Jean Genie

I had an unfortunate incident last week. I crouched down to get something from a low cupboard and heard an almighty ripping sound. On closer inspection the previously tiny tear in the knee of my jeans had split right across leaving a raggedy hole of the type which doesn’t suit a (almost) 38 year old woman.

Anyway, I was about to chuck them, but then saw sense and realised that there would be loads of ways of recycling them, so that’s what today’s post is all about. A kind of round up of uses for old denims.

Perhaps the most obvious way is to turn them into either shorts (easy, just snip of the legs ) or a skirt (trickier, but still straightforward). At least this way you still have something to wear.

If you’re not so bothered about that, then the world’s your oyster so how about making a tote bag, a rag rug or some handy little storage pot things. No? Then maybe a pair of denim slippers, a coffee cup holder or a cushion cover?

Little scraps and oddments are best for trinkets like corsages, hair clips, hanging decorations, coasters or stuffed toys whereas the back pockets can be perfect for purses, bags, wall storage hangers – really anything that requires a ready made sleeve or pouch.

It’s probably worth pointing put that you’ll need a sturdy needle on your sewing machine for most of these makes, by the way.

Once I started googling ‘uses for old jeans’, I found myself a bit overwhelmed by the possibilities. To be honest, some of the ideas were totally naff but others were brilliant. All I need to do now is decide what to do with mine. Of course, I could just patch up the hole or relegate them to ‘mucky job wear’ status, but that’s a bit dull, right?

Tell me more…

Running: A Very Thrifty Activity

I’ve been running for almost a year. No-one will be more suprised by that than me. Usually I’m the sort of person who starts something then lets it gradually slip, but I’ve kept going with it right through the winter and I’m glad I have. Now, just to be clear, I’m still pretty slow and can’t go for more than about twenty minutes at a time, but I head out a couple of times a week and it’s enough to keep me reasonably fit.

I think one of the reasons I’ve stuck with running is that you don’t need any fancy equipment (although you could, of course, buy all manner of accoutrements if you wanted to). All I have is a decent pair of running shoes, shorts, top and sports bra. All of these items are fairly old. I listen to my IPod too but that’s not strictly essential. The rest is free. No gym fees, no pricey paraphernalia. What’s not to love?

How to Make Extra Money

It’s Thrifty Thursday again and I thought it might be nice to share some money making tips (actually, I’m hoping that lots of you will give me ideas too).

We both have ‘proper’ jobs - G’s an accountant and I work part-time as a pre school teacher - but what I want to tell you about today are all of the other little sundry odds and ends which bring in a few quid here and there.

Firstly, it’s all about using your skills/qualifications/expertise. As a qualified primary teacher, one of my main ways of bringing in extra cash is by marking test or exam papers. I do this once a year. It’s easy-ish work which can be done at home (a big plus) and fits in around the kids. If your child’s doing KS2 English SATs this year, it’s quite possible that I may be marking his or her paper! In the past I’ve done the odd bit of tutoring too, again cashing in on my teaching skills. What are you good at? Could you use your professional knowledge to earn some extra dosh?

One of the other ways  I make a few pounds is by selling stuff. Now, I know some people make a full time business out of this type of thing, but I’m talking about listing a few things on Ebay and for Ebay success, I think you have to have a bit of an eye for what people are willing to pay good money for. Personally, I can’t be bothered selling a shabby kid’s t-shirt for 50p or a an old pair of wellies for a quid. On the other hand, I know that there are certain brands and items which are always popular and worth making the effort for (and let’s be honest, listing items on Ebay does take a bit of effort, doesn’t it?).

I often daydream about selling pretty handmade objets in my currently empty Etsy shop, but this isn’t a realistic way for me to make money – my creative skills are way off the mark and certainly not of a standard to sell in any volume. If, however, you’re blessed in this way, then I reckon you could have a nice sideline selling online or at craft fairs.

An area which, for me,  is very much in an embryonic stage is freelance writing. I’ve been approached by a few companies and individuals asking me to write articles on my blog, but it’s important to be selective and decide if the content will work without compromising your style. No point in me blathering on about motorbikes or similar (not that I’ve been asked to, mind, but you get my drift). Seriously, though, I love writing and could think of no better way to make a living (hint, hint to anyone who needs a writer). Talking of blogs, I know that some of you make a few pennies from advertising and sponsorship. I haven’t done this but I suppose the idea is to make your website work for you. Again, I think you’d have to be cautious about who you associate yourself with.

Making spare cash can be quite thrilling, especially if it comes about by doing something you enjoy. I think we need to be wily these days and seize any money making opportunities that might come our way. What do you do?

Button Hair Clips

The finished clips

Paraphernalia

Let me begin by telling you how much I adore buttons. I love how they can update a boring cardi or make a pretty birthday card or whatever. A few years ago, I bought a large tin of vintage buttons on Ebay. It’s one of the most exciting things I’ve ever got from there. Somebody was selling them, I’m guessing, as part of a clear out of an old lady’s house and it was a real collection. I can’t imagine ever running out of buttons whilst I’ve got that tin to keep me supplied. Anyway, I digress slightly.

Today’s post is a very simple make for this month’s Pinaddicts Challenge. I saw these gorgeous handmade clips and repinned them immediately. So cute and so do-able.

You’ll literally need nothing more than some flat backed buttons, a few plain hair grips (I used ones I bought from Ebay which have the little round metal disc for attaching findings – cost about £1 for 10) and a hot glue gun. I don’t think I need to tell you much more than that!

Thrifty Thursday: The Humble Packed Lunch

With M back at school this week I was keen to sit down and blog – feels like ages since the last post, but somehow I just couldn’t get around to it during half term week. Anyway, I’m back on track now.

This clearly isn't one I made earlier...

So, it’s all about the humble packed lunch today (or ‘pack up’ as it’s called here in Yorkshire – what do you call it where you live?). M takes one to school and I’m sure it works out a whole lot cheaper (and dare I say nicer) than school dinners. G usually takes one to work too. He used to be one of those people who spent £££ each week buying meal deals from Boot’s or yummy things from Pret until it dawned on him just how much he was spending. I’ve never sat down and worked out how much M’s lunch costs, but I’m going to guess at around £1 per day (school dinners cost more than twice that and she doesn’t like them anyway!).

M’s average lunchbox usually consists of:

Some form of bread and filling (I believe they’re called sandwiches)

Bread types include wraps, bagels, pittas, sliced wholemeal, bread rolls.

Fillings include cream cheese & ham, turkey & cranberry sauce, tuna mayo, cheese and chutney, egg mayo & cress (stinky though)

Fruit

Pretty sure we all know what fruit is, but ideas include pot of grapes, clementines, small apples, dried fruit such as raisins or cranberries, pot of blueberries and strawberries.

Some type of ‘sweet’

Favourites here include cereal bars, chocolate biscuits (e.g Kit Kat or the like), fromage frais, homemade (occasionally) cake

Some type of  savoury ‘thing’

This nearly always involves a Babybel. You know, those overpriced, bland little flat cheese balls with the red wax jacket. M LOVES them.  Alternatives to this include a pot of humous and some carrot sticks, small pot of crisps (from a larger bag), couple of cheese crackers (the Cheddar type ones), breadsticks.

Bottle of Brita filtered water (posh, eh?)

I really do think there’s a lot to be said for taking a packed lunch when you go about your daily business. Aside from the financial benefits, there’s something kind of wholesome and satisfying about tucking into a homemade lunch.

Now, as you can see, I’m not exactly overflowing with exciting lunchbox ideas, so PLEASE let me know yours and pass on the thrifty love!

Thrifty Thursday: Cheap & Cheerful Messy Play Ideas (oh, and a linky too!)

It’s Thrifty Thursday again (I have no idea where the last week went) and today’s post is packed full of fun messy play activities to keep the little ‘uns busy. I used to be a reception teacher and now work part-time as a pre-school teacher, so I’m no stranger to mess. Without a doubt, the best messy (or malleable as it’s known in educational circles) play uses everyday items which are usually cheap as chips. Could even be chips. Now there’s an idea…

Anyway, here’s my list:

Play dough (cooked) – cook the following in a large pan over a low heat, stirring continuously: 2 cups plain flour, 1 cup salt, 2 tbsp cooking oil, 2tsp cream of tartar, food colouring, 2 cups water. Remove from the heat when the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan. You could add glitter or dried pulses or whatever you like if you want to add texture.

Old fashioned soap flakes

Shaving foam – make sure it’s fragrance free and designed for sensitive skin. Wash off after play.

Dried and/or cooked pasta – spaghetti’s great, especially if you add a little oil and food colouring

Cornflour mixed with water – fantastic fun to see how it solidifies and then liquifies.

Tinned baked beans (no really) – never done this one myself, but know colleagues who have

Ice cubes – particularly good on a hot day. Why not make an arctic role play game with polar bears and penguins too?

Potting compost – bury plastic insects for digging out purposes.

Sawdust/bark chippings

Sand mousse – basically sand, food colour and washing up liquid whisked up together

Jelly

Now, unless you’re really laid back (sadly I don’t fall into this category), you may want to do some of these activities either outdoors or on a big plastic sheet!

Anyway, before you go off and start a batch of play dough, why not link up your own Thrifty Thursday blog post? Thrift power!

The Thrifty Thursday Blog Carnival!

Drum roll please… Introducing the first Thrifty Thursday Blog Carnival.

If you’ve got a thrifty blog post that you’d like to share with like-minded individuals (or even with differently-minded individuals), then come and share it here. I’ll be hosting this time and it’s a great opportunity to spread the thrifty gospel far and wide and to find fellow thrifty bloggers.

All you need to do is email (livingitlittle@gmail.com) or tweet me (@living_itlittle) with the following info:

Your name

Your blog’s name

Your blog’s URL

Your thrifty post URL and title

Deadline for submissions is midday on Wednesday 25th January, the carnival will take place on (Thrifty) Thursday 26th January.

Can’t wait!

Thrifty Thursday: Hand Me Downs

When M was a baby she had everything new. Partly because we didn’t really have (at that point) friends with children but mainly, if I’m honest, because we wanted her to have new things. For whatever reason. We bought the occasional item from Ebay but really it was nearly all new. When K came along four and a half years later, things were (and continue to be) very different. For starters, as soon as we knew we were having another girl, we started saving things. We had also formed a group of ‘parent’ friends too and all of this meant that where M had everything spanking new, K has everything handed down. Bless her, she doesn’t seem to mind. Yet.

 When I look at K this morning,  the only newly purchased things she’s wearing are her vest and her shoes (I have a thing about shoes actually. I think they should be new, particularly for littles ones). Her trousers and top came from a friend who used them for her two daughters. Her coat was M’s old one which was one of the few items which came second hand from Ebay. The sleeping bag she woke up in used to be M’s. A fair proportion of the toys she’s been playing with were M’s too.

Aside from the obvious financial benefits of reusing clothes/toys/bedding/furniture (you name it) there’s something extremely pleasing about giving something a second (or third, or fourth…) airing. It feels like the right thing to do in these straitened times and saves a whole load of guilt about futher damaging the environment or supporting child labour. Right on. And it doesn’t just need to be kid’s stuff either. The hand me down system can be adapted to encompass swapping or borrowing all sorts of items.

Thrifty Thursday: Cost Cutting

What are your plans for the Christmas break? In amongst the usual festive frolics, one of the jobs on my to do list is to sit down and try to work out how to cut a few household costs (I’m all about the fun). Seriously though, I rather think we’ve been burying our heads in the sand when it comes to getting the best value for money and, let’s face it, no-one can afford to do that these days. We have a big box file which lives in our under stair cupboard. It’s one of those fancy jobs with pre-labelled sections and a little plastic lock and handle. Oh yes. Anyway, things get, er, filed in this file, but rarely do they get scrutinised beyond that. I’m vaguely aware that we could be saving money in a few areas. If you go online to compare car insurance, par exemple, your mind will be boggling at the extent of the possible savings. We’re talking hundreds of pounds potentially. What’s not to love?

Now, apply this technique to your other areas of expenditure and there should be lots of room for financial improvements. The trick is to ditch your allegiance to any one supplier/provider/service  and instead track down those that offer the best deals (without, of course, compromising on important things such as customer service). It really is utterly bonkers to be paying over the odds for things such as gas and electricity or broadband and mobile phone networks. Competition is fierce and companies want your custom, so make them work for it. So, with that in mind I’m off to dig out the box file, blow away the cobwebs, throw out the phone bills from 2006 and then start cutting some costs. Happy Thriftmas!

Thrifty Thursday: Homemade Apple & Pear Chutney

I set about making this last weekend with the aim of allowing it to mature for the next few weeks and be ready in time for Christmas. It’s pretty straightforward, here’s the recipe:

500g apples

500g pears

4cm piece root ginger, peeled and very finely chopped

100g dried apricots, quartered

150g sultanas

400g demerera sugar

500ml cider vinegar

1tbsp wholegrain mustard

1tsp ground cinnamon

Peel and core the apples and pears, then chop into bite-size chunks. Place in a large pan along with the ginger, apricots, sultanas, sugar, vinegar and cinnamon. Add the mustard and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Continue to cook on a gentle simmer for around 2 hours, until you have a thick syrupy texture. A good test is to drag the back of a wooden spoon across the top of the mixture. If it leaves a line which doesn’t instantly fill with vinegar, then it’s ready. You can then spoon into warm, sterilised jars (wash in hot soapy water and then place in a low oven for about half an hour to sterilise), right to the top. I found this quantity is enough to fill about three medium sized jars. Finally, seal, label and add a pretty top if you like!