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In the midst of this "credit crunch" we are all looking at ways of cutting back, saving money and generally being careful with our finances.

As money-savvy mums, we cut back on luxuries; turn lights off when we leave the room and cross our fingers hoping we won't be affected by the rise in unemployment.

But there are many ways we can take control of the family finances, effectively "recession-proofing" ourselves and learning to live happily for less.

In this article, I'll cover 5 of my favourite "personal finance" resources for money concious families which offer friendly and impartial advice to help us take control of our finances.

Money Saving Expert

Since its launch in 2003, Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert has become the most popular resource for personal finance in the UK.

The average person in the UK can give themselves the equivalent of a25% payrise, by being an active, savvy consumer and shifting to thevery best deals; this site's here to show you how.

Featuring articles which cover everything from the latest credit card deals to the cheapest family outings, this site has something on offer to help every family save money without cutting back on enjoyment.

A key aspect of MoneySavingExpert is "consumer revenge". As Martin explains:

The underlying philosophy is that we live in an adversarial consumer society...

A company's job is to make money. A consumer's job is maximise their cash. Companies spend billions on advertising, marketing & teaching their staff to sell; yet we don't get buyers' training.

We want to redress the balance.

Using information provided by the site (and the knowledgeable MSE community), thousands of readers have successfully reclaimed PPI and bank charges; saved hundreds each year by switching to the best deals for utility bills, and learned how to successfully get out of debt.

The community of Money Saving Expert is truly wonderful. In the forums, you can ask advice about virtually anything related to finance and will almost certainly find someone willing to offer their advice. There are even sections for thrifty gardeners, frugal families and grocery shopping on tiny budgets.

Finally, Martin's Money Tips e-newsletter is one which I recommend every parent receives. This weekly email collects the week's most important financial news and timely discounts and is sent to over 3 million subscribers. With the summer holidays approaching, we're bound to get news of discounted days out, family-friendly activities and even budget holidays.

Visit Money Saving Expert

The Money Magpie

The Money Magpie was started in 2007 by Jasmine Birtles: a finance journalist, author and presenter.

This site is focused more upon helping visitors make (and save) money by becoming savvy consumers:

We have up to date information on hundreds of ways to earn a bit onthe side and boost your income - and more are being added every week.

But there’s no point in earning extra money if you’re wasting itelsewhere, so we also have a wealth of information on best-buyfinancial products, plus heaps of articles to help you be a cleverconsumer and make the most of your money.

Families can enjoy a whole section of articles to help save money, including this lengthy post which offers 50 useful ideas.

Email subscribers can receive a free weekly newsletter containing a round-up of the best money saving tips, plus a free ebook and downloads to help manage family finances.

Jasmine Birtles has recently published The Money Magpie in book format, which I will be reviewing for Glamumous readers tomorrow. This book is a collection of all the best advice from the site and offers a structured long term plan for future finance happiness.

Visit The Money Magpie

This is Not Work

This inegnious site offers time and money saving tips to "sort our your finances in your lunch break".

Written by Richard Browning - the development editor of consumer advice site, This Is Money - this site is aimed primarily at time-concious parents, you can find a new short tip each day to help save money on family expenses:

I devised This is Not Work as a place for people - primarily parents - to share some of my quick tips and thoughts on making life that little bit easier.

While there are a lot of websites, blogs and discussion forums for people to while away the hours making 'friends' online and sharing tips and information, this is the one for those of us who haven't got hours.

You can also follow This is Not Work on Twitter to receive updates and information as it is posted to the site.

Visit This is Not Work

Love Money

Love Money is an "everyday" financial website, provided by the brains behind The Motley Fool. It offers down-to-earth articles which can help you feel richer and become wiser about your finances.

We believe that you should care for your money, keep an eye on it,and do everything you can to help it grow. In return, your money willlook after you and be the fuel that allows you to live your life theway you want.

How can we help you make this happen? By givingyou the tools to create real and lasting change in your life.lovemoney.com isn't just a finance news site or a product comparisonsite. It's a place where you can learn from experts, share yourexperiences and ideas, improve your money skills with easy onlinetools, and focus on personalised content hand-picked for you.

One of the best aspects of LoveMoney comes from registering with the site: members have access to a personalized "home page" featuring articles and the best deals most applicable to you and your family.

Updated at least every day, the site covers financial affairs as and when they happen on the blogs, and helps families discover ways and means to manage money more efficiently without using jargon, making it easy to understand.

LoveMoney also offers a comprehensive Q&A section where members can ask financial questions which are answered by the LoveMoney community.

Visit Love Money

Get Rich Slowly

This US-based site offers some very thought provoking articles about saving money and getting rich - slowly!

While some articles discuss finance options most appropriate to those living in the states, I absolutely love the style of the articles written on this site. These are posts which make us think about how we choose to spend our money, and how we can learn to live on less money without feeling as though we are missing out.

You will not find any get-rich-quick schemes here. Nor will you findmulti-level marketing fads or hot stock tips. I am not pitching anyproduct or book. Instead, you’ll find daily information about personalfinance and related topics.

To learn about the core values which Get Rich Slowly represents, take a look at the about page which offers a complete overview of the site along with JD's 12 personal finance mantras.

Visit Get Rich Slowly

Which sites would you add here?

For this article I limited my additions to the 5 personal finance sites I visit the most. However, as this recession deepens and saving money has become a concern for many more parents in the UK, I've also discovered several highly interesting blogs such as Reccessionista (UK), Miss Thrifty and Shoestring Alley (I couldn't write this article completely without mentioning these excellent sites!).

Are there any other sites you visit regularly which offer advice for money-savvy mums? Please feel free to let us know by leaving your comments below.

Image credit: Money Shot by Jessica Shannon.

A couple of weeks ago I published an article explaining the easiest ways to supplement your family income. One of the easiest ways to earn a little extra cash or rewards is to take part in sponsored surveys. These sites enable us to voice our opinions and assist marketing departments to develop products and services which are of more interest to us, while at the same time earning a few extra pounds or reaping the benefits of rewards.

I've been actively completing sponsored surveys for about 6 weeks now and have earned a fair bit in cash and vouchers for my time. Sponsored surveys are ideal for busy mums and dads as these usually take only 15-20 minutes to complete (some even less), enabling us to participate when we have a few minutes spare.

In today's post, I'll share my five favourite sites for sponsored surveys which I feel offer the best rewards for our time and actively allow us to contribute our opinions on products and services of interest to parents with children.

1. Toluna

By far my favourite (and most active) sponsored survey site is Toluna. I receive at least 3-4 emails notifying me of new surveys every day of the week, and have earned enough to cash in a £10 Amazon voucher less than a month after joining!

Toluna offers a rewards based system, and emails members fitting the criteria required for surveys when new opportunities are available. Surveys generally earn between 900 and 5000 points for successful completion, depending on the length it takes to complete.

Points earned can then be exchanged for vouchers redeemable at Amazon, Halfords, HMV, Love2Shop and many more reward partners besides. To give you an idea of the points required to earn vouchers, I earned a total of 60,000 points (in just over a month) which I exchanged for a £10 Amazon voucher.

To help earn extra points, Toluna offers a number of benefits for it's members. Quick surveys can earn between 15 and 120 points each, and take literally seconds to complete (there are hundreds to choose from too!). These Quick Surveys are available on the Toluna Website once you have successfully logged in. Furthermore, each personal interest survey you complete earns 300 points with an extra bonus of 2000 points when you complete them all.

Learn more about Toluna and sign up

2. Ciao Surveys

Ciao has recently improved the survey system (which is now separate from the general Ciao reviews site). Offering monetary rewards, Ciao will email eligible members about new surveys when they are available.

Each survey earns between 10p and £3, depending on the survey type and estimated length of completion. It could be possible to earn in excess of £20 a month with Ciao (though I confess to having earned only £11 last month). Payment is made via PayPal, and you can request to cash out at any time.

Learn more about Ciao Surveys or sign up

3. Pinecone

Pinecone is held in high regard as one of the most rewarding and influential sites offering sponsored surveys. Unfortunately it is also the most difficult to register with. Periodically, Pinecone opens to new survey applicants and allows members to post banners which link to the sign-up page for a certain length of time, restricting an influx of applicants to only a few targeted new members.

Surveys are very interesting and usually last about 20-30 minutes each. In return, you can be rewarded with "Luncheon Vouchers" to the total of £2-3 for each survey completed, which can be redeemed at loads of leading restaurants, fast-food outlets and takeaways.

If you are interested in joining Pinecone, the best method is to Google Pinecone to see which sites are offering current banners for new applicants (this was how I was able to sign up). It may take a day or two for your membership to be approved, after which you will receive confirmation and emails linking to new surveys suitable for your profile when available.

Learn more about Pinecone Research

4. PanelBase

This is another highly rewarding site though I personally receive news of new surveys less often than with other membership sites.

Many of the surveys offered by PanelBase are hihly interactive, including video and audio based research. The average reward for surveys is about £1.25, and most last under 20 minutes.

Panelbase seem much more concerned with security than other survey sites I have used, ensuring we feel more secure when completing surveys where sensitive information may be revealed (and even while logging in!). For me, this is a key aspect of my enjoyment when completing surveys, and I do highly recommend this site for those hoping to earn rewards from consumer research opportunities.

Learn more about Panelbase or sign up

5. Valued Opinions

I personally receive about 5-7 emails informing of new surveys each week from Valued Opinions who rewards for successful completion of market research surveys which can be redeemed for vouchers with Valued Opinions' reward partners (including Tesco, HMV, Marks and Spencer and more). Most surveys offer between 25p and £2 for each survey completed, though it seems to take a while for rewards to be credited to our accounts.

Valued Opinions again offer interesting surveys using different types of media (some of which are flash-based surveys offering a different perspective on the regular "choose your opinion" style). These surveys seem less "in-demand", so don't worry if you are unable to check your emails each day - you're still likely to be able to complete a survey before the allotted number of members have completed the opportunity.

Find out more about Valued Opinions and sign up

Tips for earning rewards from Market Research Surveys

If you hope to earn some significant rewards from participating in market research surveys, here are some quick tips:

• Try to check your email at least once a day for news of new surveys. Some surveys are time sensitive or require only a limited number of participants. If you don't get in early, you may miss out.
• Don't be put off if you receive the message that you do not qualify for the survey after a number of questions. Researchers usually require responses from a particular range of people, based on age, gender, location and such. Most survey sites offer a different reward (such as entry into a prize draw) for those who do not qualify.
• Try to keep note of which surveys you completed to ensure you receive your rewards. Some sites only reward members when surveys are completed (up to 3-4 weeks). If you feel your rewards have not been received, you'll need to provide details of what you have completed in order to claim these rewards back.
• Be honest! It is important to offer your honest opinion and be truthful about your personal status. Even if you think you may not meet the criteria required to successfully complete a survey, your opinions will be useless if they are false. What's more, the details you offer in surveys may be matched against those in your membership profile.

Participating in market research surveys is unlikely to help pay the bills, but in registering with these sites you can easily earn significant rewards each month to treat you or your family in exchange for your time each day and contribute your opinion regarding products and services which matter to you!

Image credit: wrestlingentropy

With the summer holidays just around the corner, there has never been a better time to learn how to save money on your petrol/diesel bills. Whether you commute daily to work or simply use your car for shopping trips, there are several different tips you can adapt to lower the amount of fuel you use (and which have little impact on the time taken to reach your destination).

In this post, I'll offer my 5 favourite tips to lower the cost of fuel bills for your family car which could help you save as much as 20% from your annual spend on petrol/diesel.

1. Find out which stations offer the cheapest fuel

One of the most wonderful things about the Internet is the ability to compare prices of just about everything, to ensure we get the best possible value for our money.

There are several websites which offer comparisons of fuel prices:

• PetrolPrices.com - Search over almost 10,000 stations across the UK by town or postcode to locate the cheapest fuel stations near you.
• FindCheapPetrol.com - Again, you can search by postcode to locate the cheapest stations close to where you love (this site also compares the prices of supermarket stations such as Tesco and Morrisons). I've just noticed this site is undergoing maintenance though it should be available again in the next couple of days.
• KeepMoving.co.uk - This inenious site offers loads of information about travelling and traffic across the country, and the special "fuel prices" section allows you to search for the cheapest fuel prices along a route - reat for when you're travelling long distances!

You will need to register (for free) to be able to use these sites effectively, though when this could save you up to 5% on your fuel bills the benefits of registration speak for themselves.

For example, when I searched prices for my home town, there was a difference of 9.4p a litre between the highest and lowest prices of unleaded fuel. For someone who fills up with £50 of petrol each week, this could save almost £250 in fuel each year!

2. Make your car more efficient

Remove excess weight from your car, which will lighten the load and reduce the amount of fuel used per journey. So remove any roof racks not currently being used and empty all the junk from your boot!

Switch off the air conditioning unless it's really nescessary as this uses quite a lot of power when in action. Winding down the windows in warm weather is almost as cooling, and uses no excess power.

Make sure your tyres are correctly inflated. Under-inflated tyres can decrease fuel efficiency by around 3% as more power is required to get the car moving. Check the correct tyre pressure for your particular car on this page of the RAC website, and top up with air (if needed) the next time you fill up with fuel.

Lastly, don't completely fill the car with petrol. A full tank adds more weight to the car, which makes it less efficient. By filling only half (or even a quarter) of the tank and refuelling more often, you can increase efficiency and actually use less fuel in the long run.

3. Drive more efficiently

When I was learning to drive, I was lucky to have an instructor who taught me about the benefits of driving with fuel efficiency in mind.

The key to driving efficiently is understanding this:

Each time you put your foot on the accelerator, you are using fuel. 

It sounds simple, but once you keep this in mind, you can easily learn how to use the accelerator less often without reducing speed or the time of your journey. Here are some useful tips:

• Accelerate gradually, without over-revving the engine. A rule of thumb is to ensure you always drive at under 3000RPM.
  
• Drive in the highest gear you can without putting stress on the engine
• Slow naturally, without using your brakes unnecessarily. This is easier if you leave a 2 second gap between you and the car in front, leaving you time to slow using the momentum of the engine (and accelerate more easily afterwards).
• Consider your position in the road. By being more alert while driving, you can reduce the need to slow and accelerate, ensuring a smoother more efficient drive.

4. Find ways to make filling up pay you!

There are several schemes you can join to earn cashback or rewards when refuelling at certain petrol stations. Most notably, the Morrisons Miles scheme (which I discussed in an earlier post) offers a voucher for £5 off your shopping in store for every 500 litres of fuel purchased from these stations. Here are some other schemes you could try:

• Use your Tesco Clubcard when filling up at Tesco petrol stations
• Asda Credit Card enables you to collect extra points when paying Asda fuel
• Earn Nectar points whenever you fill up at BP stations.

However, don't go out of your way to be loyal to a particular scheme: this may cost you more in fuel over the long term than you will receive in rewards. Instead, use your reward scheme when this particular station offers the lowest priced fuel (see #1).

5. Ditch the car (or rather, choose to use it less often).

Of course, the ultimate fuel savings would be based on never using our cars... But for most of us, this is simply not a practical solution!Instead, we can consider ways of using our vehicles less, and making our journeys more efficient so we use less fuel over the course of each month.

For example, run all errands (eg: grocery shopping, post-office, recycling, library) on a single planned round-trip. Between each stop, your engine will remain warm and altogether you'll use less fuel than running each errand on a different day of the week.

Those who work (or shop regularly) in city centres may like to consider a park-and-ride scheme. This involves parking your car in a secure park on the outskirts of the city then catching a designated bus/tram/tube/train to your final destination. Usually these park-and-ride schemes are fee-based, but these will reimburse themselves when you consider how much fuel you'll save not getting caught up in slow-moving traffic or driving round for hours looking for a safe place to park (not to mention parking fees!).

Car-sharing can also offer savings on fuel. If you live close to friends, take it in turns to go shopping together, share the school run or drive each other to work, and share the costs of fuel. While it may be marginally less efficient to drive with more passengers in the car, you'll both be saving money on fuel costs on your regular excursions!

Do you have any more tips to share?

If you have any other tips for saving money on fuel costs, I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave your comments below and if you enjoyed this post, a mention on Twitter would be very warmly welcomed :)

In this age of information, loads of different companies are jumping on the loyalty card bandwagon, offering points, discounts or money back for their customers in exchange for details of our shopping habits. But which are the best ones to use?

For today's post, I'll summarize my five favourite loyalty cards for British mums, complete with details of the rewards and value earned from using them.

1. Boots Advantage Card

This is by far my favourite all-time loyalty scheme, the one which earns more rewards than any other scheme I have yet tried.

Each point earned on your card equals a penny to spend in store; for each pound you spend, you'll earn a minimum of 4 points on your card, though double/triple points days and promotions for extra points on selected items means it's easily possible to earn far more than this.

For mothers with young babies, I highly recommend you also join the Mother and Baby club, which entitles you to triple points when buying Huggies nappies, plus you'll receive many other great offers to help you and your growing baby.

Once you've earned enough points, you can spend this in-store or online on anything you want (except for gift vouchers). You will need to have earned enough points to buy your purchase outright, as points cannot be used in part-purchase.

Personally I save up my points for expensive treats and luxuries (perfume and Chanel lipsticks are wonderful when no money needs to be exchanged) though you could just as easily redeem against your usual shopping to save money on your everyday needs.

How to apply

You can apply for a Boots Advantage card in store and begin earning your points right away, or visit the website to make your application on-line.

2. Nectar

Nectar helps you earn points from spending at a huge variety of high street stores, online retailers, petrol (via BP) and even on your holidays (through Expedia and others).

These points may then be exchanged for a variety of rewards including cinema tickets, days out, travel and beauty treats.

You can earn roughly two points for every pound spent with Nectar sponsors. These points roughly equate a penny each, though rewards start from around 500 points which could get you:

• £2.50 off at Argos
• A free DVD rental from BlockBuster
• £2.50 off your shopping at Sainsburys
• A £2.50 voucher for Gala Bingo

There are many many more rewards you could get depending on the number of points you have saved. Take a look at the Nectar card calculator to see how many points you could earn towards your dream reward.

How to apply

Many of Nectar's sponsors offer application forms in-store (such as Sainsburys and Debenhams), though you can also make your application online. This way you can make a note of your Nectar card number and begin collecting points straight away.

3. Tesco Clubcard

Here's another card which I use regularly, not just for shopping but for my fuel and mobile top-ups too (which earns three times as many points).

You can earn 1 point per £1 spend in Tesco stores, online and at Powergen, Marriott, Johnsons Cleaners plus a few other retailers. Each point earned represents a 1p discount to spend in store, and is redeemed in the form of vouchers which are sent out by post.

However, by redeeming points on Tesco's specially selected offers, each point is worth around 4p instead. These special offers include magazine subscriptions, family outings and even RAC membership.

How to apply

You should be able to pick up a temporary Clubcard from any Tesco store and begin earning points right away. Alternatively, visit the Clubcard website to apply online; you'll be able to collect points right away on online purchases, but would need to ask for a special receipt to credit your points by telephone after shopping in-store until your permanant card arrives.

You may also be interested to apply for the Tesco Clubcard Plus account by calling 08457104010 for an application form. This works like a prepaid card (no credit facility) which can be used only in Tesco stores and offers double points on your spending. I'm yet to receive my own card to explain more, but since I shop at Tesco so often I'm sure it will be worth the effort.

4. Toys R Us Gold Card

If you regularly shop at Toys R Us, have a young baby or are expecting one, then it's well worth joining the Gold Card scheme. Don't worry, this is not a credit card (though admittedly I was put off applying for a while since this was the impression I'd been given!).

The Tous R Us Gold Card offers a point for each pound spent when you spend over £10 in store or online. When you have accumulated enough points, you will be sent vouchers to the minimum value of £75 against selected future purchases.

It does take ages to collect enough points, and admittedly the vouchers may not always be for goods you would normally purchase. But if you have a baby or very young child, it is advantageous to join the related Mother and Baby scheme, where further discounts are offered and a regular newsletter is sent out.

How to apply

You should be able to apply in any Toys R Us store by filling out a quick application form. Alternatively visit the Gold Card page of the Toys R Us website to fill in a form online.

5. Air Miles

Although the Air Miles scheme seems to have been around for years, I've only recently discovered how useful this can be in collecting points for free family days out (travels too, though this aspect would rarely benefit us personally).

Air Miles points can be collected through loads of different retailers (more than 200 in total, both online and off) such as Currys, Evans, Shell petrol stations and even by transferring points from your Tesco Clubcard.

The number of Airmiles earned for your spend varies between retailers, from 1 mile for every £10 spent on eBay to a whopping 750 points when you take out a subscription to The Times.

For best value, redeem Airmiles against "experiences" rather than flights. This seems to offer more monetary value for your saving and enables you to visit some great attractions for free such as Legoland or the London Eye.

How to apply

You can register to collect Airmiles by filling in the application form on the Airmiles website. I'm unsure if there are ways to apply in any stores, though you could also call the customer contact centre on 0844 49 333 94.

What are your favourite schemes?

Have I missed out your favourite loyalty scheme from this list, or do you use any of my favourite 5 schemes regularly? Please feel free to leave your comments below.

In this day and age we are inundated with advertisements end endorsements for the latest, greatest cleaning products to enter the market. Fancy blocks which stick under the rim of the loo; grease-busting kitchen cleaner with lime-power; scent-infused wipes specifically designed to cleanse our hard floors... If we listened to the advertisements, our homes would cost a small fortune to maintain, with cupboards full of cleaning products designed to perform only one job!

In days gone by, our fore-mothers used natural products to clean their homes where each product could be used for a multitide of tasks. Being both ecologically sound and cost-effective to boot, it's no wonder that many parents are turning to natural solutions for cleaning their family home. Such products can save us ££'s, take up far less room in the maid's cupboard, and ultimately the lack of chemical ingredients make them safe to use around our children.

So here ladies, are my favourite 5 natural cleaning products, tried and tested with ideas for how they can be used. Try them for yourself to see just how effective these can be in comparison to your favourite chemical brands. Once you've seen the effects for yourself, I doubt you'll ever browse the chemical aisles again!

1. White Vinegar

While growing up, my only experience of vinegar was as a condiment for chips. My mum didn't really subscribe to the notion of natural cleaning, and even today her cupboards are filled with bottles of chemical solutions which probably cost more than the fees she could pay to hire a cleaner each week!

So when my good friend (and household mentor) suggested I use vinegar to clean my grimy windows, I was somewhat aghast. Why on earth would I want to make my home smell like a chip shop, I asked. But once I'd seen the gleam produced by diluted vinegar and scrunched up newspaper, I never looked back.



White vinegar still smells like the stuff you put on chips, but it's truly an excellent degreaser, ideal for all manner of cleaning in the family home. If you can't stand the smell, add a few drops of your favourite essential oils to your vinegar solutions to disguise the stink (and make your home smell wonderful at the same time).

Where to buy white vinegar

White vinegar is often known as "Distilled vinegar" (a title which confused me no end when I first tried to find this in the supermarket!). Unlike malt vinegar, this product is colourless and is usually sold alongside other condiments in your local supermarket at around 50p for a half-litre bottle.

For ultimate savings, try to find this in a larger bottle. Asian and Arabic supermarkets often sell 2ltr bottles for a couple of pounds, and other frugal home-makers have found this in the natural cleaning section in Boots stores (though I've been unable to find it in my local stores up North).

If you do buy from the supermarket, be sure to grab a few bottles at a time, as you're sure to use up a 500ml bottle in no time when you realise how useful this is!

Using White Vinegar to Clean your Home

• For cleaning windows, glass and mirrors, use a solution of half-vinegar and water in a spray bottle (the type you use to spray your house plants). Squirt your windows a couple of times (don't be over-zealous) and buff off with scrunched up newspaper. The vinegar makes the glass sparkling clean and even removes the grease from cooking/smoking with ease!
• For unblocking drains, pour neat down the plug hole, leave for 20-30 minutes, and follow with a kettle-full of boiling water. For very stubborn blockages, pour a handful of bicarbonate of soda down the drain first. The vinegar will make it fizz and unblock even the greasiest deposits.
• For general cleaning/surface sprays, use half and half with water. This is a great solution for cleaning cooking spills, wiping down kitchen surfaces and even cleaning the bath-tub. Add lemon juice for a nicer smell or extra-degreasing power.
• To soften clothes and fluff up towels, use in place of your regular fabric softener in the washing machine. Just a quick slug will do (about half a cup). I promise your clothes will not smell of vinegar once dried, and this really does fluff up towels (great for times when the fibres are flattened from accidental use of fabric conditioner in the wash).

2. Bicarbonate of Soda

Not to be confused with baking powder, bicarbonate of soda is another fabulous multi-purpose cleaning solution. I use this often as a mild abrasive, but it's excellent for stain-removal and deoderizing too.

Where to buy Bicarbonate of Soda

Most supermarkets sell this in small tubs beside home-baking products. Usually this is less than £1 a tub, though I've found the cheapest place is Tesco where I buy mine for less than 50p.

You may also be able to find large tubs in a local ethnic supermarket or wholesale supplier for a few pounds. It is worth investing in a large tub to save money over the long term.

How to use Bicarbonate of Soda for cleaning

• For a mild abrasive (great for cleaning cooker tops and stubborn marks), mix to a thick paste with water. Leave on for a couple of minutes then buff off with a cloth.
• To clean your fridge, dissolve half a cup in a basin of water and use as a solution to wipe down the interior.
• To deoderise the fridge, leave small amount in an open container in the back of the fridge (this will not tarnish the interior or taint the food)
• To de-scale a kettle or clean stained cups, dissolve a couple of teaspoons in a mug of hot water; leave to soak and rinse clean.
• To remove stains, dampen the fabric and sprinkle a little bicarb on top. Leave to absorb the water, then rub gently with a sponge.
  

3. Borax (Sodium Borate)

Borax is a natural mineral with disinfectant properties which can be used for cleaning and disinfecting areas of the family home.



Be careful though: borax must be used with caution and kept far away from children and pets. Be sure to always wear rubber gloves when using borax, and keep in a sealed container.

Where to buy borax

Personally I have found borax to be among the most difficult household cleaners to find. If you're lucky, you may find this in the natural cleaning products aisle in your local Boots store. Some chemists sell borax (ask at the counter), and local hardware stores are known to stock this too (this is where I buy borax).

Alternatively you can try the Dri-Pak website, where borax can be purchased in bulk. Occasionally you can buy this from eBay in single tubs for a few pounds each.

How to use Borax for household cleaning

• As a disinfectant, mix 1/2 a cup of borax with a gallon of hot water and use as required.
• For cleaning very dirty floors, mix 1/2 a cup of borax with a gallon of vinegar. This will cut through grime and provide disinfectant qualities at the same time.
• For a multi-surface disinfectant spray, combine 2 tablespoons borax, 1/4 cup of lemon juice and 2 cups of hot water. Decant into a spray bottle and use to clean the cooker, kitchen surfaces or any place where a strong disinfectant solution is required.
• For cleaning grimy toilets, flush the toilet to wet it then sprinkle 1 cup of borax around the bowl. Spray with 1/2 cup of vinegar and leave overnight. Then simply brush clean in the morning for a clean, shiny bowl.

Lemons

Another multi-purpose product, lemons make an excellent degreaser; what's more, by using lemons (or lemon juice) for cleaning your home, you will also be exuding a fabulous citrus scent.

Best value lemons - where to buy

I've found the cheapest place to buy lemons is usually the supermarket (particularly Asda and Tesco), where you can buy a bag of lemons from the budget/value range for less than 50p. Depending on the season, you may be able to pick up lemons for as little as 10p each when sold singly.

If you prefer to buy lemon juice, try visiting your local ethnic supermarket for a large bottle (rather than the 200ml ones sold in supermarkets).

Using lemons for cleaning

• To clean and disinfect your chopping board, rub with half a lemon and a little salt.
• To clean a grimy microwave, quarter a lemon and place in a microwavable bowl with a cup of water. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes, then leave the bowl in the microwave for a further 1/2 hour. Once the water is cooled. use the water to wipe the inside of the microwave. All of the dried on grime will simply wipe away, leaving your microwave sparkling clean.
• To boost cleaning when soaking dirty pans, add half a lemon to your bowl of washing-up water. The grease-busting power of the lemons will help dissolve the grime on your pans.
• For a fragrant furniture polish, combine the juice of one lemon with a teaspoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of water. Apply a coating of the mixture to the item to be polished; leave for 5 minutes then buff off with a soft cloth. Also useful for polishing leather sofas (but use slightly more olive oil for this job)
• To deodorize your kitchen, use leftovers from your lemons (perhaps after cleaning other things?) and simmer on the stove for an hour in a little water.

Washing soda (Sodium Carbonate)

Traditionally used for washing clothes, this mild detergent is an excellent grease-cutter too enabling it to be used for washing dishes, walls and indeed anything else which requires cleaning.

Where to buy washing soda

I usually buy washing soda in packets from the supermarket from around 50p for 500g (and it lasts ages!). You may also find this in Wilkinsons, Boots stores (near the natural cleaning section) or at your local hardware store.

The most common brand appears to be Dri-Pak so try their website if you're unable to locate anywhere close to home.

When buying in packets, be sure to transfer to a sealed, labelled container or place the opened packet in a zip-lock bag to prevent spillages or damp.

How to use washing soda

• For extra laundry cleaning power, add half a cup to the powder drawer of your washing machine
• For hand-washing delicate items, sprinkle a handful in warm water and add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to make clothes smell wonderful.
• When washing dishes in the sink, dissolve half a cup in the dish water and add half a lemon for grease-busting power.
• Create your own dish-washer detergent by combining equal parts of borax and washing soda (far cheaper than branded tablets and powders!)

Which are your favourite home-made cleaning solutions?

In this article, I've covered only a handful of the home-made cleaning solutions we can use to clean our family homes cheaply and without chemicals. The five products mentioned above are my favourites, but I'd love to know what you use for your own family homes too.

Please feel free to leave your own ideas and suggestions in the comments below.


Image credits: Eco-cleaning (top right) by extended.epiphany; Vinegar by Gorgeoux; Bicarbonate of Soda by solylunafamilia; Borax by luce_beaulieu; Lemons by terriseesthings;  Washing Soda by Liquid Lucidity. All via Flickr Creative Commons.

Back when my eldest child was born, I didn't own a computer. In fact, the "internet" was something which we read about in newspapers - a phenomenon which only computer geeks understood and which only the richest even had access to (or so it seemed). But by the time my daughter was born, all this had changed. Not everyone was online then, but many of us were. I had my own laptop, hooked up to broadband, and a plethora of information, support and other mums were just a few clicks away.

These days, most of the mums and mums-to-be I know have sought information and advice online. Our own parents, siblings and close friends cannot (always) be with us 24/7 for advice, but online parenting communities are always there, offering advice and a sense of connection with others who are experiencing the same issues.

Over time, I've seen many different sites, communities and parenting resources for British parents, yet there are only a handful to which I turn often when seeking advice or company. These sites (in my opinion, and in no particular order) are 5 of the best parenting resources for British mums:

NetMums

This was among the first sites I joined, and is an excellent place for meeting and interacting with other mums in your area.

NetMums is a members only site (registration is free, quick and very easy). This is because Netmums relies on a sense of community and members sharing as well as taking information" which ensures the site is a friendly and helpful community for all involved.

When joining NetMums, you will be able to read boards specifically for your town or area, meet other parents locally and also read through the general (nationwide) boards for advice on parenting, recipes, family finances and any other subject relevant to mums.

Visit NetMums to learn more

MumsNet

The Times newspaper describes MumsNet as "The country's most popular meeting place for parents". Indeed, this is the main reason why I visit the site so much (the "Talk" section is unrivalled!), though MumsNet offers many more features useful for parents too.

There are dedicated sections for each stage of our children's lives, offering advice and information on every subject imaginable. Reviews of baby products, books and even entertainment help us decide if these items are right for us based on impartial reviews from other parents, while the recipes section offers tried and tested foods for the whole family to enjoy (most of which are also incredibly frugal).

Members of MumsNet can also start their own free blog to document their life as a parent (the best blogs are highlighted regularly on the front page).

Probably the most popular section is "Am I being unreasonable?" - a section of the talk boards where parents post their questions and are offered honest replies to their concerns from other members.


Visit MumsNet to learn more

YourFamily

I wrote about YourFamily.org.uk a few weeks ago when I first discovered this wonderful site. Organized by the NSPCC, YourFamily offers advice on parenting for families with small children.

My favourite section of the site is the "Digital Nanny", where you can type in the name and age of your child to get advice specifically tailored to your needs (scroll down on the home page to find this section).

Other useful sections include "20 Ways To..." (featuring 20 useful tips on a variety of different subjects); creative video makes to create with your toddlers, and  the baby calendar for expectant mummies which helps you see just how much your little one is developing.

Visit YourFamily to learn more.

MyChild

MyChild is a fantastic resource for parents of school-aged children which offers free reports, sample papers and support to help our children with their education.

There are also sections about child health issues, recipes and positive parenting; for those whose children have special educational needs, there are some highly useful articles and guides which both explain these special needs without patronising and offer helpful activities for positive experiences.

Visit MyChild to learn more

RasingKids

Inevtably as I visited RaisingKids to find those all important links for this section, I became distracted in reading some of those useful articles posted on the home page... "Getting rid of persistant head lice"; "the best bedtime for a 12 year old"; "Stingy parents, or spoilt kids?". These are just a few of the questions posed to the website's experts whose solutions always make for great reading.

There are sections for all stages of children's lives, and even advice about motoring and child safety. RaisingKids also has a good community where parents ask questions and discuss parenting issues with each other.

Visit RaisingKids and learn more

Just one last mention...

I know this is supposrd to be a "5 of the best" post but I simply couldn't write this without including one of my favourite blogs too: Parent Hacks. This site features real advice from actual parents: tried and tested tricks for parenting such as using empty egg and candy boxes as paint pallettes and taking a picture of your child(ren) before entering a theme park in case they get lost. Do pay a visit to see why I love this site so much. Although based in the US, most of the tips are just as suitable for us Brits!

Which are your favourite parenting sites?

Have I missed out your own favourite site? Let us know your own preferences, or what you think of my favourite 5 my leaving your comments below.

Image credit (top right): lepiaf.geo, via Flickr Creative Commons.

Way back when I first started writing Glamumous, it was difficult to find and network with other British parent bloggers. Luckily, blogging has become a much more popular pastime, with many mums starting blogs and writing of their experiences as parents and even the occasional book deal has sprouted from the new-found British love of blogging.

But what about the "Daddy Bloggers" among us? Surely they also deserve a place in the limelight?

So here are my favourite 5 British "Daddy Blogs": written by fathers who blog about their children and family life. I hope you will enjoy reading these blogs as much as I did while researching them!

Lemon Drizzle

This hilarious blog is written by Paul Collins: a lone man in a house full of girls. I love reading a daddy's perspective on the naiive and wholly entertaining interactions with his daughters.

Lemon Drizzle is such a curious name for this blog. At first I wondered if the inspiration had come from a recip (and checked); in fact the name derives from a friendly discussion about blogging, in the same way which many of the greatest ideas do.

Visit Lemon Drizzle

Single Parent Dad

Single Parent Dad is written by Ian: a 30 year old widower, "and parent to the most brilliant young boy in the world".

Ian's posts make for wonderful reading, and it's easy to tell his writing comes from the heart. Going back through the archives to read of his emotional journies as a widowed dad is highly recommended!

Visit Single Parent Dad

Man About the House

Alasdair, writer of "Man ABout the House" is a stay-at-home-dad: "an over-educated father of two who spent the first 25 years of his lifeattempting to achieve everything that educated people are ‘meant’ toachieve".

His posts have a definite political overtone, but as written from the perspective of a dad, these offer interesting insights for parents into the political state of Britain.A really entertaining post from Man About the House is The Peasant Princess … and why Pastor Mark Driscoll is an idiot, where Alasdair offers his fiery feedback on a video interview with the pastor (and his wife) condemning fathers who choose to stay at home.


Visit Man About the House

Bringing up Charlie

Bringing Up Charlie offers us a glimpse into the life of a stay at home dad who cares for his young son, complete with CBeebies, Pram Rage and parents evenings at school.


Tim also writes about his wife and school age daughter in his posts which are often funny, sometimes emotional and always entertaining. I discovered this blog through browsing the sites listed on the British Mummy Bloggers network, which now makes me wonder why there are no such sites listed for British dads...



Visit Bringing up Charlie

WorryBomb

Worrybomb is the "blog of a baby, kept by her father", which was started even before Amelia was born!

While Worrybomb was created as a means for friends and family to keep track of Amelia's progress through life, it is positively endearing and there's no wonder this blog was listed as "Dad blog of the week" on the MyChild site!

Visit Worrybomb.

I hope you enjoy reading these British Daddy blogs too! Please let me know if there are other Daddy blogs you recommend by leaving your comments below.

As anxious parents we are all too aware of the dangers posed to our children on-line. From concerns of sharing personal information to accidental splashes of unsavoury images while our children research material for their homework. How can we ensure our children are safe on-line?

The answer dawned on me when I took my daughter to nursery last week. Staff had just installed a dedicated "Kids Browser" to their child-friendly computer and were testing the effectiveness (and fun-value) with the kids. I thought this was just amazing: the browser prevents unsavoury sites from being accessed at all, instead offering a colourful cheerful approach which encourages safe, responsible learning.

Now this particular software is reserved for nurseries and educational establishments (therefore it's quite costly), but I was intrigued and after a little research discovered several wonderful free browsers for kids which I would recommend to other parents too.

These browsers are probably better suited to young children (my 9 and 12 year olds think these are way too "babyish"!), but offer a safe environment for your little ones' first encounters with the internet.

In no particular order, here are my top 5 (free) Internet browsers for kids:

1. Kidoz

This bright and colourful browser offers a completely safe environment for children and prevents access to any unapproved content.


Younger children can simply "point and click" to access their favourite content, while the "Parental Control" section enables parents to monitor and control the content available to their children.

Content is restricted only to approved sites (these are moderated by humans and updated daily) or by manually adding your seal of approval in the Parental Control area.

Kido'z operates using Adobe Air and ensures browsing is both fast and reliable. You may need a fairly recent computer to use this browser effectively (Pentium 4 and above is recommended), though this is an otherwise beautifully designed browser which you and the children will enjoy equally.

Visit the KIDOZ site for more information and to download

2. Kidzui

This browser offers more features and seems appropriate for a slightly older audience. Using a tabbed menu at the top of the screen, children can quickly navigate between the Web, Videos and Photos and have a vast range of visual prompts to be clicked which help them find the content they want to view.



One huge advantage of this platform is the parental controls. You can change settings for Kidzui to prevent the browser being closed without entering the parental password which helps protect your desktop and other files being accessed or accidentally deleted.

Kids can design their personal Zui avatar; make "parent approved" friends online and chat in a safe environment.

There is also a premium version of Kidzui which offers such features as unlocking more clothes for avatars, a homework helper and favourites folder.

Learn more and download Kidzui

3. KidRocket

KidRocket is a simple hybrid browser and activity centre for the kids. Featuring a desktop lock (to prevent access to your important files) and optional email service (where you control whom emails are sent from and to your kids), it's quite useful and makes browsing fun.


Rather than being "installed" like a regular program, KidRocket is a standalone program which is launched through a desktop icon to prevent conflict with your regular (grown-up) web browser.

Access to websites is limited only to those which have been approved by KidRocket, such as CBeebies, Crayola and Disney. Simple "art" and "maths" programs add offline interest for curious kids, while you can control how the program functions using the "admin" section.

Learn more about KidRocket and download

4. Pikluk

This browser is completely controlled by the parent dashboard where you choose which sites your child is allowed to access, and with whom they can correspond by email.


No URLs are displayed, and access is restricted to any sites which you have not deemed as "safe". Your desktop is also safe from prying eyes and accidental deletion as Pikluk cannot be closed without parental consent.

Learn more and download Pikluk

5. Buddy Browser

Buddy Browser is a very interesting application. Functionally it's close to "Mum and Dad's" browser in terms of appearance and functionality, though rather more colourful and child-orientated.


Navigation is made easy using descriptive buttons at the top of the browser, with individual sites linked in the sidebar. School-age children can easily access sites to help with homework, while a dedicated "Toddlers" section offers games and education suitable for pre-school ages.

Kids can chat safely using a messaging service which parents control to ensure they are totally aware of who their kids talk to online, while "favorites" can be added in just a couple of clicks (a feature sadly missing in other free kids browsers I've seen).

Learn more and download Buddy Browser

What do you think?

Have you encountered any other free kids browsers which you'd like to recommend? Which of these browsers do you prefer to install for your own children?

Please share your thoughts and opinions by leaving a comment below.

Image credit: Computers and kids by Tanya Ryno (top right).