Miss Thrifty

Ben & Jerry’s is half-price at Morrisons right now. It’s £1.80 for one of the larger, 500ml tubs.

Sadly, my local Morrisons didn’t have any ‘Cherry Garcia’ in (sniff), but I went for this sorbet one instead.

The best part? My husband’s away, so I get to eat it all myself. I give thanks to the higher powers that have arranged for this happy conjunction of events.

Trent, over at The Simple Dollar, has been reviewing his favourite posts from the past year. One of them, Wallet Hacking, caught my attention. It’s about tailoring the contents of your wallet to “minimise your spending and maximise your time”.

This idea stood out for me: (more…)

For one reason and another I’ve ended up with nine wooden chopping boards, which works out at four-and-a-half chopping boards per member of my household. I only went out and bought one of them (the first one) but I’m a kitchenware geek – and the people who buy me presents know the way to my heart.

I doubt I’ll ever need to buy another chopping board as long as I live, because all my boards are in tip-top condition. This is what I have learned: (more…)

In last week’s vintage shoe shopping guide, I argued that 1940s shoes weren’t worth bothering with. Here’s the evidence.

It may have been different in other countries, but in Britain clothing was strictly rationed during the Second World War. By the time the war ended, there weren’t many pristine shoes left sitting in closets. Everything – including footwear - was taken in a bit here, turned out there and worn to death. Quality and luxury were low on the priority list.

The photograph above was taken in Mayfair at the turn of 1940s/1950s. It’s deliciously Mad Men though, isn’t it? The bright young thing on the end of the row, clutching her glass of champers for all it’s worth, is my Frugal Grandma. Anyway, they all look glam and stylish, from their hairdos

down to their ankles. And then…. (more…)

The Welsh Tourist Board (aka Visit Wales) is running a competition to win a Honda Civic Hybrid. All you have to do is click the button above, download a tourist brochure and enter your details.

The competition is free to enter, and is open to all UK residents, All entries must be received by 31 December, and the draw takes place in January.

I remember getting a free entry into a Seat car competition when I renewed the Thriftymobile’s car tax disc earlier this year. Which was all well and good, until I worked out that with 32 million cars on the road in the UK, I was more likely to win the National Lottery. (Good marketing on Seat’s part, though.)

As decent, bona fide car competitions – ones that don’t cost squillions to enter – are few and far between, I’d recommend giving this Honda Civic one a punt. As beautiful as Wales is, I don’t think the odds are going to be that outlandish. 

Ciao, Fashion Queens! The latest issue of Grazia magazine (not the one above; this one has Madonna on the cover) has vouchers for a range of high street clothes stores.  

The magazine costs £1.90; the vouchers, on page 103,  give you 20 per cent off purchases at Uniqlo, Wallis, Oasis, Faith, Principles and Flannels. So if you spend £10 or more, you’ll be saving money. And you get a magazine out of it.

The vouchers are valid until 27 October 2008.

There’s a feature in the Daily Mail about vintage shoes: the “latest celebrity fashion fad”, according to the newspaper. The piece provides a rundown of the “top six iconic shoes”, with a credit-crunchy theme:

Vintage shoes are in general still cheap compared with other items of clothing: you can pick up a pair of Chanel shoes for a fraction of the price of a blouse or a belt.

There are still plenty of retro shoes available, many of them by iconic designers, for relatively little money.

It’s an interesting read; although, being a contrary Miss, I take issue with the “latest celebrity fad” angle and the thrift argument. The great and the good have been wearing vintage shoes for yonks (I was going to write out a short list here, but refrained after realising that I would expose myself as an uber-shoe geek), and some of the featured shoes are on the dear side. Louboutins for £400 and 1960s Courreges ankle boots for £200, for example.

I do like vintage shoes and I have some much-loved pairs. My silver shoes (pictured above) are probably my favourites – I like the classic shape and the sparkles – and if you know what to look for, you can pick up some good bargains. 

So here’s my whistlestop guide for the more (ho ho) down-at-heel vintage shoe buyer:  (more…)

Hey! My post about our forthcoming Thrifty Roadtrip has just made Editor’s Pick at the 35th Money Hacks Carnival!

Thanks to My Two Dollars for organising a great carnival this week, with lots of pictures of steam trains. You can’t go wrong with the Old West.

Also in the carnival: I really enjoyed Lisa at Condo Blues’ post about budget-friendly household cleaners. Lots of white vinegar, baking soda – and crystal clear instructions on cleaning floors, counters and dishes. This tip was new on me:

Vinegar in the Jet Dry container of the dishwasher. Vinegar works to keep spots off the glasses just like Jet Dry, Cascade, or a store brand-sheeting agent. Actually, I think vinegar has better sheeting action and keeps water spots from forming on my glasses. Who knew?

Yes, I know I’m really late to the party. I’d read all about Freecycle, which reduces waste by encouraging people to post their unwanted items online, and pass them on. But I hadn’t really paid much attention, because (a) Freecycle always popping up in those same rubbish “recessionista” features in the women’s pages. You know: those round-ups that tell us all to go out and stuff fallen fruit into our Lulu Guinness handbags, and take our clothes to “swap parties”. Also, (b) I’d presumed that Freecycle’s domains were eco-trendy places like Islington and Brighton, rather than my creaky Yorkshire backwater.

But lo! I looked Freecycle up, and it turns out that the little place in which I live (pop: 13,000) has its own, thriving Freecycle group. (more…)

This hair clipper set from Tesco is only £6.99. It comes with the different sized combs, so that you can select how short you want the hair to be, plus other accoutrements such as scissors and a comb. Not only is a good price – cheaper than a paid-for haircut! – but it saves money in the long run too. Once you have one of these sets, the need to visit the barber flies out the window.

I should add that I don’t cut my own hair with clippers. No no no. I do cut my husband’s hair with one of these sets, and I can honestly say that it is a terrific investment. It takes minutes, and it’s easy to do.

Once upon a time I used to send him out to my own preferred salon in Mayfair, at £55 a pop, to have his follicles tended to by a stylist called Rachel who “understood his hair”. Looking back, I can’t quite believe I insisted on this: not is £55 a very expensive men’s haircut, but my husband and grooming go together like a cat and water. He would have been happier with the clippers all along.

Anyway, this set can be ordered from Tesco’s website and I’d get in quick, as the line is about to be discontinued.