Tuesday 19 June 2012

Living Simply


Last year the subheading for the Blog was the 'Year of Living Simply', just because that particular year is over doesn't mean we've changed in any way.  This year we decided it would have a subheading of  'From Simple to Frugal....and Beyond' (one couples journey to jump off the consumer bandwagon and live more simply),  to continue on our living simply lifestyle path but also to encompass our need to save as much as possible for our future 'forever home'.

This living simply really is the only way.

I played a Joker yesterday and went to the supermarket Mr Sa**sburys to be exact.  I needed to stock up on meat for the freezer.  Lovely Hubby is a dedicated follower of fashion I mean meat eater and the prices at the local butcher were just too much to be absorbed by my self-imposed £50 a week housekeeping budget.

More about this tomorrow, I'm mentioning this today because suddenly stepping back into the world of huge supermarkets selling everything under the sun at 'bargain prices' and seeing folk filling their trolleys up to the brim with over packaged and over processed foods made me so glad that we are living the life we are living. (The lady in front of me spent over £400 pounds how she even fitted it all in the one trolley had me baffled!)



Before setting off for my retail exercise I had already shopped at home.  I pulled up some radishes,  some lettuce and some mixed leaves, I cleaned out the chicken houses and found 2 early laid eggs.



Popping these into my bowl I checked the little broody house, left in Chicken World for the girls to sit on or in, and shelter from the sun or rain and found another egg nestled inside.



I added this to my bowl and went back to the house. 



 I actually fancied a soft boiled egg for lunch and put it on, but got so engrossed in someones Blog that I forgot all about it and so it was cut into eighths and eaten as a hard boiled egg along with my mornings 'shopping'.



Later in the afternoon I went over to give the chickens their daily corn treat and spied some lovely red strawberries lurking happily in the shades of the leaves, so these were brought back for an afternoons nibble with my coffee.

Now this is my kind of 'shopping'. 

Fresh, and simple.....and oh so  lovely.

Sue xx

15 comments:

  1. Me too Sue. It is utter bliss isn't it xx

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  2. My first strawberry of the new season is turning red. My gooseberries have been badly attacked by sawfly but used some organic spray on them late last night to avoid harming beneficial insects. The caterpillars are now all dead on the ground - hopefully they stay like it. They are inside the fruit cage so birds can eat them, wouldn't want to harm them even though they stole all my gooseberries last year!

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  3. I can't believe somebody could spend £400 all in one go and fit it in one basket. I can't get my head around that. Mr Sainsbury kindly sent me 4 x £6 off if I spend £30 vouchers and I am having difficulty in spending that in one go. I just don't spend big money in the supermarkets any more. I put in the trolley what I want that is on offer and then stock myself up on tea and coffee and sugar for the summer jam making (£3.99 for a 5 Kg bag - beats my local Asian shop) and cat food if it on offer. For two of us I have a real job spending £30 per week since we have hens and an allotment. I will do it though because of the £6 off which fills the pantry shelves. Mr Tesco has now sent me some similar vouchers (£4 off £40 spend) and I have given them to my son and daughter. Can't cope with the stress : ) Besides, Tesco is 10 miles of diesel further away that Sainburys.

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  4. **I can't believe somebody could spend £400 all in one go and fit it in one basket**

    Oops - I meant trolley and not basket. I can't cope with the thought of fitting it in one trolley let alone a basket. I'd be the basket case : )

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  5. Morning sue..yes i like my simple life..heaven on earth for me is found in my garden amongst my veggies and chickens..bliss..
    How on earth do you spend £400 ..i am in shock..i rarely go to the supermarket..loo rolls mainly..
    Even though there are 5 of us..3 adults 2 littlies i can feed us from the garden and freezer for ages without going shopping..just wish i had a cow then milk would be no problem..
    love
    sara,fern,iris

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  6. Pipany - Bliss is THE word isn't it.

    data - I only have Cape Gooseberries at the moment and they are still safely in the greenhouse for now. Nice that you use organic spray.

    Jo - Haha...I guessed you meant trolley NOW that would have been a BIG basket!! These vouchers are meant to draw us in aren't they. At least she had the grace to look shocked at her massive spend and not just blase, but £400 mainly on food it's ridiculous no matter how big your family is!

    Sara - a cow (or goat) would make life almost completely self sufficient wouldn't it. You do so well for your family it's lovely, well done.

    Sue xx
    Our New Life in the Country

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  7. I love this simple life too. Now my veggies are getting established, I find I am going less and less to the supermarket. I dont go near the fruit and veg hardly anymore, except maybe for some bananas that I cant grow at home...I find myself checking out other peoples trolleys these days too and shake my head in disbelief. Hubby is becoming more interested in the garden now, he has been out there working his butt off this past week, bless him.

    I have some strawberry plants in pots that I was thinking of putting out in the garden to see if they will grow better. Might do that tomorrow :)

    Doesnt everything from the garden taste so much better? On our dinner plate tonight I had home grown potatoes, carrots and broccoli.

    x

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  8. Your egg salad looks lovely Sue!

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  9. You certainly can't beat going into the garden to pick all those lovely fresh fruit & vegetables.. can be hard work at times.. but oh so worth it!

    Julie xx

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  10. My favourite has to be picking a tomato warmed by the sun, then eating it while it is still warm!
    Jane x

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  11. J brought the first new potatoes from the allotment last night - still covered in dirt. I've picked some mange tout from the garden , and taken some home made vegetarian pies from the freezer, so that's tea sorted- just fab!

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  12. It's lovely to think so many of you are on exactly the same wavelength.

    Thanks for all these comments, you're just making me hungry with all those pickings though...lol!

    Sue xx
    Our New Life in the Country

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  13. Your life sounds idylic.Im harvesting a few strawberries and they have been so good.
    Im trying to empty my freezers as well as cutting my grocery budget.
    x

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  14. Isn't it wonderful to be able to go out into the backyard to "pick" a snack? I'm doing this at the moment with the peas, and no doubt when the radishes are ready they won't make it up the back steps to the kitchen either - I pick, brush and crunch! ;)
    ~S.

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  15. My little clump of strawberries look very healthy with masses of glossy leaves. I wonder if the sun can get through to ripen them ?

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