the DIY project for you. I especially love this project because you can wrap the box in anything from newspaper to wall paper, and they are incredibly sturdy, so it can be reused again and again. Why not pass it around the family and see how long it takes to come back to you?
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Like many, I have been homeschooling my eldest since the end of March. One of the main changes we have seen to our budget is the jump in our grocery bill. Both my kids seem to be human food vacuums when they are home. I have been forced to budget more, and think of many cheap meal ideas. I will share my lunch time meal ideas in a series, the first of which starts today.
If you are interested in some super scrimp lunch time meals ideas that offer a little more variation than the usual lunchbox sandwich, then stick with me
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I hope some of these ideas stir some inspiration if you are stuck for lunchtime recipe.
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Microwave noodles always seem to be a big hit with kids, and big kids too. The brand name ones can work out pricey, and they’re not the healthiest meal option.
I make a much cheaper option for my noodle loving kids, and I want to share it with you today. The great thing about this type of meal is that you can add in anything you want to use up such as broccoli, any kind of lunch meat, sweetcorn, chicken etc.
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I was asked by an Instagram follower if I could put together a weekly evening meal plan for families on an extremely tight budget, with specific requests to keep the recipes simple for novice cooks, and nothing too fancy.
Before I crack on with this post, I wanted to share a link to Trussell Trust Foodbank (UK). There is no shame in asking for help to feed your family if you genuinely need it. You can also speak to your local council or health professionals who can put you in touch with the appropriate support .
Also, if you are entitled to the free school meal vouchers, this is how you can make the £15 per week stretch further.
The total for all the groceries is £14.42
Jacket potatoes are my go to easy, filling meal. Just prick them all over with a fork, coat in a little oil, and bake at 180 for about 1hr 15mins or until the insides are soft. Top with grated cheese, sliced spring onions, and add a dollop of sour cream.
This meal is a great meal for using up the leftover sour cream. Cook and drain about half of your pasta. In a separate pan, heat 500g of passata and the remaining sour cream and add in some frozen mixed veg. (If you prefer your mixed veg softer, you can microwave it first. Allow to simmer on a low heat for a further 10 minutes. Once it is fully cooked through, stir in your cooked pasta and serve.
This is my slow cooker recipe, but you could do this on the hob. Add 6 medium potatoes diced, 2 vegetable stock cubes, 1 diced onion, and 2 sliced leeks to the slow cooker. Add enough water to cover the ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. When it is cooked, add in a tin of evaporated milk and blend it until smooth. You can serve it with some bread.
This recipe makes enough for about 8 large portions. Eat half the night you make it, and freeze half for another meal later in the week.
It is incredibly simple to make a cream cheese and ham pasta. Cook and drain the remaining pasta, but do not throw away the pasta water. In a saucepan, add in the cream cheese, a handful of grated cheese, and enough of the pasta water to create a sauce consistency, then add in your diced ham. You can leave it like this or for some hidden veggies, cook, drain, and then blitz 2 handfuls of the frozen veg to add in as a sauce.
You can find my recipe for tuna fish cakes here: Budget Meal Recipes .For a more filling meal, serve with a side of mixed vegetables.
You can’t go wrong with a quick meal of scrambled eggs and toast. Use 5 of the eggs from the 6 pack , a tin of hotdogs sliced, and a splash of milk to feed a family of four. I like to microwave my hotdogs before slicing and adding them into my scrambled egg mix. Serve with toast.
Remember to take our the leftover potato and leek soup to defrost in the fridge overnight.
Reheat in the microwave until it is piping hot. Can be served with some bread.
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As you can see, I have been transparent with the actual cost of buying groceries for these meals, yet you will no doubt still have things left over such as sliced ham, oil, stock cubes, and plain flour that will help lower the cost in the next week. You may also have some of these ingredient in your pantry to lower the cost some more.
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*This is a re-post of a post from last year. I am getting many requests on social media for super scrimp meal ideas, so what better time to re-post this blog post for new and old followers.
There are some weeks where we need to cut back more than others. If you are meal planning on a super tight budget, then I have 30 super scrimp meal ideas to get you by.
All of these meals are cheap and easy to make. Some meals, such as the soups, can be made in larger quantities to be frozen or eaten over a couple of days. Remember, meals such as pancakes and oatmeal don’t have to be limited to breakfast food.
If you have a selection of herbs and spices in the pantry, you can add twists to various meals to change them up a little. Baked beans taste great with a little paprika, or mixed bean rice can be given a kick with some chili flakes/ powder.
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Sensibly Frugal Living 