As much as they’d like us believe, they aren’t are friends, they want as much of our money as they can get hold of, like any business. It’s up to us to realise this and keep a savvy eye peeled on what goes into our shopping baskets.

Don’t Believe the Hype

Of course they think they’re awesome, I think I’m awesome, but like the supermarkets you shouldn’t believe everything I tell you, because between the two of us, I’ve never wrestled a bear.

Leave the Kids at Home

Distractions and attracted to colourful things. Kids also tend to be more focused on expensive brand names, mostly because their impressionable brains are easily influenced by TV and mostly becuase they’re stupid kids. So, if it’s possible, leave the kids at home

Don’t go Hungry

I

It’ll seriously cloud your judgement. Although top marks for taking a shopping list.

Take Cash

If you’re on a budget, then take the cash with you

Use the Smaller Trollies

The bigger the cart, the more likely you’ll be to fill it. If you use a bigger cart, with less in it you’re more likely to think that you forgot something and impulse buy.

Shop Online

You’ll be less likely to impulse buy and only buy what you need.

Look at the Best Buy Date

Have a root and rummage and look for the longer best by dates. Supermarkets tend to put older stock towards the front. If you do have food going out of date soonish, then either freeze it or plan your menu to use it up by by then.

Also, know the difference between sell-by and use-by date.

Read the Shelves

These supermarkets are pretty bad at maths. Make sure you keep an eye on the shelves, prices and the unit price to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

Bulk isn’t Always Best

Just because you tinned sardines are on offer, doesn’t mean you need 26 tins.

By Cautious of their Advice

Do they know best? Probably not…remain sceptical!

The post Supermarket Tips and Tricks appeared first on Your Saving Angels.

Mother’s Day is upon us once again and rather than going down the route of expensive flowers to show your appreciation of your Mum, here are some ideas for inexpensive and personal gifts to show your love.

Potted Plant:

As we have said before, flowers are expensive and they don’t last very long. If you want to stay with tradition, get your Mum a potted plant instead of flowers.

Scrapbook:

Dig around in your family photos and find some great memories.If you are artistic, draw or paint pictures of places you have been together. Be creative and make a book to really celebrate your relationship.

Assorted Tea Set

Make a personalised tea set for Mum this Mother’s Day. Complete the gift with some vintage china from a charity shop. If you really want to push the boat out, make a deluxe cake and host an afternoon tea. Check out some selections at Whittards, here

Cook for Her:

If Mum is the cook in the family, give her the night off and combine your efforts with your siblings and make her a gourmet meal. She will appreciate the effort you have gone to and it is an inexpensive way to treat her. Alternatively, if you aren’t that handy in the kitchen, make her an I.O.U to do all of the house work for one day so she can relax.

Pressed Flower Coasters

This idea is so cute, especially with the Spring flowers starting to come in.

Painted China 

This is a great idea for the kids. It is simple and the kids can paint Mum a special mug or bowl to take into the office.

Tea Cup Candles

Find some retro teacups at a charity shop and make some simple but cute candles. Again, this is another good activity for the kids.

Tote Bags

You can customise a plain tote bag with either fabric paint, or iron in transfers. A quick Google search will bring up many sites with free printable transfers. All you need is a tote, iron on transfer paper and a printer.

A Movie Night

If your Mum really doesn’t want anything for Mother’s Day, plan a movie night for her instead. Either go to the cinema and you pay or arrange a night in with her favourite film and homemade snacks.

Happy Mother’s Day!

The post Mother’s Day Present Ideas appeared first on Your Saving Angels.

Firstly, you’ll need an idea of the number of guests you plan on inviting, obviously the fewer guests you have the less your wedding will cost overall, so if you are on a tight budget try to keep it to close friends and family.

Look into large chain hotels that offer packages; while fairly standard, these can be a cheaper option. These will usually have a set menu for the meal and a limited number of guests, the ceremony, accommodation for the Bride and Groom, DJ and evening buffet. It also takes out much of the stress, as many of things are organised by the venue.

While golf clubs, manor houses and higher end hotels are popular choices, these are usually the most expensive options – try looking for less obvious choices like sports clubs, village halls, local pubs, National Trust venues or even a village green with a marquee. Typically, these are seen as lower end options, but actually offer a great deal of freedom and a complete blank canvas to create your own atmosphere – all you need is a little vision and imagination.

If you have a friend or family with quite a plush house, why not look into that as a potential option and ask if you can use their home and garden as a venue.

Going with a less obvious venue means that you’ll likely need to organise much more yourself, for some this is a blessing as it offers complete freedom compared to a more corporate venue, which will provide limited, almost conveyer belt options, to minimise their own costs.

Also, look to have your wedding on a less expensive date such as a Sunday or Friday, or outside the peak season, which is usually between May and September, as venues will often have a different price list for these times of year.

The post Weddings on a Budget: Venue appeared first on Your Saving Angels.

We’ve put together some quick and simple money saving tips in a neat little slide show. These are more or less common sense. But we all have one of this ‘A-Ha’ moments of realisation sometimes! Don’t want to watch, then read on below…

Below are some ways you could save on your regular spending:-

1. Cut your energy bills by researching cheaper options on comparison websites.

2. Find a cheaper alternative for cutting your home phone bills, look at package deals.

3. If you use your mobile for merely making calls and sending the odd text message then a pay as you go mobile may be your best choice.
4. When buying a house always make sure that you get the best available loan to finance it. You can choose from thousands of deals and save a lot of money, however, check the small print for hidden catches.

5. When you go grocery shopping check the cupboards, make a weekly menu and take a shopping and only buy what is on the list, this will also help you stop duplicating items.

6. If you buy something you are not happy with then complain, don’t waste your hard earned cash.

7. Literally watch every single penny, for one month record your complete spend, you will be surprised and learn a lot.

8. Got an attic full of clutter, get it sorted and sell it online, at a car boot or ftable top sale, you will be amazed at what it all adds up to.

9. Take a simple DIY course to enhance your skills and then you’ll be able to tackle most jobs around the house.

10. Travelling by plane or train? Get organized and book early and save money. Also check to see if two singles are cheaper, or if it’s cheaper to book separate legs of your journey separately

11. Ask yourself do you really need this. How many times do you wander into a shop and pick up something your really do not need. Use some willpower and say no to impulse buying.

12. Use an ISA for extra cash. You don’t pay tax on the interest accrued and can save up to £3000 per year.

13. Ensure you are not paying for an insurance you don’t need like Payment Protection Insurance (PPI), this may have been mis-sold to you when taking out a loan. Check your statements and claim back what is entitled to you, you can do this by using a reputable claims company like Brunel Franklin or go direct to your bank.

14. Your local library is not only saving you money on your books but CDs and DVDs too.

15. Paying a gym membership but not going? If you are not going at least twice a week then its worth cancelling it. Run to and from work and use the stairs and not the lift, there are many free ways to keep in shape.

16. Give up smoking, the average 20 a day smoker spends £2000 a year!

17. Limit your weekly drink intake, not only is it healthier by cheaper too.

18. If you have a local market make us of it, lower overhead equal lower priced items.

19. Have you thought about letting out a room in your home to a boarder or lodger. If you own the property and pay income tax, you could get up to £4,250 tax-free. However, be aware this may affect any benefit entitlement, so be sure to check first.

20. If you live in an area where parking is a problem, you may be able to rent out your garage or parking space. Remember, you may have to pay tax on any income you get from this, and it may effect on any benefits you are claiming.

The post 20 Quick & Simple Money Saving Tips appeared first on Your Saving Angels.

Last week I moved house. I hate moving house. As my wife and I rent, we’ve moved four times in the last six years. We’ve moved for various reasons, mostly because the landlord wants the house back to either sell or live in; which was the reason for the latest move.

We’d lived in the rented house in Sale, for two years and were pretty happy there and happy to renew our tenancy when it was up in April. However, the landlord wanted the house back and as such we needed to find a new place to live. It shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise as it did. The landlord opted to rent out the house originally as it was failing to sell on the housing market in 2011.

Needless to say we felt a bit put out. There were also several issues facing us too; firstly was the financial aspect of moving house, secondly was finding a new place which accepted dogs and thirdly was the overall timing of it all. By that I mean finding a house now, which was available to rent in April, which is pretty difficult since most houses we saw online were for rent now.

We were fairly fortuitous as the landlord was happy to end our tenancy early. We then found a house we loved which accepted dogs. Double win right? Kind of. We now had a really tight window of seven days in which to get everything sorted and move. As my wife is a teacher, she was on half term break and I was able to take some last minute holiday at work. Again, fairly fortuitous but the trouble is you usually pay a premium for doing things last minute.

Here’s how we did and hopefully you’ll get some tips from what we did or more importantly didn’t….

The Fee’s

Oh the fee’s!

In the past we’ve managed to find private landlords and dealt with them directly and this has always been the easiest and most straight forward way. Not to mention the cheapest. In the past we’ve found private landlords on Gumtree and other listing sites.

However, in the last couple of years we’ve struggled to find landlords to deal with directly and had to use Letting Agents. Especially this time, since we were on a bit of a tight time scale.

Letting Agents are absolutely delightful people to deal with until 30 seconds after you’ve handed over your money. At which point they become disinterested, vague and treat you like a nuisance. Well, that’s just my opinion, but I’ve never dealt with one that hasn’t treated me like I’m an irritation.

So far we’ve had to pay nearly £1000 in agency fees, credit reference fees and deposit for the house. So while it’s cheaper than stamp duty, solicitor fees, surveyors and Estate Agent fees, it’s still money we’d have rather not pay out… obviously.

Organising Your Belongings

It’s simply amazes me just how much stuff we have, and by stuff I mean crap. The things we’ve collected and stored and mostly forgot we had. If we didn’t know we had it, it was binned.

It was a lot of stuff. I kind of already knew that we had a lot of things. We collected over a 100 vintage tea sets for our wedding in 2011 which my wife refuses to get rid off. Along with that we have a lot of other vintage paraphernalia which we’ve amassed for various parties and do’s she has organised. Thankfully we were able to bin most of that.

It’s really important to organise your house and belongings just so you know how much you need to move. Getting rid of the unwanted and excess really reduces the amount of work involved in the long run, especially since we were moving into a smaller home.

In all we made seven trips to local recycling centre and one big trip to the local charity shop. We decided to dump a fair bit of big furniture that was literally on their last legs.

We also came across a few items that were worth selling and promptly uploaded them onto eBay on five day sales to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Everything sold, mostly on the Buy Now option and we made about £150.

I also decided to sell the last of my CD’s via MusicMagpie. When I first met my wife I had around 500 CD’s and over the years I’ve slowly been getting rid of them; first by selling them to a local record store and then on MusicMagpie, until I was down to my favourite albums. I’ve actually not listened to physical CD for years so I made the tough call to download them all onto my Mac and sell them. Now, MusicMagpie pays pittance for CD’s compared to selling them individually on some where like eBay, but it’s so much more convenient when you’re shifting a large amount. In total I got an extra £50 for them since I had a few rare Hip Hop exports.

Packing

With a slightly reduce amount of stuff to pack it should be a bit easier. Obviously you do one room at a time. I found it easier if my wife and I did the same room together, rather than trying to do one each.

In the past we’ve always managed to scavenge boxes from our places of work or the supermarkets. It’s getting increasingly difficult to get them from supermarkets unless you catch them immediately after the new stock has gone out, otherwise they go in the box crusher or recycling.

After spending the best part of a day trying to find free boxes, we begrudgingly handed over cash for them. It did not feel good. In hindsight we could of looked on Freecycle, Gumtree or even eBay to buy cheaper boxes.

Another thing I’ve learned in the past is that it’s far far easier to move lots of medium and small boxes rather than few massive boxes.

Cleaning

It’s always polite to leave a house clean and presentable for the next occupants, and as socially conscience folk we’d do this as standard. As renters we need to do this to ensure we receive our rental deposit back.

The house also needed some small DIY done to it to address the everyday wear and tear of the house which included some crack filler and a lick of paint most of which I already had.

We also decided to get in a carpet cleaner. Since we’ve had two puppies in the house over the year the carpet has taken a bit of a pounding so we thought it appropriate to shampoo the carpet to eliminate the last whiff of doggy smell. We were going to rent a machine, but actually found a deal for a £1 cheaper for someone to come in a do it. This also saved us £10 on the shampoo you have to buy too.

Clearly this is a lot easier once you’ve got the majority of your belongings out of the house.

Our new house had been unoccupied for a few months, plus we also like to get in there before we move over to give it a good scrub down.

Moving

If the packing wasn’t exhausting enough you’ve now got to move it all.

We’ve always chosen to move our stuff by ourselves. However, it’s pretty common to employ a removal company to help out. Which to me sounds fantastic. But it’s not cheap with prices beginning from around £500 to the low thousands depending on how much needs moving.

With removal companies, you need to be honest otherwise it’ll end up costing you more anyway. It’s also cheaper to move mid-week. Removals is one of those industries where it’s beneficial to research in advance and get a couple of quotes from HelpIamMoving.com and ReallyMoving.com. Make sure they’re members of the British Association of Removers.

As I mentioned we opted for the DIY method and enlisted the help of our parents to help shift the bulky, heavy stuff. This also meant we needed to rent a van to transport boxes and furniture. In the past we’ve used a really cheap company in Manchester, but for some reason they weren’t opening on Saturday’s now which to me seems really odd. Instead we went with a van hire company around the corner from the new house. While we could have gotten the hire cheaper at a company in Manchester we figured the saving would be almost lost in diesel in the van and petrol in the accompanying car when we picked up and dropped off the van. Additionally, if we were running short on time, it was just a case of driving the van around the corner to drop it off. You’ll be expected to put down a deposit on the van. Our’s was £150 on top of the £86 hire, so make sure you factor this in.

We booked the van for 24hrs. It was a pretty new van which also had a motorised tail lift which proved to be pretty useful…and fun.

Taking the DIY approach isn’t easy. It’s a lot of hard work. So make sure you’re able to commit to it. Sofas, beds and wardrobes are all difficult things to navigate out and into a house and may involve some disassembly and reassembly. Luckily we have a retro wardrobe that is designed to break into two, but many Ikea flat packed furniture isn’t designed to once it’s assembled.

Be careful and ensure your lifting technique is correct. Straight back and lift with your knees rather than your back.

Other Costs

Insurance – in total the move has incurred a £1 increase on our car insurance. But it’s certainly something to consider.

Council Tax – our council tax has stayed around the same since we’re moving into a similar sized house, plus since we’re paid up in the Trafford council, we get a refund.

Mail Redirection – we haven’t done this yet. As we manage a great deal of our accounts online now, but setting up a main redirect for post is a smart move and costs around £40 for 12 months.

All in all we’ve spent a fair bit extra then we had planned too this month. The great thing though is we’re now settled into a house we both love in a much better location.

The post Tips for Moving House When You Rent appeared first on Your Saving Angels.

We like to look on the bright side of life and we like to look for those reasons to be cheerful; because if we didn’t, well, life would be pretty crappy.

That being said he’s some jolly good reasons to be cheerful this week….

Spring is right around the corner…we hope

It’s March and weather should start picking up. Fingers crossed it does.

Which Means….Lighter Evenings

In addition to the warmer weather evenings will be getting longer, which makes everyone happier.

A Blanket of Pugs

Eating Salads

Warmer weather means we can add salads to our weekly menus. Anyone who thinks salads are boring clearly isn’t making them right. We’ll do a write up on this later…

This Tube announcer bring some Caribbean flavour to the underground

You don’t own this haunted mirror

These people managed to sell a haunted mirror on eBay – a pretty hilarious listing if you ask us. Be cheerful that you don’t own it.

Link 

There Are Still Decent People in the World

Game of Thrones Season 3

Yes! More Tyrion! Putting the Imp in Pimp.

We’ve got just over a month until we head back to Westoros and I can hardly wait.

Plus this awesome newspaper ad for the new season.

This Dog

Who thinks these ducklings are her babies…

Block Buster Season

The Oscars are behind us and I think it’s safe to assume that we’re all suffering from Oscar bait fatigue. Time for some big explosions, cheesy one liners and outrageously illogical plots.

First up is Iron Man 3, which looks all shades of awesome!

Festivals

We’re gearing up for festival season and the line ups are beginning to be announced. Plus Glastonbury returns this year. Even if you didn’t manage bag tickets from the big festivals, there are always loads of local and smaller festivals which provide just as much enjoyment.

The post Reasons to be Cheerful 2013 appeared first on Your Saving Angels.

Your Saving Angels have spoken before about weddings and the spiraling costs that can occur if you aren’t careful with your budget, but with this being the best day of your life, you don’t want to scrimp and scrap through your wedding day.

However, watching the pennies doesn’t mean you can’t have the added details that will complete your special day.

Propose to your Bridesmaids:

There is a new wedding trend, proposing to your bridesmaids. It may seem like a waste of money, however it is a cute idea and it can be done with a simple card. This website has some ideas on how to ask your friends to be part of your day

Invitations:

Everyone knows that the invitations are one of the biggest and slightly unnecessary expenses, however, there is no way you can send invitations on Facebook. It is a traditional part of the wedding preparations that you have to spend money on. However, you don’t need to spend thousands on printing, there are other options that are cost effective.

First  of all, consider making invitations yourself. If you have a good quality printer and some artistic flair, then homemade invitations are a great option and they are more personal. This is a cute idea, which also seems cost effective at the same time.

If DIY isn’t an option, then ask around your friends to see if anyone knows an amateur designer that can make up some invitations.

Also, instead of including directions and information about the venue on your invitation, set up a website or Facebook group and put that on the invitation instead. Ask your guests to RSVP via email as well, then you can keep track of your guest online. This will reduce the amount of printing needed and reduce costs further.

Food:

A three course sit down meal can get pricey and for some couples is far too formal. If you want something a bit more casual on your wedding day, look into alternatives such as food trucks. Food trucks are picking up in popularity and there are many specialised trucks serving really great food.

This would be great for a summer wedding, however, if you have a large guest list it could cause large lines and hungry guests. Another alternative is a hog roast. It can be served inside and everyone loves a hog roast. It could turn at to be cheaper per head than a catered sit down meal. This website has some great points to consider if you are thinking of hiring a food truck.

Place Settings:

Don’t spend a fortune on having place cards printed, DIY them! This chalkboard idea is adorable and if you make a mistake, you can just rub it off and start again! Another cute and cheap idea is using wine corks. Ask all of your friends to save up their corks and use them as holders. Or, if you are having a winter wedding, use clear baubles and decorate them according to your theme.

The Cake:

The cake is an integral part of your wedding celebrations, but again, there is no need to spend a fortune and chances are, after a day of eating and drinking, your guests won’t want much cake.

Again, think if you can make it yourself, like this website suggests. There will be many tutorials online for homemade wedding cakes. Although this will be very cost effective, it may not be as practical. The run up to your wedding day is normally busy and somewhat stressful, so this may not be a good idea for a bride to be. However, see if any of your baker friends could make a cake as their wedding gift to you.

We have discussed before the use of the word ‘wedding’. It increases the price of any item or service, especially the cake. Cakes will cost you at least a couple of hundred pounds at minimum. Instead of going to a wedding cake service, buy a simple un-decorated cake and decorate it yourself. This Marks and Spencer cake is specially for this purpose.

Another way to cut costs on your cake is to have a false bottom on the cake, it will look great in pictures, but will be cheaper. Or you can get a smaller version of your dream cake and buy a cheaper sheet cake to serve to your guests.

Bond with other Brides:

Talk to the bride who is getting married immediately before or after to see if you have similar ideas for decorations as reception halls usually recycle the decorations, but charge every bride for them anyway. You may be able to split the costs by using the same decorations.

Other Extras:

There is a never ending list of services you would like for your wedding. As far as photography/bands/entertainment goes, look to local colleges. You may be able to find anything from string quartets, florists and designers to caterers and magicians. This is a cheaper alternative to taking on a professional. However, make sure to see their work before you part with your money. If you want to hire a professional photographer, consider hiring them for a few hours to get the ceremony and group photos rather than the whole day. Once the day is over, ask your guests if you can download their pictures on to your laptop or if they can email the best ones to you. That way you will get lots of action shots of people dancing and talking.

As far as music goes, think of using your iPod. You can ask your guests to suggest their favourite song and make a special playlist. You can use social media to arrange this.

How to Sell Your Wedding Items:

Once the big day is over, you will be left with a lot of stuff that you most likely won’t use again. So, to make a bit of money back, you could sell the items that you can’t utilise in your everyday life. This website has some good pointers on what to keep in mind when you are buying for your wedding to enable you to quickly resell after you are married.

The above website has some very useful links to message boards, have a look and see what you can buy second hand.

The post Weddings: How to Keep the Cost Down appeared first on Your Saving Angels.

It’s February and we’ve had time to adjust to the way things are in 2013. We’re just about over writing 2012 and then scratching it out, but there are a worrying number of things that are still occurring that need to stop. Now.

Using hastags on Facebook

Unless you have a feed set up to send Tweets to Facebook then stop. It makes no sense.

Driving Everywhere

Save some money, lose some weight, help the environment and walk

Taking Pictures of Food

Especially pictures with terrible filters. No one’s going to be impressed and no one thinks you’re classy. You’re an idiot, no eat you’re food and be quite.

Neither appealing, creative or impressive. Stop.

Stop Trying to Sell Chocolate Coins to Cash4Gold

Swag/YOLO

Even using it ironically is boring.

Checking your phone every 6-8 seconds

Let’s be sensible, can we stop checking our phones so much. Save money on battery and data charges and put it out of arms reach for a couple of hours.

Moustaches

There was once a time when adding a moustache to anything was instantly hilarious and sometimes it is still. But please stop plastering them on everything imaginable, the good name of Moustache is being ruined for everyone.

Bacon

Speaking of which…..I love bacon. I could never get bored of bacon. But I am not going to buy bacon scented aftershave, air freshener, candy or other variation. It’s getting silly, please stop.

Stop Getting Fired Because of Facebook/Twitter

More info from the SocialSkinny…

Vampires

My wife is late to the vampire thing so I’m getting it all again and it kind of needs to stop now

Arguing with people on the Internet

Stop feeding the trolls and take your opinions to a more constructive place.

Keep Calm and Carry On

We had enough of this in 2011, please stop.

Outrageously Expensive Headphones

If you work in music then great. If you’re listening to your crappy Dubstep mixes on the bus, than no.

3D films

Saviour of the film industry my behind! Expensive and a bad experience. Stop releasing films with no, or limited 2D option. I’m looking a you Dredd 3D (awesome British film you should support BTW).

The word Banter

And lad culture in general. Stop using banter as an excuse to say outrageously offensive (and unfunny) things.

90’s Nostalgia

The nineties were pretty awesome. Why? Because we were children. Great Britain was no more great then it is now, so stop looking at the world in rose tinted glasses of nostalgia.

The post Things we need to stop doing in 2013 appeared first on Your Saving Angels.

I’m getting read to head of to Munich in a few weeks for a stag do and although I’ve assured my wife that I’ll stay safe, it got me thinking of ways of keeping yourself protected while you’re abroad.

The foreign office website is a great place to go to get information on safe travel. Not only will it give you potential hazards in every individual country in the world it will also give you general travel and safety tips.

The most important thing is to make sure you are properly prepared for your travels.

Before You Go

1. Always make sure you have a valid passport – beware, for some countries like the USA you may need to have at least 6 months validity left on your passport before you travel.
   
   If you don’t have a passport make sure you give yourself at least 6 weeks for your application because new passport applicants now need to attend an interview to verify their identity.

2. Always take a photocopy of your passport in case it is lost or stolen.

3. Always make sure you fill in the emergency details on your passport in case your next of kin needs to be contacted.

4. Check that you don’t need a visa for the country you intend to travel to.

5. Always get comprehensive travel insurance and make sure you take a copy with you when you travel. Some activities – like parachute jumping – are excluded from standard travel insurance policies so always check the small print. TOP TIP: If you’re travelling in the EU then get a free European Health Insurance Card for free or reduced emergency care – please note however that you will still also need full travel insurance.

6. Always check to see if you need vaccinations before you travel. Your doctor will be able to help you with this.

7. Give friends and family a copy of your itinerary so that someone knows where you are at all times.

8. Make sure you take enough money with you to cover emergencies.

9. If you decide to take travellers cheques or intend to make cash withdrawals using a UK debit or cash card make sure the country you are visiting accepts these methods of payments. TOP TIP: Always store a copy of your traveller’s cheque numbers in a safe place away from your traveller’s cheques. This will help in case they are lost or stolen.

10. If you plan to drive abroad make sure your licence is valid in the country you are visiting and that you are aware of any driving laws.

During Your Stay

1. Always be mindful that you are in a foreign country and they may have different cultural and religious beliefs. Many countries for example don’t drink alcohol and there could be serious consequences for breaking this law.
2. A lot of countries are a lot poorer than theUKso it is a good idea to hide valuables and make sure you’re not wearing a lot of expensive jewellery or carrying an expensive camera. This will draw attention to you and could put you in danger.
3. Be careful when taking pictures, especially in countries with a history of political and social instability. The authorities may misunderstand the innocent nature of your photography.
4. Try and take a mobile phone with you for emergencies but before you travel ring your phone supplier to make sure it works in whichever county you are visiting.
5. Always be careful of the local food and water. If you’re not sure whether the water is safe to drink, buy bottled water. Similarly be cautious when eating food that you’ve not prepared yourself and steer clear of street food vendors.

The post Staying Safe on Holiday appeared first on Your Saving Angels.

But by keeping a level head and remaining a savvy bargain shopper will keep you within your budget.

Firstly, set up Google Alerts for Wedding Dress Sales/Bargains for you’re area. Also,  it will alert you to any Bridal stores having sales in your area as well. Remember, department stores like Debenhams, TK Maxx and BHS often have flash bridal sales, so keep that in mind when looking for your dress.

You can find a bargain by picking up a second hand dress by searching for charity shops with specialist bridal sections, like Oxfam Online Shop, AlmostNewWeddingDresses.co.uk and SellMyWeddingDress.co.uk. Bear in mind that you may need to pay a joining fee, delivery costs and potentially dry cleaning when you receive the dress.

One option that appears to becoming more popular is looking to the Chinese dress making industry which is populating eBay. If you search for ‘custom dress makers’ on eBay, you’ll get an idea of the number selling their services. These are usually significantly cheaper, even with delivery charges and import tax. Although approach with caution – check seller feedback and reviews and ask for samples. If the seller is genuine, they’ll be happy to respond to your requests and send you samples, swatches and any references from past buyers.

Top Tip: Ensure you get yourself measured so you don’t need to fork out on alterations so make an appointment to visit a Bridal Shop where they’ll measure you. Also, keep expected dress size realistic.

Bridesmaid Dresses

Again keep an eye out for high street shops for any sales where you can pick up multiple dresses for cheap. However one option is to look into local dressmakers. One of the Angels got married in 2011 and used a local dressmaker to create Bridesmaid and Flower Girl dresses. Our Angel had seen a dress she wanted online, but it was far too expensive. The dressmaker was able to create an almost identical dress for a fraction of the cost, which also included ties for the Groom and Best Man to match. They’ll also be able to tell you where you can buy fabric and material from cheaply as well.

Top Tip: Doing your own make-up is cheapest, but why not pop down to your local department store and letting the make-up counter style your face for the day.

The post Weddings on a Budget: The Dress appeared first on Your Saving Angels.