Paypal Cashback Deal

A reader just got in touch with me to tell me about this amazing deal. Sign up to today's Gumtree Daily Deal and recieve £10 cashback for any £15 transaction using Paypal. Amazing value for money that makes thrifting sense to me.

Freebies: Free Race Day for Armed Forces

On Sunday 20th November, 2011, Exeter Racecourse are holding a FREE race day for members of the armed forces. There are 2000 free places available on a first come, first served basis. The event, which is a fundraiser for Help For Heroes, has been named the BAFFTAS (The British Armed Forces Families Thanks & Awareness Sunday). More information on the event is available at The East Midlands Reserve Forces Website.

Families are welcome to accompany members and each free entry will be entitled to bring a guest for just £7.50 (half-price) and children under 17 years will have free entry too. There will be six races to watch and many other activities to participate in.

To reserve free tickets (subject to availability) or take advantage of pre-booking discounts, book online via Exeter Racecourse using promotion code EXEH4HNOV20. Military ID or British Legion Membership will then have to be presented with ticket on arrival to guarantee free entry.

The Thrift-Queen recommends as it's free and for a worthwhile cause.

Make Your Own: Bath Oils

At this time of year there is nothing I love more than a relaxing hot bath. Unfortunately this means I tend to go through bubble bath by the bucket load. So why not get thrifty and make your own bath oils.

Wait until you have a nearly empty bottle of perfume (I usually have a few of these hanging around because I can't bear to throw away such beautiful bottles). Aftershave would work for a more masculine scent. Then prise open the lid, fill with baby oil, replace the lid and shake.

Next time you fancy a bath, add a few drops to the running water and relax. Stylish and eco-friendly, a Thrift-Queen favourite.

Freebies: Freecycle: A How To Guide

Following the success of a previous Thrift-Queen post on how to buy on eBay [Thrift-Queen's eBay Buying Tips and Tricks], I had had a request to write a How To guide for Freecycle, which, once you get to get grips with, will become a major asset to your every day life.

Freecycle.org is one of my favourite thriftful websites. It is an eco-friendly, convenient, and money saving site, that allows the user to keep their house junk free. Winner! Freecycle groups work by matching people who have items they want to get rid of with people who can use them. The only catch being you have to collect the item from the person offering it.

Getting started can be a trifle confusing, but follow my simple step by step guide and you'll be Freecycling in no time.

Joining

• Freecycle is a Yahoo Group, so you have to apply to have access to the group. To ease the application process, I'd recommend opening an email account and registering with Yahoo.
  
• Next, visit Yahoo's homepage and click on Groups, which will be listed down the left hand side.
  
• A search bar will open, allowing you to search for the Freecycle group you wish to join. Freecycle groups are divided according to area, the results will show you if there is a more than one choice for your area. There are no restrictions on the number of groups joined.
• Type in "Freecycle" followed by the area, i.e the town you live in, and then click on your chosen result.
• At this point you should click to join group and then a) amend contact info: choose which email address you would like messages to be sent. It doesn't have to be your Yahoo one; and b) select your choice of message delivery. I hate for my inbox to be filled with Freecycle messages so always opt for the web view only option.
• Your request may not get approved right away. Sometimes it has to go through the group mediator first.

Using

All items posted on Freecycle must be legal and free. You can give items away or OFFER, which must be followed up with a TAKEN post (when collected). You can also ask for a specific item by posting a WANTED message. This should be followed up with a RECEIVED post.

Once you are a member of the group you will then be able to see the message postings. You are usually required to offer an item before you can request one, but make sure to read all the rules and requirements.

Your Freecycle group homepage will give you the option of Messages or Post. Click Messages to view what is being offered and click Post to post a message. A specific subject line format is expected when posting messages and messages might be deleted if this is not adhered to. The format is ACTION: Item (Area). For example:

OFFER: Drum kit (Bournemouth)
TAKEN: Drum kit (Bournemouth)

and
   
WANTED: Ear plugs (Whitley Bay)
RECEIVED: Ear plugs (Whitley Bay)

 
The post, or message, should then outline what you have/want, a brief description of the item, where you live and collection time preferences (if any). If you see an offered item that you would like, make sure you respond as quickly as possible as some Freecycle members operate on a first come first served basis. When you post an offered item, it is up to you how much time you allow people to respond. I usually wait 24 hours to make it more fair. It is also up to you to choose who to give your item to, but bear this in mind when responding to another members' offer. A sentence of why you want the item can help your chances of being chosen.

If I have missed anything, or not explained myself clearly feel free to leave a comment on this post or send me an email to thrift-queen@hotmail.co.uk and I will try my best to help. Good luck and happy Freecycling!

An Egg-cellent Tip

 

I do a lot of baking and cooking with egg separates. I tend to use egg whites for making meringues or egg-white omelets and egg yolks for baking biscuits or cakes. In doing so, I throw away the part of the egg that's not needed - not very thrifty at all. So you can imagine my delight when discussing this with a friend, I find out that you can freeze the egg separates! Simply freeze in a suitable container and then when needed defrost in the fridge, bring to room temperature and cook. An egg-citing tip that the Thrift-Queen can't wait to try.

Chipped crockery? No problem...

I love pretty mugs, teapots, cups and saucers, so it always saddens me when they get chipped or develop hairline cracks. But thanks to my thrifty solution, there is no need to throw them away. 

Reuse them and make your own pretty planters for your kitchen window, in just four easy steps. 

1. Place some gravel in the bottom of your cup/ teapot to allow for a bit of drainage if you happen to over water.
2. Add a small amount of potting soil or compost. If using a teapot remember to put some up the spout. A handle of a wooden spoon is a useful device to help push this down.
3. Loosen your chosen plant from its pot (my plant preference would be a beautiful smelling herb such as oregano), and plant in your new planter.
4. Add some more potting soil or compost around the top of the plant and compress. Remember to water and hey presto.

Fruit-tea (fruity) Fresh

Instead of buying expensive drawer liners or lavender pouches to keep your clothes smelling clean and fresh, get thrifty and pop a fruit flavoured tea bag in the drawer. The fruity fragrance will infuse beautifully into your clothes and you'll save yourself money in the process. Thrift-Queen winner! This purse friendly solution also works well with peppermint tea bags in smelly shoes.

Freebies: The Sun Newspaper - FREE LEGO!

The Thrift-Queen's top tip for this week: every day The Sun newspaper is giving away a free Lego toy on purchase of the paper. It started on Saturday with a star wars Lego set and suffice to say I had a very happy five year old child. Yes, it meant lowering my standards considerably [in buying The Sun], but free Lego? Yes please!

Alphabet Accessory

 

When your child has outgrown their alphabet building blocks, why not re-use their forgotten treasures to make your own unique and thrifty word displays. You could spell out 'Noel' for the mantelpiece at Christmas, or use them for a feature in your bathroom with the word 'Relax' spelt out. Display words can be quite expensive in the shops so save yourself money and make your home style-savvy.

Thrifty Winter Warmers

Asda are now selling their own brand slow cookers for a mere £9. An absolute snip, and a must for any bargain hunting, time-conscious cooks. Imagine coming home from a long day at work, to a tasty, nutritious and hot home cooked meal. Sound good? Then invest you should.

Slow cookers use only the electricity of a light bulb and their moist-heat system make it perfect for cooking all your favourite winter warmers including, soups; stews; casseroles and curries.

Judith Finlayson, author of The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes and Delicious & Dependable Slow Cooker Recipes claims slow cookers really can save you money. "The slow cooker is the perfect appliance for a recession. It performs best with the less expensive cuts of meat and does a fabulous job with inexpensive staples such a root vegetables, lentils and beans. So people can cut back on their food budgets, while producing delicious, nutritious food." Sounds like a winner to me, thriftful living and value for money at it's best.