Hello Readers
How is everyone in Blogland doing ? Wow it's been a busy few weeks here in the run up to Xmas but I think I have finally got everything ready and under control. All presents are wrapped, all cards have been sent and handed out, the house is all decorated and looking nice and festive, and other than Xmas day puddings, all the little extra bits of food needed have been bought and stored away ready to come out Xmas eve. I will be dropping youngest son at Bestie's a bit later so that I can do my usual yellow sticker shop and pick up the last few presents I need. I have been fortunate enough to get some extra hours work over the last few weeks which has enabled me to buy the boy's a few extra presents each.
My sister and her lovely partner came up from London for the day yesterday with a big bag full of Xmas presents which have gone under the tree for Xmas morning. They also came with a few bags of shopping for me bless them. My family and friends are pretty sneaky when it comes to helping me out as they know I am a bit of a stubborn git and refuse any handouts so they tend to do things without telling me so that I can't say no lol. They also pinched the electric key without me knowing and put £20 on the electric for me. I gave my sister a telling off but also thanked her. There is a 10 year age gap between me and my sister and I helped her a lot when she was a teenager and facing difficulties in her life that I will not go into. She see's this as her way of being able to return the favor and help me out now that she is grown up and settled with a good job. I am blessed to have some incredibly wonderful people in my life. They also treated us to lunch out yesterday, I had an all day breakfast which was absolutely delicious. But the best bit by far Readers was they brought eldest son up with them for the day. They live just half an hour away from where eldest son is staying with his Dad temporarily so I asked my sister if they would mind picking him up on their way and then asked my ex husband if it was OK for them to do so. If I get nothing else this Xmas then yesterday was the best Xmas present I could have wished for. I had an amazing day surrounded by a few of the people I love most in the world. Eldest son seem's to have done a lot of growing up in the last 3 weeks that he has been staying with his Dad, and I now feel confident that his moving out was the right move for him. I still miss him like crazy and can't wait for him to move back to this area once his supported living house has been put in place but I feel a lot happier knowing that he is doing well.
Anyway I better get on "no rest for the wicked" lol. I will be having tea at the Bestie's this evening after I have been shopping and will be bringing little S home with me for the night and having her for the day tomorrow to give Bestie a bit of respite as little S is Autistic and can be very hard work. If I get time and little S is not running rings round me by that time I will do my post about best buys from Pound land for Xmas presents for those on an extremely tight budget this Xmas.
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
Sunday 18 December 2016
Wednesday 7 December 2016
Pound World Best Buys For Xmas Presents
Hello Readers
I was talking to a friend today about how expensive it is to buy presents for our little ones at Xmas. She told me that one year she was so skint she literally had £15 to spend on each of her 2 children. I asked her why she didn't go into Pound World or Pound land. Her response was "well they only sell cheap tat that breaks after a couple of days". I informed her that actually they have some pretty nice stuff and brand name items to and that if she should ever find herself in that position again she should really consider giving them a try. As a result of my conversation with said friend I have decided to put together a list of what I consider to be best buys for Xmas presents from both Pound World and Pound land for any of my Readers who should find themselves in the same position of a very limited budget. Today is the turn of Pound World.....
Girls
I was talking to a friend today about how expensive it is to buy presents for our little ones at Xmas. She told me that one year she was so skint she literally had £15 to spend on each of her 2 children. I asked her why she didn't go into Pound World or Pound land. Her response was "well they only sell cheap tat that breaks after a couple of days". I informed her that actually they have some pretty nice stuff and brand name items to and that if she should ever find herself in that position again she should really consider giving them a try. As a result of my conversation with said friend I have decided to put together a list of what I consider to be best buys for Xmas presents from both Pound World and Pound land for any of my Readers who should find themselves in the same position of a very limited budget. Today is the turn of Pound World.....
Girls
These recorders are available in Disney princess, My little pony, Frozen, Sofia the first, and Doc Mcstuffin
Disney princess tiara also available in blue Elsa from Frozen tiara
This is available in Doc Mcstuffin, My little pony, Sofia the first, Disney princess, and Frozen
Lovely little activity book
These cheer leading pom poms also come in blue and red
Cute set of fairy wings and a wand set
They have 4 of these dolls in store each dressed differently
Boys
Avengers light up yo-yo also comes in Disney Pixar cars and Spiderman
Mickey mouse recorder also comes in Avengers, Disney Pixar Cars, and Spiderman
Spiderman activity pack also comes in Avengers and Disney Pixar Cars
Cool little Cowboy set
Just like a Nerf gun only a fraction of the price
Does your little one like Pirates of the Caribbean ? If so they will love this pirate set
Most boys like playing cars and with this set you can get 10 cars for just £1
Unisex
Cute My first canvas
30 Colouring pencils
Drawing pad
Doctors and Nurses play set
Travel Doodler draw your picture, magically wipe it clean, and start again
Who doesn't like bubbles :)
A balloon modeling set for those budding balloon artists out there
A nice game to play together in the back garden or at your local park
Again who doesn't like bubbles lol
Play sand which is basically the same as kinetic sand but a whole heap cheaper. Comes in various colors
A bug viewer. Hours of fun to be had with this and educational too
All the items on this list cost just £1 each from Pound World. Today I have focused on younger girls and boys. Tomorrow I will focus on older girls and boys gifts from Pound land. This is NOT a sponsored post in any way. I just hope to give those struggling with a very tight budget some ideas on how to make sure their little ones have a nice pile of presents come Xmas morning without bankrupting themselves to do so.
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
Tuesday 6 December 2016
Xmas On A Budget = Presents
Hello Readers
Xmas can be a very expensive time of year especially if you have younger children that are exposed to peer pressure. I am very lucky with my 3 boys they tend not to go along with what everyone else wants and as a result I don't end up with a never ending list come Xmas time. Here's an example, I asked the boys what they wanted for Xmas this year and here is what they told me.....
Eldest son = A Norman Price plush toy £7.99, A decent set of headphones £10
Middle son = A set of gaming headphones £15, Some notebooks and pens £5
Youngest son = Dr Who DVD £8, Magic sand set £4, Extra sand £4, Air hockey game £10
I save £30 every month from January through to November which means come the 2nd November I have £330 to spend on my entire Xmas. That's for everything presents, wrapping paper, tags, cards, decorations, food, and treats. I set a budget of £60 per child this year as things are a lot tighter than they have been in previous years. Now to some this might seem like a big figure but when you consider some families spend several hundred pounds on each child at Xmas this really is not that much at all. I am also very fortunate that I have a big family so they get lots of presents through them also. My children never feel deprived come Xmas morning and are always overjoyed with whatever they receive. As well as my 3 boys I have another 28 people to buy for at Xmas (yes you read that right 28 lol). I tend to spend around £5 on each person so around £140 in total. I usually buy 6 Xmas gift bags for £1 from The Card Factory. I buy 5 nice items per person from Pound land or Pound world and pop them into a gift bag for each person. An example of what might be in one is as follows.....
Ladies = A nice bottle of bubble bath, A nice scarf, A book or DVD, A box of festive biscuits, A box of chocolates.
Men = A bottle of shower gel, A matching deodorant, A book or DVD, A box of festive biscuits, A box of chocolates.
Children = A bottle of bubble bath, A set of play dough, A book or DVD, A chocolate Santa, Some chocolate coins.
Some people may feel that £60 is not enough to spend on their child and what can they possibly get for a mere £60 in this day and age but if you do your homework and know where to look you really can do well for £60. Here's what each of my boys have got this year.....
Eldest son
Norman Price plush toy £8
Set of skull candy headphones £12
Air hockey game £10
2 Brand name t shirts £5
Pack of 12 pairs of socks £5
A set of 3D virtual reality googles £10 (you put your phone in the device and you can watch movies and videos in 3D)
2 Shower gels £2
2 Deodorants £2
A Book £1
A DVD £1
A Chocolate snowman £1
A Tin of festive shortbread £1
A Bag of chocolate coins £1
An Emoticon pillow £1
Middle son
A Set of gaming headphones £15
A Set of 3D virtual reality goggles £10
2 Brand name t shirts £5
Pack of 12 pairs of socks £4
5 Picture frames to frame a set of laminated A4 posters £5
Set of 5 laminated A4 posters £5
Table top pool table £10
Notebooks and pens £6
2 Shower gels £2
2 Deodorants £2
A Book £1
A DVD £1
A Chocolate snowman £1
A Tin of festive shortbread £1
A Bag of chocolate coins £1
An Emoticon pillow £1
Youngest son
Dr who DVD £8
Batman Scooter £15
Magic sand set £4
4 Sand refills £4
Batman t shirt £2
Large army play set £8
Air hockey game £10
Foam dart gun £1
Avengers pencil case and matching stationary £3
A DVD £1
A Chocolate snowman £1
A Tin of festive shortbread £1
A Bag of chocolate coins £1
An Emoticon pillow £1
So you see each of my boys will wake up to a nice pile of Xmas presents and they each have exactly what they have asked for and then some. Don't be afraid to inform people you are on a limited budget and therefore can not afford to buy them an expensive gift this year. You could even ask them if they would mind a no gift giving policy this year (you don't buy for them and they don't buy for you). Check out stores such as Pound land, Pound world, B and M, Pound stretcher, Home bargains etc. They are not beneath you and save you a whole heap of money. The stores all my gifts have come from this year are as follows.....
EBay
Morrison's
Sports Direct
B and M
Pound land
Pound world
Asda
Store 21
Home bargains
If anyone wants to know where I purchased a particular item just ask in the comments and I will let you know. Cost for presents for 31 people this year £320.
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
Xmas can be a very expensive time of year especially if you have younger children that are exposed to peer pressure. I am very lucky with my 3 boys they tend not to go along with what everyone else wants and as a result I don't end up with a never ending list come Xmas time. Here's an example, I asked the boys what they wanted for Xmas this year and here is what they told me.....
Eldest son = A Norman Price plush toy £7.99, A decent set of headphones £10
Middle son = A set of gaming headphones £15, Some notebooks and pens £5
Youngest son = Dr Who DVD £8, Magic sand set £4, Extra sand £4, Air hockey game £10
I save £30 every month from January through to November which means come the 2nd November I have £330 to spend on my entire Xmas. That's for everything presents, wrapping paper, tags, cards, decorations, food, and treats. I set a budget of £60 per child this year as things are a lot tighter than they have been in previous years. Now to some this might seem like a big figure but when you consider some families spend several hundred pounds on each child at Xmas this really is not that much at all. I am also very fortunate that I have a big family so they get lots of presents through them also. My children never feel deprived come Xmas morning and are always overjoyed with whatever they receive. As well as my 3 boys I have another 28 people to buy for at Xmas (yes you read that right 28 lol). I tend to spend around £5 on each person so around £140 in total. I usually buy 6 Xmas gift bags for £1 from The Card Factory. I buy 5 nice items per person from Pound land or Pound world and pop them into a gift bag for each person. An example of what might be in one is as follows.....
Ladies = A nice bottle of bubble bath, A nice scarf, A book or DVD, A box of festive biscuits, A box of chocolates.
Men = A bottle of shower gel, A matching deodorant, A book or DVD, A box of festive biscuits, A box of chocolates.
Children = A bottle of bubble bath, A set of play dough, A book or DVD, A chocolate Santa, Some chocolate coins.
Some people may feel that £60 is not enough to spend on their child and what can they possibly get for a mere £60 in this day and age but if you do your homework and know where to look you really can do well for £60. Here's what each of my boys have got this year.....
Eldest son
Norman Price plush toy £8
Set of skull candy headphones £12
Air hockey game £10
2 Brand name t shirts £5
Pack of 12 pairs of socks £5
A set of 3D virtual reality googles £10 (you put your phone in the device and you can watch movies and videos in 3D)
2 Shower gels £2
2 Deodorants £2
A Book £1
A DVD £1
A Chocolate snowman £1
A Tin of festive shortbread £1
A Bag of chocolate coins £1
An Emoticon pillow £1
Middle son
A Set of gaming headphones £15
A Set of 3D virtual reality goggles £10
2 Brand name t shirts £5
Pack of 12 pairs of socks £4
5 Picture frames to frame a set of laminated A4 posters £5
Set of 5 laminated A4 posters £5
Table top pool table £10
Notebooks and pens £6
2 Shower gels £2
2 Deodorants £2
A Book £1
A DVD £1
A Chocolate snowman £1
A Tin of festive shortbread £1
A Bag of chocolate coins £1
An Emoticon pillow £1
Youngest son
Dr who DVD £8
Batman Scooter £15
Magic sand set £4
4 Sand refills £4
Batman t shirt £2
Large army play set £8
Air hockey game £10
Foam dart gun £1
Avengers pencil case and matching stationary £3
A DVD £1
A Chocolate snowman £1
A Tin of festive shortbread £1
A Bag of chocolate coins £1
An Emoticon pillow £1
So you see each of my boys will wake up to a nice pile of Xmas presents and they each have exactly what they have asked for and then some. Don't be afraid to inform people you are on a limited budget and therefore can not afford to buy them an expensive gift this year. You could even ask them if they would mind a no gift giving policy this year (you don't buy for them and they don't buy for you). Check out stores such as Pound land, Pound world, B and M, Pound stretcher, Home bargains etc. They are not beneath you and save you a whole heap of money. The stores all my gifts have come from this year are as follows.....
EBay
Morrison's
Sports Direct
B and M
Pound land
Pound world
Asda
Store 21
Home bargains
If anyone wants to know where I purchased a particular item just ask in the comments and I will let you know. Cost for presents for 31 people this year £320.
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
Sunday 4 December 2016
When A Family Pull's Together
Hello Readers
This weekend I have really felt blessed and loved. Only my family and closest friends are aware that eldest son has moved out as I didn't want to have to deal with the hundred and one questions that I would inevitably get asked until I had come to terms with the move myself. I am slowly getting used to him not being here but then I do talk to him every day lol. I am finding it hard to adjust to the silence, lack of mess, and lack of washing since he left. Everyone keeps telling me to enjoy it and that I have earned a rest and I am sure they mean well but I am finding it all incredibly difficult. My mum, sister, and 2 best friends have been checking in with me and keeping an eye on how I am doing. Youngest son was at respite this weekend so I got to spend some quality time with middle son. Yesterday was our towns annual Xmas street fair and Xmas lights switch on. Middle son and I decided we would attend both events and when we got home snuggle up and watch Xmas movies together. The Xmas fair was not as good as it has been in previous years but none the less it gave middle son and I the chance to get out of the house and do something together.....
Our little town looks incredibly pretty when you walk down there after dark now. Total cost to me for yesterday was £0. My mum gave middle son £10 to spend and £5 for me and son to have a portion of churros whilst we was there, and my best friend also gave middle son £10 to spend (they both know how incredibly tight things are here now eldest son is no longer contributing and this is their way of helping out as they know I am to proud to accept a handout so by giving middle son spending money it saved me having to do so). After the lights switch on I popped to Morrison's to see if there were any yellow stickers before dropping little O back home (she loves coming for a ride on Aunty Maria's mobility scooter lol. Unfortunately there were no yellow stickers but when we got back to the bestie's to drop little O off the bestie announced she had ordered a take away for all of us. This was a real treat for us and I was very grateful that I did not have to come home and cook. We had pizza, southern fried chicken, chips, and onion rings. We were both stuffed and I thanked bestie giving her a big hug and telling her she really didn't have to buy for us also. Her response was "I know things are hard right now and you are family I didn't want you going home to that cold house without a full belly". When we got home middle son and I put the little electric fire on in my room, snuggled up in bed and watched cartoons for the rest of the night.
Today I have been a busy bee. I had a lie in as youngest son was at respite. After I eventually got up I sorted the house, went to work for 2 hours, went yellow sticker shopping, came home and unpacked, sorted some washing, saw to the animals, did dinner, got the washing up done, got everyone bathed and ready for bed, and am now writing this post before going to sleep myself. I got quite lucky with my yellow stickers today bagging the following bargains.....
850g Grated cheese £1.10
A bag of melon slices 15p
A bag of pears 19p
2 Pots of mixed fruit 30p
6 Tomatoes 15p
A bunch of flowers 19p
4 Chocolate chip panetonne 36p
A tomato flatbread 5p
4 Cheese scones 5p
16 Activia yogurts 38p
A garlic flatbread 9p
A loaf of bread 5p
3 Boxes of 6 eggs 15p
Anyway I am off to bed now Readers. Hope you have all had a productive weekend.
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
This weekend I have really felt blessed and loved. Only my family and closest friends are aware that eldest son has moved out as I didn't want to have to deal with the hundred and one questions that I would inevitably get asked until I had come to terms with the move myself. I am slowly getting used to him not being here but then I do talk to him every day lol. I am finding it hard to adjust to the silence, lack of mess, and lack of washing since he left. Everyone keeps telling me to enjoy it and that I have earned a rest and I am sure they mean well but I am finding it all incredibly difficult. My mum, sister, and 2 best friends have been checking in with me and keeping an eye on how I am doing. Youngest son was at respite this weekend so I got to spend some quality time with middle son. Yesterday was our towns annual Xmas street fair and Xmas lights switch on. Middle son and I decided we would attend both events and when we got home snuggle up and watch Xmas movies together. The Xmas fair was not as good as it has been in previous years but none the less it gave middle son and I the chance to get out of the house and do something together.....
This young lady couldn't have been more than 16 years old yet she had a lovely voice.
The local dance troop
The funfair
An old fashioned music machine
Santa's grotto
The high street lights
Library lights
Tree lights
Our little town looks incredibly pretty when you walk down there after dark now. Total cost to me for yesterday was £0. My mum gave middle son £10 to spend and £5 for me and son to have a portion of churros whilst we was there, and my best friend also gave middle son £10 to spend (they both know how incredibly tight things are here now eldest son is no longer contributing and this is their way of helping out as they know I am to proud to accept a handout so by giving middle son spending money it saved me having to do so). After the lights switch on I popped to Morrison's to see if there were any yellow stickers before dropping little O back home (she loves coming for a ride on Aunty Maria's mobility scooter lol. Unfortunately there were no yellow stickers but when we got back to the bestie's to drop little O off the bestie announced she had ordered a take away for all of us. This was a real treat for us and I was very grateful that I did not have to come home and cook. We had pizza, southern fried chicken, chips, and onion rings. We were both stuffed and I thanked bestie giving her a big hug and telling her she really didn't have to buy for us also. Her response was "I know things are hard right now and you are family I didn't want you going home to that cold house without a full belly". When we got home middle son and I put the little electric fire on in my room, snuggled up in bed and watched cartoons for the rest of the night.
Today I have been a busy bee. I had a lie in as youngest son was at respite. After I eventually got up I sorted the house, went to work for 2 hours, went yellow sticker shopping, came home and unpacked, sorted some washing, saw to the animals, did dinner, got the washing up done, got everyone bathed and ready for bed, and am now writing this post before going to sleep myself. I got quite lucky with my yellow stickers today bagging the following bargains.....
850g Grated cheese £1.10
A bag of melon slices 15p
A bag of pears 19p
2 Pots of mixed fruit 30p
6 Tomatoes 15p
A bunch of flowers 19p
4 Chocolate chip panetonne 36p
A tomato flatbread 5p
4 Cheese scones 5p
16 Activia yogurts 38p
A garlic flatbread 9p
A loaf of bread 5p
3 Boxes of 6 eggs 15p
Anyway I am off to bed now Readers. Hope you have all had a productive weekend.
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
Wednesday 30 November 2016
Nursing A Broken Heart
Hello Readers
Sorry for my absence over the last few days but Eldest son moved out on Friday night and I have been nursing a broken heart ever since. He has gone to live with his Dad (a 2 hour drive away) until his supported living accommodation is sorted out for him. Although he is almost 19 and I know this is the right decision for him as well as my younger 2 boys I can't help but feel sad that he is no longer here with me. I have been a single mother for 13 years now and raised him single handed (he would only see his Dad 1 night every 6 weeks and had very little other contact with him). I have also been his sole carer for 18 and 1/2 years (he is autistic). The fact that he is so far away does not sit well with me either as it's not like I can just jump on a bus and go see him and I don't drive. I have a lot of anger right now as to how our situation has been handled by so called professionals. Eldest son would have been in his own home locally had certain people done their job correctly and within the specified time frame and then he would not be so far away and I could see him several times a week. As it is a family has been torn apart and put under considerable stress due to one man's incompetence. Both eldest son's father and I will be putting in a strong complaint once he is in his supported living but feel to do so now would just delay the process of getting him into his supported living home. I am angry readers and my heart aches for my son who I have never spent more than a few days away from. Things are going to be so strange here without him. It also means another drop in money (quite a big one) as I will no longer be receiving his contribution towards the household bills, food, and keep etc. Right now though I am more concerned about the pain I am feeling now he is not here, than any lack of money this situation has caused. We will get by we always do, it just means tightening those purse strings even further. So if I am a little quiet over the next few days you know why, but I promise I will be back to blogging daily before you know it and with the tightening of these purse strings I will have a lot more frugal posts to write lol.
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
Thursday 24 November 2016
A Sterling Report And Preparing For Xmas
Hello Readers
How are we all diddling ? I will be doing a post at some point over the weekend sharing all my tips and tricks on how I do Xmas on a budget. I have lost a lot of income this past year, and whilst I have always been pretty frugal at Xmas anyway, I have really had to scale back this year.
Anyway on to today :)
Usual morning routine. Boys up, ready, and off to school. A bit of housework before picking youngest son up from school. The head teacher was taking youngest son's class today and he took a few minutes to come out and tell me that it was a pleasure teaching him today. He was extremely well behaved and did everything asked of him. He praised youngest son directly and gave him a big thumbs up which made youngest son really happy. After collecting little man I went to work for a few hours. My friend lets me take youngest son with me when I clean for her. He sits and plays on his tablet quietly while I get on with my work. Its only 2 hours but its an extra £14 added to this weeks budget and it all helps. After I finished work I had to attend a progress meeting at middle sons school. He is excelling at English, maths, and geography, got the highest grade in his class on his p.e exam, is on target in most of his lessons, but needs to improve in food, dance. and drama (his least favorite subjects lol). I left there a very proud mummy and he was treated to a chocolate bar when we got home :)
This evening I have tidied up, done some washing, seen to the animals, done dinner, done the washing up, and got everyone bathed and ready for bed. I also managed to finish off my Xmas cards and the ones that need sending have been addressed and stamped ready to post on the 7th December. I also managed to finish decluttering downstairs. The house is now completely free from clutter and reorganized and it has made a huge difference. I have one lot of items to take to the charity shop and have sold another craft bundle for £8 so I made £28 in total from my house declutter which will go in the Xmas savings envelope. I have a quiet weekend coming up as eldest and middle son will be at their dad's and youngest son will be at respite. I will be using this time to do a bit of Xmas shopping, wrap some presents, and have a major sort out of all our clothes. Any brand name clothing will be sold, any non brand name clothing that is in good condition will be taken to the charity shop, any clothes I would like to keep but are broken will go on the mending pile, and any clothes that are beyond repair will be turned into rags and put in my work bag. You might remember I set myself 3 manageable goals to complete.....
Week 1 Declutter upstairs
Week 2 Declutter downstairs
Week 3 Sort through clothing
I will have completed all of these a week ahead of schedule which is fab and I am very pleased with myself. My next goal will be to get the mending pile sorted next week and keep on top of present wrapping. I am on schedule to have Xmas all done and dusted by mid December which is not bad when you have 31 people to buy for lol.
Anyway Readers I am off to my bed for a well earned sleep. Are you all ready for Xmas ?
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
How are we all diddling ? I will be doing a post at some point over the weekend sharing all my tips and tricks on how I do Xmas on a budget. I have lost a lot of income this past year, and whilst I have always been pretty frugal at Xmas anyway, I have really had to scale back this year.
Anyway on to today :)
Usual morning routine. Boys up, ready, and off to school. A bit of housework before picking youngest son up from school. The head teacher was taking youngest son's class today and he took a few minutes to come out and tell me that it was a pleasure teaching him today. He was extremely well behaved and did everything asked of him. He praised youngest son directly and gave him a big thumbs up which made youngest son really happy. After collecting little man I went to work for a few hours. My friend lets me take youngest son with me when I clean for her. He sits and plays on his tablet quietly while I get on with my work. Its only 2 hours but its an extra £14 added to this weeks budget and it all helps. After I finished work I had to attend a progress meeting at middle sons school. He is excelling at English, maths, and geography, got the highest grade in his class on his p.e exam, is on target in most of his lessons, but needs to improve in food, dance. and drama (his least favorite subjects lol). I left there a very proud mummy and he was treated to a chocolate bar when we got home :)
This evening I have tidied up, done some washing, seen to the animals, done dinner, done the washing up, and got everyone bathed and ready for bed. I also managed to finish off my Xmas cards and the ones that need sending have been addressed and stamped ready to post on the 7th December. I also managed to finish decluttering downstairs. The house is now completely free from clutter and reorganized and it has made a huge difference. I have one lot of items to take to the charity shop and have sold another craft bundle for £8 so I made £28 in total from my house declutter which will go in the Xmas savings envelope. I have a quiet weekend coming up as eldest and middle son will be at their dad's and youngest son will be at respite. I will be using this time to do a bit of Xmas shopping, wrap some presents, and have a major sort out of all our clothes. Any brand name clothing will be sold, any non brand name clothing that is in good condition will be taken to the charity shop, any clothes I would like to keep but are broken will go on the mending pile, and any clothes that are beyond repair will be turned into rags and put in my work bag. You might remember I set myself 3 manageable goals to complete.....
Week 1 Declutter upstairs
Week 2 Declutter downstairs
Week 3 Sort through clothing
I will have completed all of these a week ahead of schedule which is fab and I am very pleased with myself. My next goal will be to get the mending pile sorted next week and keep on top of present wrapping. I am on schedule to have Xmas all done and dusted by mid December which is not bad when you have 31 people to buy for lol.
Anyway Readers I am off to my bed for a well earned sleep. Are you all ready for Xmas ?
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
Wednesday 23 November 2016
Coupons And Freebies
Picture credit: Holly at Extreme couponing check out her Vlog here
Hello Readers
Amanda from Parenting a child with Autism (check out her blog it's fab) asked me yesterday where I get my coupons from. I felt that I couldn't answer this in a simple comment and that it warranted a post dedicated to how I get my coupons and freebies so here it is.....
Let me start by saying I am not an extreme couponer, I don't have the time, but I do sit down a couple of times a week and see what is about. My first suggestion would be to open a free email address specifically for your coupons and freebies. You don't have to but I find it makes couponing that little bit easier. If you wanted to you could open a few extra email addresses so that you get more coupons and freebies. I just have the one and eldest son has one also.
The next thing I would suggest is if you haven't done so already sign up for loyalty cards and register on store websites. The loyalty cards I currently have are.....
Tesco
Morrison's
Nectar
Game
Bon Marche
Co Op
Boots
Hairdresser's (My local one)
Perfume shop (Superdrug)
Any store that I shop in no matter how often, if they have a loyalty card scheme then i'm on it lol. Not only do you collect points or stamps that can be redeemed for money off coupons or items, but once you are registered with them they will occasionally send you out coupons to use in their stores. They will also let you know about sales and deals that they have going on at that time.
The other thing I do is I have a list of coupon/freebie sites I check a couple of times a week. If I see a coupon or a freebie I can make use of I go ahead and print it off or fill in the form (for freebies). A lot of times the site itself will tell you where the item is selling the cheapest so that you get the best deal or even get the item for free. If it doesn't it is really easy to find this out for yourself using an app like My Supermarket. I also print all my coupons in black and white to save money on ink costs (check out my post Saving Money On Printer Ink ). If you sign up to the sites newsletter coupons and freebies will be emailed to you automatically. I also follow a couple of coupon/freebie sites on Facebook. Here is a list of the sites I use.....
Extreme Couponing
Money Saving Expert
Latest Free Stuff
Coupon Mama UK
Super Savvy Me
Ashleigh Money Saver
Coupon Mama UK Facebook page
Extreme Couponing Facebook Page
My next tip is to register with Check Out Smart
It is a cashback site that has lots of products you can get part or full cashback on. It's really easy all you do is register an account with them, see which cashback offers tickle your fancy, buy them from the specified retailer, send a photo of your receipt, and they will credit your account with the cashback. The only drawback is you need a separate receipt for each item you want to claim cashback on and you can only make 3 claims a day. The way I see it is if I am getting something for free then I am happy to take a bit of extra time paying for items individually and scanning in the receipts over the course of a few days. You have to have £5 in your check out smart account before you cash it out but my advice would be to wait until you hit the £20 or more mark as that way you will avoid paying any fees for the transfer of funds. Check them out they have a lot of good freebies on there at the moment.
Another way of getting coupons is to choose a few of your favorite products or retailers and write to the company telling them how much, and why you enjoy their products. Very often as a thank you for your feedback they will send you a letter thanking you and include some coupons for their products. I have yet to try this one out for myself but I have heard of lots of people getting good results by doing this.
So Amanda I hope I have answered your question and armed you with lots of tips for getting coupons and freebies. Let me know how you get on.
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
Tuesday 22 November 2016
Torrential Rain And A Coupon Shop
Hello Readers
Yesterday started with me getting up and getting everyone off to school and then cracking on with the housework. I only have an hour and a half to get things done in the morning before I have to collect youngest son from school as he finishes at 10.45am. We then popped home quickly so I could quickly finish the housework in the half an hour before my dentist appointment. I dropped youngest son at Bestie's on the way to the dentist. I had to have a tooth removed and I am a very nervous patient in fact nervous is an understatement I am terrified of the dentist. When I entered the room I realized it was a different dentist to the one I had seen last time which did nothing to calm my nerves. I needn't have worried she was lovely and knew I have a fear of dentists as it is logged on the system. She took her time, explained everything before she did it, stopped whenever I asked her to, and was generally very kind, caring, and compassionate. It was definitely the least traumatic visit I have had to the dentist to date.
After the dentist I popped to Morrison's (as its just across the road) to do a coupon shop. I had coupons for the following.....
4x £1 off a carton of Covent garden soup
1x 35p off any 2 liter bottle of soft drink
1x 35p off any yogurts
1x 45p off any pre cooked meat
On the way home I picked up little man from my Bestie, but by the time I got home I resembled a drowned rat (the rain here has been torrential). I put our coats, hats, and gloves on one of the airing racks to dry off as they were wet through. We both got changed into onsie's, snuggled under the duvet and did some work on vikings as that is what he is working on at school at the moment.
Today started how it usually does getting the boys up, ready, and off to school. A bit of housework before picking youngest son up from school and popping to the Bestie's for a bit. I then popped to the charity shops in my tiny little town as I was on the look out for a couple of warm jumpers. I managed to get 2 that fitted the bill one cost £1 and the other cost £2.50 and they will keep me nice and warm. Youngest son bought himself a Pudsy teddy £1.25, and another teddy 30p out of the £10 Granddad gave him at the weekend. He has seen a Tetris game that he also wants to buy but we didn't have enough on us to get that so we will go back for that tomorrow after school. Again by the time we got home we looked like drowned rats lol. We got into our onsie's and did some English and maths. Although youngest son is back in school (went back in June after 2 years home educating) he is on a very restricted timetable 9am - 10.45am. As a result he cant be learning very much so I am asking the school for work I can do with him at home and topping up his education that way so that he is not missing out on as much. For tea we had homemade mini pizza's, homemade chips, and garlic tear and share. Here are the costings.....
Warburtons thins (yellow sticker) 5p
Ketchup (value) 10p
Cheese (savers) 30p
Potatoes (£3 for 12.5kg sack Morrison's) 30p
Tear and share (yellow sticker) 9p
Total cost 84p so 21p each
Anyone else having torrential rain at the moment ? What do you do when you get home looking like a drowned rat lol ?
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
Yesterday started with me getting up and getting everyone off to school and then cracking on with the housework. I only have an hour and a half to get things done in the morning before I have to collect youngest son from school as he finishes at 10.45am. We then popped home quickly so I could quickly finish the housework in the half an hour before my dentist appointment. I dropped youngest son at Bestie's on the way to the dentist. I had to have a tooth removed and I am a very nervous patient in fact nervous is an understatement I am terrified of the dentist. When I entered the room I realized it was a different dentist to the one I had seen last time which did nothing to calm my nerves. I needn't have worried she was lovely and knew I have a fear of dentists as it is logged on the system. She took her time, explained everything before she did it, stopped whenever I asked her to, and was generally very kind, caring, and compassionate. It was definitely the least traumatic visit I have had to the dentist to date.
After the dentist I popped to Morrison's (as its just across the road) to do a coupon shop. I had coupons for the following.....
4x £1 off a carton of Covent garden soup
1x 35p off any 2 liter bottle of soft drink
1x 35p off any yogurts
1x 45p off any pre cooked meat
This little lot cost me just 57p after coupons and 5p of that was for a bag (must stop forgetting to take my own bags).
On the way home I picked up little man from my Bestie, but by the time I got home I resembled a drowned rat (the rain here has been torrential). I put our coats, hats, and gloves on one of the airing racks to dry off as they were wet through. We both got changed into onsie's, snuggled under the duvet and did some work on vikings as that is what he is working on at school at the moment.
Today started how it usually does getting the boys up, ready, and off to school. A bit of housework before picking youngest son up from school and popping to the Bestie's for a bit. I then popped to the charity shops in my tiny little town as I was on the look out for a couple of warm jumpers. I managed to get 2 that fitted the bill one cost £1 and the other cost £2.50 and they will keep me nice and warm. Youngest son bought himself a Pudsy teddy £1.25, and another teddy 30p out of the £10 Granddad gave him at the weekend. He has seen a Tetris game that he also wants to buy but we didn't have enough on us to get that so we will go back for that tomorrow after school. Again by the time we got home we looked like drowned rats lol. We got into our onsie's and did some English and maths. Although youngest son is back in school (went back in June after 2 years home educating) he is on a very restricted timetable 9am - 10.45am. As a result he cant be learning very much so I am asking the school for work I can do with him at home and topping up his education that way so that he is not missing out on as much. For tea we had homemade mini pizza's, homemade chips, and garlic tear and share. Here are the costings.....
Warburtons thins (yellow sticker) 5p
Ketchup (value) 10p
Cheese (savers) 30p
Potatoes (£3 for 12.5kg sack Morrison's) 30p
Tear and share (yellow sticker) 9p
Total cost 84p so 21p each
Anyone else having torrential rain at the moment ? What do you do when you get home looking like a drowned rat lol ?
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
Sunday 20 November 2016
Sunday 20th November
Hello Readers
Wow last week was such a busy week for me I was fully expecting a vertigo attack but touch wood so far so good. I had a meeting at youngest son's school on Friday morning and it has been agreed that as he is doing so well (other than the blip he had recently) we can slowly start to increase his school day. I have requested that this be done very slowly so that it does not become overwhelming and result in another meltdown. We are going to start by letting him stay for playtime one day a week (a Friday) and slowly increase this. He stayed on Friday and Readers he did amazingly well. We was all ready for a meltdown and I was on the premises ready just in case as it was children in need day and there was almost 300 children in the hall, lots of stalls, and lots of noise. His head teacher popped out at one point to tell me he was being really good and he was very impressed with his behavior. I also inquired about his My Plan and was told that the request has now been submitted and the council has 6 weeks to decide whether or not they will go ahead and start putting one in place for him but his SENCO is optimistic that the draft she has put together is good enough that they will agree so fingers crossed.
I had a meeting with eldest and youngest son's disability worker shortly after the meeting at school and things are progressing with eldest son's move into supported living with 2 of his friends, and we are now just waiting for a suitable house to become available for them. After the blip we had recently with youngest son at school I was really starting to feel a bit low but it appears things are slowly starting to go in the right direction and I am feeling a lot happier about things now.
Friday evening my Dad came to visit for the weekend which we was all really happy about. I needed some cheering up after the week I have had and Dad always knows how to make me laugh. Saturday morning we was treated to one of Dad's legendary fry up's for breakfast. The plan was to take the boys out for the day but middle son went to center parcs for the day to celebrate his best friends birthday, eldest son wasn't that bothered, and youngest son asked granddad if he could stay at home as he wanted to carry on watching his Dr Who DVD's. In the end no one went anywhere and we just had a relaxing day at home lol. Dad put some money on the electric key for me which will save me paying out for electric this week and he gave the boy's £10 each (he always spoils us when he comes down as we only get to see him once every few months). Early evening we went over to my best friends for a roast dinner. Bestie and my Dad get on really well so we always have a roast there when his down. By the time we got home we were all shattered and just went straight to bed lol.
This morning I woke up at 6.30am with a raging headache so got up to take some pain killers and was able to see my Dad off at 7am (his coach was at 7.30am from the next town). Once Dad had gone I decided to go back to bed as all the children were still asleep in the hopes I could sleep off my headache. It didn't work and I have had the damn thing all day :(
Despite having a headache I have managed to push through and get things done in the house. The decluttering is coming along nicely and I only have the kitchen left to do. I have made £20 so far selling off little bits here and there, 3 bin bags of rubbish, and 2 trips to drop bits off to the charity shop on my shopping trolley and the house is looking a lot better and is a lot more organized. This afternoon I went to Morrison's to do my usual yellow sticker shop. Because of this damn headache I was running late and we didn't get there until 3.15pm instead of the usual 3pm and everything had gone. This is almost unheard of, for me to come back on a Sunday without a single yellow sticker item. I certainly don't feel like the yellow sticker queen today lol. I picked up a few bits and pieces that we needed for the week and some pet food and came back home.
This evening we have been over to Besties for tea again, I really have been spoiled this weekend and have not had to cook at all. We had spaghetti bolognaise which was yummy. We are now back home and youngest son is in the bath (he has a fear of showers). Once he has had a good old scrub ready for school in the morning the eldest 2 boys will have a shower each and then it will be early nights for everyone as my head is still raging :(
How has everyone else's weekend been ? Anyone managed to get any good yellow stickers ?
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
Wow last week was such a busy week for me I was fully expecting a vertigo attack but touch wood so far so good. I had a meeting at youngest son's school on Friday morning and it has been agreed that as he is doing so well (other than the blip he had recently) we can slowly start to increase his school day. I have requested that this be done very slowly so that it does not become overwhelming and result in another meltdown. We are going to start by letting him stay for playtime one day a week (a Friday) and slowly increase this. He stayed on Friday and Readers he did amazingly well. We was all ready for a meltdown and I was on the premises ready just in case as it was children in need day and there was almost 300 children in the hall, lots of stalls, and lots of noise. His head teacher popped out at one point to tell me he was being really good and he was very impressed with his behavior. I also inquired about his My Plan and was told that the request has now been submitted and the council has 6 weeks to decide whether or not they will go ahead and start putting one in place for him but his SENCO is optimistic that the draft she has put together is good enough that they will agree so fingers crossed.
I had a meeting with eldest and youngest son's disability worker shortly after the meeting at school and things are progressing with eldest son's move into supported living with 2 of his friends, and we are now just waiting for a suitable house to become available for them. After the blip we had recently with youngest son at school I was really starting to feel a bit low but it appears things are slowly starting to go in the right direction and I am feeling a lot happier about things now.
Friday evening my Dad came to visit for the weekend which we was all really happy about. I needed some cheering up after the week I have had and Dad always knows how to make me laugh. Saturday morning we was treated to one of Dad's legendary fry up's for breakfast. The plan was to take the boys out for the day but middle son went to center parcs for the day to celebrate his best friends birthday, eldest son wasn't that bothered, and youngest son asked granddad if he could stay at home as he wanted to carry on watching his Dr Who DVD's. In the end no one went anywhere and we just had a relaxing day at home lol. Dad put some money on the electric key for me which will save me paying out for electric this week and he gave the boy's £10 each (he always spoils us when he comes down as we only get to see him once every few months). Early evening we went over to my best friends for a roast dinner. Bestie and my Dad get on really well so we always have a roast there when his down. By the time we got home we were all shattered and just went straight to bed lol.
This morning I woke up at 6.30am with a raging headache so got up to take some pain killers and was able to see my Dad off at 7am (his coach was at 7.30am from the next town). Once Dad had gone I decided to go back to bed as all the children were still asleep in the hopes I could sleep off my headache. It didn't work and I have had the damn thing all day :(
Despite having a headache I have managed to push through and get things done in the house. The decluttering is coming along nicely and I only have the kitchen left to do. I have made £20 so far selling off little bits here and there, 3 bin bags of rubbish, and 2 trips to drop bits off to the charity shop on my shopping trolley and the house is looking a lot better and is a lot more organized. This afternoon I went to Morrison's to do my usual yellow sticker shop. Because of this damn headache I was running late and we didn't get there until 3.15pm instead of the usual 3pm and everything had gone. This is almost unheard of, for me to come back on a Sunday without a single yellow sticker item. I certainly don't feel like the yellow sticker queen today lol. I picked up a few bits and pieces that we needed for the week and some pet food and came back home.
This evening we have been over to Besties for tea again, I really have been spoiled this weekend and have not had to cook at all. We had spaghetti bolognaise which was yummy. We are now back home and youngest son is in the bath (he has a fear of showers). Once he has had a good old scrub ready for school in the morning the eldest 2 boys will have a shower each and then it will be early nights for everyone as my head is still raging :(
How has everyone else's weekend been ? Anyone managed to get any good yellow stickers ?
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
How Note Books And Lists Keep Me Organized
Hello Readers
If you are anything like me you have lists for everything. I have a terrible memory since I developed Menieres Disease almost 10 years ago. I forget everything and I mean everything although you would never have guessed it. I have a lot of list's that keep me organized and on track and notebooks are my best friend. I keep list's for the following.....
Budget
Stockpile List
Meal Planner
Items Needed List
Coupons To Print List
Coupon And Freebie Websites List
Weekly To Do List
Daily To Do List
Repairs List
I use a family planner to keep track of all appointments and meetings and this is hung up in the kitchen. I also carry a pocket diary in my handbag and a pen at all times because you can guarantee if I make an appointment when I am out I will forget to put it on the family planner when I get home. Every Sunday I go through my pocket diary and family planner and make sure they correspond with each other and any missing appointments are written in. Since I have started doing this I have not missed a single appointment or meeting so it is working well for me. I also have a little plastic wallet I keep all my coupons in. They are all filed like with like, so all Tesco coupons go together, all Asda coupons go together, all Morrison's coupons go together you get the picture. I keep my coupon folder in my handbag at all times so that when I am out if I buy something or I see something I have a coupon for I can easily grab it out of my bag meaning I never miss out on a chance to save money.
Every Sunday I sit down and go through all my paperwork, update anything that needs updating, and get myself organized for the week ahead.
I write a daily to do list each night for the following day which usually looks something like this.....
Tidy up
Wash up
Hoover
Washing
Animals
Dinner
Baths
I will then go through my weekly to do list and tack on any additional jobs that need doing depending on if I have any appointments that day. If I don't get everything on the list done that day, I don't beat myself up about it, I simply tack it on to the following day's to do list and almost always that weeks to do list is completed by the end of the week even if it has not been done on it's assigned day.
So my lovely Readers how do you keep yourself organized and on track ? Are you as obsessed with lists and notebooks as I am ?
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
Thursday 17 November 2016
Appointments And Yellow Stickers
Hello Readers
Its been a long few days here. I have had appointments coming out of my ears. Optitions, Doctors, Work, Workmen, and Hospital. Tomorrow I have a meeting at the school and then a meeting at home with the disability team. In among these appointments I have been trying to keep the house clean and tidy, see to the animals, look after the kids, sort the washing, declutter upstairs, and finish my Xmas cards. It has been manic and I am completely shattered. I have not had a vertigo attack since last week but with the stress of this week I would not be surprised if I go down with one some time in the next few days. Why is it in the run up to Xmas anyone and everyone decides to give you an appointment ?
Youngest son had his eye test on Tuesday and it appears he is extremely long sighted. He needs to go back on the 2nd of December and have some drops put in to switch off his ability to focus temporarily. His eyes will then be tested again so that they can work out the correct strength of the glasses that he will need to wear all the time. He is also being referred for vision training at the hospital.
Today youngest son had a hospital appointment in the town 3 towns over from us. It is quite a distance and I do not drive due to my Menieres Disease. To go by bus it would have taken 2hrs, 2 buses, and cost £13 (even with little mans disabled bus pass). Also the second bus only runs every 2 hours. I decided to look at trains. I knew there was not very many trains that went there each day so wanted to check the timings. To go by train it meant getting there 2hrs early and having 1 and 1/2 hours after youngest sons appointment. The train would take 15mins and cost just £3.45 (with my friends and family railcard). So I decided to take the train option and find a way to kill the time before and after the appointment. I was supposed to go Xmas shopping tomorrow in the next town but decided to do that today in the 2 hrs before his appointment. It killed the time and now I don't have to go out tomorrow afternoon. I took drinks, food, books, and youngest sons tablet and after our appointment we went for a short walk along the canal till we found a bench to sit on and eat. We sat there for an hour eating and reading before making our way back to the train station and waiting a short while for the train home.
I popped to Morrison's this evening and was able to get the following yellow stickers.....
1 Macaroni cheese ready meal 5p
2 Tagliatelle ready meals 10p
3 Family steak and ale pies 15p
2 Packs of welsh cakes 10p
3 Packs of English muffins 15p
1 Pack of Warburtons thins 5p
2 Loaves of bread 10p
Total yellow stickers 70p
We also bought 2 tins of tuna and 2 tins of chopped tomatoes for the #30DayFestiveFoodBank challenge which brought our total up to £2.56.
My Dad is coming up tomorrow evening for the weekend and the boys are really excited. They always get spoilt when granddad visits lol but then again so do I :)
Right I am off to put my feet up and try not to nod off till the boys go to bed at 9pm although I cant promise I wont lol.
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
Its been a long few days here. I have had appointments coming out of my ears. Optitions, Doctors, Work, Workmen, and Hospital. Tomorrow I have a meeting at the school and then a meeting at home with the disability team. In among these appointments I have been trying to keep the house clean and tidy, see to the animals, look after the kids, sort the washing, declutter upstairs, and finish my Xmas cards. It has been manic and I am completely shattered. I have not had a vertigo attack since last week but with the stress of this week I would not be surprised if I go down with one some time in the next few days. Why is it in the run up to Xmas anyone and everyone decides to give you an appointment ?
Youngest son had his eye test on Tuesday and it appears he is extremely long sighted. He needs to go back on the 2nd of December and have some drops put in to switch off his ability to focus temporarily. His eyes will then be tested again so that they can work out the correct strength of the glasses that he will need to wear all the time. He is also being referred for vision training at the hospital.
Today youngest son had a hospital appointment in the town 3 towns over from us. It is quite a distance and I do not drive due to my Menieres Disease. To go by bus it would have taken 2hrs, 2 buses, and cost £13 (even with little mans disabled bus pass). Also the second bus only runs every 2 hours. I decided to look at trains. I knew there was not very many trains that went there each day so wanted to check the timings. To go by train it meant getting there 2hrs early and having 1 and 1/2 hours after youngest sons appointment. The train would take 15mins and cost just £3.45 (with my friends and family railcard). So I decided to take the train option and find a way to kill the time before and after the appointment. I was supposed to go Xmas shopping tomorrow in the next town but decided to do that today in the 2 hrs before his appointment. It killed the time and now I don't have to go out tomorrow afternoon. I took drinks, food, books, and youngest sons tablet and after our appointment we went for a short walk along the canal till we found a bench to sit on and eat. We sat there for an hour eating and reading before making our way back to the train station and waiting a short while for the train home.
I popped to Morrison's this evening and was able to get the following yellow stickers.....
1 Macaroni cheese ready meal 5p
2 Tagliatelle ready meals 10p
3 Family steak and ale pies 15p
2 Packs of welsh cakes 10p
3 Packs of English muffins 15p
1 Pack of Warburtons thins 5p
2 Loaves of bread 10p
Total yellow stickers 70p
We also bought 2 tins of tuna and 2 tins of chopped tomatoes for the #30DayFestiveFoodBank challenge which brought our total up to £2.56.
My Dad is coming up tomorrow evening for the weekend and the boys are really excited. They always get spoilt when granddad visits lol but then again so do I :)
Right I am off to put my feet up and try not to nod off till the boys go to bed at 9pm although I cant promise I wont lol.
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
Monday 14 November 2016
Saving Money On Printer Ink
Hello Readers
Today I thought I would share with you how I save a small fortune on printer ink for our computer. To buy a legitimate Canon black cartridge it would cost me £11 and I know that some ink cartridges can cost as much as £20. I buy one of these.....
You get 3 bottles of black ink and each bottle has 30ml of ink, so is the equivalent of 10 ink cartridges (this will vary depending on your make of printer). So I pay just £4.47 instead of the £110 it would cost to buy the actual cartridges and one of these refill kits lasts us ages. All I did was educate myself a little using YouTube. Simply put in "How to refill a (insert make) ink cartridge" and you should come up with a list of instructional videos. I then looked around for the cheapest Ink Refill Kit I could find. It really was as simple as that. Here is the video I use to fill my own cartridges.....
I had to pop to Morrison's to pick up a £10 Xbox gift card for middle son's friend (it is his birthday on Saturday and middle son has been invited to go to Center Parcs for the day to celebrate). Whilst there I had a quick look at the yellow stickers but we were a bit to early for that although I did manage to get these 2 items.....
It's not very often I get fresh fruit and veg on yellow sticker, I always seem to miss it so I was pleased to get these today. I have never tasted Persimmon fruit before but google say's they are sweet so I am looking forward to having one with my lunch tomorrow. For dinner tonight we had meatballs and spaghetti in pasta sauce.....
Anyway Readers I am off to wrap some Xmas presents and write out my Xmas cards. I am determined to have everything done, dusted, and ready for Xmas by mid December. Do you save money by filling your own ink cartridges ?
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
Today I thought I would share with you how I save a small fortune on printer ink for our computer. To buy a legitimate Canon black cartridge it would cost me £11 and I know that some ink cartridges can cost as much as £20. I buy one of these.....
£4.47 And the cheapest refill kit I have found
You get 3 bottles of black ink and each bottle has 30ml of ink, so is the equivalent of 10 ink cartridges (this will vary depending on your make of printer). So I pay just £4.47 instead of the £110 it would cost to buy the actual cartridges and one of these refill kits lasts us ages. All I did was educate myself a little using YouTube. Simply put in "How to refill a (insert make) ink cartridge" and you should come up with a list of instructional videos. I then looked around for the cheapest Ink Refill Kit I could find. It really was as simple as that. Here is the video I use to fill my own cartridges.....
I had to pop to Morrison's to pick up a £10 Xbox gift card for middle son's friend (it is his birthday on Saturday and middle son has been invited to go to Center Parcs for the day to celebrate). Whilst there I had a quick look at the yellow stickers but we were a bit to early for that although I did manage to get these 2 items.....
3 Persimmon fruits 20p
7 Pears 25p
It's not very often I get fresh fruit and veg on yellow sticker, I always seem to miss it so I was pleased to get these today. I have never tasted Persimmon fruit before but google say's they are sweet so I am looking forward to having one with my lunch tomorrow. For dinner tonight we had meatballs and spaghetti in pasta sauce.....
2 Packs of meatballs (yellow sticker) 18p
1/2 A pack of Morrison's saver dry spaghetti 10p
A jar of Morrison's saver pasta sauce 42p
Served 4
Total cost 70p so 17.5p each :)
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
Sunday 13 November 2016
Decluttering And Yellow Stickers
Hello Readers
How's everyone's Sunday been ? I had a nice lay in this morning and a lazy start to the day watching youngest and middle son playing games and chatting with them. Eventually I decided the house wouldn't clean itself as much as I willed it to lol. I tidied up, got the washing up done, ran the hoover round, cleaned the animals, sorted some washing, and started to declutter and reorganize upstairs (I will get the rest done some time this week). I have decided to set myself some small achievable goals to get the house sorted in the run up to Xmas.....
This week = Declutter and reorganize upstairs
Next week = Declutter and reorganize downstairs
The week after = Sort through all the boys clothing
This will free up some storage space and make my home a lot tidier. I try to do this once every 4 months or so.
Once I finished the housework it was time to go yellow sticker hunting. I think I got there a little late today as there was a lot of people with yellow stickers in their baskets and trolleys by the time we got there. Nonetheless I didn't do to badly.....
Not to shabby for a Sunday afternoons hunting :) 3 tubs of clotted cream, 3 packs of bacon rashers, and 2 pepperoni pizzas have gone in the freezer for a later date and we have food for the next few days covered :)
After I came home, put the shopping away, and sorted some more washing it was time to go to the bestie's for tea. We had mash,burgers, and beans all cooked for us and no washing up to do it made a nice break for me. We stayed for a few hours and youngest son played with his bestie whilst I had a good old chinwag and giggle with mine. Eldest son fell asleep on the sofa (lol) and middle son stayed at home and bestie sent a plated dinner back with me for him to reheat.
All in all it has been a good day :)
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
How's everyone's Sunday been ? I had a nice lay in this morning and a lazy start to the day watching youngest and middle son playing games and chatting with them. Eventually I decided the house wouldn't clean itself as much as I willed it to lol. I tidied up, got the washing up done, ran the hoover round, cleaned the animals, sorted some washing, and started to declutter and reorganize upstairs (I will get the rest done some time this week). I have decided to set myself some small achievable goals to get the house sorted in the run up to Xmas.....
This week = Declutter and reorganize upstairs
Next week = Declutter and reorganize downstairs
The week after = Sort through all the boys clothing
This will free up some storage space and make my home a lot tidier. I try to do this once every 4 months or so.
Once I finished the housework it was time to go yellow sticker hunting. I think I got there a little late today as there was a lot of people with yellow stickers in their baskets and trolleys by the time we got there. Nonetheless I didn't do to badly.....
I got this beautiful Best Luxury Bouquet reduced from £10 to 75p
1 Loaf of wholemeal bread 9p
1 Hogs pudding turnover 9p
2 Just cheese sandwiches 10p
4 Tubs of clotted cream 20p
1 Chicken and bacon pasta salad 9p
1 Pepperoni wrap 9p
5 Packs of turkey rashers 25p
1 Mega chicken and bacon pie 35p
3 Extra pepperoni pizzas £1.35
2 Gingerbread muffins 9p
Total cost £3.45
After I came home, put the shopping away, and sorted some more washing it was time to go to the bestie's for tea. We had mash,burgers, and beans all cooked for us and no washing up to do it made a nice break for me. We stayed for a few hours and youngest son played with his bestie whilst I had a good old chinwag and giggle with mine. Eldest son fell asleep on the sofa (lol) and middle son stayed at home and bestie sent a plated dinner back with me for him to reheat.
All in all it has been a good day :)
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
Saturday 12 November 2016
A Spending Spree
Hello Readers
I am feeling a lot better today. Still a bit wobbly on the old pins but as long as I have someone or something to keep my upright I am pushing through. I have been cooped up in the house for the last 2 days so I decided I was going out today come hell or high water lol. We popped to the library to return some books and DVD's and take out some new ones. I also got my library pin number so that I can now download and read books on my devices at home free of charge. On the way home I popped in to see my friend and borrow her printer to print off a few coupons. I decided to kidnap her youngest son for a few hours and take him into the nearest big town to make use of my coupons and get some Xmas shopping. Bestie's youngest son is the cutest little man you have ever seen. He is 18 months old and always makes me smile :)
What about the No Spend Week ? Well technically I didn't spend any out of pocket money other than £1.41 as I either used coupons or it came out of the Xmas savings envelope, and eldest son came with me and got me on the bus free using his disabled bus pass. So what have I bought today (I have had to use stock photos from the internet as my phone is dead as a doo doo apologies).....
So I got all this stuff for £1.41 out of my purse and £12 out of my Xmas savings envelope. I am a very happy bunny and feel very pleased with myself. I got my little spending spree and only £1.41 left my purse.
Anyway I am off to snuggle up in bed and watch Insurgent (free from the library) whilst eating clotted cream on scones (5p yellow sticker). Have a lovely evening Readers.
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
I am feeling a lot better today. Still a bit wobbly on the old pins but as long as I have someone or something to keep my upright I am pushing through. I have been cooped up in the house for the last 2 days so I decided I was going out today come hell or high water lol. We popped to the library to return some books and DVD's and take out some new ones. I also got my library pin number so that I can now download and read books on my devices at home free of charge. On the way home I popped in to see my friend and borrow her printer to print off a few coupons. I decided to kidnap her youngest son for a few hours and take him into the nearest big town to make use of my coupons and get some Xmas shopping. Bestie's youngest son is the cutest little man you have ever seen. He is 18 months old and always makes me smile :)
What about the No Spend Week ? Well technically I didn't spend any out of pocket money other than £1.41 as I either used coupons or it came out of the Xmas savings envelope, and eldest son came with me and got me on the bus free using his disabled bus pass. So what have I bought today (I have had to use stock photos from the internet as my phone is dead as a doo doo apologies).....
Myself and eldest son each had a coupon for 50p off a Knorr Naturally Tasty sauce mix. These are currently on offer in Asda for 60p each. After the coupon is applied it drops to 10p each. I got 2 of these for 20p
Myself and eldest son each had a coupon for £2 off a pack of Huggies pull ups. They are currently on offer in Asda for £2 a pack which after the coupon was applied drops to £0. I got 2 packs of pull ups for free
These are currently free on CheckoutSmart.com
Both eldest son and I have an account with them both of which are linked to my pay pal address. Its really simple you buy the product, scan a picture of the receipt to them, and they credit your account with the advertised amount of money. These cost £1 in Asda so once I scan in my receipt CheckoutSmart will credit my account with £1 making them free. The only thing annoying about this app is that you have to have a separate receipt for each item you claim the cashback on, and you can only scan in 3 offers per day. The way I see it is if I am getting something for free then I am happy to put a little extra time in by paying for items separately and scanning things in over the course of a few days. Eldest son did the same as me so I got 2 packs of these for free.
I bought 4 of these from PoundLand for the goodie bags I am making up as Xmas presents. £4 out of the Xmas savings envelope.
I bought 1 of these to go in the cupboard towards our Xmas sweets and treats stash. £1 out of the Xmas savings envelope.
I bought 3 of these from PoundLand for the goodie bags I am making up as Xmas presents. £3 out of the Xmas savings envelope.
I bought 3 of these from PoundLand for the goodie bags I am making up as Xmas presents. £3 out of the Xmas savings envelope.
I bought 1 of these to go in the cupboard towards our Xmas sweets and treats stash. £1 out of the Xmas savings envelope.
These retail at £10.69 in Pets At Home. If you joined the VIP club today you received 10% off your 1st purchase and a copy of the VIP magazine which had a £5 Hills voucher that could be used alongside any other vouchers, so I did. I also had a £5 Hills voucher from the manufacturer for registering at their website.
£10.69 - 10% = £9.63
£9.63 - £5 magazine coupon = £4.63
£4.63 - £5 manufacturer coupon = -£0.37
They could not give me change as I paid with coupons which is fine with me. I got a 1.5kg bag of premium dog food for my little old lady for free :)
These retail at £2.49 a tin in Pets At Home. They are also on offer at 3 for 2. Eldest son joined the VIP club as well as me today and did the same thing as I did above. We got 7 tins.
7 x £2.49 = £17.43
£17.43 - £4.98 3 for 2 offer = £12.45
£12.45 - 10% = £11.21
£11.21 - £5 magazine coupon = £6.21
£6.21 - £5 manufacturer coupon = £1.21
So I got 7 tins of premium quality pet food for just £1.21 :)
So I got all this stuff for £1.41 out of my purse and £12 out of my Xmas savings envelope. I am a very happy bunny and feel very pleased with myself. I got my little spending spree and only £1.41 left my purse.
Anyway I am off to snuggle up in bed and watch Insurgent (free from the library) whilst eating clotted cream on scones (5p yellow sticker). Have a lovely evening Readers.
Until Next Time
Much Love
Maria xxx
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