Ways I can save money......

Since being inspired by the thought of paying off my mortgage, my little mind has been pondering just how I can reduce the money steadily pouring out on my bank account.    I have been reading other blogs and have got lots of ideas which my lovely hubby and I are going to start doing. I am also aware that whilst I have my short time on this earth, I want to do the least amount of damage to it. 

So in no particular order, these are some of the things we will be doing this year.....

Reduce our electricity bill - bill estimate for next year is a massive 1/3 higher than last year!  Eeek!  We have an energy monitor now and I am diligent about turning off lights, not using the tumble dryer, making the most of Economy 7.  

Reduce our Gas bill - again the prices have gone up.  We had now have a woodburner, so only put the heating on in the morning when the monkies get up and again in the early evening to take the chill of the bedrooms.  My 2 littilies seem to have a higher internal temperature or something, and will quite happily sit in shorts and t-shirts, whilst hubby and I are in our thermals.    

If only I could harness their energy!!!!!

Reduce food bills - We are getting much better at shopping around and bulk buying.  Also, we now have 2 allotments for the bulk of our veg growing, we have space for salads and tomatoes at home in the greenhouse (a gift from our lovely neighbour the first week we moved in!), our 4 fat hens should provide the majority of our eggs.  We also have 3 apple trees and an old pear tree, so in theory, we could be largely self-sufficient in the fruit and veg department.   It is just a case of putting in the hard work to make it work! 

We are writing down everything we spend, which is eyeopening to say the least! 

There are so many more things, which I have pinched from other peoples blogs!  So thank you to all those out there who are constantly inspiring me.  

Happy Valentines Day all.

Thank you so much to SFT for my very first award - I am really honoured.  

A lazy day today, I have flu and am feeling all sorry for myself.  I have not moved from the sofa by the woodburner all day.  In fact, I didn't get dressed until 2 o'clock - I haven't done this since I had my first baby!

In between napping I have been reading the latest book I got from the village library 'The Ministry of Food - Thrifty Ways to Feed your Family Today' by Jane Fernley-Wittingstall.  It is making me very excited to get down the allotment and start planting.   Although with more heavy snow forecast tonight, it could be a while until I can get down there.

The book is also full of posters from the time, which I just love.

I have this one in my kitchen. 

I want this one!

For now I shall make myself a honey and lemon, head off to bed with my hot water bottle and dream of the spring and new shoots. 

Learning to budget

Budgeting is something that I am learning to do, and surprisingly enough, enjoying it!

I have been thinking about my Girl Guides and about what skills I would like them to take away from their time with me, and one that came out top is the ability to plan, budget and cook a meal.  I have 20 girls in my unit, all aged between 10 and 15, and I would love to make sure that each and everyone of them is able to take away some very important life skills.

I helped out with another unit's camp last year.  It was a patrol permit camp, which means that the patrol leaders  (aged 13) had to plan the whole weekend for their own group.  This included planning, budgeting, buying and cooking the food for 6 people.  The girls did amazingly well, but both said that budgeting was the hardest part of the weekend.  But that got me thinking, what an amazing thing they had both learnt - it is not often as a teenager you are expected to budget and shop for others, and then cook the meals.

So as a unit we are doing our cooks badge next term.  I am thinking of giving the girls £5 per patrol to try and cook a meal.

Do you think this will be too hard?   

Or perhaps to easy? 

 The rules will be that it has to be a cooked meal - no cheese sandwiches and crisps.  It must be healthy and everyone should agree on what it is.   I also want them to try cooking a meal from scratch and comparing it to one from a jar or a microwave version - they will have to compare the cost and do a taste comparison.

I really want them to take away from this just how much food costs and that you can make tasty, healthy meals on very little.   And hopefully, when they are out in the real world on their own, it will help them a little.

My weekend

It is the end of a lovely snowy weekend.  I am sitting by the woodburner, toasty warm and reading blogs - a very nice way to spend a Sunday evening.

I was supposed to go to work today, but it was closed because of the snow, so instead I took the children out on their sledges and made snowmen - a far nicer way to spend the day!

I wish I had made this snow polar bear! (Guardian website)

Yesterday was spent at a craft workshop, making bags out of tweed jackets.  It was a lovely day, surrounded by gorgeous fabric and pretty things.  It was held by the lovely Louise Preseley in her studio, Hope and Elvis.  Now, I am not much good at sewing and can about manage a straight line with a sewing machine, so was amazed that I made a bag, and that I will actually use it!   I am quite tempted to make some more.  (these are not mine by the way)

   

101 Challenge Update - 

I am starting on number 16 - Learn a new language and use it.  

Later this year we are going to France with old university friends and their children, so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to learn French and make use of it.  I will be using the Michel Thomas CD's (these can be got from the library).  I have had a go with them before and they are really good - I just have to keep going with them.  

In the spirit of all things Frugal - tonight's meal is being cooked on the woodburner.  We have a woodburner in the kitchen, and this is the room that we spend all our time - it has a sofa, a 6 seater dining table and lovely big bi-fold doors that open out onto the garden - it is this room that sold the house to us and I love it.  In fact, I haven't sat in the lounge for months!  So we thought as the woodburner is going most of the time, why don't we cook on it.  So this evening we have a bubble and squeak merrily sizzling away.  

SFT - I did indeed get my belt.  It went really well and couldn't stop smiling for days!  I am now Green and White, still another 2 or 3 years away from achieving black belt, but I am enjoying the journey.  

Saheen - I did try and post on your blog, but not sure it worked.  I hope the move goes well for you and you get down the allotment soon.  I have really been enjoying reading your recipes - we are making Chickpea and Rosemary soup tomorrow.

A short review

It has only been just over a week since I started on this very interesting money saving challenge.  Having never really known quite what is coming in or going out, I now know what every bill is, exactly what is in the accounts and just how much we need to save for our upcoming holiday.  It feels like a weight off my shoulders!    There is not much coming in, but we certainly have enough to live on and to be able to save a little here and there.  

This last week my husband and I decided to put anything extra money into a pot.  I had a rather elaborate system of pots and jars, which we have simplified a bit!  I counted it up today to see what I could put into the bank, and after just 10 days we have managed to put aside nearly £300 - how surprised am I!!!!!  This is extra bits of money that usually disappears into our pockets and gets frittered (I like that word) away on nothing much - a bottle of wine, maybe a magazine,  a bar of chocolate for me, another one 'cos I had a busy day, another one  cos' I deserve a treat and on and on, until the purse/wallet is empty.  

But now £300 for doing nothing and not really depriving ourselves of anything!  I think this saving lark could get addictive!    

I have also been diligent with what we are spending on food.  I have only spent a few pounds this week topping up on milk and veg.  I have stuck to my weekly menu (tonight is dips night in front of a film).  Tomorrow will be 'use it up' day.  All the left over bits of veg etc will be turned into a curry which should last us until Monday.  I really enjoy planning my menu for the week (this weeks culinary highlights have been Moroccan Squash Stew with Couscous, home made flatbreads with squash, homemade pizza with kids, finished with a pear flapjack crumble).   Looking forward to seeing just what our spend is by the end of the month.  

Guides and Belts (and a little bonus)

I had a nice little bonus of £77 for my holiday fund yesterday. I run a Guide unit in a nearby village and am always buying bits and peices for Guides and the receipts usually disappear into the black hole of my purse. Although us leaders are unpaid, we do claim back for anything we have bought for the unit from the unit funds. So totting up my receipts for equipment, food etc came to a nice £77. Getting closer to my holiday goal.

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Today my mind is mainly on tonight's challenge. I will be grading for my next belt in Aikido (a more self defence based style of martial arts) and to be honest, I am a little bit scared. I know my stuff, but it is different when you have to do it in front of the Sensei. Hoping work is really quiet so I can preactice my techniques ;).  But each belt is closer to my ultimate goal of becoming a black belt, so time to take a deep breath and get on with it!

Allotment Number 2

A few weeks ago we took over our new allotment. Hooray! We already have one which has been serving us quite well. The plot next to us has been neglected for most of last year, so we said if it became available and there wasn't a waiting list, then we would love it. So it is ours!

I don't have a photo to post, but if you imagine a plot covered in knee high weeds and grass, interspersed with the odd abandoned car tyre, you will be close. I can't wait to make a start on it!

This year I intend to make much better use of our plot. We are so lucky to have the chance to grow our own veggies and fruit. It would be wonderful to be self sufficient in vegetables and fruit - maybe that should be one of my challenges for this year! Might have to cheat a bit when it comes to avocados - shhhhh, no one needs to know about that.