So, I haven’t managed to move on with my drive towards a more frugal, greener home this week due to having a bit of a nasty cold. It’s one of those colds that while you can still walk about, exhausts you. I feel washed out, which is why I haven’t done this blog until today.
That’s not to say I haven’t been trying to be greener. I am still recycling and I am trying to cut down on buying things I don’t need. I have stayed off the fizzy drinks – sort of. My daughter had some friends round on Friday night, so I bought some larger bottles of fizzy drinks for them as mixers for their drinks (they are all 18+). They didn’t drink them all, so, not wanting to waste them, I did have a couple of glasses. I also bought myself a 500ml of fizzy drink today because I was feeling fed up. But that will be the last one for a good while. They are too expensive to buy on a regular basis.
Talking of expensive, my 11-year-old car is currently in the garage having failed its MOT on Wednesday. It needs a new frame and arm and is going to cost £800. I have got most of the money set aside for it, thank goodness, but it’s still a shock to the system. I knew the car would need work done on it. I’ve had it for ten years and it’s done me well, so I can’t complain. Well, I can complain, but I’m trying to remain positive. Anyway, the day I got the phonecall from the garage giving me the “good news”, I also received a letter from our local council informing me that they are putting our council tax up by nearly £40 a month. FFS!!! I am not going to let these two pieces of news get me down… sigh.
Okay, so it did get me down a little bit, but it has given me the push I need to keep plugging away at other sources of income. I have my Etsy shop Cosy Cosy Studio and I want to open it on Tik Tok, so I’ll be looking at that shortly. I’m also forging ahead with my writing career. I’m currently rewriting my The Vampire’s Mistress novel, but I also have a number of other novels and notebooks for sale on Amazon. That includes, for those of you who write, an Author Book Planner.
Earlier today, I also put together a plan for me to do all the things I want to achieve this year both in writing and in and around my home. Apart from The Vampire’s Mistress, I want to bring out another fantasy novel about a Victorian lady detective called Dorcas Findlay. I’m hoping to bring out the first one by Christmas this year, with four more to follow.
There are also various things I want to do around the house including redecorating four rooms and starting up a small vegetable garden. I have already sewn some seeds for the garden and they are already beginning to sprout. I know a few keen gardeners who only grow vegetables that they wouldn’t normally get in the shops. For me, I’m growing vegetables and herbs that I normally eat. This includes potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and thyme. I’m also growing some lettuce leaves that will feed me and the kids, and give the chicken a wee treat too.
Before I can do that, however, I need to sort out my back garden. I’m lucky to have a big back garden so over the coming weeks, I need to get in to clear some brambles and other stuff from various parts of it. Then I will build raised beds that have been languishing in the garage for the past few years. Once the seeds have grown into decent-sized seedlings and the weather gets warmer, these will be transported outside. It all sounds very straightforward and easy, but I’m not a natural gardener. Hence the reason why my raised beds have been in the garage for a number of years. It has, however, been a dream of mine to start growing some veggies again, so I’ll just need to get on with it.
What are you planning to do to further your frugal and green aims? Comment below or email me at: thecannylass@gmail.com
Top tip
Underinflated or bald tyres can affect fuel efficiency, costing you money. So make sure your vehicle tyres are in top condition and properly inflated.
The Canny Lass 
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