On Holiday
I'm still struggling with adding pictures, which is a complete bummer as it's gorgeous here ... in France!
Our easy-to-use saving system enables us to finance the cost of return ferries and fuel, and we simply live cheaply here rather than in the UK for a few weeks.
(I'm not sure if I've blogged about our 'saving-up' system; if I have, forgive me as I will recap it later in this blogpost.)
We don't need to do the touristy things - eating out at expensive restaurants or doing activities every day - instead we eat and do things gently here.
Today, for example, I'm crocheting a commission and reading a book downloaded for free on bookbub.
Breakfast was two weetabix with soya milk - the same as at home - and lunch was salad with tuna and olives - the same as at home.
I have had a croissant this holiday - free, I might add! - thanks to the ferry company, and we have had a coffee out and also a little lunch out.
Neither were expensive, and were relaxed and totally enjoyed from start to finish!
We have swum in the sea, walked, read books and magazines and practised our French.
The only thing I have bought apart from our food is some local booze (well, it's important to keep local economies going!), a couple of postcards to send to chums at home, and some fabric at the local market for a winter skirt.
I brought commissions with me to do - folk know I am away - so will have the pennies to come home to; and as we pay for everything beforehand, we have no stress of a debt to pay off when we travel back to England.
I don't keep souvenirs beyond memories and the occasional picture.
We planned a trip out to a huge Eco-friendly park, and took our own picnic with us; but bought hot drinks while there. We easily avoided the fast food-style outlets selling mountains of fried products and ice cream cabins.
We sat in the shade on a homemade patchwork blanket overlooking giraffes - yes, real ones!! - eating our lunch and taking in a little peace and tranquility.
I've always wanted to see a giraffe, and now I have!
I've collected together some leaflets and business cards as we have pottered around the last few weeks, and am planning a bit of decoupage with a blob or two of PVA.
For now though, I'll leave you with the saving-up scheme - not my own idea: read about it in the Guardian a few years ago and have been doing it since.
I hope you get the chance to put your feet up and breathe in the air today for a bit; even if you are not away, finding a bit of peace is worth more than millions in my bGrab a cheap printout of the year - like you get at the end of a diary, or a a calendar. Failing that, print one out.
Now you decide when to start and end the year, and number each day from 1 to 365. ** (NB the important thing is you don't need to start at January 1st; start at a date near to where you'd like to have the money saved up - for example, we run our holiday saving-up plan from July 1st every year and cash it in on 30th June every year. Our Christmas one runs from 1st November to 31st October ..... As long as there are 365 days in it, it works, ok?)
Then - and this is the easy bit - you put in the amount of pennies per day that it says next to that date.
So.
If you started it on July 1st, then on July 1st you put 1p in the box.
July 2nd is 2p
July 3rd is 3p ... and so on.
July 31st is 31p and then
August 1st is 32p.
Next June, on the 30th, it will be £3.65 to put in the box, but......at the end of the saving year you have.... £671.61p!
We do this every year, and seriously don't miss the few pence each day.
It means we have a holiday every year, and have pennies to give the kids for Christmas. :-)
Our easy-to-use saving system enables us to finance the cost of return ferries and fuel, and we simply live cheaply here rather than in the UK for a few weeks.
(I'm not sure if I've blogged about our 'saving-up' system; if I have, forgive me as I will recap it later in this blogpost.)
We don't need to do the touristy things - eating out at expensive restaurants or doing activities every day - instead we eat and do things gently here.
Today, for example, I'm crocheting a commission and reading a book downloaded for free on bookbub.
Breakfast was two weetabix with soya milk - the same as at home - and lunch was salad with tuna and olives - the same as at home.
I have had a croissant this holiday - free, I might add! - thanks to the ferry company, and we have had a coffee out and also a little lunch out.
Neither were expensive, and were relaxed and totally enjoyed from start to finish!
We have swum in the sea, walked, read books and magazines and practised our French.
The only thing I have bought apart from our food is some local booze (well, it's important to keep local economies going!), a couple of postcards to send to chums at home, and some fabric at the local market for a winter skirt.
I brought commissions with me to do - folk know I am away - so will have the pennies to come home to; and as we pay for everything beforehand, we have no stress of a debt to pay off when we travel back to England.
I don't keep souvenirs beyond memories and the occasional picture.
We planned a trip out to a huge Eco-friendly park, and took our own picnic with us; but bought hot drinks while there. We easily avoided the fast food-style outlets selling mountains of fried products and ice cream cabins.
We sat in the shade on a homemade patchwork blanket overlooking giraffes - yes, real ones!! - eating our lunch and taking in a little peace and tranquility.
I've always wanted to see a giraffe, and now I have!
I've collected together some leaflets and business cards as we have pottered around the last few weeks, and am planning a bit of decoupage with a blob or two of PVA.
For now though, I'll leave you with the saving-up scheme - not my own idea: read about it in the Guardian a few years ago and have been doing it since.
I hope you get the chance to put your feet up and breathe in the air today for a bit; even if you are not away, finding a bit of peace is worth more than millions in my bGrab a cheap printout of the year - like you get at the end of a diary, or a a calendar. Failing that, print one out.
Now you decide when to start and end the year, and number each day from 1 to 365. ** (NB the important thing is you don't need to start at January 1st; start at a date near to where you'd like to have the money saved up - for example, we run our holiday saving-up plan from July 1st every year and cash it in on 30th June every year. Our Christmas one runs from 1st November to 31st October ..... As long as there are 365 days in it, it works, ok?)
Then - and this is the easy bit - you put in the amount of pennies per day that it says next to that date.
So.
If you started it on July 1st, then on July 1st you put 1p in the box.
July 2nd is 2p
July 3rd is 3p ... and so on.
July 31st is 31p and then
August 1st is 32p.
Next June, on the 30th, it will be £3.65 to put in the box, but......at the end of the saving year you have.... £671.61p!
We do this every year, and seriously don't miss the few pence each day.
It means we have a holiday every year, and have pennies to give the kids for Christmas. :-)
Enjoy the rest of your holiday.
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant system and so simple thanks for adding that on. Enjoy the rest :)
ReplyDelete