Children's birthdays - exchanging excess for experience

April marks birthday season in our average wee household.

 

There are just ten days between my little 'uns' birthdays. Over the course of a fortnight I tend to do more baking and wrapping of presents than I do throughout the entire remainder of the year (except for Christmas time, which heralds another frenzy of similar activity).

 

Now that my two have reached what I think of as the 'middle' stage of childhood (they've just turned ten and eight), relatives are increasingly struggling to know what to buy them.  There are a number of reasons for this, not least of which is that their abundance of toys leaves my family concerned that they might purchase a duplicate.

 

Some of my relatives who live further afield send money or cheques.  I have one canny little saver and one blow-the-budget spender in my family. The spender is savvy enough to know exactly how much his latest longed-for piece of plastic costs in Argos. We therefore have to tread a difficult line between allowing him some freedom with the money he's been gifted and stemming the flow of excess 'stuff' into his bedroom.

 

As such, for those who live nearer at hand - and who genuinely want to give the children something that gives them pleasure - I've taken a more creative approach to gift-giving.  I started this process a couple of Christmases ago when I recognised the absurdity of a situation where I'd spent hours surfing Amazon for gift ideas because I simply could not think of anything they actually needed.

 

Lucky, lucky children.  But do they realise how lucky they are?  With a background in marketing, I'm well aware of the difference between a want and a need - but I'm not ready to give an eight and ten-year-old the full lecture on that quite yet.  Thankfully my generous relatives are also very trusting and flexible, so I suggested another approach instead....

 

Let's replace some of the physical gifts with something else.  Like new experiences.

 

Thus far my children have benefited from family membership to the National Trust for Scotland, an annual pass for our local transport museum (my son is car-daft) and taster ski-ing lessons.  My daughter, who has a keen interest in wildlife, adopted a dolphin as her Christmas present from her grandmother and receives regular updates via newsletter.  These are things which we, as parents, might not have been able to carve out of the family budget. Yet these intangible 'gifts' have enriched all of our lives no end.

 

And do the children miss the surplus goodies? Not one bit. They are very fortunate as there are always exciting-looking parcels to open on the day.  And I'd never suggest that we completely deny our offspring the sheer anticipation and joy of tearing off some brightly coloured paper to discover the treasures that lie beneath.

Deep down, however, I like to hope that if the present pile's a little bit smaller, they might appreciate what they receive a little bit more... 

 

How does your household deal with birthdays? I'd love to know! Please leave a comment and share your experiences.

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The best things in life are free

Who doesn't love a freebie? I know I do. Given that we're slowly and painfully creeping towards the end of a very loooonnnngggg January, freebies right now are particularly welcome.

Now, I can already hear some muttering at the back along the lines of, "There's no such thing as a free lunch". To a certain extent that is true.  Some of the things I'll mention below are most definitely being offered up for nothing in the hope that a) it will gain the company some positive publicity or b) the freebie will encourage you to return in the future as a paying customer.

I will state right now that my snapshot list of freebie favourites is quite diverse and most certainly not exhaustive!  As with many of the posts on Average and Proud, I'm simply trying to pinpoint a variety of things in the hope that there's something in here that will appeal to most folk.

So, without further ado...

For families

In terms of indoor entertainment during the winter months, many museums and art galleries can offer a different day out for the family and free entry is something of a bonus.  It's not strictly free but the major cinema chains also tend to offer heavily discounted tickets for early viewings on Saturday and Sunday mornings. These can be a low-budget lifesaver during a wet winter weekend. 

Check out facebook too and make sure you like any facebook pages that highlight up and coming events in your area.  Our nearest city is Aberdeen and I've found out about a number of really great family events via the 'Aberdeen for Kids' page, which is dedicated to highlighting "cheap, free and fun things to do with kids in and around Aberdeen." Parents throughout the north-east of Scotland owe the page manager a huge debt of gratitude.

For the bookworms

If you're lucky enough to own a Kindle, then you've probably realised you can quite easily search the store for the top free books.  Within the last day or so, I've downloaded for free the e-book 'Frugal Stuff That Works: 50 Tips To Make the Most of Your Money'.  It's now priced at 77p after being free initially, however I consider this a double whammy: A free book in January that tells me how to save more pennies. What's not to like? Many thanks to the good ladies of the Mortgage Free in Three forum, whose tips have been used as the basis of the book.

For the gadget lovers

This is more of a reminder than a revelation.  If you own any Apple products, you're probably well aware of free apps.  I know I'm guilty of forgetting to have a rummage around to see if there's anything new out there that could help me to get more out of my iphone or ipad.  January is the perfect time to go and have a look, particularly if you don't have much cash on your hands but you do have some spare time.

For the foodies

This blog has previously mentioned several wonderful websites such as BBC Good Food, AllRecipes and Pinterest, where you can find a whole host of recipe inspiration, costing you nothing more than some of your monthly internet allowance. 

If you fancy perking up your lunchbox in 2014, why not try out a free sample of healthy goodies via Graze?  At the time of writing, the Graze website was offering the first box ordered for half price, however this company is well-known for running promotions where your initial order is completely free.  Check out popular deals and voucher code sites (more on these below) to see if you can find one, or keep an eye on the main site.  Just remember to cancel if you decide that you don't want to continue to order on a regular (and paying) basis.

 

For the business world

 

One of the most valuable and stimulating pieces of communication that arrives in my inbox is the free monthly trend briefing that I receive via trendwatching.com.  Packed full of inspiring advice and case studies, it's a must-read not only for those who work in marketing or communications but for anyone who has an interest in consumer behaviour, technological advances and "the next big thing".

For the real bargain hunters

Where to start? Websites such as freecycle and freegle have an enormous range of pre-loved items up for grabs so that one person's trash can become another's treasure.  It's generally acknowledged that it's good practise to give as well as receive. Having done both in the past via my local freecycle group, I would thoroughly recommend it.

Another source of potential freebies, although more in the "buy one get one free" category, are the many voucher and discount code websites.  Popular ones include www.vouchercodes.co.uk and www.hotukdeals.com.  The wonderfully useful MoneySavingExpert website also lists all the hottest deals right here. (Or simply sign up for MoneysavingExpert's weekly email and join the eight million people who get all the latest freebies and offers delivered directly to their inbox each week.)

 

For the spenders

 

If freebies for spenders seem contradictory, bear with me.  If you are about to book your summer holiday at the beginning of the year, this final hint could prove useful.  Cash back sites are a great way of getting some 'free' money back on a purchase that you may well be making anyway.  My personal favourite is TopCashBack but there are several other biggies.  It's not just holidays that you can earn cash back on - many of the major retailers have now signed up to these schemes.  The cash back may take a while to come through - and you shouldn't base a purchase purely on what you might get back (cash back websites have been known to fall by the wayside). It is, however, well worth a try, particularly for larger buys.  All you need to do is click through from the cash back site to your retailer of choice, then order as normal.  One final cautionary note: Once the cash back has come through, move it into your own bank account asap. Don't let it pile up, just in case the cashback site doesn't last the distance...

 

Do you have a favourite freebie that I've missed here? Feel free (no pun intended!) to comment and share with the rest of us!

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Beating the January blues

There's been so much in the media recently about the January blues that it seemed wrong not to give the topic some blog space.

Here in my little corner of the world, we've been exceptionally lucky over the past few days with bright skies and crisp, clear days. If anything can help me shake off the blues, it's getting out into the winter sunshine. I'm aware, however, that a) the weather won't always be as good here b) the weather has been pretty terrible elsewhere and c) there's often a lot more to the January blues than the dull, dark days of winter (click here to see my thoughts on the latter subject).

Money money money

Money, or the lack of, is a major concern for many at the start of the year.  The excesses of the festive season tend to leave bank balances looking rather the worse for wear. I'm no financial guru but if belt tightening is the order of the day - or even the next few months - hop on over to the Mortgage Free in Three website, where the wonderfully upbeat Elaine Colliar is rallying others to join her 'Thirty Days of Thrift' challenge.  Simply sign up for Elaine's emails and you'll get some great daily advice - along with the camaraderie of others - to help you through this tough lean month. 

If your financial woes run deep and long-term, you should also try checking out Martin Lewis's Moneysaving Expert site.  It's stuffed with advice on how to make the best of your financial situation - however dire - and his free budget planning tool is perfect if you've decided that now is the right time to take a long, hard look at where your cash is going.

 

Piling on the wrong kind of pounds

January generally means a loss of monetary pounds and a gain in the ones that cling to your hips. BOO! Some people like to treat January as a fresh start and tackle hard core diet plans with gusto.  I do not fall into this category.  I find it exceptionally hard to survive on a strict daily regime of salad when the weather's bitter outside and I'm craving warm, comforting foods.  The good news is that these foods don't necessarily have to compound the inevitable Christmas weight gain.  For me, this is the season when soup comes into its own!  Not only is it nutritious, it shouldn't break the January budget either. What's more, there's an eye-popping variety of different types that you can make.  Can't justify a new recipe book? Pinterest, AllRecipes and BBC Good Food have excellent, easy-to-follow recipes that are just a click away.

 

A hearty bowl of soup can be a January saviour

Getting off the sofa
It can be pretty hard to get motivated about exercise when you're cash poor and not feeling like your svelte self.  Yet this is the time we need it most! It's likely that a private gym membership is out of the question, so it's time to be creative about what you can do instead...  If you're not really in the habit of exercising, try to think hard about what type of activity will suit you and work around your other demands, whether these be your job, your family commitments or both. If you're new to exercise, walking is a safe and often sociable way to get started, provided you can persuade a friend to join you.  If you swap your regular coffee outing for a walk with others, you can save money, catch up and get fit - all at the same time.  But what about the bad weather I hear you ask? If you want to get moving indoors, why not dust off any old exercise DVDs you have, or press the Wii back into service? I also love a Yoga app that I can use from my iPad. It cost very little to download and offers access to a whole variety of workouts, which vary in length and intensity.


Arranging to exercise with others will help you off the sofa

Depending on when you're reading this, you've already made it through at least part of January. Congratulate yourself for getting this far, grit your teeth and beat off those blues as best you can!

Related posts: Dealing with the dull dark days of winter

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Make do and munch

A recent change in circumstances has prompted me to look afresh at our weekly budgets - and particularly the amount of money we spend on food.

I've always considered myself to be pretty shopping savvy; I follow all the usual tips of making a list, not going to the supermarket when I'm ravenous and shopping around for the best offers.  That said, I've still felt recently that our weekly outgoings are gradually creeping up and - despite having a menu plan for the week - I am ashamed to admit that we are guilty of wasting food by failing to use it while fresh.

How could I reverse these discouraging trends? I decided to combine some advice from one of my favourite financial websites MoneySavingExpert, along with the ethos of a blog I've recently discovered by Elaine Colliar, Mortgage Free in Three.

Over the weekend, I now discipline myself to withdraw a stated amount of hard cash that I feel should cover our family's food supplies for the week.  By the time I get to Thursday (when, let's face it, we're all tired and feel we deserve a treat), I am resisting the temptation to trundle off to M&S for a 'Dine in for Two' special. Instead, I am trying to make do with what's already in my fridge and store cupboard.

Sounds a bit bleak and boring? The more I do it the easier it gets. Honest! And I have to confess to a certain degree of self-satisfaction when I resist the lure of the M&S special or takeaway option and stick to my own resources.  They say necessity is the mother of invention and the upside to my new regime is that I'm becoming a little more creative in the kitchen.   Last weekend when all the 'usual' breakfast options had been depleted - and it wasn't quite time for my weekly cash withdrawal - I discovered after a quick internet trawl and a rummage through the cupboards that I had the ingredients to make Nigella's American style pancakes instead.

Come to think of it, I could get used to these new family 'traditions'.  Every cloud and all that...

Emergency breakfast pancakes: A more than palatable standby

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Brrrrrrr! Bring on the bargain base layer....

Cold. Dark. Wet. Miserable.  A not unjust description of the weather in the north-east of Scotland today. The other word that folk round here tend to use is "dreich". Even if you don't normally speak Doric, it really does sum up this type of day perfectly.   I felt a pang for all the organisers of bonfire nights and fireworks displays, though judging by the online buzz many of the local events still went off with a (fully supervised and therefore safe) bang!

I always feel as though it was an accident of birth that I was born in this part of the world as, although I love our scenery, I'm reaaaallllly not a happy bunny in the cold (just ask my long suffering husband). As such, from October to March, the layers come out in force.

This autumn, I was tipped off by one of my money savvy friends that Costco was selling base layers for children (top and matching leggings) for a bargain fiver.  Naturally, I hot footed it there to pick up a couple of sets for my own two.  Scrutinising the packaging for size guides, I then realised that the XL girls' set would most likely fit me. (Yup, I'm a shortie.)  What's more, it was half the price of the ladies' small set on the next shelf.

Today was the perfect day to dig out my purchase. So, it may be purple with pink polka dots rather than demure grey but a) it's designed to be worn underneath other clothes and b) purple is one of my fave colours!

For all those petite ladies out there suffering from poor circulation, plummeting temperatures and a limited clothing budget, it's definitely worth a try....

Keep warm!

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