Lifestyle Blogger
In collaboration with Archimedia Accounts
At Archimedia Accounts, we specialise in helping people and businesses make the most of their money, legally and safely, so they can enjoy life without financial stress.
When it comes to money, many of us feel stuck between two extremes – either you’re saving every penny and missing out on life, or you’re enjoying yourself but feeling guilty about not saving enough.
While minimalism has been doing the decor trends for a while, maximalism has been hot on its heels for the last few years and, with Ikea stating that 2022 is the year for a trend that they’ve termed ‘cluttercore’, the tides are finally turning against the less-is-more decor mindset.
Knowing your budget is the first place to start when it comes to trying to save any money. You need to know how much money you *can* save first. Simply jot down all your incomings and then take away all of your definite bills and you’ve got your disposable income that you can save, spend and invest.
I’ve got a really handy budgeting spreadsheet that I use and I’ve created a template of, with all the formulas in ready for you for you to create your own copy of and input your budget. I use the zero-budget method which means allocating every penny of your income to something. Whether that’s creating little pots for occasions that you know you need to spend on that month such as ‘TV License’ or ‘Mum’s birthday’ or even, suitable for this month, ‘Halloween costumes’. This way, you never end up wondering “where’s all my money gone?”.
By planning out your budget for the next two months and not wasting anything, I’m sure you can pop an extra £50, £100 or even more away into a pot for Christmas treats, last minute gifts or entertaining.
Check out some of my money diaries if you’re feeling nosey about my spending!
If you’ve got a spare half an hour after you’ve completed your budget above, look into what bills and outgoings you could potentially bring down. Could you shave £10 a week from your groceries bill, negotiate a different contract for your phone bill or cancel a TV subscription you’re not really using at the moment? You might even be able to save money with cheap broadband deals but it’s probably not a great time to try and switch your energy supplier so get the hot water bottles out!
November is a great time to start making a list of things you’ll need to buy for Christmas and picking things up as you see them, to spread the cost, or shopping around for the best deals. Make a list for presents, extra bits like any decorations, jumpers or cards and a separate list for your food and drinks.
Then, you’re in the perfect place to start shopping about. Try eBay, charity shops and Depop for second hand Christmas jumpers for the whole family (I’ve got a second hand haul coming up for you very soon, actually!), scour the reduced sections for party food you can pop in the freezer for that Boxing Day spread and make sure you’ve got your gift list handy when the Black Friday deals roll around. This way you know you’re buying things that you need and you can try and get them for less, too. I’m always on the look out for yellow-sticker sausage rolls on the lead up to Christmas – stock up the freezer for less and your December 25th food bill will thank you.
There’s a few reminders for little money saving hacks and tricks that we can all forget about from time to time (myself included!). Hope they help! Let me know your favourite money saving tips in the comments.
1. Cosy in the City
I’m sure this one’s already on everyone’s list of activities to do as travel restrictions are opening up. Visiting new cities, exploring their museums, art galleries, having tasty coffees and artisan sandwiches – I’ve just explained one of my favourite weekend activities whilst seeking out new cities. Check out our recent adventures in Shoreditch and my most recent London food diary. I love to create Reels of these adventures on my Instagram.
On my list to visit are definitely Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow and anywhere in Cornwall – there’s lots on my to-see list in terms of city breaks. Other cosy cities that I really love that we have visited are places like Krakow and Berlin (seriously good for brunch).
2. Sporting Goods
Heading to a sports game can be such a fun and different thing to do as a couple. Something such as the Autumn Internationals could be an amazing day out. Exciting sport, a few drinks, heading out for some dinner after the match – what could be better? We’ve recently been to rugby union matches and I can often attend ice hockey matches with my current job which make really fun and different nights out.
Lots of sports venues now have great indoor spaces, bars and dining plus half-time drinks and a place to warm up in between the action.
3. Get skilled
A really fun date for either an early date or when you’ve been with your partner for a while in the depths of autumn could be to learn a new skill together. How about pie-making, beer-tasting or even pumpkin picking with some flower arranging? Learning something creative and fun such as wreath making can set you in good stead for the festive season.
There are three ideas to make your autumn weekends even more fun and packed with memory-making activities.
Gift buying can often be tricky. Whether you are buying for a significant other, family member or friend, it can be tricky to find a present that they not only love but is also meaningful.
The brand new ‘crazy golf for adults’ venue in George Street, Hockley is 100% LadBible fodder, a prime stag event venue and perfect for student Instagram accounts. Glory Holes is very try hard and badly done. The staff are all out there to ‘shock’, including the security staff playing down their Covid rules and the manager wearing his mask around his chin whilst saying ‘grab a ball from my sack’. I’m eye-rolling even writing this.
It feels like they’ve been to a props shop and a sex shop blindfolded (not advisable), grabbed a load of crap and stuck it together in a random but *hole themed* order. They must have had a two for one offer on fake gold chains as they were laid over donkeys and stormtroopers all over the shop. It’s super tacky, felt very grubby and is actually pretty awful crazy golf. But, I’m guessing it’s not actually meant to be good for crazy golf, it’s a place to go and pose with dildos on the wall on your Instagram story and never visit again. If you’re into that kind of thing.
It was also excruciatingly loud and impossible to get drinks once you’ve started going around. I guess it was ‘fun’ to do something different with friends and to laugh about quite how terrible it was but we wouldn’t revisit. We were paying customers and the whole experience cost £40 plus drinks – of which they didn’t have any of the choices that I ordered and definitely didn’t feel worth it. The golfing holes were set out really badly towards the beginning and the end as people were walking all over other people’s parties and getting in each other’s way as around 3 holes overlap.
If you actually want to play crazy golf in Nottingham city centre, head to the Cornerhouse and Lost City Adventure Golf which is actually well planned out, fun and suitable for all ages.
One thing’s for certain, we’ve all had to switch and jiggle the way we do special events and celebrations over the past year. Last Mother’s Day was just before major lockdown 1 and we managed to get out for a nice big walk (before even that became illegal) with L’s mum. My mum, on the other hand lives 160 miles away and I’ve only seen her once in the past year, which massively sucks so it’s been all about the postman delivering her each and every treat, card and birthday surprise.
This Mother’s Day, we still can’t do the usual big roast dinner or lovely meal out with either party so it’s time to get creative. That’s where Moonpig’s huge range of Mother’s Day gifts come in so, so handy. Moonpig are here to help us all celebrate our mother figures whoever it is!
As well as your classic bouquets of flowers which a lot of mums love, they have an amazing range of other gifts and experiences that you can order for your mum, or other loved mother figure in your life. They’re super easy to buy from the comfort of you sofa, home office, daily walk – wherever using the Moonpig app or website. I usually buy my mum flowers for her birthday so I wanted to do something a bit different for Mother’s Day this year and send her some delicious tea and treats. I know how much she loves a sit down with a cuppa and a biscuit so this Cartwright & Butler Good Morning Gift Box is packed full of deliciousness and is perfect. Moonpig also offer the Tea & Bubbles hamper if your favourite lady loves a bit of Prosecco.
Alongside your classic gifts like personalised cards, chocolates, Mother’s Day flowers and experience days for when we can all get out and about together again there’s lots of beauty and skincare gifts to treat your mum with too. The Sanctuary Spa hamper is packed full of self-care specialities and the This Work Evening Detox Set is a spa-day in a box.
Moonpig understand that Mum’s aren’t a one-size-fits-all and neither are Moonpig gifts! They have so many options from afternoon tea, spa days to your classic floral bouquets and even Letterbox gifts which are perfect if your mum works and isn’t at home during the day. There’s a massive range of gifts and it’s the perfect lockdown way to brighten your mum’s lockdown Mother’s Day.
Keeping your home organised and tidy can be a super tedious task. However, innovative storage solutions can significantly improve the look of any clutter and then the feel of your home. I know, when my home is tidier I definitely feel calmer. The key is to adapt your storage solutions around your lifestyle and make it practical for you. There’s no point having tonnes of storage crates if your most used things are kept at the bottom, right?
(If you want to!)
It is a fact that a lot of us ended up putting our self-improvement goals on hold during 2020, as the Coronavirus pandemic and a string of lockdowns meant that we were mostly focused on getting by, instead of taking big steps forward. However, with the past year firmly in our rear-view mirrors, it’s time to get back in the driving seat and think about how you can reach those goals in 2021. Here are a few simple steps to help you get started – even if the year does look pretty bleak at the moment.
The gift of time. Who wouldn’t like a few more hours in the day? We all could use that. Sometimes when we’re so busy, our health, wellbeing and self care can slip to the side just because of the effort that it can sometimes take to get small health issues sorted. You don’t want to bother anyone with your suspected ailment, the doctors are understandably very busy so you just avoid it until it goes away, right? So, what if you could check out this at home before you start to sit on hold and wait for an appointment?
This is where TestCard comes in, this discreet UTI Test Kit allows you to carry out an accurate, low-cost urine test from the comfort of your own home. A postcard-sized card delivered to your door with a super simple step-by-step process and easy to understand results on the accurate smartphone app. Take control of your own health on your time and terms.
TestCard is a simple pouch holding a set of test strips which act like a dip-stick. Paired with a handy app, it provides immediate, medical grade test results from the comfort of your own home. So, how does it work? When you take a TestCard urinary tract infection test, the results screen indicates a clear yes or no and tells you if you need to seek medical advice. There’s no medical jargon or complicated numbers. The results are completely private and secure, you’re the only person who can decide if you want to share them with your doctor. Your doctor can then use the detailed numbers and analysis that sits behind the app to decide how best to help you.
Find the TestCard app on the App Store. Have your TestCard test kit ready. You’ll also need a clean container to collect your urine sample. Tear open the pouch and hold theUTI Test Strips at the top and then use your camera to scan the QR code.
Take the Test! Dip the testing strip into your sample briefly. Ensure the strip is wet above all of the squares but below the ‘max wet’ line.
Scan the strip. While holding the testing strip at the top, scan using the app. Align the strip to the blue guides on the screen.
Your result is ready! And you can choose to share your results with a health professional if you want to. Speeding up your route to treatment.
