FRUGAL LIVING CHALLENGE 2010, part 1. (Living on £4,000 a year)

Blairweech

To anyone wanting to partake a smallholding dream. Good on you! However, to make it work (and by work I mean 'break even'), I think it needs A LOT of research and consideration. And money - you are easily looking at half a million before you even start getting stock onto the land.

I am doing it the 'education' way, as I am not from a farming family, so going to uni to study Agriculture. I didn't want to commit to something that huge, for the rest of my life (especially where the care of animals is concerned) without 'knowing my onions' as it were. Also, having a degree will enable me to get a slightly better job when I graduate e.g. farm manager and hopefully get some £ in the bank.

Speak to people who are living the dream, ask everyone you can about their journey. Learn from their mistakes. It is a 24/7 365 job - there are no holidays, and Christmas is just another day. Look at how hard Nyk works, and she 'only' has chickens to look after. I think a lot of people underestimate just how hard the lifestyle is, and that is why the smallholding fails - you have to have your heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears and then some more going into it! But on the flip side, the rewards from doing what you love and seeing your dream come to fruition are incomparable.

Also (and I know this is going to make me sound awful and hard hearted), you have to look at it as a business if you want to make any money. I would definantly recommend (at least for the first year) for one partner to continue their work-a-day job whilst the other works on the smallholding. Making money from a smallholding is the hardest part, and diversification is key. Most smallholders I have spoken to are hailing the veg/meat box scheme as being profitable, plus things like holidays lets, cafes etc. So, think about all the different things you could do and put together a business plan before you start.

Don't forget what it says in Frankie's signature - 'You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind' That quote is what gave me the final push to stop dreaming and start doing something about it, even if it just saving all your £2 coins in a jar.

Rozee - If you do make the 'leap of faith' as it were, especially if you do it with 18 month old twins, PLEASE write a blog or a book or something about your journey. I think it would be very inspirational and a great help for people wanting to make the lifestyle change

Kiwisaver_2

rozeepozee wrote: »

There seem to be so many people on this thread with similar aspirations (and some already living it) it makes me wonder if there's some way of sharing hints and tips - or having some sort of challenge thread for those wanting to do this. Not quite sure how it would work.


R x

There is a Daydream Fund thread here on this very subject: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1544047&highlight=dream+fund

I started reading it a while back, but haven't got very far, it is VERY long.

If you are really serious and fed up with life in the UK, you could always emigrate to New Zealand. Land here is relatively cheap and £500k would go a very long way (caveat being: one of you would need to qualify for a visa, most likely under the skilled migrant category, if you are a professional of any description or have a trade qualification it's not too difficult).

Just for an idea of the possibilities (not a recommendation as I know nothing of this company) take a look here: http://www.countryandlifestyle.co.nz/rural-property/new-zealand/

Exchange rate is dire at present, since GBP has plummeted, usually NZ$2.50 is to the Pound. So £500k in more normal circumstances would give you $1.2 million. That's one heck of a LOT of money here. Further food for thought, if you bought a bare section (just land) you can get a very nice house built for NZ$250k

Blairweech

Right, after all of that my original post!

Kiwi - Thanks for that link, I had no idea that thread existed
Natalie - Hippo Birdie to your DS, congratulations on the new house and well done on your swim school going so uh...swimmingly See what I did there?

Hm, today. Got a bookshelf to clear and more stuff to put up in the loft. See if there are any more jobs worth applying for. Go to the farm shop and see if they know any farmers who would like a hand over the summer, or if they have anywhere I can put up a little notice. Not much doing tbh!

Edit: I have just paid the last installment on my loan. So, when my deposit comes through to pay off my overdraft (should be in the next couple of days), I will be debt free!! Swiftly directing that £50/month payment into my savings account...

grandma247

Xnatalie that is great news about your house. Shame about the concrete though. I can not understand why people who hate gardening live in a house with a garden and concrete it over. A highrise would be more suitable.

Kiwisaver you should be able to buy timer plugs for your washer and dishwasher. Also do you winterize your home?

The smallholding discussion is interesting. My grandparents had one when I was very young and they continued to live in the house long after they sold most of the land to local farmers.
I just want a house with a decent size garden because we are the wrong side of fifty to think of anything bigger and our health is not good enough for such hard work. We have no garden here but have a large allotment. It is quite a walk from the house. I am buying my brothers car on Sunday so I will not have to walk anymore and it will not matter if dh works overtime because I can get myself there.
I have been saving the money for the last month and I thought I would not be getting it till the end of this month. He rang at the weekend and said he and his wife had decided £300 was too much to ask and I could have it for £200. I know he looks after his cars so it is in good nick. It is taxed till end of April and tested for six months.
I never thought I would get another car and have not had my own since ds3 and he is 10 now. Our lives seem to be at a crossroads now so it is a good time for me to get one and do the things I need to do. I could have dh's car but it means getting up at 5am to take him to work and going back for him at 3pm if he doesn't work over. I have done it a few times but it is too tiring.

mama67

Frugaldom wrote: »

Does anyone use F00d Bargains website? The above is a 10% disc0unt code valid 'til 14/03/10 for anyone on our merry frugaldom challenge that wants to use it, not sure what the script is on links for these things but App Foods has plenty on here plus their own thread, so I've added Food Bargains to the handy links list in post 1.

I am in no way, shape or form associated with the discount food website, I simply asked on behalf of my frugal living challenge and that request was kindly met. :j:T

Lovely sunny day here, although still at -5C in the shade. It's a cooking and cleaning day in preparation for family visiting for a holiday. I may not be on here much between tonight and the weekend but the computer is always on, so I'll try my best.

thanks frugaldom have used the code to make a small order

Karmacat

I used to want a smallholding ... did a lot of research about permaculture, free range chickens, mohair, rabbits, all sorts of things -and put off, as has been mentioned, by the 24/7 slog - and now, like grandma247, I'm the wrong side of 50 to do it.

As to how much it costs .....no clue! It depends on what area of the country, and how much, whether its got road access, all sorts of things. As a preliminary, check it out on www.rightmove.co.uk, the housebuying site. You can select for "land" instead of "houses" or "flats" - the variety is interesting, from £5k up to 2.5 million at the moment!

For me, the max I want now is little more than a courtyard garden, my fingers hurt just peeling spuds, growing very much would be out of the question. But good luck to all of you that do!


EDIT - Natalie! Congratulations!

rozeepozee

The responses to my smallholding musings made me smile. Many like minds...

FrankieM wrote: »

rozeepozee I, too, would love to go down the smallholding path! As you say, we aren't the only ones!
I've been looking at over 10 acres so that I have land for about 6 cows/cattle; 6 sheep; 6 pigs; some land to make hay and land for veggies.
Depending on the area you want to live in will depend on the price. I found a lovely farm with a 4 bed house and 14 acres currently on the market for £600k....maybe not!!
I've given myself 3 years. I'm starting an Accounting degree in September and in 3 years I'll be finished and my 2 eldest will be trough there A levels, so its a good cut off for moving.
I'm looking at earning outside of my smallholding to begin with. So DH's job and I'm hoping to be self employed or part time.

How it all works out in reality is another thing completely, of course!!

I think we'd probably avoid any major livestock at first and just do hens and growing our own. Worry about the time and commitment required for more than that. I'm thinking smallholding, rather than farming.

We're looking at Wales as somewhere we could afford to buy. DH wants to be near the sea too, But the cheaper the location, the more isolated, so jobs....? Weare in a fairly fortunate position as we don't need to sell up where we are so could keep somewhere to return to if it didn't work out. Also, we could rent out our current place and this would provide us with a ?subsistence budget - hence my commitment to this thread - practicing living on less and understanding where savings can be made.

Blairweech wrote: »

To anyone wanting to partake a smallholding dream. Good on you! However, to make it work (and by work I mean 'break even'), I think it needs A LOT of research and consideration. And money - you are easily looking at half a million before you even start getting stock onto the land.

I am doing it the 'education' way, as I am not from a farming family, so going to uni to study Agriculture. I didn't want to commit to something that huge, for the rest of my life (especially where the care of animals is concerned) without 'knowing my onions' as it were. Also, having a degree will enable me to get a slightly better job when I graduate e.g. farm manager and hopefully get some £ in the bank.

Speak to people who are living the dream, ask everyone you can about their journey. Learn from their mistakes. It is a 24/7 365 job - there are no holidays, and Christmas is just another day. Look at how hard Nyk works, and she 'only' has chickens to look after. I think a lot of people underestimate just how hard the lifestyle is, and that is why the smallholding fails - you have to have your heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears and then some more going into it! But on the flip side, the rewards from doing what you love and seeing your dream come to fruition are incomparable.

Also (and I know this is going to make me sound awful and hard hearted), you have to look at it as a business if you want to make any money. I would definantly recommend (at least for the first year) for one partner to continue their work-a-day job whilst the other works on the smallholding. Making money from a smallholding is the hardest part, and diversification is key. Most smallholders I have spoken to are hailing the veg/meat box scheme as being profitable, plus things like holidays lets, cafes etc. So, think about all the different things you could do and put together a business plan before you start.

Don't forget what it says in Frankie's signature - 'You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind' That quote is what gave me the final push to stop dreaming and start doing something about it, even if it just saving all your £2 coins in a jar.

Rozee - If you do make the 'leap of faith' as it were, especially if you do it with 18 month old twins, PLEASE write a blog or a book or something about your journey. I think it would be very inspirational and a great help for people wanting to make the lifestyle change

I think the education route is a good thing - Aberystwyth has a good selection of Agricultural degrees and there are quite a few other FE colleges in and around North Wales - adds to the expense though and given that we are both over forty... I'd like my DP to do the course - I'm more the admin side of things and looking after the children. Agree that the more research and knowledge about what you're doing has got to be a good thing. We've done a lot of "talking and thinking" but we'd need to do some preper planning first of all - I have experience of setting up a new business but a legal practice is a bit different! Also, I don't think we'd intend to be turing a profit - we'd have four rental properties that would help fund our living expenses and the smallholding would be a lifestyle thing, growing enough to feed ourselves as much as possible. If it worked out, we could sell the rental properties in the medium term and buy a larger smallholding with a number of holiday cottages to let out. That would be really living the dream as we'd have a big pot of money to spend but then all our eggs would be in one basket.

Kiwisaver wrote: »

There is a Daydream Fund thread here on this very subject: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1544047&highlight=dream+fund

I started reading it a while back, but haven't got very far, it is VERY long.

If you are really serious and fed up with life in the UK, you could always emigrate to New Zealand. Land here is relatively cheap and £500k would go a very long way (caveat being: one of you would need to qualify for a visa, most likely under the skilled migrant category, if you are a professional of any description or have a trade qualification it's not too difficult).

Just for an idea of the possibilities (not a recommendation as I know nothing of this company) take a look here: http://www.countryandlifestyle.co.nz/rural-property/new-zealand/

Exchange rate is dire at present, since GBP has plummeted, usually NZ$2.50 is to the Pound. So £500k in more normal circumstances would give you $1.2 million. That's one heck of a LOT of money here. Further food for thought, if you bought a bare section (just land) you can get a very nice house built for NZ$250k

New Zealand is also somewhere I would consider moving to. I spent two years in Aus in 2002 to 2004 (DP had already been there for five years and I joined him) but I didn't like it. Sydney was too much like London (a hot one!) and by the time we did a bit of travelling and discovered the top half of the country, we'd made the decision to come home. Don't think I could move whilst the grandparents are alive though - couldn't bear to leave either in laws or my own parents or deprive my children of the relationship they have with their grandfolks and anyway, we will be the ones looking after them in their old age if they need it, so can't abandon them - and maybe once they've gone, we'll be "on the wrong side of 50", so if we're going to do the smallholding thing, think it has to be in the next 3 years.

grandma247 wrote: »

The smallholding discussion is interesting. My grandparents had one when I was very young and they continued to live in the house long after they sold most of the land to local farmers.
I just want a house with a decent size garden because we are the wrong side of fifty to think of anything bigger and our health is not good enough for such hard work. We have no garden here but have a large allotment. It is quite a walk from the house. I am buying my brothers car on Sunday so I will not have to walk anymore and it will not matter if dh works overtime because I can get myself there.

Karmacat wrote: »

I used to want a smallholding ... did a lot of research about permaculture, free range chickens, mohair, rabbits, all sorts of things -and put off, as has been mentioned, by the 24/7 slog - and now, like grandma247, I'm the wrong side of 50 to do it.

As to how much it costs .....no clue! It depends on what area of the country, and how much, whether its got road access, all sorts of things. As a preliminary, check it out on www.rightmove.co.uk, the housebuying site. You can select for "land" instead of "houses" or "flats" - the variety is interesting, from £5k up to 2.5 million at the moment!

For me, the max I want now is little more than a courtyard garden, my fingers hurt just peeling spuds, growing very much would be out of the question. But good luck to all of you that do!

Thanks for your replies. Thinking about it does get me excited and reading grandma and karmacat's contributions makes me realise we need to take some action soonish or it can get "too late".

zarazara

My DH want to start some home improvements.This would seriously affect my frugalism. I am trying my best to put him off. I can wait for the [necessary] things which need doing,as and as for the just "wants",well, they can go and find another home to be done in............. I need to direct him into another thought patten, perhaps interesting him in a veg plot or something? Ideas please.

grandma247

zarazara wrote: »

My DH want to start some home improvements.This would seriously affect my frugalism. I am trying my best to put him off. I can wait for the [necessary] things which need doing,as and as for the just "wants",well, they can go and find another home to be done in............. I need to direct him into another thought patten, perhaps interesting him in a veg plot or something? Ideas please.

Well it's the right time of year to be veg planting. That will give you very cheap veggies to help your budget and you could always persuade him to "sell" you the veg and put the money in a piggy bank for the diy.

xnatalie81x

grandma247 wrote: »

Xnatalie that is great news about your house. Shame about the concrete though. I can not understand why people who hate gardening live in a house with a garden and concrete it over. A highrise would be more suitable.

I like having a concrete garden as the kids can't mess it up BUT i do have my allotment so i don't mind!!!! And i am still local enough to go to my lottie every day