[Sylvia]

Rusty, for sweetening you could grow Stevia. One leaf, just licked tastes too sugary sweet to me. I can send you a few seeds if you would like some.

[Sylvia]

DaddyMatty, I hope you find a way to keep in touch. Being poor isn't so bad, being in debt is soul-destroying Hope all comes right for you

[Sandy]

Camelia grows well and so many be you can collect some leaves, but what about dandelion tea or coffee? Then of course nettle tea!! 
I can economise on most things but absolutely hate cheap tea, I would rather not drink it,  tea bags will be the very last luxury food to go for me!!!

[Bionic]

Sandy,
You would hate the tea that I make then.  Most tea is much too strong for me so I make one teabag (cheapest tea bags I can get) last all day.
I drink it black, or light brown in my case, and don't have sugar.

Mmmm I really look forward to my cups of tea as I don't drink coffee.

Sally

[Sandy]

I like my tea opposite to how I like men, strong and dark and not sweet!!!

[RUSTYME]

Thanks Sylvia , that would be great . I did have some that i sowed last year , but it coincided with one of my dogs going very ill and then dieing.
Everything went to pieces  for a while , but back on track now .
I think it is about 100 or more times sweeter than sugar , so it would taste very sweet if licked !

[NormandyMary]

I like my tea opposite to how I like men, strong and dark and not sweet!!!

Me too Sandy. I think the call it "Builders Tea" which means its strong enough to stand your spoon up in. No sugar for me either, Ive never taken sugar in drinks. If I ever have a shock and someone makes me a hot sweet tea, I'll spit it straight out again

[Sandy]

I was brought up on Park Drive flavored tea due to my mum's smoking habbits of putting her fags out on the saucers!!!

[doganjo]

YUK! 

[sabrina]

Its amazing how little we do need to get by in life. We no longer do big shops at the supermarket as we found ourselfs with food going off or uneaten. OH picks up what we do need on his way home from work and we do spend less. I stay at home most days, only work 6 hours a week so use my car for that.

[Sandy]

Funny how we are all doing similar things, I have always  loved pre owned stuff, most of my best clothes are second hand as with most stuff in the house, although I would buy  new electricle items and as there are only us 2 and sometimes my hubby can eat at work, I do not do large shopping at supermarkets either, if you get the timing right, we also sometimes get some fantastic bargains, on Friday night I had not eaten but went to the co op at 8 and bought 2 lots of fresh king prawns, 2 tubs of prawn cocktail and some mixed salad ready prep ed, I made myself the most amazing Prawn cocktail with very little effort and enough for 2 but ate it all myself, all for 50p as they were all 10 each!! and I left some, then another time some fresh mixed veg reduced to 10p and another night we bought 2 vegetarian Indian ready meals, reduced from nearly £4 each to 50p each....If you do not have to plan ahead a meal its worth going later, amazed at how little I spend on food now, never pay full price for bread, I either make my own or buy reduced stuff, we also bought 3 large chickens at £!.50 each, I cooked them and frozed the cooked chicken and take it out when I need it, then made some stock as well and before some one asks were they organic...sorry but I cannot afford to pay the price of organic stuff!!

[Hermit]

Yes bartering is the thing to do, I love a good barter.

[Sandy]

leghorn that is a very moving post and I agree. I could grow stuff but do not, we just had our energy bill, gas and electric together and its £1,300, we would never want to leave some one here to look after the place as the bill would double in a week, its a big old house that sucks the fuel and its interesting to find some one else with a  big bill too.....we have not paid ours yet but will do next week..money goes as quick as we earn it and as my husbands job is agency, we never know if he will be in work from week to week...like you we like our life and do not wish for too much but I had a very small tax return and really wanted to buy something extravagant for myself...hope to get a new posh outdoor coat!!!!!!!!!

I did some agency work and get offered work each day but not too mobile to do the care work offered..however, I took o ut work insurance for our car and its soooo expensive..I used to pay just over £100 now I pay more like £600 and on less income....whats gong on to make us all so poor?  Thanks for that post....

[RUSTYME]

I am pennyless too , but through choice and my total rejection of the corrupt system and it's base 'money'.
Being such a stubbon arse , and my 'need' to live a cleaner , less harmful , corruption free lifestyle , does make life different to say the least . But being on my own makes it easy to accept the hardships this way of life brings ,as they are only hardships if you want a 'normal' lifestyle .
 Clean food , free from poison was my main aim in my new lifestyle , but then the corruption of the eu and mp's , the bankers etc , made me just want out !
Nearly there now , at last , and it feels good to be free of the insane money chase that is modern life .
I do feel alone at times , as everyone i know is totally caught up in the system , even family .
But i feel that things are about to change , and for those relient on the system , it won't be good . Very little will change for me , i already live the life , but for my family things may be very different . They know where i am and that i will do anything i can to help them if and when the time comes and they want the help.
2k for leccy blows my mind . There again £1.45 for a litre of petrol does too , i went mental when it went up to 50p a gallon !  Really glad i don't buy it anymore , nearly 5 years now since i  stopped using a car .
 
 

[Sandy]

I wish Russ....!!! I am so glad we have no children as mine are grown up, it makes them outcasts not to have the same as others and the others only have stuff to be in the club!!!!!!

I cannot see many smallholders surviving as they need an income to pay for stuff...a true self sufficiant life is a difficult balance, like you say, no car, no holiday unless you look after some one elses land and def no treats....I do admire you Russ and love your posts.....I run this B&B so I do not have to go out into that horrid world of work !!