Anything they can do.......

I am a great believer that almost anything can be made better and cheaper at home. Also that you can pretty much learn how to do anything from a book. Today we live in a world where very little is built for longevity. We are expected to change are mobile telephones every couple of years, even if the one we currently own is perfectly all right. A friend of mine recently bought himself the new i-pad that has just been released even though his old i-pad was only 7 months old. Why? because the new one had about 3 features the old one didn't. This same friend has a drawer full of old phones, lap-tops etc. Hundreds of pounds worth of stuff that still works.
I suppose I am lucky in that I have never been that interested in the latest gadgets, besides my trusty laptop (only replaced when the last one was 6 years old and breaking down regularly), a basic nokia mobile phone that just makes calls and sends texts and a small tv and dvd player, I don't have much and that suits me. I often think that if a burglar broke into my flat he would probably leave in disgust at the lack of 'stuff' to steal. This lack of need I have is obviously a great bonus on the track to frugality and self-sufficiency.
When I move to Lancashire I am going to be living alone, which means that I don't need a huge house. Therefore what I am going to be looking at most particularly is garden space, the bigger the better. It would be great if I had a garage too, because I want to start woodworking projects and storage for stuff like home made beer and wine will be necessary. I have had no training in working with wood, but I have learned plenty over the years by just having a go and reading books. Nowadays there are lots of very helpful video clips on youtube that can help learn more. When I was about 12, I remember building my mum a headboard and footboard for her divan bed, pretty successfully, simply from my own logic. There is an enormous satisfaction to had from making something yourself and that is something I want to experience more of. Will there be failures? Undoubtedly, but I hope there will be a lot of fun on the way.