Tip of the Day 20 November 2009

Shop at home first

When you think you need something for the house, by all means look at the shops to see what's around and how much it costs. Then go home and have a look around the house: is there something you already have that will do the job?

A good example of this is the small dish I needed to hold used tea bags and teaspoons on the bench. I found some at the shops, but didn't like what was on offer or care for the price. Instead, I realized that I already had the ideal dish in the china cabinet - a used once china jam dish. It does the job, looks great, I love it and best of all it cost me nothing.

The same principle can be applied to everything you need: do your research and then look around home. If you don't already have something then go ahead and buy what you need.