The Frugal Hearth: Stories of Simple Living and Living Well

Makingabobor2

Hope you start to feel better soon.

Elisheba

Good morning, frugalistas!

I'm finally starting to feel better, thank the wee man! Was back at work yesterday, and although I got tired early I managed fine, and today I feel even better.

I may have acted a little impulsively yesterday, but so far I have no regrets. What it is, is I have 2 weeks leave booked off over the Xmas and New Year period. The first week I'll be spending up in Scotland with my Mum, but I wasn't sure what to do with the second week. I've stayed with Mum a lot this year and fancied doing something a bit different.

So I was having a browse at holiday cottages online, mainly for this summer, when I saw one at a very reasonable price which was available for the NY week. Hmm, thought I, that's actually something I could do... And it has two bedrooms, I wonder if my brother would like to come along? Turns out he would. And my Mum would be willing to look after black cat for the week.

So I booked it! A little cottage on the north west coast of Skye for a week for Hogmanay 😁. It has phone signal but no WiFi, a Morso stove, kitchen/living/dining room, enclosed garden for silly dog, two bedrooms, some lovely views, and that's about it really!

It's going to be an absolute trek getting there - six hours (plus breaks) from my Mum's (who is just north of Glasgow). No idea if the Skye bridge closes in bad weather, in which case we might end up sleeping in the car until we can cross 😆. Still, I've never spent a holiday on Skye (have been to a lot of the other islands when younger) except 2 days when I was backpacking a couple of years ago, so it'll be good to have a wee nosy around. I expect a lot of places will be closed with the time of year, but we can still visit Portree, and walk on some beaches, and see some nature.

Since I'll already be at Mums, it's a good stepping stone to get there, so it works out very well. It would be be far too long a journey for one day from Wales really. 

I'm very surprised at my families reaction though. They all seem to think not having WiFi sounds horrendous. I mean come on, it's only been around 20 odd years that WiFi has existed, and sure its useful, but it's only a week without it! I suppose as I don't watch much telly that side of it doesn't bother me, and there is a telly there but I imagine it would just get the normal channels - although maybe not as I'm not sure actually, can you still get TV without WiFi these days?

Anyway, it'll be a holiday of windy and stormy beach walks, home made food, and card games by the stove in the evenings. Sounds fantastic to me!

The cottage is £500 for the week, which is fairly reasonable for the time year. I imagine I'll spend about £150 on diesel, and will need to work out a spending budget - probably about £20 a day max.

All in all, it will basically be the extra money I had saved out of the Annuals Pots. So there will be no extra boost to my savings at the end of the year, but also no loss either as that wasn't part of my planned savings.

So an impulsive spend, but hopefully a good one. It's good to have new experiences, and this should break up what's likely to be a long Winter. Now if only I have the leave left and could afford some winter sun in in February as well 🤣.

Other than that, I bought £13 of messages in the C00p yesterday. Nothing very exciting, just some frozen veg, black bags, tea and vitamins. I reckon with my budget I should be spending about £30 a week on groceries, with an extra £30 a month for stocking up, and that's roughly what I have spent this week so should be on track.

Today's plans are to do a clothes wash and hang it up. Walk silly dog at some point, although there is a storm so I don't know exactly when that will be. Got Church House Group tonight, so that'll be the majority of my evening. I have soup that needs using which I'll have for dinner, probably with a couple of boiled eggs I have in the fridge. 

So that's today all planned. I think I'll have another coffee before I face the day and start work. Hope you are all having a good week and staying nice and warm and dry 😊.

in_need_of_direction

Your decision may have been impulsive but it sounds heavenly to me and exactly what you might need after festive family time. Glad silly dog gets to go

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, what a fantastic plan!! I am thoroughly in favour 😁 we went to orkney over Christmas and New year several years on a row and that was ace 😍 at least some of those trips were before we had smart phones and while I think Mr c took a laptop on a couple of occasions we just watched a couple of films on it,  I think. Lots of reading and plotting and scheming! I bet you'll have the most marvellous time 😍

foxgloves

Sounds like just our kind of holiday, Elisheba.
 Mr F is keen on a week up on Skye, but it would be a much longer drive for us so I think it's a great idea to go while you are already in Scotland.

beanielou

Skye is lovely. 

Makingabobor2

Oh what a brilliant thing to have planned. A week with no wifi sounds like heaven. Have always wanted to go to Skye. 

amber03

Recently went on a cruise and didn’t pay for the internet. Best thing we did, nobody could message us and we just sat,chilled,read books and watched movies. Your holiday sounds absolutely perfect to me.

Humdinger1

Wonderful @Elisheba! You'll start the new year refreshed, relaxed and exuberant.   Just what you need to put the bug behind you.  Love Humdinger xx 

lucielle

Hi lurker delurking. I live on Skye. The bridge is only usually closed to high sided vehicles in bad weather. I’ve never known it to be shut for cars. If it was it would be only for extremely windy weather. We’ve got storm Bran at the moment and it’s still open for cars. 

PM me if you want any more info
L