Dream On

Our house & Ebby, our 1970 VW Variant

Lots of people say we're living the dream. Last year we spent three months in India, went to five festivals and spent every weekend we were here in the UK out and about. How did we do it?

Jon & I in India

Well, it's not that difficult, we live as cheaply as is humanly possible to afford the things in life that matter to us. I make a living wage selling on eBay and Jon's music royalties and freelance work keep him solvent.

The Big Chill Festival, 2010

We've never had credit cards, everything is paid for with cash and if we ain't got it then we can't have it. It may be old-fashioned but it's the way I was brought up.

The only loan we ever had was our mortgage, I sold my house and moved into Jon's Victorian terrace back in 2000, we sold that house at the height of the property boom to a cash buyer and were able to buy our (almost derelict) house outright and painstakingly do it up ourselves.

My second-hand closet (the contents, the wardrobe and the coat hangers)

With the exception of the fridge everything in the house is second-hand and the same goes for our clothes. Apart from Lush shampoo and conditioner our toiletries are bought only when required and either from discount shops or when we've saved enough Boots Advantage points. I don't bother looking at high street shops or reading magazines, it just serves to fuel a desire for shiny new things so it's far better if temptation is kept away. Designer clothes have never appealed, I'd love to own fabulous shoes but I love a month in India even more.

Me in vintage

Jon cuts his own hair and I dye mine. I never have beauty treatments. My idea of pampering is swimming at the public baths twice a week and a daily Wii Fit workout (although I'm saving up to have my eyebrows re-tattooed this month as it's been five years since they were last done).  I've mentioned before than I never spend over £10 on a single item of clothing, that way I can usually resell it on eBay for a profit.

Our local, The Black Country Arms.

At weekends we drink in local pubs and eat out at neighbourhood Indian restaurants or take it in turns to host dinner parties and walk home. I've only ever had a Starbucks once in my life (and hated it) and never visit fast food joints or sandwich shops.

This is an average Saturday night bill for 4

We never buy ready-made food, everything is made from scratch and we scour the supermarkets, market stalls and Asian stores for the cheapest deal. We haven't been to the cinema in years and our books are always second-hand. 

Glastonbury 2010

Months of frugality in England make for months of hedonism in India and a few weekends of summer fun.

Our classic cars are a labour of love, bought for a song and repaired by Jon who taught himself with a collection of second-hand Haynes manuals and the worldwide web. Our household repairs are managed much the same way (with a little help from kind-hearted plumbers).

Goa

Our holidays are run on a tight budget, I sign up to all the major airlines and flight brokers who email when there's an offer on. We never spend more than £500 on a flight and it's usually significantly less. The guesthouse we stay at in Goa charges us £3 per night and if we go elsewhere in India we use the Rough Guide and phone ahead to check room rates.

Whenever I'm tempted to spend money I think of Goa or Glastonbury and stop in my tracks. I could afford to buy the odd pair of cheap shoes from New Look or splurge in Primark but I choose not to. Every quid spent is a quid away from what I love.

No, you can't have it all but by living simply and frugally you can lead a life like ours. It's up to you.