My Off-grid and need to be frugal diary

AnimalTribe

DH went into town today since the car was due for a service and MOT. It passed without problem. We have a service plan that we pay for monthly by direct debit. This includes doing the MOT, so DH spent nothing today at the garage.

He called into Lidl for some bread and spent £1.79. Bread is one of the 4 things that I’m allowing in my 30 day no spend challenge. DH also spent £1.49 on grapes, as there is still fruit in the house these are not included in the challenge.

While in Lidl he used their app and got a free 16 portion chocolate cake and a carton of chocolate milk (so about £6 worth) – that can’t be bad for free.

The weather has been misty here all day so the generator has switched on. It hasn’t been gardening weather either, so I’ve just sorted out more stuff for the charity shop and done more crafting.

AnimalTribe

£0

Lunch DH fish and bread, me sandwiches, with salad, followed by grapes

Dinner pizza and salad, followed by chocolate cake

It’s raining and overcast here today so no power generated, I’ve been running things on the portable power packs. They lasted all day, but the generator switched on this evening.

I finally found my black beads so I’ve been sewing eyes on teddies, rabbits and hens. Then I’ve been pinning them ready for sewing. I lost my sewing needle which isn’t a good thing for doggie paws, so I locked the dogs out of the room, searched the things I had ready for sewing, looked on the desk, the floor, the chair and myself. Got a magnet to pull across the carpet, looked at the things I had pinned ready for sewing again. Couldn’t find the needle anyway. I asked DH to come and help look.

DH asked if I’d checked the material I’d pinned, of course I had. He looked in all the places I looked, even got down on his hands and knees, used the magnet, then went to find a strong torch to highlight the metal. I thought I’d looked at my pinned stuff again – WHOOPS. At least I found it in the end, so doggie paws are safe.

AnimalTribe

£0

The new oil tank is now connected, and the oil has been pumped in, but it now has to settle so that any water on the bottom can be drained off. The water comes from the temporary tank and was swirled in with the oil when it was pumped out. I'm not sure how the water got into the temporary tank, but DH tells me it is not uncommon. So no hot shower tonight again.

I've finished a couple more things, I'm not sure about the snowman or the angel but I'll probably list them anyway and see how they do.

Four_Seasons

Love them x
I wish I felt as motivated as you are my etsy will be empty of Christmas bits if I don't  pull my socks up x

AnimalTribe

£0

Four_Seasons I think the reason I have been doing so well with crafting is that DH and I are trying for a no spend month. This means we have been staying within a few miles of the house rather than visiting places that might tempt us to spend. I know it will be a real effort for me to actually get my stuff listed, as I hate that part.

DH has mown part of the garden, put up a metal archway that’s been on the ‘to do list’ for a while, and used a soldering iron to repair a split in a plastic measuring jug. This is all very useful stuff but . . . . . . . he was supposed to be sorting out the oil tank. His reasoning is that it’s dry today and he can only mow the grass in dry weather, whilst he can sort out the tank even if it’s raining – Hmm!! He’s promised to do it tomorrow though – I think it must have been the look on my face. I am not a fan of cold showers, but DH doesn’t mind.

I’ve started clearing out the dining room which has become a junk room. I’ve a long way to go though as it’s full of stuff.

AnimalTribe

£0

Hooray! Hot water and hot shower at last – wonderful.

Overcast and still here so the generator switched on.

Added to the list of home improvements is an immersion heater, so that if anything happens to the oil supply in future I can switch to electric (weather willing)

I’m continuing to sort out boxes of junk – lots to get rid of, a few things to store in different places and a few things to sell. I haven’t finished yet though

rachmac3

Congratulations on the hot shower!

teapot2

Yay to hot showers 🚿

AnimalTribe

Rachmac3 & Teapot2 Thanks it is soooo good to have hot water.

£0 (although we will be getting an invoice for the heating engineer’s call out fee)

That’s the chocolate cake finished.

I am surrounded by hundreds of sheep and they like to rub up against the garden gate. The only problem with the sheep enjoying my gate is that they leave piles of poop all over the entry way which has to be shovelled up every now and again. Still it’s been cleared today and the sheep provide cheap entertainment for one of the dogs as she likes to watch them from the window.

DH has been busy today. It’s an annual task to change the oil and air filters on the generator. It’s not any easy job though, as the casing has to come off and there are a number of nuts and bolts in very difficult to get to corners. I think I'll have to make him a cake tomorrow as he deserves a treat.

AnimalTribe

£0

The usual lazy Sunday, catching up with phone calls, walking the dogs and that’s about it.

That’s the last of the biscuits finished, so I made sunflower and date flapjacks – I don’t think they’ll last DH very long.

I have some potatoes that need to be used up soon, so there will be a few potato based meals over the coming week. Today I made spiced wedges for today and tomorrow, as well as some potato salad to go with lunches. I’ve put 4 big potatoes aside to make jacket potatoes. That will be about half the potatoes used up.

Tonight I’m just reading my book and watching a bit of TV.