People are always interested in how we manage without a regular income. I don't mind blogging about it so here's a September week without a salary.
There is not so much to sell now, the garden is really
slowing down, although there will be squash and pumpkins later. The campsite is also quieter, only one caravan here next week. Until this week there
had been no irrigation work since early August. This time last year C
worked rolling some fields but they have been sown with oil seed rape
and rolled at the same time with a roller behind the drill. He is doing a
few hours at our neighbours but otherwise we rely on campsite, gate and egg
sales. Luckily the chickens have finished their summer moult so they are
laying well.
Thursday 4th -- Eggs £17 + Veg £7
Friday 5th -- Eggs £17 + Veg £6.50 + Campsite £30 + £20
Saturday 6th -- Eggs £21 + Veg £6.50 + Campsite £72 + Pay for odd Jobs £45
Sunday 7th -- Eggs £ 16 + Veg £2 + Campsite £140
Monday 8th -- Eggs £15 + Veg £6 + Campsite £48 + £24
Tuesday 9th -- Eggs £15 + Veg £5.50
Wednesday 10th -- Eggs £19 + Veg £5 + Campsite £20
The last time I did this was May 9th
when we had nothing much to sell but more income from different
places. Back in April, again not much to sell but there was income from all sorts of things.
Today there were only 4 bags of runner beans out for sale. Some days in the summer, especially when we were selling gooseberries, gate sales were anything up to £30 a day.
In 2012 we had no cooking apples, last year we sold bags and bags, this year there will be none for sale and hardly enough for us.
This is why we always save when we can because we never know what income there will be next week or next month. It would be so easy to say " we've made over £500 this week let's buy..........", but of course we can't say that. Expenditure has to be kept low which is much easier to do since paying off the mortgage, heating the house/water for free, being content with what we have, looking for good deals when we do need to buy and sticking to a budget.
I've been having a look at our financial situation and we have managed to save £2,000 since the beginning of summer as well as having enough to live on until next April tucked into the bank and building society. We will survive!
On a different subject, C said those dreaded words " I think there's something wrong with the washing machine". It had turned itself off mid wash and still full of water. We have a problem as the machine is so old that nearly all the numbers/letters have worn off the dial. So with a bit of guess work I put it on pump-out which it did - very slowly. Eventually the door lock light went out and we were able to retrieve some half washed soapy clothes. Luckily C has sorted out many washing machine problems over the years so with me saying half a dozen times " are you sure you've turned off the electric" ( we know someone locally who was electrocuted while fiddling about with a washing machine) he pulled it out and discovered the hose out- pipe out was full of gunge. Soon sorted and washing back in and rinsed - all OK. PHEW.
Welcome to new followers Vintage Gingham, Phyllis Weaving and Tracy on Google Friends. Thank you for reading. Thanks also to lots of blogging friends for comments about autumn raspberries and my shabby chic planted up ladder. Comments from blogging friends are almost as nice as letters from friends - I had one this morning from a friend who I'd not heard from for a few months - what a treat. Now I need to get myself organised to write some letters, I've been a very bad penfriend and forgotten a birthday - Tut!
Back Tomorrow
Sue
