Skateboarding at six months

I have subsequently been told that this perhaps wasn't one of my better ideas. However, it seemed like a good one at the time!

My husband regularly skateboards, using it more as a mode of transport than ever being one of the kids down the skate park.

A couple of times he's taken myself and my stepson out playing on the boards and we decided to pick it up again, especially as we're looking for more cost efficient means of entertainment at the moment - and this is completely free.

I must admit that being 6 months pregnant has changed my balance somewhat, and where the last time we went out I was getting hang of whizzing along the sea front, I am almost back to square one now. Anyway, I took a few snaps along the sea front to share.

What sorts of things do you do for a bit of free entertainment?

I hate food shopping - meal planning

I hate food shopping. There is genuinely nothing worse. Accordingly I must admit I tend to order online, but I use this to my advantage by saving a bit of cash.

When you go to the supermarket you always go 'off list' and end up getting lured in by the deals they have on offer. The benefit of buying online is you can stick to what you need.

To save a a few more pennies I try to plan out roughly what we're going to each over the month and shop accordingly. Here's how.

1. Work out how many days you need dinners for. Sounds like a simple one, but it's important. Make sure you factor in nights that you'll eat out or have people over.

2. Plan out your meals - not to the day, just how many and what you'll have. I tend to do a bit of cookbook browsing, a few old favourites and then chuck in a coupe of bung it in the oven type dishes.

3. Write your list. Only get what you need to make your meals.

4. Add in the other essentials, e.g. washing detergent. Generally I get as many of these items as I can from Poundland or somewhere similar, before doing the online shop.

5. Log in, buy what's on your list - nothing more.

6. Allow an amount of 'top up' money to get additional bits through the month, for example salad.

And that's it. I can feed and clean a family of 2.5 on less than £150 per month.

Give it a go next month.