The great Charles Dickens would certainly attest to these being ‘hard times’. With rising energy bills, council tax not to mention petrol prices. But we knew this was coming as a consequence of the Lockdown and the Government expenditure. Fear not my friends, I am here with some tips to ease your through.
Food Banks.
Find your local food bank. They provide free food for the those struggling financially. It’s a lovely way to share your concerns over a cup of coffee and a free lunch. http://www.givefood.org.uk
Change your shopping times.
The yellow sticker will be your best pal. Switch your shopping times to around 19.00 as that’s when they reduce the final reductions. Eg: I bought an organic chicken down from £16.45 to £3.96 last week and got three meals out of it. Sunday is the best day as the trading hours are shorter, aim for 14.30 on a Sunday and find the reduced section.
Makes friends with your local butcher(sorry vegan and veggies!)
Ask you butcher for bones for stock. You can transform any dish with good stock. Buy an ice cube try and freeze the stock. I make soups and risottos with the veg from the food bank. Vegans obviously make stock from veg.
Soak your washing.
After my nightly bath, I put all the dirty washing in the leftover water to soak overnight. It gives the clothes a thorough cleanse and eliminates the need for a long washing cycle, saving on energy bills.
On yer bike.
Get active and save money. I bike everywhere, not only I’m I fitter than ever but biking has transformed my sagging bottom to a pert one. Invest in a second hand bike and save money on petrol.
Make your own beauty products.
The reason I started my website was to encourage people to make their own products from food items near their sell-by-date and to combat food wastage. I use yogurt for face mask and mayonnaise for hair masks. See my website for more recipes.
Never pay for a haircut.
The last time a paid for a haircut was 1986. Sign up to be a hair model. Gumtree advertise daily for hair models. The hair cut is free with a nominal charge for colour.
Product re-branding.
Whenever beauty companies re-brand their products, beauty stores have to clear the stock and consequently sell it for 85% off. I recently bought a high end shampoo from £10.00 to £1.75. Superdrug are currently selling their own brand make-up range for 75% off. Just stroll down the aisle and keep your eyes peeled.
Forage.
Whenever I take a trip to the countryside I take a backpack to forage. Villagers sometimes kindly leave a bag of fruit for anyone to take, so always come prepared and look at: http://www.gallowaywildfoods.com for foraging tips.
Just a few simple changes can make the difference to your life.
Love
Sadie x
Beauty Makes Scents 