Frugal living!

Thursday 24 February 2011

Frugal living!

I have always enjoyed the challenge of being thrifty. I save everything. Food - I hate waste. Left over veg - into soup. Fruit - frozen to be used in smoothies, pies, sauces, cakes. I recycle t shirts - They become dusters and cloths. Other items of clothing recycled to charity shops or the fabulous enviro clothes who pay you for the weight of your items. From 11 bags of clothes (bin bags half full) I made £16. Every penny counts these days so off it went to lessen the debt. (The debt - yes I once had a plan with the end in sight now it is a distant dream, a tiny whoo ville like speck on the horizon. but keep chipping away I will. )

I free cycle, car boot, charity shop, scan sale rails for bargains and this includes the sale rail at primark! (Don't like to pay full price for their chat). Focus on frugality - where shall I start!

Kids clothes - I love hand me downs - who doesn't. Children play, Children get grubby, Play can be grubby.Clothes get grubby. Children grow alot faster than there clothes. Its really quite simple. The gorgeous one wears Next, has a Little Rocha coat, pumpkin patch and other silly labels. She looks ace. She has play clothes and going out clothes. One thing I do fork out for is shoes - Clarks. I do not begrudge the £30 they cost however they can be sourced form Brantano and ebay for much cheaper once the feet have been professionally measured. The only problem is the upset child who is expecting new shoes! Once the season has got warmer I will cut off the arms of sweatshirts to make t shirts - a simple hem using a sewing machine- takes all of two mins. Hey presto more wear out of an item that would have been destined for the recycling journey (profit making or for charity or the ;duster drawer) or has horribly stained cuffs!

Na na na na na - My carbon foot prints less than yours!

I would do this even if loaded for sheer self righteousness! Being skint - its a bit less virtuous but hey h

Na na na na na My carbon foot prints less than yours!!!! lol

I also buy in advance. At the moment I am working on the 4-5 yr old wardrobe. I buy from sale rails for a year in advance so the seasons don't really matter. I have a £2 rule for t shirts, long sleeve shirts, leggins etc Jeans, dresses and Coats obviously more. Today's bargains were long sleeved shirts for 75p - I bought 2. Woolen white polo neck 1.50. Woolen thick legging - pinkish colour £2 and a pink sweat shirt with butterfly pattern also for £2. All new all from Asda - £7 total. Bargain!!! Not preloved and not as eco friendly but its not very often we go new.

Cheers - speak soon
Love
Eeeek (as it eeking it out)

No comments:

Why do I Blog!

Well primarily for me its a cathartic get it off my chest / a means to organise thoughts / to take stock. A journal that in 2012 has an interactive ' Dear diary' that is vast.

I don't write to share wisdom. Have very little of that. I don't claim to have an aspirational lifestyle of any kind. I dont write for it to be read even. If it is and my mad mixed up life interests people, makes them laugh, is a bit of a soap opera, whatever then that's great. Blogging - a bit of an affirmation of real life life choices maybe....

Sometimes my blog brings order and reflection to the real world. Sometimes Blogland folks share pearls of wisdom which is very very cool! :-)

I ve gained a great deal from reading other peoples blogs. Different ways of life are always interesting. I don't get involved in giveaways or stuff like that. I think its lovely though. Am pants at choosing gifts and it would give me no end of nightmares.

I read blogs before I blogged. Some people share so much and through reading I have learnt a great deal.Practical and otherwise.The tips are fantastic for frugal stuff. As are the stories of strangers lives. INSPIRATIONAL and all wonderfully different.

I m a bit of a roller coaster girl up and down. The blog keeps me more train like. Also an outlet for the negative stuff. A bit like wind. And by that I mean the gaseous stuff. BETTER OUT THAN IN. My blog is then a load of old fart.....this amuses me greatly.

Thanks Dave!!!

Once upon a time the end was in sight and financial freedom from my little debt of under 5k was nearly within my grasp! December 2012 if not before with the benefits of frugality however our friend Dave had other plans!!!!

I was made redundant from my job with a pish package I took what I could find till a full time position. Finally taking a 10k salary drop.

In 2009 I invested in property buying my house with a 15% deposit. n 2011 after three years of home owning and negative equity to the tune of 12k I have finally sold and now have jack bloody buggery shite. What smarts is that I gave up time with my small child in favour of seeking security for us. If only I had done the opposite....... rented, claimed top up benefits and saved my hard earned cash .... quality of life for me and weeny girl for three years would have been be better and we would have a cash sum in the bank and no debt.

You play frugal, play independent, watch your consumption, don't do frivalous sofas or new cars, no nights out at the pub type debt just what you have to! After a double whammy from the government - house market slump and Local Authority redundancy compounded by rural living what is a single mum supposed to do???? = Suck it up, Keep smiling, and use a brush instead of a hoover.