Spring cleaning for money saving!

Hi guys,
This weekend I spent a glamorous Sunday wearing my rubber gloves and spring cleaning our house. Everything was cleaned from top to bottom. But more importantly, I also de-cluttered every room to create space in our overstuffed cupboards and draws. And now that process is over (thank God!) I want to make a little money from the things that otherwise would be thrown away. Whenever I spring clean I clear out clothes, shoes, books by the hundreds, and take them to our local car boot sale. And now car boot sale season is starting up again (hurrah!!) there’s no better time to spend an afternoon sorting your cupboards out too!

Here are some top tips for clearing out your clutter and making some cash in the process:

-Check for duplicates! Mike and I have similar tastes in films and CDs. Which means when we moved in together (all those years ago!) we acquired duplicates of nearly everything: something I only realised when I was having our big spring clean this weekend! There are loads of sites you can sell your old multimedia to quickly and easily. Or why not box them and take them to your local car boot sale, or sell them on eBay?

-Don’t take any jewellery to a car boot sale or eBay though! You’ll get much more money selling it elsewhere: a cash for gold website is a good first port of call for any gold jewellery you have that you don’t want any more, and would rather have the cash for (think twice before selling any family heirlooms though!)

-Wash all your clothes first! OK so this isn’t a money saving tip, but if you’re going to take bundles of clothes to a car boot sale, please make sure they’re all clean. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been pawing through a pile of clothes only to be immediately put off by a stain and not be able to buy any of it!

-If you have kids, get them to have a clear out too! The stalls that always seem the most popular are those that are full of toys and baby clothes.

- Have a goal in mind! This isn’t essential, but it always helps me when I’m going to the effort to get rid of stuff to know that I’m doing it for a good reason. At the minute, that’s buying our first house. But it could be anything, no matter how frivolous: a night out, or even the Mulberry handbag fund!

Love Tor xx

PS - Want to find your closest car boot sale? Check out carbootjunction.com: they're a great carboot sale listings website!

Frugal February

Hi guys,
As I mentioned back in January, all of my New Year's Resolutions revolved around saving money. I've been shopping (who can resist the January sales?) but not half as much as usual. And as the accompanying image to this post illustrates, I've taken my packed lunch to work every day (bar two slip ups, when the extra ten minutes in bed was just too tempting!) These little changes mean I've been able to add an extra £200 to my savings account.

This month though, I'm taking things up a notch: No unnecessary spending. On anything. I read about Frugal February on Big Girls Browse, and thought it was such a good idea that I joined up immediately. Frugal February participants stick to one simple rule, which is…
I vow, for one month from 1st Feb, to avoid shopping for anything other than essentials.

And no, new shoes, red lipstick, and that little dress you spotted at 75% off don't count as essentials. I've stocked up on my basic toiletries and filled our fridge and freezer. Instead of socialising at expensive bars and restaurants, Mike and I have invited our friends to our house this month for movie nights, Sunday lunches, and we've even organised a boozy games night.

I know it will be hard to avoid post-work cocktails, too-lazy-to-cook take aways, and especially the new season collections that are hitting the stores. But I know when we finally own our own home it will be worth it. And I'm excited to see how much money I can save!

Want to join in too? You can sign up over at Big Girls Browse, or just let me know how you're getting on in the comments: we can motivate each other!

Love Tor xx

Happy New Year! Let's make promises we won't keep!

Hi guys,

Happy New Year! I always like New Year: it feels like being reborn, and you get the chance to change your life and try again. Having said that, I make half-hearted resolutions every year, but they never last more than a fortnight. That probably means there isn't anything I dislike enough about my life to really make an effort to change!

This year though, I am making three small resolutions that will make a massive difference to my bank balance: helping contribute towards the bigger resolution of significantly bumping up our savings account in 2012.

- No more impulse purchases. I own more clothes than any three people would need in a lifetime. And I know I can't resolve to give up shopping: I love it too much and I don't have the willpower! But I am resolving to think about my purchases, and only buy things I need, will use, and will fit into my existing wardrobe. No more Primark sprees for things I don't need, or popping into Topshop at lunchtime when I'm having a bad day!

- Taking sandwiches to work. OK, so I know it's not fashion-related, but I would recommend this to anyone trying to save some pennies! Do you know I spend approx £150 a month on lunch? And I'm not talking fabulous lunches: I mean soggy sandwiches or soups, crisps and fruit from Pret or Eat. When you can buy more than a week's worth of apples for £1, why would you buy just one from a Sandwich shop for 50p? I reckon taking my own lunches can save over £100 a month! For inspiration, use cute, colorful food containers to pack your lunch, which are often on sale.

- Regular wardrobe clear-outs. Sometimes my wardrobe gets so overcrowded, I can't see the wood from the trees and it makes it impossible to decide what to wear everyday (because all I can see are the things that don't fit/I don't like). So I intend to make regular wardrobe clear-outs great not only for my sartorial style, I also plan on making them great for my bank balance. Think car boot sales, ebaying, and maybe even the return of the Fabfrocks Shop!

Are you making any New Year's resolutions? And how long do you predict you'll keep them?

Love Tor xx