We can be tightwads even on holiday so have easily managed five frugal things this week!
What a time we are having in beautiful mid Wales! We have never experienced a heat wave when we have visited before. Usually we are happy to see the sun at all. After all, the reason that Wales is so lush and green is because of all the rain.
The thing is, Wales is a stunning country even when it is rainy and grey. Now, in the sunshine, we could be in the Mediterranean somewhere. I have to admit the Irish Sea is somewhat colder, though.
Five frugal things on our Welsh adventure
Here is around up of our five frugal things and what we have been up to.
A flask is worth its weight in coffee
We had a disaster driving to Wales. Our flask exploded before we had even taken a sip. This meant we were forced the buy some cups of tea as we went. The first was at a motorway service station and cost £2.80 a cup. What? £2.80 for a teabag and some hot water? This is why we take our flask everywhere. It saves us literally hundreds of pounds.
We decided to stop at Welshpool, just across the border, to invest in a new Thermos for £10. It has saved us a ton of money this holiday and has been used every day. An absolute essential on our five frugal things list this week.
Yellow stickers galore
We also popped into Morrison’s to pick up a few provisions for the caravan. As it happened, we picked the perfect time to arrive. They were just marking things down for the end of the day and we followed the lady with her gun round the shop.
Our savings here pretty much paid for the flask! We bought our meal for that evening and the next, plus lunch for the following day.
Our bargains:
A bag of spinach, 8p
2 pots of vegetable stir fry, 6p each
Sweet potato mash, 9p
Two pots of tropical fruit, 38p each
Welsh cheese, down from £1.12 to 84p
Fresh stir fry sauce , 75p from £1
A loaf of bread, half price at 42p
Fresh haddock , reduced from £4 to £1
2 sandwiches, including a gluten free one, 28p each
We also got a cup of tea for £1 each. That’s more like it!
Eating out
As I said we would in last week’s five frugal things post, we have taken a flask of coffee and a picnic out with us every day.
We usually eat out in the evening at some point. However, apart from the odd cup of tea and cake, we haven’t bothered this time. My food intolerances mean it’s hard to find a suitable eatery, to be honest.
Instead we have splashed out on some local lamb and steak for Mr S and various types of fish for me. Last night he had the best steak he could remember eating. It cost £4 from the local Coop. We would have paid £20 minimum at a restaurant.
A new dress
We visited a town we had never been to before, Dollgelau. It is a pretty little place.
As ever, I couldn’t avoid the charity shops. I found a lovely floral dress in one. It is very cool and, because it has been so hot, I have worn it already!
More charity shopping
We also hit the charity shops in Machynlleth. I bought three very nice designer frocks. None of them fit me, but no matter. I plan to resell them on eBay and hopefully make a profit.
Checking out petrol prices
We have been driving a lot. Wales is such a great country to explore by car. There are some truly stunning, scenic drives nearby.
However, all this driving comes at a price. We have been keeping an eye on petrol prices and found the cheapest at a gas station just outside Welshpool when we visited Powis Castle. (A separate blog post will follow on that – what a fabulous place!)
We filled the tank up and will do the same when we leave on Saturday, since we drive that way home.
As usual, we have had a lovely holiday and will be sorry to leave. Going back to a stuffy office after so much fresh air will be a drag! Still. We can always come back next year.
Do you manage to save money even on holiday? Have you achieved five frugal things this week?
As ever, I am linking up with Cass , Emma and Becky in this week’s Five Frugal Things I have done this Week linky.
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Margaret Powling says
A dress, girl? That’s not a dress, it’s a long T-shire ha ha! Only joking, Jane, it looks lovely and so cool (in both senses of the word!)
Look forward to your post on Powis Castle – we went there some years ago, a fabulous place, absolutely loved it!
Margaret P
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
It’s not as short as it looks, lol
Margaret Powling says
No, it’s shorter, ha ha!
Hope this lovely weather continues for your holiday. Looking forward to hearing about Powis – what a place! Those garden terraces, those hedges, and the Indian artefacts, too. A great place.
Margaret P
Jean Scholefield says
Your dress is lovely. It horrifies me how much can be spent on tea and coffee. A flask and bottles of water save pounds.
Tree says
I love the dress too! Really colourful. I was in Wales during a heat wave, it. It was 1976 and I was 3!!! My Uncle stepped on a bee. That’s all I remember.
Glad you’ve had a good holiday, I’d rather stay in the UK for a holiday except for the unreliability of the weather, I need sunshine!
Tx
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Yes, it’s a quandary. We have such superb locations here in the uk, but sometimes all you want is a bit of sunshine!
Eloise (thisissixty.blog) says
Our usual eating habits get turned on their head on A self-catering holiday where we tend to eat out at lunchtime and then have a light snack (perhaps something on toast) in the accommodation in the evening. We’ve usually eaten some kind of extra goodies in the afternoon (a cream tea, fudge, ice cream) so something light is sufficient.