Welcome to 2026

This past week has been great for our visitors to Frugaldom. The weather stayed fine and dry with just one night of rain that helped replenish the water tanks.

The fox arrived to feast in some dog food - I bought a 12kg bag of complete dog food for under £10 from supermarket so that should last a good few weeks. The badgers occasionally crunch on these biscuits but they seem to be in a state of torpor in this freezing weather, although 4 were spotted by campervan visitors during the week.

The pine martens arrived as usual and are now settled and happy incorporating the new feeding platform into their nightly food patrol. Thanks once again to whoever sent us the new squirrel feeding boxes, which the pine martens happily feast from through the night.

Huge happy surprise to us was witnessing (and photographing) the first red squirrel to arrive at the new platform and snack on peanuts from the feeders. This was a rather monumous event as our long-term tree and hedge planting plans have all been geared towards providing new habitat for red squirrels. We are over the moon that the first one has arrived at the feeders.

This is the third small tortoiseshell butterfly to emerge inside the hut so I'm guessing the log burner is warming them up and waking them from hibernation.

And finally, this was the Wolf suoermoon riding over the Galloway Hills. It was quite a spectacle against the pink sky. It rise quickly and was soon followed by Jupiter. Appreciating nature more and more as the years go by and can't wait to share the wild space we call Frugaldom with more of you in 2026. We can accommodate any camping vehicle up to a maximum vehicle length of 7.5m and for a mere £25 you can stopover and enjoy getting back to nature for 2 nights. 

There is always a discount available for longer stays and we will be opening up hut 2 for visitors to enjoy whenever it is available. Overnight parking with all night access to the wildlife hut costs £50 for non-members. If you would like to join us as official Friends of Frugaldom, you can do so at www.ko-fi.com/Frugaldom 

Huge thanks to all our existing members, volunteers and those who send anonymous gifts to help us keep all the animals fed.

Happy New Year

From all the people, pets, ponies and goats at Frugaldom. Thank you for being part of this journey. All the very best for 2026.

Winter Garden Preparations

The herbery will be getting an overhaul to bring all the strawberries under control. There are numerous raised beds here, all constructed as one of our lockdown projects. Since then, the herbs and sedum have thrived but I haven't had enough time or energy to keep on top of the weeding, thinning and trimming. It is absolutely fabulous to see someone tackling this job, despite the sub-zero temperatures, so I'm looking forward to getting the strawberry and rhubarb beds mulched over and the others topped up with the composted pony manure.

Here are the beds that have been cut back today. The lungwort in the centre is actually flowering. The strawberry plants have never yet died back and have sent out runners in all directions so these will be left until spring then potted on for moving out to our Trading Post at the main gate. I'm still not sure what to plant in the spare beds here as I really don't use many herbs but this also becomes a butterfly and bee garden, so I may introduce some buddleias. There is a patch of rhubarb, which fairs quite well. I can already see it bubbling below the surface of the soil so that will get some straw over it when I'm putting it around the strawberry plants. Aside from that, I can't think of anything else suitable for growing in these herb beds. All suggestions welcome.

Let's Not Forget About Frugal Living

Let's not forget our roots. 

Frugaldom, after all, grew from the concept of frugal living to bring about the freedom to enjoy life. Every year we set ourselves goals and every year we challenge ourselves to overcome any problems and make the most of every opportunity. Frugal living isn't merely penny pinching without reason, it is about wise spending for specific reasons. It should never be mistaken for meanness. Living well within your means can free up income to save for other things and to help others but getting to grips with a new budget can be daunting. For those interested, you can join us in the Moneysavingexpert.com forums and take part in our annual frugal living challenge. Alternatively, you are welcome to just follow along.

2026 Plans

Put more effort into growing fruit & veg

Make better use of space

Strive to make projects cash neutral

Offer more opportunities to others

Stay within budget

Improve existing facilities

Implement a plan for retirement 

Win £1million

OK, so that last one is a bit of a stretch of the imagination but it isn't beyond the realms of possibility for anyone holding NS&I Premium Bonds. I'm a big PB fan, despite the negativity expressed by some money gurus. I also save spare change, use a regular saver account, don't have any private pensions and haven't the ability to fill an ISA because my income equates to less than half the 2026 national living wage. 😆 Back to the chance of winning big... If that really did happen, I think my first move would be to hire in help looking after the animals as I've found it almost impossible to find like-minded others who can afford the luxury of volunteering while also being prepared to take charge in my absence. It's 7 days a week all year, every year, so my plans also include trying to get some time away from the project.

Frugaldom in 2026

What has 2026 got in store for Frugaldom's happy hutters, wildlife watchers and regular visitors? 

New Feeding stations for badgers, new platforms for the pine martens and even more photo opportunities for those if you who make use of the huts. This is the pine marten platform at hut 2.

Exciting new opportunities are being created during these murky, dull, winter days of drizzle and fog. Soon, things will become clear when new year rings in a few changes here at Frugaldom. 

This is the developing feeding station outside of hut 3. It attracts badgers, pine martens, foxes and a plethora of wild birds. Happy hutters will soon be enjoying all that nature has to offer, experiencing off-grid adventures that will create memories that should last forever. 

Pine marten platform can be seen from huts 1 and 2, plus from the yard, so if you are staying in a campervan or motorhome hoping to see these beautiful creatures, ask for the Pine Marten View parking bay.

Members of Clan MacBrock can often be seen clambering around the feeding stations by the yard and outside huts 2 and 3. Campervan and motorhome visitors hoping to watch them can book Badger's Holt parking bay.

Environmental artwork can be seen weathering the storms as the rich green tapestry of the land is rejuvenated by summer sunshine. I promise you all, the sun is shining beyond those imposing grey clouds. The grey will clear and the brightness of stars shining in dark skies will bring crisp, Spring sunshine followed by long summer days. Get ready to be part of what is unfolding.

So many plans are being developed as you read this, most bringing improvements and opportunities to come along and experience Frugaldom for yourselves. There will be special concessions for those who join the Friends of Frugaldom support group.

Nature and wildlife feature strongly in our future plans, alongside the ponies and goats who welcome our visitors.

Being open all year round for happy hutters, wildlife watchers, campervan and motorhome owners offers the opportunity to observe nature and wildlife, even from your park-up spot.

The yard will be having a bit of a makeover to repair some damaged fencing and further improve drainage. We now operate our campervan and motorhome site under certification by the Caledonian Touring Club, which allows stopovers from a single night right up to 4-week stays, subject to availability.

We have some track repairs to be done, improving the access, parking and turning points.

Vincent Van Goat will still be greeting visitors.

We will expect all visitors to respect several new rules that are in place but most of these are for the safety of our sanctuary animals and the resident wildlife that frequents the numerous feeding stations situated around the huts and campervan/motorhome parking area.

The sculpture project has taken on a life of its own with sales of commissioned artworks contributing towards the improvements and development of Frugaldom, enabling the project to be open to all. Look out for updates in the very near future and if you would like to register your interest, show your support or get involved in anything we do here, you can join the Friends of Frugaldom group HERE