We paid £11k for a tiny house on Facebook – it costs just £8.86 a day to run, we have an en-suite & stunning views too
As I chop wood for the fire, my friends are out clubbing and eating in restaurants, but I'm looking forward to an evening in my tiny home, eating a meal I've prepared with one of my two pots on my little stove.
It may be a squeeze for my boyfriend Ollie and me, but our tiny home saves us thousands of pounds a year.
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5
Libby Ramsden and boyfriend Ollie, both 25, run a business from their off-grid tiny home in Yorkshire – living on just £8.86 a day
5
It may be a squeeze for Libby and Ollie, but the couple's tiny home saves them thousands of pounds a year
5
The couple spent their £11,000 savings to buy the house they found on Facebook. It has a bedroom and en-suite, plus tiny kitchen and living room
I met Ollie in March 2019 on a night out with friends when we were both 20, and I was living with my mum Bev, 52, and dad Matthew, 53.
Three years later, I was working in a medical lab and Ollie was an agricultural mechanic, and I moved in with him and his dad Terry, 60, on their family farm in West Yorkshire.
Farm life
I loved farm life – I had two goats as pets and used their milk to make soap, which I sold at local
markets
, along with honey from my dad's bees.
Ollie and I dreamed of turning my hobby into a full-time business and finding our own rural home, but with neither of us earning enough to cover the £1,000 a month to rent somewhere, it felt impossible.
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READ MORE REAL LIFE STORIES
Then Terry made us an amazing offer – he suggested we rent some land from him for our goats and, as we were agricultural workers, we'd have planning permission to create a home on the land.
However, there were restrictions set by the local authority. It would have to be a very small home, no larger than 40 x 20ft, and it would be off-grid, with no mains electricity, water, gas or sewage pipes.
How could we live without a TV?
Undeterred, we used our £11,000 savings to buy a tiny house we found on Facebook. It has a bedroom and en-suite, plus minuscule kitchen and living room.
Our families were supportive, but friends thought we were mad.
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Most read in Fabulous
Exclusive
Exclusive
Exclusive
Living Tiny: Bresha Jeanae's Experience
Why would we want to spend our time chopping logs, and how could we live without a TV?
But
our house
was delivered by trailer, and in September 2023 we moved in.
Waking up that first morning, with the sun shining in and views of the moors, I was thrilled.
We did squabble as we adjusted to living in such a small, basic space together – we argued about whose turn it was to fetch wood or tidy up – but going for a stomp around the fields usually cleared the air!
Advertisement
Our only water source is rain collected in a tank, which we use for the shower and to flush the toilet.
It's connected to a septic tank that Ollie dug into the ground, and we also filter the water to drink.
Six months after moving in, we got a generator, which we use for an hour a day to heat water for a shower and turn the lights on for our evening meal, otherwise we rely on solar lights.
I use my phone for accessing the internet, and we don't have a TV, which I missed at first, but now I love reading books more.
Advertisement
We gather wood, whatever the weather, for the wood-burning stove and I have thick pyjamas and hot-water bottles for colder nights.
We don't have a fridge and instead use a cool box to keep milk and butter fresh and buy food daily, often from farm shops.
A normal house would cost £12,000 a year just in rent. Instead, we pay £2,000 to Terry to rent the land
We do need to be careful with everything we buy. We have only a few cups and small saucepans, but the kitchen is full.
Our dining table only seats two, so we can't have dinner parties – a friend did stay over once, but they had to sleep on the floor as the sofa wasn't big enough.
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Without the financial pressure of a mortgage or monthly utilities, we were able to quit our jobs in December 2023 and commit to our business, Herd & Hive, selling goat's milk soap, raw honey and beeswax products.
A normal house would cost £12,000 a year just in rent.
Instead, we pay £2,000 to Terry to rent the land, and being in the lowest council tax band costs £1,000 a year.
With the cost of gas for the cooking hob and the generator factored in, we live on £8.86 a day, excluding food.
Advertisement
What I love most about living in a tiny house is the simplicity. No TV, no washing machine to load and unload – we use a launderette nearby – and peaceful fields around us.
It's allowed us to follow our dreams. That's worth the wood-chopping and cold showers any day.'
Visit Herdandhive.co.uk.
5
Free from mortgage or utility bills, the couple quit their jobs to launch Herd & Hive, selling goat's milk soap, raw honey and beeswax products
Advertisement
5
With the cost of gas for the cooking hob and the generator factored in, the pair live on £8.86 a day, excluding food
BTW
Up to 300,000 UK homes are off-grid. (Federation of Master Builders)
The average tiny home costs between £12,000 and £15,000 to build. (University of Estate Management)
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The Irish Sun
17 hours ago
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We paid £11k for a tiny house on Facebook – it costs just £8.86 a day to run, we have an en-suite & stunning views too
As I chop wood for the fire, my friends are out clubbing and eating in restaurants, but I'm looking forward to an evening in my tiny home, eating a meal I've prepared with one of my two pots on my little stove. It may be a squeeze for my boyfriend Ollie and me, but our tiny home saves us thousands of pounds a year. Advertisement 5 Libby Ramsden and boyfriend Ollie, both 25, run a business from their off-grid tiny home in Yorkshire – living on just £8.86 a day 5 It may be a squeeze for Libby and Ollie, but the couple's tiny home saves them thousands of pounds a year 5 The couple spent their £11,000 savings to buy the house they found on Facebook. It has a bedroom and en-suite, plus tiny kitchen and living room I met Ollie in March 2019 on a night out with friends when we were both 20, and I was living with my mum Bev, 52, and dad Matthew, 53. Three years later, I was working in a medical lab and Ollie was an agricultural mechanic, and I moved in with him and his dad Terry, 60, on their family farm in West Yorkshire. Farm life I loved farm life – I had two goats as pets and used their milk to make soap, which I sold at local markets , along with honey from my dad's bees. Ollie and I dreamed of turning my hobby into a full-time business and finding our own rural home, but with neither of us earning enough to cover the £1,000 a month to rent somewhere, it felt impossible. Advertisement READ MORE REAL LIFE STORIES Then Terry made us an amazing offer – he suggested we rent some land from him for our goats and, as we were agricultural workers, we'd have planning permission to create a home on the land. However, there were restrictions set by the local authority. It would have to be a very small home, no larger than 40 x 20ft, and it would be off-grid, with no mains electricity, water, gas or sewage pipes. How could we live without a TV? Undeterred, we used our £11,000 savings to buy a tiny house we found on Facebook. It has a bedroom and en-suite, plus minuscule kitchen and living room. Our families were supportive, but friends thought we were mad. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous Exclusive Exclusive Exclusive Living Tiny: Bresha Jeanae's Experience Why would we want to spend our time chopping logs, and how could we live without a TV? But our house was delivered by trailer, and in September 2023 we moved in. Waking up that first morning, with the sun shining in and views of the moors, I was thrilled. We did squabble as we adjusted to living in such a small, basic space together – we argued about whose turn it was to fetch wood or tidy up – but going for a stomp around the fields usually cleared the air! Advertisement Our only water source is rain collected in a tank, which we use for the shower and to flush the toilet. It's connected to a septic tank that Ollie dug into the ground, and we also filter the water to drink. Six months after moving in, we got a generator, which we use for an hour a day to heat water for a shower and turn the lights on for our evening meal, otherwise we rely on solar lights. I use my phone for accessing the internet, and we don't have a TV, which I missed at first, but now I love reading books more. Advertisement We gather wood, whatever the weather, for the wood-burning stove and I have thick pyjamas and hot-water bottles for colder nights. We don't have a fridge and instead use a cool box to keep milk and butter fresh and buy food daily, often from farm shops. A normal house would cost £12,000 a year just in rent. Instead, we pay £2,000 to Terry to rent the land We do need to be careful with everything we buy. We have only a few cups and small saucepans, but the kitchen is full. Our dining table only seats two, so we can't have dinner parties – a friend did stay over once, but they had to sleep on the floor as the sofa wasn't big enough. Advertisement Without the financial pressure of a mortgage or monthly utilities, we were able to quit our jobs in December 2023 and commit to our business, Herd & Hive, selling goat's milk soap, raw honey and beeswax products. A normal house would cost £12,000 a year just in rent. Instead, we pay £2,000 to Terry to rent the land, and being in the lowest council tax band costs £1,000 a year. With the cost of gas for the cooking hob and the generator factored in, we live on £8.86 a day, excluding food. Advertisement What I love most about living in a tiny house is the simplicity. No TV, no washing machine to load and unload – we use a launderette nearby – and peaceful fields around us. It's allowed us to follow our dreams. That's worth the wood-chopping and cold showers any day.' Visit 5 Free from mortgage or utility bills, the couple quit their jobs to launch Herd & Hive, selling goat's milk soap, raw honey and beeswax products Advertisement 5 With the cost of gas for the cooking hob and the generator factored in, the pair live on £8.86 a day, excluding food BTW Up to 300,000 UK homes are off-grid. (Federation of Master Builders) The average tiny home costs between £12,000 and £15,000 to build. (University of Estate Management)
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I couldn't afford a new patio, so used a 10p hack to transform it with flowers – it's so colourful & stops weeds growing
A new patio in the UK typically costs between £80-£150 per square meter, but it depends on the materials and layout. So a typical homeowner could end up paying a few hundred, to thousands to get a new one. Amy on Facebook didn't have that kind of money to sort her patio out. 2 Amy's patio slabs after sowing flower seeds Credit: FACEBOOK Instead, she came up with a genius idea to Posting in the Facebook group Garden Makeover Ideas On A Budget, she said: "On a very tight budget, I couldn't stretch to funding a new patio. "So, last year, I bought some ground covering seeds and planted them between some of my wonky pavers. READ MORE GARDENING STORIES "I'm thrilled with how they now look but, the amount of bees that have been collecting the nectar from them is incredible. I'm so pleased." She added a photograph of the results, showing her wonky As for what flowers she sowed, replying to a comment, Amy said: "Mixed ground cover," and said it "will bring new life to your garden/patio". She "added a little sand to the compost" which she was advised to do so by her local garden centre because "the sand stabilises the wonky pavers". Most read in Fabulous Her post has received 11,000 likes so far and hundreds of comments. One replied: "I absolutely love this idea! I have a horrible concrete area that I cover with benches and pots! Also have an old paved area all sunken forever taking out the weeds in between! Thank you for the great idea x." Can you find the hidden bee amongst the flowers in this tricky brainteaser- Someone else wrote: "I think that looks lovely & far nicer than a new boring patio, it looks how nature would have intended it to look with plants tumbling out if cracks & crevices." One comment read: "It looks so pretty! Love your solution and how nice that it's attracted pollinators too." Another said they make a great replacement for Someone else was keen to know if any Amy replied: " I have had a couple yes, but by and large, the flowers are winning the 'cosy' and limited space ." 2 Close up of wood sorrel growing tenaciously in concrete cracks. Symbolic of resilience and beauty Credit: Getty How to grow flowers between your patio slabs 1. Clean the area Remove any weeds or debris from the cracks between your patio slabs. A weeding tool or a stiff brush can help with this. Make sure the holes are at least six inches deep to help roots develop. 2 . Fill with soil and compost Use a mix of soil and compost to fill the cracks. 3. Choose your plants Opt for low-growing, spreading plants that can tolerate foot traffic. Some good choices are: thyme, chamomile, creeping speedwell, dwarf mondo grass, daisies. 4. Plant If using seeds, mix them with a little compost and sand and push them into the cracks. For plug plants, carefully remove and gently plant them into the cracks. Fill any surrounding gaps with compost. 5. Water Water the seeds thoroughly and continue to water regularly, especially during dry spells, until the plants are established. June gardening jobs The Sun's Gardening Editor, Veronica Lorraine, has shared the tasks you should take this month. Stake out leggy perennials With all the dramatic weather we've been having, it's definitely time to stake out your leggy perennials (the ones that come back every year). Heavy rain and growth spurts, can make them collapse and flop. Picking out the slugs and snails Hopefully as we move into summer they will do less damage as the plants get bigger. The best way is still to go out at night with a head torch to find them. Pick elderflower heads You can use them to make your own cordial, or add to cakes, champagne or even fry them in batter. Get on top of weeds It's around now that weeds really ramp up in the garden, so keep on top of them with hoe-ing - or just the traditional 'on your knees with a hand fork'. Try and avoid chemicals - remember weeds are just plants in the wrong place. Up the mowing You'll need to mow your lawn weekly now - if you've got time, weed it beforehand as once you mow you chop off the leaves and its harder to see them. Check on your tomatoes Your tomato plants will need attention - water, feed and regularly and pinch out the sideshoots. Chelsea Chop There's still time for the Chelsea Chop - plants like Rudbeckia's, Asters, Penstemons, Sedums and other perennials can be cut back by a third to help them get a bit more bushy, and prolong the flowering period. Sort out your tulips If you can be bothered and have space - lift and story your tulip bulbs to ensure colour next Spring. Deadheading your roses Take them down to the first set of healthy leaves - which will ensure more flowers for longer. Enjoy your space Take some time to sit and enjoy your garden or outside space - it's great for your mental health. Even just a few minutes a day can make a big difference.
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I quit boring 9-5 job & make £40K a month on TikTok shop working 3 days a week… I didn't even use social media before
LIKE most parents, Jordan Payne was always keen to find ways to bring in a bit of extra cash. But when she decided to start promoting items for TikTok shop, she never expected to make £40,000 in just ONE month. 13 Mum-of-two Jordan Payne earns thousands by promoting items on TikTok shop Credit: Jordan Payne 13 Her posts are focused around her family life and children Credit: Jordan Payne 13 Jordan sometimes promotes clothes on her TikTok account Credit: Tiktok/@jordanpayne25 And she reckons she's made a staggering £150,000 since opening up her profile on the video-based platform in 2020. The mum-of-two barely used any of her own social media when she first began posting on the app, hoping she might make a few extra quid. By December 2023 she was earning thousands a month - and 18 months later she managed to quit her 9-5 job as a technical product manager to focus full-time on her new TikTok career. In an exclusive interview with The Sun, she said: 'When I first realised I'd made £40,000 in a month, it just seemed crazy. READ MORE REAL LIFE 'You can't quite believe that it's even possible. Most people just don't manage that. 'I did it in November last year around Black Friday. I normally bring in around £10,000 a month, but it's taken me years to build up to this.' TikTok Shop is a marketplace on the social media app, selling everything from beauty products to clothes and garden items, often at bargain prices. When Jordan started you had to have 1,000 followers before you could promote items on the shop. You'd then earn a commission on each sale that came from people clicking through a link on the post. Most read in Fabulous To gain followers Jordan posted tips for brides, as she had got married the month before. Now you need just 500 followers to start doing work for TikTok shop. I've made £18k on Vinted - my clever tip means your photos will stand out 13 Initially Jordan found making the promotional videos awkward Credit: Supplied 13 She spends hours filming content three days a week to promote online Credit: Supplied Commission ranges from two per cent up to 25 per cent, depending on the product and the creator's following and previous success. Jordan, who is appearing in Channel 4's Secrets of TikTok Shop, first considered joining the app to make money in 2020, after a friend who'd been furloughed during lockdown told her how much money they'd been making from it. The Kent-based mum, 33, was initially a little sceptical about if she'd be able to do the same, as she didn't really use social media like Instagram or Facebook, nevermind TikTok. 'At first, it was really awkward making the videos,' she said. 'In the first week, I felt uncomfortable talking to the camera, and I was focusing on that rather than who I though might be watching the content. 'After a bit, you just forget about it. Once I got my first sale, I was like, 'This is all worth it, so worth putting the time and effort in.' 'I do look back at my old videos now and think, 'Wow that's different'. I've just learnt what works and what doesn't.' Jordan's account, jordanpayne25, focuses on family life, as she has two boys aged one and three with husband Lance, 36. It took her a while to find her niche, but now she reviews kids toys, clothing and items for the family home like air fryers and parasols. Booming business 13 Jordan promotes easy beauty hacks that mum's can use Credit: Tiktok/@jordanpayne25 13 The mum mainly focuses on childrens items as they're relevent to her Credit: Tiktok/@jordanpayne25 Once she'd found products that sold well, it took a few years for her to start making around £10,000 per month from 'This time last year, it started really booming,' she said. 'It is life-changing. It's enabled me to quit my job, and I had a good, quite highly paid job before. Now I get to be at home with my kids a lot more. "I tend to work three days a week. I spend all day creating content, editing it, looking on TikTok to see what is doing well. 'I do get more time with my kids but I worry they don't realise that when I'm on my phone, I'm working.' Jordan revealed the most important element of a TikTok video is the opening three seconds - called 'the hook' by creators. It's the short time period it takes TikTok users to decide if they want to watch the video or not. 'One I found worked was saying 'I'm buying this for my nan', because it got people intrigued,' she said. 'It worked so well that I repeated it across several videos. It's one of the important things I've learnt over the years.' Jordan always viewed working with Storage rooms of products 13 Jordan has a storage room full of products she's been sent by brands Credit: Supplied 13 She says that she doesn't like getting rid of things incase she can promote them again Credit: Supplied She pays herself a set salary of £1,048, plus dividends, every month, and resists spending every penny she earns on her ongoing home renovation project. Jordan is one of the top 120 sellers on TikTok in the UK - and as a result, she has to dedicate rooms in her home to storing products. She said: 'I've got content rooms which are just storage because I've so much stuff that I try to keep to promote. 'I've got about eight air fryers in there. Obviously I can't use them, because nobody needs that. 'But I keep them all because the brand sent them to me... it could be that one of them's on sale tomorrow, one's on sale in a few weeks, and I can promote the different ones, because they're all good for different reasons.' While promoting items from the shop is all about getting sales, Jordan does give her honest opinion when she feels an item isn't up to scratch. 'I have given negative reviews as well, which is a bit of a controversial one,' she said. 'Some people do it, some people don't. Mine blew up, which was a bit difficult for me, because it was a Mystery Toy Box, and they are a nice company. 'But I just really didn't think the particular Paw Patrol box was good value for money, so I said that. 'It mainly just had paintings in it and not much variety, and I think a kid receiving that would be disappointed.' Top tips 13 Jordan sometimes sells clothing items on her TikTok Credit: Tiktok/@jordanpayne25 13 Jordan has the full support of her husband Lance who is still working full time Credit: Jordan Payne Jordan is keen to encourage others to replicate her success on the platform. She's helped family and friends set up accounts - including her sister, who promoted products on an account that didn't feature her face. Jordan has also noticed a number of people using the app have told how much they are battling financially with the cost of living crisis. She said: 'I see a lot of people online talking about how they struggle. I saw one lady, who was a nurse, saying that she and her husband were struggling despite both having full time jobs. Jordan's 5 top tips for bossing TikTok Shop Jordan has been encouraging family and friends to start selling things on TikTok Shop. She offers these top tips to budding sellers... 1. Just go for it. I think that's where most people get stuck, they're too scared to even start it. So just give it a try, even if it's faceless, just try. You can always stop doing it. 2. Follow other creators that are doing well in the same kind of products that you're interested in. If you're beauty, follow them. If you're home, follow accounts that do that, because that'll give you lots of ideas. 3. Look at your analytics. We get lots of information, our watch times and all sorts of stuff. Look at which videos have done the best and repeat that if you had a good 'hook' (first three seconds). If you've got a video that's done particularly well, do that exact thing again, on the same product or different ones. 4. Buy the product. Don't always wait for free samples or worry about not spending the money (within reason!) because if you miss the early stages of it being viral, you're probably going to miss out on sales. Someone else will get it. If you get to it too late, it's probably not going to go viral for you, even if it was a trending product. 5. Make sure you are using good lighting. The visual of the video matters. If it's dark or blurry, that video won't get pushed by TikTok. Plus, no one's going to want to watch it. 'Everybody at the moment is looking for a side hustle or a way to just get by with the current cost of living. "TikTok shop is just a great way for people to earn an extra income. 'It doesn't have to be £10,000 a month if you don't want to put time in. "Some people just want a little extra to help out. My sister-in-law makes about £500 a month, which makes a big difference to paying bills and things.' UNTOLD: Secrets of TikTok Shop is now streaming on Channel 4 13 Prior to starting her TikTok account, Jordan barely used social media Credit: Jordan Payne 13 Jordan's TikTok is helping fund the family's house renovation Credit: Jordan Payne
