Link to Hope
Why not start gathering items for your shoe boxes now to spread the cost over the next 10-11 months. I managed to do a family shoe box and an elderly shoe box for under £10.00 last October, and I hope to help show bargains throughout the year to help anyone who can spare a pound a month to fill a shoebox. (Details of the 2023 £10.00 challenge and what each box contained and where I purchased them are on this website.) I hope you find the shopping tips over the next 10 months helpful. If you find any bargains, please let me know.
Link to Hope have a calendar on their website of suggested items to concentrate on each month as another way of helping to spread the cost. https://linktohope.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Shoebox-Calendar-2023.jpg
The suggestion for January is “Warm Items – to keep people warm when temperatures can drop as low as -25C.” The obvious items are hats, scarfs or gloves which also happen to be on the essential items list. It could also be thick socks or tights, but these are mentioned in the February category of heat and light. No other clothing items can be added to the shoeboxes. Another suggestion if you knit or crochet is to make knee blankets to accompany the shoe boxes.
In December I purchased packs of 2 pairs of gloves for £1.00 from Primark but they didn’t have any in my local store when I went in during early January. I was able to pick up some men’s grey fleece gloves for 50p a pair. They were meant to be part of a double pack with one pair of black and one pair of grey fleece gloves for £2.50. The complete packs are still advertised on their website – but I’m very happy to have picked up pairs of just the grey ones for 50p 😊. (The pen in the photo is to give an indication of the size of the gloves.)
Poundland have several packs of 2 pairs of gloves for £1.00 on their website, Men’s, women’s and Children’s. B&M have 3 pairs of gloves for £2.50 but I’m hoping they might reduce them like they did last year.
I discovered by accident that my local One Beyond was closing down, so everything was 50% off the marked price – unfortunately only a few items had a price on them. I took the chance on a children’s beanie hat and glove set which cost 75p. I was planning to go back in to buy a few more items but they closed early.
If you can knit, then there are lots of easy patterns available for free online to knit beanie hats. You could also knit some rectangles to make wrist warmers, and scarfs are easy to knit but knitted scarfs may take up too much room in your shoebox – particularly if you are filling a family box.
The Farm Animal Sanctuary
They need to raise £944,000 to buy the land The Farm Animal Sanctuary occupies. It’s a lot of money to raise. They will be hosting a big event in July – more details in a few months’ time.
Bargain Buys
My first suggestion fits in with next month’s theme of heat and light – Dunelm have Jasmine or Seagrass scented candle jars for 50p. They have a burn time of up to 29 hours.
Asda have reduced some of their hot water bottles and covers. One with a very silky soft furry texture one side and checkerboard the other side is £3.00. They also had pale pink and also red furry hot water bottles and covers for £3.00.
They had a few Christmas themed toys reduced – snowman bouncy ball 25p, 2 pack of small jigsaw 38p and candy canes and ladders game (like snakes and ladders) game 38p.
Tesco have reduced their Go Create 12 long coloured pencils to 20p. (Be careful though as they also had exactly the same ones on the shelf for 75p so double check at the checkout – mine were 20p a pack). (Not on offer but Tesco soap bars have reduced to 30p a bar – they had gone up to 40p so I’m starting to stock up in case they go up again!).
The Works had lots of bargains in store – but there aren’t many showing online. If you struggle to find shoeboxes, they have Christmas Eve boxes for 25p (they do have two styles of box, so be sure you are getting the shoe box shaped ones). In the Christmas range they have shopping bags for 50p, wrapping paper for 25p, Snap card games for 50p, Christmas Jigsaw 50p, set of 6 Christmas erasers 50p, Christmas Bingo 50p and colour your own mug for 50p.
Hope you manage to find some bargains to fill your shoe boxes.