Frugal

Is what I am going to have to be, and seriously frugal.  I'll be swapping a very large household income  for, well, no income really.  I will have money which I will have to live off, and supplement as best I can.  As the time draws nearer, I've been giving it all some very serious thought, and have started a wee notebook of ideas for making/raising money.  I've also thought of ways online I can use to help things out - I've registered for survey taking, freebie sites, competitions.  I'll be selling on e-bay too, and am keeping an eye on my  current Freecycle site, and will join the nearest one when I move.  There will be much swapping and bartering, giving and taking in many forms. I notice there are a lot of sale/swap/free sites popping up on Facebook too, so am keeping an eye out there. I am lucky in that over the years I have amassed a good amount of  equipment and household things, furniture, craft materials, etc that will stand me in good stead.  I will be keeping budget books, and cutting every penny in half.  I am painfully aware that there are people around that think I won't be capable of doing all this,  but not only will I prove them wrong, I am certain I will thrive on the challenge - it will add so much to my own life, I am sure. Bring it on. Something else I have started is a healthier eating plan - long range goals are weight loss, better fitness and overall health levels and saving money on the food bills.  I've started slowly, firstly this week giving up eating between meals, and wine only at the weekend.  Next week will see the start of the walking. Another aspect of the healthier eating/saving money is by growing my own. I'll be taking a lot of things from my garden here, but have a lovely big stock of seeds to take with me, and have listed the trees/fruit bushes I need for my new garden, so I can see where I am with it all. I have a huge amount of clothes just now too; I am just about to start sorting them through properly; some I will keep as they are, some will be altered, new buttons, cut down, made into other things, some will go for patchwork bits/rag bag/cloths, some to textile bank/charity shops. But the stash stays!  lol