Last week I gave you Healthy Eating part 1, and now I have even more tips for you! I seem to have picked up a lot of these things when I’ve been on my big budget challenges and just generally trying to save money. As I said last week a lot of people think its extremely expensive to eat healthily but as long as you shop smart there’s no reason why it has to be.

I honestly believe that healthy eating begins with what you put in your trolley. If you don’t buy crap your not going to eat crap!

Look in the reduced sections

I always check out the reduced sections to see what’s on offer. The ASDA near where I work always has some great things in their fruit and veg reduced section, most of the stuff still has a good few day’s left in them as well. I’ve also started checking out the reduced bin at my green grocers which has lots of bags of older or bruised fruit and veggies in bags for 50p or 20p. These are fab for using in smoothies, juices or soups. You can also often pick up some good deals on reduced organic meat and fish which you can then freeze. Some supermarkets only reduce things after a certain time, so it might be worth shopping later at night if your looking for bargains.

Use keep fresh bags

Lakeland and probably other shops as well, sell green ‘keep fresh’ bags. These are bags that you can store your fruit and veggies in the fridge and they stay fresher for longer. I’ve been using these successfully for a few months and they are handy if you can only shop for fresh stuff once or twice a week. They work very well with greens and fresh herbs. I rinse out and reuse the bags a couple of times too.

Eat seasonally

I’m such a big fan of eating as seasonally as possible, I tend to feel so much more in tune everything that way. It is a bit difficult when so much produce is air freighted in, but generally when you are buying seasonally you are getting the cheapest stuff. I would love to buy more locally but often what is on offer is the stuff that has been shipped in and I think you need to weight up the pro’s and con’s for yourself on that one.

Look for cheap swaps

Some recipes can require expensive ingredients but many of these can be swapped for something cheaper and still taste great. For example:

• Kale, usually £1 for a 200g bag where I shop can be swapped for spring greens, usually £1 or less for a 500g bag
• Raisins tend to be cheaper than dates
• Peanut butter cheaper than almond butter
• Sunflower seeds cheaper than a lot of other nuts but can be used in a similar way depending on the recipe (they make a great ‘nut’ milk instead of almonds)

Think outside the box and you can still make more expensive recipes on a leaner budget.

Meal Plan, but be flexible

I’ve blogged before about how much I love meal planning. I find it the best way to cut down on food waste and be generally organised as well as ensuring I’m getting the nutrients I need. More recently though, I have been trying to take a more flexible approach to meal planning which allows me to take advantage of buying that last minute reduced fruit or on offer packet of veggies. Most meals can be tweeked if you need to change up the veggies last minute and fruit can often be changed with something else depending on the recipe. I find that this allows me to have the benefits of meal planning but still be able to take advantage of the last minute deals that help you save money.

Do it yourself

Doing it yourself when it comes to certain things can save you a fortune! I’ll admit I have some expensive tastes when it comes to things like nut butters, snack bars, raw crackers, salad dressings etc. However most of these can be made at home if you have a food processor. Even my cheap £30 model can make amazing raw nut butters like the ‘rawtella’ pictured above for a fraction of the price you would pay in the shops or online. This also extends to things like making your own baked goods and soups – almost always cheaper with the added benefit that you know exactly what’s in them, no nasty preservatives!

Eat less meat

I’m not just saying this cause I’m a veggie but good quality meat is pricey! Even before I became veggie I was cutting down on my meat because it was so expensive. What I’ve found with some of James meals is that I now replace the meat with Quorn. You can also try experimenting with cheaper cuts of meat or using beans or tofu instead of meat in some of your meals. Try frozen edamame in a stir fry instead of chicken for example. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing if you don’t want it to be.

Buy in bulk

Going back to a tip from part 1, when you know what your grocery staples are it makes it easier to know when its worth buying in bulk. When I see something like my favourite non dairy milks on offer I always buy a few cartons because I know that they will get used up. I always buy the huge 3kg bags of pasta because James eats a ton of the stuff. It really does help you save, as well as cutting down how much you have to purchase on a more regular basis.

Use discounts effectively

As well as supermarket discount and points schemes, a lot of online health food retailers have discount codes knocking about (see my sponsor section to the right for just a few!). It is well worth using these strategically. I’ll try and hold off buying ‘health foods’ for a while and then place a big Goodness Direct order so I can get the discount off and get £35 of goods for £25. I also save all of my loyalty card points during the year to spend on a big Christmas shop!

Whole foods first

Finally, I think the most important thing to remember when it comes to healthy eating on the cheap is not to get too hung up on special ‘health foods’. Yes they are fun to experiment with and can give you that extra sparkle but whole foods are where its at! You are far better spending money on good quality whole foods like fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes and good quality diary, fish and meat (if you eat them) than spending a fortune on special health foods. Get the foundations right with an every day whole foods diet first and then, if you can afford it, try out the special health foods like protein powders, super food powders etc.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these healthy eating on the cheap posts! Part 1 can be found here along with On the cheap: Exercise and On the cheap: Beauty.

What are your healthy eating on the cheap top tips?

I’ve blogged a couple of times before about healthy eating on the cheap as part of my Big Budget Challenges. What I’ve come to realise is that my spending on food is probably the most flexible area of my finances in which I can make savings. I’ve decided to split this into two posts because I have so much I’d like to share, so part 2 will be coming up next week.

This is actually the first month in a while that I’ve kept to a £200 monthly budget! I said at the start of the month that I needed to make some serious changes, and unfortunately to be able to keep to that budget I had to stop my organic veg box delivery. If I could afford to eat organic all the time of course I would, but I’ve had to do some prioritising recently and in order to get things back on track while being able to have and do the things I want (such as paying for my tattoo) I’ve had to sacrifice other things. I still buy organic at the supermarket when I can afford it.

A lot of people seem to think its very expensive to eat healthily and even more costly when you start to factor in organic, vegan and raw foods. I’ve come to the conclusion that you have to be willing to invest in your health. Unfortunately, until a government comes along that actually gives a damn and is willing to stand up to big corporations, processed foods are generally going to be cheaper than healthier foods, especially organic. However, it is still possible to eat amazingly delicious, healthy and soul nourishing foods on a reasonable budget which I hope is something I show through this blog!

Here’s some of the things I’ve learned when it comes to healthy eating grocery budgeting:

Know your staples

I often re evaluate what my grocery staples are, the things that I buy week in and week out. When I know what my staples are this makes it easier for me to know when to buy in bulk and when its worth shopping about for the best deal. My staples for me and James include:

• spinach
• other greens (romaine, kale, cabbage etc)
• apples (I eat an obscene amount of apples!)
• lemons
• mushrooms
• carrots
• cucumbers
• celery
• courgettes
• broccoli
• skimmed milk
• green tea
• PJ tips (the only tea James will drink!)
• passata
• tuna
• frozen quorn products
• frozen berries
• porridge oats
• pasta
• brown rice

As I know that these are the things we buy the most of I can make sure I buy in bulk when possible and take advantage of any deals on these products because I know they will get used up. Try making a list of your grocery staples and then (see next point) find out where the cheapest place to buy them from is.

Shop around

One of the big things I discovered doing the Big Budget Challenge was the value in shopping around for the best deals. I shop in different places for different products. I know that I can get the cheapest and best range of produce from my green grocers but because its in the centre of town I can only get there once a week so I also go to Aldi for their ‘super 6’ deals (6 fruit and vegetables at very low prices that change each week). I know that Tesco seems to be the best place to buy bulk dried beans and nuts for the best price. I know that Sainsbury's sells a great range of frozen fruits on a 3 for £5 deal. For more unusual health foods I tend to do a price comparison looking at my health food store, Holland and Barrat, Goodness Direct and for some things iHerb to establish the best place to get things. I also sometimes go to my local farm shop for organic fruit, veg and eggs.

Prioritise

I think its especially difficult, particularly when it comes to ‘health foods’ to know what its worth investing your money in. I’ve fallen in to the trap of spending ridiculous amounts of money on different powders and potions, but now that I’ve had my fun experimenting I know which of these specialist products work for me and therefore I’m able to prioritise what I choose to spend my money on. I love super foods like maca, spirulina and barley grass powder but I can’t afford to buy all of them. I feel that I get the most benefits from maca, so I choose to only buy that now. Even when it comes to more everyday purchases I think its worth prioritising according to what you are going to get the best use of, especially when your getting to the end of the month and funds are low. This week I had £10 left and even though I had a big list I prioritised spinach, apples, pears, lemons, mushrooms and milk, the other things I need have to wait until pay day!

Cook from scratch whenever possible

Before I started blogging I very rarely cooked anything from scratch. Now I think its the best thing you can do for your health and your budget! It may seem a bit daunting at first, but if I can do it anyone can. When your cooking meals from scratch your saving money on processed foods and because you tend to be using whole ingredients your eating healthier almost by default. Soups, curries, stews and chilli's can all be made in bulk and frozen for mid week meals. Chemical and preservative free baked treats can also be made at home and enjoyed straight away or frozen. Another way I’ve saved is by cooking my grains and beans from scratch too. I put some time to one side at the weekend and cook up a big pot of my ‘grain of the week’ and some beans (which can also be cooked and then frozen). I thought that cooking beans would be a faff but its so simple, all it requires is a little forethought so that you remember to soak them the night before. They taste a lot better than tinned beans too!

Don’t be a snob ;-)

I’ll admit I used to be a bit of a snob when it came to shopping in some places like Aldi and Lidl and would never have bought products from supermarkets ‘basics’ ranges. Now I shop in those places all of the time and regularly buy things from the cheaper supermarket ranges. My favourite ‘basics’ products I get from Sainsbury's (I’ll go on a bit about Sainsbury’s because its my most local supermarket) include bags of courgettes, cartons of chopped tomatoes and bags of frozen berries.

Compare the cost per weight prices

One of the things I figured out more recently was making sure I look at the cost per weight prices for fruit and vegetables. As the biggest portion of my budget goes on produce its worth taking the time to get this out. Often you will see 1 kg bags of carrots for £1 then check the loose carrots and see that their cost per kg is actually less than £1 so your better off just filling up your own bag. Generally, the loose produce is cheaper than the pre bagged or packed up stuff.

So that’s only half of the tips I have for you, more to come next week! You can see the other posts in the ‘On the cheap’ series – exercise and beauty – here. 

What are your grocery staples? Do you shop around for the best offers? How do you prioritise?

Now a beauty blogger I am not, but I thought as part of my ‘On the cheap’ blog series I’d take a quick look at the topic because over the last few months I’ve made some changes to my beauty routine, not only towards more natural products but also towards cheaper and greener options, as well as trying to spend my money more wisely!

Start from the inside out

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I firmly believe that you need to start from the inside out when it comes to beauty. As your skin, hair and nails are affected by what you eat and drink it makes sense to me that you address things there before you start spending £££ on expensive lotions and potions. A generally good diet filled with fruit and vegetables, plenty of water and healthy fats such as nuts, seeds and avocado will mean that you give your beauty regime a massive head start. There has even been research that shows how eating fruit and vegetables makes you glow!

Look in your kitchen

I can remember when I was a young teenager I used to love playing about in the kitchen making natural facemasks using mashed banana, honey and oats and using teabags and cucumber on my eyes, but daft as it may sound it really works! I use a lot of items from my kitchen in my beauty regime now– here’s my favourites:

Coconut oil as a facial moisturiser – I started using extra virgin organic coconut oil as a moisturiser on an evening and it is fantastic! I had worried that it would leave my skin greasy but the oil is completely absorbed and makes my skin glow! I just use a small amount and melt it between my hands before massaging into my face.

Sugar and oil as a body exfoliator – I mix granulated sugar with plain olive oil (not the expensive EVOO) and use it as a body scrub. I sometimes add a couple of drops of sweet orange oil or lavender oil for a nicer smell. You can also use rock salt but I find that too abrasive for my skin.

Nut milk pulp as a facial exfoliator – When I’ve made a batch of nut milk I sometimes use the pulp as an exfoliator for my face. Its amazing and leaves my skin so soft and silky smooth, especially when using almonds! You can also wrap the nut pulp in a muslin bag with some lavender and let it sit in your bath water to help soften your skin.

Apple cider vinegar as a toner – when my last toner ran out I decided to try using raw apple cider vinegar. I diluted it with filtered water in a 1:4 ratio and keep it in a little plastic bottle from Muji. It doesn’t smell great but it does a good job of removing any excess Ultrabland or make up that remains after cleansing my face and I hardly ever get any breakouts.

I also like honey as a face mask and banana mashed with oats makes a great face mask / exfoliator as well. The great thing about these is that they are not only cheap but are very environmentally friendly too.

Decide what your ‘beauty priorities’ are

As I’m on a limited budget I’ve had to decide what products to splurge on and which ones to save on. There’s a couple of key products that are so essential for me I always try and invest in the best quality and can afford and then save on the rest. At the moment my ‘splurge’ items are:

Day moisturiser – I want a good organic, chemical nasties free moisturiser that has an SPF in it and currently I love Green People’s Daily SPF Moisturiser:

Eyebrow powder – I have very fair and sparse eyebrows so a good eyebrow powder is essential for me. Currently I’m loving Benefits Brow zings:

Lipstick – I’m pretty much obsessed with my fave red lips so I invest in good products that won’t end up being smeared all over my face ;-) I have MAC in Russian Red and for day time Korres liquid lipstick in raspberry.

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For other products I follow these tips…

Buy multi use products

Products that have multi uses such as lip / eye / cheek sticks etc can be really useful and a good saving on buying separate products. I also include under this heading things like eye shadow palettes. I adore my Urban Decay Naked Palette because you can create so many looks with it and it lasts for ages!

Buy in bulk when on offer

I’m always looking out for offers on my favourite products and when I see them on a BOGOF or a 3 for 2 I try and stock up.

Switch from cleansing wipes to face cloths

Late last year I stopped buying make up wipes and started using Lush’s Ultrabland cleanser and using washable cotton face cloths instead. I got a few plain face cloths for about 99p each and I just wash them all at the end of the week. I was spending lots on the packs of face wipes and the cream cleanser I needed to use afterwards because they weren’t taking all my make up off properly, and this works much better for my skin and saves me money!

Other little things I do to save cash on beauty include colouring my hair at home rather than getting it done at the salon, doing my own manicures and pedicures, shaving rather than getting a wax – a lot of things that most of you will probably also do as well of course!

Do you have any thrifty beauty tips? What products are you prepared to save on and which do like like to have a splurge on?

As one of my big goals right now is to reign in my spending I thought it would be interesting to do a short blog series looking at how you can be healthy, fashionable and fantastic on the cheap! First up, exercise…

Its not all about the gym!

I’m pretty lucky with my gym membership which costs me £27 a month which I don’t think is that bad. My gym is only 5 minutes from my door, and parking is free so I’m not wasting any extra cash on additional mileage or parking. All of my classes are included in my membership too.

Although the gym can be great, especially in the winter months, there’s still a lot of exercise that you can do without having to lay out a monthly fee:

Running

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All you really need is some decent trainers, a good sports bra and some suitable clothing and your set. If your new to running you can find lots of Couch to 5K plans online to get you started, as well as longer distance running plans. I think running really is one of the best cheapest form of exercise as long as you build up slowly to protect yourself from injury. You can even enter races on the cheap, Park Run organise free timed 5ks in parks across the country and many races take place at a low cost when you fundraise for a good cause.

DVD’s

There are an absolute mind boggling number of workout DVD’s out there for almost every form of exercise you can think of. Amazon is always a good place to start but don’t forget to compare prices on other websites too. If your looking for variety and don’t want to spend too much how about doing a regular DVD swap with your friends? Some Libraries even loan out DVD’s as well.

Magazine workouts

Lots of magazines include workouts you can cut out and try at home. If you don’t even want to fork out on the cost of a magazine check out their websites as many of them include workouts on their websites as well. My fave online magazine sites include US Women’s Health, Health and Fitness Magazine (check out their downloadable Body Shape Plan) and Ultra Fit (you can find all their workouts here)

You Tube

Detox Flow workout

I’m just starting to discover the wonder that is You Tube, I think its one of the best sources of free fitness inspiration available! You can find video workouts for all kinds of exercise, my current favourite being yoga. My favourite You Tube channels are Blogilates, Body Rock and Tara Stiles. I now have my own You Tube Channel which I’m going to use to share with you workouts I’ve done at home (as well as the possibility of vlogs in the future!) you can find it here! 

Podcasts

I am a huge fan of podcasts such as those available from Yoga Download. Many of the 20 minute podcasts are free. You just sign up, download the audio file and PDF pose guide and your good to go!

Phone Apps

As well as podcasts there are now loads of free and low price phone apps you can download. My favourites are Run Keeper, iFitness, Fitness Pro and the Gymboss interval timer

Pinterest

Something I’ve started to notice more and more are the number of workouts being posted on Pinterest. Some of these require a gym or equipment but a lot of them you can do at home and using your own body weight. Here’s a great example:

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Check out the fitness pages of Pinterest for more inspiration!

Bloggers

Of course lest we forget that many bloggers will post details of their workouts – Fitnessista has some awesome workouts on her blog and many bloggers are personal trainers so they know what they’re talking about! I’ve even posted a fun ‘As good as the gym’ workout!

What is your favourite cheap form of exercise?

I probably don’t do enough posts on home style and interior design, its actually a real passion of mine! I’m not writing this post claiming that I have the most stylish home in the world because I certainly don’t, but I am happy with the little touches I have made to make our home more ‘us’, and by ‘us’ I mean ‘me’ ;-) Of course all of these little touches have been made on a budget!

Just to give you a bit of background, we live in a one bedroom flat that we own. We’d love to move somewhere bigger, but due to the housing market being rubbish we are happy to stay here for now. I actually adore our little piece of the world :-) Since we moved in 5 years ago I’ve picked up some great tips which I think have helped us to create what I think is a pretty stylish yet functional home on a budget.

Think outside of the box

I actually owe this tip to James! He is excellent at seeing how things can be used in a way different to their intended purpose. Here’s a great example:

This is a wooden shoe rack that you can pick up very cheaply in any DIY store. Here it is after its had the James and Laura treatment:

I wanted some shelving in my kitchen and it was James who suggested using these. It was only recently that I decided to paint them a bright yellow. We have two of these on our kitchen counter tops – one is a bit of a tea making area and the other has jars with flours and grains in them. I think they provide excellent stylish storage extremely cheaply. I just used two little tester pots of emulsion paint for less than £5 to brighten them up.

We also have a small wood dinning table and chairs in our living room that’s really an outdoor dinning set that we picked up for £30. We also use a free standing kitchen unit as additional storage under our counter:

We got that from Argos in a sale half price, its the best thing in the kitchen! That’s an old pic – now I use it to store my dehydrator too.

Look every where for inspiration

Like with fashion, I do love some inspiration! My favourite interiors magazines are Living Etc and Elle Decoration although to save some cash you can check out their websites instead of buying the magazines. Of course Pinterest is pretty amazing when it comes to affordable ideas to add some style and personality to your space. Here’s just a couple of my favourites:

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Cork board used to store and display necklaces and jewellery

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embroidery hoops with printed fabric as art work

I’ve even been inspired when I’ve been out and about in shops and cafe’s. Here’s a photo I took in Tic Toc cafe in Brighton:

I loved the patch work prints of wall paper and decided to recreate that style very cheaply with our screen (which hides our workout equipment). Those are just wall paper samples I picked up from a DIY shop for free!

Embrace a mix and match style

As much as I like certain decorating styles I don’t have the budget or the space to recreate them. What I have done is embrace a mix and match style. Instead of wishing that we could afford matching furniture and accessories we’ve just gone all out mix and match!

Get creative

If your prepared to get a bit creative there’s loads of things you can make to add a little something special to your space. Canvases like these are easy to find and very cheap. You can create a wonderful piece of art work on a budget with a canvas and some paint. If your not sure on what to paint look at other prints and designs online and in magazines. I painted this canvas for our kitchen based on a tea towel design!

I just used a tester pot of emulsion for the base and some acrylic paints for the design. I love the individuality it adds to our kitchen! I also made some affordable art work for our living room using free wallpaper samples from a DIY store:

I really liked the style of the ‘feature wall’ where one wall is papered but it wouldn’t really work in our space, nor could we have afforded it. Instead I framed this scrap of wallpaper to create a piece of very cheap art work. You could make a display with even more impact by grouping together several frames in different styles with the same paper or frames of the same style with different prints in them.

Go for a neutral background if possible

When decorating the fixed features of a home and your on a budget I think its worth sticking to a neutral scheme. Firstly, because you can pick up white or beige paint cheaper than other colours but also because it gives you more freedom when it comes to the other components of your room. You can add lots of colour and texture using accessories which you can change fairly cheaply when you want a different style.

Work with what you have

When we moved into the flat the two things I disliked were the green carpet in the bedroom and the light blue bathroom suite. We couldn’t afford to change them at the time, so I tried to work with them.

Old pic of the bedroom before we redecorated and got rid of the horrible carpet!

In the bedroom I used some green cushions in different shades to complement the carpet and in the bathroom we tried to keep all other features as neutral as possible. We’ve since been able to change the bedroom carpet but we can’t afford to have the bathroom done, however now that we have painted some of the wood work white and added nice accessories the room doesn’t feel dated at all! A few accessories that pull together existing features is much cheaper than having to completely redecorate the whole room.

Use accessories well

Leading on from the last tip, you really can transform the feel of a room depending on how you accessorize it. Cushions, rugs, curtains and art work can add a lot of colour and texture. In the kitchen, tea towels, magnets on your fridge or crockery on display can make an impact.

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I love how the miss matched printed crockery and recipe books on display here adds style

In the bathroom a change of shower curtain if you have one, towels and bath mat can also change the feel of the room.

Shop smart – and a word on Ikea

I think you can get some very affordable yet stylish home ware from a lot of high street shops as well as the supermarkets like Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda. My favourite shops for house hold stuff are TK Maxx (I love that place!), Urban Outfitters home ware, Matalan, Next, BHS and Argos. The right cheaper pieces mixed in with more expensive items can look amazing.

Of course, Ikea is unbeatable for stylish affordable home ware. I’ve never walked in that place and not came out with bag full of stuff. However, I think its possible to go a bit over board on the ‘Ikea look’ so try and mix and match with pieces from other stores and perhaps some things you’ve picked up from charity shops so that it doesn’t look too much. Lots of Ikea items can easily be customised with a lick of paint as well!

Emulate more expensive designer products

I love Cath Kidson stuff but I can’t always afford it. Luckily, you can find cheaper alternatives that channel that same style. For example this double duvet is £65:

Although its definitely not the same, this duvet cover from BHS has that similar vintage floral style and costs just £24.50:

Similarly, these Missoni towels are £13 for a hand towel (from Heals):

But you can get these two similar style towels from H&M for just £3.99:

I definitely think its worth splashing out on the real deal sometimes, but depending on your priorities and budget you can pick up cheaper designer style pieces that will give you a more affordable but similar look.

Make a display of things you love

An easy way to add some impact and style to a room is to display collections of objects together. I have grouped my collection of Matryoshka Dolls that I have picked up on my travels as a feature on our side board:

We’ve also made a display of the little snow globes we’ve started collecting every time we travel to a new place:

I have also like to have a few of my books and note books on display as well! I love the personality it adds to a space.

Check out charity shops, EBay and car boot sales

I guess this is a bit of a no brainer for on a budget interior design but it took me ages before I was happy to venture into a charity shop and be confident that I wasn’t buying crap. You can really find some amazing things if you know what you are looking for. Right now I love vintage style accessories and when our tooth brush holder broke I made use of this unusual vintage style vase as an alternative:

I think it just adds a little something extra to the room! Charity shops can also be great for kitchenware, I found this ceramic oven dish for just £2:

I’m currently on the look out for a vintage tea pot and tea cup set to add to that yellow shelving unit in the kitchen! EBay is also fantastic for getting hold of all sorts of stuff such as scraps of vintage fabric, wall paper samples, cheap craft materials and of course second hand furniture.

Be confident

In a similar way to how I think about fashion, I’d say that the main thing for being able to decorate on a budget is about being confident in your own individual style. I love homes that are filled with personality – that to me makes them stylish :-)

I hope you’ve enjoyed this On the cheap blog series! You can find the other posts here:

On the cheap: Exercise

On the cheap: Beauty

On the cheap: Healthy Eating part 1

On the cheap: Healthy Eating part 2

On the cheap: Fashion

What are your home decorating on a budget tips? Have you enjoyed my ‘On the cheap’ blog posts?

I’ve blogged about exercising on a budget before as part of my On the Cheap series. In that post I specifically looked at forms of exercise that could be done without a gym, which often come with a hefty expensive membership fee. However new styles of gyms are popping up across the country which offer a cheaper way to exercise.

Check out those free weights, I would love that! (source)

FitSpace Gyms offer cheap gym membership by cutting out the added extra’s that many gyms provide to give a more stripped back service. No swimming pools or classes, just good quality gym equipment and an effective and efficient membership system with swipe in entry means that savings can be passed on to the customer. Memberships start for as little as £12 a month or even £10 for one of the locations.

I have to say as much as I do like my gym I would be tempted if one of these opened near me, some times I’m just happy to use the equipment and be on my way and the monthly savings would be nice. However I probably would miss my classes!

What do you think about this new approach to gyms? Do you like the added luxuries like the sauna and pool or would you be happy with just the gym equipment?

*post in partnership with FitSpace Gyms

Even though I certainly don't think of myself as being much of a fashionista, I do like to try and look stylish, hence the blog name ;-) However, as much as I'd love to be able to buy lots of beautiful designer ware, my budget is never ever going to stretch that far. What I've tried to do is embrace my own personal style on a budget. Here's some of my tips!

Embrace your personal style

As I just said above, the most important tip to begin with is to figure out what your individual style is. Have a look through your wardrobe, what do you wear the most often and why? Once you have a strong sense of what you like and what suits you your less likely to spend money following trends that don't work for you. You know what they say - money can't buy you style, and its not what you wear sometimes but the way you wear it!

Get inspired

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If your not sure what your personal style is then start looking for inspiration. Pinterest is an excellent place to start. I love my style pin board for collecting images of outfits and styles that I like, which in turn helps me to think about what clothes and accessories I need to add to my wardrobe to get those looks. Check out some fashion blogs (Bloglovin is a good place to find some new ones), Chictopia for awesome street style and of course good old fashion magazines – just don’t let the airbrushed ultra skinny models put you off ;-)

Do a wardrobe review

At least twice a year (usually spring and autumn) I review my wardrobe. I put away seasonal clothing, get out old clothing, look at what I have and make a list of what things I would like (after getting inspired of course). Again, this means that I am less likely to buy things that aren’t going to work with my existing wardrobe or get things that don’t suit me.

Create a wish list and stick to it

I’m a big fan of having a ‘wish list’. I find that it helps me focus on what I need and stops me from making rash purchases. Left to my own devices I’d probably have a wardrobe full of grey hoodies, striped tops, floral dresses and nothing to go with them! When I go out shopping or if I’m looking online, having a wish list keeps me on track and reminds me that I don’t need yet another stripy tee! If you do happen to see something you just love that your thinking about buying on impulse think if it will go with at least 5 other items in your wardrobe first.

Check out eBay

I will be doing a post on how to sell your stuff on eBay as a couple of you have requested this, but eBay is also fantastic for picking up a bargain. You can get some great items that have hardly been worn at a fraction of the price they are in the shops. I think the key to being able to find gems on eBay is to be specific in your search – for example, instead of searching for ‘jeans’ search for ‘jeans size 12 boot cut’ so that you don’t have to trail through hundreds of pages! You can also check out eBay fashion outlet for more savings. I’ve picked up some great vintage inspired pieces on eBay like a gorgeous white cotton top which is one of my favourite things in my wardrobe.

Charity shops / vintage shops

One of my charity shop finds

I used to be quite dismissive of charity shops in particular, but they are an excellent source of style on a budget! When I think about some of the gorgeous clothes I’ve donated to shops its reminded me that other people are doing exactly the same thing. Recently I got a pair of Topshop jeans for £4 and they fit perfectly! With charity shop and vintage shops just remember that the trawling through rails of stuff is all part of the fun :-)

Get creative

My home made head band that I wore for a wedding

If your prepared to get creative you can make and alter a lot of your own clothes and save a fortune. Changing buttons on cardigans can give them an usual twist, try an iron on transfer to re invigorate an old tee shirt or sew a panel of vintage floral fabric on to a cotton top. Use your imagination and there’s so much you can do with a needle and thread!

Accessorise

You can completely change the look of clothing depending on how you accessorise it. I use this technique to get maximum wear out of everything in my wardrobe. Just changing jewellery, shoes and a bag can make an outfit completely different. In the past instead of buying a new outfit for a night out I’ve just completely reworked it by changing the bag, shoes and jewellery, everyone thought I had gone out and bought a whole new outfit!

Know when to save and when to spurge

Being on a budget doesn’t always mean being cheap. Some things you need to invest in to make savings further down the line. I tend to spend more for better quality wardrobe staples which for me include things like black trousers, knee high boots, gym wear (cause I wear it so much!) and under ware. I tend to pick up ‘on trend’ items cheaper because I know that I’ll probably be over them within a couple of months.

Buy your clothes where you buy your food

Ok, this is a weird one but I’ve noticed that you can pick up some really lovely pieces at extremely good prices from the supermarket fashion lines such as Florence and Fred @ Tesco, Tu @ Sainsbury’s and George @ Asda. Some of their stuff may be a bit dodgy but they do have some gems. I was in Tesco on Monday and they had a range of beautiful dresses for just £10 each. I was sorely tempted, but taking my own advice as above, they aren’t on my wish list so not for me!

Shop smart in the sales

source

The sales are great but if your not smart about them you can end up with a wardrobe full of crap. Just cause its cheap doesn’t mean you should buy it. I tend to have a look on stores websites before the sales start so I have an idea of what I’m looking for. I also I use these guidelines before getting things in the sales:

• Would I have bought it full price?
• Is it on my wish list?
• Can I return it if I decide I don’t want it? (some shops don’t offer returns on sale goods)
• Will it go with at least 5 things in my existing wardrobe?

Hope those tips have been helpful! What are your fashion on a budget tips?

Other posts in the On the Cheap series:

On the cheap: Exercise

On the cheap: Beauty

On the cheap: Healthy Eating part 1

On the cheap: Healthy Eating part 2