I can’t believe another week has whizzed by and I am writing this week’s five frugal things post already! It is my firm belief that our small money saving achievements really add up. When you adopt a bargain hunter’s mind set you begin to see cost savings everywhere. So, here is what I have done this week.
Dyed my own hair
I rarely attempt to cut my own hair these days (it has been known when I really don’t want to spend out). However, I always colour it myself. I don’t want to do hairdressers out of business, but the price of getting your mop professionally coloured is horrendous!
To stop my hair getting too dry, I only touch up the roots each time. I buy boxes of colour whenever I see them at a good price, usually from Home Bargains. I then mix up just half of the ingredients as that is enough for my roots. This means it costs me about £2 to do my roots!
Moving onto the eyebrows
You can save a lot of money by having some beauty treatments done at your local beauty school. Prices are a fraction of those in a salon. This week I had my eyebrows waxed and tinted at the college. It cost only £5.50, but would have been £14.50 at the salon in town.
Again, I don’t want to do any beautician’s out of business, but I probably wouldn’t bother at all if I had to pay almost £15 each time. Plus the students need the practice!
Got a discount on my MOT
As I work on a business park we frequently get discounts offered to us from other local businesses. Fortuitously, as I was thinking I needed to book my little car in for its MOT, I got an email offering the MOT for £45 plus 10% off any subsequent work. You can usually get a discount if you search, but I didn’t have to.
Unfortunately, my car does need work but it won’t be too horrendous. I put money aside for car costs anyway so it’s not too traumatic. It is my third MOT since I bought this car and it’s the first work it has needed. As it is 15 years old, I think I am winning!
Coffee out?
My trusty flask saves loads of money. I had two occasions last weekend where it would have been easy to spend £3 or so on a coffee but I took my own in the flask. I went to town shopping one day and to the boot sale on the other. The queue for the coffee van at the boot sale was really long – another good reason to take a flask!
Boot sale bargains
The boot sale was disappointing in all. Maybe all the good sellers had been out over the bank holiday. There were lots of plants and tools, but not so many clothes. I had a good root round though on a nice lady’s stall. After hunting through, I found a dress and skirt for my daughter and two work tops for myself for a grand total of £5. All good brands, too. I love a boot sale bargain and this was the most satisfying of my money saving achievements.
How have you saved this week and what are your best money saving achievements?
As ever, I am linking up with Cass , Emma and Becky in this week’s Five Frugal Things I have done this Week linky.
Margaret Powling says
One cost-cutter is to park just a little outside a town and walk to the shop, rather than paying horrendous parking charges. Of course, you have to be able to walk a distance in some instances, and this only applies when you haven’t a lot of shopping to carry, but we do try and dodge car parking fees if possible. But then, being retired, we have the time to do this, too. Not everyone can spare the time to park some distance away – or is fit enough, even to walk a distance – in order to park for free.
A smalls saving, but a saving nonetheless.
I have only ever been to one boot sale (and not a very good one.) This is because I know I’d be tempted to bring something home that I didn’t really need, just because it “caught my eye”! A bargain is only a bargain if we really need something, not just because its cheap. Cheap is still money out if we don’t need it.
I do have my hair coloured professionally and it is expensive. I can afford this because we don’t go away on holidays, don’t have takeaways, don’t dine out of an evening, seldom drink, etc, etc. But my hair is non-negotiable. I have silver highlights in my grey hair. I’d just not be able to achieve the same effect doing it myself.
Our car is senior to your car, ha ha! It is now 18 years old, but as we only do about 3,000 miles a year, buying a new one would be a frivolous expense. That we can afford to buy one is immaterial, it would just be a waste of money. We are a generation brought up during (in the case of my husband) or just after the war, to think being wasteful is quite shameful.
Margaret P
Emma Maslin says
I do my own hair too although since having a disaster where I went a bit Morticia Adams last year, I double check I’ve bought the right colour!!
Tina says
Hi, just wondering what brand and colour you buy in Home Bargains? Your hair is a lovely colour. I just recently had a few highlights in my hair, no cut, just highlights and it cost me £40! I didn’t realise it would be so expensive. Just thinking I might try and get my friend to do it the next time and buy the colour myself. Love your blog.
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Thanks! Usually Nice and Easy ash blonde or a dark blonde. Thing is, I’m quite grey so my hair is naturally light. It might come out differently on darker hair. Try getting it coloured at the local college too. Much cheaper
Jennifer Tobias says
Thanks for ideas…
Julia says
I don’t colour my hair, but my son has recently started to and I’ve been tempted to do it for him, as I’m already fed up with paying for the salon!
What’s stopping me is the potential mess involved! We had our bathroom replaced a couple of years ago and don’t want it ruined! Would the black colour ruin the white sink?
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
No but if it gets on the flooring….
Becky says
Ooh I LOVE a good boot sale tooa nd not been for a while..you are giving me ideas! Thanks for linking up to #5frugalthings