Today Channel Nine has just published an article about how Darren and I are surviving and thriving during a cost of living crisis.
Below is the link to the article. I really hope this helps someone who is doing it tough and struggling to make ends meet.
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Great article and pictures! I hope it brings more traffic to your website.
ReplyDeleteBun
Thankyou. So many people need help.
DeleteGreat article! Hopefully it will inspire other people to cook at home more and grow a garden.
ReplyDeleteThankyou. As costs rise, people need to go back to basics.
DeleteWhat an amazing family! Thanks for sharing your journey. We live very similarly and I am now looking forward to reading your years worth of Blog Posts. It is not always easy sharing publicly when others can be negative. Well done!
ReplyDeleteThankyou Jane. We've never had anything to hide and always tell the truth about how we live. Nothing is ever made up to get likes or followers.
DeleteI really enjoy your blog Wendy for its consistent advice and help. I log on many times in the week to read older posts as well as recent. You have been such an inspiration and learning resource for me. Delighted that you were approached to encourage others. People need to hear that they can cope rather than this constant media barrage of cannot. God bless you and your family.
DeleteThankyou Effie. I get tired of the hard luck stories that don't give any advice on how to help those people. Or the financial experts they get on tv telling us to get a better deal on insurances. That doesn't really help those who are struggling to pay bills.
DeleteThank you Wendy for your Blog. I read the Ch9 article with interest. We have recently been made redundant and are now actively living more frugal. It's amazing how much one spends when working fulltime...all the "shortcuts" because time is limited. These just cost more and you have to work more. Being unemployed, little savings and no income, certainly makes you re-think. We are blessed in that we have no mortgage and planted a good number of fruit trees. Thank you for sharing your way of life 🙏 💕💐
ReplyDeleteThankyou for commenting. I wish I knew your name so I could respond personally. Losing a job is always hard. Our family has been in that situation a few times so we have an idea of what's it's like.
DeleteBe encouraged in all that you do to live your best life. Please keep in touch. I'd love to hear of your journey.
Hello! Happy to have found your blog via the news article. Having been fortunate enough to have built a home during these times but on a below the property line income due to my young child being significantly disabled financially things are beyond difficult so hopefully to find some guidance here on how to live more frugal. Looking forward to learning about gardening and having my own patch :)
ReplyDeleteHi Amber Ro, it sounds a tough life.
DeleteMy advice: start your own veg garden with plug plants, because growing from seed takes time and investment (soil, pots, etc) and can take up a lot of space inside your home.
Select veg you eat regularly, and that is on the more expensive side when bought in a shop.
My veg plot has come to nothing regularly, because we would be gone for a weekend or a week and a hot spell hit our area unexpectedly.... I am now growing fruit trees and bushes, which take hardly any work and have good harvests.
My backyard is 25x7m and in the borders I grow:
2 cherry trees (side branches kept low on the stem on purpose, so my daughter can climb them),
kiwiberry,
dewberry,
strawberries,
raspberries (they spread like weeds; see if someone has spares. They come in summer and autumn variety, we have both and can harvest from June to October in Belgium),
grapevine,
thornless bramble,
redcurrant,
red gooseberry,
blueberries (in a container due to special soil conditions - not expensive, just different from my backyard),
fennel (for snacking on the leaves, as the bulb never forms properly), rhubarb.
Most plants were either given to us, or from the discount section at the garden centre, or from Aldi's.
Welcome Amber. For many years our family lived below the poverty line while paying off our mortgage. So I understand what you are going through. When it comes to stretching your dollars, pick a few savings tips, try them, get good at it then try a few more tips.
DeleteHi Wendy I came across the article on 9 news and eagerly read through it sending it to all my family. We are a family of 7 people, dog, cat and chickens- we have just had to rehome some of our chickens and our lovely roosters unfortunately but will still have 2 coming with us when we move. We are on a single income due to health concerns, home-schooling and young ones at home so every dollar counts. In the past 12 months we have lost every spare dollar we had put aside and I know we are not the only ones finding it hard. The article was inspiring and an encouragement to build a vegie garden again once we have moved so thankyou I needed a little encouragement 😊. Do you by any chance have an instagram account that you post on ? I would love to follow you and share your page if you do and would love to hear more tips you have for every day budgeting etc
ReplyDeleteThankyou for being willing to share your experiences. God bless.
Kind regards Mandy
Welcome Mandy. I'm so glad the story gave you some inspiration. There are so many ways to save money and every little bit helps.
DeleteUnfortunately I'm not on Instagram. Social media scares me a little so I stick to my 2 FB pages and blog.
Hi, do you have an Instagram account. I'd love to follow you there
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I don't. I'm on Fb and here
Deletebravo ,j'adore lire votre blog c'est très encourageant , meme en France vos conseils sont judicieux encore bravo et merci
ReplyDeletehi Wendy long time reader first time commentator - just love what you do and the help and positive push you give to so many - another good blog is Simple Frugal Life - she's english and lives below the so called poverty line, and has some really good and practical advice for those facing up to this crisis. My husband and I - seniors on a pension - consider ourselves lucky, as we own our home and have savings, but we both have health issues we do have to manage, having said that we have always been frugal, I'm a from scratch cook, including jams relishes cakes, biscuits etc. using only ingredients, have a vegie garden and fruit trees plus a herb garden, all very helpful, plus my husband is the best maintenance man I know which has helped us immensly over our married life. Like you I'm a huge fan of op shops - nearly all my clothing comes from there and any household equipment I may need - that is my first port of call. Like you and Darren we are very content with what we have and are very consistent with looking after and maintaining our home and otherer assets. We do have our little pleasures - but being frugal is how we afford these. Can I just say keep doing what you are doing, and if only one person is helped through your blog it is so worth it - people are truly hurting at the moment and so many young ones do not know what to do or how to do it - you may just be their shining light!! Jenny
ReplyDeleteThankyou for your lovely words Jenny. Although we are not retired ( yet ), it sound like we live a very similar lifestyle to you and your husband. We love to go on holidays so we stay thrifty so we can afford them.
DeleteSuch a wise article and perfect time to share. I have been a regular follower of your blog since I saw your story on a current affair in 2014. I am so thankful I saw your story, and re-watched often until they removed it from the internet. Your blog and advice has really helped us over the years, and you continue to inspire me. I think you need to write a book Wendy.
ReplyDeleteKind regards,
Kirsty
Hi Wendy, can you give us some tips on how you paid off the mortgage on a lower income.
ReplyDelete