Meet a Reader | Julie from England
Hello, everyone! Today we are meeting a European reader, Julie. She told me she's a little nervous, but I assured her that you all are lovely and that things will be fine. 🙂
Here's Julie!
1. Tell us a little about yourself
Hi! I will be 62 years old in August, and I've been married for 35 years with two grown up daughters aged 30 and 28.
I live on the edge of beautiful countryside in the north west of England. Our village is on the site of an Iron Age fort and has a hill in the shape of Queen Victoria’s profile!
Two years ago I retired after 38 years in the library service and now I spend my days volunteering and doing all the things I never seemed to have time for when I was working. I enjoyed my job but boy, do I love being retired!
I help run a pony sanctuary, as horses are a life long love of mine, and I am a director of our Community Sports Club.
Here's me with Star, my heart horse at the Sanctuary.
I also do an afternoon a week in a charity shop and once a month help run a session for older people.
I have a border collie and a cat as well as 20 rescue ponies shared with the other volunteers!
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
I can’t remember but I found Kristen through another blog that did some sort of Fridge Friday post about using up stuff in your fridge before a re-stock and Kristen used to host this on alternate weeks.
(Kristen's note: I think Julie is probably thinking of SimplyBeingMum! She and I used to alternate hosting Food Waste Fridays.)
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
My parents were savers so it always seemed normal to me. They would save for things they wanted, and credit was distrusted.
I used to save pocket money and birthday money for pony rides on the beach in summer. I was apparently very keen not to spend my money though and would earn rides by helping to lead the ponies and burying any droppings in the sand.
4. What's the "why" behind your money-saving efforts?
I always saw money as a safety net for whatever life threw at me.
For many years I drove unreliable second hand cars that would go wrong and I liked the idea that I would be able to pay for any repairs without having to borrow money or put it on my credit card.
Now it means we have been able to help our daughters out in their difficult times.
5. What's your best frugal win?
My degree cost me nothing, I even got a subsistence grant to go to university and I lived at home (not my choice really).
Also, when we took out our mortgage in 1987, interest rates were sky high. BUT my husband worked for a bank so we got a vastly reduced rate which meant we could afford a nicer house (where we still live).
6. What's an embarrassing money mistake you've made?
I was “influenced “ into buying an expensive Zara trench coat which was too big (they didn’t have my size!) and I ignored the fact that loose belted coats always make me look like a rolled up mattress)
I never wore it but kept it in case I turned into a different shape, last week I finally took it to the charity shop where I volunteer to set it free!
7. What's one thing you splurge on?
Travel, largely because my husband loves to travel. I love it too but find it hard to commit to the expense of it.
Below is Copenhagen, which we loved.
This is a castle on the north east coast of England which is spectacular.
8. What's one thing you aren't remotely tempted to splurge on?
Any sort of invasive cosmetic stuff like Botox or fillers. I’m quite low maintenance. I don’t get gel nails or facials or expensive hair cuts and I’m happy going grey.
9. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?
I would put it towards our next holiday which is a safari in Botswana.
10. What's the easiest/hardest part of being frugal?
I don’t think I’m as frugal as a lot of the readers here but the easy part is how natural it feels after so many years.
The hardest part is now we are both retired and aren’t going to be actively putting money away, it’s a bit unsettling!
11. Is there anything unique about frugal living in your area?
We have a Facebook group local to us called Random Acts of Kindness. People post things they no longer need for free and others can ask for stuff they need to see if anyone has it. It's a bit like your Buy Nothing groups.
12. What frugal tips have you tried and abandoned?
Growing my own food!
I invested in potato bags, tons of growing compost, canes, seeds, plants etc. I got three tiny potatoes, one courgette and a few runner beans. I did not dare add up the cost of that produce! I am good at gardening but not growing anything except tomatoes .
13. What's your funniest frugal story?
See above! Apparently my face when I found my three huge potato sacks had only yielded 3 minuscule spuds was hilarious 😂
14. What single action or decision has saved you the most money over your life?
Paying off our mortgage early.
15. What is something you wish more people knew?
That if you can manage to do it, having an emergency fund gives you so much peace of mind. I really feel for all those struggling with the cost of living and unable to save anything for a rainy day, like my youngest girl.
16. How has reading the Frugal Girl changed you?
I came across the Frugal Girl while trying to avoid good waste and it really helped me with that.
Also it feels like a safe space, I love Kristen’s feisty yet kind and empathetic personality, and the comments section is a joy.
17. Which is your favorite type of post at the Frugal Girl and why?
I love the posts about up-cycling furniture etc and the Friday posts seeing what everyone has been eating during the week. It’s fascinating to me how meals vary across the different countries.
I also like to see photos of the cats!
18. Did you ever receive any financial education in school or from your parents?
Not in school. My parents always told me it was sensible to put away money to enjoy later or for emergencies and they also taught me the value of insurance.
19. Do you have any tips for frugal travel or vacations?
Unless it’s for a very brief stay, we always self cater.
Also, you actually spend very little time in your accommodation so as long as it’s clean and well located, you don’t need luxury . My husband uses Trip Advisor a lot.
After an encounter with bed bugs a number of years ago we ALWAYS check the room and beds thoroughly. Apart from the toll it takes on your mental health, bringing bed bugs home with you is the opposite of frugal!
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Julie, it was fun to get to know you a bit! I love getting peeks into what life is like in other countries.
Like you, I'm not very good at growing my own food, and I have made peace with it. My frugal strengths lie elsewhere!
I envy how simple it must be to travel to other countries when you live in Europe; there are so many options that are fairly close by. Even Canada and Mexico are quite a trip from where I live.
Also: your cat is so cute! I love her pink nose. Chiquita is a calico but she's the dilute variety, so her colors aren't quite as vibrant as Ginny's.
Julie, thanks for sharing! I think it's amazing that you volunteer at a pony sanctuary and a charity shop in retirement. We have a horse sanctuary not far from where I live, and I loved visiting the horses and feeding them carrots (very therapeutic!). I can imagine that it would be delightful to see them on a regular basis.
@Brooke, it’s an absolute joy! Horses are wonderful for mental health.
I have loved getting to know their different personalities x
Nice meeting you, Julie. I had to look up "courgette," and it seems I am swimming in them right now. I'd share if you were close by 🙂 But I don't grow potatoes; we have such a large family that we'd have to devote most of our rocky soil to them. My favorites are growing winter squash and pumpkins because I love how pretty they look.
@Jody S., I’m quite jealous of your bumper crop but I’m sure I’ll be given some by more green fingered friends!
Thanks Julie for sharing. Nice to read about other readers across the pond!
@Maureen, thanks for reading x
Hi, Julie. I always enjoy hearing from Kristen's readers outside the US, and especially those from the UK. I've never been to your part of England, though, and I wish I had: Your countryside looks gorgeous. And Star, Riley, and Ginny are beauties!
@A. Marie, thank you. We are blessed with wonderful scenery, even if the weather is trying.
They are wonderful company in their different ways .
I just cleaned out my closet this week and as the donate pile grew, I kept wondering, why is this taking up space here, what was I thinking keeping this... Thank you for giving me the answer in a pithy phrase - it was "in case I turned into a different shape!" Spot on!
Star and Riley and Ginny are all beautiful and look like they have lovely personalities as well. We have family who have helped with horse rescue and the horses they rehomed at their farm were a joy. Thanks for sharing with us!
@Suz, I’m glad that struck a chord with you. Sometimes we just have to accept the shape we are !
Hi Ginny! I did a double take on that photo of the horse rescue demonstration. It's amazing to me that it happens so frequently that your fire department has a procedure for it. There are a lot of horses here (ranch country in the American West), but definitely not a lot of water in ditches or anything, so I guess we don't have that issue.
@kristin @ going country, If you lived elsewhere in New Mexico, say along the Rio Grande and the acequia (irrigation ditch) system, this wouldn't be a strange occurrence at all! And yes, our relatively small Fire Department has a lot of experience doing water rescues of horses (as well as people). They run training exercises quite often.
@kristin @ going country,
We live in an area of the UK which has a very large horse population and lots of rivers, streams, little bridges etc. plus lots of mud and sand on the beaches. So lots of potential to get stuck!
@JDinNM, that’s interesting to know. I learned a lot that day for sure.
Julie,
Thank you for sharing your interview. I love getting a peek into readers lives, especially when they comment in other posts.
I'm glad you were able to retire and have the time to do so much volunteer work. You are a very giving person and are making the world a better place with all your actions. I am retired but DH is not yet and I know going from saving to spending will be a huge adjustment for us. Hopefully it becomes easier with time
@K D, thank you so much. I feel I get so much out of volunteering and I love it.
That cat is adorable.
@Jess, she knows it! Thank you x
Totally agree with your travel advice, Julie! And most of us who travel frequently have unfortunately had a run-in with bed bugs. Ours was actually at a high end hotel so it was especially aggravating. And yes, like you, we now thoroughly check rooms upon arrival.
@Bobi, how do you check for them exactly?
@Bobi, yes, I am interested in that too! It makes me think of Kristen’s posts on lice. I sent it to my sister when her littles had it and I remember being very upset about it when we had it as kids.
@Heather, we leave cases etc in bathroom and strip the beds looking for black specs, brown smears, eggs, live bugs.
Also behind the headboard if we can, behind picture frames and crannies and folds in soft furnishings .
We don’t usually unpack until the next morning.
@Heather, @BarbG
https://www.consumerreports.org/money/check-for-bed-bugs-hotel-a1147446606/
**My biggie: never put your suitcase or clothes on upholstered furniture. We found them once in an upholstered, rolling desk chair!
@Bobi, Great tip! I always keep my suitcase on the desk or I use the fold out suitcase stand, if they have one.
Hi Julie, it's nice to meet you. I loved the part where you set your coat free after holding on to it for years!
@Beverly, thank you!
Nice to hear from others that growing their own food hasn't worked. The last two years I have had one tomato plant, which has alleviated SOME of the guilt.
Absolutely love the pony rescue and the bed bug story gave me chills.
@Anne, thanks for reading x
Hi, Julie,
I loved the border collie photo especially because that picture of the alert face with the ball is so... border collie! We had a border collie mix for 16 years and the ball and expression was like looking at her happy face again.
I do vegetable gardening and have for years, but some years, like last year, I get very little out of it, so don't feel bad! If it's not your thing, then it's not your thing. I also planted a couple of potato plants one year, and when we dug them up, we found fire ants were nesting in them and had chewed on every single potato, stunting and blistering every single one.
Your life sounds full and fun right now. You make me feel better about my approaching retirement. Thanks for posting!
@JD, How true about gardening. Some years are bad years, and some give us bumper crops. Last year was a bad year for work put in because of my sickness, but it was probably one of the biggest yields. So much depends on factors out of our control.
@Jody S., thanks, that makes me feel better.
@JD, a border collie and a ball is a recipe for happiness. I’m glad you have happy memories of your pup.
Fire ants sound terrifying!
Retirement is the absolute best in my opinion .
Hi Julie! I've been all over your wonderful country, including Dunstanburgh Castle!
Here's a link to Gustav Klimt, our current kitty. https://ibb.co/hycgwbv
@Rose, Gustav is a stunner!
I’m so glad you have enjoyed visiting England. Did you have kippers at Craster, near the castle?
@Julie, Not bad for a stray kitten I found in my trash can! Heh. He has bright blue eyes, but they're hard to photograph sometimes. He is very smart, too. He fetches and does high fives.
Re kippers, I'm afraid I hate fish.I know the Craster ones are famous. I do like the singing hinnies, though!
@Rose, I am not a cat person, very allergic, but I love the picture of your kitty. So regal!
@Rose, is Gustav Kimt a Ragdoll??? That is my favorite kind of cat. I've never had a purebred, only lucky accidents of random roving ferals.
Thanks for the post Julie:) Love the castle photo. I haven't been to England, but it's on my list of places I would like to see.
@Jackie, I hope you get to visit soon!
Thank you for being brave and sharing your life. I'd be interested in learning more about your supermarkets and how and where you get your groceries. Are you an Aldi shopper? Do you have a farmers' market in your area? Just curious. And I totally agree with you -- retirement is excellent!
@Jean, I mainly shop at Tesco. Aldi is great but we don’t have one close.
I use a veggie box delivery called Oddbox. It rescues veggies and fruit that supermarkets would throw away as they have a surplus or the produce is too big, small or too oddly shaped.
Farmers markets are wonderful to visit but often very expensive .
Loved reading about you and seeing your pictures! Thanks for sharing.
I must admit that I can't hear about Botswana without thinking about the old movie _The Gods Must be Crazy_. I hope you enjoy your trip there!
@Dorinda, ooh I must look out for that movie - thanks .
I think of the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency books, by Alexander McCall Smith, up to 23 in the series, though they don't have to be read in order. Was also a television program for one season.
@Heidi Louise, those books are so entertaining!
@Dorinda, that was the best movie ever!!
@Heidi Louise, I am re reading those books now!
So very nice to meet you JULIE!! Cheerio…
@Stephanie, cheerio to you too and thanks for reading x
You set it free. I need to remember that. I have changed my buying habits but every once in a while something sneaks by me.
I also can not grow potatoes. So I just don't. Instead I grow, tomatoes, cukes, some bunching onions and green peppers. And one hot pepper plant that creates way too many hot pepppers.
I also started following her during Food Waste Fridays. I loved that feature.
@Amy, I really enjoyed Food Waste Fridays! I’m growing tomatoes too .
Julie - thank you so much for a glimpse into the lovely world of retirement. For someone like me in their 40's, retirement seems far off in the distance if ever even possible and hearing about yours was just wonderful.
@Angie, it comes faster than you think! I swear I was just starting out only the other day. A combination of circumstances allowed me to retire 6 years early with no financial penalties so I’m very lucky x
Julie, it is great to meet you. My husband has the green thumb for flowers and I have it for vegetables, except that I've never been able to grow courgettes. Every plant sets nothing but male flowers! Tons of flowers, lots of disappointment.
@Ruby, that is frustrating . Mine developed blossom end rot which was depressing x
Julie, I am so encouraged by hearing about how much you're enjoying your retirement. Our favorite children's librarian recently told us that she's going to retire at the end of 2023 and it's hard news for me and my 3 kids. We have spent a lot of time at the library in the last 8 years and she's been there as my kids developed a deep love of reading. My 9yo has dreamt for a couple of years of being a librarian when she grows up, so it's hard to lose her role model! But it encourages me to be reminded of all of the beautiful things that people (especially special librarians) get to do when they retire. Thank you for sharing with us! I hope you enjoy planning your trip to Botswana.
@Ruth T, that warms my librarians heart. I saw so many children grow up during my working life and then some brought their own kids to the library in due course .
It’s so great to know a librarian has had a positive impact on your children. My own memories of librarians growing up was that they were grumpy and unfriendly , I’m glad librarians aren’t like that any more.
@Julie, So you might be the kind of librarian who lets people talk Out Loud? Thank you for sharing your story and your happy retirement tales.
Hi Julie! At first I was worried that you didn't include a picture of your cat, but you did, and my cat-loving soul is happy. It's interesting to hear your comments about being retired and some of the uneasiness that goes along with that--I'd kinda like a post about preparing for that stage of life (since I'll be there in a few years). I realize that retirement is a long way off for Kristen, so maybe a guest post? Anyway, you have a very full and interesting life and I appreciate that you stepped out of your comfort zone and shared with us. 🙂
@Kris, I’m glad I included the photo of Ginny.
I realised that for the first time in my life no one is telling me how to
Live my life or spend my time. I’m free to pursue stuff that really makes me happy and allows me to give back .
I also realised I had a lot of transferable skills which I’m able to use and I’m learning new skills as well.
I think the key thing for me when approaching retirement was the financial planning and the decision to keep busy and involved.
@Julie, that's encouraging to hear. Thanks for responding.
@Kris, I too would love a post qnd comments on retirement. I find it is in some ways harder “work” than I expected. Some of that is we are still actively doing caregiving for a few months every year and that limits freedom. We have off and on done some pretty serious caregiving for various relatives for ten years plus. So for me retirement has been quite different than I imagined.
@Jean C, that certainly makes a difference. Both DH and myself no longer have parents - I lost both mine before I was 32 - nor do we have any grandchildren yet so we aren’t doing any caregiving at the moment x
@Julie, I hope to be where you are in your retirement before too long. As you may know if you've read my Meet a Reader posts, my retirement wasn't entirely voluntary (because of my DH's Alzheimer's), and I'm only just getting to the point after his death this June where I can start to think about what I want to do hereafter. But, like you, I don't miss my old job (I was pretty much burned out on the work itself), though I do miss my old colleagues. Fortunately, several of them have kept in touch.
@A. Marie, I have been reading in the comments about your DH and greatly admired you.
I hope you find some things in retirement that bring you joy, you so deserve that x
@Kris, I'm with you. I could retire as early as this Spring, but quite honestly, it scares me. I think I'm OK financially, but who really knows? I have 8 older siblings who are all now retired, and I don't see them do much with their time. I'm afraid I'll get bored and I don't like to travel. Will my brain turn to mush? haha. So many questions.
Julie, you are the picture of a successful retirement. Thanks for sharing!
@MB in MN, thank you so much!
Julie, so nice to "meet" you! I spent my junior year of college in London at the LSE, but what I remember most fondly is the weeks-long tour we took before the start of Michaelmas Term. Cambridge (punting on the River Cam), Canterbury, Stonehenge, Stratford-Upon-Avon (still have my enormous red volume of all of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets that I bought there!), Oxford, The Lake District, Salisbury, and then later hitchhiking adventures to Devon where I remember setting up our sleeping bags in a sideless horse shelter (and being pronounced "a good sport" at the end of that very cold and rainy trip!). This was years and years ago and having been back to London since then, I know things have changed rather dramatically. I will always be grateful for the opportunity I had to see and experience as much of England as I was able to back then.
Your retirement sounds absolutely delightful! And a safari in Botswana? That will be amazing. Please promise to share a follow up post with us? And lots of pictures!
@JDinNM, that sounds like a wonderful experience and full of great memories. I’m ashamed to say I’ve never been to Stonehenge although I have been to some other stone circles.
I’m so excited for Botswana and would be happy to share photos if I can .
Thank you for reading x
Hi Julie!
Nice to meet you!
I love how your love of ponies/horses have been with you since childhood and that you regularly get to interact with them!
@Kelly, it’s truly been a life long passion and helping at the pony sanctuary has taught me so much x
Helping to run a pony sanctuary, what a wonderful thing to do! Thank you for sharing your life.
@Lindsey, it’s the best. I have a little group of friends there that are amazing women and we keep each other going through hard times. Winters are hard with all the mud, rain and poor grazing and we are always short of cash but the ponies repay us a thousandfold x
Hello Julie, I enjoyed your story and the images thoroughly. Just as our family enjoyed visiting England thoroughly when the boys were in middle/high school. The animal photos are particularly fun. Your pup and kitty are so expressive and the horses look loved and loving. Super thanks for participating!
@Erika JS, thank you so much x
Thank you for featuring me, Kirsten.
We are lucky being able to travel to Europe easily enough although leaving the EU has made things more complicated.
In the UK Ginny is called a tortoiseshell cat but she’s exceptionally well marked (well I think so!) There is a saying here about “tortitude” and “naughty torties” regarding tortoiseshell cats, they can be very feisty !
Cats are such good company aren’t they ?
X
Hi Julie!
I'm a fellow horse-lover, and was so excited to see a pony photo as the thumbnail for your post. I've never been to the UK, but my friends and I used to do our best to speak with English accents for fun. 🙂
It looks like you've built a lovely environment for your and your husband's retirement. Thanks for sharing!
@Laura, thanks. The horse in my thumbnail is Leo, I taught myself to canter circles on him, he is the sweetest guy but very spooky, scared of his own shadow.
Botswana is a wonderful place to visit. Are you going to the Okavango Delta?
If you liked Copenhagen, you might enjoy Tallin. It's a great combo of old Eastern Europe, interesting old town, and pleasant place to stay. Even so, Stockholm is my favorite European-City-For-Which-I-Do-Not-Speak-the-Language. Hands down.
PS: I think you had more luck growing food than I did. I still compost, though, to keep the scraps out of the waste stream.
@WilliamB, we certainly are!
Thank you for the recommendation of Tallin, that wasn’t on my radar but is now! Stockholm is next on my list for a city break so it’s good to hear you rate it.
100% agree with emergency fund. We didn’t have one until our mid 40s which was silly based on how much better I felt once we had one.
@Paige, it’s a load of your mind isn’t it?
Hi Julie, Your pets are so cute! I know you’re retired but, What is it like being a librarian in the UK?
@Ali in the midwest, being a librarian now is nothing like it was 38 years ago. When I qualified there were so many different places to work.
For public libraries, it’s compulsory for them to be provided due to an act of Parliament but the act never defined the details of what constituted a library service. Which meant in times of austerity they were an easy target for budget cuts.
In the 80s libraries were crazy busy with mainly book lending but gradually that dwindled once the net book agreement and the internet had their effect. We had to diversify into other things.
For people who love libraries they are essential but lots of folk don’t see that they still have relevance sadly.
I have loved being a librarian though. I love reading and I am organised and I enjoy the fun and challenges of working with the public, learning new skills and talking about books.
I loved setting up and leading reading groups and I miss that.
À big spending here is also traveling, we try to do house and car swap as often as possible.
And looking on the bright side, it’s Zara, not Burberry.
I found that outside of Harry Potter books, people don’t swift shape that much.
@Bella, that sounds a great way to travel.
Funnily enough we had two Burberry raincoats in perfect condition donated to the charity shop. One was my size. My trench coat fantasy kicked in and I tried it on. Once again a lumpy figure stared back at me from the mirror.
I’m not a trench coat or even a bathrobe shape, sadly.
Thanks for sharing Julie! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post. Kristen has created a lovely, supportive community and I appreciate the positivity it brings to my life. Thank you all. 🙂
@Christy Bigley, thank you and me too!
Awww...that horse loves you so much!!! <3
@Becca, thank you! I hope so, he is a very shy horse due to poor treatment in his former life and he generally avoids people.
Really enjoyed your story - we have several horse sanctuaries and thrift shops (charity shops) nearby, so it feels very familiar even though I live in the desert not the green grass of the UK. I’m so glad that you are making the time for things you enjoy during retirement!
@Rachel, it sounds like I’d enjoy where you live. We have had such a wet July I’d like a break from the rain!
Lovely post. Thanks for sharing! Your life seems carefully curated to bring experiential richness. That’s my goal for mine someday.
@Jem, I finally have time to do things that fulfil me. I recently started playing seniors tennis and love it and I’m a director of our local community sports club. All the things I do bring me so much joy and I’ve met so many new friends.
Good luck finding your joyful and rich life x
Julie, your life is SO full and interesting! You inspire me to follow through on some areas of volunteer service that I’ve wanted to help with but haven’t started yet.
I’m impressed with your love of animals and how that love motivates you to help with rescues.
Thank you for sharing some of your experiences!
@Martha, it’s so rewarding. I gain more than I give for sure.
you needn't have worried. your photos are fabulous. your post is so interesting and lovely. I wish you and your family all the best. thank you so much for sharing your life with us. I first visited England on my high school senior trip. fell in love with England. have visited three times.
@Anita Isaac, thank you! DH is the real photographer, we did wedding photography for 10 years as a side hustle.
I’m very attached to my home country, although I love to travel I love to come home too.
I appreciate you reading my post x