Frugal Retirees

Frugality in the later years

You've looked forward to your retirement and now that your retirement date has arrived.....

....your pension is not as big as you thought it would be....

...what do you do?

Change your lifestyle.

LIVE SIMPLY

Frugal living is one of the many solutions out there but many people are frightened off by the mere thought of it.

Personally, I'm passionate about frugal living, as this site may have indicated... ;-)

Living on one income/pension or getting used to living on a smaller income has become a reality for many households.

I was desperate to be home with my children and decided to stop working and this decision left a huge hole in our bank account.

We experienced financial strain and tough times due to my "decision" to be frugal but through this experience I have grown so much and learned even more.

BEST WAYS TO SAVE MONEY

For starters I had to learn where and how to cut costs at home, where to cut costs outside of home and how to draw up a budget.

Living on a budget was rather tough in the beginning - old habits die hard, you know.... but once I got the hang of it, it wasn't that hard at all.

I tackled my grocery list next - and learnt how to save on groceries! Now this is where meal planning comes in.

You need to plan your meals for the month, so that you can shop with purpose.

With forward planning and improvisation, low-cost meals can be just as delicious and satisfying as its more expensive counterpart.

HOW TO LIVE FRUGALLY

My parents and in-laws are part of the 'generation baby boomers’ and have either retired or is nearing retirement.

My dad has been retired for a number of years now and he can not live on his pension alone. Perhaps 20 years ago his pension would have sufficed but not anymore. He has had to cut costs and keeps a tight budget.

He and his wife, Maggie manages a guest house in Mosselbay, South Africa, called the Mosselbay Golf Lodge, and they absolutely love it!

In fact my dad insists keeping busy in the later years is very important.

I believe everyone can benefit from frugal living.

And this is why I dedicate this page respectfully to you, the older generation.

Please look around in this website. Here you'll find tips on frugal living , a budgeting tip or two , cost cutting tips , ideas for frugal meals , frugal recipes and much more.

MAKE YOUR OWN

My mom sadly passed away 10 years ago.

I didn't have any children at that stage but my older sister did. Her eldest daughter, Lucca was 9 years old when my mother passed away.

I think Lucca was very lucky to have had such a special granny for 9 years! My mom was very artistic and loved making things for and with Lucca.

My most precious possessions are things that mom made for me.

In this site I have a number of frugal gift ideas for you, to help you get started. Nothing says "I thought of you when I chose this" more than a gift you made yourself.

GROW YOUR OWN

Planting a

vegetable garden and growing herbs will also help reduce your grocery bill.

• You can grow your herbs in different containers and keep them indoors or outdoors. You can use old teapots or even old saucepans to plant your herb plant in. Don't forget to punch drainage holes into the containers or plant the herbs in normal pots and place these inside your container.
• I keep my herbs in a trough on my kitchen windowsill. You can do the same by inserting a layer of gravel and charcoal or clay granules in the trough, for drainage before adding your compost and herbs. Choose small, bushy herb plants where possible.
• You can also keep your herbs in a little gardening basket (a trug, I think it's called). Keep the herbs in the pots they came inand when you need to water them, just take them out of the basket, water them and leave them outside in a sunny spot to drain.
• My personal favourite is the hanging basket. They are great for small gardens (or no garden at all). Line it with felt, half fill the basket with compost, add your herbs and arrange the rest of the compost around your herb plants.

Most herbs need good light, so make sure you place them near a bright window, in a hot, sunny spot.

• Herbs like basil and marjoram must be turned regularly, so that all sides receive and equal amount of light.
• Also you need to pinch out the growing tips on your herbs often and subsequent main shoots. This will keep your herbs compact and will also keep them growing and healthy.
• I heard that when starting a herb garden, it is best to start with herbs like Thyme , Sage and Bay as they are quite forgiving.

If you want to dry herbs like rosemary, bay, mint and oregano, then tie them together in a bunch and hang the bunches upside down in a dry place.

You probably know this already but....

....in case you didn't know:

HERB CULINARY USES

BASIL

Basil is mostly used in fish and lamb dishes but I use it most in my stews. This is probably my favourite herb!

DRIED BAY LEAVES

Bay leaves can be quite potent - so be careful. They work well in most meat stews or casseroles.

CHIVES

Chives taste great with boiled potatoes and are yummy in a potato salad.

CHILLI

Chilli of course tastes great in spicy dishes. Make sure you wash your hands well after you've worked with chillies - try especially not to touch the pips with your bare hands.

DILL

Dill is great on seafood.

MARJORAM

Another one of my favourites! Marjoram is so versatile - it can go on just about any dish and tastes great in salads.

OREGANO

Oregano is yummy on pizza and most tomato based Italian dishes. I think oregano taste great in most tomato based dishes and especially with peppers.

PARSLEY

Parsley is great in most sauces, soups and on fish. I often use it with garlic.

ROSEMARY

I love using Rosemary in vegetable dishes - especially when roasting vegetables in the oven. Traditionally it is often used with lamb.

SAGE and THYME

These herbs are great when used in traditional stuffing or when roasting potatoes.

Did you know that when using fresh herbs, you must use 3 times the amount you would have used if using dried herbs.

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In loving memory of Annette Hough. A wonderful mother and fabulous granny!