Saving money

Hello everyone!

Today I've got some tips for you on saving money. Nowadays, life is expensive & we often find that payday can't come fast enough. At the beginning of this financial year (6th April) I decided I was going to see how much money I could save up in a year. So far it's going brilliant! I am nowhere near a pinchpenny or one of these "Super-Scrimpers" you see on telly, but I am pretty aware of my spending. So here are my ways that I have devised for saving up for a rainy day.

1. Budget. Work out what you NEED to spend every month & set it aside. Have some emergency money too for the unexpected, then the rest can go on what you want. We often make the mistake of "Impulse Buying" & find ourselves thinking that the £50 we've just spent on that super-cute, wear once & never to be seen again pair of shoes should have been spent on fuel. Treats are ok- just in moderation.

2. Look after the pennies... We are all guilty of going into a shop, buying something then just chucking the change in the charity tin. Obviously giving to charity is good (Help For Heroes, The Poppy Appeal & Cancer Reasearch are particular ones to me) But think about setting up a change pot. Every day, fish out the pennies from your pocket & put them in- it very quickly adds up. Since the 6th of April I've saved a shockingly large amount in change (I won't tell you how much- that will come in a years time). It's money you never knew you had- it might be a mess around but when you've got a large amount, count it up, bag it, take it to the bank & treat yourself!

3. Shop around. In one of my posts a couple of days ago I wrote that I was hacked off after discovering ways that supermarkets are ripping us off. Obviously supermarkets are convenient, but often you get alot less, not as good quality & more expensive than local businesses such as the butchers sell. So support your local businesses- it's better.

4. Do you really need it? Don't impulse buy- think about what you are buying before you hand over the cash. Unless you know you can afford it & you really want it then save your money- you'll be glad you did!

So there we go! Some top tips for saving money. Hope you all found this useful & I would love to know what you all think! Thanks for reading :)!
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For questions, suggestions, opinions & comments, email me at:
dollytrolley1994@gmail.com

1 year & 6 months without Facebook

Hello everyone!

Got a post for you today on the last year & a half since I got rid of Facebook. This is a bit of a random one but I was inspired to write about it after seeing a question on Yahoo answers asking for advice on taking a break from social media.

So the story behind this is last January me & my fiance both made the decision to get rid of Facebook. This was for several reasons- neither of us spoke to a majority of the people on our friends lists, there were certain people who we just didn't want to be trying to contact us (I won't go into details but we both ended up having to change our phone numbers because of certain people who didn't understand "I don't want to speak to you- leave me alone") & we were both getting kind of tired of logging on & just seeing everyone airing their dirty laundry in public.

I know for most people now they couldn't live without their phones & social media, & some of you probably think I'm crazy. Thing is though for me, the minute I confirmed that I wanted to shut my profile down it was like a huge weight off my shoulders- I wasn't getting notifications every 5 seconds & my email wasn't being clogged up with games requests or friend suggestions.

Of course it wasn't easy to make my friends understand- as I had changed my number & just disappeared off of Facebook, I'd also been ill from college & a couple of weeks later when I went back they said stuff like "OMG we thought you'd moved away" or "Have you & your other half broken up because we've not been able to contact either of you". It got me thinking on just how much people rely on social media- gone are the days when people visit each other- they totally rely on Facebook & Twitter to keep up with eachothers lives.

Overall, I am glad I don't have Facebook anymore. I don't need it. This last year & a half has been proof of that.

Hope you found this interesting & I would love to know what you think! Thanks for reading :)!

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For questions, suggestions, opinions & comments, email me at:
dollytrolley1994@gmail.com

News, chatter, likes & dislikes

Hello everyone!

Sorry it's been a while- in between hospital visits, being ill & trying to get things done it's been a mad few weeks. At the moment I'm a little better than I was- still in alot of pain but been able to get out a bit more which is good. I've been told I need to see the surgery team next week because I haven't recovered as well as hoped & another lot of (more serious) surgery is on the cards.

This isn't what I hoped for but I know it has to be done so I've just got to pack up my troubles in my hospital bag & smile smile smile...lol. I've been making the most of the nice weather when it's been nice & on my good days I've had some shopping sprees! I've got a whole new wardrobe as I had loads of money that I had saved for ages to get myself some lovely new clothes (plus some lovely treats from my other half).

I had planned on doing a few haul videos but I've decided to leave that for a while yet until I have the time. However I will say this- get yourselves to the high street! There are some gorgeous trends at the moment & alot of them are at bargain prices:

-Debenhams have some huge sales on at the moment, I've bought some gorgeous pieces from Miss Selfridge & Quiz. My local Debenhams have had a 20% off event & loads of discounts & I've bought about £300 worth of clothes for £150!!!

-Bodyshop have bought out an amazing new product called Instablur. You use it as a primer & it literally blurs skin imperfections & blemishes. I use it with their new BB cream (they are on offer at the moment- £20 for both, worth £45!!!) And they are amazing. I've also treated myself to some new makeup brushes & other stuff too- all on amazing offers!

-Primark are doing some great stuff at the moment. I've bought myself loads of summer clothes as well as some great sale items. They've also got loads of pug-related stuff (I adore pugs!) So go & have a look!

-River Island, Dorothy Perkins, New Look & Peacocks. All have some lovely stuff at the moment & bang on trend!

- Superdrug & Boots have a 3 for 2 offer across all beauty products at the moment- I've been stocking up on Barry M & all of my other favourite brands. I also bought myself a new Tresemme hair dryer which is amazing!

-Beales Department Store- I've got a couple of gorgeous new dresses from here (the green & white flower dress from Apricot- £34) as well as some gorgeous black & gold heels from Miss Selfridge!

What I'm loving:
- Animal motif jumpers. I have been stocking up on some new jumpers (It will be winter again before we know it lol) & online stores such as Amazon & Karma Clothing have some really cute styles. I'm also loving quilted jumpers- I've got 3 in black, grey & white.

- Tiger Balm Red: possibly the most incredible stuff for joint & muscle pain. I'm on alot of medication at the moment & thought I'd try this as a more natural way- & it's amazing.

- Fresh fruit from the markets & grocers. It's the season for strawberries, raspberries, apricots, cherries & peaches- all of wich I've been snacking on (healthy comfort food). I refuse to buy them from the supermarket as not only are they so much cheaper from the greengrocers, you get so much more & they are better quality too.


What I'm disliking:
-The illusion that food is cheaper in the supermarkets. In my local town we have THREE giant supermarkets (it's absolutely rediculous) plus loads of smaller ones. Alot of my fresh foods I now buy from the local farmshops, market stalls, butchers & greengrocers- not onlyis it better quality, it's cheaper & it supports the little businesses which sadly are getting fewer.

- Rude, arrogant & ignorant people. Some people are just plain rude- they'll push past you, nearly knock you over & either ignore it or look at you like it's your fault.

- Benefit cheats. These people are disgraceful- they are proud to let the taxpayer fund their lifestyles & have no shame or remorse. There are people in genuine need who can't get the help they need because of people like this & there needs to be changes.


So there you go. Hope you enjoyed reading & keep checking for more coming soon. Thanks for reading :) xx

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For questions, suggestions, opinions & comments, email me at:
dollytrolley1994@gmail.com

Hayfever... lovely :(

Hello everyone!

Sorry it's been a while. As you all know I've been in & out of hospital after my laparoscopy & it's not been pleasant. Anyway, enough of that. Today I'm going to talk about hayfever. We're right in the middle of pollen season & millions of people are suffering from the stuffy nosed, watery eyed pain in the bum that is hayfever- me included.

At the moment I can't go out much, & when I do go out I can't wear my makeup as the instant I step outside it's panda eyes & snotty nose. Lovely. But over the last couple years I have also found some ways to combat this. These are all effective, simple ways that I have found that can really help to make hayfever symptoms that bit easier.

1. Try to avoid going outside when the pollen count is high. You can tell what your local pollen levels are going to be every day by checking your local weather forecast. They will be able to predict if the pollen levels are going to be low, medium or high so that you can plan accordingly.

2. Try to take antihistimines & allergy medication at least an hour before going outside. That way they have plenty of time to take effect. Hayfever tablets are better than they used to be as they don't usually make you drowsy but they still can so be careful if driving or operating machinery. I find that the cheaper tablets often work the same as the expensive ones so try & find what works for you.

3. Put a little vaseline around your nostrils. This helps to stop you inhaling pollen by trapping the particles before they have chance to get into your nose. It can also help to moisturise your skin if your nose is dry & sore from being runny.

4. Eye drops & nasal sprays. These are great for keeping your sinuses & eyes moist & prevent them being inflamed & itchy.

5. Wear sunglasses. Sunglasses or specs that wrap around your face can help stop pollen from entering your eyes.

6. Change clothes & shower after being outside. Pollen & dust becomes trapped in your clothes & hair, so washing your hair & clothes when you get home stops those particles from lingering & causing you further irritatation.

So there you have it. A few tips on how you can beat hayfever this summer & enjoy yourself. Hope this helped! Thanks for reading & I'd love to hear if this helped :)

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For questions, suggestions, opinions & comments email me at
dollytrolley1994@gmail.com

Endometriosis surgery update 3

Hi everyone,

Bad news I'm afraid- I'm back in hospital (again). Last night I had a bit of a temperature & was in bad pain. Today I woke up in alot more pain with a very high temperature & was rushed to hospital because I was vomiting alot too. The doctors are particularly concerned about the pain & the fact my heart rate is very high so I'm due for more tests in the morning.

In the meantime I'm on IV fluids, anti sickness & painkillers & under observation for tonight.
Fingers crossed this is just an infection & nothing serious! I will update as soon as I can. Thanks for reading
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For questions, suggestions, opinions & comments, email me at:
dollytrolley1994@gmail.com

How to have a good shopping trip

Hello everyone!

This post is going to be on how to have a good shopping trip. It might seem a bit silly- tips on going on a shopping spree, but you'd be surprised. Lots of people go out with the intention of having a fun day of shopping but the reality is that they end up getting bored, tired or fed up quickly & end up not getting done what they went shopping for. But here are some tips on how you can have a fun & relaxed shopping spree.

1. Plan your day. I don't mean an exact schedule of every movement you make. Give yourself plenty of time for getting there & parking (or if using public transport plan which bus or train you're going to get). Decide which shops are priority or things you need to get most. If you're on a time limit then do what you need to get done first.

2. Decide what you're going to wear. You want to look good but be comfy at the same time. If you're going to be trying clothes on then wear stuff you can easily remove & put back on. Consider wearing your hair up too if this is the case or you might start to look a bit like a dandelion after trying loads of tops on! Limit your makeup too- you don't want to stain the garments.

3. Set a budget. Decide what you really need & make it a priority. Try not to buy things that are similar to stuff you already have. Shop around- don't just buy the first thing you see or you might see something else later but not have enough cash. Try the cheaper shops too- many shops such as Primark & New Look stock the latest trends without the designer pricetag.

4. Pack a bag to take- make sure you have your money, cards, phone, a bottled drink & maybe a hairbrush & other handbag essentials (See my 'Handbag essentials' blog) keep your bag secure & close at all times.

5. Have regular breaks. You don't enjoy shopping if you're tired & have sore feet. Have a sit down every so often & stay hydrated. Also allow time for eating.

6. Take a friend. If you're going clothes shopping then it's always good to have a second opinion- take someone who's honest & who you trust. It also makes it more fun to have someone to talk to- & safer than being out on your own!

7. Don't buy for the sake of it. If you don't spend all of your money on the spree then don't just blow it on stuff you don't need- save it for next time.

8. Try to avoid the crowds. If you can it's always better to shop during the week or later on in the day- that way you're not battling the crowds & wasting hours in the queues at the tills.

9. Look out for sales & offers. The sale racks are often the best- you can find some really cute stuff for a cheaper price. Often in shops like Boots or Superdrug beauty, health & hair products will have offers such as 3 for 2- cheapest item free. Don't forget your Advantage Cards too!

10. Don't buy more than you can carry. This is especially important if using public transport as struggling home on a bus with about 50 bags is not fun! If you have a car then you can just pop back & leave your shopping in there & carry on- but be careful as it could be a target for thieves!

So there you have it. I hope you found these tips useful & I would love to know what you think. Thanks for reading :)
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For questions, suggestions, comments & opinions, email me at:
dollytrolley1994@gmail.com

Easy guacamole

Hello everyone!

Got a recipie for you today- simple guacamole. I love guacamole- it's great as a dip or when you're craving a savoury snack. It goes great with loads of diferrent things too- carrot sticks, crackers, spread on toast with bacon or with a big plate of cheesy nachos!

You will need:
1 large ripe avocado
3 spring onions, finely chopped
4 cherry tomatoes chopped roughly
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons of lime juice
1 tablespoon of creme fraiche
Pinch of sea salt
Pich of freshly ground black pepper

1. Slice avocado in half. Remove the stone by pressing the knife into it & gently pulling the stone out. Scoop the flesh of the avocado into a bowl & mash with a fork into a chunky paste.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients & mix well.
3. Serve!

Hope you enjoyed this recipie & found it easy to make. Thanks for reading :)
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For questions, suggestions, opinions & comments, email me at:
dollytrolley1994@gmail.com