Share, Recycle and Save

This past weekend my husband and older son helped my mother in law move house.  They were in need of a lawn mower and my husband mentioned that we have a nearly new one that we no longer need. ( We have slate and pebbles now)  So this one got passed on to them.  It got me thinking about the amount of times we might buy something that we hardly use.  Now a lawn mower will get used regularly in the summer so you may not be wanting to share this but what about tools or decorating equipment?
 I used to have my own wall papering table but it broke, the last few times I decorated I popped to my mums and just borrowed hers then took it back. It is not a high cost item but it would be unnecessary and need to be stored.  Now my parents don't own many tools but we do, so if a job needs doing my husband has gone round to their house and helped them.
  If you think in terms of tools that only get get used a few times a year or decorating items like wall paper strippers or specialist items would you not be better sharing them among the family.  This would save everyone if you decided who would have what then borrow when needed.  I understand this would not work if your family doesn't live close by or you don't get on etc.  There is also the option of just hiring large items if you only need them for one off occasions, a carpet cleaner for example may be more powerful if you hire one than just buy a cheap one and only use it once a year.  I  found this one here to rent for £30, I know that when we bought ours it was about £120 and we have used it twice on a couple of rugs!
I think that years ago it would have been more common to share items in this way but now that everyone is always dashing around and not speaking to their neighbours we all own every item even if it is rarely used.
We go away in our caravan but if you enjoy camping you  could club together with other family members and share a tent if cost is an issue.  You would have to agree on who is having it when, but if you all enjoy the same style of holiday why have one each. (Unless you all go together of course)

I think it is sometimes the same with things we have around the house, we tend to double up on items when it is just not necessary.  I was recently sewing in the back room when I thought I could use a music set up for in here.  This was a pointless thought as I have a digital radio upstairs which I have a cable for to plug in my mp3, all I have to do is bring it down! 

 On that occasion I must have been having a lazy moment, needless to say I realized how pointless the thought was.  I think it just shows that sometimes we need to think things through before we buy, has someone got one we can borrow? How often will we use it? Is it a fad? 

  Some things will be worth every penny, others not so much.  My mum grumbled about me buying my first sewing machine  at 16 saying I'd never use it, on that point she couldn't have been more wrong, however there have been other items over the years which I could have probably done without.  

No Spend Tuesday

Had a great day today and it didn't cost a penny contrary to what they keep telling us about how much the kids  school holidays cost everyone.  The key board has made its way out  onto the landing (more room)and was played briefly by one child, lego building and film making by both of them. We visited my mother in law earlier and when I got back I had a go at making some apple crisps that I had seen. I had apples that needed using up.

Now I like them but one son said he wouldn't try them and the other tried three but said ooh no.  I ate most of them.  I like them but I'm not sure they were worth the energy of the oven unless you are cooking at the time, a pie or crumble would probably have been eaten by us all.

On the way form visiting my mother in law we posted a parcel as my son sold a puzzle on ebay.  He made £2.50 which he didn't think was great but as he finished it ages ago he thought it was better than nothing.  We were going to donate it to charity shop last week and he said he would give it a try on ebay.

I  had some time on the garden this afternoon with my book.

I'm reading Dublinesque which I'm taking a while to get into, but I'm of the mind at the moment that it may improve and I don't want to give up on it just yet. It's from the library  and I really need to get on the site and order some more as I find I get what I want that way. If I just go in and browse I never know what to pick up.

We had curry for tea, Dopiaza sauce from Aldi chickpea and veg for the vegetarians and chicken for the meat eaters. I worked it out and it cost 70p for my plate with everything on, the chicken curry was more like £2 per plate due to the chicken breasts.  Much cheaper to be a vegetarian.  The vegetables were frozen on 

this occasion.  (All items bought while shopping on Saturday so no spending today) 

We have been for a walk this evening down to the park as it was a bit cooler, no one is bored and we don't intend to be but that doesn't we will be spending money on loads of activities either.   We are going to the pool on Thursday, Dip for a quid for the kids and I use my membership  ( which will expire in September) also meeting some friends tomorrow so lets hope for another sunny day. 

I  don't intend on being part of the statistics that show parents spending hundreds on holiday activities. They can amuse themselves sometimes you know, and if they can't  now then the worry is they might never be able to. 

Free Exercise

I've just been out in the heat for a run, well I say run  it's more run walk at the moment, but that's how frugal queen began and that is also how I began a couple of years ago and then stopped.  I stopped because I was getting a lot of pain in my ankle and it was causing me to limp the following morning after I had been running so I just stopped. I continued with swimming as this puts no pressure on your joints but I was a bit put out as I am only slim and could see no reason why I should have a dodgy ankle.
  Well I have been a few times a week for the last couple of weeks, I'm not sure how far and as I say part of it is walking but so far no ankle pain so maybe it was just an injury isolation, time will tell.
What made me want to do it was it is just so accessible  and free if you can motivate yourself to get out there. I feel a bit silly I have to say and I take the two dogs which may have caused ankle strain before (they do drag me about!) so as I go down the main road I tend to walk fast when I first set off, then run as I get to the park and can let the dogs off the lead ( so I can move arms properly) through the wood then three laps of the park field then run back up the hill.  It was very hot just now but I was pleased I only needed to slow to a walk for a few seconds on the way back up.
I hope I can continue as I have my music on and there are no time restrictions like there are when I want to swim.  When swimming lessons are on  I can't go or swim team sessions, plus early bird doesn't start until 7.00 am  which is too late for me as I leave for work at 7.30.  Our pool has a very tight schedule so if something happens to mess up my timings in the evening when I want to go I've had it.  So if I can keep at it and improve I can do it when I want.
My son has been with a few times last week but he gets fed up, my main concern is that dark nights will come along and then I wont want to go alone for personal safety reasons. I know loads of people do it, but if I get fit enough I may be able to out run shady characters.

Now it looks very scenic where this guy is running.

The above image is from running world and there are tips for people who are new to it here 50 Best Beginner Tips It does say get a buddy to run with but again that involves relying on someone else to go when you want to but it would solve the fear of running alone in the dark.  Maybe I can convince my husband at some point.

The main thing I think is so appealing is that it is some time alone, it is free, involves no gym timetables or restrictions and I come back feeling better.  Please share your thoughts if you are new or an old hand at this I would love to hear how you started and where you are now.