Cutting Down on the Costs of Reading

This is a sponsored post.

One of my favourite things to do is read. It’s an easy way to relax and unwind and there is so much out there to learn. Fiction, non-fiction, adventure, romance, crime thrillers — there’s nothing better than finding something that interests you and getting lost in a good book or article on the subject. Recently, though, I’ve realised that I’ve been spending more on reading than I used to thanks to a Kindle I received as a gift. It’s just so easy to tap a few buttons and have a new book in front of me within seconds. Since I noticed the uptick in this expense, I’ve taken a few steps to try to minimise the cost of my favourite hobby:

Trade books. My Kindle and iPad are great for travailing but when I went to the beach this summer, I didn’t want to worry about getting sand or water near my electronics so a good old-fashioned paperback was definitely the way to go. Sites like ReadItSwapIt.co.uk let you get rid of books that you’ve already read by trading them for ones that you are interested in. This also worked well when I wanted more room in my suitcase on the way back because I was able to leave a paperback in the hotel lobby for someone else to enjoy.

Lend books electronically. My sister also has a Kindle and recently purchased a book that she loved and recommended to me. When she was finished, she was able to lend me the book for two weeks which meant I was able to read it without having to pay!

Explore free digital options. Amazon offers many books for free digitally. This is a great excuse to catch up on the classics!

Don’t forget the library! Libraries do still exist and they are great resources for both free electronic and paper borrowing.

Happy reading!

QuickQuid is the United Kingdom's premier ethical online payday loan lender since 2007. QuickQuid aims to help consumers in an ethical and responsible way with its quick loans and savings tips.

A little pizza party

This post is sponsored.  The views are all my own.

A while ago we were offered the chance to sample Domino's Triple Chocolate Cookies.  I didn't need to think about it, my two best boys love Domino's and their idea of a pizza feast finished up with warm triple chocolate cookies is their idea of heaven.  I'm not a huge fan of pizza - I can only eat a slice or two before I feel uncomfortably stuffed but I must admit that the garlic and herb dip at Domino's with their pizza is delish.  

We ordered an American Hot and I insisted on a healthy veggie one.  It was lovely.  I am currently bribing encouraging my stepson, J, to eat an olive every time we have them.  Someone told me years ago that if you think you don't like olives you should force yourself to eat one every time you see them and you will learn to love them.  I tested that theory - I used to hate them - and now I can't get enough.  The big fat green ones are my favourite.  Weird, isn't it.

J, really likes the garlic pizza bread and, boy, can he pack it away these days!  He has just turned 14 and up until Christmas he was a bit of a fussy eater.  Now he gets through huge plates of food, followed by a good helping of dessert only to be "starving!" a couple of hours later.  The teen years are proving irksome in many ways (communicating via grunts, lying in bed until midday, spending hours in the bathroom, wearing a hood almost constantly etc etc) but this is a bonus.  I do not know how parents cope with finicky eaters, it drives me insane! 

I tried to make our pizza party a bit special - I dragged my little vintage tea table into the conservatory and laid out a pretty teacloth but the second the pizzas arrived, hot in their boxes and emitting appetising wafts of cheesy dough, I was fighting a losing a battle.  J and Drew just wanted to get stuck in.  

So, the cookies.  Oh! The Cookies!  There are four provided per portion and they arrive warm and gooey.  They are lush.  L-U-S-H.

We ordered two portions and ate all of them.  I put aside three little cheeky ones to be eaten just before bed with a glass of cold milk.  Utterly gorgeous. 

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So, in other news, we are preparing for a little summer holiday to Spain soon.  We have rented a secluded villa in the hills for a week and I can't wait to go.  Life has been a bit worrying and stressful recently and I feel exhausted.  I plan to take a few bikinis, a straw fedora and plenty of reading material so that I can spend my days reading and sleeping in the shade.  So hoping it will be hot.  

Hope everyone is having a good week so far.  I was in Leeds all day today which is miles away from where I live but it was so nice to drive in the sunshine.  I'm working from home for the rest of the week which is ordinarily lovely when the sun is shining but I'm uber busy at the moment.  Grr! 

Thanks again for spending time here and for all of your lovely comments - I so love reading them and do try to get back to everyone eventually!  I'm currently a little bit addicted to Instagram - my username is xxNickiFxx if you feel like saying hi.  It's great fun if you haven't already signed up - like getting a stream of 'mini' blogs all day!  I'd love to see you there.

Love and hugs,

Nicki

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Dealing with the Wanties

Sponsored post.

I have an illness.   It’s called 'the wanties'.  I don’t think it is hereditary but I am fairly sure that it’s contagious.  I seem to catch it from my Mum, my sister, my friends and my bloddies.  Admittedly some days it is worse than others but it’s always there - an illness that I will have to deal with for the rest of my life.  I think I am beyond cure now but I have found ways to make the symptoms more manageable for my husband and me.  I have tried many things but the most effective approach, I have found, is to have savings.  I don’t have much in the way of savings at any one time but the money we have kept by has certainly helped me through the more serious bouts of the illness. 

My current spending obsession - this smells amazing! Have bought two bottles of the shower gel since our spa trip!

Joking aside, I do sometimes feel as though I am cursed with an illness called the wanties.   An ex of mine always called me a ‘marketeer’s dream’.  He was so right.  I am a sucker for marketing tricks; nice styling and special offers having me reaching for my wallet every time.  I have always read lots of magazines which add fuel to the fire but now I’ve discovered blogging I am even worse.  No wonder so many ad agencies have cottoned on to the power of the blogger’s review; the rapport between bloggers can be very strong and a review by someone whose opinions you have come to trust can be very powerful indeed.  If the lovely Vanessa, for example, recommends a book it’s in my Amazon basket quicker than you can say ‘crochet’.  If Lucy shares the gorgeous colourful photos of her Spring bulbs, my supermarket shop is a teeny bit more expensive that week as hyacinths and daffodils sneak their way into the trolley.  

I used to think that credit cards were the way to deal with the wanties.  Stick everything on the credit card and worry later.  Instant gratification.  Then I married a bank manager who frowned upon my frivolous spending.  (I caved; it’s a sexy frown let me tell you.)  Now I have ‘pocket money’ each week and if I don’t spend it, I save it.  The money goes into my savings account and enables me to have a proper splurge when the wanties hit hard.  It is amazing how easy it is for me to control the wanties when I know that I have the means to make a guilt-free purchase.  Savings are so precious to me that I think twice, often thrice, before hitting the ‘confirm order’ button.  This makes me happy - I feel liberated and in control - when I buy something that I’ve thought long and hard about, I am even more grateful for it.  Andrew’s happy, too.  No more cheery announcements of "baked beans for dinner all week I’m afraid, darling, but I do have the most gorgeous handbag you’re going to just LOVE". 

My new and beloved De Manta clutch bag.  Paid for with the pocket money I saved.  Yay me! 

Hope everyone is having a good week!  So glad it's nearly the weekend, I've got loads planned including a bit of shopping at a local vintage fair and afternoon tea with my oldest friend before she gets married on Monday.    

Thanks for popping by - I need to catch up on loads of blogs this weekend as I feel a bit out of touch.  With these gorgeously sunny evenings I just have to be outside!  :-)  

Nicki 

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Essential Expenditure and Pet Insurance

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love her floppy ear - it only perks up when treats or walks are mentioned

Andrew, as the Financial Controller of our household, has been reviewing our outgoings and interrogating me asking about the importance of some of our regular expenses. If I don’t start using the gym, for example, that particular membership is history. (Apparently, popping there to have my eyebrows done and buy Costa coffee doesn’t count.) We have had these conversations before when Andrew has conducted one of his little household expense reviews and our pet insurance has previously come under the spotlight. I heard him joking on the phone the other day that when he first met me the dog was insured for more than him! (No comment. Ha!) 

snuggling on the sofa with us (needing a haircut)

I bought Lizzie as a puppy, a while before I met Andrew.  She is my first dog and although I was excited to bring her home I was also very aware of the commitment and responsibility of having a pet.  I desperately wanted to do my best to look after her.  Our family has kept dogs for as long as I can remember and it was my Mum who advised that I set up an insurance policy.  I arranged for it immediately - the monthly premium was a relatively small amount of money and I figured it was the grown-up and responsible thing to do.  

After her first season (yuck) Lizzie became very ill. She was only about six months old and had been completely healthy up until then.  I was scared.  I whisked her to the vet where she had an emergency operation to remove her reproductive organs - she had developed a serious infection and, I am told, could have died.  It was a horrible time for me and would have been made even worse if I had been forced to find the £800 for the vet bill.  I told Andrew this story the first time he queried whether we really needed pet insurance - Lizzie seems quite healthy after all, he said.  I haven't needed to explain it again - he gets it and the insurance remains firmly on our essentials list.  I cannot recommend it enough.

keeping me company in our home office

I am not sure I can come up with quite such a compelling reason as to why I need to keep my £45 gym membership, however. I’m going to have to dust off my trainers. My thighs will thank me, I’m sure! 

Nicki

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