Saving money

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We would all like to save money but in real terms is that possible without losing quality?

I don’t mind admitting there a few things in life that I could just not do without but do we have to be a slave to the brand? I think not. Say for instance, you cannot live without your lip balm which of course, as you have taste, wont be the cheapest thing on the market but years ago people had the same issues as us and solved it using much cheaper yet still as effective, products.

I learned years ago Vaseline was the best lip balm and now comes in a really handy small tin, perfect for your handbag. I stopped buying deep heat and other such muscle cream for arthritis when I discovered Lavender Oil was much better when rubbed in regularly. A few Peppermint Leaves in hot water are a great cure for wind and upset stomach but none of this is new and I wonder what changed to make us forget all these wonderful remedies?

Got trapped wind? Try a spoonful of Bicarbonate of Soda in a half glass of warm water, sounds dreadful, tastes worse but trust me, solved the problem in minutes. I could go on and on and I am sure you have solutions of your own.

We all know that not all “old wife’s tales” are true i.e. you should NEVER put butter or anything else on a burn, what you should do is run under cold water but others although sounding strange have worked and I have no idea why. I loved my Nana’s cure for plants too such as burying all meat bones under her grapevine and pouring over any blood over the roots, it worked wonders and apparently her wine was the best. I prefer Cider and rather than buy it I make my own which is so simple it scared me! Especially when we tried the brew with the extra sugar, good lord! No one could manage more than half without adverse effects!

Trying to get your grey T-Shirts, white again? Stick them in a bucket with a denture cleaning tablet, leave for 12 hours then wash, superb and works brilliantly with net curtains. Got damp in a room? Leave a bowl with salt in there until damp and replace, this slowly takes the excess moisture out of the air, by the way, this only works in small places. I only clean my windows with vinegar/ water solution and it works really well, Lemon mint leaves, in a small bowl of oil for which the cheap option from the supermarket is fine, makes great room air freshener that does not need plugging in or buttons pressing but it does stain so make sure it is somewhere it cannot get spilt. Just for the record, on occasion when really broke I have used cheap shampoo to wash the dishes as it was cheaper than washing up liquid and does the job better although you have to rinse well.

As I have a small, ok medium sized menagerie, I buy all the dog/cat blankets from charity shops so easily replaceable with a limited budget. I also ignore named brands for food and find out what is best for my animal for instance I have 5 Rottweillers who are all very active and normally people tend to overfeed them leaving them big and heavy and as they are prone to heart and joint issues, are, quite frankly, doing them no favours. I stay away from the big names in dog food. My dogs find it too rich and put on too much weight as they are high in fat. I have had ours on a high protein greyhound dry mix for years and even those with a delicate tummy have had no problem and the result? 5 very happy dogs who are lean, energetic but muscular and unlikely to have health issues in the future, apart from those bred into them which is always a factor when you rescue dogs as it is very rare as know where they have come from as most owners will lie, which is sad. I keep my cats on fry food too as it is better for there teeth and gives them all the things that they need although they get wet food at Christmas or if they are poorly.

If you have animals then insurance is always in your mind but if you have as many animals as me then you would be looking at insurance premiums of over a hundred pound a month so we put the money in a separate account so we can always cover a vet bill and touch wood, this has worked for us and saved us money as we earn interest on the account, not much right enough, but some is better than none.

My partner and I are getting married this year and yes in true Angie style there are to be no guests, in fact, we have not even told his Mum which will get us into huge problems if she reads this (but highly unlikely she will) so on this occasion we will hedge our bets! I have found my dress for less then a hundred pounds and I have a loan of a beautiful tiara which (to be honest) is the most favourite thing I am looking forward to wearing but I think that is the little princess in me!

I need a veil and of course shoes, as for a car well I think my Micra will be fine and I think a night in a hotel will be our biggest expense but at the end of the day, I just want to marry him, I don’t care about pomp or circumstance, I just can’t wait to say “I Do” on what would have been my Mum’s 70th Birthday and just in case you were wondering, we are getting married at the same place as Nan & Granddad and my Mum & Dad, that has to be a good omen.

Wedding bargains and money saving tips? add them in a comment for me

Take Care People

Angie xx

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