Handmade gifts - Wedding

What do you buy for someone you haven't seen for a while? Some who has everything? Someone who you've only recently met? Or someone that you've known for years..?

If you know exactly what to buy as a wedding gift for all of the above, then well done, you must be full of great ideas!

For me the gifts that I like the look of are those that are folky and somewhat hand made/ finished, check www.notonthehighstreet.com there is so much great inspiration on there.

Something that I think is valuable is time, and this part of the gift that I have given on some occasions, anyone can buy a voucher or even choose a gift and purchase it, however I believe that making something is a little more special. It shows that you care enough to go the extra mile and invest your time and attention in something that you hope your friend will love.

So, I have made the below item twice, for 2 good friends of mine and really hope that they liked them. The frame was a really good find. The first one (white one) was the perfect size to accommodate my cross stitch fabric, the other one however needed  little work, good job I'm living with a joiner who was able to assist in making the frame deep enough to house the fabric.

The cross stitch is the part that takes the time, but its great because you can be really creative or you can keep it simple, you can play around with the colours and design depending on who the gift is intended for. This doesn't have to be a wedding gift, you don't have to write Mr. & Mrs. you would use initials, or even just symbols, whatever means something to the intended recipient.

What I love about hand crafted items is that you have pretty much total control, also its individual, someone else wont have given the exact same gift because each one is individual

They are ideal for on the mantelpiece or decoration anywhere in the home.

What do you think? Do you ever give handcrafted gifts? How do you feel about receiving them? I know everyone is different, some may think I am doing this purely to be cheap, however if you take into account my time, effort and materials its not cheap and your always told that 'it's the though that counts', I'd definitely be interested in your opinion. - Please comment below!

Cookie x

5 Quick saving tips

Here are a few of my fool proof saving tips that I have followed over the last year

1. Swap/cancel - Asses your outgoings such as Gym memberships, utility bills, mobile contracts and regular spends such as hair and beauty appointments. 

I made instant savings by switching to Pay as you go on my phone, swapping my gym membership to one £10 cheaper per month and going back to my natural hair colour to cut out my monthly hair appointments. Apply this logic to home insurance, car insurance etc, even shop around for a better interest rate on your bank account(s). I never used to shop around to get the best deal but over the course of a year I have found it really is worth it!

2. Pack lunch - I go to work with a little picnic these days and it costs me half the price of supermarket lunches - I also have twice as much (sandwich/salad, crisps, fruit and yogurt). I previously bought lunch every day spending a minimum of £5 per day (which stretches as far as a sandwich, bag of crisps and a drink ), £25 per week X 48 = £1,200. I make lunch for myself and my partner so it's a good saving. I tend to go for easy, quick fixes. What's great is that you know exactly what your eating and also when it was made. You could make large batches of things like potato salad and Greek salad for a couple of days and put different meats etc. with them each day to mix it up a bit. I buy coleslaw and some other pre-made items as its still cheaper but is so quick and easy to just assemble. It's also up to you, completely your choice, but I find when buying a sandwich I sometimes end up picking the tomatoes out or not liking a certain aspect/ingredient. Also I can make my lunches as low cal/fat/carb as I like whereas you are really limited at the supermarket/sandwich shops.

 







3. Don't call the caterers - You can make a good saving by preparing buffet food for parties and gatherings yourself, or having a dinner party as opposed to having a meal out. Yes, you have to cook, this could be a downside but for me that's half the fun. You also have total control again when it comes to budget, nutritional value and ingredients. I have been to so many events where the catering has been disappointing and hasn't come cheap either.

Buffet for my boyfriends birthday with homemade lemon cake

4. Use online tools - I used to buy several glossy magazines on a regular basis, I probably spent in excess of £20 per month on them until I came across pinterest and etsy - these sites are fantastic for inspiration and rule out the need for my fashion, home and cooking magazines! 

5. DIY - There are so many things that given a little time and effort most individuals can achieve. I will say creativity is a great tool for living a frugal lifestyle as is a passion for cooking as per the above. With regards to DIY I do a lot more than I used to, I have learned to do my own shellac nails using a lamp that my boyfriend bought me for Christmas, I wax my own legs and occasionally will dye my hair. 

My boyfriend is a cabinet maker so is pretty useful when it comes to DIY jobs around the house and I am always willing to muck in. 

I am a keen crafter and love to create bespoke gifts for my friends and family which can cost less than store bought but are labour intensive when it comes to time and effort. I also collect items, I do throw things away too but if I think something will have a future use then I keep hold of it.

recycled fruit box, painted using a left over paint tester - Keeps my windowsill dry!

I would love to hear any frugal tips or money saving advice that you can with me and my readers. If you have any questions or comments please fire away and leave me a comment.

Cookie x

Home made bread

Hi guys

Food shopping is what I have always spent a big portion of my earnings on. There are 2 of us in the house and I was spending £100+ a week on groceries which I am trying to reduce.

One of the things that I found I was buying every other day is bread, which for just 2 of us is ridiculous. We were getting a full size loaf, and it wasn't that we were getting through the loaf it never stayed fresh for very long. My partner would also just snack on the bread. Take into account that I do not eat sandwiches very often, 1 person was eating a loaf pretty much to themselves every other day.

I decided to save some money and to also add variety to my partners diet that I would start making alternatives for us for lunch, so pasta, rice, potato salad and cous cous salads, ok sounds heavy on the carbs, however I weigh everything and I like to make sure that I use a small amount of the carb and bulk it up with vegetables, etc.

The other half does love his sandwiches though, so I have decided to treat him every so often, my rule is that I am not eating bread unless its special, so a nice crusty bread or even better something made by my own fair hands.

Its really simple, I just used a recipe from the packet of strong white flour, 1.5 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 300ml lukewarm water. (method below)

as follows ; 500g strong white flour, 15ml vegetable oil or butter,

77p for 8 7g packets of fast action dried yeast. 77p/8 = 9

85p for 1.5kg of Tesco strong white flour.(500g = 1 loaf) 85p/3 = 28

1 loaf = approx. 37p (add a few pence for the veg oil, salt and sugar)

Method

put the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix, then add the oil/butter and mix again. Next, add the lukewarm water and combine, either with your hand or a hands free electric mixer with a dough hook (such as a kitchen aid), Once you have combined the mixture into a soft dough you will need to knead for 10 minutes, either by hand or again using the mixer with the dough hook. (I always used to do it by hand, but have just recently tried the mixer method and both work fine.)