How to Save to Buy a House

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Home ownership for first time buyers can be a daunting prospect so this is a little bit about how frugal living can help you save to buy a house, or even save to rent to buy a house! The lifestyle affords the luxury of saving more of your cash for your dream home.

 

When I first began my quest to save for a house it was 'the done thing' – we were led to believe there were 3 options –

• get a mortgage
• get a council house
• find a live-in job

Initially, I opted for the live-in job. Looking back, it was possibly the best paid job I ever had – all bills, meals and car paid AND £40 a week into the bank. But at 18 you don't think about it until you need to move on and set up your own home.

And so the master plan began - only I got impatient and wanted an item that cost more than my savings, so I got a bank loan to pay for it! The loan was only £800 repayable over 12 months but getting it became a defining moment. It taught me, rightly or wrongly, that the easiest way to buy something major is to use someone else's money and pay it back over time, preferably with as little interest added on as possible. It all seemed so easy until interest rates rose to an incredible 15%, that's when things can go pear-shaped. It certainly taught many of us why we should pay more attention to financial and property-related news!

Since then, various Government initiatives have evolved and different home ownership possibilities introduced. There are affordable rent options, social housing, shared ownership and even social enterprises that incorporate housing.

Gentoo Group is one such social enterprise, based in North East of England, with "a vision to improve the Art of Living."

Their work is focused around three key areas to maximise impact: people, planet and property. They allow you to find a property you like, move in and pay rent, as a tenant, but your payments can also contribute towards buying the house – no need for a huge deposit or even a mortgage!

Social enterprises help further increase your chances of getting onto the property ladder and I suspect that this route may provide solutions to those who would, otherwise, have little possibility of ever owning their own home.

Long gone are the days of my three basic options and total exclusion from the property market if you find yourself with insufficient income to qualify for a mortgage. Now we also have:

• Help to Buy - Government backed scheme for first time buyers offering tax-free top-ups to mortgage deposit savings.
• Shared ownership - You can buy shares worth between 50% and 75% of the market value of the property and you pay rent on the remaining share.
• Rent to buy - 'Genie' properties are let at rates slightly above those of social tenancies, but they are still considerably below current market rents. Of course, due to their popularity they are allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis and on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement.
• Part exchange - A bit like trading in your old car for a bigger or better one, you could start small and then work up to your dream home.

  

Whichever route you choose, you need savings to cover your costs. Most property transactions involve some form of legal fees, possibly surveys, moving costs, initial décor, floor coverings and furnishings and then all the little things that can be overlooked, especially if you are starting from scratch. Granny's insistence on starting a 'bottom drawer' as early as possible is as relevant now as it has ever been.

Take care of the pennies, don't spend the pounds foolishly, take advantage of meaningful bargains and bank your savings safely so they can't be frittered away on 'stuff'. Try to ensure your money is attracting the best possible interest, even when rates seem ridiculously low, and be prepared to move quickly if your dream home presents itself.

A LITTLE BIT EXTRA

To help me with my own savings plan, I charted a timeline. It began with house hunting, then progressed through house viewing, surveys, moving costs and then on to legal expenses. It wasn't until all of those costs, which were several thousand pounds, could be met that I started saving for the actual house! Each month the balance grew with tax-free ISA interest, I rounded it up to the nearest full pound. Pound-rounding became quite habit-forming, so it wasn't long before I was rounding up to the nearest £5, then the nearest £10, until it eventually got to the hundreds. It all took time. Social enterprise options could definitely provide many with far quicker results and it is something I fully intend to explore further. How about you?

Feel free to ask questions, comment, get involved in the frugal forums discussions or share these posts and good luck with your personal savings goals.

Frugal Living from Scratch 2

 

Part 2 of 2: Getting right back to basics - Each step forward can be seen as another step back towards the starting line. Each tiny achievement marks the successful completion of part of your lifelong challenge, your quest for freedom. Along the way you will meet many sceptics, cynics and even a few cheats and liars whose only ploys are to get your money. As long as you have your 'get out of jail free' card then you know you'll be back in the game soon.

So here I am, sat in my latest home, looking out the window at a pretty grey and wet day with 'pretty' being the most important word in that sentence. The curtains are quite awful, but that's an easily remedied problem once I get around to making some new ones. Perhaps I'll add a pelmet or even some nets, who knows? I haven't decided yet. For now, the curtains serve the purpose of shutting out some of the cold at night.

Most of my days will now be spent between here and Frugaldom, planting and sowing, clearing and cleaning, plotting and planning and wading through all the meetings that these projects seem to involve. The site where we have the caravan is quite busy with fishermen, so I'm managing to hog the satellite wifi connection very easily from my makeshift office corner. It has great views and has all the facilities I could possibly need.

Buying a bigger caravan and siting in on a holiday park may seem like a major luxury to some - indeed, it has already been commented upon! However, this suits our needs and was within a strict budget. Now my new neighbours will know who and where I am, as this lot's sitting outside the caravan waiting to be built into the new decking. I can't wait to see it completed and then I'll be ready for welcoming visitors. I'm using this week as a trial run to work out what is needed, having come here on Friday with only the barest essentials. There's hot water and a heated towel rail, hand washing items of clothing isn't a problem. (Neighbours, if you happen to be reading this, come and introduce yourselves. Just make sure you get the right caravan, as I see several had decking delivered this week.)

This is frugal living! The little fridge is rather bare but I've cooked up some pasta salad, made some fruit jelly and strawberrry whip for desserts and will waste nothing - anything else is from a packet and most of it is vegetarian until I get the groceries brought over from the house. Meals are interesting! I had a box of individual milk portions at the office caravan that came free with an Approved Food order some time ago, so I decanted all of their contents into a jug and used it to bake some rice pudding with sultanas. Had some for lunch today and can have the rest as breakfast, snacks or pudding tomorrow.

Each of the tiny milk cartons has been washed and will be used to plant a single pea, so I can have some home produce. No point wasting good cartons when they can be put to good use. This is frugal living - waste not, want not. We'll grow what we can wherever we can and hope to have enough produce to swap and share. It's just a little chilly out to expect miracles at the moment.

This is my frugal life! The view of our barn dwarfed by the snowy Galloway Hills on the horizon is an awesome reminder of how small we all are in the grand scale of life. Only we can choose how we live and if we choose to live in a simple way then so be it. We don't own the land even when we buy it, the land ultimately owns us and will dictate what grows where, no matter what. Frugaldom is very much about watching the lie of the land and working out what might do best where and when in the future. Some people choose to spend their money on a big house, expensive jewellery, a luxury car, designer labels or visiting foreign and exotic places - we choose this.

Tree planting on a chilly but sunny day, overlooked by hills and snow, with the sheer joy of this being no more than a short walk from home - for some it is a nightmare they would never want to have but for others, it's their lives' work, investing in a better future.

Just to make sure we truly appreciated these days of walking, fetching, carrying, digging and tree planting, we were honoured by the presence of this beautiful bird in flight as it soared above us on our walk between field and caravan - the Red Kite has reached Frugaldom.

Believe it or not, in the beginning it is quite difficult to stop spending money when you're on a roll - no matter what you buy, it becomes a habit, just like smoking, drinking, gambling, even clothes, shoes, handbags or hobby stuff. We each justify our spending but any manner of excuses but we are wise to remember that the ends justify the means - and I'd rather end up with the freedom to soar wherever frugal life takes me. I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that, but taking your first flight of fancy into your own future of freedom is like starting from scratch over and over again. You just need to quit spending on stuff that weighs you down, then spread your wings and work like crazy to reach each goal.

Join us in Frugaldom, give up spending on what you don't need and shape yourself a new and affordable lifestyle while you invest in your future.

Frugal Living from Scratch 2

Writing, Tree Planting and Money Saving Entrepreneurs

I suspect November is going to be a very busy month, possibly the busiest month of my life! Frugal living, as a lifestyle, is quite time consuming, what with money challenges, gardens, cooking from scratch, DIY, taking up to 10 times longer to get anywhere when cycling or walking and let's not overlook many hours at the computer, eeking out a living. So what's so different about November?


Image design by Elizabeth Doyle


First of all, November is NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month - and it has been running since NYK was publishing 'Now You Know', which makes this challenge 15 years old! It is literally a challenge in which anyone interested can attempt to write a novel of 50,000 words within the month of November. I have registered to take part!

Next, we are expecting to take delivery of 420 mixed native species trees that the Frugaldom Project has been awarded as part of the Woodland Trust's nationwide World War I Centenary. The saplings are being delivered to Thrift Cottage during the first week in November, along with canes and protection spirals. We will be having a Frugaldom planting event on site to create a brand new harvest woodland to commemorate the outbreak of the Great War of 1914-18.  This is quoted as being, "a once-in-a-generation tribute for those who lived and served, by creating a growing legacy that will stand tall for centuries to come." More than 16 million people, not to mention countless animals, died during the conflicts. Throughout Britain, people will be planting trees out of respect. We hope to have all our trees planted in time for 11th November and then continue developing this project in any way possible.

Fast approaching the 13th and 14th of November and the Scottish Business Exhibition, which is another event I hope to be attending. It's for all budding entrepreneurs and frugaleurs, an opportunity to learn from some experts. Tickets can be claimed free, you just need to register through The Scottish Business Exhibition (http://www.thescottishbusinessexhibition.com) or New Start Scotland (http://newstartscotland.com) web sites.

That almost takes us up to the 17th November and the start of Global Entrepreneurship Week (www.gew.co/) which is when we start our 2014 moneymaking challenge in the Frugal Forums at www.frugalforums.co.uk This year, once again, we are working with a budget of £10 start-up capital to see how far we can take, or how much further we can develop, our business ideas.

I think that's enough to be going on with for now. In the money savings stakes, I have been fortunate enough to bag myself some of that super-duper, ultra cheap sugar that Pound stretcher is currently selling ay an incredible 49p per kilo. This is thanks to someone in the family who is coming to stay for a few days and asked the question, "Is there anything you need from the shops?" Not sure they expected me to ask for a load of sugar, mind you, but the same bag costs over £1 in the village store and a visit there involves a 7-mile round walk or cycle!

NYK in Frugaldom

Inside a Tiny House

Inside a Tiny House

Have you ever wondered what the inside of a tiny house looks like?

Wonder no more!

NYK has managed to meet up with Mark and Jen from TinyHouseUK and fully investigate what tiny houses are really like…

I love them!

Read all about it and see the photos here

Growing Willow

PART 1

One of my long-term goals has been to cultivate willow (Salix). There are hundreds of different types with many colour variations, so I refer to them all as just willows. I have successfully grown cuttings and planted small rows of willow in each of my previous three gardens, always to be foiled by the need to move on so, when we finally bought Thrift Cottage, I set about, once again, planting my willow.

Being of the frugal ilk and in developing this as a frugal project, you’ll understand my need to create my willow plantation from scratch and on a very strict budget, so all cuttings are appreciated.  

Read more here

I’m hoping to develop it far enough to make the willow growing self-funding and productive enough to help support the entire Frugaldom project

Eco Arts blog coming to you from Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.

 

Eco Arts | Eco Arts blog coming to you from Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.

The Frugaldom garden reflects our on-going attempts at home-based self-sustainability. It is from here that we should derive both income and food. It is an environment within which we can relax and enjoy a simple and frugal lifestyle, surrounded by the fruits of our own labours. The garden is being created as a microholding, or tiny smallholding, while following the basic principles of permaculture. But it has an artistic twist by way of the fact that we host an eco arts project.

One project that H has been contemplating for a long time was the making of a driftwood horse that can take pride of place in the garden. He was inspired by the magnificent sculptures of Heather Jansch and began gathering up bits of driftwood over a year ago. The fine Easter weather presented a perfect opportunity to finally put all of the foraged driftwood to good use, recycling it into a ‘living’ sculpture.

Follow the progress from start to finish in our frugal Ecoarts Blog

Scottish Multimedia | What is Eco Art?

Scottish Multimedia | What is Eco Art?

Eco art can be many things but what does it mean to us, here in Frugaldom? Eco normally refers to ecology and the environment but it also relates to our economy, so the Thrift Cottage studio has settled on a combination of all of these things - environmental art, eco-friendly art and economical, or affordable, art.

Creating something that is visually attractive, thought-provoking or unique is what art is about here. It's not about investment pieces by the great Masters of Fine Art, it's about enhancing our own environment in ways that are appealing. Better still if those artistic creations can be hand crafted in Thrift Cottage Studio - the name we have given to the old out-building in the garden that has slowly but surely been showing signs of nearing refurbishment completion. It's not exactly a modern art gallery but it's big enough for what's needed.

Since moving here, we have been trying to … continue

Making Progress in March

Making Money (and Music) Plans

Good evening to anyone who happens to be reading. It's been another hectic day of work at the computer screen and, to be perfectly honest, I haven't cooked any meals, haven't been out the door and haven't done any housework. I threw some mix in the breadmaker first thing this morning and, thankfully, it turned out alright. I had bread and homemade soup for lunch, but it was 9pm by the time I ate my pudding! On the plus side, this means I didn't spend any money today, so that is good.

In order to save, I need cash; in order to have cash I need work and when you are single with no car and relying on home-based self-employed, that work needs to pay. We are now approaching the end of the tax year, so I have been doing some extra book-keeping, selling extra web content and have invested in having a brand new web site designed - I wanted something lean, clean and simple from which I can begin propagating and cultivating some of my wacky money saving and money making ideas.

We're not out of the woods yet but, at 9.44pm this evening, the new site went live! I now have 60 days 'Warranty' during which time I need to learn everything there is to know about it. Fortunately, I enjoy a challenge, I love writing and I'm not afraid to ask for relevant answers to pertinent questions. :)

The new site went live tonight.

Now I just need to rebuild all the pages, link up all the blogs and channel some creativity into it. The new forums, although not yet filled with all the topics from the old ones, are ready and waiting for new members. As always, being a part of any of the NYK challenges is totally free and we are always here to support frugalers.

From tomorrow, this blog will be published live on the new site where my ever-so-helpful techie dude has made it possible for us to share and comment while also keeping a running commentary of ALL the topics covered, not just money saving and frugal living. Don't worry, the blog will still come across here too, but I'm trying to make it as easy as possible for me to work from absolutely anywhere without having to spend a fortune on new computer equipment and some rather expensive software. Tonight, I am posting in both places just to try out the new system.

Tobermory, Isle of Mull, photo by Leslie Barrie.

Now off to have some reheated coffee and then bed to dream of the next big frugal adventure when we jet off to Balamory! OK, it's actually Tobermory on the Isle of Mull and we're not flying, we're back-packing up there with a tent, but my golden wellies should get to accompany me for their first trip away from Frugaldom.

I now have four weeks to 'drop a dress size' and fit back into the walking gear that I haven't needed since the Tinto hill walk in October! And yet, still, I ate lemon drizzle cake and custard for pudding! Sigh... I'll start the diet tomorrow. :)

Day 18 of Making it in March is about making Progress

It's Great Saving Money but we Need to Earn it First

Please note that this blog post is not selling you anything, it is simply giving you the story of Frugaldom so far.

Over the past 15+ years I have been involved in many money saving projects, worked within many industries and, throughout, maintained my status as a self-employed individual. Along the way, making significant income has never been my priority - I don't know why, I am simply not motivated by money. Getting the best bang for my buck, however, is a definite motivator when it comes to spending... when needs must, you understand.

Recently, I was sharply reminded that buying a fixy-up house for cash and then focussing almost all of my attention on how to develop the property in the most cost effective way may not be the best thing to do, especially if I intend actually living here for any length of time. For starters, property development works ONLY if the completed project is sold at a rate that both recoups all original investment and generates sufficient profits to warrant the equivalent of a fulltime income over the period of the project. Hmm...

As I said recently, we are now 3 years into what I consider to be a 5-year project but while concentrating on this, I have taken my eye off my own long term financial prospects. Creating a self-sustaining microholding is all well and good but the economic and political climate in which we live dictates that we must deal with hard cash. Put bluntly, no amount of berries picked from the fruit garden nor eggs laid by the poultry will pay ordinary household bills, nor will they pay the costs of maintaining my self-employed status. Cue some speedy research!

NYK, Frugaldom on Facebook

I haven't focussed much attention of Facebook but am assured that we 'need' to be there because 'there' is where everyone else is, apparently. If you use Facebook, please consider visiting my NYK/Frugaldom page and clicking the 'like' button so I know people are seeing it. Thanks.

NYK's Scottish multimedia sites preparing for upgrade

The NYK websites have been hanging around since the late 90s, changing now and again in between years of neglect during the more trying times that have included divorce, 10 house moves, daughter's engagement and then wedding, the birth of 2 grand children and the tragic, sudden deaths of more family and friends that I could ever have imagined possible. Just staying financially afloat has been the main focus, but so far so good. Having never had the security of a well-paid professional career, I can't miss it - hence the reason I think I'd feel cash rich if I ever managed to earn myself the UK's minimum wage!

Earn a living, I must! And that's why I now need to spend so much time pulling everything back together again, in an effort to earn the income that I need in order to budget for my frugal lifestyle of the future. I decided to call UK2, my web hosting company, on their 0800 free phone number after logging into my long-suffering control page. I was shocked at how out-dated everything was! But I couldn't believe my luck when I saw the half price sale for upgraded web services, so an investment has been made! I'm calling it an investment because I am hoping that the new and fully interactive site will pay for itself then begin earning me a small income before the house project is completed.

Fast approaching 50 and no longer a tech-savvy frugal babe, I've had to employ the services of a professional to pander to my every online need! We are currently working on design concepts that can encompass everything from blogs, forums, social media and PR/marketing/advertising opportunities to the online book shop and arty stuff, so it's a real challenge. (Sneaky peek at Wilbur, my flying pig, trying out a new page layout.)

Working on the new interactive version

Now we all know I blog and those who know me personally know I could talk for Scotland if given the opportunity, so communicating with the outside world is always a major concern of mine - I live a rural lifestyle of frugality but I place a very high value on social interaction - I'm sure it's what keeps us sane when things get tough. I've been using Twitter for a long time but only relatively recently decided to link it up with the frugaldom challenges. I love my number-crunching, so I decided to do a quick bit of research into how necessary it is to have a decent Twitter following... and proved my own point! Social media is not the be all and end all of succeeding in building yourself a customer base for your self-employment. See for yourself...

Researching aspects of social media

I won't name the businesses connected to the above figures but, suffice to say, you wouldn't expect many serious start-ups or home-based entrepreneurs to wish themselves into the unenviable position of the final listing - would you? I would!

Contrary to everything that the marketing and business gurus are saying, that tiny 260 followers Twitter account belongs to the Startups Award for 'Home-based freelance Business of the Year 2013'! I wonder if Catherine Kennard is a frugal living fan?

In conclusion, today's 'Making in March' has been all about making progress towards becoming self-sustainable in both home and working life by making plans for my frugal business empire.

The big question is, can I do all of this without incurring any debt and, at the same time, fit in my next crazy mini-adventure with my wacky friends? I am running out of time to chase the aurora borealis this winter, so I think we should infuse a little more excitement into this frugal life before the time comes to spend every minute in the garden. Better still, if the new website plays nicely on my Kindle or iPod then I may not even need to come indoors to check on my work status this summer! How great would that be?

Already setting budgets, checking travel costs, accommodation costs and route options while comparing notes with willing frugal friends! :)

Graphic above courtesy of http://www.blessedaretheweird.com/ and UK2 is an affiliated link. In their favour, their 0800 Freephone help is great, especially for someone of us whose knowledge of anything tech doesn't even stretch as far as working the TV remote control!

Frugal List-Making and Journal-Keeping

Keeping Track to Save Losing Focus of Frugality

I need to work to lists and keep notes on almost everything - it's the only way I can remember everything and show any semblance of organisational skills. Most would call me scatter-brained, if I'm honest! My websites, message boards, forums and blogs became my money saving, frugal living journals and yet I still wander off track if I don't write things down!

 

This is my homemade kitchen chalk board - I'm going to try and shame myself into working through the items by posting the list here to see how long it actually takes me to complete it. I also use this one for messages, like what's needed from the shop during the next visit but also as a way of considering how to make whatever rather than buy it.

 

Today's lists between here, the pin board and my notes:

 

Making laundry liquid on stovetop

NEEDED

Washing up liquid

Firelighters

Biscuits

Laundry detergent

Pouffe/footstool/ottoman for sitting room

 

TO DO

Make firelighters

Bake biscuits

Make laundry liquid

Sort out boxes of old paperwork

Make a pouffe/stool/ottoman

Paint the living room

Pick and pickle beetroot

Redesign the kitchen

 

Nothing too complicated that I can see, but time-consuming while fitting it around home-based income generation, general housekeeping, fire-stoking and keeping up with all the reading I need to do just to keep on top of the Frugaldom forums and challenges. I'm going to see how many of these items can be ticked off this list by tonight; I have already deleted the ones that are already done.

 

Does anyone else make regular lists? They're almost as addictive as number-crunching or my spreadsheet in this household.

 

NYK, Frugaldom

The Origins of Frugaldom from 1998 - a Surprising Find!

I am NO GOOD at Decluttering!

Handwritten notes from 1998

Using January as my month of preparation for what 2014 has to bring, I'm going through old files in the hope of shredding accounts and paperwork that is no longer needed. The trouble is, I keep stopping to read it and then popping it back in the folder for future discussion!

Having just finished reading about the price of central heating oil in 2004 (it looks like 18.5p + 5% vat per litre) I set aside one folder and moved onto another folder... to find this!

This is my handwritten notes from 1998 when we were preparing to put all the challenges for our group of writers, artists, crafters, money-savers and debt-busters into print for the first time.

The notes are a little faded so I will retype some of them here, as I feel they are as relevant now as they were then.

Now You Know

1. What does a reader know after reading NYK that they didn't possibly know before...?
2. What makes you keep buying the same products and reading material?
3. What matters most to ordinary people now?
1. Growing families and setting up home
2. Finances
3. Household running costs
4. Car running costs
5. The benefits of the Internet
6. Entertainment
7. Health
8. Bargains to buy
9. Sports? (or sensationalism)
10. Humour and satire
11. Budget charts
12. Price comparisons
13. Earning potentials
14. How to...
15. Investments and savings

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

There you have it - a glimpse into the past origins of NYK and what the aims were. The basic premise was simple: if you cannot afford to do something then, 

1. Do it anyway and accept the consequences
2. Don't do it
3. Find a way of making it affordable

My bank manager always saw a major flaw in my plan - it didn't involve profit, it simply involved making things affordable. This is still my way of thinking and this is probably also why I don't have a business, I'm merely self-employed.

 

Original is not always best?

Investments and savings

 

How we invest in our own, our families, our friends and even our acquaintances' lives is what is important. Savings should be pennies as well as information needed to make life good within our own budgets. I can't afford to employ anyone but I can afford to give people the chance to learn from my experiences and, in the process, find their own opportunity to fulfil their own potential.

 

To round off this impromptu post, the postman has just delivered me a bank letter informing me that my ISA cash savings interest rate is being reduced to 0.96%

 

Woopity-doo-dah-dae! That'll make my Interest Beater Challenge even easier!

Edited in: Just found the print contract - £435 per 5,000 copies and £60 per 1,000 thereafter. Haulage cost £50 back then. :)

 

NYK, Frugaldom

Now You Know - it really is frugal.

'Now You Know'

As you may know, we began life as ‘Now You Know’, hence the NYK, away back in 1998. A group of us got together to try and beat the budget and try to afford to build businesses, create comfortable homes and generally live a good life that would lead us safely out of debt.

 

Along the way, many fell off the wagon. In fact, if I’m perfectly honest, the current day group of frugal living challengers includes not a single one of the original group, although there are still a couple of them on the side lines who are still battling on bravely to keep their heads above water.

 

‘Now You Know’ began as an online newsletter and then developed into what was then known as an e-zine (an electronic magazine), before becoming what, to my knowledge, was the first online Scottish newspaper.

 

In 1999, we went into print, publishing a monthly newspaper. It didn’t last long – the big boys don’t like the little people playing with their toys and by toys, I mean advertising revenue. But that’s an entirely different story.

 

The premise of the entire project was always, always, always to help others find ways of affording to do things they may, otherwise, not have afforded. Whether it was providing virtual or office support for home-based business, networking to promote one another, assessing budgets to help deal with debt, or even just demonstrating how to feed a family for a week on a tenner, it was always fun and frugal.

 

Now, 15 years later, we are able to turn out not one, but two daily ‘newspapers’, and all at a cost of zero pounds. I earn nothing from the publications, nor do I have full editorial control or any rights to any advertising revenue, but I no longer need to pay a graphic designer and a printer £1,000 each month, nor do I need to pay a distribution company, an advertising salesman or the overheads of a busy office.

 

Over the past 15 years, I have been stripped clean of all those costs and do you know what? I wouldn’t have them back if you paid me.

 

So, friends of NYK and Frugaldom alike – this is the current version of ‘Now You Know’, still covering Scottish news, views, reviews, stories, pictures and it sometimes even spills over into Frugaldom.

 

If you want to become a part of it, there are a number of things you can do:

 

Follow @Frugaldom on Twitter

Like the Frugaldom page on Facebook

Join the free Frugal Forums

Follow this Frugal Blog

 

Whatever you decide to do, remember we are about helping one another and making life and work affordable. We have challenges galore, including those for frugal entrepreneurs, new cottage industries, crafting, frugal living, writing, blogging, artwork, cooking and starting a new home-based business.

 

Just like Richard Branson, we began out journey with a small newsletter. Unlike Sir Richard Branson, we didn’t turn it all into a highflying multi-national phenomenon, but that, dear friends, would not have been frugal living.

 

I often wonder how much debt is owed by big business and who, ultimately, pays all that back in the event of a collapse. I was saddened to see that in the case of MPG Printgroup, it is likely to be around £10,200,000.00 (according to administrator's report). That has to adversely affect many. It must be affecting every one of the 210 employees and their families. That’s another 210 families that could suddenly be thrown into what this nations deems ‘poverty’ (based on their income) and I think that is just wrong.

 

But I digress – this was supposed to be a blog post about how to get your free daily copy of ‘Now You Know’ to accompany your free daily copy of The Microholding Daily.

 

NYK, Frugaldom

Frugal Food - Cooking for Eating and Selling the Surplus

A Frugaleur Needs to Earn in Order to Balance the Frugal Books 

 

Earning needn't be in cash, earnings can be in another's time, goods or services. Earning, as a frugaleur, isn't about becoming cash rich, it is about balancing the books, living within our means and affording a few luxuries in life. On the whole, most of us grow our own foodstuffs in an organic-type setting, no pesticides, chemicals or artificial additives. We brew our home-grown fruit, bake our own bread, make our own jams and preserves, have fresh free range eggs, give and receive individually crafted gifts and enjoy these luxuries as part of our frugal lifestyle. In some cases, we end up with a surplus and no storage space, so we trade.

 

On the whole, this trading is done among friends, relatives and neighbours, but we all still need to stick to the rules and play fair, in the same way we need to pay our taxes, just like any other enterprise. OK, so we may not earn sufficient income over a year to pay income tax, but that is down to the Government and their assessment of how much each person needs in order to survive. At the moment, they reckon an adult in the UK needs £9,440.00. If you follow Frugaldom, then you'll already know that's £5,440 more than needed, or, looking at it another way, over £100 per week more than I need to spend. In a shared, debt free household of, say, 3 working adults, that's over £1,000 per month more than the basic needs.

 

 

But back to surplus selling and trading among friends - who among us sells surplus eggs 'at the garden gate'?

 

In order to keep within the law, a simple label attached bearing your details along with the obligatory date plus 'keep refrigerated and use within 21 days' type thing does just fine. Your surplus eggs can only be sold in this manner, you cannot sell them into shops, bakeries, restaurants etc., nor can you wholesale them without more lengthy terms and conditions being met, regarding grading and stamping etc. Nor can you declare them as free-range, as this term is reserved for licenced flocks kept within strict guidelines and accredited by Government agencies as such. Your garden hens probably have more freedom than most so-called 'free-range' eggs, I might add.) This applies to most eggs - duck, hen, bantam...

 

Quail eggs are exempt from much of the legislation, so these can be packaged, labelled and sold

almost anywhere, either wholesale or to the end user. But one thing many people overlook is that, although quail eggs are exempt from part of the egg distribution legislation, quail are not exempt from the mandatory poultry registration. So, if you have half a dozen hens, a trio of ducks and a flock of 40 or more quails (all types) then your poultry numbers have met and exceeded the maximum 50 birds, meaning you must register your flock.

 

Don't panic, registration is completely free and painless, you can even register online. (Details can be found HERE.)

 

Now for the surplus plants, fruit and vegetables. At the moment, as long as we don't process these in any way, shape or form then we are free to trade off our surpluses among friends, family, colleagues and neighbours. (I doubt very much we need to consider the wholesale options, as we are looking at gardens and microholdings her, not acres of cash-generating crops on an agricultural business level.) But what if we want to sell our produce already processed into something else? Like eggs into lemon curd, fruit and berries into jams or jellies, or any other type of foodstuff other than 'as picked'? That necessitates taking the next step, which most of us already have: EU Regulation 852/2004 Hygiene for Foodstuffs requires Food Businesses to make sure that anyone who handles food is supervised, instructed and trained in Food Hygiene in a way that is appropriate to the work they do. Now, this leads us into a quagmire of quandaries regarding what denotes a business, so we decided that anything that generated income, cash or otherwise, be assessed as business because we are, after all, engaged in the business of frugal living.

 

Again, no need to panic over this, as the safest and wisest thing to do is get yourself a certificate, simple as that. It costs as little as £15 and you can do it all online. As far as I am aware, there is no compulsory exam, just legislation stating that everyone handling food must gave received suitable training in basic food hygiene - the Environmental Health Department of your local authority can provide advice and guidance on specific queries relating to food safety and you can find out more about handling food safely from the Food Standards Agency website. For me, I prefer to be safe in the knowledge that I hold a certificate as proof of any training.



 

Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene* for Catering (including City and Guilds Accredited Certificate) can be done within a day from home, online, and needs no specific entry requirements for the course. It costs £15 + VAT and also includes a downloadable certificate that you can print from home.

Happy frugaleur studying! It's time to start selling your surplus as jams, jellies, sauces, chutneys, pickles, cakes and bakes... Make your garden pay for itself.

NYK in Frugaldom.

* Links to the study course are affiliates, there are other companies offering similar services.

Please Send Warm Weather Soon, Thank You.

And Now We Have Rain.

It seems such a very long time ago,
That winter hit us with everything it could throw,
Yet, here I am, sitting just so,
Looking out the window and still seeing snow!

A very bad poem, indeed! But it's true. Now, to add to the mix, the rain has begun to fall. I doubt very much if it will be enough to wash away the acres of snow we still have around this area, but it's a start. Take a look at the photo - that's me standing next to one of the drifts that still blocks a local lane. Time to light the stove, I think, as I can see my breath in here again!

The prolonged cold spell hasn't done anyone any favours, that's for sure. The garden has barely been touched this year, other than some basic tidying and clipping the straggling brambles that nothing seems to stop from growing. There are buds on many of the trees and fruit bushes, so they must sense something better coming our way soon.

Indoors can be much colder than outdoors when the sun shines during winter here, so there have been quite a few extra miles of walking and cycling done, carrying with me my trusty basket and taking the opportunity to fill it with firewood. I'm mostly taking advantage of all the fallen sticks that have dried to tinder and become perfect for lighting the stove.

Alternative energy that's helping to reduce our overall carbon emissions! Dry firewood, hand collected, brought home by bike.

You don't need to walk or cycle very far to find an abundance of free fuel lying by the roadsides. Around this area, there's not even the need to venture into the forests or woodlands, as there's so much lying by the roadsides that can be salvaged. Most of these crushed, fallen branches are now so dry that they ignite instantly and are soon burning hot enough to boil the kettle within minutes - a warning, indeed, to landowners, farmers and gamekeepers of the dangers of wildfires spreading during moor burnings! We have collected quite a few bags filled with already charred gorse wood and this seems to burn with frightening ferocity!

Free heat is never something to be scoffed at, especially when we consider the cost of electricity, and is always welcome during the cold months here in Frugaldom. Some also say it's carbon neutral, so a bit of a benefit to be had in that department, too - no fossil fuels used in cars to collect or move these sticks, as we're walking and cycling nowadays. It also gives us far more opportunities to take the time to photogrph the wildlife that lives all around us.

Having to adapt to not having a car has been quite a smooth transition, I have to admit. It certainly
makes you think more about how far you are going and how heavy the load will be that needs carrying home. I have now switched to a wicker basket on the back of the bike for collecting sticks, as it's far easier to just lift that off and sit it by the stove.

In the greenhouse, which is unheated barring any sunshine, the wormery has been safely under cover and its occupants are thriving. Last week, while feeding the wrigglers, we spotted several babies wiggling about the place, so it may well be tme to start tapping off that lovely 'worm juice' soon and preparing the raised beds for this year's veg-growing. Just send us a little more sunshine and a lot less frost to arm the ground enough to sow something soon.

On the 'working from home' side of things, the new googly eyes have arrived to complete the next batch of McGonks and we have just published the first ebook of the year:

"What if the Famous had Allotments? A quirky guide to vegetable gardeners of fame and fantasy." It was written by 'Northsider Dave', whose blog you may already read. The new ebook should, hopefully, be available to download to your Kindle by this evening. I'll post the link here as soon as it becomes available.

Good luck with the new book, Dave! :)

Petrol is HOW MUCH per Litre?

COUNTING THE COSTS OF TRAVEL

My blogging is sporadic whenever there's nothing much to say, so I shall fill you in on what the past week or so has produced, here in Frugaldom. Looking back, it has been rather an eventful two weekends and this one isn't even halfway through, yet.

First of all, my new superduper cheap silcone cake tray arrived, so I had great fun making muffins - 18 at a time (6 in the one I already had), all different types. We're still eating muffins - hot, cold, with custurd, without custard... you get the picture. I made a load of muffins!

This, of course, does not bode well for the frugal fitness plan of getting slim and trim for the big May Challenge!

With this in mind, friend and I decided it was time to make a serious start on our 2013 hill climbing challenge, so we packed all our gear last Saturday, filled some rolls and a flask of tea, then headed for the Hills. We aimed for Cairnsmore of Fleet, which is the highest of the Solway Hills. At 2333 feet, it squeaks in as a small mountain and one that's normally a relatively easy climb. Hmm... except February is NOT the best month to attempt this, especially if you don't know your way about said hills.

We managed to fight our way to the start of the summit track despite deep mud. We managed to get through the forest despite the persistant drizzle and squelchy paths underfoot. We managed to cross the windswept logging track and ascend further up the hill, wading our way through what can only be described as a riverbed of slush and fast flowing meltwater that was worsening by the minute. The horizontal, wind-driven rain was battering into us! We even managed to clear the zigzags higher up, despite the swirling mists and driving rain, but then the freezing fog, high winds and snow began closing in on us and we thought better of it.

About one single kilometre from the summit, we had to turn back. Downwards through the snow then fog and rain, saturated and in need of a cup of the by now, cold tea. And just to rub salt in the wound of our failed attempt... WE WERE PASSED BY A RUNNER! Well! I'm not sure about you or anyone else, but I erupted into fits of the disbelieving giggles and simply had to sidetrack the guy for a photo. So here it is - my friend 'Woo' with the crazy runner who said that after eight different ascents of Cairnsmore of Fleet, he was yet to see the view from the summit!

After almost 5 hours of walking, soaked through, we had to visit the supermarket on the way home and do the grocery shopping. It was horrible! The shelves were bare and there were no reduced items!

This being the year I challenge the household to live without a car, travel is severely restricted. I can venture only as far as my secondhand bike or legs will carry me... or as far as a friend will drive.

Being without a car hasn't really hampered us on the 'getting out and about' front because there's plenty to do and see about here. Since last weekend, we have visited several lots of interesting standing stones, for example.

The site known as Torhouse is the furthest we have managed to go so far, at just over 11 miles from here. On a dry day, which it was, there's plenty of scope for picnics and exploring the archaeology of the place, including a large stone circle, a rather interesting looking rocky ridge and several other standing stones nearby.

There are many strange stone feature strewn about our local landscape. Some are said to be marking the graves of long-forgotten kings, some the remnants of pagan ritual sites and others as hilltop markers from days gone by, probably lookout points during times of warring or religious oppression.

It's not like I get out and about on shopping trips - no shops here - nor do I get away for many day trips when there's no public transport here, so it's all very frugal, by way of visiting places that are free to explore.

Surprisingly, we have few forests around us here in this little part of Scotland, so it was lovely to spot a red squirrel last week. Not surprisingly, I wanted to go and look for more, so the bikes were utilised again, but this time in a more off-road sor of a way. It's a shame to think that this forest may soon become the site of a windfarm, but it's equally a shame that so few people visit. Perhaps more will if they build their massive wind turbines and lay in proper bridleways or footpaths! In the meantime, I shall continue to collect fallen pinecones and watch the local planning application updates with interest.

Getting further afield is difficult without engaging the help of a friend or hiring the services of a third part. I could, of course, walk the mile and a bit along the lane to the main road, where there is a daily bus into the ferry town of Stranraer, about 25 miles from here. This I will try very soon, I just need to check they haven't changed the bus timetables or it could turn into a very expensive mistake if the need for a taxi arose. It would cost me more than a week's grocery budget to get a taxi from there! But I do want to explore the possibilities, especially as that's the location of our nearest railway station.

That's what those in power want us to do, isn't it? Car share, walk, cycle and/or use public transport? Afterall, the pavements, paths, cycle routes, buses and trains are all publicly funded or subsidised by the taxpayers' dosh, are they not? Just like our British farm produce is Government subsidised, yet frugal lifers cannot afford to buy it, nor rural lifers find it to buy it. But we should be grateful that somebody somewhere benefits! (I'm not even going to start on the horsemeat 'scandal', it's all old hat to those of us who campaigned about it in the 80s.)

For now, I am going to focus on how much money can be saved by giving up the car. Savings are two-fold, as there's the financial aspect (tax, insurance, servicing, repairs and fuel) and the carbon footprint/environmental issues, which have to count for something.

So here we are, living life without a car. It should be great, we should be fit, healthy and save a small fortune. Unless, of course, you live in a rural area where there is no public transport, there are no pavements or proper footpaths and no shops to visit for the weekly groceries even if there were cycle routes to get there. Add to that the winter weather that sometimes makes walking unsafe, far less cycling, and you can see that it's not all that it's cracked up to be - there's no help available from anyone. But the car has long gone, so we have lost the option to backtrack on this challenge.

I need to get used to cycling. After about 12 weeks of weather-induced, sporadic practice, I have managed to achieve a distance of about 20 miles. It isn't quite far enough to visit the nearest Co-op but it's enough to reach the nearest village store.

Today... my bike has a flat tyre and is in need of new back brake pads. Our nearest bike shop - a little local one run from the back yard of the owner's house - is 23 miles round trip! I've contacted them and am hoping the puncture repair holds for long enough to let me practice cycling that far and then cycling that far, when I can pay for something called 'slime' to be put in my tyre tubes. It's meant to provide up to 3 years of puncture free cycling. While there, I can get new brake pads and a shopping basket fitted to the front. I'll budget £50 for this, as that's almost the cost of an MOT but should last me for a long time. Now to raise the extra £50!

Isn't it great when the Government of your own country overlooks the fact that Britain has rural communities made up of people who don't necessarily have the financial ability to just pay someone to 'fix' their problems? The simple solution may well be to go and find a better paid job but I ask you, where does one find a well-paid job in a rural location, or even a job that's within walking or cycling distance of home?

HOME is about the only place we can work, unless we want to be dragged into the benefits system or burn a few thousand pounds each year on car travel and everything else required of employment.



 Back to the day in hand.

An emergency DIY puncture repair was done and then we cycled around the 'short' circuit, which is a fairly scenic, seven point something mile trip around single track lanes beginning and ending along the road running parallel with the loch. The sun was shining, there were loud gaggles of Greylag geese by the water and the tyre stayed inflated, so that was my little bit of excitement for this afternoon.

Now I am off out for a walk to stretch my legs and fit a short hillclimb into the exercise regime. Ben Nevis may be over 200 miles away and over 4,000 feet higher than any hill about here but we all need to start somewhere and 'free & local' is what's on the frugal fitness menu.

Until next time,
NYK/Frugaldom. :)