Showing posts with label Tips. Show all posts

Tips On Buying The Perfect Lunch Bag & A Review


Maxwell started back at school just 2 weeks ago. Since he started he has had a mix of packed lunches as well as school dinners. Before Maxwell went back to school I was keen on finding him the perfect lunch bag. After searching around the web, we found the perfect lunch bag for Maxwell from the House Of Fraser.

10 Household Items I Refill With Cheaper Brands

10 Household Items I Refill With Cheaper Brands

For as long as I remember, I have always had the money saving bug in me. From coupons to looking for glitches, I have always loved to make my money go as far as possible. For the last couple of years I have been keeping a secret from all my friends and family, I have been refilling well know branded items up around my house hold, with cheaper alternatives. Cheaper alternatives are not bad. They have less prettier packaging and the taste can sometimes be different.

How To Save Money And Be More Eco-friendly

How To Save Money And Be More Eco-friendly

I often write about money saving ideas. I love sharing them with my readers and in turn I enjoy adding my own money saving ideas to the lifestyle that I lead. If I am able to save money in any way, I will. I have been known to do the most silliest thing's for the sake of saving a few pounds however saving a few pounds makes me happy and the money which I have saved can be spent on something else that is more worthwhile to us as a family.

Recently Legal & General wrote an article that provided tips on how to save money on water, electricity and heat bills and in turn be more eco-friendly. Due to this post, it got me thinking how we already save money around the home and it got me thinking about new ideas that we could try and do as a household to save more money around the home. 

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3 things that we currently do to save money:

1. Earlier this year we received a new washing machine. The new washing machine was a blessing in disguise. Not only was it a newer model that was quiet when running but it also included many fantastic features which in turn have saved us money.  The new washing machine fits more clothing inside it, due to this I am doing less loads of washing a week and in turn this saves me money on water and electricity.  The washing machine also has other fantastic features such as an eco wash, again this is a fantastic feature to have which saves me money.

2. For years I had a tumble dryer. I took the tumble dryer for granted and instead of putting a load of washing in the dryer at a time, I used to put one item in the dryer at a time. Over a period of time, It was easy to see how much money I was wasting whilst using the tumble dryer so I decided to look out for a different way of drying my clothes. In the summer I found that it was easy to get my clothing dry. I would put a clothes airier outside in my garden and I would use a washing line to dry the clothes. This method cost me nothing however in the winter my clothes would often not dry so I decided to invest in a Dry Buddy. I have had a Dry Buddy for 2 years now and after looking back at my electricity usage, it is easy to see that the Dry Buddy uses a lot less electricity than a tumble dryer. Not only does the Dry Buddy dry my clothes, it also warms up a room on a cold day.

3. One of my biggest bills over the past few years has been for my gas, the usage often happens in the winter when we are trying to stay warm. Last year I decided to add radiator reflectors to my radiators. At first I was very sceptical about how they worked however after spending just a few pounds on the reflectors and installing them myself, it is easy to see how much of a difference they make to my home. By adding the reflectors to all my radiators in my house, the heat which comes out of the radiators does not absorb walls however it bounces back into my home meaning over time I use less gas due to not having to heat my home so much as the heat which could have been lost is staying in my home. 
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2 new things that we would like to try and do to save money:

1. Recently our water bill has gone up. I believe it has gone up due to the fact we have been watering our plants a lot in the summer. The sun has been out, the weather has been hot and my plants have been dying. I have watered my plants most nights and I dread to think how much water I have managed to waste. To improve our water bill, I would love to install a water system in our garden so we are able to save our own water which is free when it falls from the sky. If we managed to collect our own rainwater, we would waste less money as we would not be using a large amount of tap water.

2. Although we are very money savvy, we do not produce anything ourselves in our home that would save us money. In the future I would love to install solar panels in our home so we are able to make our own energy, whilst we make our own energy I would also love to make energy for others. If we were able to make our own energy we would loose a large bill monthly. There are plenty of ways of getting solar panels for free and this is something which I would love to look into in the future.

* In collaboration with Legal and General insurance.

Scalds And Burns In Children

Hot drinks cause most scalds to children under 5. A child's skin is more delicate and sensitive than an adults and will burn or scald more easily. Hot bath water can also cause severe scalding injuries.

Children can also suffer burns from the sun, open fires, cookers, irons, hair straighteners, matches, lighters etc.

To help prevent scalds and burns:

- Put hot drinks out of reach of children

- Use the rear hot plates on your cooker and always turn the pan handles towards the rear of the cooker

- Use a cordless kettle or one with a coiled flex

- Never leave your toddler on their own in the kitchen or bathroom

- When running a bath turn the cold water tap on first and always check the temperature first before placing your child in the bath

- Put a fire guard in front of an open fire

- Keep matches, cigarettes and lighters out of reach from children

- Try and do the ironing when your child is asleep.

- Keep hot hair straighteners and curling tongs out of reach of children

If your child gets a burn or scald:

- Cool the burnt skin as quickly as possible by placing it under cold running water

- Remove any tight clothing from the burn before it starts to swell but do not remove clothing or material that is sticking to the burn

- Cover the burn with a sheet of cling film or a clean plastic bag as they will not stick to the burn

- Phone your surgery for advice or take your toddler to an Accident and Emergency Department (A&E).


Garden Safety This Bank Holiday Weekend

Now we have a garden for Maxwell, I have turned my thoughts in to garden safety. Gardens are areas for adventure and exploration; they fascinate toddlers however sometimes accidents can happen and I have to say they are the main worry for me as a parent. Here are a few of my top tips to keep your little one safe this bank holiday weekend.

Remember children are naturally inquisitive so never leave your toddler unattended in the garden.

Ensure all fencing is secure, any gates are locked and your toddler cannot reach the lock or open it. Our fencing and gate is 6 feet high so Maxwell is not able to climb over it. Toddlers do like to climb so ensure any objects which they could climb on are away from a low fence or gate.

Toddlers love water and sadly every year you read that a toddler has drowned in ponds. Always ensure ponds and any water feature is fenced off or covered. Do not leave your toddler unattended with a bucket of water as this is also very hazardous.

Toddlers love playing with sand. Always ensure your garden sand pit is covered as dogs and cats love using them as a toilet.

Some plants are poisonous so if you are uncertain teach your child not to pick flowers or plant parts. Plants with thorns are spikes can cause pain and injury.

Ensure all dangerous garden chemicals, tools and equipment are locked away. Also keep toddlers away from washing lines as they have the potential of strangulation.

Never leave your hot barbecue unattended as children are fascinated with them. Remember coals can stay hot for several hours.

All garden play equipment should conform to safety standards. Check all play equipment is secure and there are no loose screws etc.

The sun can harm your toddler's skin so always protect it with adequate clothing, a hat and sun cream. Remember when it is slightly cloudy long periods can also be harmful.

Be sure to wash your toddler's hands after playing in the garden or before they eat or drink.


Bargain Hunting #22


We are getting on well with our packing for our move and we move to our new house next month It has been stressful and tiring work however the whole way through I have found ways to save money which has helped us be able to buy some nice things when we move into our new place.

Declutter
When you are moving house you have the opportunity to see everything that has been placed in your house. Whilst I packed I sorted through stuff I needed and didn't need. I had 1 rubbish pile, 1 keep pile and 1 charity pile. Rubbish went into the bin, keep stuff was carefully boxed up and I ensured it was clean before packing and charity was put in a bag or taken to the charity shop. I also managed to sell a few things I found along the way which helped us pay for new things we needed for our new home.

Compare removal hires/van hire
When we looked at moving our belongings we found for us it would be cheaper to hire a van simply because we were only moving up the road. I checked all the websites and compared the price before I decided what company to use. I also looked for discount codes to use to help save a little bit more money.

Packing
Instead of buying expensive boxes for places such as storage companies to move why not visit your local supermarket and see what boxes they can give you? I found the best time of day to do this was the evening as they were restocking the shelves. The boxes are free and all you need is some packaging tape. For 5 small moving boxes we found they where £10 a pack. We have used over 20 boxes and we have not finished packing yet so we have saved a fortune by asking for boxes at the supermarket. 

Do your own cleaning
We are leaving the house in a clean and tidy condition ready for the next people to move in. I cleaned as I went which not only saved me time but also money as I cleaned the whole place myself and I do not have to get any one to do it. If you can try and hire a machine to clean things such as carpets and clean them yourselves, hiring a machine will be half the price of getting someone in to clean the carpets for you.

Bargain Hunting #21



You are able to save large amounts of money through the year by making your own cleaning solutions. Sometimes the initial expense can be a couple of pounds but normally you are able to use the item over and over again which in turn will save you money.

Clean Your Oven - You will need baking Soda and water.
Mix the baking soda and water together, this will make a medium/thick paste. Coat the inside of your oven with a medium/thick paste made from water and baking soda and let it stand overnight. In the morning wear gloves and clean the dirt off with a scour. Go over the oven using a damp cloth. 

Clogging Drains - You will need baking soda and boiling water.
Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into the drain, followed by 2 cups of boiling water the drain should unblock however if it does not then pour the baking soda down the drain again with a 1/2 cup of vinegar and cover tightly. Allow the vigorous fizzing of the chemical reaction to break up the dirt. Once complete pour around 4 litres of water to make sure it is clear.

Clean Windows And Mirrors - You will need white vinegar, water, a spray bottle and newspaper. 
Mix 2 tablespoons of white vinegar with 4 litres of water and add the solution into a spray bottle. Squirt on to the area which needs to be cleaned and then scrub with newspaper.

Wooden Floors - You will need vinegar and a spray bottle.
Make up a solution of 1/4 cup white vinegar and 30 ounces of warm water. Put the solution into a spray bottle, then spray on a towel until lightly damp, mop your floors so that any dirt that has formed is scrubbed away.