I heard myself say this on radio the other morning: "Being thrifty is not about large amounts. You rarely make those large savings. It's more about constantly looking to save small amounts because over the course of a year, those small amounts become your large savings." When I finished the broadcast I thought about what had popped out of my mouth and that I should practise what I preach. I decided to review my phone and internet bills.

We've have had the same internet provider for many years - Optus. They've provided us with years of reliable service and apart from bumpy downloads because we lacked speed, we've been happy with them. On the other hand, we weren't happy with our phone company. We've had our account with them for a bit over two years and although we have a $29.95 account, we pay for all calls and when our bill arrives it's usually around $70. With the phone and internet combined we were paying $120 a month and still restricting our phone calls a lot.

After about one hour research online, we decided on staying with Telstra but increasing our bill to an Ultimate plan - $89.90, but with unlimited local and interstate calls, reduced calls to mobiles and either five cent or two cent/minute international calls. Adding the internet to that bill and bringing over our account from Optus gave us fast broadband with double the gigabytes for two dollars less than what we'd been paying. It's not much in savings but the plan we're on now is much better value for money. That's what you look for with these essential services; it's not so much the savings, although you do want them too, it's more about the value you get for your hard-earned dollars.

So we've now got a phone account that will allow us to call our relatives and friends either free or for a much smaller cost than we used to pay and we have doubled our internet download allowance and it's much faster. And all that for two dollars less than we used to pay. These occasional reviews of how we spend money are an essential part of living well within the confines of a small budget. Don't forget to look at how you're spending your money on these long term accounts. Technology is moving ahead rapidly and what you paid a premium for when you first took on that account, might be old hat now. It's worth a bit of research and talking to your account providers - they will not want to lose you as a customer. If you do your research, phone them with a polite attitude and ask for their advice, you may be surprised to find savings or better services there, or both.

It doesn't take much to make me happy, I'm on the verge of it every day, but yesterday as I worked at my voluntary job, I kept thinking about this phone account and how it would allow me to phone my sister whenever I felt like it. She lives a thousand kilometres away and in the past we've rationed the calls. Just thinking about it gave me a really warm feeling and as soon as I got home yesterday afternoon, while Hanno was still cooking our dinner, I phoned Tricia ... just because I could.

We are in Gail's kitchen today.  Gail lives in a Queenslander, which is a house up on stilts, surrounded by a veranda, usually on all sides.  They're wonderful old, distinctive houses that were built to suit living in the tropics.

Gail writes:

"This is my kitchen, it's an 100 year old Queenslander that my hubby and l brought 10 years ago. We have spent the last 10 years doing it up, we have nearly finished. Most of the work we did ourselves or had someone help hubby to do it, it took a while as hubby has to work full time. 

In the kitchen we replaced everything including the floor boards, we replaced the cupboards with drawers, which are more convenient, l collect tea pots, cups and saucers, milk jugs, anything with country animals on it, l love spending time here. Thankyou for coming to visit."   

Today is a day of absolute pleasure for me.  I'll be sitting in the shade of the verandah reading one of my new books; tea will be had in the "good" cups. I'll knit and maybe go out for morning tea with Hanno.  I might even do some more research on my family tree. Today is my birthday, I am 62.

It seems like a good day to delve into my own history.  So far, I'm back to my great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandparents Thomas Bond and Grace Cook who were married in Yardley, England on 27 March 1654.  I've found two convicts on my fathers side - who came to Australia in 1799, and a soldier who accompanied the convicts on my mother's side - I have a letter he wrote in 1820 when he lived in King Street Sydney.  That address is now in the middle of Sydney's main business and shopping centre.

I'm pleased you're enjoying the current simple life series. Thank you all for your comments.  I hope you have a lovely day.

ADDITION on 16th: Thanks to every one who took time out to send me their special birthday wishes - I have an avalanche of emails and facebook messages as well as your comments here.  I love your messages and appreciate your friendship. Warm hugs to you all.

Hopefully you've landed in your thirties with only a few debts and a passion for living simply.  If you have, you're in the driver's seat.  If you do have some debt, there is still quite a lot you can do to untangle yourself before it strangles you.  The important part of this stage is that if you can set yourself up properly here, if you budget and pay off debt instead of add to it, you'll be fine.

It has been my experience that if young people aren't already attached in their the late twenties, now is the time they start settling down.  There is something about the thirties decade that compels us to find a mate and start having babies.  Even if the babies question doesn't come into the equation, many people seem to choose their thirties to slow down, find a partner, take stock of their lives and mature.

Before you dive into marriage or parenthood, sit a while and talk to your partner about what that will be between the two of you.  Some people don't want children, some want many. Some people have an unquestioned assumption that there will be one parent at home raising the children. Others believe that the children can be looked after in day care or by an accommodating grandparent while the parents work to pay off the home and make the most of two incomes.  Don't think you know what your partner is thinking - this is an important part of your life and you need to talk about it, don't just let it happen.  No matter what your choice, you should work out your strategy early, not when the children are toddlers and things aren't working out how you want them to.  I am not judging anyone here, the choice is entirely yours.  If I knew you personally, I would support whatever decision you made.  I believe we must support and encourage each other in our important life decisions, not criticise or mumble when backs are turned.  No matter what you choose to do, either stay at home to raise your children, work from home, or go out to work, this decade will be one that is dotted with times you'll feel overwhelmed and tired.  It goes with the territory, but it makes you stronger.

So, you've finally reached your thirties.  It's not as bad as they said.  Right?  What you do now could set you up for life.  If you have the means to buy a house, do so.  It's still the number one best way to grow your personal wealth (oh how I hate that word. Please excuse its use.)  If you're not already in your own home, start making plans to save for a house deposit.  Even if it puts you back a few years, it's better in the long run to save a hefty deposit rather than a meager one - or, and I hope you don't do this - borrow the entire amount for the home.  Step up and save for it.  It will result in you paying less interest in the long run.

There are so many things you can do now. If you're married or living with a partner, discuss how you'll save.  If both of you are working, try to live on one wage and use the other one to save a house deposit or pay the mortgage.  This is a time of sacrifice, my friends.  You'll work hard, get tired, go without, regret decisions made, wish you'd done things sooner, or never, but in the long run, you'll come out the end of this decade stronger, more self assured and convinced that you can attain your goals.  One thing I know to be true, working together as a team, especially when times are tough, bonds you to your partner like nothing else.  Hardship makes you tougher and more resilient.

And here is one thing that I want you to remember - being thrifty and not wasting your money on flim flammery is not being cheap or miserly.  It's a mindset that will help you achieve your goal of living well, being content and happy. 

Here are some tools to help you save money and pay off debt:

• Learn how to stockpile groceries.  It will save you time and money and both will be in short supply during your thirties.
• Plan your menus.  This will help you organise yourself  so there is less confusion around what to cook for dinner, you'll know in advance what you need to prepare the meals, and there will be less food waste.
• Plan your grocery shopping. Find the best supermarket close to you and don't be tempted by things you want but don't need.
• Pack lunches for work and school.  Buying lunch every day is an unnecessary expense.
• Learn how to make your own green cleaners.
• Shop at thrift shops for children's clothes or swap clothes with friends.
• Look on Freecycle or Craig's List when you need something.
• Stop using disposable products unless you absolutely have to.
• Don't use disposable nappies/diapers.  Modern cloth nappies/diapers are comfortable for baby, can be reused for all your babies and don't add to land fill.
• Dry your laundry outside whenever possible.  If you don't have a washing line in the backyard, string one up.  How to build your own clothes line.
• Learn how to read your electricity and water meters.  That skill will help you save a significant amount of money and natural resources over the years.  Click on the country  to find details for water meters -  Australia,    United Kingdom,    Canada    USA.  Click on the country to find details for electricity meters:  Australia,  United Kingdom,    Canada,   USA.  Saving Electricity.
• Don't get into a habit of giving your children expensive gifts and clothes.  You children only want you to feel safe and secure.  They want to spend time with you and to feel loved - that is the most precious gift available, and it can be given every day.
• Look for entertainment that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.  Frugal Family Fun.
• Do an audit on your own assets - do you need a second phone, cable TV, a second car?  Get rid of everything you don't need that is adding to your cost of living.  Try to cut back on your phone and internet bills.

Starting your family will be like a minefield of conflicting messages and influences.  But if you stay close, if you live true to your values, your thirties will set your family into a firm and supportive unit.  Be a role model for your children.  That is the most important thing you can give them - it's more valuable than any toy or fancy bit of electrical computery.  Give of yourself to your chidlren and you'll get the best back from them.  Aiming for the best for them will remake you too.  Your children will see you when the outside world doesn't, they see you behind closed door when you aren't on your best behaviour and trying to impress.  Even in those times, you must be a role model for them because they'll become what you show them.

I still get emails fairly frequently asking me to define simple living and if I can explain how to live like Hanno and I do.  Many of the long term  readers here would know that I encourage everyone to live their own life and while Hanno and I might be an interesting enough couple, our life is ours - it's what we do because it suits us, our personalities and the stage of life we're at.  I write about our life here not so you might copy it but to show you what's possible, easy and enjoyable on retirement.  I think the stages or seasons of living - those periods you progress through at various stages of life - are the key here.  In each season you need to do different things - a simple life, like every other life, will reflect those seasons and the requirements of it.


So with that in mind, I thought it might be a useful exercise to focus on a few stages of life in general, and see how simple living fits into those stages.  I would like to start with what I know best - retirement, but it would not make sense to work backwards, so let's start with students and those in their 20s, then progress to the 30s, then middle age - 40s and 50s together, then retirement.  Remember that this is my version of what it may be like, so please help me define these stages and what happens in them; I really want your input if it's the life stage you're currently in.

MONEY MANAGEMENT
Let me stress here that money should never be the most important thing in anyone's life, but it is the glue that holds life together, so it will feature heavily in every stage of life.  Money, or more accurately, debt, will make or break the plans you have for yourself.  When you first leave school, leave home, start work, or start university there is a very strong urge to buy everything you couldn't buy when you were younger. As soon as you start earning a bit of money, most of us want to create our own style - in what we wear, how we spend our time, where we live and what car we drive.  I guess it's one of the ways we separate ourselves from childhood - the ability to earn and spend money is a marker of adulthood.  The trick in every stage of life is to get through it with the things that make life worth living without being saddled with debt that we take into the next stage.  The one debt that will travel with you through a few stages is usually a mortgage, try not to have other debts with it that tie you down.

Learn how to budget as soon as you start earning your own money.  You will still buy a portion of what you want but you'll be in control of your money instead of recklessly spending whatever you earn.  At some stage in your late 20s or early 30s, most people settle down and think about buying a home.  If you arrive at that point in control of your money, with little debt and maybe even the beginnings of a home deposit, you will have placed yourself in the best possible position.

Personal finance in your 20s and 30s
How to build your first budget
How to manage your money in your 20s
College budget 101
Preparing your budget
mint.com

Whenever you want to buy something that you want but don't need, work out how many hours you need to work to pay for it.  If you're earning around $20 an hour, by the time you take out what you pay in tax and what it costs you in the form of clothing, transport and grooming to earn that money, you'd probably get about $13 or $14 an hour in your hand.  If you see a pair of shoe that you MUST have and they cost $100, you will have to work more than seven and a half hours - almost a full day's work,  to cover the cost of those shoes.  Is it worth it?

SELF DEVELOPMENT
If you're lucky and smart, you'll never stop learning.  What you learn at school and university are just the basics - it sets you up for life but you need to fill in all the gaps in your education along the way.  I can't tell you here what it is you'll need to learn, only you know that, but there are a few fundamentals that everyone should know.  Now is the time when you'll start shaping your character and how you'll be later in life.  Chance will play a part in your decisions if you don't make plans for yourself.  Take control of your life, don't just react to what life throws at you.  If you make plans, learn the various life skills that will help you live well and happily, you'll find that you can direct yourself towards certain paths. Take time out, think carefully about what kind of life you want for yourself, what your values are, what you value in other people and what your ideal life would be.  Don't get caught up in the silliness of celebrity and wish you'd be a star, or famous.  That lifestyle is difficult and can be toxic.  Be sensible and think realistically about what might be ahead and how you can change it to make it the best it can be.

• Aim to be self reliant so that you may look after yourself  throughout your life without having to rely too heavily on others.
• Learn how to cook from scratch.  Over the years it will make you healthier and it's much cheaper than relying on convenience foods and fast food.
• Learn to bake, it's a lot of fun and people will love  you for it.  The bread, cookies, biscuits and cakes you make yourself will, hopefully, have no artificial flavourings, preservatives or trans fats.
• Find a mentor or role model.  It could be someone in your family, someone you work with or someone you meet along the way.  Ask questions, watch how they conduct themself be aware of their values and how they apply them to their everyday life.
• Get rid of friends who drain you or who are negative or toxic.
• Learn how to sew, knit and mend.  This will help you extend the life of your clothes and if you're good at it, you might even be able to make some of the clothes you wear.  I have seen some dresses, skirts, tops, shawls, scarves and bags on some young peoples blogs that are really fabulous and much nicer than store bought.  You can really define your own style if you make some of your own clothes. 
• If you have some land - use it. Learn to grow food.
• Read.
• Disregard advertising.  It is there to create an insatiable want in you.  Don't give it any power, march to the beat of your own drum. 
• Reuse, repair and recycle.
• Travel if you can - even if it's just to the next county or state.  Expand your horizons by travelling cheaply by train or get a group together in a car.
• Self discovery - this is the time when you work out what kind of person you are, what you hope your life will be and how to gain those illusive goals.
• Get enough sleep.
• When you leave the family home, stay close to your family.  They are important.
• Heather's comment made me realise I should have added this important note: expect to make mistakes.  All mistakes are learning opportunities.
• And I liked Rachael's comment on starting early on your retirement savings.  Your superannuation,/401K plan/pension scheme will serve you well in your older age, especially if you start it early.

I would love any one of you, especially if you're in your 20s, to comment on what you're actually doing that makes your life enriching and satisfying. If you have a blog that focuses on this age group, let me know. If you have any links that may help, let me know.  I am sure I've left out things that should be here but I welcome your input. 


Blogs of people in their 20s - can you send me some links to add here?  I'd love to share some young bloggers who are studying, travelling, settling down, working at their first jobs, and living simply - single or married.


I guess the one thing I'd like to leave you with is that your 20s is the launching pad for your life.  If you can establish yourself on a firm foundation right now, learn the lessons that you need, create a circle of supportive friends and maintain a good relationship with your family you'll be setting yourself up to be in the best position to continue through to the next stage, and that one is a real spinner.  If you thought your 20s were high energy, just wait - you're in for the ride of your life in your 30s.

Today's kitchen is all the way over on the other side of the world.  We have Rachael's kitchen in Scotland.

My name's Rachael, I'm 22 and I live in Scotland with my husband and 4 month old daughter. I have recently started a blog at happydoings.blogspot.com

Here's my kitchen. It's very small but I really like it. The last flat we lived in had an open plan kitchen/lounge so it's nice to have a separate room to cook in. You can see my ginger beer fermenting on the counter there. Today I'm going to dilute it and bottle it- thanks for the instructions! There's also some chicken stock bubbling away on the stove. It smells so good :)

On the windowsill we have rosemary, basil, mixed salad, rocket, beetroot, courgettes, spring onions and radishes which we just set up last weekend. It was beautiful and sunny and we though we we headed for spring but then we got a surprise fall of snow (hence the glare!). Hopefully our little seeds cope ok and we can plant them outdoors in May. We have such a short season for growing anything up here!

I couldn't really take a second photo of the kitchen, as there's not much to it, so I thought I'd take a photo of Kaelyn asleep on my back. This is our living room/dining area.

Thanks for looking at my photos!

There is an air of serenity in our backyard.  It's aided by the weather, wandering chooks grazing on green grass, the sound of unseen birds calling from the rain forest and the knowledge that here we can support our passion for home grown organic food.  We spent much of yesterday morning outside.  Hanno planted and weeded the garden and I spent time in the bush house sowing seeds and propagating ginger and turmeric.  We have our first seeds and seedlings in and growing well, but to support the need for food next month and the month after, we need to have  more seedlings ready to plant out.

On the way back from the chook pen, I saw this little kookaburra on the fence watching my every move.

When I was in Maleny last Friday, I went over to Green Harvest for supplies.  I bought Scotch curly kale, celeriac, Wakefield cabbage - a heirloom sugarloaf type and a trio of organic Italian garlic heads.  I always buy Green Harvest seeds, they germinate readily and there is a large selection of old varieties for me to choose from.  They're often local seeds too, so I know they're suited to the conditions here. The lovely Francis was in the shop when I walked in and after saying hello, she left me in the capable hands of one of the women there to place my order.  Soon after she returned with a handful of perennial leeks.  She had brought them in from her own garden for her staff and gave some to me to try.  What a thoughtful and unexpected gift!


Hanno was keen to get them in the ground yesterday morning and like our Welsh onions they'll happily grow out there for years without needing to be replaced each year.  We have trouble growing onions here because of the warm weather so having Alliums in the form of Welsh onions, perennial leeks and garlic, gives us some form of those vegetables although we still have to buy our brown and red onions.

I was asked last week what our bush house is.  Well, it's just a shade cloth covered structure, located in the backyard, near the water tank, where I sow seeds in trays, propagate plants, store potting soil, keep the worm farm, and generally protect young and emerging plants from the harsher conditions outside.  Inside the bush house is always cooler in summer, and if I keep the water up to it, provides a cool and humid place for ferns, orchids, sick or baby plants and seedlings.  I guess  it's the tropical equivalent of a glasshouse - it provides protection from sun, heavy rain, wind, birds and wandering insects.

Inside the bush house (ditto on the tidying up), the potting mix bins sit under the worm farm (bathtub), seedlings on the left and assorted plants sit on the shelves.

It's early Sunday morning now and I know we'll have a lovely day today because Shane and Sarndra are coming over for lunch.  I've already made a mountain of little meatballs that I'll add to homemade tomato sauce,  I'll pick a salad from the garden, bake bread rolls and, depending on whether there is an egg or two later this morning, make a lemon tart for dessert.  I'll sow the celeriac seeds before they arrive and then we can all relax and enjoy the afternoon, knowing that all our work has been done and those little seeds are slowly making their way through the soil into the sunlight.


 Newly sown seeds, seedlings and propagated herbs sit at the sunny end of the bush house.  They get the gentle morning sun for about two hours to warm the soil, then sit in shade all day.
All this week's roads have been leading to this lunch; a time to sit back and enjoy life with my family.  Even though most of our days are similar now, made different only by the days I go to my voluntary work, there is still something special about Sunday afternoons - they seem to be made for experiencing, first-hand, the comfort of one's home, socialising, connecting and being with family and friends.  These are the days that memories are made of.