I love linking up with Emma's Savvy Savings weekly frugal round up as it really focuses my mind on being savvy every single week but last week we were lucky enough to go on holiday and that has changed our spending a little. So here are the top 5 savvy savings I have made this week.

1. While we were on holiday, I had one friend who had a birthday and another who was leaving work to have a baby, so I needed to send flowers to them both to arrive while I was away. I have tried lots of different online florists over the years but Interflora have always seemed the most consistent and value for money and they now have an annual delivery pass for £10, so it doesn't matter how many flowers you send, you only pay the inital £10 delivery pass charge. This is a result as I often send flowers to friends who live far away.

2. I also used my usual trick of googling discount codes before checking out and as I did them in seperate transactions, I saved £15 in delivering both bunches of flowers this way! That was a blooming good deal I thought (sorry I coudn't resist the pun)

3. A few days before we went away, I was checking out the best deals on travel insurance (nothing like leaving it to the last minute) when I had a moment of inspriation and remembered that my bank account had insurance features, so I rang them up, checked all our details and had confirmation straight away. I know I am paying for it as part of my bank account but it meant that I saved £100 that I thought I was going to have to spend, so that was a win for me!

4. We needed new luggage for our holiday and I have been coveting some new suitcases for some time, so I visited our local outlet store and managed to pick up 4 lightweight Antler suitcases from the outlet store for £120 and they come with a 10 year guarantee!

5. Finally (and a bit tongue in cheek) my best saving of the week was enjoying all the food and drink that I wanted ...... from the all inclusive menu, without having to pay a single bill!

So as I said at the beginning, I’m linking up with Cass, Emma and Becky in this week’s ‘Five Fabulously Frugal things I’ve done this week linky and I am now off to have a read (and get inspiration) from the others that have linked up too.

 

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Many of us define ourselves by our job. You might say you’re a teacher or a nurse before you say you’re a parent. This is why not working can be really hard. There are many reasons why you might stop working for a while. Those reasons can be hard enough without the added pressure of unemployment. 

No work usually means no income. If your time out of work was planned, like having a baby you might have a few months of savings in the bank. You may still need to tighten your belt a little, though. A detailed budget to figure out exactly how much you need to live on can be helpful at times like these. Of course, any emergency situations, like a burst pipe or broken window, can seriously impact your finances.

If you’re not able to work because you are unwell or injured, you may be struggling with the emotional impact of this as well. Injuries are often painful and can prevent you from sleeping well at night. This means they take even longer to heal so you may need to undertake some special exercises and treatment. Of course, this costs money, so you might ask a lawyer “have I got a no win no fee claim?” If you have, you can choose to proceed with this and seek to pursue a payout for the extra help you need.

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While you’re off work and trying not to spend too much money, try to keep your mind stimulated. You might welcome the extra time at home with your children. Become a supermum and enjoy all those moments you usually miss because you’re at work. You can experiment with new foods, learn to do new things like riding a scooter, or baking cookies. Both of you can spend those valuable hours reading books together and making the most of the quality time you have.

Of course, many of us are just stuck at home alone when we’re off work. It’s boring and can become quite isolating. Why not pick up old hobbies or start new ones? It’s important to keep yourself stimulated mentally. Challenge yourself to learn something new. You could take an online course, or learn to play a musical instrument. Make the most of each hour you have to yourself and indulge in a little pampering.

 

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If you have the time, why not spend it at the gym or sports centre? This can be a good way to build your confidence as well, especially when you’re job hunting all day every day. It’s also a good place to meet other people, so you don’t feel quite so isolated. Pick fun activities and classes that you know will do you good both mentally and physically. And a physical workout can feel just like work sometimes!

While many of us would love a few days off, not working at all can be boring and quite unpleasant. It can knock your confidence and leave you socially isolated. It’s still important to enjoy this time but put it to good use too. Give yourself a boost until you’re back on your feet.

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Summer is on the way and with it our need for new wardrobes, new tans, and new fresh energy levels. Our outlook on life is often elevated in the sunshine, as it allows us to express who we are and what we enjoy doing. We might even begin to plan our holidays around this period and become even more tanned than we are walking to work.

 

It also requires a different style of gift idea for those who have birthdays around this period. Making the most of the weather is surely a consideration when you’re buying your husband a present.

 

 

 

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It might have escaped you what the best summer gift ideas are until now, but never fear, this list will give you might fine inspiration for gifts any man would be happy to receive.

 

Track Day

 

What better way to get a man out of the house than to entice him with a track day? This way they’ll be able to enjoy driving around a professional race track with an expert driver in a car they could only dream of owning for the time being. This will surely help them release any testosterone on the track, and having a natural way to express that is important.

 

Just don’t be surprised if it’s all they talk about for weeks after.

 

Summer Wardrobe

 

Outfitting your man with a summer wardrobe is one of the more thoughtful gifts you can bestow upon them. Gifting them fresh and light threads will allow them to look great in the hot weather, especially if you go on holiday. Purchasing the clothes yourself can be difficult because sometimes you’re not certain what sizes he is and asking him gives away the surprise. Instead, utilizing online stores like the Stone Island sale will allow you to best pinpoint what he’d enjoy, make a wishlist, and then buy him a voucher to collect it.

 

Beach Wear

 

Beach wear is an important purchase for your husband. This is because all men, no matter who they are, universally have terrible tastes in swim shorts and sandals. Even fashion icons are likely to look goofy on a beach. It’s just the natural law of things. Apply some of your feminine charms and style him appropriately for your upcoming travels. Just be sure you don’t match, that’s no longer cute or cool.

 

Fresh Cologne

 

Buying fresh cologne is one of those gifts that benefits you as much as it does him. Having a great fragrance to sniff all day is a brilliant way for you to feel attracted to your husband, and for him to feel attractive. Opt for some of the more expensive items, it tends to last much longer than the cheaper products and smells absolutely divine.

 

A Fitbit

 

If you’d like your man to lose weight, a subtle way of suggesting he does is by buying a Fitbit. This will allow him the chance to try out his new tech toy and lose weight in the process. What’s better is it tracks how healthy your heart rate is, and that can motivate him into action like no nagging will.

 

Let´s be honest, men are always difficult to buy for but if you do well here, hopefully, you’ll have the sentiment returned when your birthday comes rolling around.

 

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It's safe to say that once in a while, nearly all of us like to treat ourselves. Some people simply have expensive taste - although if this sounds like you (or me), you probably prefer to think of it as merely enjoying the finer things in life! Of course, if you have the cash to splash, there's nothing really to worry about. However, lots of people are living beyond their means, spending money they don't have on things they can't afford. Sometimes, this results in them turning to questionable measures to fund such a habit, such as taking out precarious loans or borrowing money from family members. Both of these things can easily come back at bite you at some point down the line - but what do you do when you and your family have become accustomed to having nice things 24/7? Everyone wants to be able to cut a fine line between having a little bit of luxury, but not being in massive amounts of debt at the same time. Unsurprisingly, it's all about balance - and here are some ways you can achieve it.

Go crazy for economic swaps

So, you may have a penchant for the occasional luxury treat, be it a pricey designer dress or your favorite bottle of aged wine. But stop and think for a moment as to whether these things are in fact a necessity - and more importantly, whether there are any cheaper alternatives. You may find yourself shunning cheap wine on principle but take the time to try some before making that decision. You will probably find that some of them are quite nice -in fact, you may not be able to even taste the difference if you were to do a blind taste test! You can easily save hundreds in a year from swapping your £20 wine for a £7 alternative.

 

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Look out for vouchers

If you're not using vouchers or couponing yet, why aren't you?! Both have got a bit of a bad name in the media, but looking for discounts doesn't always mean you are tight with money. More often than not, it can simply mean that you are smart! Keep one eye on websites such as vouchercodespro.co.uk, as many major retailers regular post deals on such sites to entice customers. It isn't just physical things you get money off - many vacation providers also put offers on these types of websites, so you can even get that luxury holiday at a fraction of the original price.

Make some sacrifices

Think about what matters to you, and what you could cut back on to splurge elsewhere. For example, if eating good food at fancy restaurants is your thing, but you couldn't care less about the car you drive, ditch your expensive saloon for a more economical hatchback. The cost price AND the insurance will typically be much lower, meaning you will have more spare cash to spend on the things that really matter to you.

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