Selfsufficientish.com

Best of luck with the sale, John. We've just bought a house and will be moving next month - then ours is on the market too!!!!

Some good tips there - especially about heating. Many people live in their summer clothes all year and crank the heating up instead of putting on a jumper or vest. However, in the current situation, that's not an option for many folk. Nor is getting in diesel to run generators (and red diesel is una...

Indeed, Simon. The number of people having to decide between heating and eating is enormous. Far more than a so-called developed nation should stand for.

Well I'm glad you've said that - I thought it was just me! Mine just get loads of foliage and not much root. However, we do a good line in radish pods, which I believe are quite trendy.

Hmm, not sure I like the idea of exporting energy. I'll have to think about that!.

There are several charities that transport clothes etc to "developing" countries. The problem is, I'm not sure they'd send shoes that are less than wearable, so they might dispose of them here. I don't know of any leather recycling/reusing sites. Or rather, not recycling small items like s...

If things get "interesting" it's not as if we'll be able to go sit in a café for warmth or the local library to read - they'll be in the same situation as the rest of us. No, although it may be a time to pay/receive visits - more bodies warm up the space a treat! Think pot luck lunches or...

It's not just direct gas supply, electricity generated from gas power stations is at risk too. In answer to your question, though, there are a few things you can do. The first thing is to shut your living area down to just one room, so any heat you can create will be optimised. Aim to live, cook and...

We had a very strange situation last night. We're fairly used to power outages and have lots of back ups ready but last nights was different. OH has a small back up power supply to enable him to save his work (software developer) in the case of loss of power. It started alarming, at about 10pm, but ...

My courgettes have finished - not ver productive at all this year!

Still getting a few tomatoes out of the greenhouse but I think we'll harvest all the green ones and get shut this weekend. Chillies continue and have done rather well this year.

I suppose if she doesn't drink tea herself, it would be unreasonable for her to stock them in case of visitors. The article didn't read like that though - just anything to save a penny or two. Mind, that could just be the journalistic slant!

In answer to your question, I think it's the last - maybe brought on by periods real hardship. I don't know if it's thrifty, or just mean. Don't encourage friends to come round or if they do bring their own teabags. I wonder how many invites she gets to theirs. There are undoubtedly some very good i...

Don't forget to eat some of them fresh!

The council took the opportunity to cut our "recycling" services during lockdown - it's unlikely they'll increase again. The shipping container for electricals is still there, as is a small thing for hazardous waste - oils, paint etc.The bottle banks (not run by the council, I think) are a...

....and fermenting. I much prefer lacto-fermented veg to pickled - except picalilli of course.