The Diary of a Frugal Family https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk Living a Fabulously Frugal Family Life Sun, 28 Jun 2026 17:50:33 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 54642740 Did you ever play the holiday lottery? https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/remember-when-holidays-were-basically-a-gamble/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/remember-when-holidays-were-basically-a-gamble/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2026 10:08:12 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=45628 I’ve been looking at holidays this week and honestly, the amount of choice these days is overwhelming 😂 There are so many companies, an overwhelming number of hotels and different board options, and that’s before you’ve even looked at flights. You can choose to add on pretty much anything nowadays too. Pool view, sea view, […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/remember-when-holidays-were-basically-a-gamble/feed/ 1 45628 The best things about bringing a Victorian house back to life…. https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/the-best-things-about-bringing-a-victorian-house-back-to-life/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/the-best-things-about-bringing-a-victorian-house-back-to-life/#respond Mon, 29 Jun 2026 10:32:16 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=45544 After writing about the worst things about living in a Victorian reno project last week, it only feels fair to give the house a chance to defend itself. 😁 Because yes, there is dust everywhere. Yes, every job turns into three other jobs. Yes, we have a plasterer on speed dial, and yes, I have […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/the-best-things-about-bringing-a-victorian-house-back-to-life/feed/ 0 45544 How I use Google Lens to check the value of charity shop finds https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/how-i-use-google-lens-to-check-the-value-of-charity-shop-finds/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/how-i-use-google-lens-to-check-the-value-of-charity-shop-finds/#respond Sun, 28 Jun 2026 11:59:09 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=45635 You know I love a good pre-loved find. 😀 And I love them even more when they turn out to be worth more than I paid for them – but how do I find out that they’re worth more than I paid for them?  Since moving into our old Victorian house, we’ve been much more […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/how-i-use-google-lens-to-check-the-value-of-charity-shop-finds/feed/ 0 45635 Turkish Towels vs Regular: Which Wins? https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/turkish-towels-vs-regular-which-wins/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/turkish-towels-vs-regular-which-wins/#respond Sat, 27 Jun 2026 09:36:29 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=45854 I’ll be honest, I’d never really given towels much thought until recently. A towel was a towel as far as I was concerned, and as long as it dried me after a shower, I was happy. Over the last year or so though, I’ve become a bit more interested in our home and the little […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/turkish-towels-vs-regular-which-wins/feed/ 0 45854 10 ways to keep cool on a budget…. https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/10-ways-to-keep-cool-on-a-budget/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/10-ways-to-keep-cool-on-a-budget/#comments Sat, 27 Jun 2026 08:19:31 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=28621 I originally published this post a few years ago but with the heatwave we’re having at the moment and the fact that our new house seems to hold heat like an actual greenhouse, I’ve found myself coming back to it and looking for every possible way to keep cool again. 😂 Our old Victorian house […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/10-ways-to-keep-cool-on-a-budget/feed/ 3 28621 This month’s pre-loved finds {June 2026}…. https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/this-months-pre-loved-finds-june-26/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/this-months-pre-loved-finds-june-26/#comments Sun, 21 Jun 2026 10:00:42 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=45760 Welcome to my monthly pre-loved bargain post, which is always one of my favourite posts to write. 😀 There’s something so satisfying about finding something you genuinely need or love second-hand, especially when it costs a fraction of what it would have done new. This month’s finds are a real mixture of practical purchases, home […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/this-months-pre-loved-finds-june-26/feed/ 1 45760 The benefits of eSIM plans for frequent flyers…. https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/the-benefits-of-esim-plans-for-frequent-flyers/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/the-benefits-of-esim-plans-for-frequent-flyers/#respond Sat, 20 Jun 2026 20:03:27 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=45780 Anyone who travels regularly will know the faff of trying to sort your phone out when you land in a new country. You either risk using your normal roaming and hope the bill is not horrifying when you get home, or you start hunting for a local SIM card before you have even made it […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/the-benefits-of-esim-plans-for-frequent-flyers/feed/ 0 45780 Why I complain (and why I also make a point of praising good service)…. https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/why-i-complain-and-why-i-also-make-a-point-of-praising-good-service/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/why-i-complain-and-why-i-also-make-a-point-of-praising-good-service/#respond Wed, 17 Jun 2026 11:59:25 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=45647 I know some people hate complaining and would rather quietly grumble to themselves, write the money off and move on with their life than actually challenge a company when something goes wrong. Honestly, I’m not naturally someone who enjoys confrontation either – I promise that I don’t wake up in the morning hoping for an […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/why-i-complain-and-why-i-also-make-a-point-of-praising-good-service/feed/ 0 45647 Why I still think camping in the UK is one of the best family holidays…. https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/why-camping-in-the-uk-makes-an-amazing-family-holiday/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/why-camping-in-the-uk-makes-an-amazing-family-holiday/#respond Mon, 15 Jun 2026 20:26:52 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=41823 I was scrolling through some old photos the other day and came across pictures from one of our camping trips to Ullswater when the kids were younger. Looking at them made me realise just how many of my favourite family memories involve a tent, a camping stove and at least one day where it rained […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/why-camping-in-the-uk-makes-an-amazing-family-holiday/feed/ 0 41823 Why losing weight felt easier when I had a deadline…. https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/why-losing-weight-felt-easier-when-i-had-a-deadline/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/why-losing-weight-felt-easier-when-i-had-a-deadline/#respond Mon, 15 Jun 2026 19:54:10 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=45744 When I was trying to lose weight before my operation earlier this year, I felt more motivated than I had in ages. I knew that every pound I lost could help make surgery safer and recovery easier, so I had a very clear goal in mind. Every healthy meal and every walk felt like it […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/why-losing-weight-felt-easier-when-i-had-a-deadline/feed/ 0 45744 What we’re eating the week before Pay Day…. https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/what-were-eatingweek-before-payday/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/what-were-eatingweek-before-payday/#respond Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:06:50 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=45734 The week before payday is always the week that I try to work my way through the freezer and cupboards to use up some of the things we already have in. Years ago, I started doing it out of necessity because money was often a bit tight by the time we reached the end of […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/what-were-eatingweek-before-payday/feed/ 0 45734 Homemade Febreze for under 20p a bottle…. https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/thriftythursday-homemade-febreze-20p-bottle/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/thriftythursday-homemade-febreze-20p-bottle/#comments Sat, 13 Jun 2026 16:00:38 +0000 http://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=16962 I’ve been making my own homemade Febreze for years now and it still makes regular appearances in my weekly “Five Little Things That Saved Me Money This Week” posts. I realised recently though that the original post I wrote about it is well overdue an update, so I thought I’d dust it off, give it […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/thriftythursday-homemade-febreze-20p-bottle/feed/ 20 16962 How to dress for every occasion this summer without spending a lot… https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/how-to-dress-for-every-occasion-this-summer-without-spending-a-lot/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/how-to-dress-for-every-occasion-this-summer-without-spending-a-lot/#respond Thu, 11 Jun 2026 20:33:26 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=45725 Every year, summer seems to arrive all at once… One minute I’m still wearing jumpers and convincing myself that I don’t need to put the heating on, and the next my diary is filling up with days out, family get-togethers, barbecues and all the other things that seem to happen when the sun finally decides […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/how-to-dress-for-every-occasion-this-summer-without-spending-a-lot/feed/ 0 45725 7 Ways a Garden Pod Cuts Household Costs…. https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/7-ways-a-garden-pod-cuts-household-costs/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/7-ways-a-garden-pod-cuts-household-costs/#respond Thu, 11 Jun 2026 19:13:45 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=45720 When we moved into our house earlier this year, we quickly discovered that there was no shortage of things we could spend money on.  Every room seems to come with its own to-do list and we’re constantly weighing up what jobs are worth doing, what can wait and what will actually make a difference to […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/7-ways-a-garden-pod-cuts-household-costs/feed/ 0 45720 What’s growing in my garden {June 2026}…. https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/whats-growing-in-my-garden-june-2026/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/whats-growing-in-my-garden-june-2026/#comments Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:33:31 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=45694 Has summer been and gone already? 😁 We’ve had some gorgeous weather over the last few weeks and it’s inspired us to spend much more time out in the garden. We’ve been trying our best to make it look as lovely as possible, despite both of us being complete novice gardeners, but we’ve also spent […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/whats-growing-in-my-garden-june-2026/feed/ 2 45694 Our moving day nightmare…. https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/moving-day-nightmare/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/moving-day-nightmare/#respond Mon, 08 Jun 2026 09:24:20 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=45499 Did you see my post a couple of weeks ago about how everything that could go wrong when we were selling our house did go wrong? Well today I thought I’d share our moving day story, because it went about as smoothly as you would expect based on our house move journey up until that […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/moving-day-nightmare/feed/ 0 45499 Starting dapagliflozin – the reality (after reading all the horror stories)…. https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/starting-dapagliflozin-the-reality-after-reading-all-the-horror-stories/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/starting-dapagliflozin-the-reality-after-reading-all-the-horror-stories/#comments Sun, 07 Jun 2026 10:05:31 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=45401 (This is another one of those posts that is probably only interesting if you’re diabetic or know someone who is so I won’t take offence if you click that little X in the corner – non-diabetic content will be back tomorrow 😁) When I was first told I’d be starting Dapagliflozin for my diabetes, I […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/starting-dapagliflozin-the-reality-after-reading-all-the-horror-stories/feed/ 1 45401 All the ways I’ve been ‘influenced’ lately…. https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/all-the-ways-ive-been-influenced-lately/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/all-the-ways-ive-been-influenced-lately/#respond Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:52:22 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=45458 I’d love to tell you that I’m completely immune to being influenced by social media but apparently that’s absolutely not the case. 😂 I think being off work for a while probably hasn’t helped either because I’ve definitely had more time for scrolling lately and social media is very good at making you think you […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/all-the-ways-ive-been-influenced-lately/feed/ 0 45458 Four BIG things that went wrong when we were selling our house…. https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/four-big-things-that-went-wrong-when-we-were-selling-our-house/ https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/four-big-things-that-went-wrong-when-we-were-selling-our-house/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:15:38 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=45496 We accepted an offer on our house in August 2025 but didn’t actually move until the end of February 2026, which is seven months. Even by UK standards, that’s a long time. It was a really stressful few months because at various points it genuinely felt like it could fall through at any moment. We […]

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]]> https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/four-big-things-that-went-wrong-when-we-were-selling-our-house/feed/ 1 45496 {Pre-Loved} The Most Exciting Thing In Our House Right Now Is…. https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/pre-loved-the-most-exciting-thing-in-our-house-right-now-is/ Sun, 31 May 2026 11:13:47 +0000 https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/?p=45521 …. A Filing Cabinet! I know. Younger me would be absolutely horrified at what now passes as excitement in my life, but honestly, I’m obsessed with our new pre-loved filing cabinet and the level of organisation that this brings into our lives. There are some things in our new house that my partner has really […]

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