A good buy is not to be sniffed at!

I am trying my hardest to be frugal at the supermarket and have set a really tight budget of £10 per day, which needs to get food and supplies for the three of us (myself, husband and 16-year-old son) and our three guinea pigs!

This is no easy Challenge and I have to admit last month I failed!  We were almost exactly £100 over budget.  I was so disappointed, as I had worked really hard.  But being away on holiday in the Highlands of Scotland for two weeks meant we had to buy top-up groceries in the very expensive (but very friendly) local corner shop.  I have picked myself up, dusted myself down and am determined that we will make up ground in October.

One thing that I have been doing is buying cheaper version of my staple buys.  So instead of £1.50 on a box of tissues, I have been buying the supermarkets 'Basics' range at 45p per box.  They still have the FSC (forestry stewardship certificate) logo, so my environmental credentials are okay.  But the box is hideous and not something you want on display at your front door or coffee table.

A rather unattractive tissue box

Rather than buying expensive tissue box covers, (I saw one in a shop recently for £14), I got out my scissors, glue and stack of magazine clippings and set to work decoupaging a couple of Sainsbury's basics tissue boxes.

A Selections of the Magazine Clippings I Collect

I now have two refillable tissue boxes that I am not embarrassed to have on display, meaning that I can enjoy cheap tissues without compromising my style.  It doesn't take very long to do, in fact I completed each tissue box in about 30 minutes, while watching a couple of episodes of Celebrity Masterchef!

And just in case you are wondering, the refill section works by opening up one end of the box and then securing the flaps back in place with removable paperclips.

Do give it a go, it is really easy and enjoyable!