Thinking Frugally

 Hello I hope you are all well and having a good week, I have had a busy day so far despite it being my day off and I have been thinking about how I use my time and also how I intend to use it in the future to enjoy it and also to spend less. 

 Now I am not a big spender and I have never been one of those, I left school at sixteen and although I have always worked I have never been a big earner.  However I think because of this I have always been very good at making my money go far and in many ways this is better than earning a lot as people can fall into that trap of always thinking that they have to impress or have the latest things.

I am thinking about this more this week due to a few things that are going on, now I cut my hours a few years ago so I don't work Fridays anymore and for the most part I do like my job, however there are times when things change and it does get you thinking.  Being an employee means that another person can change your job at the drop of a hat, or they can affect what you do, how you do it or just bring some negativity to your day that is completely out of your control.  Now I am fine currently but I have a couple of friends and colleagues that are going through something like this right now.  People get you in their sights for some reason and decide that is it.  

So all this has got me thinking more about independence and how we use our time and money, I have always tried to do as much of what I can myself, pay off anything and keep costs low so that if ever I did feel the need to stop what I am doing I will have the choice to do so.  I cut and colour my own hair and cut all my family's hair, make my own clothes, decorate, cook and pretty much DIY whatever I can and may husband does all the things I can't do.  

I am always busy and have a lot of hobbies all of which are low cost and in many ways save  me money, I have no desire to work long hours to buy over priced stuff to impress other people. There are times when people seem shocked that I don't want to work full time anymore (I did from age 16 until a few years ago) and how I can afford that.  It is that I spend so little and that is all there is to it, my hobbies create rather than consume and I think if you can switch your thinking around to that then you are on to something.  Our big purchase of the last few years was a used caravan but we intend to holiday in that for years to come so it was a means to an end and not just an object.

This morning I made some GF bread just a small loaf as it was an experiment, it was along the lines of soda bread and had no yeast.  I buy Schar and it does go right through me to pay so much for it, the loaf is tiny, often has a large air hole running through the already tiny slices and sometimes like this last week it tastes dry!  I do not want to pay £2.49 for a dry tiny loaf, so I am either going to master this now or just go without.  My little loaf was pretty good, I have a few slices, I just used half and half gram flour, plain gf flour, flaxseed in water, soy yogurt, soy milk and baking powder. There is no point making a big loaf as they don't keep and only me eating it anyway.

I then did some sewing and made a bag for my Etsy shop with supplies I already have in...

I really enjoy making these, it is relaxing and any I don't sell will either be used  me or gifted I don't want this to become a chore. I sometimes read articles or listen to podcasts that suggest I should do all kinds of things to get my Etsy store noticed and I think no, it will stop being something I love if I go down that route.  I have a little splurge on making them every now and then if I have given a few away for birthdays and sold a couple but other than that it is when I want.

Shortly I will be waking my dogs and when I get back doing some pilates from workouts on you tube.  I don't go to the gym as it is not for me and I know a lot of people love it and that's great if you do and also worth your money if you enjoy it.  I like the freedom to exercise when I want for free and also to be able to do it wearing whatever I want so no need for fancy leggings.  I did have a swim membership for a number of years that was well used but shortly before our local pool closed it had started to get very busy and the crowding  made it less enjoyable.  I didn't really want to go and have to struggle to swim across the pool without getting kicked in the face.  There seemed to be a few people who swam there who thought they didn't need to look where they were going and would crash straight into you head down and then look at you like you were in the wrong! Not a relaxing experience plus it had fell into disrepair so the changing rooms were a bit smelly a times.

 We also have bikes that we go out on together whenever the weather is good at the weekend so this is a day out when we do that, we have found some really lovely routes all direct form out house and you certainly see more from a bike.  

I am still reading Tidelands that I bought form the charity shop for 75p but I get most of my books from the library.  I enjoy reading both online in the form of blogs and books fiction and non-fiction.  Most of what I do costs nothing or very little, our biggest expense is meals out with friends very occasionally.  We have had two quite recently due to a family birthday and seeing some family properly for the first time this last year!  So those things I will happily pay for.

My garden has been keeping me busy too and I have passed on a few plants, I have so many plants from the seed collecting that I did last autumn that it is again mainly free.

I did buy the alliums last autumn with a discount from Farmer Gracie, I do have a lot of things that just look leafy at the moment but I remember from last year they all start flowering so I have to be patient.  The big alliums have gone over now but the other varieties are blooming.  I am not a great gardener just someone who enjoys trying I have to keep checking things on my plant app because I am not always sure what things are but if you like what is growing then keep it, that is what I think.

Well that is all for today, hope that wasn't too much of a ramble for you. Back soon.