Thanks Stew, Nev, Chickenlady and Andy.
Lots of good ideas and links there for me to check out which I will do.
My problem is largely financial so anything I do has do be money-saving.
As I said most of the food items I purchase form T***o are cheaper to buy than grow or produce. However, I agree that one should grow food.....if we do have an oil-based recession then food prices could rise and it is better to have a production operation up and running.
In the Northern Ireland northern climate one can best grow root vegetables for winter storage; especially marrows, pumpkins and onions. I just spoke to the landlord and he said that he will give me a good sized garden for growing.
As with all these things initial investment is the first hurdle. For instance a polytunnel will mean one can grow more sensitive plants like lettuce and tomatoes while protecting cabbages from sluggies and other pests.
I have a reasonably high frugality level at the moment Chickenlady, I rarely buy luxuries and being a veggie helps but I will go over the links and check for more ideas.....getting rid of SKY was one!
I had a romantic notion of taking a plot of turf (peat) having it cut and then stacking the turfs to dry ready to be transported up to the house. But I have since discovered that it is actually cheaper to just buy it at a pound a bag from a supplier. That is just one example of how doing things oneself can be more time-consuming and more expensive. It is getting the balance right between affordable self-sufficiency and capitulating to the system!
Great idea Nev to write all the costs down for a couple of months. I will certainly do that especially to study oil v turf costs.
As to scavenging Andy there wont be much to find up there. But I will look for mushrooms and see what fruit grows wild.
Again initial investment of a deep freezer could be considered to store veggies and fruit for winter......but would the UK electric costs not mean it would be cheaper to just buy fresh? I'll have to see. Your link on preservation will be worth a good study and I will read Nev's article.
One little thing, I said in an other post that the engineer is linking the range to the central heating but the landlord now tells me that the fuel efficiency of the range is so low as to only produce enough energy to heat a radiator in the kitchen!
So to save energy I will possibly have to let most of the house freeze during the day and spend the time in the kitchen/sitingroom area with the range, setting the central heating to come on before bed time and in the early morning.
I wonder Andy if there could be any way we could post pics? Someone has offered to do a little digital photo shoot so I can show you all the new place.
mountaingirl
Hi sufficientishers,
(and I mean everything) that you spend down and then after a month or two analyse where your money is going. Sometimes it can be surprising!
