Whilst the majority of us have come out of lockdown, it’s commonplace still for people to self-isolate. We’ve all got used to the odd restraints in our lives. We’ve all had time to reflect. Many of us have endured losses, lots of us have lost income, too.

Our lives these days are very different from how they were before the pandemic.

I refrained from crazy bulk buying, although I did make sure that I had enough. Frankly, the reason was financial and lack of storage. I also felt confident that the shops would never actually run out of the basics.

I am blessed to live in the UK. The adverts depicting the poor people in India having to walk for miles just to get fresh water stuck in my mind. When the pandemic ripped through India and I saw the extra suffering people endured, something changed in my thinking:

“We need a lot less than we realise!”

So with that in mind, I started eating older stored food in my freezer.  I used my sense of smell before throwing away perfectly edible food. I sorted through my wardrobe and found formerly loved clothes. I took unwanted items to clothes banks. I looked through my airing cupboard and discovered all sorts of shampoos and potions that needed using up. I made considerable savings.

This shift in my outlook, and my ongoing interest in living a more frugal lifestyle, has enriched and nourished my soul.

I am extremely grateful to have a warm bed and food. I am thankful that I live within the UK, where none of us have to walk miles just to get fresh water.

When we keep in mind the basic things such as having a warm bed or food on our tables and remind ourselves of some of the other luxuries that we have such as shelter, warmth, and free medical care, we realise just how lucky we are.