August has been another expensive month for us, it’s included birthdays, days out and even a weekend away. To compensate for the extra money we have had to spend I’ve been working hard behind the scenes and trying to be as frugal as possible. With the new school year just on the horizon and the opportunity for me to work more hours I’m definitely going to be upping my game and making next month all about saving and making money.

Here are my five frugal things for August.

• My friend’s daughter sent some toys she no longer played with to Daisy and Jake. The kids haven’t stopped playing with them since. I always feel so grateful when people pass things on to us whether it be clothes, toys or books, I try to do the same for other people too. Kids don’t care if something they get is new or not, it saves so much money and of course it’s better for the environment too. I’m even thinking of buying a few second hand gifts for them this Christmas to stretch our budget further.

• We spent a lovely weekend in Jersey this month, to make it possible we had to stick to a tight budget. Before we went I planned how much we had to spend on meals and fun. We researched the cheapest places to eat and took lots of snacks with us from home. On both days we were that full from breakfast at the hotel that we didn’t want much for lunch at all. I’m pleased to say that we actually came in under budget and returned home with some money left over.

• With a few birthdays coming up I’ve been getting organised and looking for ways to save money on gifts. I used some gift cards I’d collected from completing surveys to buy a few gifts which has saved me so much money. I’ve also been stocking up on cards, gift bags and wrapping paper when I’ve spotted it on sale. Using apps like Shopmium and Checkout Smart means that I’ve been able to stash some food and drink goodies away to include in hampers for presents too.

• The summer holidays can be expensive so we’ve been making the most of the free activities that have been on in our local area. There have been reading challenges at the library and free adventure play zones at the local shopping centres. I even won a family ticket to a farm which means we can have a great day out for free. We will take our own packed lunch of course to make it that extra bit frugal.

• I went to a car boot sale this month for the first time in years. Although I didn’t get as many bargains as I’d hoped I did manage to find some great clothes for myself really cheap. I put together a lovely outfit for just under £3, it definitely gives me a buzz saving so much money on dressing myself.

What frugal things have you done this month ? leave me a comment I love hearing from you.