Pledge update

The beginning of the current financial year prompted me to sit down and write some goals that I could work towards on my journey to living simply and more responsibly. I was spurred on by Sam, who's blogging at All Things Quilty, decision to do the same.

I think an update is certainly due, to keep my accountable

Listed are the pledges I made, with my progress in purple.

1. Not purchase any new clothes. I have bought 1 t-shirt for $10 I do admit, but everything else has been from op-shops, thrifted or made myself. Eventually I want to start sewing a lot of my own clothes but at the moment I am at the point where I am very slowly increasing my skills and confidence with my sewing machine. 
2. Make my own bread well enough to stop buying store-bought bread and make my own yeast starter. Well I can very happily say that I have not bought a loaf of bread from the store in months. I am still using bread mix and haven't progressed to making my own flour mix yet, but I'm pretty happy with where I'm at. It is quite a bit more time consuming mixing, kneading, resting, kneading again and then cooking the bread but it is much cheaper ($2.80 per loaf shop-bought compared to $12 for a mix that I get 14 loaves out of - equates to less a dollar a loaf!). On that note I haven't started investigating making my own bread started yet. 
3. Keep all of my plants alive and make organic fertiliser and pesticide. I am doing very well at keeping my plants alive at the moment, and can't actually think of any plants that have died, YIPPEE! Although my rhubarb is looking a little distressed at the moment so I don't want to jinx myself. My trouble is with seed raising, I just don't have that mastered yet. I think I will have to re-read all of my books on seed raising and really focus on just a few types at a time before I become more proficient at this. I have been using chicken poop from my mum's chicken coop for my fertiliser and luckily haven't required any pesticides yet.
4. Make my own dishcloths. Simply answer, no. Crocheting and knitting have fallen by the wayside with this hot summer-like weather we've been having recently. Although I really need to suck it up and get back into crocheting to finish off a blanket for my sisters baby due in January. We are also very close to needing new dischoths so nothing like a bit of extra motivation!
5. Make my own dishashing liquid. No, but I have made my own laundry liquid. See next post.
6. Stick to my new budget and save $7200 by December. Tick, I have already saved that much. Although now that I am 'on holiday from work' (ie. unemployed but not actively seeking work just yet) I will get through  bit of my savings, but should remain above the $7200 in savings.

So far I don't think I am doing too badly. In the next two months I need to crochet dishcloths, make dishwashing liquid and get started on a bread started. I can handle that.

Some other steps I'd like to begin also, include:

• Setting up a chicken coop and getting a couple of laying hens
• Make at least 75% of all of my christmas gifts
• Harvest lots of vegies, and stop having to buy lettuce and tomatoes at least.

Well that will sure keep me busy on my 'holiday'. I can't wait!
:) Kim