Home General Info & Awareness Frugal Friday [ 08/03/2019 ]

Frugal Friday [ 08/03/2019 ]

by InvisiblyMe

Happy Friday, everyone! Breathe a sigh of relief as the weekend is here, you’ve survived another week, and tomorrow is a new day to start afresh. Here are just a couple of finds for this issue of Frugal Friday – Enjoy & have a restful weekend 🙂

Free Letter Samples & Templates

Citizens Advice have a range of sample letters and templates for everything from consumer issues (like products, energy supply, telecom services), healthcare, debt and loans, housing and work. For instance, maybe you want to complaint about adult social care or NHS treatment, ask the council for help with housing repairs, complain about a landline/broadband/energy supply service service or faulty goods. If you need to make a complaint / air a grievance, ask for help or try to resolve an issue, these may come in really handy to give you an idea as to how to phrase and lay out your letter.

Free sample letters from Citizens Advice can be found here.


NHS Prescription Costs

I’ve posted before about ways to save on NHS prescriptions in England, but I thought this would be a timely reminder about PPCs as the prescription charge is set to rise next month. The current cost of a prescription is £8.80 per item. This will go up to £9 on 1st April 2019.

A PPC – prescription prepayment certificate – is a certificate you purchase for a set number of months which will cover all prescriptions you need in that time. If you typically have numerous prescriptions, this could potentially save you a lot of money, even £100s. 

The cost of a PPC : 

3 months – £29.10

12 months – £104

If you have 2 prescriptions each month, a 12 month PPC could save over £105 per year (or a 3 month PPC could save you over £20 in 3 months). This saving increases the more prescriptions you need. For instance, if you need 4 prescriptions and have a 12 month PPC, you’ll save £315+ per year. 

You can get a certificate in a pharmacy but the quickest, easiest way is online via the NHS website here. 


Over 60s Discount at Boots

Did you know that over 60s can get special benefits with their Advantage Card at Boots by joining their Over 60s Reward scheme

A few benefits include : 

  • 10 points per £1 spent (rather than 4) on various brands like Soltan, Boots Pharmaceuticals, Botanics, No.7 & Natural Collection.
  • Exclusive in-store events
  • 25% off your first pair of glasses or prescription sunglasses
  • Extra Advantage Card points on a hearing check
  • 20% off BootsPhoto personalised photo gifts

You can find out more about the Boots scheme for the over 60s here.


Free Kindle Books

I’ve picked out three Kindle books that are currently free at Amazon.

Harder They Fall by Solomon Carter – 4.5/5 star rated crime thriller

Amazon UK & Amazon US

An Ace and A Pair : A Dead Cold Mystery by Blake Banner

Amazon UK & Amazon US

Sea Of Memories by Fiona Valpy (historical drama, also free as an audiobook)

Amazon UK & Amazon US


Psych Meds

I want to do a quick shout-out here to an awesome fellow blogger friend, Ashley, who’s recently published her own book on medications within mental illness – Psych Meds Made Simple.

Whether you know others who take medications, are simply curious, take them yourself or are considering speaking to your doctor about them, these medications can be a minefield to navigate & understand. I think she’s done incredibly well with this, producing something that’s not only easy to read and digest, but hugely insightful, relevant and useful.

Psych Meds Made Simple : How & Why They Do What They Do – Ashley L Peterson (Kindle & paperback)

Amazon UK & Amazon US


Enamel-Restoring Toothpaste

I’ve recently purchased this for myself & I thought I’d share it here as it’s currently on sale at £6.66 (usual price around £10) at Amazon UK.

It gets great reviews & aims to “protect against cavities, restore original whiteness and provides 3 times stronger teeth”. It uses NR-5 ingredients to strengthen and rebuild enamel, which is something I’ve struggled to find in other products, while also leaving teeth incredibly clean, fresh & healthy.

A stock image of the Regenerate 75ml toothpaste with its green and white packaging design.

Find it on Amazon UK ( also available on Amazon US )


Free Colouring Pages

Faber-Castell, a prestigious brand where pens and art supplies are concerned, has a neat little range of free quality colouring pages to download which you can find here.

LonerWolf has a fab selection of different designs that are well worth checking out, from mandalas, dragons and dreamcatchers, to butterflies & sugar skulls. You can check them out here.

More funky, pretty & intriguing designs can be found at Trail Of Colours. Definitely worth a browse as there’s lots of variety in terms of style and level of detailing, all of which can be easily downloaded, saved & printed off. You can find them here.


This Is Going To Hurt

This particular book has been advertised a fair bit and has gotten some great reviews. It certainly seems like an interesting read, if you can stomach it. I’ve spotted it on sale at only £3.75 at The Book Depository (free worldwide delivery). It’s also the same price at Amazon UK. This can also be found at Amazon US.

A black scroll divider.

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39 comments

Darnell March 8, 2019 - 4:20 pm

Thank you for the resources. Have a nice weekend Caz.

Reply
InvisiblyMe March 12, 2019 - 6:32 pm

You’re welcome, I hope you like them. I hope you’ve been getting on well with the writing & that this is a good week for you, Darnell! 🙂

Reply
Ashley March 8, 2019 - 4:24 pm

Thanks so much for the mention sweetie! ❤️❤️❤️

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InvisiblyMe March 12, 2019 - 6:31 pm

Aw you’re welcome, you definitely deserve a little more promotion! 😀

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Sandee March 8, 2019 - 4:34 pm

Comparing prices is a good thing. We do that too and it’s amazing how much you can save if you do the numbers.

Have a fabulous day and weekend. ♥

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InvisiblyMe March 12, 2019 - 6:30 pm

It’s always worth comparing prices & seeing where you could save some pennies, especially when finances are tight. Thanks for the comment =]
xx

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Masha Ellman March 8, 2019 - 4:40 pm

Great resources and me too I love those free Kindle books LOL. Have a beautiful weekend. <3

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InvisiblyMe March 12, 2019 - 6:29 pm

Free is always good 😉
Thanks Masha, I’m glad you liked the post! Have yourself a lovely week xx

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Despite Pain March 8, 2019 - 5:38 pm

I always love your Frugal Friday suggestions. Great resources for people. Thankfully up in Scotland, prescriptions are free. Those prices are extortionate, aren’t they?

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InvisiblyMe March 12, 2019 - 6:27 pm

Makes me want to move to Scotland! Prescriptions can add such a financial strain to those with chronic illness who already struggle for money, it’s ridiculous. The PPC is a good way to save the pennies if you have several prescriptions each month. Thanks for the comment, I’m really glad you liked this week’s Frugal Friday 🙂
xx

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Terri, Reclaiming HOPE March 8, 2019 - 6:49 pm

Another wonderful edition of Frugal Friday Caz! I love it that you’re always on the lookout for things to help out. Thanks for sharing some more great bargains!

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InvisiblyMe March 9, 2019 - 5:26 pm

I love being able to share new finds so I’m really glad you liked it, Terri! Thank you =]
xx

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da-AL March 9, 2019 - 12:03 am

you always find the nicest things! I love colored pencils — watercolor ones are great too!

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InvisiblyMe March 12, 2019 - 6:24 pm

I’m glad you liked the post! Coloured pencils are fab, and the watercolour ones are pretty interesting to use. Thanks for the comment – I hope you have a lovely week  ♥

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wendi March 9, 2019 - 6:06 am

what a wonderful list, thank you for helping others through your blog!

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InvisiblyMe March 9, 2019 - 5:08 pm

I’m glad you liked it, thanks Wendi! I hope the weekend is treating you well.x

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Nick March 9, 2019 - 10:46 am

Great set of resources. I must check out the Boots Over 60s Rewards Scheme.

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InvisiblyMe March 12, 2019 - 6:20 pm

The Boots scheme doesn’t seem all that well known about. Glad you liked them, thanks for the comment – I hope you have a good week, Nick!

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Sophiemgsblog March 9, 2019 - 12:33 pm

I never knew you could pay an subscription almost for your prescriptions thats mad!!

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InvisiblyMe March 9, 2019 - 6:17 pm

Yep, mad indeed! A good way to save money though, but it just shows how expensive being ill can be 🙁

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Mrs. Ram’s Jams March 9, 2019 - 1:11 pm

Free books! Free books! ????

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InvisiblyMe March 12, 2019 - 6:01 pm

Wooop, can’t say no to a freebie 😉
xx

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Elber Oum March 9, 2019 - 5:14 pm

Thank you so much ????????????

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InvisiblyMe March 9, 2019 - 6:13 pm

You’re welcome, hope you liked it! 🙂

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Christy Birmingham March 9, 2019 - 9:53 pm

I love freebies so thanks for sharing some here 😀 Hope you have a nice weekend Caz xo

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InvisiblyMe March 12, 2019 - 5:11 pm

I love freebies too, most things seem better when they’re free 😉
Thanks Christy, I hope you have a good week ahead xx

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smilecalm March 10, 2019 - 12:32 am

i’m happy knowing these
are available to benefit others 🙂

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InvisiblyMe March 12, 2019 - 5:10 pm

I like being able to share what I find, so thanks for reading. I hope this is a good week for you =]

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Mary (cactus catz) March 10, 2019 - 3:51 am

thanks for sharing the kindle books. 2 of them were free at USA Amazon too so I picked them up. One of my plans is to start reviewing kindle books this year but I haven’t started yet so I feel a bit like a squirrel storing up nuts for later.

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InvisiblyMe March 12, 2019 - 5:03 pm

That’s cool, I hope you enjoy them – can’t go wrong when they’re free! 😉
I think reviewing books is a great idea. Will you publish your reviews on your blog, like a Kindle book review series? I’d be keen to read about what you’ve read & your thoughts on different books. And saving the ideas up isn’t a bad idea, it means you have something to do and look forward to when you’re ready to tackle that project. xx

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Kirsty March 10, 2019 - 5:30 pm

Thanks for the PPC information. I’ve got a friend who I think could save a lot of money using it, so I’ve passed the tip on. Have a wonderful week 🙂

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InvisiblyMe March 12, 2019 - 4:53 pm

Thanks, I hope it can help her as prescriptions are so incredibly expensive. I hope you’re well & that this week is a good one for you too 🙂
xx

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Ellen Pilch March 11, 2019 - 1:50 am

Thanks for telling us about the free coloring pages and books.

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InvisiblyMe March 12, 2019 - 4:50 pm

You’re welcome, enjoy! And thanks for stopping by, I hope you have a lovely week =]

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Alice v March 12, 2019 - 1:25 pm

I found some good free books on Amazon before too. Thank you for the resources.

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InvisiblyMe March 12, 2019 - 4:17 pm

I think a lot of things are better when they’re free 😉 It’s a great way to discover new authors too by trying one for free. Thanks for the comment lovely, have a good week xx

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The Lonely Author March 14, 2019 - 6:14 pm

Will you be getting back to us on your thoughts of the enamel restoring tooth paste?

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The Lonely Author March 14, 2019 - 6:14 pm

Will you be getting back to us on your thoughts of the enamel restoring tooth paste?

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InvisiblyMe March 15, 2019 - 1:04 pm

I will indeed 😉
I’ll do a separate post on it soon. I’ve been using it every day so I want to give it a little while to check if/what visible differences I notice. But so far it’s been very pleasant to use, certainly leaves my teeth feeling very clean and my mouth minty fresh! x

Reply

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