A newsy catch up

Can you believe Christmas is upon us? I, for one, cannot. 

I remember when I was young, and my parents sent Christmas cards with a newsy letter. Like many of my generation, I don't tend to send cards. However, I thought it might be nice to do a newsy update here in the spirit of my parents' Christmas letter. 

As we near the time of celebration about the birth of a divine child, it seems my own mothering journey has reached its own poignant point in time. 

Recently, Elsie had her first pre-literacy class in big school, and then that very same night, William had his year 12 graduation dinner/formal. One starting school, one finishing. My bookend children. 

School has not always been easy for William, for a boy who likes to be elbow deep in a car engine or working on a project, sitting at a desk for days on end was at times, decidedly dull. Thankfully, his school had the option of attending a technical college in years 11 and 12, which he did, and his care for school improved greatly. He constantly took our old LandCruiser in to be repaired, and his mates all enjoyed working on it. I think his mechanics teacher even grew a fondness for the old car, though often cringed at its 'not quite up to scratch-ness' (like the exhaust, which fell off a while back) and looked on in dismay as it dropped clumps of mud on the workshop floor each week. To be fair, the old girl has just clocked 500,000kms, and many of those have been rough, hard kms on dirt roads. 

But as he and his friends all got polished up for their formal, they looked a handsome bunch. The girls looked beautiful in their dresses. Tulle, full skirts and glitter seemed to be the go this year! I confess, I have my own tulle skirt I have never quite had the courage to wear, sitting in my wardrobe. Perhaps I will be inspired by these young girls to pull it out one of these days to delight my own inner child!

Now Will is having a bit of a break, hanging out with friends, working part-time time and waiting to apply for an apprenticeship. He and Grant have been buying parts for the old LandCruiser. Now she doesn't need to be on the road quite so much; there is time to tackle some bigger repairs and maintenance. Like fixing the exhaust. 

And I am enjoying this final season of life in which Elsie is at home with me. As I sit on the couch, my laptop on my lap, writing to you, Elsie is playing on the floor, chattering away to herself and her little dolls, creating a complex world only she can see. Occasionally, she breaks out into quiet song, and she reminds me of the pair of budgies my grandparents used to have that would twitter and sing to themselves all day long. 

Henry has finished primary school and is preparing to enter high school next year. There was a lovely graduation service, and all his friends and peers looked so sweet. There are new uniforms to buy, and a laptop patiently waiting to be set up. Oh how time flies! I remember when we moved here, he was just starting kindy. The same age as Elsie is now. 

Angus too, is going well, settled with his friends and navigating the world of teenagehood and high school. All of them are pleased to be on break. 

Work and study are going well for me. I have recently left my role as children's ministry leader in my beloved home church and am now in pastoral care in a nursing home. It is a privilege to walk with the elderly as they navigate this final season of their lives. Being in formation, it is important I get experience in all aspects of ministry. When the role came up, it felt right to enter into a new season in ministry, and the people I get to work with are lovely, which is always a bonus. 

Grant has been busy working and building the extension when he can. We have finally begun cladding which is wonderful! Perhaps in my next post, I will walk around with a camera and do a farm/building update. It feels like progress is painfully slow here at times, but it is progress nonetheless. 

As Christmas approaches, I hope and pray you have a safe and happy time. 

Much love and blessings from my family to yours,
Emma
xx

1

Winter on the farm

Well hello there!

It's been a while between posts hasn't it? All is well with us, but I have been busy studying half-time at theological college this semester. Thankfully, the semester is over. It was a bit brutal, but my grades were fine. I now have a few weeks of break to catch up around the place, relax, and touch base with you again.

Hoopla (the brown goat) continues to give us her good milk, and Mixie-May is the black British Alpine who is new to us. A proven mother and milker who is very sweet-natured. 

Things are quiet on the farm at the moment. 

The steers have gone to the local livestock market and fetched a fair price given they were a dairy cross and one of them was only small. Most of the Boer goats have been sold off, minus five. Some of those are marked for our freezer, and the remaining couple of does will be bartered with a friend. That will leave us with Hoopla our dairy goat, our new dairy goat Mixie-May, a handful of chooks and some guineafowl. 
Come spring, we will purchase some weaner steers to grow out again, but for now, the farm is quieter than it has been for a long while. In one sense it feels like a step backwards, but already we have more time on our hands and fewer things on our minds. The wood roaches that Grant breeds for pet food are very happy with their new gas heating and warm shed, though there is still a little tweaking to ensure they receive the perfect amount of wet/dry food. They are finicky things. Occasionally I receive comments from worried readers thinking we are breeding an invasive insect, but these particular critters are Australian native insects, that naturally live and feed on the damp leaf litter in the bush. 

The garden has slowed right down, and it's looking a little sparse. I planted some greens a little while back, which I hoped would feed us over winter, but I got them in a bit late.  Hopefully, as the days begin to grow longer, they will begin to take off and will instead feed us in spring.  Grant and the boys have started to pour the footings for the extension. However, time is flying, and unfortunately, it will not be usable by summer. This is quite concerning as my heart didn't do amazingly last summer, but it is what it is.  There is little point worrying ourselves with problems before they have arrived.   

Leafy greens were in a bit late, but hopefully, they will shoot out as the days begin to lengthen. 

We have slowly been cleaning up around the yurt now the cooler days are here. Brushing cobwebs from under the awnings, cleaning windows, dusting, and donating outgrown clothes to charity. Simple tasks really, but it gives our home a feeling of being cared for. It is important to teach our children to look after and appreciate what we have to help foster a feeling of contentment within them. We want them to grow up realizing they do not need to strive for a life filled with 'stuff', but instead to look for a life full of connection with those around them and to the place where they live. Striving for a simple life requires a certain amount of discipline and creativity, but it is a deeply satisfying pursuit and one that yields far greater rewards than looking outwards and filling our time with things that in the long run, don't really matter. No one on their deathbed wishes they would have worked more hours or lived in bigger debt than necessary to buy fancy things. Most people wish they would have spent more time with their friends and family, working less and appreciating what they had right in front of them. 

I love these winter days. It's been a mild winter for us, with frequent rain and only one light frost so far, which is very unusual. But the sunny days are short as we live in a valley, and the hills cast shade on our little home by mid-afternoon. The wood oven burns around the clock and is doing most of our winter soups, stews and roasts.  There is chicken broth simmering at the moment, which will be the base of tomorrow's cauliflower and potato soup. It's a favourite here, with a generous helping of parmesan cheese on top and a sprinkling of crispy bacon if we have any on hand. 

The garden is a bit sparse. Though I am interested to see how it fills out this spring, which will be its second year. 

The mid-year school holidays are nearly upon us in Australia. Will has a couple of weeks of full-time work experience with a local diesel mechanic business. He is thinking about applying for an apprenticeship with them. They asked for him back after two weeks of work experience, which was encouraging for him. He does not enjoy school, though his trade school is better for him than his last high school. He is keen to get an apprenticeship ASAP and that is fine by us. He is a good, hard-working young man, and I think he will do well wherever he ends up. Grant has two weeks holidays coming up which he will use to work on the extension. Angus and Henry are looking forward to spending time with him, Henry especially loves helping Grant in the shed and learning how to use tools etc. 

Little Elsie is growing up so quickly. She is a real little chatterbox and is becoming more confident all the time. I have promised to make jelly with her, feed the goats, and make playdough, so I had better be off. We might go for a wander and take the camera with us, so there will be some photos for this post! 

I hope all is well with you. 
Blessings, 
Emma

14

Frugal family budgeting (and sticking to it)

As the cost of living seems to rise every month, budgeting and how to manage money well as a family is a constant topic of discussion in our home. Like many, we cringe when unexpected things need repair or replacing, and we often look incredulously at how others around us seem to be spending money we simply don't have. 

How are they doing it?

To be honest, I'm not sure. Unless they are super wealthy, I suspect a lot of people are financially stressed beyond measure and are simply hiding it well, hoping things will resolve themselves in time because they don't know what else to do. But that's clearly a flawed strategy, given there are no solid signs that inflation is on the way down anytime soon and interest drops if they occur, will likely be very slow and small.  

Frugal family budgeting (and sticking to it)

Once upon a time, early on in our marriage, we used envelopes for cash. But these days so much is done via EFTPOS or automatic bank transfer the physical envelope system no longer works for us. Especially when we might be going in different directions at the same time. 

Recently we sat down and explored some apps to help us budget better and settled on a free budgeting app by the name of Goodbudget. You can set it up to work with your pay cycle and add various envelopes to suit your needs. Then as you spend money you manually add it into the correct envelope and list what it was for. There is a little maker on each envelope that tells you if you are ahead or behind budget. Then when the next fortnight comes around any areas you overspent on or saved in will be rolled into that fortnight. Great if you manage to save money, but less fun if you had extra costs. It updates in real-time so anyone who is sharing the app with you can see where the budget is at. 

It's been a game-changer for us.  

There are so many beautiful natural places to explore, even if you are in the city. There are free parks, beaches, national parks, forests, rivers, botanic gardens and more which are often quite closeby. 

I feel more control over our budget, and those little things that quickly add up are easily documented and kept in check. Because it updates in real-time we can see what each other is doing and adjust (if needed) our actions accordingly. I think one of the most helpful things about the app is the little tracker on each envelope. For example, this fortnight we have unexpectedly spent more on fuel than we intended at the front of the fortnight. The reasons were good, but it doesn't change the fact we are now significantly behind budget on our fuel budget and need to balance it out, so we are looking for ways to challenge ourselves to achieve that. 

Another thing we do as a family is cultivate contentment and enjoyment in what we have. I know I talk about this a lot but that's because I believe it is so incredibly important. We talk well about our home, garden animals and life. Anyone who has been following for a while will know our home is tiny, imperfect and a work in progress. But imperfection doesn't negate the ability to enjoy or value something. Life will never be perfect and most of us will never live in a magazine-worthy home. (heads up, stylists spend hours bringing in items to style rooms to make them look that way, even homes in magazines don't look like that on a day-to-day basis.) Despite the imperfection, we make the effort to highlight the things we do have and enjoy them deeply. 

enjoying a cuppa is a simple pleasure, and easily done at home.

Our lives and that of our children are bombarded with advertising and media designed specifically to create a sense of dissatisfaction in us so we will buy a lot of things, much of which we don't need. Generations of the past simply didn't have this level of advertising to contend with, so our generation has to work out how to pave a healthy way forward for our children.  In response, we need to proactively and deliberately cultivate a sense of gratitude and thankfulness about both the big and small things. Some ways we can do that are;

• Cooking simple nourishing meals with love and care. 

• Ensure beds are clean and comfortable and bedrooms are a cosy retreat. 

• Comment positively about our children's favourite clothing items so they remember to appreciate what they have.

• Op-shop, thrift and buy what we can second-hand. It's amazing what people sell cheap or give away. If you can be patient the exact item you need will often pop up soon enough. 

• Read books to/with our children with patience (even if it is 'Where is the Green Sheep' for the one billionth time) 

• Make our homes cheerful and comfortable in a way that suits our lifestyle. It doesn't have to be perfect. 

• Hang the children's art in a cheap frame and swap it out. Our children love to give us things. Pictures, rocks and interesting tidbits are often all they have access to. We need to celebrate it! 

• Arrange some thrifted or sentimental items on a pretty cloth so you can enjoy them on your table.

• Light some candles to create a magical atmosphere at night. Kids love the twinkly magical ambience and it also sets a sweet, romantic mood for couples. 

• Sit together and play a board game, cards/UNO regularly.  

• Tend to a garden, whether it be a few plants in pots, a courtyard or a big garden. create a space you enjoy and invest time into it.

• Go out in nature and enjoy all the free fun and beauty it has to offer. 

Cultivating contentment is a beautifully frugal way to live. We learn to become self-reliant on our own hands, imaginations and sense of creativity. We look to nature for entertainment, and we look for connection in relationships which inturn brings riches and joy beyond material measure. 

Another budgeting tip is being honest about where you are with your friends. Recently I had to have a conversation with a couple of dear friends that I could no longer afford to do our dinner out, even though we would go to a cheap place to eat. Though they are in a better financial situation than me, they thanked me for sharing with them and quickly made arrangements for us to eat at their homes instead. This week I will make up a jar of delicious pesto with fresh herbs from my garden. I'll pack it with some cooked chicken, tomatoes from the garden and a bag of pasta to cook up at their house so our meal is beautifully fresh. (I go to their place because they live in town and we meet while our children go to an activity) I may not be able to be generous financially in this season but I can be generous with my time, friendship, love and the resources we do have like my garden.  I can offer to help repair things or help them with things they might want a second pair of hands or eyes on. I have always found that when I dare to be entirely honest, those friendships that truly matter deepen and become something incredibly beautiful. 

This Sunday we had homemade mac and cheese for dinner, but usually, Sunday dinner is pancakes. It's great fun for the kids and incredibly thrifty. You can add fruit and yoghurt to make it healthier. I got chicken for 9.99/kg, pork for $7.99/kg from Aldi this week and potatoes for $2/kg at Coles. The OC shampoo and conditioner our family uses was for sale this week at Coles too. If you can buy an extra of items when they are on sale you will have them on hand to get you through until it next comes on sale. I'll bake a simple vanilla butter cake for a sweet treat one night when the oven is already on to save gas. 

If you are feeling the pinch like many of us are, be honest and face up to it. Clawback control wherever you can and make a plan. Ignoring the reality won't make it any easier. (I know because I tried for a bit) There are many ways we can cobble together a beautifully simple life that truly reflects our values and who we are in our heart of hearts. But it's something that needs to be created slowly over time, it can't be purchased from the store. 

I hope this finds you well. If you feel like sharing how you're cobbling together a life that resonates with you and managing your budget I'd love to hear about it, I'm sure others would find it helpful too. Because I'm taking a social media break for Lent, I won't be sharing this post on the usual social media platforms. So if you know anyone who this conversation might benefit, please do feel free to send them this way. 

Much love, 
Emma
xx

Budget-friendly resources

Goodbudget

This is an excellent Budgeting app available in your app store for free. 

Barradale farm - Feeding a family on a budget

A recent post I wrote on this topic. 

Down to Earth

Rhonda Hetzel has two excellent books about frugal, green, simple living and also a comprehensive blog. Have a search through and you will find a wealth of information on how to write and implement a budget in great detail. 

Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape

A straightforward, not too dry money guide. Check out your local library first. 

7

Simple homemade curtains

The school holidays have come to an end and we have been organising all the back-to-school bits and bobs. William is off to trade school, Angus is off to high school and Henry goes into year 5. All of the boys are off to different campuses, and to be honest I am not entirely sure how we will juggle it yet. For now, we are crossing our fingers and hoping it's not total chaos. It's the first time Henry will be at a school without his big brothers, and I feel a little nervous for him. I don't know why, this is the kid who walked himself into kindy, insisting he didn't need any help from me. 

The last couple of weeks have flown by. I have been chipping away at decluttering and sorting out the boys' wardrobes, along with various other spaces. Living in a very small home as a family of six requires constant refinement. "Stuff" can quickly accumulate which makes functioning efficiently almost impossible and incredibly frustrating. 

When the afternoons are hot, I have been sewing, reading or writing. I whipped up these simple homemade curtains for Elsie's room and have also caught up on some much needed mending. These curtains cost me $21 to make and were a fun project. As you can see Elsie is very happy with them! 

Many years ago some ladies from church passed on a couple of bags of scrap fabrics, and they have been blessing me ever since. To make these I rummaged through my fabric stash and cut each square 10"x10".  I chose that size because I had some specific scraps I wanted to use and 10" was the best use of them. The rod is simply a pretty branch cut to size, you can't see it well in this photo, but it has a white/grey bark and looks a little like birch. It adds whimsy to the space and reminds me of books like Brambly Hedge. Given we live in a yurt in the bush, it feels apt. 

Patchwork curtains

It's my understanding that traditionally patchwork was done to make the most of scraps of fabric left over after making dresses, linens and other household items. It's only in more recent times that we buy new fabric and cut it up to do a patchwork project. Whilst I love all the pretty coordinating fabrics you can buy, there is something that resonates deep inside me when doing a task similar to what our great, great grandmothers would have done. Using scrap fabric that has been carefully stored away for years, left over from projects done by women I will never know. There is a piece of one of my grandmother's vintage pillowcases in there, as well as two squares from the little cloth bag Elsie's May Gibbs quilt came in. When we use what we have, thrift, or source second-hand items, our home ends up containing dozens of other people's stories. Things find a new life in our homes, and our family becomes a part of that.

Front of the curtains

• Measure window. If your window is small like mine you might like to go floor length or keep them cropped. Either way, you might like to plan your curtains to sit 10-15cm above the window, with the tabs sitting above that. My curtains sit about 20cm below the bottom of the window. I added about 1/3 of the window on for the width. 
• Cut squares to the desired size (I used 10" x10")Layout and arrange until you are happy with the placement of pieces. I find it helpful to take a photo at this point in case I get interrupted and my rows get jumbled
• Pin each row carefully
• Straight stitch each row together with a 1cm seam allowance
• Pin rows together, line up your seams and sew. Iron. Now you will have the front. 

Tabs

My tabs are rectangles cut about 15cm wide and 20cm long and I cut ten of them. 

• Fold tabs right side together, sew long edge with 1cm seam allowance
• Turn right way out, iron ensuring the seam is in the middle on one side. Once attached this will ensure the seam is hidden inside the tab.

Back of the curtains

You can use anything for the backing you like. An old sheet, thick cotton drill, calico. The thicker your fabric the more light blockage you will have. However, I chose calico as it is cheap and gives a nice hang to the curtain. I figured if I wanted better light blockage I could always pop a basic roller blind behind them.  

• Lay out backing fabric on a large flat surface, wrong side up
• Lay patchwork curtain top over it, wrong side down
• Working from the middle, smooth and occasionally pin fabric ensuring the same tension is on the top and bottom. 
• Cut backing
• Place ironed tabs between both pieces of fabric at the top and carefully pin. Now you want to pin the outer tabs 1cm in from the edge so that when you sew the curtains together they are free and will line up nicely when hung.  
• Pin three sides, leaving the bottom open as you will need to turn it out. 
• Sew, taking extra care to secure the tabs at the top. If your curtains are heavier, you might like to stitch the top twice to reinforce it. 
• Turn the fabric out, fold the bottom hem in with a 1cm allowance and pin. Press carefully. 
• Now you just need to topstitch around the whole lot, which will ensure it sits well and they are ready to hang! 

I hope those instructions make sense, I forgot to take photos of each step along the way! 

Much love

Emma

xx

3

frugal abundance and beauty amidst the challenges

Our garden has been producing quite well though things are coming to an end after a hot and humid spell. The cucumbers have been attacked by downy mildew but were abundant this year. They have fed us, our friends and Grants wood roaches generously. I've got cherry tomatoes popping up everywhere, pumpkins are ripening and the capsicum, chilli, herbs and eggplant are in abundance. I've not timed the planting of lettuce well and we are currently waiting for seedlings to mature.

Making moussaka, packed with homegrown veggies and herbs. 

In truth, though there is goodness to be found in the garden, it is looking a bit beaten by the heat. A little like me. The past few weeks my heart has been playing up for the first time in many years. It has been throwing long runs of dicky beats which are not ideal. I have had various investigations and the results were concerning enough that a trip to the cardiologist is on the cards. However with rest, good nourishing meals, prayer from dear friends and working harder to escape the heat and not push myself, it seems to be righting itself. For the remainder of summer, however, the garden is on the back burner. Will and Grant have taken over the heavy lifting and Henry and Angus have been helping with the smaller tasks. 

It has become clear over the past couple of summers, that my body cannot cope with the intense humidity and heat we experience here, to the point this year it is putting excess strain on my heart. The yurt is a hot building which only exacerbates the problem. Grant is finally starting on the deck extension and hopefully by next summer there will be a large, well-insulated master bedroom/office to escape into during the hottest part of the day, or we will have to work out plan B. Perhaps installing a large solar-powered air conditioner in the yurt, even if it requires borrowing money to do so. 

The garden has grown alot though many of my flowers have come to an end. It all needs a good prune, feed and freshening up before Autumn. 

On a more positive front, the wood roaches are finally doing well and breeding up and Grant recently doubled the number of boxes they have to give them the space they need to grow out. Their shed is now a fully insulated building and they have three forms of heating to ensure their temperature is steady 24/7. They have heat pads under their tubs powered by solar, a slow-combustion wood fire for freezing winter nights and a fancy thermostat-controlled gas heater on a timer.  Hopefully, they breed like crazy to repay us so we can afford the growing number of things we need to improve/mend/build in the not-so-distant future. 

Due to the ever-increasing cost of living, I have been pondering how I can bring in a little income. I am hoping to submit more articles to Grass Roots magazine and have recently sent in my first for the year. Hopefully, it passes muster! Grass Roots is an excellent Australian magazine all about sustainable living, gardening, keeping livestock, preserving, seasonal cooking, DIY and more. I highly recommend checking it out. It's packed with interesting and practical information which is rare in today's world where advertising seems to overtake content in most magazines. If you are curious but your budget is tight, pop over to your local library. Most libraries stock it and if they don't, they can probably order it in for you. 

For Christmas, my parents gave me some money and with it, I bought this sweet little vintage desk for $60. It's wonderful to once again, have a dedicated work space for writing and study. This is also where I set up my sewing machine. I am hoping having a quiet-ish dedicated space to write will help me once again get into a steady writing groove. So far so good.  

As it’s a new year, I have been tackling our budget and working out where I can save money, I was reminded that it is more important than ever that we normalise living more simply. One for the good of the planet, but also on a personal level. Many people are struggling financially and are under enormous pressure. Mental health issues are on the rise and people are lost on how to move forward in these challenging times. 

But there are many small things we can do that will help put us in a better place. 

A dollar saved is often more valuable than a dollar earned because when we save a dollar, we get to keep the entire thing. Whereas if we earn a dollar we need to pay tax on it and we only get to keep part of it. Living simply doesn't mean life needs to be grim. In fact, it can help us to create a life that is the very opposite of grim. Though it might require tweaking the lens we are looking through. There is beauty in knowing how to cook budget-friendly, nourishing meals from scratch for those we love. Learning new skills, facing challenges and looking for creative solutions all help us feel good and are empowering. When we feel empowered and confident in ourselves, we have hope that we can get through the hard times. We can be proactive and courageous in making decisions that will help put us in the best situation possible, even when things are really hard.  

If you are struggling in these challenging times, please know you are not alone. Seek knowledge, don't be too proud to accept help and look to those who have the skills you think might help you transition to a more frugal and sustainable life. Don't be scared to change or try new things, what's the worst that could happen? I find great comfort that many generations before us have faced difficult times and got through them. 

If they can do it, so can we. 

Much love,

Emma

xx

11

Feeding a family on a budget

Feeding a family on a budget is a challenge that many people are currently facing. With the cost of living and the rate of inflation going up before our eyes,  I thought I would share some ways we as a family of six work to keep our grocery bills down. 

Firstly going to the shops is a two-hour return trip for me, so I tend to minimise the number of shops I go to. If you are in town, you might find that sourcing specials at various supermarkets each week can save money further. Generally though, minimising the trips to the supermarket is significantly better for your budget, as it reduces the temptation to buy unnecessary or extra items. 

I do a fortnightly shop at Aldi and then the next fortnight I go to Coles. I shop online and click-and-collect when I can. For a top-up mid-week shop (milk etc) Grant nips into our local IGA. Overall I find Aldi a big cost-saver, though they do not have everything we like to buy. 

seasonal veggies picked from the garden

Shopping online allows me to; 

• Take my time in planning the shop and not feel rushed or under pressure by having a toddler with me, reducing impulse buys. 

• Saves time and reduces temptation.

• Look closely at specials and plan meals to maximise these. 

• Double-check what's in my pantry and fridge to ensure nothing goes to waste.

The first thing I do is look for meat on special. Meat is one of the most expensive items we buy so rather than plan meals and then buy ingredients, I buy the ingredients I can get which are the best value for money and then plan meals to suit.

When buying meat, I buy it in the biggest portions I can afford. Buying larger portions and cutting it up yourself to suit your needs can save a lot of money. I can buy nice a cryovac piece of pork for $13-$15/kg depending on the cut compared to pork steaks at $20/kg. Alternatively, you can often get cryovac blade roast on sale for $15/kg compared to blade steak for $18-$20/kg at Coles. As a one-off occurrence, this might not seem like a big saving but over the weeks, months and years these savings add up considerably. I then cut the meat as I need it. 

Many people are daunted by the idea of cooking a large piece of meat but they needn't be. It's not difficult nor time-consuming to quickly section up a large piece of meat, especially if you have a good sharp knife. I also find that cryovac meat is more tender, as the cryovac process allows the meat to age well for longer. 

Shopping locally

In an ideal world, I would shop at all the independently owned places and buy directly from the farmer. Realistically we are a large single-income family without the freezer space at the moment to store half a cow. If you can manage it, it's an excellent way to go. 

However, I do go to an independent fruit and vegetable shop for all of our veggie needs. I find the veggies better quality and significantly cheaper. It is also easier to see what is in season and grown locally. If you are on the Mid-North Coast check out The Growers Market. They are excellent value for money, super friendly and offer old-fashioned service, even taking your veggies to your car for you. 

Depending on where you are you might have access to bulk whole food outlets or CSA's. Do your research and work out what suits you and your budget best, there are all kinds of options. 

Buying or growing seasonal fruit and vegetables means you it can be worth preserving some to put away. Here I am making oven-baked semi-dried tomatoes. I can make them much cheaper then I can buy in the store. 

Bartering

If you have some friends who raise chickens but you don't/can't for whatever reason can you barter for some eggs? Are you able to fix machinery? Service a car? Can you sew or bake? Most of us have all kinds of skills that someone else needs. It's just a matter of investing in a reciprocal relationship. 

• Picking fruit from an elderly neighbour's tree in exchange for homemade jam/preserves.

• Do a day's work in exchange for produce

• Trading baked bread/homemade goodies (farmers are often incredibly busy and tired at the end of the day!)

• Doing bookwork

• Managing online/social media accounts

• Babysitting

• Trading mechanical skills

• Trading mending/sewing/knitting skills.

• Feeding farm animals to allow farmers a much-needed night or two away

The key to bartering is that it is a relationship built on mutual exchange and trust. I have a friend who I do a little social media/computer work for in exchange for some meat. They give their roosters to a work friend who pays them back with curries made with the rooster for their freezer. 

With our friends, I feel like I am getting the good end of the deal with beautiful pasture-raised meat but they feel grateful for not having to sit in front of a computer which they hate. Win-win. 

Know your prices

If you keep track of how much you spend on things, you will know a good deal when you stumble upon it. Unfortunately in Australia, our grocery market is dominated and controlled by three main companies that pay the farmers low prices but then upmark their products considerably. 

Many people love to shop at Aldi and some of their lines are better priced than Coles and Woolies, especially their snacks and processed foods. However, if you can't get out of there without stopping in the middle aisle to pick up things you had no intent to buy, it's not saving you any money. 

Supermarket sales are usually advertised on Wednesday nights and start Thursday mornings. If you watch them for a while you will find the sales cycle through. If you can buy an extra few items of necessities you know you will use, you can work out a system that over time means you're never paying full price for many things. This is especially useful with items like eucalyptus oil/lavender oil/tea/coffee/chocolate/toothpaste/toiletries/soap/canned goods etc which all have a long and stable shelf life.  

Learn how to make the basics from scratch

I cook a lot but I am not a fancy cook. Meals are nourishing but simple. Soups, stirfries, stews, salads and oven bakes. If I have the oven on, I try to use it for more than one thing. Many things can be cooked in the oven easily, like sausages. I used to fry them in a pan but now I whack them in a big baking tray and cook them in the oven while the potatoes cook, turning them a couple of times. 

The key to keeping your sanity whilst cooking from scratch for a bit family is to keep it simple. Butter, sugar, honey, flour, cocoa, milk, dried fruit, nuts, oats, jam, baking powder and chocolate chips can be turned into an endless array of treats. I have a couple of basic recipes I tweak to suit almost any situation. 

Kids can bake treats, they often love to do it. It's good to get them involved in the kitchen where ever possible. 

If you run out of bread, scones will get you through till you need to go to the shop for more than one thing.  This should be avoided as each time we go to the shops we are bombarded with advertising and the temptation to stray off-budget. Rhonda Hetzel from Down to Earth has a good scone recipe in her book, or you can find it here. Scone recipe

A good butter cake recipe will see you through most of your cake needs. Add apple and cinnamon for an apple tea cake, banana for a banana cake (just add the milk last as you will need less) cocoa for a chocolate cake. You can ice it with traditional icing or decorate it with fresh cream and strawberries, or spread some melted butter on it and sprinkle cinnamon sugar. The flexibility is endless. 

Simple Butter Cake

Another great money saver is homemade muesli bars. A box of muesli bars is between $6-$10 depending on the brand and size of the box. But you can make them for just a few dollars and double the volume. 

Simple Musli bar recipe

When it comes to homemade muesli bars, I don't buy fancy/expensive ingredients to add to them. As long as you keep the volume of dry ingredients to wet, they should work out. I usually add a combination of choc chips, sultanas, chopped nuts, and chopped dried fruit, depending on what I have on hand. 

Another great snack is homemade popcorn, it is especially great as an afterschool snack. You can make a massive bowl of it for next to nothing. There is no need to buy microwave popcorn packets, just buy the kernels and pop them in your biggest pot over the stove, shaking regularly. Add butter and salt and you have a simple, healthy, quick snack. 

Growing your own herbs

Even if you live in a small space, or have an apartment with a balcony, you may still be able to grow some of your own herbs. Parsley, oregano, coriander, spring onion and basil are all a great place to start. Herbs from the shops are expensive and don't last well in the fridge. However, they add a big punch to a dish and can turn even the most simple meal into something really delicious. If you are not a confident gardener, it may be a great place to start. 

Managing expectations

Unfortunately, kids are bombarded with advertising and can develop their own set of expectations of what they think is 'good' food. In our home, we talk about homemade food being better, and shop-bought items being the lesser option. Grant backs me in this as he is genuinely excited by home cooking and treats and the kids have developed the same sense of enthusiasm. 

I try and ensure each meal has something each child will happily eat, and I don't shy away from challenging foods. I have found that slow acclimatisation to challenging foods over a long period has ensured my children eat most things. For example, Henry doesn't like fresh tomatoes, so I only pop 1/4 of a cherry tomato in his salad. I don't care if he slathers it in tomato sauce. As long as it is eaten, it's all good. Alternatively, each child can pick one thing on their plate they don't like. As children grow their ability to rationalize increases and it becomes easier to encourage them to eat a wider variety of food. Elsie has been my fussiest child, and I often have to feed her dinner or things she is not enamoured with. However, over time, encouraging her to just try one bite has helped her to be more adventurous when it comes to food. She will now eat a spoon with veggies and meat on it. Once her initial hesitation has passed, she will often exclaim that it is "very yummy Mummy!" 

I also put realistic, smaller serves on their plates. They can always go for seconds and it reduces food waste which is a huge money saver. I hate to throw out perfectly good food. 

How are you coping with the cost of living chrisis? What cost-saving tips can you add to this list? 

Much love,

Emma

xx

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A bit of a natter

It's been incredibly dry this spring. There is very little grass, the bush is crispy and we are having to supplement feed the animals. Our creek is down to a couple of rapidly diminishing spring-fed water holes. People around us are having to buy water by the tankerload which is costing them approximately $600/10,000L. The average Australian uses 270L/day, so you can imagine just how quickly these costs would add up for a family, even if they are extremely frugal with their water usage. 

This is not good news for my new garden, I'm keeping it alive with careful watering, but nothing has taken off yet and I'm hesitant to plant more until it rains. However, it remains a place of joy and peace for me and I find myself drawn out there constantly. 

The cats are loving the new garden, especially Sooty who has always preferred to be inside. She loves the pond. 

Sinking a bore has quickly gone to the top of the priority list. Unfortunately, it's expensive. I think it will be around 10-20k.

Grant has been working massive days fire fighting in the state forests for work. It seems arsonists are keeping busy already and everyone is bracing for a disastrous fire season. We are all hoping the wet season breaks soon and that the long-range forecasts are wrong. What we wouldn't give for a good long soaking downpour! Thankfully the boys are all getting older and more are more capable at farm work. Without them, it would be very difficult. 

I don't know if the arson is worse this year than other years, but it certainly seems like it. What causes people to deliberately light fires and put people, homes, livestock and nature at risk? Is it worse since COVID? Years of social distancing, an uncertain economic climate and an endlessly rising cost of living certainly doesn't help people feel like they have a place in this world or like they are connected to their community. 

But amongst the lack of rain and bushfires, there are good things happening on our farm. First and foremost William turned 16. Where have the years gone? He is growing into a lovely young man. He works hard, is kind and protective over those he loves and he loves the farm. We are very proud of him and it is a blessing to be his mother. Will is excited to get his Learner's licence and begin to learn to drive, he is utterly car-mad. I don't write a lot about the bigger children these days, especially Will as their stories have become their own and they don't always want me to share photos of them online. But they don't mind the odd one. 

Will requested a double-layer chocolate cake, covered in his favourite lollies. For the life of me, I couldn't find the birthday candles, so we settled with one giant one. Of course, I found the candles later, exactly where they always are. Ha!

Grant turns 40 in a few days. I remember when we got together, just a month or so before my 21st birthday. Grant being Grant doesn't want anything special for his birthday, though he commented he would like some comfy work shorts and some new hankies. I'm sure a pub meal and a chocolate cake wouldn't go astray either. All the things he wants are huge and farm-related like fencing materials, a slasher and a bore dug. Perhaps I should buy him a lotto ticket! I would so love to buy him those things, perhaps one day it will be possible. 

It got me thinking back to when I first started blogging and how little the boys were. Henry was just a babe on my back. Oh, how times have changed. Here is the very first post I did back in 2015 A Simple Living Journey. Blogging was different then, it was a kind of long-hand version of Instagram. My writing was terrible, my spelling worse and my grammar? Well, let's not go there. However, it was something I enjoyed and it brought much-needed structure and connection to my days.

As I was poking back through old posts, I wondered how past me would react if she could see us now? Would she be shocked? Excited? Daunted? Life is a funny thing. There are so many paths to explore with endless opportunities. I can't wonder where we will be in another 8 years. The boys will be grown, having finished their schooling and hopefully working or studying in an industry they enjoy. Will we even still be on the farm? I imagine so, but who knows what the future holds. The last 8 years have been full of changes. It has seemed at times that change is the only constant we have had. Aside from each other of course! I do hope the next 8 are a little slower, steadier and involve continuing to put down roots in our community. 

School holidays are upon us and I am pleased for the rest. The boys were quite run down this term, especially towards the end. Grant has booked a few days off and he wants to get cracking on the fencing for a secure dairy goat overnight pen and the permanent deep litter chicken yard. Sadly, our chook numbers are down due to a murderous steer that when given half a chance, chases the chickens and stomps on them. Our last rooster was a dud, so we will be on the lookout for some nice Australorps to purchase in a few weeks. The guinea fowl are less trusting of the steers as well as more agile, so we will have to settle with them for tick control around the house paddock until the grumpy steer is sold or put in the freezer. 

My parents are coming for a visit this school holidays which will be nice. They are staying in Port Macquarie and will do day trips out here and we will go into town too. We might even get some beach time in and the kids are hoping to go to the cinema. We always enjoy a bit of civilised town time! 

Well, that's about all from us for now. I had best finish hanging the clean washing on the line, tackle the dishes and lay some mulch on the garden. 

I hope this finds you well, sending much love and blessings to you and yours. 
Emma xx

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Building a permaculture garden and a new season

Hello there! 

It's been a bit since I have popped in, and I apologise. We got into a rut at our place.  Progress and projects seemed to crawl along, and everything felt like a struggle. It happens to us all, but the important thing is to remember it is only a season, and that we can pull ourselves out of it. Especially with good family and friends around us. 

This is Hoopla our British alpine dairy goat, just popping in to say hello too. 

Back in May, I started a permaculture course with David Holmgren and Beck Lowe through Melliodora and it's been wonderful to connect with like-minded people all over Australia and the world. I'm nearing the end of it now and it has helped to clarify a priorities list and given me ways in which to talk to Grant about what is important to me. We have been tinkering with designs and working out what is of high value to us. We have been working on the yurt garden (which in a permie sense is our zone 1) over winter as it is something we could do with very little money utilizing what we have here. We have used large rocks from the farm to build garden boarders and paths, used timber logs from the forest as stepping stones and then we have been bringing in either a load of compost or gravel for the paths once a fortnight. There are still a few more loads to go, but in the meantime, we have been sowing seeds and planting seedlings in the garden spaces as they are built. We managed to find a pond and outdoor setting for free off Facebook Marketplace which has been amazing. Already there has been a huge transformation and I can't wait until it matures and fills out.  I'll be sure to share the design with you all once I have finished tinkering with it, though as gardens are always evolving, it too will no doubt change. 

One of the best things about doing the permaculture course has been the people. The teachers David and Beck are amazing, but it's been delightful being able to meet so many people on the same path. It seems like Instagram and Facebook have gotten incredibly loud with either nastiness or endless advertising of things we can't afford or are not realistic to our way of life. I miss the days when everyone was blogging and sharing their stories and pictures of their gardens cobbled together out of this and that, their projects on the go and their modest DIY housing projects. Now it seems people are either a professional interior designer or a florist! Which I know of course isn't true, it's just what the algorithms want us to see. But golly it's annoying. Rhonda Hetzel is back on her blog Down to Earth, and it was a timely reminder to share here what we have been up to. 

Turning 40, falling into a rut and my last baby suddenly seeming grown....Well, I lost myself there for a bit. We are also quite isolated on our property, primarily due to the driveway and I struggle with that. But with Grant's encouragement, I have been making a big effort to catch up with friends for coffee or dinner in town and it's brought much-needed balance to my life. I've also started attending a bible study fortnightly through our church and the people in it are wonderful. To do things just for me again after being deep in the season of mothering and our 4th baby has indeed been a blessing. 

But with spring at our doorstep, it seems like a new season is here in my life too. Having broken the back of the yurt-yard garden, I've been reminded of the potential this somewhat wild property holds. 

The next job to tackle will be to build a new chook yard, expand our flock and then we will focus all our energy on starting the deck. We have decided that aside from the odd day on 'can't be ignored' farm jobs, the undercover deck with two more bedrooms, a small bathroom and a summer kitchen needs to be our absolute priority. For the sake of everyone's sanity. The boys are getting bigger and I have resumed theological study part-time and need a quiet space to work. The yurt is a sweet little home but it is not quiet, nor spacious. 

This introvert needs a quiet nook all of her own! 

Well, I'll keep today's post short as I have things I need to get stuck into study-wise. But it's good to touch base with you all and I apologise it's been a while! But all is well in our little corner of the world, how are things with you? 

Much love,
Emma
xx

 

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a good catch up and some interesting links

The school holidays are winding down in Australia and the children return to school next week. William is currently on a camp no doubt having a blast and it seems particularly quiet here with only three children home. 

Elsie has gone through leaps and bounds developmentally recently and she suddenly seems so big! She is playing better with her brothers and loves to tag along on their adventures. They help her navigate tricky terrain and do a fantastic job of looking after her. Angus and Henry are always thick as thieves during the school holidays and are both homebodies. 

We went to the local show for the first time since moving to NSW. For those who aren't familiar with a country show they happen once a year and were traditionally a place communities could get together and show off their best livestock, horse skills, working dogs, cakes, jams, preserves, flower displays, artwork, knitting, sewing and more. It's a bit of friendly competition to see who can walk away with a blue ribbon. 

These days there are rides, show bags and a sideshow alley too. The kids enjoyed the dodgem cars and a ride each but we avoided the games and show bags which consist of overpriced plastic junk that usually gets tossed in the trash after a day. Elsie got a little knitted purse and a cardigan for her doll made by the women of the CWA (County Womens Association) who give the proceeds of their stall to a well-deserving local cause. All in all, it was a lovely day out. My favourite was the milking goats with whom I spent quite a lot of time patting. Elsie thought all the different chickens were hilarious, the boys thought the demolition derby was exciting and we all enjoyed the horsemanship. The crowd favourite was a pony called Tully, who might have been small in stature but by golly, she could jump. 

I'm pleased to report that I have fully recovered from Covid now and my energy and enthusiasm has returned. Over the last couple of days, I have been thoroughly dusting and wiping over the lattice walls in the yurt. I didn't intend to do the whole yurt but I pulled a desk away from the wall to clean under it and then noticed how dusty the lattice above it was. After cleaning that small section, I noticed the rest of the walls looked revolting in comparison. (Isn't that always the case?!) 

So, I have been methodically working my way around the yurt scrubbing walls. It is slow and messy as everything needs to be moved and the lattice is tricky to clean but it's a good job done that's for sure. I should probably dust more but usually find more interesting things to do, like playing with goats! I'm also going to give William's room a once over while he is away. He left it tidy enough and usually, once a term I like to deep clean the boy's areas with them. In between those times, they do it themselves, but they don't always do it quite as thoroughly as they should. Mind you, given the state of the yurt lattice, I can't complain. 

We had a bit of a run of bad luck over the past term. Along with illness and covid, my old Suzuki finally died. We bought a second-hand Mitsubishi Pajero which was a great buy and ran well, but as I was going down our mountain the radiator hose fell off (which should never happen) and I accidentally cooked the engine. Badly. The repair was going to be as much as the car and that was if no further damage had been done, which we couldn't be sure of. So we bit the bullet and bought another second-hand Mitsubishi Pajero. 

The best car we could find in our budget was a couple of hours away, so we thought we would take the opportunity to go for a lovely country drive and visit some interesting places along the way. When we arrived to the pretty town of Guyra we inspected the car, took it for a test drive, had a yarn to the very nice fellow who was selling it and all seemed good. I managed to drive it 20kms down the road before it shuddered to a stop. 

There *may* have been cussing. 

Fortunately it was just a $50 bearing that gave way which attaches to a belt that charges the alternator. Except it was Good Friday and nothing was open, and it was raining with intermittent hail. Turns out Guyra is significantly colder then our place. We probrably should have checked BOM before we left. 

Thankfully seller was a lovely, honest man and rushed to help us get it towed to the mechanics. He then got it fixed, gave it a service and got the mechanic to give it a once over for our peace of mind even though it wasnt really due at his cost. The next week he and his friend met us partway so we could attempt to pick up the car again and thankfully this time all went smoothly. At least we metsome lovely new people and might even make it Guyra again to try and catch the snow. 

Now we have two cars to sell to a wrecking yard, neither of which will be worth much so sadly, we are out of pocket far more money than we had intended. But such is life. I am now looking for ways to tighten our belt strap. I am feeling enthusiastic and inspired by the challenge. 

On the weekend I'm going to make a fresh batch of laundry liquid. I'm not sure why I got out of the habit of making it. I use the recipe from Down To Earth by Rhonda Hetzel, but I use Sard soap which I find a little more effective for my grubby mob. While making cleaning supplies I'll also whip up a batch of soap. These products are gentler and far more natural than most of the shop-bought alternatives, especially for the price point. 

I have also noticed a few more "shortcuts" making it into my home recently. That nearly always adds extra dollars onto the shopping bill, as well as extra additives that we don't need. Have you noticed your shopping bill getting more expensive? How are you managing to trim it?

I've been trawling through the specials and bulk buys to mealplan as carefully as possible. I'm really pleased that the weather has cooled and that soups are back on the menu. I think for tonight's dinner there will be a chunky minestrone soup with some bone broth in it for extra nourishment. With the weather cooling, I'm able to use the wood oven more, which is free as we have an abundance of sustainably harvested timber from our property. 

I tend to do click-and-collect as we live a two-hour return trip from the big supermarkets and it saves me a lot of time. However, I go to an independent fruit and veg market for all our veggie needs. I buy whatever is seasonal and well-priced then work it into our meals as necessary. Midweek top-ups of milk etc are done at the IGA which is 45 minutes away and Grant usually gets it on his way home from work. 

Menu Plan

x1/x2 means I will cook enough for 1 or 2 meals

Breakfast

• Cerial (wheetbix)
• Porridge
• Scrambled eggs
• Toast

Lunch

• Two minute noodles (kids treat) x1
• Simple quiche x2
• Sandwiches x2
• Pizza scrolls x1
• Baked beans and toast x1

Dinner

• Minestrone soup x 2 meals
• Pork Roast with seasonal veg x1
• Leftover roast pork with stir-fried greens and steamed rice x1 
• Beef stroganoff with pasta/potato and veggies x2
• Chicken strips, home made oven chips and veggies x1

Snacks/dessert

• Popcorn
• Banana bread
• Musli bars
• Anzac biscuits
• Fruit/yoghurt
• Hard boiled eggs
• Apple crumble

Interesting links of things I have enjoyed recently

YouTube: Amazing Life In Shoria Mountains. Russia Village Life

YouTube: A Step Saving Kitchen, 1949

YouTube: Lessons From the Great Depression | With Mary's Nest

ABC: Everyday Supermarket Phsycology Tricks

10 best ways to increase dopamine naturally

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