A couple of weeks ago I attended a rather different and really fun event hosted by Giff Gaff. I’m sure you will have heard of Giff Gaff; I know I have seen them growing in popularity across the mobile phone market, but what I didn’t know is that they now also have something called Giff Gaff Gameplan, where their mission is ‘to help you smash your goals in life’, by helping you set goals, maximise savings, and help you keep on top of your budgeting and spending.
The event was hosted at the beautiful Principal Hotel in Manchester, which is just absolute hash tag interior goals everywhere you look! A host of bloggers arrived for the 11am start, and were welcomed with drinks as well as pastries and breakfast items to devour whilst settling in and mingling with the rest of the group. We then split down into three smaller groups, each to tackle a different workshop and learn about thrifty living.
My first workshop was with the lovely Hannah from ‘Tea and Crafting‘, where we learnt to make cute chunky jewellery out of material from old t-shirts. It took us a while to get the hang of, but once we got into the swing of things it was actually quite therapeutic and relaxing! This is a great way to re-purpose old clothing and make the most of something that might go to waste – it also makes for a lovely gift idea or even just a relaxing afternoon activity you could do with family or friends.
The principal put on an absolute feast of salads, sandwiches and hot food for our lunch, accompanied by some lovely wine as well as rich chocolate fondant and fruit for dessert. Everyone tucked in whilst obviously taking photographs of the epic spread and sharing stories of the first workshop. There was a really lovely atmosphere to the whole group and it was lovely to be a part of such a friendly group who were all chatting and getting to know each other.
Next on our agenda was a presentation and quiz, which was so interesting and actually quite a shock to the majority of us as we realised how little we actually knew about some aspects of credit scores and the financial world. Gaff Gaff Gameplan actually offer a free credit report as well as a credit card comparison, amongst other really useful tools to get you started. They also have loads of great articles and tips to help with your personal gameplan here:
Savvy Living
Budgeting
Financial Goals
Our final station was with Duncan from ‘Herb and Spice‘ Catering Company, who showed us an incredibly cheap, quick and easy meal to make, which was also really delicious. We watched Duncan prepare a Moroccan spiced tweet potato, spinach, apricot and chickpea parcel, with spicy tomato compote. The dish was quickly prepared and put together in around 15 minutes, and served with some fresh herby cous cous. I will definitely be trying this dish at home – it was packed with flavour and goodness, and would be a great meal to make for the week ahead and take as lunch portions to work.
To end a lovely afternoon we were all given Giff Gaff goodie bags, packed with things to encourage and help us with thrifty living – I absolutely adore these kitchen gardens, and think they are a great way to add flavour into your meals without always having to buy fresh herbs to put a dish together. We also got all of the ingredients to make another delicious Herb & Spice meal, which again was delicious and I have added it to my repertoire of cheap, easy and delicious meal prep meals for the week.
We also took part in a clothes swap, where we could take items of clothing that we didn’t want anymore, and pick up something in exchange that someone else might not want, but we would love! This is such a cool way to refresh your wardrobe, and if you are feeling uninspired but don’t want to break the bank, this is a great thing to do with your friends to pick up some new pieces for your wardrobe!
A huge thanks to Giff Gaff for an afternoon of crafting, cooking and learning all about how to make a foolproof gameplan!
LL x
*The items in the post were gifted to me as part of the event. As ever, all opinions are my own. Photo credit: Elouisa Georgiou.
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