My lifestyle involves spending as little money as possible and making good use of any resources that I already have. Some one asked me the other week if my little, extreme, frugal habits actually make [...]

We try to use the seasons to our advantage to save money. I wish that we had solar panels to use the free sun's energy, but we don't. When I enquired 25 years ago I [...]

We have a massive bag of foraged apples to process, and we went blackberry picking today. I managed to squeeze one bag of blackberries into the freezer, but had lots left. Water bathing  blackberry and [...]

I was lucky to get one of those £1.50 Lidl veg boxes last week. It is produce that needs selling quickly before it deteriorates. Luckily everything was in reasonable condition. Mr S was happy as [...]

Last January I got one of the £1.50 veg boxes from Lidl. It had a few yellow and orange tomatoes in it. One was squashed and so I saved some seeds. Only one germinated, but [...]

At last it is raining. Apologies if that sounds insensitive to any one who has experienced flooding. I know that it has caused devastation to many. We have just had a drought and hosepan ban. [...]

My daughter rang me today asking me for the recipe of a lentil salad that I made for her birthday buffet. It is full of flavour, has great texture and lasts 4 or 5 days [...]

We were up at 5am walking with a tub in our hands this morning. Bramble/blackberry season has just started here in Yorkshire. Luckily there were not too many ripe ones yet and so that should [...]

I don't have a large area to grow food. In fact a lot of it is grown in raised boxes and tubs. We  therefore have to make sure that I can get the largest harvest [...]

It is time for picking the last of my rhubarb now. I rarely pull rhubarb past the end of July. This helps it preserve it's energy and produce a good crop next year. We have [...]

The free energy supplement is nettle seeds! Today I was collecting female seeds from nettles when on my walk. I dry them out in order to use them in bread, porridge, smoothies, and seed bars. [...]

These courgette fritters are very similar to the courgette waffles, but cheaper as no egg is needed. I make these a couple of times a week now that courgettes are in season. They are great [...]

Air fried courgettes is a fairly new way to cook courgette for me. I had seen it on a couple of videos on Youtube. Mr S loves it, and it is quick and easy. As [...]

Yesterday it was Operation Black currant leathers, and making  cordial. When dehydrated I will cut and roll the leathers up in grease proof paper for a sweet treat for myself and my grandson. These last [...]

I had been given some out of date pastry. Friends give me their out of date food as I am always banging on about not wasting anything. However, except for fruit, I didn't have anything [...]

During the 2nd World war there was a slogan in the UK to help people to save resources. "Use it up, wear it out, or do without," posters were prominent. I still live by this [...]

It was a use up what we have in the fridge day today. I will often have half a tin of beans in the fridge and one or two of our thicked, cooked sausages. If [...]

This is a really busy time of year, and some days I feel like I am on a production line. I often get two harvests a day. We have to make sure that the garden [...]

A friend asked me to help her balance her budget last night. She is worried about how she will survive all of these recent price hikes and the threat of more to come. I know [...]

People usually think of rice pudding as a winter dish, but I make it throughout the year. During the summer, we usually eat it cold and it makes an easy accompaniment for berries growing in [...]

I have lots of big rosemary bushes in my garden, but have never bought any.  They are evergreen and last for years.  The blue flowers are so pretty. Rosemary is easy to propagate and mine [...]

It has been really hot and sunny recently. I love a cool snack or dessert after a meal but am trying to be a bit more healthy. 😇 As usual, I am trying to save [...]

Awe is an emotion that you feel when you are amazed, full of wonder, and feels like you are witnessing something extordinary. It is seen by psychiatrists as being positive for a person's wellbeing. I [...]

We had a glut of strawberries which needed using up. I wanted to preserve them by making something refreshing as we are experiencing some hot, sunny days. My daughter and family are coming for a [...]

We like waffles. I batch cook them, freeze them, or store them in the fridge to use during the week. We like to cook different kinds of waffles for different uses. These are a recent [...]

After a busy day in the garden I  was craving a magnum. We had finished all of the ice cream off last week. It is a no spend day today and I am saving my [...]

I love crystallised ginger in my baking but it is an expensive ingredient that I can not afford to buy very often. Sometimes my daughter buys it for me to thank me for helping her [...]

I will hold my hands up. My first 55 years never saw a chick pea pass my lips. Now they form a large part of our monthly meal plans.  The reason is they can be [...]

Twenty five years ago some of my frugal ways had people laughing at me. I would be called "stingy","mean", a scooge", "tight". One had to be frugal under the radar or else they were scorned [...]

As we are all acutely aware, there is a cost of living crisis in many countries. A large percentage of people are struggling to pay for accomodation, utilities, nutritious food, and just the basics in [...]

I always eat more healthily in Spring, summer and Autumn compared to winter. At the beginning of June my garden is already providing me with food full of vitamins, minerals, and protein. Wild food is [...]

We make these egg muffins as take away breakfasts, for picnics, or for lunches. They are quick and easy. They makes a few eggs go further and are tastier. Today I made them to add [...]

We have had lots of potatoes stored this year. I have therefore been making lots of luxury potato cakes. We eat them for lunch a couple of times a week as they are cheap and [...]

I had a message last night asking me what I am harvesting from my garden in May. The person wanted to plan for next year and to know what to sow now as they have [...]

Society taught me that life is a  competition, and that I had to strive to be the best. If I wasn't, then I was a failure. I was constantly compared to my peers as a [...]

On thing that I started growing about 5 years ago is Pak Choi. It has a lovely mild flavour, is easy to grow.  Pak choi is usually one of the first annuals that I harvest [...]