An easy to follow recipe for an affordable holiday roast beef made with eye of round roast and a quick gravy made from the drippings.
Visite de la ville de Strasbourg
Renters can get a nice outdoor space without spending much money on property they don't own: 10 budget ideas from Brooklyn garden designer Brook Klausing.
Switzerland is famous for its food but it is notoriously expensive! Here are all the tips on how and what to eat in Switzerland on a budget
If you are in Europe and want a quick, cheap weekend getaway, this is a great choice. Here’s how to travel Prague on a budget!
The islands now called Kiribati have been inhabited since 3000 BC, but if the seas continue to rise they could be gone in as little as a century.
The best European Christmas Markets (including Cologne, Nuremberg & Colmar) what to eat, where to stay and a road trip itinerary through Germany and France.
If you are in Europe and want a quick, cheap weekend getaway, this is a great choice. Here’s how to travel Prague on a budget!
Nanaimo Bars are a uniquely Canadian dessert that take their name from Nanaimo, British Columbia. Make this no-bake, three-layer recipe in easy-to-follow steps.
Are you planning a trip to Germany on a budget? Don't miss out on the top advice for frugal Germany travel!
An interesting guide to some of the best activities to do in Copenhagen in winter. Enjoy roaming around the Nyhavn or eating the festive winter food at Tivoli Gardens.
Munich on a budget – how to save money on sightseeing, museums and galleries, food and drink, city views and transport on a Munich city break.
Furniture arrangement affects our behaviour. Think of seating, for example, and a doctor’s waiting room with it’s hard-backed chairs lined against a wall and you get the picture. A mix of chairs and sofas is good both visually and psychologically with plenty of upright and sprawling options to suit all guests. Here’s 10 tips for
Geneva is really expensive, but there are affordable ways that you can enjoy the city! Read on to discover how to explore Geneva on a budget!
Visiting Paris for the first time? Check out these helpful Paris travel tips. Includes where to stay, where to eat, and things to do.
Chickpea and sweet potato filo parcels are the ultimate quick healthy meal! With a delicious budget filling and a satisfying crunch this easy to make filo pastry recipe is just what you need as a lower fat healthier alternative to traditional pastry.
A full guide to all the best restaurants in Copenhagen. The list includes the best Nordic restaurants, and where to eat on a budget.
Looking for tips to live as cheaply as possible? Bring more bang for your buck when you are living on next to no money.
Both images are by the wonderful Swedish artist Carl Larsson from here. Today I have an email from a reader who is due to have her first baby in March next year. "Jill and Jack" have been earning good money and have a mortgage but now with the baby on the way, they're finding it difficult to reduce their spending and prepare for the big event. I thought our wonderful Down to Earth community here would be able to give "Jill and Jack" a good idea of what the first baby costs and how to reduce the general weekly expenses while waiting for the baby. This is part of what Jill wrote: We are very used to earning good money and are now confronted with dropping to only my husband's very good wage of around $100,000 p.a. So I've spent this evening working on our budget ... We anticipate that the mortgage repayments will drop somewhat as we renegotiate our loans in November I believe. As it is, I felt we were doing well to only have one old reliable car with Jack riding to work each day... and not spend a lot on clothing or cosmetics... but on doing our budget tonight I'm realising that we've been living over my husband's wage for several years at least. We haven't really tracked what we spend, other than putting a cap on our individual 'sanity allowances'. I know I have spent a lot on organic food and alternative health. We waste food and hope to do more home cooking - I have been eating more intentionally while pregnant. (They have a good emergency fund but the sanity allowance (pocket money) Jill writes is $200 a week.) Generally, we aspire to tithe 10% (which we've done consistently) and invest 10% (we haven't done this in the past several years). Baby plans: I like the idea of not being forced back to work by money but rather by interest or previous employers 'needing a hand'. We plan to have two kids which I guess might mean that I'll be at home for 5 years. I now have an ABN and can consult from home but don't know if this will pan out or if I'll want to distract myself from the kid(s). Family have a lot of second hand gear for us and we'll get significant presents from older family eg. prams etc. Key questions: - How much should it cost us to live well? Particularly the food budget! - How much do kids cost? In the first year of life and later? - Should I be planning to go back to work, or can we easily live within Jack's salary still tithing and saving for our future? Jill's email was much more comprehensive than the summary given above but it was much too long to include all of it. I don't want to give any advice on the cost of setting up for a baby other than to encourage Jill to accept all the secondhand and pre-loved clothes and equipment that she's offered. I do want to address the change of mindset though, Jill. It's a change that will take you from being a young couple who have worked hard and had the good fortune to buy a home and many of the other things you want, to being parents with the responsibility of raising a family. When you think about it, up until now, you two have been the children, buying what you want, going out and enjoying life - as you should. Your baby will change that. Not only in monetary terms but also in the amount of spare time you'll have. There are many parents earning a lot less than you who have children, so it certainly can be done. I think it's best to consider the kind of parents you wish to be then work out from there. Work out what kind of life you want for your family - money is just the means to get the lifestyle you want. One thing I do know with certainty is that there will be change and sacrifices coming and there is no way around that. Some of them you'll love, some you won't love but they'll just be some of the changes that a baby will bring. I hope you can address the matter of food wastage. You can do that by sticking to your budget and with menu planning and stockpiling. I believe fresh food is better for you than organic food that has travelled a long distance. Try to find a butcher and fruit and vegetable market and develop a relationship with the owners. There are a lot of growers who aren't certified organic and yet they grow their produce with no insecticides and herbicides, and if they're local, they'll be fresh. You need your food to be full of nutrients and fresh food is more likely to have them. There is a section in your budget for gardening, maybe you could enlarge on that, put in a vegetable garden and grow organically. It would be great if you did track your money from now on, maybe for a month or two to see what you're both spending. I bet you'll be surprised. You have a lot of guessed items in your budget and you need to know the reality of it. For instance, you're spending $2000 a year on dental on top of your health insurance, and $15,600 a year on food for just the two of you. One of the sacrifices you both make may be that you halve your sanity allowance to $100 a week and put the other $100 towards your mortgage. And now it's over to our dear readers. If you have any useful information for Jill and Jack, please take the time to comment. I am sure they're not the only parents to be or new parents reading here and there are many experienced parents here with a lot of knowledge. Good luck!
Want to know how to do Christmas cheaply? Don't do as other do and take on debt. Christmas can be cheap, let me show you how.
How much should you spend on Christmas gifts for your family? This complete guide will help you budget and save for presents this year.
The holiday season, with its warm festivities and cheerful gatherings, often comes with a hefty price tag. However, celebrating the holidays need not leave your wallet in a state of despair. With a bit of creativity and thoughtful planning, you can have a joyous holiday season without breaking the bank. In this blog post, I'll
The pressure for the perfect Christmas is present and increasing. Look at a Facebook or Instagram. Here are 8 simple tips to stay on budget at Christmas.
If you need to save money this holiday season, here are 10 little ways to lower your Christmas budget and save money when you need it most.
Is it possible to have a budget-friendly Christmas as a family? YES! With a little planning, a frugal, fun, fantastic Christmas is totally possible. Check out these ingenious ideas to get you started!
Looking for money-saving ideas to plan a frugal Christmas? Here's how to plan Christmas on a budget and still enjoy the holiday season!
Want to know how to do Christmas cheaply? Don't do as other do and take on debt. Christmas can be cheap, let me show you how.
Does the holiday season necessarily mean to break your bank or can you have a frugal Christmas and enjoy this fun time of the year with family whole-heartedly?
Ideas for Christmas Dinner Menu on a Budget Looking for budget-friendly ideas for your Christmas dinner menu? I get it. Christmas can get expensive, and Christmas dinner is one of the biggest spending categories for most families during the holidays. Don’t worry! I've asked my fellow bloggers to share their delicious, budget Christmas dinner recipes to help
A cheap Christmas on a strict budget seems wrong somehow, doesn't it? Christmas is ALL about giving generously and crazy spending on Christmas gifts and food. And a frugal Christmas on a budget sounds dull
Frugal Christmas on little or no money. Is money tight this Christmas? Don't stress. Learn ways to cut the costs and save money during the holidays.
Want a debt-free Christmas? Learn how to create a Christmas budget for your holiday spending in 7 easy ways. Say no to credit card debts this holiday season.
Is it possible to have a budget-friendly Christmas as a family? YES! With a little planning, a frugal, fun, fantastic Christmas is totally possible. Check out these ingenious ideas to get you started!
Decorating for the holidays is so fun for me. I love to get inspired seeing so many different decorating themes and styles too. But holiday decorating can get kind of expensive. I like to ball on a budget and if you do too I'm sharing a few ways to add festive touches throughout your home
Elevate your space on a budget with 15+ ideas for cheap Christmas decorations that will make your home look and feel amazing.
Great Christmas on a budget ideas so you can have an amazing holiday. Tips on how to do Christmas cheap and to save money
A cheap Christmas on a strict budget seems wrong somehow, doesn't it? Christmas is ALL about giving generously and crazy spending on Christmas gifts and food. And a frugal Christmas on a budget sounds dull
Money tight this year? You can still give your children the most magical Christmas ever! Learn how Christmas on a budget can still be amazing and memorable!
Want to know how to do Christmas cheaply? Don't do as other do and take on debt. Christmas can be cheap, let me show you how.
Need to keep the Christmas shopping on budget this year? Check out these great hacks for creating & keeping a reasonable Christmas budget!
Does the holiday season necessarily mean to break your bank or can you have a frugal Christmas and enjoy this fun time of the year with family whole-heartedly?
A cheap Christmas on a strict budget seems wrong somehow, doesn't it? Christmas is ALL about giving generously and crazy spending on Christmas gifts and food. And a frugal Christmas on a budget sounds dull
Want to decorate for the holidays, but you're on a tight budget? Check out these 36 cheap outdoor Christmas decoration ideas!
Save time and money with these Christmas decor hacks. There are plenty of creative tips and tricks for decorating your home for Christmas on a budget
