Frugal Living .. Part 3.

Well, I'll try to expand a little more on our way of life, as I said before its not just frugal living in the lack of money type of frugal. It spills over into all our life and work. We try very hard to not interfere in the ecosystem we live in, although we grow our own food and do actually depend on that food to survive here, we just couldnt afford to live here if we didnt have good crops. We also have, rabbits, mice and all manner of bugs and other wildlife sharing the land with us. And we think of it just like that... they share the land with us.. but that does bring problems with it... we lose a certain amount of our crops each season due to mice and rabbits... and although we've fenced in our main winter garden to stopthe rabbits  eating the lot, we would never try to harm them. And they still manage to get a small amount... the mice however... are little buggers!! and I dont know how to stop them destroying our crops... I wont use poison or chemicals so it seems we are stuck with them... as Rik will not accept a cat either... He feels the mice live here too... we just have to find a way of living with them... But NOT in my house... I dont care what he says!
When we came, we had lots of bugs that ate our veggies... I've left well alone, picking off by hand too many caterpillers, and just planting extra.. and making sure the land and plants are as strong and healthy as possible ... and we seem to have reached a good level... sometimes things get a little nibbled, but we've not had a over riding bug problem for 3 years now...
Sometimes  good frugal living... can just mean doing nothing...

We also now have a good soakaway for the caravan and cottage grey water, it doesnt go into our septic tank, it waters the land below and will  hopefully keep a flower bed down there alive this summer, where we couldnt have one untill now because I would'nt waste the water...
The grey water from the showers in both accomodations plus that from the sinks, go down a pipe into the old stainless steel drum from a old washing machine, the drum is perforated, we fill it with a good layer of dry gorse in the bottom, then a layer of straw on top, the water then filters through and gets cleaner, the stinky straw layer is changed every two weeks or so... it means we can have some flowers when we couldnt before... A friend of ours has this system and they say it works very well, we may have to change the straw a little more often in high summer ... Im hoping when we move the bathroom Rik will make another one that wil water my new herb garden area..

Im trying hard to use the bartering system even more this winter, hoping to not buy any seed for growng next season at all. Ive managed to save olts of beans for seed so I hope to bater these for seed I dont have..  It seems to me that bartering is the way to move forward in this lifestyle, not just goods, but skills and labour... then we all gain for no cost. Its just finding the right people with the right lifestyle to work this system with...

We also have to start to think more creatively, to use the everyday things around us in new and attractive ways so that things do not go to waste, mend more clothes... does it REALLY matter that you or your clothes look a little strange, when you are only around your home? Rik works in shirts with sleeves of different colours... because one sleeve was beyond repair but I had one from a ruined shirt that fitted on... looks a  little daft, but its clean, warm and does the job... clothes for working and staying home can be used and mended again and again... and then saved for cleaning rags, making into rag rugs, or just used for patching other old clothes, stuff draft excluders, make cushions, pot handle holders, there is so much that can be done...
Yes its all more work... I do this kind of thing on wet days, when working outside is not possible or not pleasant... I sit by the kitchen range and make things, patch clothes darn socks, and generally repair everything I can...

Im expanding my knowledge of herbal medicine and remedies as much as possible, its very effective, it works with nature and doesnt harm the world, its also virtually cost free...
Im learning about making herbal disinfectant, soap, toothpaste, and all types of cleaning stuff... Im very excited about all this... more on that later...

Our type of living also means trying to keep as healthy as possible, as fit as possible, but as naturally as possible, good hard work,  a relaxing life, little stress, little pollution, and we try to avoid negative influences, if we find that people or things around us cause us stress or negative energy... we try to keep away... its not what we want in our lives... Why stay around people or situations that cause you distress, stress or just depress you...