Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Weekly News

Hello. We had a bit of a sad week this week, with the passing of Webster the Bunny. He was a good little bunny, who had a very eventful life for a bunny. He will be missed by all of us, but most especially by Peanut, his best friend in the Whole World.

And, although that was certainly the saddest, other things have been happening this week, too. Griffin got his own little wading pool, which is a great hit, and seemed like an absolute necessity in this wave of heat we've been living through.
It was the last purchase we will be making for a little while, as we realized that our budget needs to be scaled back drastically. We had already started on our way to doing that, but realized this week that we will now need to go a lot further. I'm pretty sure it is theoretically possible to live on the amount of money we have left over when all the bills are paid, I'm just not totally sure how to do it. Jai and I have never been rich, but often been comfortable, and we're just not used to every dime counting - literally. We don't buy ourselves big treats very often (no televisions or sofas for us!), but we do like those little treats - the ice cream cone, or the Tim Hortons coffee - that add up so very quickly. It will be an interesting challenge to come up with ways to figure out what's really essential, and what will be considered a treat. Some things are obvious, but we're going to have to go a little beyond the obvious, this time. So if anyone has tips or stories to share about living frugally, I sure would love to hear them!

And I'll leave you with this little video that Jai took a week or so back. If things get really bad, we can always put Griffin out on the street, with his little hat in front of him :)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

hi guys! love the video and the pictures. Our condolences re wee Webbie - he had had an interesting life including some adventures (he saw more of our amazing country than your average bunny); a beautiful home; a wonderful and lifelong friend; and a loving family ... all in all, a good life.
Living frugally - I will send some tips! love you lots! xoxoxo M/J/G

Anonymous said...

Tips:
1. bake a lot of beans - they last a long time, freeze well and will always sustain you
2. buy local veggies at the farm gate or at a local farm market
3. buy pre-bagged local apples - you get a lot more than if you buy the apples individually AND if they go a bit soft, use them in baking.
4. make a lot of soup! and make your own stock ... saves a lot of money, you control the salt and it is a great way to use up your vegetables.
5. visit family - for years our once-a-week meat meal was at G&Gs (thanks guys)
6. explore all around you - there are amazing sights to see and rocks to be found
7. allow yourself a treat now and then - plan it, anticipate it, enjoy it - otherwise it feels like drudgery! You'll find that because you think hard about what will feel like a treat, it is sometimes a quiet time with a cup of herbal tea or a gentle conversation with a friend.
ok...that's it for today ... love you. M/J/G & E