Things That Make Me Happy: 'What's In Your Pocket?' edition!

When asked to be involved in Money Supermarket's 'Whats In Your Pocket?' challenge I was very excited as it's such a nice concept. Basically Money Supermarket discovered that finding long-lost money is one of lifes greatest 'little wins'! It's definitely a good feeling! So they surprised several bloggers and very kindly gave me £20 to recreate this feeling.  It couldn't have come at a better time as I'm skint again this month. Working 20 hours a week literally just covers rent/bills and train fare booo! So it was lovely to have the extra cash to treat myself :)

Another thing that I have discovered in the last year or two is that I get a real buzz out of bargain hunting. I'm not the sort of girl to scrimp and save yet I'm not irresponsible with my money! So I knew that this challenge would put my money saving skills to the test and I'm aimed to get as many feel good things as I could for £20 that will brighten up the days until payday! So here is what I spent the money on...

A trip to The Butterfly House £7.20

On Valentines day I visited The butterfly house in Lancaster. I actually went there on a second date, so being the modern day woman I paid for my date too (aww). The building is at the very top of Williamson's park set behind the beautiful memorial. They have lots of species of butterflies, reptiles and birds. Usually they have small mammals too but that area was undergoing refurbishment when we visited so no bunnies for me! The Butterfly House itself is like a little tropical paradise and with the butterflies fluttering around it was quite romantic! It made a difference from the FREEZING cold weather outside but at least the sunshine was out. I think it's a stunning place and for just £3.60 each it was definitely worth the (very steep) walk!

Dr Stuart's'Skin Purify' tea £1.99 

I've always had issues with my skin and at times it does get me down so my friend at work recommended these Dr Stuarts 'Skin Purify' teabags from Holland and Barrett.  I've been drinking a couple of cups of everyday & I do think my skin is starting to clear up a little bit too! I always think about investing in expensive skincare products but its crazy how the little things like herbal tea, fresh air and extra water can do the world of good too! £1.99 for 15 teabags is a bargain considering if i was out and about a tea from Costa is around the same price!

Charity Shop Clothing 

I wanted a new outfit for an impromptu night out with some of my best friends who I hadn't seen for months! However even if i were to shop in Primark that would create a big dent in my £20 and as I didn't really need anything I decided to hit the charity shops of Lancaster and indulge in some guilt-free shopping. If anything I prefer shopping in charity shops compared to the high street as I like finding individual pieces and knowing that the money from my purchase is helping others is always a great feeling :)

Dress £5.99 from Age UK

This gorgeous Apricot dress was my first find. It's monochrome which is all the rage this Spring and it is made from really lovely, thick, flocked fabric with a paisley-esque pattern. It looks brand new and when I looked on the Apricot website I found it was still retailing for £26! I love it when that happens! Also when the girls arrived we each had a black and white dress, completely by accident but hey, it's nice to co-ordinate ;)

Vintage Russell & Bromley boots from The Salvation Army £4.99!

These little beauties are amazing! I spied them on the shelf and thought they looked pretty cute as i'd been on the hunt for some vintage lace-up boots for a while now. When I turned them over to check the size I was pleasantly surprised: firstly that they were in my size hurrah! Secondly they were the prestigious, luxury footwear brand-Russell & Bromley and last but not least they were only £4.99!

So there are my cheap yet very cheerful buys that I got for just slightly over £20! It's cured my need for a shopping fix whilst the money goes towards helping others, enabled me to visit a lovely local attraction and the tea is making me feel healthier! Thanks to Money Supermarket for contacting me to be involved in this challenge!

What would you spend £20 on to cheer you up?

Thanks for reading :)

Rachelle xxx

Charity Shop Chiiiic-DECEMBER FINDS

Hey guys!

So I have quite a few bargains to show you. I bought some great things from the charity shops last month. I wrote a few tips for charity shop shopping last year. I'd say I now buy about 60% of my wardrobe second-hand! Also I'd really recommend having a look in the charity shops at the minute as most of them will be having sales especially on the sparkly, party wear :) Sequins galore! 

Here's what I bought last month:

1) Furry Next Coat-This was £10 from the PDSA charity shop in Ulverston (which is awesome by the way). I don't usually spend that much on one thing in a charity shop but it's SO FLUFFY! (& I'm helping the cats & dogs!) Its a great quality coat and it keeps me toasty on the morning commute.

 2) High-Waisted Check H&M Wool Skirt- I spotted this skirt in the reduced section of Age Concern in Grange. It was only £2.75 and it is made of super-duper thick wool material so great for the chillier weather with some fleecy-lined tights!

 3) Lee Denim Jacket- I've never owned a denim jacket that I'm really happy with, I always get the wrong wash of denim or it looks really boxy and strange but I love this one. I actually found it in the mens section but it is definitely a ladies jacket, not that I mind wearing a mans coat ;) It was a bargainous £3.

 4) Glittery Pinstripe Pencil Skirt- I picked up this skirt to wear to work. It has shiny, silver pinstripes which I thought were festive enough to wear over the Christmas period! I think this one was about £2-£3 I can't remember exactly! It's now actually waiting in my 'to-sew' pile because I thought I could leap over a huge puddle in a tight skirt and, yep you guessed it, I ended up ripping it all up the back :'(

 5) Chilli Pepper Black Denim Cropped Jacket- Who remembers Chilli Pepper?! I had a Chilli Pepper coat when I was about 14! I saw this cute, little cropped jacket and thought that I'm missing a blackl jacket from my wardrobe. It was £4 from Cancer Research in Lancaster. The label says 'Guaranteed to raise more than a heart rate' oo-er ;)

I'm planning on volunteering in a charity shop this year. Lancaster has loads of charity shops so I'm not sure which one to go for! Do any of you volunteer? If so I'd love to hear your experiences :)

Have you found any gems in the charity shops lately?

Thanks for reading :)

Rachelle xxx