Heating your Home with Hive

 The weather is somewhat unpredictable at present making it incredibly difficult to decide what to wear each day! The sun seems to make an appearance but as soon as you slip into a vest top and cropped trousers the rain arrives and you require a jumper and wellies instead. 

The same applies when it comes to heating your home, it can be just as hard to know what settings to apply when you head out for the day, but an exciting new product is here to help:

Are You Sitting On A Festive Fortune?

According to a recent study around 70% of households have loose change laying around the home that could be put to good use and saved away, especially as Christmas approaches. This equals as much as £1.5 billion each year, just within the UK!

The study also uncovered that 66% of mums regularly save coins in a jar and around 50% of children do the same - it's definitely a good habit to have as it results in up to £95 of savings on average, annually. 

The Mini Mes love popping their money into their piggy banks and planning what they can buy.

Coinstar is calling out to families to 'unleash the power of those pennies' by checking in pockets, down the sides of the sofa and even in your drawers to see how much you can save this December. 

Grab yourself a pot, watch the pennies pile up and see what you can treat yourself to this year.

“You’d be surprised how much loose change you have lying around the house on dressing tables and down the back of the sofa! Popping your coins into a money jar is so easy and is a great way to get your kids into the saving habit too. They will LOVE collecting up their spare coppers and finding out how much they have managed to save, especially when they can turn their pocket money into goodies! Coinstar is a great way to find out how much you've managed to save!”

- Sarah Willingham, money saving champion.

Have a quick rummage around and see how much you can find. You will probably be pleasantly surprised!

You don't even need to worry about counting the coins as Coinstar kiosks, there are over 1,900 outlets, will do that for you. You just pop your change in and let them do the work.

For more information, visit www.coinstar.co.uk

Do you save your change?

*Sponsored post*

Monstros Money Box *Review and Giveaway*

Monstros Money Boxes are a quirky yet clever idea to make saving money fun for children. As soon as my two receive any money they are desperate to spend it, but when putting coins away suddenly involved feeding a monster it definitely encouraged them to save!

We selected the Khaki design to receive, although there are several styles to choose from, and it was an instant hit with Jamster in particular. The cuddly monster is made from a variety of soft fabrics which gives it a nice look and texture and it has weighted feet so that it can be sat upright with ease. It's also easy to clean with a damp sponge if needed.

The money box is easy to use and the chunky zip and twist open bottom make it ideal for younger children to have too. There is no stiff rubber bung to pull out like alternative versions.

The idea of putting coins into a monsters mouth and watching them 'poop' it back out was highly amusing to the Mini Mes and Jamster was keen to share this with everyone! It's definitely a great novelty gift idea as it is fun yet practical.

Quick demo of it in action...

If there are issues with siblings trying to 'borrow' money this would be a great solution as it can be placed among other soft toys and remain a secret safe - they wouldn't notice that it was a money box at first glance. This would also be a good idea for adults trying to hide valuables at home or away safely and discreetly.

The RRP is £12.50 which I feel is good value, especially for the quality of the product, and the way that it has helped the Mini Mes to save which is always beneficial.

*** WIN ***

For your chance to win a Monstros of your own you can enter via the Rafflecopter entry form below.

The giveaway closes on 19th September 2013.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*We received a Monstros money box for the purpose of this review. The opinions given are honest and our own. 

The giveaway is being run by Blooming Surprise*

Penny-pinching throughout 2013: How to save money around the home

As Christmas becomes a distant memory and you settle into 2013, you might be looking to improve your finances. A new year is the perfect time to reduce your outgoings and boost your funds, so what cutbacks can you make around the home?

Go green
Implementing green initiatives not only protects the planet but it can also save you a shed load of cash. Small actions and changes can make a big difference, so arrange a boiler service to ensure your heating system is working economically, save water by investing in an eco-friendly shower head and try washing your clothes in lukewarm instead of hot water. Every little helps, so get in the right frame of mind and start making savings.

Make some home repairs
If you’ve been meaning to fix that leaking tap for a while now – do it! This will save water and could cut your utility costs significantly. Similarly, sealing up draughts, having your windows double glazed and fitting keyhole covers to your door will all help you retain the heat in your house more efficiently – which in turn should reduce your energy payments. While you’re in a DIY mode, don’t forget to switch traditional light bulbs for energy-saving alternatives and continue to look after the environment.


Get your bills in order
Are you paying too much on your utility bills? If you’re not sure, do your research and see what other companies are charging. Once you have the information you need, call up your suppliers and see if you can negotiate a better deal. If you have been a customer for a long time, they might reward loyalty or match the price of other packages you’ve found online. There’s no harm in asking and you might reduce your outgoings with just a few short phone calls.


Get hands on
If you pay for cleaners, gardeners or any other home help, it might be time to do it yourself. Money isn’t easy to come by at the moment, so if you’re struggling it’s wise to limit the amount you spend. Of course, you shouldn’t have to do all the hard graft completely alone, so get the family involved and allocate a chore to each person. Washing up, hoovering, general tidying, laundry, cooking and other tasks should be shared, so divide up the workload evenly.

Penny-pinching is relatively simple when you put your mind to it and you’re sure to notice the difference in no time.