I thought this year I would use Friday to both highlight blogs, books, articles or links I have enjoyed this week which I have been doing, but also as a time to reflect and share some of our challenge year of 'Our Families Year of Less So We Can Experience More' on a week to week basis. As a kind of accountability/reflective post.
I did spend a little time op-shipping recently picking up things we need and over the period of a few weeks I have managed to pick up:
- x3 pairs of brand new good quality pairs of heavy duty men's work shorts and a pair of light men's swimming shorts for $20 total. Grant doesn't get work clothes supplied in this job.
- A pair of brand new school sneakers for Henry $2, (he only used to wear thongs or little work boots prior, but naturally school requires sneakers for sports.)
- A vintage ceramic mixing bowl for $3 (Now my fruit bowl.)
- A brand new purple canvas bag for $4 to store a towel, wipes, garbage bags and spare clothes in for Henry who gets car sick regularly in these hills. Coming from the plains to the hills is a change in so many ways, some like the carsickness is completely unexpected.
- A book each for the boys and one I saw and thought a dear friend would enjoy $4 in total.
- Vintage double bed wool crochet blanket for $15. (It's colder than I expected here overnight and I left most of our blankets in storage.)
It is hard having most of our stuff in storage in SA, but mostly we make do. There are a few bits and bobs I am keeping my eye open for in the thrift stores but slowly we are becoming better organized.
I am excited to share we collected our yurt from Sydney yesterday and it is now sitting in crates on the farm, waiting to be built. This weekend will hopefully consist of plenty of deck building along with a bit of tidying and sorting out around camp, odd jobs, reading as well as some rest tucked in there too.
Next week I shall try to come back with a more detailed post. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this weeks reads.
Much love,
Emma
xx
Cut back and pay off debit, it's life changing
Rhonda Hetzel is back blogging when she can after a break and she published this the other day. Its a cracker and very on point with what we are trying to achieve this year with our family challenege.
Fairy Wren Cottage
"It's the little things in life which are the big things."
The Tassie fires have been heartbreaking, This is an Aussie Blogger who has been monitoring them. Thankfully as I write this her homestead is still ok.
Becoming Minimalist - Everything Changes
3 x 20ft Shipping Containers Turn Into Amazing Compact Home
If I Had a Homesteading Do-Over
I really enjoyed this YouTube. So often with social media, we see only the perfect side of peoples lives. In some areas there seems to be a bit of a pushback towards this and I'm enjoying a move to people being more authentic, and being open about the struggles and talking about real life behind often seemingly perfect picures.
Bedtime rituals. A snuggly blanket, a good book, favorite 'Bunn-Rabbit' and a cup of milk.
As I explained in the post linked above we are camping at the moment, and our ability to cook/store food will improve as our off-grid farm set up improves. But starting next week I'll be tracking our grocery spending again more closely which has understandably fallen to the wayside a little since moving. We are eating simply and spending carefully, but I have not been saving receipts etc and tallying it up due to my focus being on the kids and settling in.
Our frugal challenge is not a competition, there will be others out there who no doubt do it 'better' than us. There will be people who live more simply, more minimally, and who cook, grow and harvest more than we will manage this year. Which is perfectly OK. This challenge is not about perfection, nor trying to prove anything. It is quite simply our own family project, based around our own families needs which I thought might be good to share.
I did spend a little time op-shipping recently picking up things we need and over the period of a few weeks I have managed to pick up:
- x3 pairs of brand new good quality pairs of heavy duty men's work shorts and a pair of light men's swimming shorts for $20 total. Grant doesn't get work clothes supplied in this job.
- A pair of brand new school sneakers for Henry $2, (he only used to wear thongs or little work boots prior, but naturally school requires sneakers for sports.)
- A vintage ceramic mixing bowl for $3 (Now my fruit bowl.)
- A brand new purple canvas bag for $4 to store a towel, wipes, garbage bags and spare clothes in for Henry who gets car sick regularly in these hills. Coming from the plains to the hills is a change in so many ways, some like the carsickness is completely unexpected.
- A book each for the boys and one I saw and thought a dear friend would enjoy $4 in total.
- Vintage double bed wool crochet blanket for $15. (It's colder than I expected here overnight and I left most of our blankets in storage.)
It is hard having most of our stuff in storage in SA, but mostly we make do. There are a few bits and bobs I am keeping my eye open for in the thrift stores but slowly we are becoming better organized.
I am excited to share we collected our yurt from Sydney yesterday and it is now sitting in crates on the farm, waiting to be built. This weekend will hopefully consist of plenty of deck building along with a bit of tidying and sorting out around camp, odd jobs, reading as well as some rest tucked in there too.
Next week I shall try to come back with a more detailed post. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this weeks reads.
Much love,
Emma
xx
Cut back and pay off debit, it's life changing
Rhonda Hetzel is back blogging when she can after a break and she published this the other day. Its a cracker and very on point with what we are trying to achieve this year with our family challenege.
Fairy Wren Cottage
"It's the little things in life which are the big things."
The Tassie fires have been heartbreaking, This is an Aussie Blogger who has been monitoring them. Thankfully as I write this her homestead is still ok.
Becoming Minimalist - Everything Changes
3 x 20ft Shipping Containers Turn Into Amazing Compact Home
If I Had a Homesteading Do-Over
I really enjoyed this YouTube. So often with social media, we see only the perfect side of peoples lives. In some areas there seems to be a bit of a pushback towards this and I'm enjoying a move to people being more authentic, and being open about the struggles and talking about real life behind often seemingly perfect picures.
