Year Of Thrift, Shopping Local....and CAKE!!

Everyone knows, #shoppingLocal is so important to me. 

On my way home on Thursday I popped in to a local sandwich shop called 'The Sandwich Shop' as I fancied some cake to go with a cup of coffee. 

Not only did I get super cakes but service with a smile too. This is precisely why my #Year of Thrift and Shopping Local such a pleasure. 

Not only am I sustaining a small local business rather than popping to a larger supermarket, I'm buying only what I want and need, I'm getting exellent produce and a sence of pride from helping the community.

If you are local up Darlington pop in a try some of their delicious goodies and if not, why not show them support by following them on Twitter. 

https://mobile.twitter.com/sandwichshopuk

Year of Thrift-You can even be thrifty in M&S!

Yes! You can even be thrifty in Marks & Spencer's.

I love the quality of M&S food but this year the cost out ways the need to buy it.

On a trip to purchase Sewing supplies this afternoon, we popped into M&S and decided to look at the reduced items. 

We need bread rolls anyway to accompany out Pulled Pork that we were having for our dinner and as they would have been the same price once reduce and in another shop, we were able to choose some. 

When you take the time to look and shop smart, you can buy your favorite foods but it take a little time and scheduling.

And my husband even purchased a dozen red roses for me, redeuced from £10.00-£2.50, Valentines day, just two days later! 

A Year of Thrift-shopping smart.

This week we have really shopped Smart. Spending vouchers we had for a book, buying meat in bulk and shopping for fabic that's needed for a curtain in a charity shop. 

We seceded to get the veggies at the local indoor market but as we had to buy the usual toilet rolls, washing up liquid etc we went to Aldi and purchase some of their fruit. I really believe in shopping local and saving small business but the last two weeks out citrus fruits went bad very quickly. All the rest of veg was super but felt it wasn't being thrifty to let food go off when a quick trip to Aldi was needed. I think thrifty is what ever you want it to be, if shopping at local markets isn't for you or you don't have a market in your town any more, the budget supermarkets are great. The same quality as the big supermarkets but half eye price and excellent (if not better) quality!

This weeks saving ment I could frequent my favorite charity shop where I got a vintage duvet cover to make some curtains for £1.00!, some lovely tin dishes for 50p, vintage table cloth for 50p and a book for £1.00! 

I also bought some knitted finger puppet in a book shop that 'needed' but bought them with a voucher that I was given. So all in all lots of lovely thing for not very much! 

This makes us a happy happy Family of #Thrift

Year of thrift and The veggie shop

Shopping this week at the local veggie shop, I noticed some shoppers appearing grumpy and the serving staff looking rushed. 

I felt determined to be happy to all I came across, if a smile in the direction of someone feeling stressed and confused helped them, it lifts my day too.

I think #Thrifty and  #ShopLocal is still so new to some and going back to basic, confusing that some people get stressed by it all. 

Being thrifty and #ShopLocal shouldn't be stressful for you. Maybe you haven't found your groove, maybe it's not quite working for you yet, but give it time & you will soon slip into a rhythm without even noticing it. 

The #YearOfThrift Rules

Realised this week I haven't added the Year of thrift Rules to the blog. 

My husband like to call them guidelines, I prefer to call them rules, I stick to them and perhaps is they were guidelines I might be tempted to cheat!

Rules

1. Be thrifty and enjoy it! (Coffee shops)carefully about every purchase.

2. DONT impulse buy-Bought in sales, second hand etc

3. Food bought locally from markets, farms and sustainable sources.

4. Learn new skills or trade our abilities 

5. Repair, reuse or recycle.  

6. New isn't bad, justify the longevity. 

7. Don't bulk buy-no stock piling or hoarding.

8. Give unneeded things to assist others thriftiness.

9.

10.

The reason why there are blank numbers is to encourage the 'experiment' to grow and continue. This isn't some thing new to us and I know we'll continue in the years to come.

Year of thrift-the Veggie shop

This week we went to a different independent veggie shop. I was astounded that all the veg, eggs and fruit for the week cost £4.80! 

If we'd bought it in a supermarket it world have cost £14.00 plus!! There's a saving of 60% just for heading to the highstreet, local business over an over crowded corporate brand. And the quality? AWESOME! 

Creative people are so friendly

A dear friend, Sharon made me a thread catcher bag this week. For some reason I've never had one and as a patchworker-they are a must! 

I've always said, all the best folk are kindly creatives!