Sunday 24 December 2017

Final inspirations from Marigold.

Hello. As we creep nearer to Christmas I am pleased that I haven't let myself be swayed by the mayhem of shopping going on around me. I got my yellow stickers on Thursday, so now I am keeping away from the shops. There is really no need for me to go to town, or Tesco, or the Retail Park. I expect it will quieten down later as people realize that they have enough, and with a 4pm closing time, only the least organized will be dashing around at the last minute. It must be very stressful to be a slave to money, tradition, accumulating possessions, and feeling the need to fit in with everyone else. I'm glad I am free of all that.

And so to the fourth and last contribution from our frugal friend, Marigold. A few more pearls of wisdom which might be of interest to our readers.

The thing I find interesting about you is that you seem to be able to free yourself from the"hooks" of money and I am sure that a lot of it is to do with your perspectives.   I feel that frugality is a very prosperous, manifestation mindset but that we really need to control the "impulse buy that satisfies a psychological need" to achieve it.  I also believe sharing is an important part of it so no one holds onto the energy but it keeps flowing.

I'm noticing how often my budget gets into trouble with the agreement to go out and celebrate with a meal or a coffee, to travel with family,....the need to love and be fed?  Now I invite people home for a coffee and some homemade bread, salad from my perma culture garden, pickles from saved food and an egg from the free range chooks.

Another thing that has helped me is to use the Perma Culture idea that everything you grow (I apply to what I do and have) needs to have 3 uses.  My dog is company, security, good for my mental health, she guards the chooks as well as gets me out walking; so I can well justify the money I spend on her.   Now, however, I am looking for cheaper ways to feed her.   I have roses for flowers (sometimes to sell), for gifts, for the bees and insects and I use the thorny stems as seedling protection from the chooks and then they go on the fire when dry.  

At present I justify the car/van as i can get guinea pig and chook food from the roadside, carry wood and sand from the river, sometimes grassclippings and it gives me an opportunity to remove rubbish from the river also.  It is one of my largest expenses (and the earths) so I am trying to use my bike and legs more, find people who will drop their grass clippings here, deliver hay etc. just being really careful about only going to town unless I have multiple uses is making a difference; eg going to library, knitting club, drop off goods and check charity shop, check nearby supermarket for discount buys and on the way home take the dog up the river.

I am aware I am  in a privileged position because I brought a very cheap house (in a not so nice area - which turns out to be great because people are resourceful) and a quarter acre. I have managed to pay it off over about 18 years because I had work.  Having the gardens, the minor outlays, a room to rent etc does certainly make my life easier.  I hope I can keep this better life up; it's a lovely way to go into my older age and your example has definitely helped me to see that and to figure out how to improve it rather than worrying about how am I going to manage for the next thirty years?   It is just a series of challenges to solve and with being frugal I get the opportunity to set up a bit of a backstop, bet the system and see how much money I can make available to me and the people I chose to help.  However, my greatest gift is to be surrounded by friends and family who interact with me.

As you can see she has a very similar mindset to my own. Using her car as a van, multipurpose vehicle, it has to be useful not just for days out and joy riding. Understanding that impulse buying is only to satisfy a psychological need. Being drawn in to socialize with other people feeds a need to be loved. And being aware of the privileged position we are in owning our own house.

Marigold, I thank you for sending these two emails and allowing me to use them here. May I make a suggestion. You have a flare for writing, think about using it to make some extra money. You could contact magazines, newspapers, and web sites, especially blogs, to offer your services as a guest writer. Worth a thought.

The Zippppeeeee wall hanging is finished, and I'm very chuffed at how it has turned out. Pictures to come later. It is the Eve of Christmas Day. I hope you all have a wonderful time, lots to eat and drink, and be merry. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

31 comments:

  1. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you! May next year bring new experiences and a lot of walking :)

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  2. Happy Christmas to you!
    Arilx

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  3. Merry Christmas to you, Ilona.
    I'll be walking with you in(to) 2018.
    A new year that hopefully will be joyful an bring you health and happiness.
    Cheers,

    Jeanneke.

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  4. I have so enjoyed this series from Marigold, thank you so much Marigold for sharing your thoughts, and thanks to you Ilona for posting it. Everyone has a story to tell, of one has the time to listen. It has also made me think, I have a car but so does my husband and in truth we only need one. I have felt guilty for some time, not just the expense, although I have recently stopped working two years early, but also about the planetary implications. However, I can't give up my car just now, we have three elderly parents who are almost twenty miles away, for that reason I keep it. I hope I have to keep it for a lot longer, or until my husband feels ready to retire, at the present time he chooses to continue working because he enjoys it so much, and because his work makes a difference to others. Merry Christmas to you and all your readers, and a Happy and Peaceful New Year.

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  5. Merry Christmas Ilona. Keep up the good work.

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  6. Ilona, and all the readers, merry Christmas and let's all keep being frugal. Amanda

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  7. have a lovely day Ilona whatever you do.

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  8. I find yours & Marigold's lifestyle so interesting & fun.I've never really wanted to follow the crowd & acquire what I'm ''told'' I must have.I did try but wasn't impressed by it.I know what's important to me & I lead a simple life really.My dogs are kick your legs up in the air happy & I am too( well not legs in the air as I am a lady) x

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  9. Enjoy the holiday Ilona. Look forward to more of your ingenious inventions in 2018.
    Briony
    x

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  10. Happy Christmas. I have enjoyed reading your pearls of wisdom this year. SueM

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  11. Merry Christmas!! From Nanny Anny in Canada

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  12. I have enjoyed reading about Marigold. Ilona I have also kept away from the shops. It makes me sad that this festival has turned into commercial gluttony. Have a peaceful time. Merry Christmas!

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  13. Thank you, and Marigold, for this series.
    Merry Christmas to you Ilona and to all your readers.

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  14. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you Ilona.
    Merry Christmas - you are a true inspiration, the creator of wonderful ideas and the voice of such great common sense. Cheers Jo in Australia

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  15. A happy Christmas to you Ilona and to all your bloggy friends out there. Your blog is an inspiration to us all.
    Marigolds statement about everything we grow, or have, needs to provide three uses has got me thinking.

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  16. Ilona merry xmas and thanks for all you do..xx

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  17. I enjoyed reading Marigold’s perspective. I learned something new which is always a good thing!
    Happy holidays to you! I wish you sunny days and peaceful nights!

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  18. Merry Christmas Ilona and many thanks for writing such an inspirational blog. Long may this continue. Kristel

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  19. Merry Christmas Ilona, I have enjoyed your blogs for a long time. Beverley Moore

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  20. "Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store.
    Maybe Christmas means a little bit more." This is you, Ilona, you are "a little bit more" .Thank you for sharing your thoughts, your life, your ideas.Have a joyful Christmas Day!

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  21. Hi Ilona you used my e.mail in the summer blog. I was a very scared retiree who did not know how to cope or what to do. This has now changed and I can honestly say that I have never been so happy. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Merry Christmas, love to you and all followers. Elaine.x

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    1. This is wonderful news and shows how someone like Ilona sharing has such a positive impact on people's lives. Thank you.

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  22. Hi, I've just found your blog from Google. I totally agree how we are conditioned to spend money. I'll be following your advice

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  23. Well I'm reading this on boxing day and Christmas is over again for another year, like you say people have got mad with food and stuff yet again, I woke up with the urge to put all the decorations away, but with family it will have to wait till new years. I remember when I was just starting out with boyfriend we used to go for trips out nowhere in particular just for a drive. how weird now that is, wouldn't dream of it, car has to be used for specific jobs or not at all. I love that we are all different and we can read and take little bits on info from everyone that we cultivate and possibly make our own. This year we have fought to get past unpaid wages from an employer going up to a tribunal, it has upset us both but we fought right until the last minute when he offered a deal, which we accepted with a bit of bartering and he is now paying so much a month. It was very stressful and I hate anything like that but also hate to be done out of what is owed us. I am proud that we fought and didn't walk away as it was over 3k owed. I think that is what he expected us to do. So feel stronger for that. I like people to be honest truthful, not sarcastic, nice and tend to gravitate to like minded souls with down to earth personalities. People make me sad sometimes with their ways, and I have to accept that is their way or walk away from the friendship. As I'm getting older I'm finding that I stay away from people more in general but cultivating a small number of good friends. Christmas just seems to be a mass consumerism taken to a tenth degree, a small part of me thinks if it was just me, I would be with my cozy blanket in a property in the countryside by a fire with some well chosen eats, a good book and a good film and a peace in my heart. One day perhaps. For now I have a lovely family who like to celebrate Christmas and I go along with that, enjoying bits of the day as we go along. I have enjoyed listening to Marigold thank you. I wish there were more frugal people out there, I am learning lots from reading blogs. Thank you both for your words. Have a lovely holiday x

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  24. I think I understand Marigold to say that she rents out a room? In her house? Maybe she could pass along some wisdom about that as I have considered it as a way to make some income.

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    1. Hi Joy, I am lucky that i have a small two bedroom house and i never need to use the second room. I used to use it for storage. Once I realised that I was storing things i never used, or looked at, I passed them to a charity shop. That left my room free for visitors who rarely visited. It seemed a waste of a resource so when i met a friend who needed to downsize from a house to a cheaper place, and we realised we shared a lot of ideas in common and she moved in. This gave us both company, our dogs got on and I learnt a lot about gardening and permaculture from her. When she left it didn't take long before another friend had moved in. The company, the little extra money, the help with cooking and jobs all help. Like any relationship you need to communicate well and really let the person know they have a right to be there. Some people feel as if is unbalanced living with the homeowner, but i consider myself really lucky to have longterm friends as boarders. I think I would be very lonely without this arrangement and the little extra money helps to stretch things. The arrangement of bills etc is discussed between us to provide an equitable distribution. I found a good way of working was for me to continue to pay what I had paid previousy and for the other to pay any extra charges generted. Helps people to be frugal and to improve their situations. Win - win. Give it a go; you have a resource and there are people ou there who desperately need a reasonable place to stay. You might want cash or you might trade time and garden help etc...I'd be careful and really specific about this (with tasks detailed and timelines) as I have found that people forget what they have agreed to sometimes....hey but swings and roundabouts....depends on what you are offering and who you get. It can be fantastic and you can have friend for life but always be clear about what your boundaries and expectations are; iF it needs to change, make the change. Hope this helps. Marigold

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  25. I have loved reading these posts by Marigold. I agree, she has an exceptional talent for writing. I enjoyed a simple Christmas. I gave everyone homemade soaps with vintage Santa wrappers. The decorating was simple but beautiful. The meal was a stuffed chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce. All of it was bought on sale. I attended a free Christmas concert with a marvelous orchestra and choir. It was so uplifting.

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