Schools out for Summer!!!
But how are we going to keep the children happy – and how can we do it for the lowest cost possible???
Apart from the obvious problems of child care during the holidays (paying for play schemes, getting time off work, and generally juggling everything & everybody!), here are a few ideas to keep the children amused.
Check out any “Free“ local attractions, such as museums, art galleries, public gardens, not every ones idea of fun but you could always take a picnic from home (cheaper than on site cafes) and include a game of football or cricket to use up loads of energy.
Find out what’s on offer and ask the children if they would like to go –they might surprise you – your local council website may well have a list of summer events and opening times. You might not be interested in steam trains or gory scenes from the past – but they might be!
Get back to nature - walking is free! For many of us, the countryside or seaside may be reasonably close or within distance of a bus ride. Children of all ages love to paddle or climb (smaller ones under supervision-of course).
If you save shopping loyalty points, they often have offers on theme parks and zoos. You can check the latest offers on their websites.
For younger children, just doing something different is often fun – like taking a train or bus if you usually travel by car. Let them try their hand at cooking or gardening. Some simple baking ingredients or a pack of seeds are relatively cheap to buy.
Use your local library to borrow books or DVD’s, or arrange a toy swap with your friends who have children with similar ages to your own.
Older children may prefer doing something competitive – try to get friends and/or neighbours together to have your own sports day in a local park. Involve the children in planning the day – egg (hard boiled of course!) and spoon races, relay races, three-legged races, and sack races (using old pillow cases) are old favourites. And which children don’t enjoy the sight of their mum/dad/big sister/brother etc racing against each other?
Or if it’s raining (which it probably will be at some point!) use computer games to have tournaments.
Let them do a bedroom makeover. Decide on a budget and stick to it – a new coat of paint would do. Follow what the TV programmes do – take everything out of the bedroom, have a good clean and throw out any rubbish, sell anything unwanted and then “dress” the new room. Lots of supermarkets & discount stores sell low cost cushions and picture frames, etc. Just a simple change could make a lot of difference at very low cost.
Leave a message and let everyone know what’s happening in your area, or pass on any good websites that detail free attractions.
Or if you have had some successes with your family entertainment, pass on your good ideas…..
Monday, 21 July 2008
Summer Vacation
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Budgeting tips for a variable income
Step 1:
Use a realistic estimate for your basic guaranteed take home for the month, try to be conservative. For instance: if you have earned £1050.00 in May, £900.00 in June and £1000.00 in July, consider your bottom line to be £900. Try to save anything over the bottom line, so that you can use it when needed.
Step 2:
Write down what you can't live without. Be realistic about this. Rent, mortgage, utility bills, council tax, food - these are your priorities.
Step 3:
Add the runners-up to that list of essentials. You should have two lists--things you need to be paying each month and things you would like each month. Budget your income to cover the "can't live without" list. In other words, does your bare bones monthly income cover the roof over your head and nutritional requirements? If you have money left over, feel free to splurge on that DVD/magazine/take away you want (or maybe consider a savings account).
Step 4:
Avoid debt. Money borrowed is hard to pay back on an up-and-down income. Don't spend the money if you don't have it. Easier said than done? Maybe - maybe not. If you are consistently spending more than you bring in, go back to Step 1 and start over. It is possible that your budget is not covering your bare essentials? Or that your bare essentials are not so bare!? Keep a check on “cash spending”, how many times do you visit the cash point? And what are you actually spending that cash on?
Step 5:
Try to save for emergencies. You can’t plan for everything, but you can try to be prepared. Again, easier said than done, but consider this. Put a set amount of money in your "can't live without" budget, and you should find that you treat that money with the same importance as you do the rent and groceries. Having an emergency fund is a good feeling; make sure you get an account that pays you a good rate of interest on your savings.
Step 6:
Supplement your income with something steady. An amount as small as £20 or £50 a week can be a big weight off your irregular income shoulders. Creating a budget with no real idea of what you will bring home is very difficult. A small supplemental income will give you a steady cornerstone for your unsteady month ahead. Always remember to budget for income tax and/or national insurance contributions on a second income if applicable.
Step 7:
If your income is variable because you are self employed, take a good look at your business and decide if it is a realistic way of earning money. If you are doing something that you always dreamed about, but it’s not making you enough money to live on, you may have to change your plans and consider a salaried job. If you are salaried but have to rely on commission, consider applying for other jobs where the income is fixed. Commission is great if you have a high sales month, but on a bad month you are at risk of missing priority payments, or getting in debt to make ends meet.
Use a realistic estimate for your basic guaranteed take home for the month, try to be conservative. For instance: if you have earned £1050.00 in May, £900.00 in June and £1000.00 in July, consider your bottom line to be £900. Try to save anything over the bottom line, so that you can use it when needed.
Step 2:
Write down what you can't live without. Be realistic about this. Rent, mortgage, utility bills, council tax, food - these are your priorities.
Step 3:
Add the runners-up to that list of essentials. You should have two lists--things you need to be paying each month and things you would like each month. Budget your income to cover the "can't live without" list. In other words, does your bare bones monthly income cover the roof over your head and nutritional requirements? If you have money left over, feel free to splurge on that DVD/magazine/take away you want (or maybe consider a savings account).
Step 4:
Avoid debt. Money borrowed is hard to pay back on an up-and-down income. Don't spend the money if you don't have it. Easier said than done? Maybe - maybe not. If you are consistently spending more than you bring in, go back to Step 1 and start over. It is possible that your budget is not covering your bare essentials? Or that your bare essentials are not so bare!? Keep a check on “cash spending”, how many times do you visit the cash point? And what are you actually spending that cash on?
Step 5:
Try to save for emergencies. You can’t plan for everything, but you can try to be prepared. Again, easier said than done, but consider this. Put a set amount of money in your "can't live without" budget, and you should find that you treat that money with the same importance as you do the rent and groceries. Having an emergency fund is a good feeling; make sure you get an account that pays you a good rate of interest on your savings.
Step 6:
Supplement your income with something steady. An amount as small as £20 or £50 a week can be a big weight off your irregular income shoulders. Creating a budget with no real idea of what you will bring home is very difficult. A small supplemental income will give you a steady cornerstone for your unsteady month ahead. Always remember to budget for income tax and/or national insurance contributions on a second income if applicable.
Step 7:
If your income is variable because you are self employed, take a good look at your business and decide if it is a realistic way of earning money. If you are doing something that you always dreamed about, but it’s not making you enough money to live on, you may have to change your plans and consider a salaried job. If you are salaried but have to rely on commission, consider applying for other jobs where the income is fixed. Commission is great if you have a high sales month, but on a bad month you are at risk of missing priority payments, or getting in debt to make ends meet.
Thursday, 15 May 2008
Eating on a budget?
It can seem like an uphill struggle injecting some variety into your diet without spending a fortune. Here are some hearty, filling recipes that will hit the spot -not your wallet!
Pasta Bolognaise: this old classic never goes out of style!
Heat 2 tsp olive/vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a low heat.
Add a diced carrot and onion and cook for 5mins, to soften.
Increase the heat and add 500g of minced beef/pork, stirring for 3 mins until it begins to brown.
Stir in a tin of chopped tomatoes and a little water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 5 mins. For extra flavour, try adding a stock cube and/or a little red wine instead of the water.
Meanwhile, cook 450g pasta in a pan of salted boiling water. Drain and return to the pan.
Stir in the Bolognese sauce and serve, sprinkled with a little grated cheese.
(For a vegetarian alternative, try substituting chopped button mushrooms and courgettes instead of the meat.)
Total cost per serving: approx £2
Chunky Casserole: a great one-pot meal to keep you warm through the winter (or the great British summer!)
Pasta Bolognaise: this old classic never goes out of style!
Heat 2 tsp olive/vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a low heat.
Add a diced carrot and onion and cook for 5mins, to soften.
Increase the heat and add 500g of minced beef/pork, stirring for 3 mins until it begins to brown.
Stir in a tin of chopped tomatoes and a little water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 5 mins. For extra flavour, try adding a stock cube and/or a little red wine instead of the water.
Meanwhile, cook 450g pasta in a pan of salted boiling water. Drain and return to the pan.
Stir in the Bolognese sauce and serve, sprinkled with a little grated cheese.
(For a vegetarian alternative, try substituting chopped button mushrooms and courgettes instead of the meat.)
Total cost per serving: approx £2
Chunky Casserole: a great one-pot meal to keep you warm through the winter (or the great British summer!)
Fry two finely chopped onions or leeks and a few sausages in a little oil until brown and thoroughly cooked.
Then add about 500g mixed beans (ie, tinned or dried kidney, mung, aduki, black eye beans and chick peas (if dry when bought, these should be soaked in water overnight before use) and stir until coated with the oil.
Add two tins of chopped tomatoes, ¼ pint of stock, two teaspoons of black pepper and the same amount of mixed herbs and bring the whole lot to the boil. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes and serve.
(The sausages are optional, feel free to simply leave them out if you prefer)
Total cost per serving: approx £2
Easy Jambalaya: a spicy Cajun treat straight from New Orleans!
In a large saucepan, fry 2-3 cloves of garlic, a small diced onion, two roughly chopped sticks of celery and a green bell pepper until soft.
Add to this a bay leaf, a tin of drained kidney beans, a chopped smoked sausage (you could use Chorizo or Andouille (available from most supermarkets) as a treat!), 150-200g white long grain rice, salt, a lot of black pepper and about ¾ pint of water.
Simmer for about an hour or until the rice is tender. That’s it, enjoy!
Total cost per serving: approx £3
Hearty Vegetable Soup: another one-pot warmer to help with your ‘five-a-day’!
Finely dice a large onion and two cloves of garlic and fry until soft in a little oil.
Roughly chop three parsnips, two sweet potatoes and four carrots and add to the pan with a tin of chopped tomatoes, dissolve two stock cubes in enough water to cover all veggies and simmer for 20-30 mins.
Serve with crusty bread and friends!
Total cost per serving: approx 50p
Here are just a few of our suggestions, if you have any cheap & cheerful recipes of your own that you’d like to share please feel free to post them on our message board. Bon appétit!
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