Every Friday I like to share a round up of my frugal week, to show you the big and small things that I do to keep control of my money.
Frugal living is not about living in poverty; it is about being mindful with your money to create the best life that you can without getting into debt or spending just for the sake of it. Some of the things I share in my frugal week might seem insignificant, but added together such activities could help you save towards your goals, be that a good retirement, a house, paying off your mortgage, helping out your children or travelling.
Anyway, here is a snapshot of my thrifty life and a round up of my frugal week.
Bread pudding
I hate wasting food, and bread pudding is one of my favourite ways to avoid it. The ends of the bread can be quite dry, so not always the best for sandwiches or toast. We save ours in the freezer, and when we have enough make delicious bread pud.
I actually shared how I make this recipe on my YouTube channel this week, so come on over and see how it’s done. It will be much appreciated if you give it a little like, and even better if you subscribe!
Elderflower cordial
Another frugal recipe I made this week was some elderflower cordial. I used the BBC Good Food recipe, and I think it is the best one I have tried.
I only used half the quantity of everything they suggested, and that made two 75cl bottles. This is more than enough for the two of us and should last for ages.
It is a real treat with some ice or added to a nice, cold glass of Prosecco, especially as the weather has been so warm. We have family coming over on Sunday, so will definitely be drinking some of the latter.
Furniture upcycling
I mentioned in last week’s round up that I had got hold of some free chairs and a little table for the garden. They needed painting, so last weekend I dug out the sander and some paint and got to work.
I also repainted the bench that we found outside a neighbour’s house a few years ago. We already had all of the paint and materials, so this bit of upcycling cost literally nothing. All of the furniture was free, we picked up the green paint for free as we were walking the dog, and the pink paint was given to us by a friend.
I am really happy with how they turned out. It’s nice to have a splash of colour on the patio. If you want to see me in action, check out my vlog on my YouTube channel. It will go live next Monday, 21st June, so if you subscribe and enable notifications it will come up on your feed.
Charity shop bargain
I popped into the charity shop very quickly in the week, just to see if they had any pink cushions for my newly painted garden chairs.
The only one I could see was this cute Benjamin Bunny one, not completely pink but it has some pink splashes. It was only £1, so how could I resist?
Outfit of the week
I went out for dinner with a group of friends for the first time in over a year! It was so lovely to see them and catch up. Being a warm and humid evening, I wanted something cool to wear. Then I remembered the blue dress I picked up for £1 at the boot sale a month or so ago, which was still sitting waiting to be ironed.
Here it is and I really love it. The flip flops were 50p in my recent charity shop haul, the necklace was free and the bracelet cost about 20p. All second hand! I’m not sure many people pay £1.70 for an outfit they feel really good in :).
I think I will carry on doing my second hand challenge forever when it comes to clothing. You can pick up pretty much anything you want second hand.
Anyway, that is my frugal week. I would love it if you would share your frugal wins in the comments below, and don’t forget to come join my Facebook group, where we chat about all things frugal and second hand.
I’m linking up with this Cass, Emma and Becky in this week’s ‘Frugal Friday’ linky.
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