Reasons to be cheerful: August money wins

When I remember, I like to do a monthly round up of my monthly money wins. It gives me a sense of achievement to look back, as even the little things can add up to big savings. Fortunately, we had no large, unexpected costs this month. I know that this is why we have an emergency fund, but I never want to use that! Anyway, without further ado, here are our August money wins.

Small achievements = big savings: our August money wins

Selling at a boot sale

We made a bit of cash and got rid of a lot of unwanted items at a boot sale last weekend. It was very warm and tiring, but at least we have cleared a lot of clutter and can now see the shed floor.

I love boot sales, but don’t particularly enjoy being a seller. I would much prefer to take my old lady trolley round and fill it up as a buyer! Which brings me to the next of my monthly money wins….

Buying stock

If you have never been to a boot sale (and I know there are some strange souls out there who are not interested in getting up early on a Sunday morning), I urge you to give one a go.

People sell fabulous things at ridiculous prices. You need to look out for ordinary folk who have had a clear out for the best bargains, rather than the traders who are there every week. See this post for more on that.

Anyway, I bought some really good items over the past few weeks to sell on as part of my eBay reselling business. Amongst the bargains were two Karen Millen dresses and a coat – £4 the lot!

#SecondHandSeptember

Related to this, I have signed up for Oxfam’s #secondhandseptember campaign. I rarely buy new clothes anyway but really wanted to show my support, so wrote this blog post to spread the word. It’s not too late to join up.

You can save money and try to change our current planet damaging, fast fashion culture in the process!

Food from the garden

We have had loads of vegetables during August. Courgettes, tomatoes, runner beans, beetroot, chard, globe artichokes and, this week, the first of the pumpkins.

I have been roasting the beetroots. They are delicious cooked this way; better than the cold, boiled ones usually available in the shops. Yuck!

This has saved loads on our grocery bill. We haven’t been very organised so far planting anything for the spring but there is time yet. It has been too flipping hot for gardening.

Home made cleaning spray

Last month I made some Slimming World lemonade, but kept the lemon peels to make a batch of my home made lemon cleaning spray.

It’s so easy to make, as well as being eco friendly and very cheap. I left the lemons in the vinegar longer than usual – about 4 weeks in the end I think – and it was all the better for it.

If you prefer fewer chemicals in your cleaning regime than Mrs Hinch does, check out the recipe.

A cheap day out

We had a lovely – if very hot – day at the Countess of Warwick Country Show last weekend.

It was only £10 for the two of us and we saved even more money by taking our own picnic. It was great though, and one of my favourite August money wins. Lots of interesting stalls, a small animal tent, crafts, agricultural displays, live music and, best of all, classic and vintage cars. We both love them. The one below had my name on it!

I nearly expired in the heat, though. I’m not good with too much sun. I revived by laying under some trees with a bottle of squash for a bit. Luckily Mr S is a sun lover and wasn’t affected, so he could drive there and back.

A wardrobe declutter

I had my annual wardrobe declutter yesterday. I meant to do it before our boot sale but was too busy.

Considering I don’t buy a lot of clothes, I still managed to clear out three bin bags full for the charity shop. It always feels very therapeutic. My wardrobe and chest of drawers are really ordered and tidy now. Wonder how long that will last!

Having a regular clothing declutter means you can see and wear what you own and pass on what you don’t wear to someone who will appreciate it. Perfect for #secondhandseptember.

Sorting the larder

Meal planning is crucial for keeping our grocery budget low, which means rooting through the kitchen and making a shopping list every week.

The food cupboard had got in a bit of a mess, which made trying to work out what we needed to buy and what we already had quite tricky.

Fortunately my daughter was home from university and decided enough was enough. She sorted it all out for us and we can now see what’s in there! This has made planning and shopping so much easier.

Make do and mend

I really struggle to get jeans that comfortably fit me. This is because I tend to collect weight around my middle but still have skinny legs. It’s better since I have lost weight with Slimming World, but finding jeans that I like is still a challenge.

This means that when I find a comfortable pair that suit I wear them to death.

I was dismayed to see a hole developing in my favourite pair last week. Of course, it’s the fashion to walk around with your knees hanging out, but it’s not for me, so I ordered some iron on patches from eBay. Hopefully, these will extend their life, although I will only wear them around the house and garden.

That’s a job for the weekend I think. I am looking out for a suitable second hand pair for #secondhandseptember though!

I think that pretty well sums up my August money wins. How has your month been?

Read my post Old Fashioned Frugality: Saving Money Like Your Grandma for more money saving ideas.