5 Frugal Things

Two of my favorite bloggers have inspired me this month. Frugal Queen is having a No Spend October and Skint Dad is having a 'reduce your supermarket spend and use up what's in the store cupboard' challenge. 

So to quote Frugal Queen I am 'rebooting my inner frugal. 

1 - I started the month by switching energy supplier and cancelling my Sky TV contract - something I should have done ages ago.

2 - I've reduced my supermarket spend by buying mainly just fresh fruit and veg and using up what's in the cupboard and freezer.

3 - I've bulk cooked soup and curry. It's been frozen to add to the month's food supply.

 

4 - Although I'm trying not to spend on extras this month there are a few things I need for maintenance jobs. New fence panel capping £1.70 each, but will prolong the life of the fence. A new threshold for the shed. £3.50 from the local wood yard and well worth the money to keep all the winter weather blowing into the shed through the gap under the door.

 5 -  I rescued some old school desks that were going to be dumped. They will be made over and used as a work bench in the shed.

Let's hope I can keep up the good work until the end of the month. 

Upcycling funiture for Uni

It's my daughter's second year and university and she moved from halls to renting a house with some friends. Her room is big but only had a bed a desk and a wardrobe. Time to upcycle all those bits of furniture that I'd kept in case it was useful one day.

The chest of draws that was originally bought for the nursery got its 4th make over. We repainted it & stenciled some flowers & butterflies. The bedside table, not sure where it came from but couldn't throw it out, got the same treatment.

A set of old office draws that were destined for a skip during an office move got a new set of wheels.

This laundry bin was given to my Mum & Dad as a wedding present. I inherited it  when I bought my first house. It had been sitting in the garage for years and was in need of some TLC.

A new top, new feet, a coat or three of paint and a fabric cover on the new top and it's back in use for blanket & quilt storage. 

We did have to buy a couple of inexpensive shelving units from Ikea, and she also wanted a small lamp table. We couldn't find a suitable table for the space but did find a CD tower for £5 which had the right footprint.

It too got a make over. A good rub down & a few coats of paint. I made padded covers for the CD slats which can be used as mini pinboards for photos. It's a bit unusual, but it works.

It's been a busy summer working on everything, but it's been such fun, we saved money  and we've created a real home from home for her.