I am not into this blog thing really yet. There is always so much to do.

Was supposed to be out for the day, looking around a few charity shops with my best friend. But we had to detour as my twin1, needed me to take her to the jobcentre to get a crisis loan, as her child tax credits didnt get paid this week. So I had to put petrol in the car, £20 as I was on empty by the time i had got to the town she live in, (about 24 or so miles away from where we were). then we had to go another 11 miles to the jobcentre, plus another couple of miles to the post office they had designated, and take her back to her home,  before we could go back to my friends, another 13 miles away!.So in my gas guzzling car over £20 worth of fuel used. What annoys me even more is the fact that I had had to do the same just about for twin2 as she had a similar problem on Wednesday!. Again I had putin £20 of petrol.

I admit that twin2 on wednesday gave me, £10 for petrol, as I had to ask, the car was on empty, and today twin1 gave me a £5 , but I still have used £60 worth of petrol in a week, and all but one trip was for my family!

This means that I will have to economies in as many other ways as I possibly can. The weather here has been very windy, and the apples have been blown all overthe garden and the drive. I have picked up those that the wasps were not into, and I am going to peel and chop them up to make a crumble tomorrow.  I cannot do the chopping and peeling at the moment as my arm is suffering from all the extra driving. (I have spondylosis in my neck which affects my left side, from my fingertips to my toes.)

I made plum jam last night from windfall/picked plums from my neighbours trees. I have never made jam before, so I was pleased this evening when I tried some on bread, and it was a success.

4 Jars are now in the store cupboard under the stairs, so that my son doesnt use the nearest to hand. And also uses more becuase he thinks there are loads more.

I need to learn to say no more often, and I need to get my budet back on track. I know how to budget, but I am still not keeping within my budget, and although I have been trying  to learn to live on less, before the major income drop arrived, and have a cushion. But the drop is here, and my cushion has already gone becuase of helping out the children and the grandchildren. Even thouugh they get more money then I do, an they are still not surviving on it.!

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Well I was outside the other day, and my neighbours dog came up for a fuss. When my neighbour caught up with her dog we got chatting. She has apples, plums and pears in her garden, and at the moment one of the plum trees is ripe, and dropping fruits and inviting plenty of wasps! She has said that I can help myself to the fruit.

So yippee, I can start to make a few crumbles, jams, and chutneys with the things from the gardens.

I am already using my lettuces, carrots and onions out of the garden. So next year I hope to also grow more.

At the weekend I went to Daventry and mooched around the charity shops. Found a large piece of fabric, about 4m for £2!!! So some new project to tackle.

Tomorrow there is a coffee morning in the local church rooms, although I am not a member of thier church, it is a place for me to meet others, and get to know the people who live near me.

I have managed to put some of my cushions on the Internet to sell. ? if they will of course.

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I seem to be jettisoned into a different world. Three months ago I was living in a huge "executive house", with en-suite bathroom, 4 bedrooms, an office and a dining, as well as the kitchen diner, and all the mod cons that go along with it. My four children, and two grandchildren were living with me, and my home was full of teenagers, young adults all the time.

Now I am living in a small cottage, with two bedrooms upstairs, and downstairs the sitting room, dining room, kitchen and a bathroom off of the kitchen. There is no gas, and no central heating. I am sharing the house with my youngest, 16 year old lad. I lost my job due to ill health and so we have had to downsize, the girls have gone thier own way, and the babies with them.  My son, (DS= for dear son), has a moped and is off out more than he is in. So here I sit, re inventing my life. Living on less then 1/4 of the money I had before.

The challenge is to try to live within the means of this new income, but to live as well as I can.

I believe in recycling where I can, and I try to live to a menu plan to keep the groceries down.

I am planning to make as many of my gifts for birthdays and Christmas as I can. With what I have, or what I can find in Charity shops etc.

So wish me luck and I will try to document how things go.

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