I rely on income solely through savings and what I can do with those savings. That means I am always keeping an eye on prices. Food prices in particular but also the price of land, bullion (gold and silver) and oil.
I bought 20 half kilo bags of pasta at 19p per bag about 8 months ago. Since then the price has doubled to 39p per bag. Needless to say, I don't cook pasta any more. I still have my 22 kilo sack of rice to work through and the potatoes I grew last year.
I intend growing a lot more food this year and fitting my diet around what I grow rather than what I fancy buying in a supermarket. Growing your own food and not relying on a slave farmer thousands of miles away is the best way to avoid food price inflation.
Still, I occasionally like to drink something other than water. This week (time for a Fast Show spoof) I have mostly been drinking Lucozade, an energy drink for the infirmed. The reason for this is simply because it's currently cheaper than orange juice.
I drink a lot more water than I used to, between 1 and 1.5 litres per day. As I said in a previous posting, a lot of the time (studies say 70%) we mistake dehydration for hunger. However, I like to drink something with a bit of flavour and for some reason ASDA knocked 50% off the price of Lucozade. I suppose Beechams (or whoever produce it these days) over-produced for the coming winter months (when everyone falls ill and turns to Lucozade for a pick-me-up) and have large stock piles to shift. Until the price of Lucozade goes up I shan't be buying any orange juice.
My savings are now worthless if they remain tied up in banks. I have a few bank guaranteed income bonds that will bring in 6.5%+. One matured today and most of that is heading towards my bullion trading account. Three other bonds will mature in February, March and June. They also give over 6% in annual interest.
My bank now only offers 3% on income bonds so with inflation over 4% I am losing money. Through actively trading gold prices over 2008 I managed a return of 20%. I expect gold to outperform any national currency again this year so any spare cash will go straight into gold.
I may also buy a few shares in oil and mining companies. Those companies can only profit from any economic recovery. The oil price can only go up after this recession and metals are always needed. I think I need oil to drop further in price to get oil shares down to a rock-bottom price.
Precious metals are needed to store wealth whilst national banks drive the value of their currencies into the ground through printing money and thus reducing the value of the currency. Other metals are needed in manufacturing and when the global recession is over the middle-classes of India and China will once again be desiring to look like westerners were.
There is talk of higher inflation because western central banks are printing money to stimulate their economies. These economies are moribund and are producing no new wealth so all this new money will create inflation. Another good reason to invest your money in inflation busting bullion rather than spending your money on junk you don't need or giving it to a banker who will do something stupid with it. There will come a time when our central banks print money and we never produce the wealth to accommodate it then you can expect a lot worse than we experienced in 2008. This year or next?
This year must end with me in a farm somewhere. Either a farm I buy or by joining an intentional community of people. Either I sink my money into a farm or coming inflation will sink my money. At present there is no wwoofing (World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) available during the winter months so I have time to get my finances in order. My onions survived the recent snow.
The price of things
Back in the UK
I'm sure Spanish pharmacists know what they doing but I just want to get rid of this cold, or whatever it is, as quickly as possible. And so, here I am, back in the UK taking the medicines I know will get me back on my feet.
Normally, I am loathe to take any medicines at all. An illness is nature's way of saying, "Slow down and take a rest." and so I prefer rest over medication. I used to always fall ill every winter when I was a cycle racer in my 20s. Simply, I had run my body into the ground with hundreds of miles of cycling every week and left my body open to any passing virus.
When I gave up cycle racing to get a university degree I put on a lot of weight. The extra weight kept me warm and the lack of exercise allowed my body to concentrate on fighting off illness. I was never ill whilst overweight but I'm sure I was doing my body harm in other ways. Bad living catches up with you eventually. I'd much prefer a cold every winter than heart disease.
The weather is a lot colder here than in Spain. Minus 12C last night. I wonder how the onion seedlings are holding up. I put potatoes on the windowsill to grow shoots. They will be planted out in March.
At the end of February I am planning to go back to Spain. For the most recent visit to Spain I decided not to take the car. I'm glad I didn't as there are all sorts of motoring regulations that I'm not sure my Japanese import would be legal in Spain.
When I go back next month I will rent a car at the airport and then drive out to a few farms to have a look. I couldn't do that recently because a) I was ill and b) my licence is less than 1 year old. Yes, I am only recently licensed. I tried to avoid cars for most of my 43 years but had to give in eventually. You just can't live in the countryside without transport, be it a horse or a car.
I am now looking at a few wwoofing opportunities. WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, a scheme whereby you provide labour in return for free food and accommodation. It will allow me to travel and look at potential farms without having to rent or buy food. The particular opportunities I am looking at involve eco-building more than growing.
Tonight sees the return to television of It's Not Easy Being Green. Our hosts will be visiting two wealthy celebrities, one of whom is not very green (I assume because he is rich and doesn't care) and another wants an eco-swimming pool installed, which is not very green unless it is a naturally flooded pond.. The first series of INEBG was promising, the second disappointing and this third one looks to be worse.
If people aren't interested in green issues then it is better not to have green programming on television than sell-out programmes like this. The Strawbridge family that hosts the programme now tries to make a living selling their green knowledge in courses at their home. That is not something I would do. Green knowledge is best given away free, if you really care for the planet. I might have paying B&B guests at a future farm but they can pick me clean of my knowledge and not have to pay for that.
I knew it
Losing weight would leave me susceptible to illness. I had sore bones, on the ship to Bilbao, which I thought was due to an unfamiliar mattress. However, I weakened on the coach from Bilbao to Oviedo and a virus it was.
I have done nothing. No energy. However, I can still make judgements about the state of the property market from this laptop. Though Celtic language has long since become extinct in Northern Spain there is still plenty about the people that reminds me of Ireland.
The farmers here are doing the same as their Irish counterparts. Building new farmhouses, selling off the old houses but keeping every scrap of land for themselves. I have seen just one complete farm on 5 acres. The price is reasonable but well out of the way. I am not sure that Maria could take it.
All I can tell you about Spain is what I already know. As I am stuck in bed with a television, I can tell you about Spanish television first. Truly awful. Imagine the worst of UK daytime television, only broadcast 24 hours a day on six channels. If you want to know what is going on in the world or want to be educated by a documentary then get yourself a satellite dish. Better still, don't buy a television and, as an old TV programme said when I was a child, "Do something else less boring instead."
A walk down Calle Uría in Oviedo is rather frightening. This street is the main shopping thoroughfare and shows the Asturian attitude to money, "Use it or lose it." Everyone is dressed like a millionaire, although I know for certain that none of them are. Back in England shops are closing down and sales are reducing prices by 50, 70, 90% to attract customers.
There are few discounts here because the shops know people will come regardless. This doesn't mean that Spain has escaped recession. Unemployment here is worse than in the UK. Simply, people are embarrassed to look poor and so they spend. Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Dia de Los Reyes on the 6th of January. Spend, spend, spend. Even all the dogs have expensive coats on.
I have my best clothes on and I still feel like an under-dressed pauper. If you are a into downsizing and living simply then keep it to yourself. All this has me questioning what I want. Do I want to live in Spain and have to waste time avoiding resentment? For the time being I am looking into wwoofing. I can do that anywhere in Europe or anywhere in the world, should I desire to. That will give Maria time to think about her future too because returning to her Spanish homeland may no longer be an option.
New font saves money
A new font, created by a Dutch company, claims to save 20% of ink used. A simple idea, it involves small dots in the characters that avoid the use of ink. One of those, "Why didn't I think of that?" ideas.
Of course, every time you advertise it on a web browser it wastes power because unlike not printing a white dot on a white page, printing a white dot on a computer monitor uses electricity whereas printing a black dot doesn't. Swings and roundabouts really.
For the ultra eco-conscious I recommend printing as little as you can but with eco-font when you do. As far as computer usage is concerned, use as much black in your operating system's desktop theme.
Happy solstice
Brother Sun is on its way back to the northern hemisphere.
I remember the solstice party we had every year in Ireland, walking into the throng and greeting everyone with, "Evening pagans!". Living in the countryside, I knew the return of the Sun meant I had to prepare for the coming growing season. Putting potatoes on the windowsill to chit afore planting. Ordering seed for the no-dig beds.
One way or another I shall be growing again, next year. I received a few packets of seed in the post last week. The usual staples; carrot, onion, shallot and five different varieties of lettuce, my vegetable staple. I will probably pop back to my parents house and plant the seed, no matter where in the world I find myself.
The old onion seeds (from an onion I left to go to seed over two years back in 2006) I threw into a tub full of earth, over a month ago, have started to sprout and push their way to the surface. Even after a few frosty nights they were hardy enough to germinate. I wonder how many will grow to maturity as I threw well over a hundred seed in there.
The peasants are revolting
I am glad to see cross-party support for a revolt against the government with regards to a third runway at Heathrow. Gordon wants to build his "big infrastructure project" to spend the UK out of recession. More like a big white elephant. Opponents to the construction of the runway hope to force a vote in parliament.
From now on, the air industry will be hit with expensive fuel if the economy (and with it, oil price) ever recovers or reduced passenger miles when we are in a depression. Either way, we don't need a third runway.
The desire to build his big infrastructure shows how serious Gordon is about reducing the UK's carbon emissions. Promising to reduce emissions by 80% before 2050 when he knows he will be long forgotten. Squeeze in a few runways and leave the emissions problem for a future government.
Guardian - Labour MPs plan Heathrow revolt
Guardian - Could climate goals survive Heathrow's third runway?
