I live an abundant life on a small, private pension.

I live an abundant life on a small, private pension.

This website provides tips and encouragement for others that want to simplify their life, reduce consumerism, reduce the waste of the planet’s resources, and be more content with what they already have.

Recipes & Food
Saving Money
Toni G

Hello, I’m Toni.

Being frugal is not about deprivation and ‘being cheap’. It involves making the best use of your resources and skills to enable you to have more choices in how you live your life.

Toni G signature.

A simple, frugal life does not have to involve feeling poor without luxuries, or be just about surviving.

You can feel rich in so many other ways. Through planning, having a positive mindset, using nature’s resources, and by reducing waste, it is possible to thrive, and live your best life, even on a small income.

Simple.

Stay close to nature in all that you do.

Frugal.

Mindfully use your money and resources.

Heart.

Life.

Find joy every day, make time for self care, and be your authentic self.

Latest from my blog

  • Overnight oats

    Published On: September 25, 2023Categories: Breakfasts, Recipes

    The chilly mornings have come with a vengeance which means that I want something more substantial for my breakfast but that does not take lots of time to make.  Overnight oats are useful for keeping [...]

  • Cheese, potato and onion pie

    Published On: September 25, 2023Categories: Mains, Recipes

    Cheese, potato and onion pie brings back memories of my gran.  She was making this simple recipe well over 60 years ago.  We would have this served with vegetables (usually green beans that she grew [...]

  • Growing Quinoa

    Published On: September 23, 2023Categories: Growing Food

    I wanted to have a go at growing some kind of grain to become more self sufficient and so I grew quinoa for the first time this year.  I did not know what a beautiful [...]

  • Making leaf mould

    Published On: September 20, 2023Categories: Growing Food, Saving Money

    I like to use any free resources around me to save money and one of the ways that I get free soil for my containers that I grow my vegetables in, is to make leaf [...]

  • How my ‘no spending’ times have changed.

    Published On: September 5, 2023Categories: Saving Money

    Phase 1 Ever since I have had a family, I have had periods of time when I have intentionally not spent any money. These are called ‘no spend’ weeks, or months.  In the old days [...]

  • Cheap, tasty, healthier bread and butter pudding.

    Published On: September 2, 2023Categories: Desserts, Recipes

    Bread and butter pudding is a favourite of Mr S.  I usually only make it in winter, but a friend was throwing lots of crusts away after making an afternoon tea, and, hating waste I [...]

  • Quick air fryer pizza

    Published On: August 31, 2023Categories: Baking, Light Meals, Recipes

    Sometimes when Mr S is at work I have a busy day and do not feel like cooking him a meal for when he gets home.  On these days I will make him something quickly [...]

  • Baking bread with dock seeds

    Published On: August 30, 2023Categories: Baking, Foraging For Food, Recipes

    I am always looking for ways to save money or to visit the supermarket less.  During the pandemic I ran out of wholemeal bread flour and so I foraged some dock seeds and used that [...]

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Fresh, organic produce on a shoestring.

Growing your own food.

Grow Your Own Food

Slow down, relax and start…

Living simply.

Living Simply

Favourite recipes

Using affordable ingredients and what you already have in the store cupboards, as well as what you can grow and forage.

Salmon.
Ripe blackberries.
Lemon balm iced tea.
Four Lollies.
Pasta and tomatoes.
Herbs and pan.
Padding out salads.
Pasties a frugal filling meal.

You might not be able to control how much money you have, but you can control what you do with it.

I hate to throw left over food away, there’s almost always a meal you can make with it. Once you change your mindset, it’s surprising what you can save with a little thought and a little planning.

Saving Money