The Diary of a Frugal Family | Living a Fabulously Frugal Family Life

6 Things I’m Happy to Pay More For (and Why)…

46208Leave a Comment2026-08-24+08%3A58%3A01Cassandra August 24, 2026 By Cassandra
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Being good with money doesn't mean that I automatically choose the cheapest option every single time. In fact, there are quite a few things that I'm more than happy to pay a little bit extra for because they're worth more to me for one reason or another. Sometimes it's about quality, sometimes it's about convenience and sometimes it's simply because spending a bit more means I'm supporting something that's important to me. I think that's a big part of being more intentional with money. I save where I'm happy to save, but that also means I can spend a bit more on the things that matter to … [Read more...]

This month’s pre-loved finds {August 2026}….

46129Leave a Comment2026-08-23+11%3A13%3A05Cassandra August 23, 2026 By Cassandra
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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 or even what it's worth now. This month's post has somehow turned into a handbag special, which wasn't intentional at all, but I realised I had four very different pre-loved bags that I wanted to share. We're talking everything from a £1.50 vintage Disney bag to a pre-loved vintage Prada bag, with a … [Read more...]

Five little things that have saved us money this week {21st August 2026}….

46169Leave a Comment2026-08-21+11%3A06%3A55Cassandra August 21, 2026 By Cassandra
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Every week I share five small things we’ve done to save a bit of money, make life easier or help us spend more intentionally. None of them are usually huge on their own, but that’s kind of the point. Those small choices add up over time and give us more room for the things that really matter — whether that’s days out, holidays, home projects, treats we’ll actually enjoy or just a bit more breathing space in the budget. Five Frugal Things I've done this week After almost three weeks off work and a very busy few weeks of holidays, days out and generally being out of our normal routine, this … [Read more...]

Getting our budget back on track after a busy month….

46155Leave a Comment2026-08-19+13%3A44%3A00Cassandra August 19, 2026 By Cassandra
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The last month has been a bit of a whirlwind for us and, if I’m completely honest, our usual budget has pretty much gone out of the window. We started Summer with all the usual good intentions around meal planning, being organised and keeping an eye on what we were spending, but then life happened and quite a few of those good intentions disappeared along the way. And actually, we're completely OK with that. I think sometimes life is too short to worry about sticking rigidly to a budget when there are memories to be made and things you really want to do. A budget is there to help us make … [Read more...]

The Best Easy Lemon Shortbread Recipe….

46079Leave a Comment2026-08-17+11%3A55%3A57Cassandra August 17, 2026 By Cassandra
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If you love classic homemade shortbread but fancy giving it a fresh, citrusy twist, this easy lemon shortbread recipe is the perfect place to start. It has the same buttery, melt-in-the-mouth texture as traditional shortbread, with the addition of fresh lemon zest and juice to give it a light, refreshing flavour. I originally shared my simple shortbread recipe as part of my Start Here series because it's one of those classic bakes that everyone should have in their recipe collection. This lemon version is just as easy to make and is perfect for spring afternoons, homemade gifts or simply … [Read more...]

Setting Up at a Car Boot Sale – Before the Gates Open….

46071Leave a Comment2026-08-16+09%3A50%3A15Cassandra August 16, 2026 By Cassandra
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Last week I shared how we'd been getting ready for our latest car boot sale, from ruthlessly de-cluttering the house to deciding what to sell elsewhere and spending far too much time sorting costume jewellery into little display trays. This week, I'm sharing what happens once you actually arrive. I'm stopping this post before the gates open because that's where the real selling begins, and I think that deserves a post of its own. Instead, this is all about getting yourself set up with as little stress as possible. We realised one car just wasn't going to cut it With four paste … [Read more...]