Year end savings

 I've just been reading Sooze's post and it set me thinking about how much money we saved this past year.  Tony didn't renew his football season ticket for the past two seasons so that immediately swelled his bank account.  It's not just the cost of the ticket (close on £800 each season) but the more than £60 a month fuel cost to get him to and from the match. There's the extra matches to pay for that weren't covered by his ticket and also the half time sausage bun and cuppa, match programme and badge.  These costs all mount up.  Then these past two years I've gradually given over more and more garden to growing veggies and we are almost self sufficient in veg now. I've frozen, dried, fermented and pickled home grown produce this past year and the gardening community on You Tube have been so generous with their advice. It's meant that we haven't visited the supermarket a fraction as often as before and that has saved us a considerable amount by not spotting 'bargains'. These are usually things we probably didn't need and wouldn't have gone on our shopping list. Following the low carb diet meant that we weren't constantly popping out for fresh bread as it just didn't figure in my meal planning. We both had huge tubs of fresh picked salads every day for lunch and 'proper dinners' when Tony came home from work, all the veg grown by my own fair hands.  I have so many plans for the coming growing season and can hardly wait to start sowing the seeds as soon as the new year starts. And since discovering how much we enjoy car camping we won't have the cost of guest houses to fork out for if we decide to have a few days away. We'll sleep in the car and use any local swimming pools for a swim and a shower... considerably cheaper than paying for a guest house as they are only ever on a B and B basis so we still have lunch and an evening meal to pay for.  Taking the car camping equipment means we can cook our own food if and when we choose rather that eating out all the time.  It's not for everyone but we have a sense of adventure and loved sleeping in the car. My car camping blog will share details of our adventures over the coming years... the following is a clickable link ..  Two go car camping in the UK

There's not a lot to read about right now but we'll be packing up and heading out as soon as the spring arrives.  I would have loved a night or two away this past week if Tony hadn't been full of cold. The night time temperatures have been really good.. January is usually bitterly cold so nothing will be happening for a while but I can't wait to hit the road and discover all the pretty little towns up and down our lovely island.