Letting My Standards Slip – Back On The Weight Loss Horse

A yellow post-it memo stuck to my fridge caught my eye and was a reminder that a small food budget is no guarantee of weight control. I've officially put on 15lbs since February 2021. Not in 2020 when everyone else was piling on the pounds in lockdown, but AFTER lockdown. In fact, it only really...

Frivolous Luxuries

I have always considered myself quite privileged that for a greater part of my adult life I have been able to afford to run a car. My independence has always been precious to me, and being able to travel at will has always been a part of that. I am always careful with what I...

You Can Live Happily Below The Poverty Line – But There’s A Caveat

As with all these statements, you cannot take it at face value. And the glaring anomaly here is that this lady bought her house outright with cash. Yes, it was a fixer upper, but she still bought it outright. If you are paying rent or a mortgage anywhere in the world (which most of us...

When There’s Nothing Left To Cut Back On, All You Can Do Is Wait

I've noticed there's been a mad scramble to book foreign holidays. Everyone I know seems to be jetting off somewhere. No doubt getting in a last gasp before the reality of a recession kicks in. Getting away from it all seems like such a waste of money, though. But like taking that two weeks in...

I’ve Made An Energy U Turn

I think I am giving up on candles for my lighting. I spent a day the other week cleaning my walls down, grey with candle smoke. It was just awful. No wonder the Victorians decorated their rooms in dark colours. I have been researching light bulbs, on the back end of a long conversation I...

My First Car Camping Trip – Yorkshire and the Lake District

You might be thinking, how is it possible to camp in a small 3-door hatchback? Actually it's easier than you think, but it isn't luxurious. What I do like is that my car looks too small to camp in. It just looks like I parked up and went somewhere else. My little car attracts no...

The First Rule Of Car Camping Is…

...don't talk about car camping. Don't be the person that advertises where they are at any given time and don't give away your best camping spots to the masses. Also, some Youtube car campers do have stalkers. And it's creepy. My next post (23 May) will be a round up of how my first real...

If You Can See It, You Can Use It

Making a list of the contents of your freezer might not seem like a great money saver, but in the same way that I tend to wear the same clothes over and over because they are to hand and I'm a bit lazy (and yet I have a variety of clothes, enough to last the...

Levelling Up Plant Based Food Options

Better for animal welfare grocery items are the territory of the financially OK, not for folks like me managing a £25 a month food budget.  Even so, shopping only for yellow sticker and cashback items has unexpectedly opened up this market for me.  Whilst I don't consume a lot of milk and make small amounts...

Feast Or Famine

Shopping only for yellow sticker discount products means having to take whatever you can get. It means being careful with what you have, and rationing things out as long as they're still edible, especially if it's a key ingredient, in case you run out and can't get any more for months. It means stocking up...