Top 5 Thrifty Things for 2011

Well, I've decided that I need to have a bit of a focus - otherwise I'm going to drown in a sea of 'too much to do'!.  So, aside from my business and personal goals (diversify my income streams; work smarter not harder; enter another 10K; spend my time with the kids a bit better etc.) I'm going to set some Thrifty goals too!

1. Organise and plan the vegetable patch: I have downloaded and nifty (and free!) planning tool that does all sorts of clever things like tell you how much space you need in between certain types of veg - and publishes it all in a wonderful diagram.  I will post (if I can) once it has taken shape!

2. Sort out the shed/garage: my 'garden corner' of the garage consists of an old cardboard box full of tools, a table from our house with smaller tools and seed packets piled up on it and a tower of empty pots next to bamboo canes propped up in the corner!  Not organised, not easy to find things, just not Alan Titchmarsh I feel!

3. Build some shelves for the seed growing phase (which starts next week!!!).  That should read, get my husband to build some shelves.  Mr Thrifty does know about this task but has taken to muttering quietly to himself whenever it's mentioned.  I feel gentle reminders are going to have to escalate to annoying whining by the weekend!

4. Set up a work station in the kitchen diner (that sounds much grander than it will really be) but I need space for my sewing machine and sewing stuff - otherwise, it's all going to still be sitting in a corner in my bedroom collecting dust by the time December rolls around.

5. Write out a proper plan for the year - an entire calendar chart with different things that I need to focus on at different times - planting seeds in February/March; jam making in July; candle making at Christmas time - that sort of thing.  I realise, of course, that I should have listed this first but it just occurred to me.  (Now you see how disorganised I am?!)

Right, feel slightly better having written that down at at least have a plan for the next few weeks which should at the very least, give me a growing plan for the year that will provide me with a tonne of fruit and veg (well, a small shopping basket full would keep me happy, if I'm honest).  Now, off to have a shower before putting my plan into action...