I guess I have always known how to be thrifty, thanks to my Grandma who was an inspiration to everyone she met, and this was handed down to my Mum.  However due to a good job and not becoming a mother until I was 36 I got used to the good life, holidays, meals out and a  pair of shoes or new clothes each week became the norm.

At 50 I find myself not able to work 2 teenage children to keep happy, a husband who works hard to provide and look after us, in fact everything I ever wanted. Times are tough though and my thrifty upbringing is serving me well, and in fact I am enjoying the challenge of making ends meet on a budget.  Who would have known that managing to make a delicious family meal from scratch and working out how much it cost could be so rewarding haha.

My latest success was green lentil curry which was to my suprise a great hit with the family and only cost me under £3 to make.

 I have become inventive and managed to make many of our Christmas pressies last year, from pickled eggs, onions, chutney and marmalade to crocheted throws and corsages.

  I like to think of myself as a crafty person and am looking forward to being creative both literally and by thinking creatively to make life fun without breaking the bank.

I would love to hear your suggestions for saving money, upcycling or adding value to, well almost anything really.

I cant promise to post every day but hope you will follow my quest to make our pennies go further.