Frugal living 2021: first quarter review

Three months of 2021 gone already! I hope you are all well and staying safe. In the UK it feels as if we may finally be reaching the light at the end of the tunnel as we move into spring. Just need to stick with the programme, folks, and be patient  a little longer. Now seems a good time to look at what we have achieved so far this year, so here is a quick first quarter review.

Shoestring Cottage first quarter review

Decluttering

I feel as if I have achieved quite a lot this year so far. I have still got the declutter bug and I am gradually working my way around the house, clearing, cleaning and doing some repairs and improvements as I go. 

The hallway has been completely repainted, the carpet has been cleaned and repaired and I upcycled the tatty old unit. The two built in storage cupboards have also been cleaned out, repainted and organised.

The main shed has been decluttered and lots of stuff was either sold or given away. Mr S has sorted out a large plastic storage box full of camping equipment (and, it turned out, mice droppings!). I’m not sure we will use most of the camping equipment again, so my sister will be having a root through and I will offer the rest on Freegle.

Buying second hand

I have pledged to buy only second hand for the whole of 2021. Even with the charity shops closed and no boot sales running yet, this hasn’t been too difficult.

You can buy a lot of second hand stuff online, so this is what I have been doing when I needed something. Actually, I haven’t needed much at all so my spending has mostly been on gifts for other people. I have loved doing this! Finding nice, second hand, vintage or repurposed items has been really fun and satisfying.  

Things I have been meaning to do…

I have finally got around to doing some blog related things that I have been meaning to do for years. Time and a lack of confidence stopped me, but I have had a sudden surge in enthusiasm and energy.

YouTube – I have tentatively started a YouTube channel. Only two videos so far but I have others planned, so come and subscribe!

Facebook – Another thing I have been thinking about for an age was to create a Facebook group. I am so glad I did this, as it is attracting a really chatty and supportive bunch of frugal folk.  Please come and join that too!

The Book! – I have been writing a book based on the blog for the longest time. Being a bit of a perfectionist, and wanting to include EVERYTHING I KNOW, has meant this is taking longer than it should. This year, I actually started from scratch again with new enthusiasm. It is taking shape and I want to get it finished by the summer. However, I want it to be a useful resource and to research it carefully, so I am not rushing it.

Newsletter – Most blogs have newsletters, but I never got round to writing one until this year. I don’t want to spam subscribers with endless emails, so I am aiming for just one a month. You should get a pop up box when you come onto Shoestring Cottage giving you the option to sign up.

Clearing old stock – As you know, I make a little extra cash selling on eBay. Because I haven’t been able to go out and source much in the way of new stock, I have been forced to list the bags of things I had accumulated in the shed. I have almost done the lot, although I do have a pile that needs ironing first. Ironing is not my favourite activity, but I can’t put it off forever!

Awards update

The UK Money Bloggers finally had our 2020 SHOMOS awards ceremony via Zoom on 23rd March. This was delayed from last Autumn in the hope that we could meet in  person in February, but alas it was not to be. Shoestring Cottage was nominated in the best frugal food blog category. I was delighted to be nominated, but happy for the award to go to the wonderful Thrifty Lesley. If you want to save money on your groceries, check out her blog. It’s very detailed and thoughtful.

If you want to see all of the nominees and winners check out the UK Money Bloggers website. You will discover lots of great blogs to explore.

What’s next?

Bedroom – Next on my hit list for decluttering and redecorating is our bedroom. This will involve painting all of the mismatched wooden furniture that is currently in there and refreshing the walls and paintwork too. There is no carpet in there  currently, as the previous owners installed wood laminate.

As I am not currently buying anything new, I plan to bring out and clean an old rug that we found when we sorted the shed. It’s perfectly good, just a bit musty from being forgotten so long!

Before we do any DIY in the bedroom though, it needs a good declutter. I have already started sorting the files under the bed, shredding loads of old documents we really do not need to keep. Surprised to discover just how therapeutic shredding is! I am saving some of the paper for padding out my eBay sales will be composting the remainder.

Garden – We are scaling down the veggie patch this year. It takes a lot of time and effort, and we enjoy it, but DIY and decluttering is going to take precedence or it will never happen. We will grow a few tomatoes in the green house, runner beans and courgettes, but that’s all. 

We have a small shed that is desperate for a declutter. I will task Mr S with clearing it out, although he can never throw anything  out, so the decluttering is always down to me.

Loft – The loft is another place that is going to be ruthlessly sorted through. There seem to be an awful lot of spare duvets up there, so we will see if any of the animal rescue centres can use these.

Other than the above, we are aiming to be as frugal as possible in the coming months. Our lodger is moving out, so we will lose her income until we can find someone suitable to replace her. This always takes longer than you think, since we want a female and it has to be someone we get on with. They also have to love animals and be tolerant about cats sneaking into their bedroom to sleep and a silly dog jumping all over them.

We have both had our first lot of vaccine, which is a great relief! So I am feeling optimistic as we move into spring and towards summer. The only way is up!

So, that’s what frugal living looks like for our first quarter review of 2021. How has this year been for you?