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Saturday 28 December 2013

Looking Back, well a quick glance over my shoulder.

I am not one for worrying about what has passed, it is gone and can not be changed. I do however try to learn from my mistakes.
Over what has been a fairly eventful year I have saved a fair bit of money. I have also indulged my love of fabric, both new and salvaged from clothes, bed linen, charity shops and some wonderful wins and gifts. I value the smallest piece equally as much as the largest.
I have read scores of books, some from the library, some from Up the Amazon, and many that came as gifts.
I have tried buying from AF and found some amazing bargains. Most of my shopping has been done close to home, and I tried Aldi and Lydl for the first time. 
This year I will be concentrating on growing much more of my own food, both for the economic benefits and for the health consideration. Meat consumption will drop and exercise will increase. I would love to keep chickens but feel that there will be many overnight trips to Jeannie,s so that will be on hold for a while.
My recipe collection has been swelled from the blogs that I read, many thanks to Frugal Queen, The Iowa Housewife, MFin3, Shaz and Sharon to name but a few. All of these have contributed to my savings. I was given the Duck Dynasty cook book for Christmas and much as I love Miss Kay's recipes I think that it will be a cold day in hell before Squirrel Brains and Frog Legs are in my kitchen, Sweet Potato Pie however is on the menu for this weekend, along with Willie's Armadillo Eggs.
I joined in the £2014 in 2014 challenge, but as an over achiever set my sights on £1500, thanks to some selling of Christmas sewing and a couple of bespoke quilts I am at £550, so my goal posts will be moving.
I also joined in a fitness and weight loss challenge, I started at 11 stones, the heaviest that I have been for a long time, well I have to tell you all that I am still there. Once the funeral is behind us and my life subsides back to normality that will be my focus.
I have wittered on about my new sofa, it is here and although last years model and colour I love it, my sitting room is 3/4 painted and will be finished this weekend. I am trying to decide on curtains, I bought a great deal of material from Laura Ashley in Kings Lynn when it closed so they will cost nothing but my time. These will be summer weight as mine need replacing, my winter ones are fine.
I have done a rough stock take and I have an embarrassing amount of food tucked away, I will not be shopping for much for the next 2 months. To avoid the temptations of bargain spotting I will be using dried skimmed milk for cooking, I do not take milk in drinks and on my once a week trip to buy it I usually pick up some RTC items. I need to completely empty and defrost my chest freezer this Spring so that must stop.
I will not be making resolutions except for this, I intend to have as much fun as I can on as least money as I can.
The sun is shining and I have washing ready to go out, I will resume my normal blog writing soon until then.

              TTFN                                Pam 

17 comments:

  1. I too am trying to live on what i have and no spend days but yesterday i went in to morrisons for some reason, i just couldn't help myself , i was very lucky with the bargains i had , the meat will last us two months at least , i am too trying not to eat so much meat so i am hoping it will last us longer than that , hope you have had a good christmas , happy new yaer pam, Eileen x

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    1. Well done on your bargains Eileen, I love a good buy and am sure to have withdrawal symptoms but with all the things in my plan I will not have the time to browse round. In the end Christmas was a non event, we hope to have a small celebration next year some time.

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  2. I like your description of your year being " fairly eventful". I think you've had all sorts chucked at you and you have come through brilliantly.
    Good luck with all your plans for 2014. Happy New Year!

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    1. It has been a bit of a bumpy ride but 2004 was the pits and I got through that, I am convinced that I can ride the shock wave of just about anything now.

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  3. Happy New Year Pam, here's hoping it's a good one for you, Fran & Ben

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    1. Many thanks and right back at you. I plan to be busy but make time for lots of fun things. Fran and I are hoping to get tickets to take Jeannie to see Mrs Browns Boys, it is one of her favourite TV shows, then there will be visits to some famous gardens and Houses to enjoy.

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  4. Wishing you success in all you plan to do in 2014 . Happy New Year Pam x

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    1. Thank you Karen, I plan on keeping moving forwards and hope that we all enjoy a Happy New Year, and a very good summer in 2014.

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  5. Happy New Year to you and yours Pam.X

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    1. Thank you Anne, I just caught up with your blog and love the bread bin, it took me straight back to my Granny's kitchen, most of her things were enameled.

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  6. Hope you enjoyed the sunshine .. it was lovely and sunny here .. dare we hope for an early spring...
    x

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    1. The sun was lovely, 2 loads of laundry dried and an hour just pottering around, better than Doctors medicine any day. Fingers crossed, an early spring would be great, as long as there are no late frosts.

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  7. I have decided to empty my old freezer too. I have a new one as well (show off!). it sounds easy to do, but I am so obsessed with having stores in that I get anxious at using stuff up. Pathetic I know! Love your attitude to having as much fun you can for as little cost as possible... Good Luck with that in 2014
    Gill

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    1. I am with you there, I like to have a good stock in "just in case". My plan is to put as much as possible into the fridge freezer and then empty the chest freezer, I could not clear my stock entirely, it would make me very uneasy. Fran and I have lots of things in the pipeline for next year, mostly involving Jeannie, when I get going in the garden I will be in a very happy place. I love gardening and have loads of plans.

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  8. Seems to me you have pretty well covered the new year resolution front, Pam! Good luck with it all and all the very best for a great 2014. this year has certainly been mixed for most of us, who knows what the future holds but we always live in hopes! Lxx

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  9. Hi Pam, sorry to be late but we have been on the road each of the last three days, so just catching up with blogs now. I have been with you most of 2013 and agree it has been an eventful year for you! However, it is good that things are changing into the longer term, you can now plan much more. My saving has gone off the last week or so, as has my weight management but both are short-term setbacks and are to be expected this time of the year. I have realised I have far too much of some things in the cupboards on board, so have resisted the temptation all weekend to 'pop into Lidl en-route to take advantage of their half price weekend offers. This is really hard, but I did get a few bargains just before Christmas and have enough food for this week in Edinburgh in the ice box and some goodies waiting in Mum's freezer on our return to Hampshire next week. My aim is only to use our storage facilities and reduce what is in the cupboards - that is how we have lived when we were travelling, and certainly whilst we are in the UK there is never a problem finding a shop open if we really do need something. Happy New Year to you Pam, and I look forward to sharing your 2014 journey, X

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  10. I hope you have a better year ahead with lots of fun in it. I have enjoyed following your blog this year and look forward to reading more. Happy New Year to you, Fran and Ben xx

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