We thought about going to The Food and Drink festival, an event we've never been to, that has gradually got bigger and bigger since it started. It's only 4 miles down the road and there are over 80 local producers showing off their 'artisan' products. Then I looked on the website and found it was £8 EACH to get in. Yes, you get a free cotton shopping bag and the chance to try lots of free samples, but £8 is a lot, well, it is to us anyway.
Then we thought about going to a charity second-hand book sale that we've been too several times before, especially when we were buying country/smallholding books to sell at shows. That's only 50p to get in and includes a free cuppa. But last year I spent nearly £10 and looking back I can't remember what I bought, and its 20 miles away....... that's several pennies worth of diesel.
In the end we decided to just go and get some new propane gas cylinders as we had two empty ones here. Now we only use gas for the hob, a 47kg cylinder lasts quite a while and it's two years since we bought one. Amazingly they are still the same price - £65 each. Is this the only type of fuel that's not rocketed up in price? In the countryside, where there's no mains gas, lots of people use oil or propane gas for heating. Oil, electric and mains gas prices have all gone up so folk with propane gas heating must be feeling quite pleased.( We combined our trip out with a look round some charity shops in a different town but no treasures.)
Before we went out C spent a while sorting out some of the old tomato plants in the poly tunnels and I got started on washing all the flower pots that we bought from our friends "closing down the smallholding" sale way back in June. They were still in the dustbin that we had brought them home in, so it was about time they were sorted.
This afternoon I've been doing a bit of mending, writing a shopping list for Octobers shopping, deciding what jobs I'm doing next week, sorting eggs and a few other jobs.
C filled up the big water tank for the chickens up the field and cut a few pallets while he was waiting for it to fill. He is planning to move one of the electric fences later to give the chickens some fresh grass.
More Strictly tonight - good, good.
I really must find some more frugal, money saving ideas for posts. The problem is everything we do is just second nature to us now and I forget there are people who are new to the whole frugal, simple living thing.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
