You can tell when springs on the way....

Fluffy legs, the cockerel, has been showing everyone just how close we are to spring.

Not only is he being overly friendly with all the girls, but he's also going through an aggressive stage as testosterone surges through his body after a quite winter.

So, naturally, after being flown at feet first when feeding, I've been forced to chase him around a bit so that he backs off again.

To be fair I tend to try and stay out of his way, my thoughts are that a cockerel isn't much good if he ISN'T looking out for his girls, watching him chase off a hawk one day is testimony to that, he does his job well.

I draw the line however at him actively attacking me. 

Those spurs are BIG!Luckily he's remembered his manners and is patiently watching me with a beady eye when I go into feed them once again.       

One of things that's happened though is I FINALLY know which of last years chicks are hens and cocks and  YAY!!! Out of the four only one was a boy!! 

Now I know I can name them.... I put off naming them so here it goes, in the time honored tradition I have of naming them after book characters. 

"Gatsby"

(The new cockerel)

"Miss barker"

(Gatsby's sister)

"Daisy"

(Blossoms daughter)

"Myrtle"

(Daisy's sister)

"The Aunties"

(The last two hybrids) 

....and in case you forgot about her... little "Blossom" (Or pram face)

The runs looking awful at the moment, heavy rain and snow have stripped it of grass. 

                                     

We're building a new one to give he main run a rest and tidy. 

Eventually we'll kit this one out as a winter run .

More pics when its done :)

The Good Life

Richard Briers is dead.

This is actually a really sad moment for me... (second only perhaps to the thought of David Attenborogh dying).

Many people in my age bracket will remember The Good Life.
Tom and Barbra transforming their suburban home and  garden into a hive of self sufficiency, not to mention looking back and realising that the home brew they shared with Margot and Jerry most likely fulled many a wife swapping party :P

The truth is though, that that show, and Toms dogged determination to make a go of it, made many people consider turning back to the land.

I imagine this is something that led to my parents buying John Seymores seminal book "Self Sufficiency" and to me spending hours pouring over the pages as a kid.

I still have the first copy they bought and although there are many things that are  impractical, there are many more that have proved invaluable over the years.

So here's to Richard Briers, may his hands be dirty in the afterlife.

So you think you can't tighten your belt?

Cutting down spending always seems impossible.
When the bills are all going up and food gets no cheaper, you wonder where you can possibly cut back.
It's something we try not to talk about in public because, sadly, the first thing people usually say is "well! if you got rid of the horses...!"

Not happening.

We don't believe animals are "things" to be discarded when the going gets tough, the only way they would go to new homes is if we genuinely could not find the money to keep the in good health.

But sometimes it feels like its getting that way.

After Xmas we sat down to take a long hard look at the facts. We needed to cut back somewhere.

So here's some things we've done to save money... (not all will be relevant as they include horses/chickens etc but they might be handy for some ;) ... as well as some general ideas.

SHOPPING

1. Make a list: Basic advice but so often not done. Once a week go through your freezer/fridge/cupboards and decide what you need. I like to make sure I have a certain amount of some products in my store at anyone time, things like plant milks/flours/pasta/baked beans etc... so replenish those.
2. Try and stick to your list...: But not blindly. If I come across fruit and vegetables that are reduced I'll buy those instead. If spaghetti is on offer I'll buy  that instead of macaroni etc.
3. Treat supermarket offers with suspicion ..: But don't rule them out. Most offers are on branded goods but sometimes... SOMETIMES its cheaper. For example we usually buy a supermarket own brand cereal, but an offer on a branded one actually works out cheaper at the moment. It doesn't happen often but its worth doing that math.
4. Talking of math..: Unless you have a keen mathematical mind, take a calculator. Work out the price per 100g/ml etc, it really can be surprising!
5. Think about your shopping experience: How stressful your trip to the shops is will determine how you spend. If possible, try and pick a time of day that is quieter (Sunday evenings are nice, and also have lots of reduced items!). If you can do it alone, then do. If you have to take children either split into two groups (with a small trolley for each group) or try and charge each child with helping out. It may take longer but will be less stressful.
6. Shop from home: If you can't shop at a quiet time or have children on your own who enjoy making shopping hell, then its worth considering home delivery. The delivery charge may work out less than you would "stress spend".
7. Don't buy self harm: Cigarettes, alcohol, junk food, fizzy drinks, anything labelled "sugar free" or "fat free"... these should not be a part of your weekly shopping. If these things are part of your grocery shopping you need a drastic rethink. Why would you spend money you don't have on things that make you ill?

FOOD.

1. Know what you have in your freezer/fridge/cupboards: Careless shopping often ends up manifesting in 3 open jars of the same product.
2. Plan your meals: Naturally you can be flexible, but having a rough idea of what you're going to eat will help you plan  your shopping.
3. Use what you have: You won't save money meal planning if you're buying all the ingredients every week. Plan cleverly around what you have already.
4. Leftovers are not your enemy. When most people talk about leftovers they mean having a Sunday roast and then using meat again on the Monday. As we eat vegan, this doesn't happen, but we are clever. Some examples (all homemade unless specified)...
   *Leftover pasta sauce mixed into extra veg and some lentils to make soup.
   *Leftover soup added to casserole.
   *Leftover casserole made into soup.
   *Leftover curry/chili made into pasties.
   *Leftover pasta made into salad.
   *Leftover mashed potato made into potato cakes/bread. ... and so on...
5. Never make soup or casserole straight from a recipe: These meals where designed to use up food. They should be made from your leftovers or from the veg you have a surplus of or that needs using NOW! The key to these dishes is in the herbs you use. Follow a recipe by all means, but be brave enough to change things. Maybe you have no sweet potato but lots of swede? Use it! It'll work, I promise!
6. If you have lots of one thing, either you bought it greatly reduced or you have excess from the garden, remember how friendly Google is! Search online for ideas on how to cook it. Sometimes  you'll find whole websites devoted to one food!! A surplus of cabbage will never scare you again ;)          
7. Make your own baked goods: The raw ingredients for bread, cake, cookies etc are very, very cheap so learn how to bake! If price alone doesn't convince you, remember just how much in the way of preservatives, colourings and other rubbish goes into shop bought baked goods, home made is healthier, you know exactly whats in it AND it tastes nicer too. Its a win, win!
8. Think about your eating habits: Its easy to get stuck in a rut with food, especially if you're a "meat and two veg" person. Some of the cheapest and nutritionally dense foods are vegan! 
9. Don't try to be TOO cheap: In my opinion there are somethings that are perfectly ok to buy in the supermarket "value" ranges.. and some that aren't. For example I'll buy value plain flour to use in sauces and things, but will buy the next level up for self raising. Value self raising flour is not man enough! Value tinned tomatoes and baked beans are perfectly acceptable, but value bread is disgusting (and full of crap!). Value "Weetabix" are gross and the kids refuse to eat them (don't blame them, I tried them too) but the supermarket own brand ones are as good as the branded. Also, just because its value doesn't make it cheaper, and its also worth remembering that you haven't saved anything if its so horrible that your family won't eat it.
10. Use loose leaf tea. Cheaper and goes further too!
11. Don't eat so much. Really. We all eat too much ;)

HOME

1. Draft proof your home! Do it! Curtains, blinds, shutters, draft exluders, loft insulation. A well insulated and draft free home will need the bare minimum of heating.
2. Wear more clothes inside. Its February, you shouldn't be sitting in your house in a t shirt....
3. Upcycle things! Turn past their best towels in to face cloths, old tea towels in to dish cloths, old t-shirts into dusters (or bags, or scarves, or skirts.. seriously Google it!). Jam jars into containers, empty tubs into freezer Tupperware.
4. Mend things. Pick up a needle and thread and fix the hole in that sweater instead of throwing it away.
5. Sort your laundry. Not just whites and darks, but by different wash cycles. Bath towels and lightly soiled clothes are perfectly fine on an eco wash (30 degrees or less). Heavily soiled clothes should be soaked first. For extra green points, put heavily soiled clothes in your used bath water and leave over night. Ring out the excess water and then they can be washed at a moderate temperature instead of a damaging and expensive higher one. Be sure to weigh your clothes so you don't end up putting too much weight in your washing machine. Wet clothes take up less pace in the drum than dry ones ;)
6. Don't change your clothes so much! I know people who will change their clothes 2 or even 3 times a day! If you have to change your clothes in the day, because of your job maybe, then the chances are you can wear the clothes again the next day. Ideally, put  them on a hanger next to an open window, or out on the washing line for an hour or so to "air". There's being clean and tidy and then there's being OCD!

LEISURE   

1. Eating out is expensive. If you find that eating out or getting take aways is a regular occurrence, think about why you do? A special meal can be just as special at home. Invite friends over for dinner and ask them to bring a dish, social fun and cheap while still being celebratory.
2. Movies. We love them! The actual experience of going to the movies is expensive (especially for us as our nearest cinema is 35 miles away!). We try to go 3 or 4 times a year. The kids love popcorn but its lots cheaper to buy one large bag for them to share than it is to buy 3 small bags. They also take their water bottles with them, so no sickly, over priced sodas! If you're hardcore you can smuggle in your own snacks, but some cinemas frown on this..... I wonder why? ;) To get our movie fix at other times though we have a weekly "movie night" at home. We make our own popcorn, make a dinner easily eaten off our laps and watch either something from our own library or from lovefilm.
3. Ditch the TV. The TV license is a cost I can do without. Most people have a collection of DVD's at home and internet access. Via i-player and youtube there's a wealth of viewing material. Also add a lovefilm subscription (with is VERY good value if you like renting box sets as well as single movies) and you're covered, all without the TV in the corner tempting you to turn it on to watch rubbish and advertisements.
4. Newspapers: A newspaper a day (not including sat/sun papers) adds up to a whopping £200 + a year!! Breaking news is available online and also offers you the choice of several different view points and more in depth research if you want.
5. Magazines: The average magazine now costs nearly £4. Take a close look though and, again, you'll notice that a good third will be advertisements, or features written by a company. Use the internet for impartial advice and ideas and check out books for more in depth essays..... If you buy gossip magazines that peddle judgmental opinions of people in the media glare, consider giving these up. Encouraging you to judge others by their looks or actions will only make you feel judged yourself. x
6. Walk more. Its healthy and free ;)

PETS

1. Dog food: If your dog food contains "Meat and other animal derivatives" bin it.... someone scrapped the slaughterhouse floor and that's your "animal derivatives". Food companies are obliged to use "meat fit for human consumption" in pet food, but this only means they have to use the animal fit for human consumption. So your pet really is being fed the dregs. Then to hide this fact and make it more palatable, they colour it, add flavourings and sugars.... super! Its vile, and even cheap dog food is expensive. Make your own! Dogs thrive on numerous foods. Its not harmful to their health to be given normal food. I often cook up veg peelings and rice, add a spoon of peanut butter and a dash of oil and you have a filling, almost free, balanced meal for a dog. Obviously what you eat  your home will determine what you feed your dog, table scraps are fine unless you eat large amounts of junk food or the scraps are full of food that is dangerous for dogs to eat (ie, onions, rasins, chocolate). Use your common sense.
2. Chickens: When we first got chickens I bought layers pellets for them... then I realised how expensive it was and did some research. Now I feed two straight feeds (mixed corn and rolled oats) which are half the price, and I grind up vegetable scraps for them. They're also very fond of left over cereals, pasta and rice. It goes without saying that you shouldn't feed them chicken right? 
3. Horses: I could write a book on this, but will stick to a few points here. 99/100 a horses is being fed WAY more hard feed and supplements than they need. Most people presume their horse is in "medium to hard" work, when in fact they are barely working hard enough to warrant a "maintenance" level of feeding. If your horse does what the majority of horses do in a week (4-5 days ridden, two schooling sessions, two hacks, one longer hack or competition) they are still in "Low" work.
   This basically means they only need a very small amount of concentrated feed, a broad spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement and forage in the form of hay or grass. That's it. A normal, healthy horses needs no more. Feed your horses as naturally as possible, trickle fed roughage, let them stay out as much as possible. Better for them, better for your pocket. This is a VERY basic generalization but thats what it boils down to.          

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE SPENDING MONEY.                          

• Do I need it or do I want it?
• If I want it how will it improve my life?
• Can I do without it?
• Am I prepared to go without elsewhere to have this item?
• Is this something I can make myself?
• Is this something someone I know can make in exchange for something I can make/do.
• Can I borrow it? (eg Library/neighbour etc)
• Will this thing have any negative reactions in my life?
• Can I postpone buying it? If so, will I still want it next month?
• Is this something that will last well?
• Is this something I am happy to share?

I know its not a comprehensive post, just the things that came to mind immediately  I'd love you guys to leave your own money saving tips in the comments for other readers to see!  *Plot twist... she wants you to leave comments* ;)

Rootless.

I just came back from a great weekend in York for a friends birthday.
Although I had a lovely time, met great friends, admired the beautiful city, the trip was grueling.

A taxi, a train, a bus then another train and 8 1/2 hrs to get there.... Then, a train, another train, a bus a car and 6 hrs to get home.

Its expensive, its tiring, it's stressful (especially when the platform for your train isn't announced until 3 minutes before the train leaves and you have to sprint through an unfamiliar station to catch it... and then you realise that you've lost part of your ticket and spend the next three hours worried about getting chucked off the train...)... and it takes the shine off an otherwise great weekend.

I guess I get a little low after trips like this... After the relief of being back home has wore off and the kids stop being extra nice to me, and I realise just how far away we are from everyone.

All my friends, all my family, they're so far away and its just SO expensive to visit them....

If we had more money and time... ah... If wishes were horses....

So I do my usual thing of spending a depressing day looking at houses for sale further south and knowing, without a shadow of a doubt, that I can't afford to move and we can't risk unemployment, and the kids have fucking good schools and.... You get the picture.

I do feel alone here sometimes.

But I have to look at how much I do have here, things I'm not prepared to give up on, the work we've already done to the house, the garden. How settled the kids seem.

Could be worse.

Probably.