Mother’s Day is about expressing our love to the important women/ role models in our lives. If you buy for more than one such woman i.e. mum, step-mum, mum-in-law, grandmothers, then shop bought gifts can cost you a small fortune.
Why not express your love without spending a penny with these 5 thoughtful and free gift ideas?
Wild Flowers
One pretty bunch of flowers can cost you anything from £5 upwards. Picking wild flowers (where you are allowed, of course) is totally free, and you could end up with a unique bouquet.
If you want to add finishing touches, use whatever you can find at home. Wrapping the stems together in ribbon or twine gives the bouquet a rustic look. You can even wrap the bouquet in an old piece of gift wrap for the luxurious, florist effect.
Handmade Voucher
Do you want to gift a favour or two to your Mum? Why not create your own gift vouchers? You can draw your own or print off free templates.
It can be anything from a trip out, to housework, to painting her nails. I know my Mum would love for someone to clean her oven, or to do her laundry for a week.
Painted Stone Paperweight
Painted stone paperweights are beautiful and simple to create. All you need is a smooth stone, paints, and varnish/ clear nail polish. Please make sure you source your stones legally. Removing stones from beaches in the UK is illegal.
If you are arty you could create a unique design. If you’re not that way inclined, you could simply create paint effects using a sponge, or paint the stone one colour and write a message or quote on top. Varnish your creation to ensure the design lasts. Clear nail polish works well for this if you don’t have varnish.
Home-cooked Meal
Invite your Mum for a meal at home with your family. If you live with your Mum, save her the job of cooking dinner and do it yourself.
You can spend a little money on this if you so wish i.e. a bottle of wine or a posh dessert, but you can keep it simple and create a meal from what is in your pantry.
Photo Slideshow
Put together a slideshow of special memories of you and your mother from your childhood to present day. You can use a free slideshow/ photo montage app.
You can put the slideshow onto a physical disc if you have one, but if not, simply send it by email or a message.
With spring fast approaching, and the Easter holidays just around the corner, many parents are looking for activities that are not only inexpensive, but engaging for children. What better way to embrace the spring, than with an outside activity… a scavenger hunt?
I have created some scavenger hunt ideas that you are welcome to use. Whether you live in the country, at the coast, or in a city, there is something for you in this post.
Countryside Scavenger Hunt
A bird’s nest
A three-pointed leaf
A five-pointed leaf
A pink flower
A spider’s web
A bug
An oak tree
Fallen tree or stump
A duck and/ or bird
Nettles
Coastal Scavenger Hunt
A boat
Sea gulls
A dog walker
Rock pools
A shell
Sandy beach
Pebble beach
A funny shaped stone
A surfer and/or wind surfer
Seaweed
City Scavenger Hunt
A building with a red door
A circular window
Red brickwork
Traffic lights
Pigeon ( or city bird of any species)
Taxi
Bus
Automatic doors
Zebra crossing/ pedestrian crossing
Coffee shop
If you can’t get out of the house for the day, a garden scavenger hunt can keep the children entertained whilst you get on with your tasks.
Garden
Ants
Snail
Moss
Slug
Petal
Pebble
Bird
Fallen leaf
Worm
Dandelion weed
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No matter where you live, you can create a fun activity for your children and it’s totally free. I hope these ideas have given you some inspiration. You can use my suggestions or create your own, tailored to your local area.
You don’t need a large garden, flower beds, or even an outside space to create a herb garden. Window boxes, planters on a patio, or hanging baskets can make perfect herb gardens. Still not convinced? Check out my 7 frugal reasons to start your own herb garden…
Culinary Use
The main reason we use herbs is to flavour food. Buying shop bought (fresh or dry) can add up if you regularly use herbs in your cooking. It is more cost effective to grow your own.
Did you know that you can freeze fresh herbs? This could make your herb harvest last much longer.
Medicinal Use
Many herbs can be used medicinally. Some people grow herbs for this very reason. Chamomile flower heads are used for indigestion, skin irritations, and anxiety relief etc. Sage can aid a sore throat, and peppermint can relieve heartburn. Even parsley can help with flatulence and bad breath.
Homemade Gifts
Herbs can be made into many delightful gifts. Dried herbs make a wonderful present on their own, but you can also create herb infused oils, scented cushions, and of course, food treats.
Household Cleaners
Herbs such as sage and thyme can be mixed with bicarbonate of soda and will make a gentle cleaner when mixed with water.
Pest Control
Don’t rush out to buy chemical based bug spray or repellent. Growing perfumed herbs such as rosemary and mint has been known to keep insects at bay. This is especially useful during the summer for outdoor eating spaces.
Herbal Hair Rinses
Rosemary and nettle can be brewed like a tea and used as a hair rinse to make hair stronger and shinier. This is much cheaper than buying products that promote hair replenishing benefits.
Herb Room Freshener
If you have a herb scent that you particularly enjoy, this is a great way to fragrance your house without chemicals. You’ll need fresh herbs infused in vodka for a few weeks, or until you are happy with the strength of the fragrance. Dilute the vodka with water in a spray bottle to use as a room spritz.
This spritz will last much longer than a shop bought spray.
I have a UK library card. I have had one for years. My children have library cards, and we regularly attend the library. It surprises me that some people don’t use the libraries, and that some libraries and services are at risk of closure.
Get yourself a library card and take advantage of the service. If you need a little more convincing, read on…
Obviously, this free service is top of my list. Free books always gets a big thumbs up from me. In my library you can borrow up to 18 books for 3 weeks.
If they don’t have what you are looking for, you can reserve books for when they are returned.
DVD Rental
There is a charge for DVD rentals at my library, but only £1 for 7 days. My daughter regularly hires out DVDs she hasn’t seen with her pocket money.
You could have an inexpensive, family night in for just £1 with a rented film.
Printing and Photocopying services
I regularly use the photocopying services at my library. For just 0.05p per black and white copy or 0.10p per colour copy, it saves me buying a scanner printer.
Computer Services
Libraries have internet enabled computers. If you have a library card you get 30 minutes of free internet usage. This was a god send when the fibre optic internet was down for 10 days in my area.
If your library is busy, make sure you book your computer time in advance.
Children’s Groups
If you have children, the library is a great, free resource. There are sing-a-long sessions for babies and toddlers, and story time sessions for all children. My library even holds a free Lego club once a week.
Special Events
Most libraries hold special events from time to time such as author talks and book signings, book groups, and children’s events i.e. Easter and Christmas parties and craft sessions.
If you and your friends want a free, interesting night out, keep an eye on your library’s upcoming events.
I want to start this post in true sensibly frugal fashion by saying that the cheapest way to do wedding favours is to not do them. I don’t expect a favour when I attend a wedding, and can honestly say that I have never met anyone who has commented when there haven’t been favours at a wedding.
That being said, if you have your heart set on giving wedding favours, you don’t need to spend a fortune. I have compiled a list of 20 wedding favour ideas that will not break the bank.
Hot chocolate baggies. Buy small, cellophane baggies online, fill will hot chocolate, and tie with a ribbon. Hot chocolate can be bought in bulk and split between many baggies.
Pot pourri baggies.The cellophane baggies will work well for this, or little paper bags will add a rustic touch. If you make them into little parcels they can be placed inside drawers or closets.
Donation. Donate to charity in lieu of favours. You can set yourself an affordable limit. You need not specify how much you donate, just give your guests a small note stating that you have donated to your chosen charity in lieu of favours.
Sleep well pouches. Again, you can use small paper pouches, or you can make your own fabric ones. Fill each pouch with a little dried lavender. This can be placed under a pillow or hung on a bed frame.
Homemade sweets/ chocolates. Truffles are a great, no bake treat to make in batch. Do enough so each guest can have two or three, and pop them into a little baggie and tie with ribbon.
Lucky sixpence. You can bulk buy personalised lucky sixpence bundles on Ebay.
Flavoured oil vials. All you need is olive oil, chili flakes, and miniature vials with stoppers. You can buy glass vials in bulk on Amazon.
Actual favour vouchers. For a personal touch, why not print out vouchers for actual favours that are tailored to your guests? One dog walk for the busy friend with a dog. One car wash for your Uncle. One free babysitting evening for your friends. The list in endless.
Seeds. A little something to grow as your love grows. You can buy in bulk and separate into smaller pouches. Include a little poem for added effect.
Herbal tea leaves Buy loose tea leaves in bulk. You can use glass vials, cellophane, or paper pouches.
Fortune cookies. Boxes of fortune cookies are available from your local supermarket. Present them individually in cellophane tied with ribbon.
A family recipe. A favourite, family recipe printed onto card stock is a lovely, charming favour to receive. Better yet, why not include the recipe of what you ate on your first date, or the first meal one of you cooked for the other?
Salt dough decorations. Salt dough is a cheap and easy way to make decorations. Small hearts would make great wedding favours. You could even paint them to match your colour theme.
Sparklers. Sparklers make great wedding favours, especially if your wedding is outside. They are cheap and can be bought in bulk. If there are children at your wedding, why not provide them with glow sticks for safety?
Raffle tickets. A quirky way to give favours and save money is by holding a raffle. Each guest receives a raffle ticket, and the raffle can be drawn after the meal. A bottle of champagne or gift card would make a good prize for the winner.
Preserves. Get your jam making skills up to scratch to create rustic favours. Present them in mini jars with labels for prettiness. Chutneys and pickles would work just as well.
A curry spice vial. Present a tasty blend of spices in a glass vial that can be used in a curry. Why not include a curry recipe with it?
Popcorn. This may not scream wedding favour, but presented in pretty paper bags with a cute message i.e ‘From popping the question to our big day, thanks for being there along the way’, these can be a fun, cheap favour idea.
Bookmarks. You can design your own bookmarks on free design sites such as Canva.com. You can use a simple quote or poem, or include a picture of yourselves and a thank you note for attending the wedding. Print out the bookmarks onto card stock.
Personalised note. Print out small, note size cards that say ‘why we love you’ on the front. Inside, write a reason why you are happy to have that person in your lives. This only works if you know everyone in attendance. Plus ones may make this a tad awkward.
I hope this post has inspired you to get creative with your wedding favours. I’d love to hear your wedding favour ideas for weddings on a budget.
Book day is fast approaching and that only means one thing… character costumes. Shop bought costumes can be pricey, especially if you have more than one child. With that in mind, I have compiled a list of simple and cheap costumes to make at home. I have even thrown in some bonus ideas to make with last year’s Halloween costumes.
101 Dalmatians. An old white top with black spots drawn on in marker pen and a pair of black trousers. For added effect, you can draw on a spot around your child’s eye with either black face paint or eye make-up.
Dobby from Harry Potter. Dye a white pillow case using brewed tea water. Cut a neck hole and arm holes out of the closed end and make the edges look frayed and jagged. For ears, cut the shapes out of card and attach to a headband.
Stig of the Dump. You could use the same pillowcase technique as the Dobby costume above. Make the child’s hair messy and cut a club shape out of cardboard as a prop.
Matilda. A blue dress (a blue school dress is perfect) and a red ribbon for the hair. There are two props you could use: a stack of books, or a jar with a toy newt/ cardboard newt in it.
Mildred Hubble from The Worst Witch. Did you keep that witches hat from Halloween? Team that with a white school shirt and black school skirt and tights. A black or stripy tie would be an added bonus.
Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. A blue dress (a blue school dress), hair in pigtails, and a basket with a little toy dog in it. You can add red shoes if you have them.
Dennis from The Boy in a Dress. Any dress will work for this, but an orange one would be perfect. Add a football as a prop.
Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. All you need is a red dress, black shoes, and a print out of a free Golden Ticket template. (You could also draw your own ticket).
Angelina Ballerina. This costume is perfect if you have a child that does ballet and has a leotard and tutu. You can cut mouse ears out of card and attach them to a headband.
Prince Charming/ King Arthur. Take a pillow case and cut a neck hole and arm holes out of the closed end. Choose which side is the front and make the neckline into a V neck. Using a marker, draw a crest design on the chest area. Wear a black belt over the top and dark trousers underneath. If you require a sword prop, cut the shape out of cardboard and cover in tin foil.
Peter Rabbit. A denim jacket would work well for this, although any blue jacket/ cardigan would do. Wear it over brown/ neutral clothes. Cut rabbit ears out of cardboard and attach to a headband.
The Little Princess. This is a very easy costume. All you need to do is make a crown out of card and wear it with a white night gown.
Aslan from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. A lion is not as tricky as you may first think. Have the child wear brown clothing and use a paper plate to create a mane. Cut the inner part of the plate out, so you are left with a ring. Cut the edges in a jagged, mane style and colour or paint brown. Attach a straw to the bottom as a handle. The child can hold the mane up to their face for the full effect.
Skeleton from Funnybones. Get that skeleton Halloween outfit out of the cupboard. You could make a Funnybones mask out of a paper plate for the full effect.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Cut a neck hole and arm holes out of the closed end of a pillowcase. Paint on thick stripes in varying green colours. Create a hat out of red card and draw on the eyes.
Where’s Wally. If you already have a red and white striped top simply team it with denim trousers. If not, draw red stripes onto a white top.
Mog. Do you have cat ears and a tail leftover from Halloween? Mog is the perfect use for them. Team them with grey or black clothing.
Ladybird from What the Ladybird Heard. This is similar to the dalmatian outfit, only you draw black spots onto a red top. Team with black trousers.
Fern from Charlotte’s Web. This outfit relies heavily on a pig prop. A toy pig works brilliantly. The child can wear any coloured check shirt and jeans. Wellington boots are optional, but do tie the outfit together.
Card Soldier from Alice in Wonderland. Take a white pillowcase and cut a neck hole and arm holes into the closed end. With a marker pen, draw a spade symbol in the centre and one ‘A’ in the top right corner and another in the bottom left. Team with black trousers.
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In true Sensibly Frugal fashion I want to leave you with this parting note… It is perfectly fine to send your child to school in a superhero dress up or Disney princess dress etc. If your child already has them and wants to wear them, then let them. It is free for you, and there is nothing lazy about it. They are characters from stories and comic books, after all.
The title of this post says it all. I really did use one cleaning product to clean my whole house for a week. I wanted to challenge myself to see if it could be done, and done to my standards.
I chose the cream cleaner by Tesco in the citrus scent because it is just 0.80p for a 500ml bottle.
Here is a list of every area I cleaned using this one product: (some areas such as my bathroom and tile floors are cleaned more regularly than once a week, so bear that in mind.)
Kitchen: counters, sinks, cupboard doors
Bathroom: sink, toilet, bath/shower, and tiles.
Tile floors in both bathroom and kitchen.
Skirting Boards.
Surfaces/ furniture throughout the house.
Table.
Car Interior.
Pros
It’s cheap at 0.80p. I only used 1/4 of a bottle for all of my chores over the 7 days. That means one bottle will potentially last me a month.
I didn’t have to switch out products for different areas.
It had a clean fragrance.
I could dilute it in water for a gentler clean over my table and furniture.
It did it’s job. My house is clean.
Cons
It required a lot of rinsing off of the counters and floors or a residue was left behind.
It isn’t my favourite fragrance. (It’s isn’t horrid, just not my favourite.)
I was pleasantly surprised by this challenge. Yes, a little more elbow grease was required with the extra rinsing, but it took only a few minutes extra. The vast areas and materials I was able to clean was impressive. I would suggest trying this challenge yourself. 0.80p a month to clean my house is a bargain.
Note: I used a plain, damp cloth to dust my furniture. I only used the product on spills and dirt in this area.
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My next challenge will be to make my own cleaning products. Keep your eyes peeled for that post in the near future.
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.
The main reason couples put off getting married is funds. What if I told you you could save costs and still have a lovely day? I did exactly that when I got married, and you can too.
If you’re open minded about your dress you can save massive costs here.
Buy Second Hand. There are selling sites online dedicated to used wedding dresses. Second hand is a guaranteed way to save money.
Rent a dress. Research bridal outfit hire in your local area. This can still be pricey, but if you can hire the £1000 dress you want for a few hundred pounds, it is worth looking into.
Borrow from a friend. If you don’t mind wearing the same wedding dress as someone you know, and your friend is happy to lend it, then this is a totally free option. However, you could spend a little money to accessorise in a way that makes the dress look original.
Unofficial wedding dress. Any dress can be your wedding dress, white or coloured. You can find dresses online and on the high street that would work for you.
This was the option I chose. I bought a vintage cream coloured, lace detailed, swing dress from an online site for just £36. It came to just below my knees and was so comfortable. Everyone commented on how the dress suited me better than a puffy, big number.
Buy second hand bridesmaid dresses. Bridesmaid dresses can also cost a small fortune, especially if you need to have them fitted. There is a new trend where the bridesmaids where different dresses, but in the same colour or colour palette. If you pick the colour theme for the wedding before dress shopping, you can scour thrift shops and selling sites for dresses in your bridesmaids sizes.
Ask your bridesmaids to wear a dress they already own. This will work best if you haven’t got a strict colour theme. If you wanted to get your bridesmaids something special to keep, perhaps you could get them something small to coordinate them such as a corsage.
Buy cheap dresses online. This was my chosen option. I only had my daughter as my bridesmaid, and I ordered a new dress from Ebay for just £6. It took a month to arrive from China, so plan well in advance. There were ladies dresses available in the same colour for only £10-£12 each.
The groom, his groomsmen, and the father of the bride traditionally wear the same suit. This can work out expensive, especially if you need to buy a three piece suit, shirts, ties etc.
Ask the groomsmen and father of the bride to wear suits they already own. If you want them to coordinate, I would ask them to wear a black suit and white shirt as most men have them in their wardrobe. You can provide the ties to match the colour theme.
Rent the suits. This is becoming the trend with lots of couples. It works out cheaper than buying brand new, but it is still pricey if you have a large groom party.
Use fake flowers. You can buy fake flowers from most home-ware stores and online. Obviously, fake don’t die, so you could buy them in advance when they are on sale. Make up your own bouquet using craft wire and ribbon to hold the stems together.
Use wild flowers. Flowers from a country hedgerow or a friends/relatives garden will give your wedding a rustic feel. They are also totally free.
Ask a friend to take pictures on a good quality camera or phone. A trusted friend with a good eye could take pictures of the ceremony and family pictures.
Instagram hashtag. This may sound odd, but it works. Rather than having one designated photographer for the reception/ party, create signs that ask your guests to capture photos and post them to Instagram with a hashtag that is relevant to your wedding i.e. #theradfordweddingDec2019.
Disposable Cameras. This is cheaper than hiring a photographer for your reception, but you do have to send them away to be printed. We put 5 disposable cameras on tables throughout the venue and paid £5 each to have them developed. We got some fun, natural photos of our guests for about £40 total.
Stick to a church or registry office. Hotels and private locations cost extra.
Keep the wedding party small. A large amount of guests for the ceremony requires a large venue. If you could cut the guest list of those going to the ceremony to just family and close friends, you could invite work colleagues etc to the reception.
Cut out the sit down meal. This was where my husband and I saved the most amount of money. Rather than having a sit down meal followed by an evening reception and buffet, we got married in the evening at 5pm and invited guests to what we called ‘the wedding party’. There was a large buffet, a bar, and a DJ.
Hire a venue with a bar. If you have to provide the alcohol the cost will sky rocket. People don’t mind buying their drinks if you are providing the food and entertainment.
Avoid hotels and country houses. Many local sports clubs and community centres have bars. They are cheaper to hire than hotels etc, sometimes free if you can guarantee a certain of number of guests will use the bar, and the drinks are usually cheaper.
We hired the venue room at our local football club. It was separate from the public area and we could decorate the evening before, have it until 12pm on the day of the wedding, and clean up the next day for just £50.
This was touched upon in the above point, but I do have some nifty ways to save money on the food.
Do not hire caterers. You can put on a large buffet for cheaper than outside caterers. Ask close friends and family to help you prepare bulk dishes of filling food such as pasta and sandwiches.
Do not use shop bought desserts. The cheapest desserts are ones that are made from scratch in big batches such as cupcakes.
Ask around to see if your friends are good bakers. Wedding cakes can costs hundreds of pounds. All you need is a friend or relative who can bake and ice a cake, and either add ribbon, flowers, or fruit as a topper.
A family friend made our cake and topper in lieu of a wedding present.
Do not say it is a wedding cake. If you don’t have an avid baker to help, go to your local bakery and order cake/cakes. If you keep the cakes plain to top with your own toppers, you can save money. Do not tell them it’s a wedding cake or the costs may increase.
My friend did this. A 12 x 12 inch cake cost her £34. She asked the bakery to leave it white and pipe white ruffles around the edges. She then topped her cake with a Mr and Mrs topper she bought for £3 from Ebay.
Buy secondhand. Just today I saw a Facebook post where someone was selling twenty table runners, twenty large vases with glass stones, and thirty candles for just £30. These were the table decor from her wedding.
Make your own. Pinterest is a great place to look for D.I.Y wedding decor. Paper crafts such as pom pom flowers to hang from the ceiling are in fashion. They are also cheap and easy to make.
Keep it simple. All I needed to decorated my venue was a canister of helium, balloons to match my colour scheme, balloon ribbon, and pine cones that we collected from the woods and sprayed white. Each table had a trio of three different coloured balloons held down by a cluster of white pine cones. We got married in December, so we wanted the festive feel.
Second hand rings are cheaper. Visit your local jewellers and look at their second hand collection before buying new.
Think outside the box. Wedding rings have a higher price tag. You don’t need to have a band ring if you don’t want one. You may find that the turquoise ring you want is cheaper than a wedding band.
Choose a cheaper material. I’m not a fan of yellow gold, and white gold was more expensive when I got married. Instead of gold, my husband and I opted for silver rings. They were much cheaper and a colour I prefer.
Make your own. I have heard of someone spending over £200 on invites for their wedding. What?! It is so easy to make your own using a free design site such as Canva. You can use one of the site’s templates or make your own from scratch to match your colour scheme. You then download your finished design to your computer and print on cardstock.
A free template example from canva.com
Wedding Favours
Wedding favours are not a necessity. No matter what people tell you, wedding favours are not a necessity. I never expect a favour when I go to a wedding. I also didn’t do them for my own wedding. As my wedding was a little unconventional, we avoided the sit down meal and seating arrangement drama. No set places to sit meant no where to leave a favour… perfect for me.
Charity Donation. Many people are opting to do a charity donation in lieu of wedding favours. If you had 100 guests, favours would cost a small fortune. If you donate £50 to charity, you’re not only doing a good deed, you are saving money.
Buy in batch and get creative. If you decide that you do want to give your guests a little gift, why not create favours that are cheap to produce in batch i.e. little hot chocolate vials or pot pourri pouches. Anything you can buy in bulk and split down into smaller favours will lessen the cost.
Ask a friend with a fancy car if they will drive you to and from your wedding. All you need is a friend with a fancy or quirky car, some ribbon, and you’re set.
We had a family member with an expensive car offer to drive us. We accepted gratefully. It was lovely until our daughter who was in the car with us started to feel travel sick, and my husband and I had to hold up a carrier bag for her for the whole journey.
Stay within your own country. Flights cost a lot of money, and staying in your own country will save you money to spend elsewhere.
Ask for money not gifts. With your invite you can include a little poem about how you’d prefer money for your honeymoon and not gifts for your wedding. It’s not being rude, it’s being practical. Plus, guests don’t have to shop or hunt through a registry.
Go on holiday out of season. You may have gotten married in the height of summer, but that doesn’t mean you need to go on honeymoon straight away. Booking a holiday out of season/ school term dates can save you hundreds.
As long as you bear in mind that a wedding is truly about you and your partner committing to one another, everything else is a bonus. There is no need to get in debt if you think wisely and plan.
I have decided to post when I try out a new, frugal recipe idea that worked for me and where you can find the recipe. This past week was half-term holiday for my daughter, and I knew my grocery bill would increase. To try and minimise that I searched for some treats/snacks that can be made in batch and frozen.
Berry Muffins
I found a raspberry muffin recipe that can be eaten for breakfast and could be frozen if we didn’t eat through the batch. We swapped the raspberries for strawberries because a punnet of strawberries was cheaper. For the full raspberry muffin recipe head over to Sugar and Soul.
In truth, this was a weird one as ours didn’t look like the image on the recipe and had a scone like texture. However, we enjoyed them.
We made 11 from one batch, but some got eaten before I could snap a picture.
We skipped the topping part of the recipe because we were happy to eat the muffins without it. We also added double the amount of buttermilk the recipe called for as the batter was so thick my electric mixer was struggling.
We will definitely make them again, but with raisins not berries. Overall, we thought they were yummy, even though we needed to tweak it to suit our tastes. The ingredients are cheap, and I had enough dry ingredients and butter to potentially make three batches. We are planning on doing exactly that and freezing for future snacks.
You can find the original recipe via the link, but pay heed to my experience and adjust accordingly. Let me know if yours turned out different to mine.
Jelly Pots
This isn’t a recipe, it’s a suggestion. The little jelly pots in the supermarkets are about 0.40p – 0.60p each. No way was I paying that.
Buy a pack of jelly, make it to the packet instructions, and pour into little portions. I was given small jelly bowls by a relative, but if you don’t have anything similar, you can use clean yoghurt pots or even mugs.
I got 6 portions out of a 0.55p pack. That’s about 9p a portion!
Once again, the family scoffed some jellies before Mum could get a picture for her post.
Sensibly Frugal Living 