I turned my three-bed home into a four bed for £240 so my teen could have her own room – B&Q bargains made it a doddle
Amber Camm, from the UK, took to social media to share the
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A mum turned her three-bed into a four-bed so her teen could have some more privacy
Credit: Facebook/DIY On A Budget Official
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She was able to turn half her kitchen into a bedroom for just £240
Credit: Facebook/DIY On A Budget Official
While most people would either suck it up or move house, Amber decided to put her thinking cap on and see what other options there were.
She quickly realised her open plan kitchen and dining room area was space they didn't need, so used the back of the kitchen to create the new bedroom.
Taking to Facebook, she said: "We wanted a 4th bedroom for our teenage daughter who was really struggling to revise whilst being in a room with her younger sister.
"So we popped a wall up between our kitchen and dining area. Luckily our lounge is just big enough for a dining table."
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Amber revealed the renovation cost just £240 and broke down the exact costs of the bargain buys.
She first bought plasterboard from B&Q for £100, wood for the frame cost £60, £75 for flooring from Online Carpets and filler from B&M for £5.
Once all the materials were in the house they began cutting the old flooring out and swapping it with vinyl.
Amber added that she kept the old flooring to use as an outline for the new one to save them time.
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Once the floor was done, they used the wood to make a frame for the new bedroom wall and attached the plasterboard.
After, they used the filler for any gaps before adding a door and a lick of paint and the bedroom was done.
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People were stunned by how well the DIY job turned out
Credit: Facebook/DIY On A Budget Official
Shoppers urged 'not to blink' and get their hands on Home Bargains garden essential that sold out fast last time and it makes your garden extra cute - TikTok homebargainsofficialuk
Amber added: "Our daughter chose the colour. She is so happy to have her own space. It's not the biggest of rooms but it's hers and she loves it."
The post was shared on the Facebook group,
People were quick to take to the comments to congratulate the mum on the cheap DIY job.
One person wrote: "A great space."
Home upgrades that add the most value to a house
The best renovation to add value totally depends on your property, the local market and your potential buyers.
Loft conversion - increase of 15%
Off-street parking - adds £50,000 to property price
New kitchen - increase of 15%
Garage conversion - increase of 15%
Cellar or basement conversion - increase of 10-15%
Open plan living space - increase of 3-5%
New bathroom - increase of 3-5%
Another commented: 'Well done!"
"Looks lovely, fantastic that you could do this for your daughter," penned a third.
Meanwhile a fourth said: "What a great idea! She also has the best access for midnight snacks!"
"That's excellent,' claimed a fifth.
Someone else added: 'Brilliant job."
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Free holiday clubs and meals For parents needing childcare or 6 Check out your local council for free children's clubs and activities this summer Credit: Getty This country-wide government programme provides free meals, activities, and childcare during school holidays for children from low-income families who receive free school meals. Local councils can also use 15% of their funding to support other children who may benefit, without needing approval from the Department for Education. Parents will need to check with their child's school and check their list of benefits based on free school meals. Keep kids active and engaged during the summer Holly Smith 'HAF runs during school holidays and offers free holiday clubs with meals included for eligible children,' she explains. 'It's such a helpful option – not just for childcare but for keeping kids active and engaged during the summer. 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I even run a theatre blog 'Some West End theatres offer standing tickets at the back of the stalls for just £10. 'You can often get these on the day of the performance by going directly to the box office. Popular shows offering these tickets include Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre and Just For One Day (the Live Aid musical) at the Shaftesbury Theatre. 'And everyday at 10am, the 'These are limited and first come, first served, so it's worth checking the app early. 'You can also get 2-for-1 cinema and restaurant deals with Compare the Market. A clever trick is to take out a cheap travel insurance policy to unlock these rewards Holly Smith 'When you take out any insurance policy through Compare the Market, you'll get a full year of Meerkat rewards. 'That includes: Meerkat Movies – Two-for-one cinema tickets every Tuesday and Wednesday, and Meerkat Meals – Two-for-one meals at selected restaurants. 'A clever trick is to take out a cheap travel insurance policy to unlock these rewards. 'You can buy one-day UK travel insurance for as little as £1.01, and it still gives you access to a full year of cinema and dining deals.' SAVINGS: £60+ TV savings 'It costs half the price of the standard plan, and the ads aren't too disruptive. I made the switch and found it better than expected.' You can also use free streaming services instead of paying. 'There are some great free options available in the UK if you want to avoid monthly subscription fees,' explains Holly. 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' 6 Holly has also shared her camping trip tips Credit: SUPPLIED 'I'm not keen on camping, so I once paid £100 for a tent pitch at Haven in Kent but stayed at a nearby Travelodge for £29 a night instead of paying over £1,000 for a caravan. 'We used the Travelodge as our base, filled up on their buffet breakfast, and spent our days at the holiday park. It was such a money-saver.' For families who enjoy 'It's all about personal preference, but there are so many ways to save on holidays.' SAVINGS: £900 - £1,200 Summer toys Keeping kids entertained over the summer doesn't have to cost a fortune, and Holly has plenty of ideas for treats and toys. Apps like 6 Holly suggests checking out a few apps for new toys without spending a penny Credit: Supplied 'It's a great way to get things like garden toys, books, games, and bikes without spending anything. 'It's also perfect for passing on items your own kids have finished with to help others. 'Using the YoungPlanet app to get free toys like garden toys, books, or bikes could save you anywhere around £10 - £50 per item. 'Claiming three to four items over the summer could save up to £200.' She also mentions apps like Jungle Search, which is free to use and helps find mispriced items on Amazon. 'You'd be amazed at what you can find - everything from garden toys to paddling pools at a fraction of the cost,' she explains. 'When my son was born, I got almost everything for his nursery for under £200, even though the retail value was £1,200.' SAVINGS: £200+ Coupons and loyalty schemes Holly's passion for couponing shines through as she explains the strategy behind it. 'You've got to time your coupons with promotions,' she says. 'For example, Tesco magazine coupons are often better towards the end of the month when the products go on offer. That's when you get those gems where you're paying next to nothing.' She also mentions loyalty schemes like Pampers. 'With the Pampers loyalty scheme, for every 10 packets you scan, you get one free,' she says. 'They send you a coupon through the post. But it's all about timing. Some people use coupons too quickly, but you need to come up with a method. 'I write down expiry dates, track prices, and use the coupons when the timing is perfect. It's a lot of work, but I share this research instantly in my Facebook group, so others don't have to do it all themselves.' Instead of searching for discount codes, Holly has a much easier technique to save some money. 'I use a Google Chrome plug-in such as Honey or Pouch, " she says. 'When you're shopping online and get to the checkout, the plug-in quickly tries out all the discount codes that might work for that store and applies them to your basket in seconds. 'Sometimes, you can even use more than one code on the same purchase.' But when it comes to the best digital coupon app, Holly's favourite is Shopimium. 'It's really user friendly and a great one to get people started.' SAVINGS: £50+ Get talking with ChatGPT Holly embraces AI to make saving easier. 'In my Facebook group, using ChatGPT to save money is really popular right now,' she explains. 'People are using it to figure out what to cook with leftovers in their fridge. You can just write down what you've got – potatoes, random leftovers – and ask ChatGPT what meal you can make. 'It provides recipes in seconds, and you end up with a family meal you'd never have thought of. It's a great way to avoid wasting food and save money.' She continues: 'People even upload pictures of their garden and ask ChatGPT for budget-friendly ideas to improve it. The results are amazing.' SAVINGS: £50-£100 Build a stockpile Holly's strategic approach to saving has helped her build an impressive stockpile over the years. 'It's gone from a notepad to an industrial-sized chest freezer and shelves that look like a mini supermarket,' she says. She explains how combining coupons and offers can lead to huge savings over time. 'For example, Huggies DryNites offers a free sample with a £2.50 coupon. If you wait for the right sale, you can get the product for free. That's Previously at Christmas time, Holly managed to buy over £100 worth of minced chicken for about £15 and picked up a whole turkey worth £35 for 5p - after buying at a reduced price on Christmas eve. Once she got the food home, she vacuum-sealed it before freezing it. SAVINGS: £150 Money saving challenges Here's some of our favourite money saving challenges. Weather saving challenge - Save the amount equal to whatever the highest temperature was that week. £1 = 1C. 1p challenge - save 1p a day for everyday of the year, but it increase the amount by 1p each day. So day one you save 1p, 2p on day two and 3p on day three. When you reach 100 days you start adding a £1 coin each day too, while this increases to a £2 coin each day plus pennies at 200 days, and £3 each day on top of pennies at day 300. 20p a day challenge - Start by putting 20p in savings, then increase the amount by 20p every day. For example, the first week will look like this: 20p, 40p, 60p, 80p, £1, £1.20, £1.40. £5 a week challenge - Like the 20p challenge, put aside £5 a week and increase it by a fiver each week. Eg £5, £10, £15, £20 Round-up challenge - Every time you buy something, round up the purchase to the nearest £1 and put the difference in a savings account. Eg. You pay £2.60, so you put 40p in savings. You can use an app such as Monzo or Starling to do this. Bingo challenge - Here you have a bingo card with different numbers on it and you tick them off when you've put that amount in your savings account. It can be ad hoc but you have to tick them all off by the end of the month. Monday to Sunday challenge - With this challenge, you simply save £1 on Monday, £2 on Tuesday and so on until the weekend where you don't save on Saturday or Sunday. 365 day challenge - Every Sunday you put aside £1, followed by £2 on Monday, £3 on Wednesday and so on. On Saturday you'll put away £7, and then the process repeats and you'll put aside £1 on Sunday as the new week begins
