Magic white powder Have you ever walked into your kitchen on a hot day to the smell of nasty stuff fermenting in your bin? When this happens I immediately reach for the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda). If I remember to sprinkle some of this magical powder into the bins before I put in new liners, they don't get so smelly. We always keep a big of tub of bicarbonate of soda handy as it has so many uses as a cleaner and deodoriser, as well as for making the odd muffin, of course. It is … [Read More...]
Frugal Food
Budget food plan. What are we eating this week?
Meal planning is really important if you want to save money on your groceries. We focus on healthy and filling budget food here at Shoestring Cottage. I mainly shop at Aldi and Lidl, but will also pop into Asda and Tesco to check out their offers. … [Read More...]
Cranks Spiced Bread pudding
We absolutely love this spiced bread pudding recipe from my old Cranks recipe book. This is a great book, by the way, and you can still pick up the original paperback second hand from time to time on Amazon. I think the thing that makes this … [Read More...]
Money Saving
Five frugal things: the good life
It's amazing how quickly the week whizzes by when you are busy! When you are rushing around it is easy to cut corners and waste money. We had a very large vet bill as well because Dora doesn't seem herself and needed to be checked out and have some … [Read More...]
Don’t waste money: 15 things I never buy
I'm frugal, not a cheapskate, but there are some things I just won't spend my money on any more. They may be cleverly marketed as essential, but I'm not buying it (or them)! I don't miss them! Perhaps I will relax and shell out for some of the goods … [Read More...]
All the Latest
The amazing power of bicarbonate of soda
Magic white powder Have you ever walked into your kitchen on a hot day to the smell of nasty stuff fermenting in your bin? When this happens I immediately reach for the bicarbonate of soda (baking … [Read More...]
Not cooking from scratch: confessions of a failed frugalista
The first rule if you want to save money is to stop eating takeaways and convenience foods and start cooking from scratch. It doesn't take a genius to realise this. However, there are times when … [Read More...]
Saving pennies where we can #fivefrugalthings
Before I begin this week's Five Frugal Things post, an important reminder: You have just two more days to enter the UK Money Bloggers Easter giveaway! It closes at midnight on 14th … [Read More...]
Setting goals for the months ahead
Regular readers will know that it's all change here are Shoestring Cottage. I have just a month left of paid employment! When I got offered the opportunity to take voluntary redundancy, I jumped at … [Read More...]
Cheap and easy ways to make your home more eco-friendly
Everyone seems to have finally realised the urgent need for us to be more planet friendly. Many of us want to use less plastic, to save energy and to tread more lightly on the earth. However, … [Read More...]