Sensibly Frugal Living

How Decluttering Helps Reset Mindset

Lockdown 2020 is still ongoing in the UK, and my whole family are really starting to feel it. Don’t get me wrong, it has never been easy, but now we’re into the second month of lockdown, we are all finding it hard to get motivated and keep a positive mindset.

I had a sudden urge to declutter and organise the house from top to bottom, and give away any junk we no longer needed. I would literally go through rooms and fill a box and put it in a box at the end of our driveway with a big free sign on it and post to Facebook Marketplace. It feels so good to declutter and it is such a benefit to our mindset.

Benefits of Decuttering for our Mindset:

Decreases stress levels: knowing there our areas of mess or clutter can subconsciously and/or consciously increase stress. Sorting those areas is a weight lifted.
Feeling productive: That feeling of productivity when completing a task such as decluttering only increases the need to be productive in me. Seeing one clean wardrobe and feeling pride in a task makes me want to do more and more.
Gratitude: Deluttering shows you just how blessed you are (with material items). It also makes you realise how little you actually need. The best things in life are free.
Boosts self worth: Keeping a nice home and appreciating everything you have increases self worth. You are worthy of a clean, decluttered house and you are capable of maintaining that lifestyle for yourself.
Reduces family tension: You may not even realise that a cluttered house / lots of stuff can cause tension in the family, but everyone will be much happier and content in a clean, clutter free house.

You can sell your items if you think they will bring in good money, but for the time and effort of listing my items on social media or Ebay etc, I didn’t feel the little money I’d make it was worth selling them and chose to donate instead. The charity shops were closed, but I was happy to give away the items to local people who could make use of them.

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Make Your Own Card Cake Toppers

My son has just turned 2, and as we were in lockdown, we wanted to get him a Mickey Mouse themed cake. Our local stores didn’t have any, so we turned to Ebay and Amazon. Oh my word, simple card toppers on cocktail sticks are stupid prices. There was no way I was paying for something I could make myself, so I did just that.

In this post, I want to show you how easy it is to make your own cake toppers for a fraction of the price. Whatever their age or choice of theme, I’m sure you can whip up something to suit your child.

What you will need:

Access to a computer and printer
Card
Cocktail sticks/ paper straws
Sticky tape

Method:

Search Google for some images you want to include on your cake. You can even make some designs on Canva.com if you can’t find something you like.
Insert your images into a document and resize until you are happy. Remember to take in to account the size and shape of your cake. A larger cake can handle a bigger image.
Print out your designs.
Cut out your designs.
Stick your cocktail sticks / paper straws to the back of your images. Leave enough stick to sit securely in the cake without the image toppling over.
If using candles, make sure you leave enough space for your candles to burn safely away from the card.

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Secondhand Birthday Present Challenge: The Results

If you followed my post from January about setting myself a secondhand birthday present challenge for my toddler’s birthday (May,) then you will know that I planned to scour online and local charity shops to see what I could source secondhand, and to show you that you could do the same.

Find my original post here: Secondhand Birthday Present Challenge

So, how did I do?

I was very impressed with my secondhand buys. In the first post, I stated that I wanted to particularly look out for toy car items, perhaps a garage, and a scooter. I found some toy cars, a transporter, and even extras such as unused books and a xylophone. I sourced all of these through a local charity shop and Facebook Marketplace

Here is the run down of the items I picked up secondhand and the cost:

I found the following 2 items in a charity shop. The wooden set was the most expensive second hand item I bought, but at £5 and in excellent condition, I thought it was more than worth it. The transporter with a small race car was just £1.50.

Total: £6.50

Now, the following items were a total steal. I paid £10 for a big box of toys and miscellaneous items (I only had a list of some of the toys and items, but I thought £10 was worth it just for them, so I did buy the box not knowing all of its contents. There was 34 items in that box, including items that we have put away for my eldest’s birthday, and DVDs etc. That means that on average, each item you see below cost approximately 0.29p

Total: £2.90

That is a total of £9.40 for 12 items!

For the purpose of transparency, we did buy him a scooter brand new. The country went into lockdown, so shopping second hand wasn’t an option, and we had to have a scooter delivered. We had looked at many secondhand scooters, but they were either in very poor condition or they needed us to spend money on them to make them fit for purpose. Not only was it less risk to buy new, it was actually more cost effective in this case. After all, being frugal doesn’t mean being cheap. We wanted something to last.

And as for the toy car garage that we wanted to find… well, we found a wooden fire station second hand (or should I say my toddler did). Because he had found it in the charity shop himself, we let him buy it with his own pennies for just 0.50p. I couldn’t believe the fantastic price. It is the perfect size for him to play with and fits his small cars, and it is easy to store.

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I hope I have proven that if you keep your eyes peeled and regularly check online or in charity/thrift shops that you can source some lovely presents for your kids. Second hand doesn’t have to mean second best.

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Please stick to the guidelines in place for social distancing while they are in place.

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Lemon Balm Natural Cleaner

Do you have lemon balm growing in your garden, or want some more encouragement to plant some? If yes, this useful cleaner idea is worth checking out. Lemon balm grows fast and using it helps keep it under control. It has many uses, but this post is all about the natural cleaner I make using lemon balm for my kitchen surfaces, bathroom, and tile floors.

What you will need:

Jar or jug
Handful of lemon balm
White vinegar
Water
Spray bottle

Method:

Pick a handful of lemon balm and let them wilt in the sun for a few hours.
Place the lemon balm in your jug and cover with the white vinegar. I like to sit my jug out in the sun to allow the lemon balm to really steep in the vinegar. A jar or jug with a lid is best to contain the vinegar smell. I had to use a coaster on my jug.
Strain out your lemon balm leaves and add your infused vinegar to a spray bottle of water. 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water.
Shake well and use on your kitchen surfaces, bathrooms, and tiles. I like to spray and leave for five minutes. Make sure to rinse well after use to avoid the vinegar smell lingering.

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5 Budget Meal Ideas

Slow cooker Leek and Potato Soup

If you want a hearty soup and enough leftovers for another meal, then this is the recipe for you. Even my kids eat this because when it is blended they have no idea that there is onion and leeks in it.

Ingredients:

2 leeks sliced
6 potatoes diced
1 onion diced
2 chicken stock cubes
2 tbsp Margarine
1 can of evaporated milk (400g)
Water to cover

Method:

Add your diced potatoes, onions, and sliced leeks to your slow cooker.
Add 2 whole chicken stock cubes and 2 tbsp of margarine.
Cover the mix with water.
Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
When it is ready, pour in your can of evaporated milk and blend.
This should make enough for a family of four and leftovers to freeze.

Tuna Fishcakes

I only make fishcakes when I have potatoes that need using up. Why? Because then it really only costs me a tin of tuna and an egg.

Ingredients:

Tin of tuna
1 egg
Plain flour
Potatoes
Oil

Method:

Cook and mash your potatoes
Crack and whisk your egg in a bowl
Flake your tuna into the mash and combine it all using half the egg mix
Form into round burger shapes
Dip your fishcakes into the remaining egg, and then coat with the flour
Fry in the oil until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside

Hotdog Pasta

My children enjoy tinned hotdogs, and scrambled eggs with hotdog surprise is a cheap but filling meal.

Ingredients:

Pasta
Passata
Tinned hotdogs
Sweetcorn

Method:

Cook a tin of hotdogs and slice them into centimetre pieces.
Cook and drain your pasta.
Add your passata, sweetcorn, and your hotdogs to your pasta and cook it through over a low heat.
You can serve it as it is, or add a sprinkling of cheese.

Slow Cooked Jacket Potatoes

Every time I post about cooking jacket potatoes in the slow cooker, I get lots of messages from people who never knew you could. You certainly can. Prick your potatoes all over with a fork, and then wrap each one tightly in tin foil. Simply place them in your slow cooker (no water required).

Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

Top with a tin of baked beans, and you have yourself a meal that is cheap and requires little prep.

Slow Cooked Spaghetti Bolognese

A bolognese is a great way to batch cook meals for the freezer as well. Always do a little more than you will need, and you will save money on ingredients and energy. Even if you just have a small amount of leftovers, you can freeze them and use them to top jacket potatoes the next week etc.

Ingredients:

500g lean mince
1 diced carrot
1 diced onion
500g passata
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 400g can of chopped tomatoes
1 beef stock cube
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
200 ml water

Method:

Simply add all of the above to the slow cooker in one go. You do not need to brown the mince if you buy lean mince.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
Serve with spaghetti
Once cool, you can freeze leftovers. Just take them out of the freezer the night before you need them and defrost in the fridge.

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Lockdown VE Day Celebrations

It is the 75th VE Day anniversary this year, so there is no better reason to celebrate! Why not make Friday all about VE Day with some of these lockdown ideas?

2 Minute Silence and Toast

At 11 am there will be a 2 minute silence.

At 3 pm we are all encouraged to take to our doorsteps to raise a glass and clap in honour of all who fought for our freedom.

Get crafty with some flags!

Cut some A4 paper in half width ways and design some Union Jack flags for your windows. My kids love getting the windows all dressed up for the neighbours to see. You can also search for some free flag printables online.

Have a Lawn Picnic

If the weather is good, why not have a social distancing street party in the way of lawn picnics? Contact your neighbours and see if they want to join in at a certain time to take lunch outside and play some tunes. Better yet, sing some songs.

Afternoon Tea

In my house, we are having afternoon tea with some sweet treats such as scones with jam and cream and the jammy tarts we are making. And of course, a lovely cup of tea.

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Free Colouring Sheet Printable Sites

My children love to colour. I source my sheets online and print them at home. I can find specific colouring sheets for special events such as Easter or birthdays etc, and images that are suitable for different ages.

I thought I would write a post and link the sites I use for free colouring printables as I get asked a lot. It is a great boredom buster during lockdown.

These are my go to sites for free colouring printables. You can also simply Google free colouring sheets and see what comes up.

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Simple Pizza Base Recipe

It is much cheaper to make your own pizza bases and make homemade pizzas. When buying shop bought, you pay for the convenience. A lot of people are daunted by the thought of making pizza bases, but I am here to show you how easy it is.

Ingredients:

350g Plain Flour or strong white flour
1 tsp Yeast
200ml Warm water
1 1/2 tsp Salt

Method:

Activate the yeast in the warm water. Leave it for 5 minutes until it is creamy.
Add in your flour and salt and combine until it forms a shaggy dough.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. If it is too sticky add a little more flour.
Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel, and leave to prove for 1 1/2 hours. It should double in size.
Once proved, turn out onto a well floured surafce. flour your hands before touching it as it can be sticky. Knead a little more if it is too sticky.
Split the dough into 2 equal portions and roll into about 10inch circles.
Heat your oven to 250 degrees. Place the bases on a lined tray and pre-bake for 5- 10 minutes.
Add your toppings and finish baking for a further 10-15 minutes, or until your toppings are cooked.

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My Bread Roll Recipe

I have been asked numerous times on social media to share my bread roll recipe, so here it is. It is nothing fancy, but I find it frugal to make my own and they freeze well.

You do not need a bread mixer for this recipe. I do it all by hand.

Ingredients:

500g Strong white flour
1 tbsp Dried active yeast
300ml Warm water
1 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Method:

First you have to activate your yeast. Add 2 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of dried active yeast to 300ml of warm water. Leave it until it is all creamy and frothy (approx 5 mins).
Add your oil, salt, and half of the flour to your water mix and combine.
Then, slowly add the rest of your flour and combine with a knife until the dough comes away from the sides.
I then use my hand to fully combine all the ingredients in the bowl, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface to knead for 10 minutes.
It should still be a little sticky, but you should be able to form it into a ball. If it is too sticky, add a little more flour and continue kneading.
Place your dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp tea-towel, and leave in a warm area to prove for 1 hour until it has doubled in size
Once it has proved, knock it back by punching it in the centre.
Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and split it into 12 equal pieces. You can weigh them if you like.
Roll each piece into a small ball by rolling the dough in one hand against the surface.
Place each ball on a lined flat baking tray, leaving about 1 inch of space between them all.
Leave to prove for another hour. They should look like they have risen more.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes at 200 or until golden brown on top.

You can freeze bread rolls. Just make sure they are fully cool and in an air tight bag or container.

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Cinnamon Bread Crusts

If you follow me on Instagram, you can find this recipe in my story highlights. If not, then I hope this recipe helps minimise food waste and is a sweet treat for your family.

I won’t claim this recipe to be healthy in anyway, so bear in mind that this should be treated as a once in a while treat. The main ingredient is the end crust slices of bread.

You can freeze these slices until you are ready to make this recipe, and just defrost as many as you need ahead of time. If you have a child who doesn’t eat sandwich crusts, then you can also freeze them and use them in this recipe.

I am all for minimising waste, and I am shocked at how many people throw out the ends of bread. This is just one of many recipes using bread crusts, so just Google what you can make with them.

Ingredients:

Bread crusts
Sugar
Egg and milk wash. (I use 1 egg and a dash of milk whisked together)
Powdered cinnamon
Butter to fry in.

Method:

Slice your bread ends into strips and dip them in the egg and milk wash until coated.

Then, dip them in your sugar. I find pouring some sugar onto a plate or shallow bowl makes the process easier.
Sprinkle on a little cinnamon on just one side.

Heat some butter in a frying pan and fry your slices until they are brown and crispy on the sides.

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