Keeping it frugal in June 

​The Swallowtails got a chance to share tips and make new friends in June thanks to our fun, frugal night.
 
Treasurer Vicky, who is a whizz when it comes to saving the pennies, devised a twist on ‘Pass The Parcel’, which gave members the chance to share their thoughts on a range of topics. Each table had a parcel, and when the music stopped, the winner unwrapped it to find some chocolates and a discussion starter card. No one could have predicted how abundant the Swallowtails WI is in money-saving experts, as the game saw members swap tips on everything from supermarket savings apps, Sky TV price strategies, cooking savers and how to make your holiday as fabulous as possible for the lowest price.
 
As well as being a great resource for everyone, the topic gave us all a great insight into each other’s lives. Soundtracked by some carefully-selected Spice Girls anthems, we mixed up the tables at every turn, so by the end of the night, everyone had been given the chance to enjoy a laugh and a chat with someone new. Better yet, each table wrote down the top tips that had been discussed, and now the Swallowtails have their very own Frugal directory.
 
That wasn’t the end of the fun, though, as in the spirit of saving money, we invited members to participate in a book swap. There are a few writers and many readers among our throng so plenty of us brought a book wrapped up with just a teaser clue about the contents on display. Soon everyone was excitedly checking out their new reads, and getting a chance to try out a book they may never have picked up for themselves. No doubt this will provide plenty of conversation and recommendations when we meet up next.
 
There was also great excitement when some of our girls revealed the Fairies they’ve made for the WI competition at the Norfolk Show. There were some brilliant creations in the mix, and we even voted for our favourite – crowing Rachel’s gorgeous green felt fairy the winner.
 
Finally, we also had a Bring and Buy sale running throughout the night, raising funds for our WI. It was great fun to have a browse through the clothes, books, games and bric-a-brac on display and know the money we spent was going back into the Swallowtails. The evening was one of the most enjoyable we’ve all spent together so far, and it was lovely to see members bonding with each other, as well as learning plenty of ways to save money. The WI was set up to help women share skills so it was wonderful to follow in that tradition in our own, unique Swallowtails way!