Dear vegan and vegetarian readers, please do not despair. I haven?t gone back on myself and am not eating bacon; I have pledged to upload the contents of both of my cookbooks as a free resource to help people to cook on a budget in the wake of the news that the BBC will be removing recipes from its website. This means that a few non-veggie recipes may be appearing in your inboxes over the next few days, and I absolutely do not mean to cause anyone any offence or upset. I?m just trying to be helpful to people who will find these recipes useful in managing their household budget, or learning to cook. 

Anyway, this recipe is from my first book, A Girl Called Jack, and was born of the bottom of a jar of sliced olives, some scraps of cooking bacon and a tin of chickpeas lurking in the cupboard. Olives may seem like a luxurious ingredient, but at around 60p for a 185g jar they deliver a strong, punchy livener for pennies if used sparingly. Once opened, they keep in the fridge for a few weeks, and can be used to make a tapenade (a rough paste for dipping things in, smearing on toast, or tossing through ? just finely chop or whizz with garlic, lemon and oil), or added to a tin of tomatoes with some chilli and a dash of vinegar for a rough take on spaghetti alla puttanesca. All hail the olive, saviour of boring food. Because cheap doesn?t have to be boring. Welcome to my world, won?t you come on in??

  
Serves two people as a hearty lunch at 47p each

2 fat cloves of garlic, 4p (35p/2 bulbs, Basics)

4 tbsp cooking oil, 6p (£3/3l sunflower oil)

1 tbsp lemon juice (bottled or fresh), 3p (50p/250ml bottle)

1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, 39p (KTC brand)

1 small onion, 9p (80p/1.5kg bag of Basics onions)

2 tbsp finely chopped pitted black olives, 6p (60p/185g jar)

100g bacon, 17p (£1.15/670g Basics cooking bacon)

a handful of fresh parsley or coriander, 10p (80p/28g)
First make your simple salad dressing to give it a headstart. I make mine in a jar, lid it and shake it for an even and emulsified goodness. I tried looking for a simple definition of emulsification to describe what happens when you mix a salad dressing, because I don?t like using fancy cooking terms without explaining them (it?s what made me feel like I ?couldn?t cook? for a long time, because I didn?t know what ?saute? meant nor ?roux? and if only someone had said ?gently cook? and ?butter-flour-paste-with-milk? I might not have been so intimidated) ?and I got this:

  
So not really the simple definition I was after!! Duodenums indeed. 

Anyway I digress. Make a salad dressing. Basically, peel and finely chop your garlic into thin slices or small pieces or keep chopping until you have a paste, depending on how patient, dextrous and/or cross you are. Chopping garlic is gloriously therapeutic if you?ve got some stuff to work through, if you know what I mean. Pop the garlic into a jar. Add 3 tbsp of the oil and the lemon juice, with a grind of pepper if you have it kicking about. Pop the lid on the jar and shakey shakey shake it up until it goes thick-ish and cloudy. I am always fascinated by the transformation of clear oil into an almost opaque glop simply by adding something acidic and a good thrust or two. This, friends and readers, is emulsification.

Drain and thoroughly rinse the chickpeas (save the water to use as an egg replacer in recipes, it?s called aquafaba and it?s basically free and useful so don?t throw it away ? and it doesn?t taste of anything once cooked in cakes etc, despite its slightly funky smell?) 

Peel and finely chop the onion. Toss into a good sized pan with the olives. Chop the bacon into small pieces and add that too. Pour over a little oil and cook on a medium heat for five minutes or so, stirring occasionally to disturb the ingredients so they don?t stick, and to cook evenly. Add the chickpeas and cook for a further five minutes to warm through.

Pick the leaves from the parsley or coriander, reserving the stalks to use as chopped herbs in their own right, or drying them to use in a stock or sauce in the future. 

Remove the pan from the heat, add the leaves, pour over the dressing and mix well, and enjoy. This can be eaten warm (from the pan, if you?re anything like me), or cold from the fridge. It does freeze, but please reheat it thoroughly with a small splash of water to reawaken it.

It also makes an excellent packed lunch, either as a salad in its own right, or mashed lightly and spooned into pitta breads, sandwiches or wraps.

VEGETARIANS AND VEGANS! Replace the bacon with finely chopped aubergine, tossed in a little paprika and salt and garlic, and while you?re there, chuck some cumin seeds in the dressing, too.

Jack Monroe. I?m on Twitter & Instagram @MxJackMonroe

Last night, I attended the final Full Council meeting in Southend before the elections being held on the 5th of May. I started writing this blog almost five years ago now, and it started as a local political report, from thew public galleries of the Civic Centre, in response to a stalwart Conservative councillor claiming on the front page of the Southend Echo that ?Druggies, Drunks And Single Mums Are Ruining The Town?. 

Furious, I wrote a letter to the newspaper that I will find and republish here later. It was so long and so outraged that the newspaper serialised it over a couple of days, and this blog was born.

Later on, as a result of suspended benefits and bank charges racking up debts and bills unpaid, I started to add the recipes that I was cooking on a handful of change for myself and my Small Boy, he barely 2 years old, and eight whole homes ago. The blog went viral ? and life was not the same again.

But my interest in local politics remains. Such is the dissonance that I am regularly told by (usually male) ?trolls? to ?get back in the kitchen? whenever I start or contribute to political debate. 

Last night, I lost over 300 Twitter followers from the beginning to the end of a local council meeting. Many got in touch to tell me they were ?only here for the recipes? ?unfollowing? ?nobody cares? and words to that effect. 

And so.

I would like to take the opportunity to apologise to those who think that local politics is beneath them.

To those who have obviously never used a library

nor a hospital

a doctor

a Post Office

a children?s centre

who didn?t go to school

nor send their children to one

nor a college

nor a local university

nor a vocational qualification.

You don?t drive on roads

nor use the cycle lanes

nor the local buses

nor the train services

nor walk on the pavements

and never use a taxi service.

You must be those who never enjoy local parks

or the greenery around the town

every tree planted

every street scene designed and maintained for its residents

and you don?t use any of the shops on the High Street

never visit the art galleries

nor the museum

nor the beautiful cliff gardens

never rest on local benches

nor put your rubbish in local bins.

To those who have never walked home beneath working street lights

never submitted planning permission

paused to read those yellow notices cable-tied to lamp posts and fences

nor opposed it.

Those privileged enough to have never needed to queue at their local food bank, nor beg for a referral letter from their GP or social worker

who have never had to write to a local councillor nor MP to plead for intervention when three months of unpaid benefits mean you are about to be made homeless.

Those who have never sofa surfed while on a council waiting list 10,000 strong, nor slept under bridges, in cars, or on the steps of the Civic Centre.

To those who enjoy the hard won labours of local  representatives, day in and day out, but refuse to acknowledge it.

You complain about ?Government? as though it is a seperate entity, something ?other?, something beyond your control.

People constantly ask me why I am so interested in local politics. 

I?m not. Politics bores the shit out of me.

I?m interested in my bins being collected, my child having a decent education, a safe hospital to give birth in, an A&E to turn up to when I have another heart attack and the X Ray services that identified the clots on my lungs. I?m interested in a safe and suitable home for me and my child, with regulations in place to ensure that it is habitable and (almost) affordable. I love a clean street to walk down, a park to enjoy my solitude, a walk with friends, a borrowed dog, my son?s childhood. Clean beaches to stand and stare at, a sea edge to dip my toes, flood defences to protect the towns homes and businesses.

I?m interested in a good high street that meets the needs of residents and encourages local businesses. Safer streets. A visible police patrol to look after our town and the people. Firefighters in case of emergencies, ranging from road traffic collisions to house fires to carbon monoxide to trapped animals, chemical spillages, overturned tankers on main roads and fitting smoke alarms for vulnerable people, community safety, home fire safety visits, education on road traffic collision reduction, and talking to children about the dangers of fire. I?m interested in enough ambulances to turn out in time to prevent tragedies, that can treat patients in their homes with appropriate equipment or convey them to a hospital for doctors and nurses to attend to.

I?m interested in good care homes, and supported housing for vulnerable members of our community.

I?m interested in safe refuge for women, and programs to support victims of domestic abuse, enough police officers to deal with harrasment and stalking, and a staffed and trained rape crisis helpline.

I?m interested in a local safeguarding children board, looking after our foster carers, having appropriate adoption procedures.

I?m interested in accountability, so people cannot run amok in their own interests.

I?m not interested in politics.

I?m interested in my town, my family, our lives.

Decisions made in local council meetings affect all of us, every single day. Look at the shower of crooks and cronies braying away on Prime Ministers Questions and ask yourself if this is what you want to lead our country?

Apathy is strangling our democracy.

It is not down to just a handful of us to fight any more, to report, to rage, to rally.

I started as a local political reporter before the recipes and I will not apologise for returning to my roots. Someone has to sit at meetings until 1am, after all.

Because as Edmund Burke said, ?The only thing necessary for evil to triumph, is for good people to stand by and do nothing.?

Jack Monroe. Twitter & Instagram: @MxJackMonroe

This is a promoted article in association with Avis, the sponsors of the Mahindra Formula E team

Formula E?s second season moves into its closing stages this weekend with only the double-header finale in London to follow Saturday?s Berlin ePrix.

From being a single-specification series at its inception, for year two the championship has begun to open up the technical competition. This has already had an intriguing effect on the racing between Formula E?s all-electric cars.

Abt?s Lucas di Grassi approaches the final three races with a slim 11-point lead over eDams racer Sebastien Buemi. This is an impressive feat for Di Grassi who has not started from pole position all year, yet has won three times and would have taken the last three races in a row but for a technical infringement by his team in the Mexican round.

When season two began in Beijing the Renault-backed eDams cars annexed the front row with Buemi a second clear of the team?s closest rival over a 3.4-kilometre lap. That inevitably provoked fears that increasing the technical competition would inevitably spoil the wheel-to-wheel action which characterised the first season of Formula E.

The sight of champion Nelson Piquet Jnr languishing at the back of the field, while Buemi romped to a straightforward victory, seemed to confirm that view.

Instead the second year of Formula E has subsequently shown that, as with Formula One and the World Endurance Championship, good racing can exist outside single-specification or performance-balanced championships.

Despite that performance edge, Renault and Buemi have managed to find themselves on the back foot. Round two in Putrajaya slipped through their fingers as the punishing Malaysian humidity took its toll on the equipment.

But errors by Buemi has arguably cost them even more dearly. He started last in Argentina after a mistake in qualifying and slipped up in Mexico too, leaving him to fight a rearguard action in both events. The team later discovered a braking problem on Buemi?s car.

While Di Grassi?s disqualification from victory in Mexico handed Buemi a useful points lead, he immediately threw it away at the next event by clattering into Robin Frijns. At the last round in Paris Buemi had more problems in qualifying and a rapid start by Di Grassi meant he added to his championship lead against the odds.

The varied approach to the technical rules has also enlivened the competition further down the field. While eDams and Abt have been able to get their cars down to the weight limit the likes of Virgin have not. While the Virgin car works well over a single lap ? Sam Bird has had pole position for three of the last four races ? over a race distance that weight disadvantage means he invariably finds himself under attack from lighter rivals.

It isn?t easy for championship to permit the kind of technical freedom which attracts manufacturers like Formula E?s Renault, Audi and Citroen without compromising the quality of racing which attracts fans. Consider how one-sided the World Touring Car Championship became when Citroen showed up.

But Formula E has the advantage of being able to design its rulebook from scratch to achieve that, and so far in season two it seems that difficult balance has been struck. The scene is set for an exciting conclusion to the championship.

Remaining races

21st May ? Berlin
2nd July ? London
3rd July ? London

Catch up on highlights from the Formula E season so far

Start, Mahindra, Formula E, Paris, 2016

click me

It was clear from your responses to the Spanish Grand Prix that Red Bull?s young talent has made a big impression.

Max Verstappen was hailed as a new star for F1 after his breakthrough victory.

And with an average rating of 8.7 out of ten from readers, this was the most popular Spanish Grand Prix since we began Rate the Race in 2008, earning 13th place on your all-time favourites list:

I just couldn?t believe my eyes the last couple of laps. Surely he was going to pit again for softs, right? No!

I?ve been following F1 since 1994, watched Jos Verstappen?s day in the sun that year, but that moment just got totally eclipsed by what his son did today. Very, very proud of my young countryman today. Goosebumps.
@Ogw86

Congratulations to Max Verstappen, clearly deserved victory and probably the first of many. Excellent to see Red Bull fighting for victories again too.

Gutted for Daniel Ricciardo, though. Brilliant drive from him deserved better than fourth. Weird Red Bull didn?t give him clearly the better strategy.
Adam (@Rocketpanda)

Strategy played a pivotal role in deciding the outcome of the race with both Red Bull and Ferrari?s leading drivers dropping back after they switched to three-stop strategies.

Some of you appreciated this aspect of the race more than others:

Very exciting! It?s been a while since there have been four drivers in with a decent shot at victory right up until the end of the race. With DRS having a less obvious effect compared to other tracks it felt like 2010 again.

Shame about Riccardo?s puncture but an excellent drive from both Ferrari and Red Bull drivers. I knew Verstappen would get a win, didn?t think it would be so soon and with such style! It takes some real talent to hold back a driver like Raikkonen for that many laps. Best race since Bahrain 2014.
Finlay (@fintard96)

Obviously the start was fantastic and the last few laps were really good. The middle of the race, not so much.

Definitely some re-watch potential and therefore stronger than average.
Oli (@Dh1996)

A wonderful race from start to finish, and Verstappen showed that he is definitely a future world champion. Not this year though ? I almost forgot Mercedes for a second there but they?re still in F1 guys!

But there?s a sense for me that strategy decided the results of the race. Of course kudos to both Red Bull, Ferrari, and their drivers. But I think Verstappen was on the first step of the podium today instead of Ricciardo, despite being behind in both qualifying and the early stages of the race, and Raikkonen getting second instead of Vettel, despite being quite visibly outclassed by Vettel in the early stages of the race, was down to the fact that Red Bull and Ferrari made strategic options that paid off for one driver and not the other.

Obviously the teams had to make decisions to maximise their chances of winning, regardless of which driver is on top. But who knows, Vettel and Ricciardo may be qutestioning their team bosses about strategies right now!
Duc Pham (@Ducpham2708)

The Circuit de Catalunya tends not to see a great deal of overtaking and this year was no exception:

For a race which had very few overtakes, the tension, drama and entertainment level was unexpectedly high. Who said we need 40 overtakes per race to get excited?

Also, one of the few overtakes of the race, Verstappen getting back on Vettel in the first lap, was probably the key to his race. If Verstappen couldn?t get back behind Ricciardo so fast, the outcome would have probably been much different.
@Gechichan

It was a great race, the best I have seen for a long time. The two Mercedes crashing out made for an excellent contest between the Ferrari and Red Bull drivers, it wasn?t clear until the last few laps which of those four drivers was going to win and it was really nice to see a fresh face on the top step of the podium. Very well done to Max Verstappen.

Sadly this race showed very clearly that in modern F1 racing it is very difficult for the drivers to follow close to one another with relatively equal performance, this means that for the majority of the time the race is decided by pit strategy than by driving skills. They need to change this if they want to have really great racing, today?s race showed that the potential is there to have great races with positions decided on the last lap but it would be so much better and more exciting for everybody if the drivers are able to get close enough to each other to pass and re-pass without the need for tools like DRS and multiple tyre compounds which just makes much of the close action very much a biased contest.
Robert (@rob91)

Spectacular crash, unexpected winner ? but the first four followed each other home, and never really looked like swapping positions (thanks again, downforce-sapping regulations).

Ricciardo had to near-enough punt Vettel off-track to make a pass, and even that was unsuccessful.
@newfangled

Obviously an outstanding race, however, I would have liked to have seen a move made successfully on track for one of the cars at the front just to show that it can be done at Catalunya. But that is a minor quibble, great tense strategic race.
@Jonners99

Red Bull out-qualifying the Ferraris ultimately set up a thrilling race. More evidence F1 doesn?t need Bernie Ecclestone?s ?time ballast? qualifying idea?

Proves that there can be an exciting race even without rain or drivers completely out of position in qualifying, or whatever reverse grid orders or stupid ideas of such.
Stefano (@Alfa145)

2016 Rate the Race Results

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2016 Spanish Grand Prix

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Lucasfilm

Not set to open for a few years yet, the rumour mill has gone into hyperspace lately over what we can expect from the Star Wars land at Disneyland.

The latest comes from Making Star Wars, who have been talking to insiders who revealed this week that visitors will not just able to experience the Force but will actually get to use it.

Reportedly, there will be „Force Opportunities“ that kids will be able to try.

Here’s how they described it;

Imagine a boulder. Kids will walk up to the boulder and attempt to lift it all day. But at one special moment, one special child will actively use the Force and lift the rock. We don?t know if it will be a ship or just a rock or what. It sounded like there would be smaller ?Force Opportunities? that occur often and others that only happen once or twice a day.

Making Star Wars have compared these to the King Arthur?s Sword in Fantasy Land at Disneyland where only one one lucky child will be able to remove the sword from the stone.

giphy

It will be very interesting to see how Disney are able to get this to work as unlike the sword, the Force requires the power of the mind.

Universal parks also do something similar with their wands that interact with the windows in both Hogsmede and Diagon Alley. Could you be required to purchase an interactive lightsaber or some kind of Jedi ensemble to be able to enjoy the magic?

Currently Disney has provided only the headlines as to what we can expect from the park. We know there will be two key attractions. One a battle between the Resistance and the First Order, the other a chance to pilot the Millennium Falcon.

Disney

Disney have also revealed that guests will get the chance to meet droids (please be R2-D2 and not C3PO) and aliens. You can also check out the local shops and take in some fun at Dinner Club.

Disney broke ground on the sites at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland this year. Currently there are no specifics as to when the lands will open but don’t expect to be using the Force at Star Wars Land any time before 2019.

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For more information , click here .

Have you sorted out your Summer holidays yet ? Is a party filled, late night, sleep by the pool sort of affair ? A chic city break hanging out at the poolside of the hippest of Hotels ? Or a sedate family gathering where your catching up on sleep while your offspring cause havoc at kids club ? Wherever your celebrating the hedonistic party spirit around the world, from LA pool parties in the Hollywood hills to full moon beach parties in Koh Samui and the all day clubs of Ibiza, we have the perfect attire that will see you seamlessly from pool to bar and back again. Boardies are designed for party goers who like to have fun and express their individuality.

Taking inspiration from the decade of Partying, the 90?s, with strong vibrant colours, playful abstract prints and references to the Ibiza party scene. Which is reflected in their philosophy to endorse and work with real people who do real things, for example the models in their Ibiza photoshoot all live in Ibiza, work (play) in Ibiza, as DJ?s, promotors or general party goers. Their exclusive hand drawn designs are printed on super quick dry quality fabrics for your comfort and style.

Boardies shorts come in 3 lengths; Shortie, Mid and Long in over 30 colours and prints and although based in London, the team, who have extensive fashion experience, pride themselves on pushing the boundaries of design innovation, quality and creativity, by travelling the world in search of cool designs and patterns.

American International Pictures

One of the most intense horror movies of the 1960s is getting a contemporary do-over, courtesy of one of the most intense filmmakers in the business today.

Deadline report that Nicolas Winding Refn – director behind Drive, Only God Forgives and the upcoming The Neon Demon – is set to produce a remake of Witchfinder General, in conjunction with producer and distributor Rupert Preston. However, Refn himself will not direct, and the duo are said to be „speaking to writers and directors for the $5M-$10M budgeted picture.“

This is in fact the latest in a small number of remakes Refn has been linked to, as he is also set to produce a remake of 80s horror Maniac Cop from director John Hyams (Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning). Refn’s also attached to a TV adaptation of erotic sci-fi comedy Barbarella, although there doesn’t seem to have been much progress on that for a long time.

Initially released in the US under alternate title The Conqueror Worm, Witchfinder General starred Vincent Price in arguably his darkest role as the historical figure real-life witchfinder Matthew Hopkins. Though fictionalised, the film approached its subject matter with unusual realism for the time, resulting in scenes of violence and torture which proved hugely controversial.

Refn has praised Witchfinder General (the film last made by director Michael Reeves, who died not long thereafter) as a ?very visual and contemporary film… fascinating in its physical and emotional violence.? This comes at little surprise, as Refn’s work makes clear the director’s own fascination with violence.

As with any remake announcement, this news is sure to leave many fans of the original spitting feathers, but perhaps there is scope for something that stands apart in its own right here. While Witchfinder General did indeed break new ground, it was still very much a film of its time, and there’s scope for the same story to be explored in an even more unflinching manner today.

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News in Focus

2K

You can’t beat a good plot twist – just ask Hideo Kojima. The Metal Gear Solid creator has made a name for himself off the back of upending expectations at every opportunity, and you need only whisper the name „Raiden“ to anyone growing up across the 2000s to bring on a cold shiver.

When done right, these twists live on either in infamy or through water cooler conversations for the rest of time. I can say something like „That plot twist at the end of Assassin’s Creed II“ and you know exactly what I mean, or „the identity of that character in Batman: Arkham Knight“ and you’ll immediately take up residence on either side of the debate-fence.

Pop-culture may point to the likes of Fight Club or The Empire Strikes Back as having the most prolific plot twists of all time, but that’s only because the medium got there first. Gaming has its fair share of earth-shaking humdingers too, and here are 20 of the finest…

Note: Spoilers throughout, recent games covered include The Fall, Firewatch and The Last of Us.

19. Lance Vance’s Betrayal – GTA: Vice City

Rockstar

A motormouthed fast-talker who surfed a sea of shady deals to get to the top? Yeah, we probably should’ve seen this one coming. It is GTA, after all.

Still, Vance reveals that he’s actually switching sides right when you need him most. The game is coming to a close, antagonist Sonny has returned from Tommy’s past to reclaim some cash he thinks is right his, and at that exact moment, Sonny utters something about how „At least some people know how to do business“ and Lance strolls from one side of the showdown to the other.

It’s a real movie moment, and voice actor Philip Michael Thomas lays the venom on thick as he rubs salt in the wound, claiming it’s all about business.

„I sold you out Tommy, I sold YOU out!“ Brilliant.

… more

I?m sure you, like me, have very little time in your day particularly for you time and although integral items of our wardrobe, what lies beneath the sleek and often professional exterior of the clothes we wear to impress does not always reflect what our under layers convey. Wholey socks, underwear that has seen best days, the list goes on. Gentlemen let me introduce you to  The Gents Pack ? a brand new men?s subscription box service, delivering sterling examples of underwear, socks and grooming products direct to your door every month. The Gents Pack is aiming to spruce up the modern man. The service also has its own online store and are working with an exclusive, hand­picked range of luxury and boutique brands such as Andrew Christian, Gregg Homme, Pantherella, Pringle Black Label and Happy Socks. The luxury packages arrive in the middle of each month as a ?perk up? just in­time for pay day drinks down the pub.

Developed by entrepreneur James T Fletcher ? an underwear aficionado who subscribed to a service which lacked any experience and product diversity ? The Gents Pack is a men?s subscription service and e­commerce platform providing the contemporary man with the must­have clothing, accessories and grooming essentials. The new discovery service works in a similar way to curated clothing companies, whereby you tell the service how big you want your package to be, by choosing from the three options: underwear, socks and grooming. You then tell the club your sizes and any preferences you might have such as underwear cut, sock style, or the type of grooming products you?re interested in trying ? or, if you?re a bit more daring, tick ?mixed? to get a real surprise every month, woop!!!!

In addition to being a well deserved and much needed personal treat every month, The Gents Pack makes a brilliant gift for the well-groomed man in your life ? perfect for the upcoming Father?s Day.

Since our last finance round-up there?s been the annual Budget plus the start of the new tax year. For many it seems the cost of living has gone up considerably. A few pence on the price of stamps, an increase in petrol and diesel costs, higher council tax bills ? before we know it our weekly or monthly household budgets have taken quite a pounding. To help us all get back on track here?s some suggestions on saving money and making a few extra pounds.

For some people cutting down the weekly grocery bill is one of the easiest ways to save money. However what do you do if you have given up all costly treats but still need to trim your food bill? Paula from Mummy vs Work has been investigating the benefits of ordering meat online in bulk. 

Have you got a freezer but find you don?t utilise it enough? Instead of filling of it with ice cream (however yummy!) and ice cubes you could be saving money by using it to store food bargains. Helen at Mummy to the Max has shared her top foods which you can freeze which often you will find in the reduced section in supermarkets.

Even if you cut out all excess spending and try to trim your grocery bills down to the bare minimum you can find you are still wasting money. Without doing anything your home could be costing you money so Rebecca from All about U has been sharing her tips on how to save money from making your property more energy efficient.

Emma at Emma and 3 Saves has also been looking at how to make your home more energy efficient through the use of thermal imagery. If you?re still feeling cold in your home even though the heating is on it could be time to find out where you are losing heat before you spend money on turning the thermostat up.

As we all know babies are expensive and continue to be for the rest of their lives! One trap every new mum or mum-to-be falls into is buying baby things which we don?t need. Lauren from Belle du Brighton has given us the low down on deciding what is necessary and how to grab a few baby essentials bargains. 

Finally, Cass from The Diary Of A Frugal Family has been giving some tips on how to make a bit of money. A good declutter of the house can be good for the soul and also for the purse. If you find you have a selection of unwanted items such as furniture, clothing or other items then Cass has found selling them on Facebook is a great free and quick way to get rid but pocket some cash at the same time. 

Have you found things have got more expensive in the last month? What ways do you use to save money around your home? If you want to feature in a future finance round-up contact me via Twitter or through my Facebook page. 

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