No Spend Summer

Last year I mentioned a taboo word.


Money.


Yes, I did it again! (sorry)

You see we have been very fortunate. My husband had been in a job that he hated up until a year and a half ago. He didn't mind that he worked in a supermarket. He even got on well with his team he managed. But he was middle management.

He was dumped on by his managers, they took credit for his work, blamed him for their mistakes. He also had to put up with really bad language and crude stories every.day. 

I realise he was like many people out there. There are a lot of people who work in an environment like this. 

We were so fortunate that he was not only able to get out of there, but also that he was able to find a job he likes, and one that has great prospects! 

However, those "prospects" will be in a good few years time :)

Which I don't mind! I'm SO happy that he's happy. It makes such a big difference! I'd even said while he was job hunting that if he wanted to train or go back into education I would support him and we would make do on little or no money. 

We are lucky he has a job he loves. We are lucky that he has a good work atmosphere. We are lucky that he has a small(ish) commute and great holidays.

So what's the point of my babble?

We have never been well off, we were married when we were both students and I had Izzy while Andy was still finishing his degree! 

We're used to money being tight. But this year we decided to do something we've only done twice since we were married nearly six years ago.

We're going on holiday! 

But to be able to afford it we have reduced our outgoings. We want to be able to do exciting things while we're away and so we've altered parts of our budget. For example:

Gifts for friends/family = £0

Crafts supplies = £0

Home revamp = £0

(you see where I'm going?)

So I give you!

I'm actually really excited!

Even though I have: 

one wedding (my brother's)

three father's day gifts

four men's birthdays

one child's birthday

one woman's birthday

one new baby gift

activities for my kids over the holidays (before and after going away)

and lots of house projects on my list!

...and that's at the very least. And man do I suck at men gifts!

So for all of these I will be attempting to make gifts with no money spent and only using my stash!I know what you're thinking, but I'm determined that I can do it! :)

And I already have a great new baby idea coming up soon. It includes a gift for the mum too! 

(a sneak peak!)

But in the before then I'd really love to know your thought! Am I crazy? (probably!) Have you done gifts using stash only before? Do you have any ideas? 

But most excitingly...would you like to be featured? During no spend summer I'd love to showcase some of your ideas! If you have a tutorial or some photos and an explanation of something you've made email me! It's rhiannon.parker2904@gmail.com

If it's any project that hasn't meant you spent (ooh I like that rhyme! Maybe it should be no spend summer's slogan!) let me know! After all I will have a lot of those going on too! 

I'm so excited! Who's in?!