Welcome to Bristol Bargainista!

Enjoying a cheap but lovely holiday in Italy

Hello and welcome! 

Yes, yes, I know everyone's blogging these days but I for one have found some of the most sensible, realistic advice and information on blogs and have picked up some great tips along the way. Unlike magazines or other traditional media, the blogging world can be a more honest, interesting and outspoken world. While I love fashion, for example, I've become increasingly tired of reading magazines that push a lifestyle that is way beyond that of the average person in the street, I hate the obvious product placement (and I don't just mean the advertising which seems to fill ever more and more pages, but the obvious pushing of products via celebrity interviews, etc.) and I resent paying somewhere around the £4 mark for content that I've read a million times before. It goes without saying there are good blogs and very, very bad blogs, but as time has gone on I've made several (high quality) blogs my preferred choice of reading - and of course they come completely free of charge!

 A few things I like about blogs:

• They're often written straight from the heart, by real people living in the real world
• Unlike magazines or newspapers a blog can tell it like it is - blogs are a great way to get unbiased reviews and experiences of everything from beauty products to restaurants
• Alongside social media like Twitter, blogs are a great way to find out about the secret, hidden corners of your town or city, and pick up great tips if you're embarking on a trip abroad

After several aborted attempts at blogging I set up Bristol Bargainista in September 2013 as a way of sharing my suggestions for enjoying life in Bristol (and further afield) on a shoestring. A Bristol girl born and bred, I began my working life in London and spent a very happy ten years there before returning to Bristol in 2004 to raise my family.  The move back home coincided with a decision to combine my parenting responsibilities with freelance work in an attempt to enjoy a better work-life balance, and since that time I’ve been happily bringing up my two lovely boys while working as a web producer and copywriter.

Of course, while my quality of life has improved tremendously in this time, my income has taken a battering! I have very little disposable income and as my boys grow up the demands on my bank account seem ever greater. However, I like nice things, I like to eat well and I could not contemplate a life devoid of holidays or weekends away! And so I have learned to squeeze every penny from my humble earnings to enjoy a full and interesting life on a budget. And the good news is it’s not anywhere near as hard as I had imagined – it just takes a little more legwork, research and creativity!

I hope you enjoy reading my blog. While I'll be concentrating mainly on Bristol this blog is by no means limited to those living in Bristol. You'll find ideas and suggestions which I hope will be useful wherever you live, and whether you have kids in tow or not. 

Please do add your own comments and share your own tips too - I look forward to hearing from you!

Luisa