Clean it, chop it, walk it and saying goodbye to Lloyds

Froogs...........in her best Lyon's tea maid outfit, doing a bit of cleaning!

Hello Dear Reader!

It's pay day! For just under seven hours I had money in my account today! Every last penny has gone already! Some into various accounts for food and bits and for fuel and transport costs and the rest has gone to Lloyds......................oh by the way Lloyds, for ****ing up my account for years on end, for not being understanding when I needed it, for being neither use nor ornament, now I am solvent I am ****ing off! To the Co-operative Bank...................please feel free to go **** yourself! Twice!

It's been a busy old day, everything has been cleaned, swept and mown, car cleaned, house cleaned. I've walked one dog, as the other is still trying to amputate his own foot and has gone back to wearing the cone of shame! I then did this!

 Oh yeah! Got the log grenade out! I also split kindling and stacked logs. Even my *******s ache today! I have drains running across my garden, so I split logs at the bottom, so not to damage afore mentioned drains and carry logs up the garden to stack them. I've also sawn branches, cut up waste wood and stacked it all away. My left arm aches so badly............it's a funny thing, I'm right handed but heavy work gets done with my left side...... my left arm aches so badly that I couldn't perform the most basic of personal functions! I can recommend wood chopping for bingo wing reduction.

 I'm also going to recommend a product. A 'maul' It makes log splitting so easy, even the bone dry cherry that was left around the garden from last year. Also, WD40 on a saw makes the whole jobs so much easier! I bought mine from Homebase and I make sure I sharpen it every time I use it with a whet stone.

I can barely move tonight from the cleaning, chopping, walking and stacking! I did hours of exercise today and I'm feeling older than I actually am. What do you do that makes you feel your age?

Sorry about the delay today, but I couldn't type until I recovered the use of both hands.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxx

Standing (and dancing in the rain) on the mountain top!

 Hi everyone,

It's the end of the month. We sat down together and we did what we always do. First of all, we took all of the money left in our current accounts and we moved it to our last debt, an interest free loan, into which we transferred the balance of our home loan. For the rest of the day, our current accounts are empty. But guess what? There was plenty of money left in them as we haven't been any where that's cost us anything, or spent more than about £20 on personal items in a month. It's been a squeaky tight August of not spending, but we had money left in our accounts. Well, we did, until we moved it to our last debt.

We've then checked the totals of all the direct debits that we will pay tomorrow for all of our bills. We will know exactly what is left to go into the transport account to get me to work for a month and pay for DB's train pass. We'll move the exact amount of money we allow ourselves for food for the month into our 'everyday account' and the rest..................is going to clear the balance of our loan! It's taken a few squeaky months but by 6pm tomorrow night, we will be debt free other than our mortgage. It's amazing what living off £250 a month for almost two years can do to make you steely and determined!

 Now, let me tell you what I am going to do with my money! I'm going to save, save, save! Almost all of the funds from my snowballed debt debits will now go into saving funds and mortgage overpayment funds. We're going to continue feeding and clothing ourselves on £250 a month! Oh yes, in short, nothing is going to change! I'm going to set myself personal targets for paying off mortgage capital, which at the moment is £500 a month, but I'm hoping to add to that every month.

 We've managed to not go grocery shopping this week as the fridge, freezer and cupboards are well stocked and we're going to make it to the end of the week without spending our grocery money. I'm doing this so I can get some new work shoes (I've hunted high and low in the charity shops and can't find any) and I've ordered some new smart clothes from Matalan with a 20% discount code - style20 - until Sunday 4th! So I can top up my working wardrobe. We're also managing to save already and add to the fund if we spend it. On the issue of spending savings, you have to set a limit of what you want in a savings account. If you spend any, and from time to time you will have to, make sure that you don't spend again until you've topped up your savings account to the limit you previously set yourself. Now we've done some work on the house, we will just add to the savings and not spend anything until we've returned to our set target. It means you always have to wait for what you want. You can't get a new coat just because you 'need' one, but you have to make do until you can afford one.

 Today, I was reading Angela's blog 'Tracing Rainbows" as it's one of the many blogs I like to read every day. I don't want to sound like one of the people that Angela described in her remarks about meanness and being miserly, but today I'm feeling wonderfully skint, delightfully penniless, brilliantly brassic! It's just lovely to have not a penny in my current account! I delight in being a tightwad as I don't want to be like everyone else. I will continue to celebrate cheap and healthy eating, low cost celebrations, cooking at home, jumble sale and charity shop finds, car boot bargains and where and how to get the best prices.

I will continue to make jam and cakes for presents, I will continue to not flush the loo, to not turn the heating or lights on and by doing so I will continue to live well within my means. I will continue to set a budget and stick to it. I will continue to write menu plans and shopping lists. I will continue reading my utility meters every Saturday morning and I will continue drying my washing outside! I will continue walking and cycling every where to keep fit and keep costs down. I'll continue wearing these comfy old sandals as there's nothing wrong with them, I'll continue moving forward until I achieve my dream of downsizing, whenever that will be.

I know so many of you will think 'You've done it' but I haven't. I have got to the mountain top and I can indeed see the promised land. All I've really done is make it to the highest part of the struggle I've had to overcome so far. I don't know what lies ahead. The boiler may blow up and the car may break down tomorrow.  I've danced in the rain for a short while, and I know there are those who have to be careful for ever more as that's all there is....such as a pension. I know I have the option and I'm really really lucky now to be able to save. But, I can't afford to ever go back to spending money that I might need later as we don't know what later has in store for us. 

Now I hope to pay off my mortgage. I daren't even say how much it is, or how much I hope to pay off a year! But the challenge for that starts as soon as my savings account is topped up again. The frugality, or to use Angela's far lighter description, the thriftiness continues.

Until tomorrow,

All my love, Froogs xxxxx

What's cooking in my frugal kitchen?

Cook once and re-heat later or even later. Top right - cooked beef from yesterday,  sliced with the electric slicer and will be served as the 'same again' today with our son and daughter. Middle shelf - cooked boiled potatoes will be used within a couple of days. I made an apple tart and cooked enough apples for another day. Today's 'pudding, will be crumble, pie or tart - I'll wait for requests! Below is some home made coffee frosting for mum's cake.

 Hi everyone,

I really hope you're enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend as much as we are! This is the last time off for most people before the Christmas 'shut down' and will be the last time we can get together with friends and family until then as no-one, including Dearly Beloved will have any more time off until the winter break. A minor hiccup today, but as always pleasant. Dear Girly arrived at five this morning after being deposited here by her Dad; she's fast asleep under a home made quilt (I'll tell you if she likes it later) and we'll find out how she is when she surfaces. It's mum's 72nd birthday, hence the cake and we're off to see her this evening, plus #1 son will be along later! As you can imagine, the kitchen will be busy. I've added comments to each photo, which will be all the explanation you'll need today.

This week's baking - frosted lemon cake, if you want the recipe - just ask and I'll write a tutorial - it went down really well with our visitors yesterday. We all had afternoon tea when we arrived back from our lakeside walk. Home made cake costs pennies to make and is a real treat at the weekend or as a gift for a birthday. Nothing beats it.

Here's the apple and almond tart I made for my guests yesterday - it was served with custard (9p instant of course!) I made the pastry case, blind baked it and left to one side. I had previously cooked a pan full of peeled and cored Bramley apples from the garden, which I had left to cool. On the top is a almond flavoured sponge mix, which I topped with almonds. The almonds are expensive, so I only added them as I thought it would be special as a treat, usually, when I don't have guests, I wouldn't bother. You add a generous layer of cooked apple to the bottom of the tart and then spread the almond flavoured sponge mix on top, sprinkle with almonds and bake at 180 for about 30-40 minutes. Best served warm.

I made the tart a couple of days in advance and then warmed it in my mini-oven - it was enjoyed by all of us.

Does anyone buy Aunt Bessie's Yorkshire puddings? I always make my own.  One cup of flour, one cup of milk and one egg and a pinch of salt, beat together and leave to stand. At the end of roasting your meat, chicken or nut roast, get the oven hot to crisp up your roast potatoes and place a muffin tin in the oven with a spoon of oil in each dish - leave to get very, very hot - then carefully remove the dish from the oven and pour enough batter mixture into each 'hole' and put back in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. The result is stunning, fluffy little Yorkshire puddings. It's the same recipe for pancake mix. So cheap and easy to make.

I know beef is prohibitively expensive, but don't rule it out. Sometimes, it's on offer . Keep your eyes open in the supermarket or ask one of the butchers. When we went shopping it was on offer. It was expensive, in comparison to chicken or pork, but we knew our friends and their children liked it, so we bought what we knew they liked. However, as it was much much cheaper than usual, I bought a large joint and it slices really easily on our electric slicing machine when cold. Slice it down, cover with gravy and warm through in the mini-oven until thoroughly re-heated. 

I slice meat down, adding the exact amount of slices that the two of us eat in one meal. I squish all the air out of the bag and into the freezer it goes. It's great sliced and in a stir fry, chopped, added to gravy and veggies and put in a pie or just re-heated with gravy. Electricity is so expensive that you need to do the bulk of your cooking in one go and re-heat in a mini-oven or microwave. Also, if you have plenty of well budgetted meals in the freezer, you won't be tempted to make any unwanted trips to the supermarket where you might be tempted to buy something else. 

If any of you buy 'cake frosting' you may know a lady called Betty? She must be rolling in money as her cake frosting costs a fortune! Again, I always make my own. You beat together half as much margarine as you have icing sugar until you have a smooth fondant. I added one teaspoon of instant coffee to a few drops of hot water, stirred together and added it to flavour the frosting. 

Here's the home made coffee sponge cooling down, alongside the home  made coffee frosting, again, costing pennies.  This is my present for mum today, alongside some flowers from my garden and an apron I made for her. 

Here's the finished and frosted Cappuccino cake, dusted with cocoa powder, but equally you could use grated chocolate to complete the topping. I know this will go down well with a 'cuppa' later when mum has her birthday 'tea'.

Finally, I never throw anything away. The roast spuds and veggies are from yesterday's lunch and they'll save me time today. I'll just re-heat and mash the boiled spuds I cooked yesterday; cook up some frozen broccoli  alongside the beef and a home made pudding made from the apples from the garden.

So dear reader - what do you buy that you wish you could make and what do you make that you would never dream of making?

See you soon,

Love Froogs xxxx

Out and about in the sun.

 Hi everyone,

First of all a message for Sarah who left a comment yesterday - Please email me direct. We'll 'talk' via email and we can look at options together to help you get through the coming winter.


We cooked lunch for friends today and then headed out for a walk. I love walking. A good pair of boots and the joyous simplicity of the out doors. I wish I'd appreciated it earlier as I used to hate any form of exercise as I hated sport. Now, if I'd of had my time again I would have been into outdoor expeditions as I can't think of any thing lovelier. I even enjoy a good old walk in dreadful weather as I really don't mind the cold and wind, if I can come straight home afterwards and warm up.

No sight of cold and rain today as it was glorious. It was lovely to share the walk with friends, their dog and their children. Really good company.

 We went to Siblyback lake, which is a short drive from our home. It was surprisingly quiet for a bank holiday weekend. There were plenty of people there on wind surfers, jogging, cycling, sailing and canoeing. The walk around the entire lake takes just over an hour and is one of my favourite walks when I want a really easy, hill-free, well signposted walk. I'm even happy to do it with just me and the dogs (Scruffy still can't go out as he's still limping about on three legs).

Oh, and by the way.......if you're ever in Cornwall on your holidays, you really should try a day out at one of the lakes run by South West Lakes Trust, you can look them up as see the facilities on offer. I wouldn't normally make suggestions to people as I think they can make their own minds up, but this place is lovely.

Other than paying to park the car and the diesel for the ten minute car ride, the rest was free but the views are priceless. What do you do locally, either for free or very little money that makes you really happy?

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxx

Draught excluding!

  Hi everyone,

Don't get too used to two blogs a a day, I'm back to work soon and I'll be back to a blog a day. Recently, I bought thermal curtain lining for just over £2 a running metre from Trago Mills. I've bought enough to make lining for all of my curtains, they are simply cut to fit the size of the curtains, edged, a heading tape sewn on top and then hung directly onto the curtains themselves.

I made a door curtain by lining an unlined curtain. I bought a single curtain from the bargain corner of a local charity shop and paid two or three pounds for it. I have enough in one curtain, to make another door curtain if I need one. I un-picked the heading tape and sewed it to the side of the curtain, and cut off the excess and hemmed what I had left. I also added a thermal lining (blackout/rubberised material) so it really adds to the insulation. I love the glass doors in my house but they are totally inadequate insulators.

They are far from perfect, but they are heavy and will certainly help keep the warmth in. It's August and very chilly and if we have another cold winter, with rising gas prices, we're going to be colder than ever as the heating will have to 'do' as there isn't any more money in the pot to pay for any more.

Is any one else preparing for winter? Any one collecting wood yet? Any one quilting or knitting something?

Lots of love,

Froogs

What's cooking?

 Hi everyone,

I went to a 'table top sale' this morning. I spied some baking tins where the bottoms are loose and you can easily get the cakes out. I just have the cheap fixed base types at home so these will be really useful. They offered me the food processor for free if I bought all the cake tins, so I took it. It does not have all the parts and the grater, slicer parts are missing but the blades is there as is the blending jug. I'm off shopping now as I have a family of four joining us for Sunday lunch, three big boys to feed.

A bit frustrating as you can't buy spare parts for it anywhere so I'll have to keep my old small processor for slicing and grating.

Anyone else get anything useful for free recently?

Until later,

Love Froogs xxxxx

Scruffy is sad!

 Hi everyone!

The only frugality about this blog, is that Scruffy is re-wearing the 'collar of shame'. Bichons are neurotic dogs, that mither about the slightest thing. One flea caused him to eat most of the fur off one leg, if it's not treated immediately, so now he's on monthly doses of Frontline. The slightest cut on his foot required the daft bugger to almost chew his foot off! So, the first sign of any injury and me and the dog with munchfootten syndrome go off to the vet.

 Off to the vets we went! He's so used to being taken there that he can almost tell the vet himself. He had a cut on his foot and then managed to chew it until it was really sore and red.

His foot was bandaged; he was given anti-biotics and he is on pain killers so he's wandering around in a druggy haze, bumping his collar on everything. He sighs and sighs some more. Scruffy is sad today.

Until tomorrow's round of doggy expenses,

Love Froogs x x x

Incredible people at pivotal moments.

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow is a BIG day in the UK. It's GCSE result day. To non-Brits, let me explain. This is the day when 16 year olds get their exam results that determine their entire future. I won't sleep tonight. For teachers, this is a 'seat of y'pants' moment, which determines whether you've done your job properly or not. I owe,  everything I have, all that I am, and everything I can and will be to the building above.

Above, is my school, what many overseas readers will know as 'high school. This is the building that shaped who I am. I am going to use this public platform to thank the incredible people who made me who I am. I'm going to save the best until last.

Let me start. I had two form tutors, lower school and upper school. My lower school tutor was Mr Lamb - a Magnum PI look-a-like who wore flip flops and the tiniest shorts and drove a sports car all year. He was a double hard bastard who didn't take any shite from anyone, least of all weepy soppy kids straight out of primary school. He firmed up our back bones almost immediately and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for teaching us strength and courage.

My upper school form tutor was Mr Dorman, a lab coat wearing physics teacher who taught me to love electro magnetism! I still get excited by copper wire and took O level physics because of his wonderful teaching. I can still smell iron filings when I think of him. I met him again when I took my children to the local chapel for Sunday school and knew him as a local man, who lived in amongst his pupils and was involved in the local chapel for all of his life. Sir, you epitomise 'community' - you worked in it and taught in it and would walk down to the bus stop if we misbehaved after school and would have an interest in your local community for your entire life. You are an angel on earth.

Toby Trevains! You legend!  O level chemistry was awesome! Our classroom was scary, smoky, stunk of sulphur, and phosphorus burnt underwater! How cool were you! You had a huge beard, came to school on a motorbike and looked like Ogri! We loved you as chemistry was violently exciting and you could make the periodic table a wonderful place and you made us inquisitive about every element on that poster. You died too young, too soon but you inspired so many people to look at Science as an exciting but integral part of our lives.

Roland Burrows - you changed my life. You introduced me to Ibsen, Chekov and Brecht. You took me to the theatre in London for the first time and I get the shivers when I remember it. You took us to the Haymarket on the Strand, with red velvet and cigar smoke and I saw 'The sign on four' and I have never, never forgotten walking into a theatre for the first time and falling in love with it. When I listen to Radio 4, when I watch a film, when I read a book - you are there with me. When we performed plays that you had directed we stood under those lights as giants! You took us to the National Youth Theatre, you took us to see Shakespeare and you never, never dumbed anything down to make it popular or trendy. Many, many years later at university, my 'options' were informed by those days studying drama. Mr Burrows, just in case you Google your name and ever read this - I went on to study A level drama and performed in 'am dram' for many years. I've been a theatre goer all of my life and continued to dance to RAD standards until I was 18 years old. I also wrote my dissertation on the plays of Ben Jonson, with a focus on Volpone! Thank you sir, no teacher has ever inspired me as much as you did!

Sue Stanhope and Mrs Gerry - my art teachers. Miss Stanhope was my lower school teacher and Mrs Gerry was my upper school teacher. You had exacting standards and I was well taught. In my later years I visited Guggenhein and Moma in NY and, in case you are interested, I went on to study art to A level and - so did my children!

Lastly, and I owe so very, very much to these people! I must thank Miss Garden and Mr Kotwinski, my English teachers. Miss Garden was my exacting English Language teacher. She had really, really high standards. No spelling mistakes, no grammatical clumsiness, no vernacular lumpiness. When she wrote  SEE ME! at the bottom of the page, you knew you were in for some personal attention and yet, every word, every piece of advice has stayed with me (I know - the hastily typed blog is full of mistakes!). Mr Kotwinski - thank you for 'Hard Times', 'Cider with Rosie', 'My family and other animals'  for the poetry and for Coleridge. We wrote poetry, stories, reports and articles and if it was utterly shit...........................you would tell us! You would not put up with childish trite nonsense and had incredibly high standards. You both made me who I am and I will never, ever forget either of you. The most amazing thing you ever did as English teachers was to have amazing expectations of us as readers. By the time I had left 'high school', I had read Bronte, Arthur Conan Doyle, Tolkein, Kipling, Du Maurier, Longfellows, Adams, Twain, Golding, Durrell, Kerouac, Dumas, Carroll, Pasternak, Trollope, Hugo and lots of Dickens.

Tomorrow is a very very big day but I want to take this opportunity to thank MY teachers. I came from a loving but uneducated home and it was my school that shaped me into the person I am today. Sir....Miss....thanks xxxx

And breathe!

 Hi everyone,

It's a good job I didn't get my hopes up. The estate agent did have a buyer, with a specific budget, and offered me the price; the only price I may add and I had to refuse it. It was 10K under what I could take as I have a 7.5K early repayment fee. He understood and made it clear as he'd sold the prospective purchaser's house and was party to the mortgage deals available to them that there was no more money. We left it at that. I think my house is worth a little more but I'm not the buyer and they dictate the price.

We hadn't planned to do anything at all until 9th September 2012, which is the date our mortgage 'tie in' expires. However, after that, there is no hold on us at all. We can move our mortgage even if we don't manage to sell. We will hold on and just live as economically as ever between now and then and pay as much of the mortgage capital as we possibly can. From December 1st, when the last payment goes out to the home loan, all of our spare money will go towards mortgage repayment, up to 10% of the balance otherwise we incur charges. See what I mean about financiers! They even sting you when you try to pay off your debts sooner.

 I can and will reign in all spending and make sure I live as frugally as possible. You all know me well enough to know that this is a minor set back and I will get over it. Some day, sooner or later, we will be in the position to sell our home and stop paying such a mammoth mortgage and have a reasonable house, with affordable costs.

The sun poured through our windows today, the house was bathed in natural light and the wall sized picture windows let us see all the hills and countryside opposite our house. I walked the short distance to the supermarket, walked around the friendly neighbourhood with my dogs, chatted to people as I did so. I saw smiling faces in a small and welcoming community. I came home to a bright and cheerful home, surrounded on all sides by a private garden and enjoyed a cup of coffee on my terrace. Life is good.

 My wonderful mum is coming to see me tomorrow and I shall take her out for lunch at a little local pub nearby. I'll take her for a short walk on the moor to the standing stones (weather permitting) and we'll just enjoy one of the most beautiful places on earth. I keep counting my blessing. I live in a stunning and beautiful place and will cope with the cost as I always have. I will live carefully and economically so I can always afford it. I know I can make my home comfortable with limited funds, charity shop and car boot sale finds. We'll be fine and we'll carry on.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs

Why I am frugal.

Hi everyone,

Thanks again for those who clicked onto 'Frugal Queen' at any stage, who leave comments and who've signed up as followers. I'm always interested in who you are.............bit like Cilla really, "What's y'name and where d'you come from?" My frugal journey started, in earnest in 2007. For any of you, it may have hit you like a sledgehammer too. The economy had been in a period of growth for while, everything seemed fine. We all believed the future was something we 'aspired' for. A lovely house, which would also be an investment.We'd often re-mortgaged and 'done the house up' as we'd read the magazines, seen the home improvement programmes and believed that 'you're worth it'. We had decent jobs and matching incomes. It isn't like that any more.

The ups and downs of life are like that. Some people have, some want, some have and want a lot. I decided that now is the time I was going to stop wanting more and having more and start wanting and having considerably less. When you shop in House of Fraser and John Lewis, the other shoppers look nice, have a fragrance about them, carry stylish bags and wear lippy and do their hair. No-one's poor, no one is scraping in the bottom of their purse for their last pound and no one haggles over a slight stain or a straggly hem.

I know in every charity shop, every jumble sale, every car boot sale, there are bargain hunters like me, who want to save a few pounds. There are, from the people I meet, those who have no other option. I am acutely reminded of how lucky, how wealthy, how blessed I really am. Now, I can bask in my wealth (and it's all relative) as I am four payments away from complete debt freedom. I can throw money at my big house, big garden and parking for many cars. I can work until I'm 68 to pay for this. Or, I can do as I'm planning to do and downsize and hopefully, if I'm careful with money, retire at 57

There is a lot more to life than owning a house, there is living! I mean real living! I want to mix and mingle with my local community and be part of it, I want to be able to offer my time, to be-friend, to volunteer, to live a full life. I don't want to spend the next twenty years trying to buy a big house that I really don't need. The less I need, the less I need to work for. My work for the next twelve years is all about serving my local community and doing everything I can to give future generations every available chance to fulfil their dreams and ambitions. The next twelve years is not about 'me' but about the students I work for. However, when I retire, I want to have time for me and don't want to spend time worrying about money, so I'll make sure I live as frugally as I can now so I can have a retirement where I can become a rambler, spend hours reading, enjoy craft and recycling, gardening and cooking.

I'm not comfortable with home ownership as it constrains real life for me. I know every day that I am really lucky, that in comparison to millions and millions of people, that I am incredibly wealthy to the point of owning more than I'm truly due. If I can do anything to put right the way I feel, I can at least start with consuming less, by wanting less, by living frugally and simply. I never want to return to putting on lippy to go to House of Fraser to buy clothes or a 'lifestyle'. If I need or want something, I will do everything I can to buy it second hand and, if I can, to give to charity whilst I do so. I already have way more than I deserve and need to make changes in my life and my frugal journey is just the start.

Now over to you - why are you frugal, is it more than money?

Until tomorrow,

Frrogs xx

Who do you trust?

Hi everyone,

Well, wow! and thanks! Lots of people are reading, reading old blogs and 'following'. I'm enjoying your company and really appreciate the support. I'm going to tell you all about my day, but you need to watch Steve Tilston and enjoy the video first to get an understanding of how I don't trust the grasping, covetous, penny squeezing financiers of this world - here goes - Here's film first . Steve Tilston is one of the UK's finest folk musicians and his song 'Pretty Penny' sums up the financial sector not giving a flying **** about anyone, or anything they destroy so long as they make a 'pretty penny'. Now I've got that out of my system, I'll tell you about my day.




It started like this. I wobbled down stairs, bleary eyed, tea deprived and fumbled my way to the door mat and collected the dog chewed post. After wiping off doggy spit, I read the postcard from a local estate agent. Someone wants to buy my house. Well, I wish the daft ****** I had come round and knocked on my door, because if it's true, it would have saved me 2.5% of the asking price!!!! Those of you who've read my blog for a while, know that I want to sell up and downsize and have a simpler life in a smaller more manageable house. When the estate agent's office opened, I called them and it is true. Tomorrow, said estate agent will come round to value the place - after the financial collapse it's probably worth two pasty crusts,  a dented Smart car bumper and rusty Co-op trolley if I'm lucky.


I then, just in case the impossible is possible had to contact a financier. It's like having a hot line to the devil when ever you deal with someone who makes money by moving money around. You can almost hear the groping and salivating  avariciousness of it all on the end of the phone. You go through an online form with them and soon, they discover you have equity, savings and they can make some money! From that moment on, you are their best friend! As the words of 'Show of Hands' say 
"All I wanted was a home 
And a roof over our heads 
Somewhere we could call our own Feel safer in our beds". 

I just want a house I can a) afford to buy and b) afford to run. I mean actually afford to have lighting and heating in, without breaking the bank. By the end of the phone call, in theory, the mortgage application had been accepted. I didn't get excited. I've been there before and at the eleventh hour, some underwriter in a dank dark hole at the bottom of humanity, refused it. Even though it was half the size of the mortgage I was paying. Again, paraphrasing 'Show of Hands' Here's the video - you've got to love them!!

With your bonuses and expenses
You shovelled down your throat
Now you bit the hand that fed you
Dear God I hope you choke

The whole world of 'financial services' of any sort is a stinking mess. Whilst they continue to make bonuses, no one can get a mortgage, borrow money for business and any one poorer than Richard Branson can't afford a house anyway. I know, 'the dream' (sounding like George and Lennie in 'Of Mice and Men' - a little wood stove!) is within my grasp, actually achievable. I know there is a lost generation out there who will never be home owners unless they inherit from a baby boomer. I know there are millions of people who will never see forty years old, let alone retirement. I know I'm lucky, blessed and better off than the biggest percentage of the world as I have a roof over my head. Now I'm in the position to make regular savings, have an ISA, and can sit looking at my bank accountS, all of a sudden, pond life want to know me! I did catch out the blokey on the phone today, by asking lots of questions mainly: what are you making out of this? what's the fee? are there any fee free mortgages? what's the catch? what's the tie-in? And now, after he's gone through every permutation of possibilities and I've had Ebeneezer's time for free! I shall go and broker my own deal any way!

I really felt as if I had to go and clean slime off myself! If I can put today into context. I don't trust these people. Not any of them. I don't trust banks, building societies, mortgage brokers, financial advisers as they are not there to provide financial advice but to make as much money out of me as they possibly can and I see my job as to make sure I give them as little as I can. I'm not comfortable about home 'owning' and want to feel slightly better by living in a small house (two up, two down terrace is my preference) with a tiny back garden and feel as if I'm consuming less, even if it's just by taking up less space.

My apologies to anyone who works in a bank, or telesales, or insurance......it's legal, its a living and it pays the bills. I'm just going to do all I can to give them as little as I possibly can.

Pay back and thanks!

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for stopping by x.

There have been times in my life that I have truly been on the 'beam ends of my ass!' I believe I've got through many many times by the grace of God and the incredible kindness of strangers. I've been lost and strangers in foreign climes, without a word of common language between us, have led me miles over motorways and, with a point of a finger,  put me on the road to where I needed to go. I've moved to a strange city, known no one and had a neighbour knock on my door and invite me for coffee and offer me friendship. I've been a young single mum, with nothing and the keys to an empty home, to spend the first night sleeping on the floor in our coats to wake up and have strangers bring us furniture, bedding and the basics to set up home. I owe many, many thanks to so many people as I have been truly blessed many times over.

I've had a good clear up and clear out in the house recently. I could have gone to a car boot sale, flogged the lot in the local paper or ebay but I gave it away. All the size 12 clothes that I'm never going to get back in again have gone to the Sally Army shop, including my graduation ball dress, maybe it's vintage now and someone can resurrect it for their graduation or school ball. I've also freecycled the poly tunnel, which has upset my neighbour ever since it went up in my garden, the compost bins, some garden furniture and a gas barbeque that I've never really used. Everyone who came was really glad of it and they are all welcome to it.

I've done really well from the generosity of strangers through Freecycle, including a sideboard, vacuum cleaners and the garden furniture I gave away today. Who ever you, where ever you are........so many times, you restored my faith in humanity and I would like to take this opportunity to say thanks.xxx

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogsxxx

Perfect day

We've had the simplest but loveliest of days. We've been gardening. Trees and hedges have been prunes and clipped. The drive has been swept and cleared. Wood has been stacked. The trees are full of acorns and hazelnuts, which means the squirrels will be busy.We've filled the trailer twice and have been back and forth to the recycling centre.

I've dug spuds, cooked, mashed and frozen for the future. I've picked Bramley apples, stewed and frozen, ready to eat with custard or roast pork.

We've walked the dogs, thrown balls.

We've Freecycled a few unwanted things and chatted to some lovely folk.  We've cleaned and tidied, mown the lawns and now, we're watching the Proms with a cup of tea.

What a wonderful day and like all really, really good days...... we didn't spend any money.

Until tomorrow,

Froogs

Brace yourselves!

 Hi everyone,

Just call me Carol Vorderman! I'm going to have to get my maths head on today and work out how much energy I can afford!

Everyone has already had energy price rises. In November 2010, just before the worst winter in my lifetime, we had on average 10% increase in energy prices. We had no choice but to pay it. Everyone is now getting notifications, either by email or in letters of this year's energy price hikes. British Gas have announced price rises of 18% for gas and 16% for electricity. Most energy companies have comparable price rises. I am on the cheapest tarrif I can find - NPower sign online 23 and I will face price rises of 15.7% for gas and 7.2% for electricity.

 We all know about the difficulties people with 'fixed' incomes have with price increases. Up and down the country, as usual, old people will end up in hospital or dead as they won't be able to heat more than one room, if they are lucky, and many won't even be able to afford that. Here in the countryside, many people rely on propane bottles which are twice the price of mains gas and they will now be priced out of heating at all. It also doesn't surprise me that all the blood suckers come out of their dark holes and join in. If you use wood to heat your house, get it now!!!! It is going up and up in price.

Then, as well as fixed income folk having struggles, there are all the people who now have: no overtime, reduced working hours, reduced salaries, more pension contributions to pay. You all, like me have to get your calculators out today and work out what you can afford.

 Here are the reductions I am going to have to make. In the winter, my heating is on from 5pm until 9pm on a weekday and from about 12 noon until 8 pm on a weekend. Thirty one hours in total. I am going to have to cut that by 20% to be able to afford the £69 a month I now have to pay for gas. I will have to cut my usage down to 24 hours a week. There are 168 hours a week and I will have to have the heating on from 6pm until 9pm and at the weekends from 2pm until 8pm at the weekends.

I have electric ovens (mini and main), an electric kettle, electric shower and minor items such as the computer etc. I will have to reduce what I use by 10%. In case you're wondering, here's a recap of what I already do to save energy.

Heating is set to 17 degrees. I got rid of the tumble drier years ago. We shower and don't have baths. We 'let it mellow'. We use the mini oven instead of the main oven. We fill a flask from the kettle and use that to save reboiling. We batch cook when the oven is on. We keep the freezer full. We cook in a triple steamer to save gas. We only wash our clothes when they are dirty. We use the dishwasher every other day. We wear clothes to bed. We go to bed early and turn the lights off. Nothing is on stand by.

I have even investigated price fix tarrif for the next three years and those are already 11% higher than average bills. I have looked, investigated and costed. The only way to afford energy is to use less. Brace yourselves my lovelies, get down the charity shops and stock up on curtains to 'double hang', buy lots of wooly jumpers and cardigans, get quilting and layer your beds, stock up on coal and logs as I have a feeling, it's going to be an expensive winter.

On that cheerful note, I will see you tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxx