Simplifying Life - Mark II

Charis

Sorry to disappoint you but charging a battery from the mains, however quickly, to run an appliance uses more electricity than running the same appliance straight from the mains.

It would also cost money to purchase the batteries and the charger. Chargeable batteries have their uses but they use energy and produce CO2 in the processes of production, distribution and disposal of the batteries themselves, and they only have a limited life, getting less and less efficient as they age. Unfortunately they are not the answer to all our energy needs.

Charis

igaveupnowimback

Hi folks, been having a look and finding thread fascinating.
I'm studying and working at the moment but I have no real ambition. I want peace away from heavy consumerism and am disillusioned by stupid blame cultures inherent in so many workplaces.
I'm happier creating things - bread, meals, being frugal. If I could stop the world and get off at the moment I would. I need to figure out how to live on as little as I can and just work to earn that. I'd live in a caravan if I could, grow stuff etc. I look forward to picking up tips on here. Cheers!

zarazara

Welcome aboard igiveup, we are sailing to the safe and calm waters of frugalbay,where delight is in small pleasures,the beauty of a primrose,the silence of the velvet night.

westcoastscot

very poetic zarazara! frugalbay is a lovely place to live I agree.
igiveup you sound like another likeminded soul, lovely to meet you
WCS

ubamother

igiveup wrote: »

Hi folks, been having a look and finding thread fascinating.
I'm studying and working at the moment but I have no real ambition. I want peace away from heavy consumerism and am disillusioned by stupid blame cultures inherent in so many workplaces.
I'm happier creating things - bread, meals, being frugal. If I could stop the world and get off at the moment I would. I need to figure out how to live on as little as I can and just work to earn that. I'd live in a caravan if I could, grow stuff etc. I look forward to picking up tips on here. Cheers!

no ambition? Nonsense - working towards figuring out how to have a peaceful, simple life is as valid an ambition as any other!

mary-op

igiveup - welcome :j
ubamother is right where the 'ambition' is concerned -expect the very sound of the word associates it with materialism, money etc. Aiming for a simpler more peaceful life is an ambition in itself. Something I think we're all aiming for..........will we ever get it ? I wonder.

At the moment my life seems far from that in many ways -OH's illness hopefully is on the right track but it means trips back and forth to GP's and hospitals, tests,etc. I don't help myself either.........Sunday a piece of meat got stuck -wouldn't go up or down !:eek: Kitchen full of first response and paramedics then ambulance..........2 hours later I'm parked in a hospital corridor and suddenly the piece of meat shifted - did I feel a fool..............OH was beside himself with all this going on and he's not too good in a crisis at the best of times. That event over and done with we came home with sighs of relief. Cleaner came today (one of my simplifying measures -not exactly frugal but it eases my back and OH can't do it anymore.
What do I do ? Trip over hoover lead and land on my knees !:eek: One knee hurts more than the other and I expect by the morning it'll feel worse. So much for trying to live an easier life with less fuss and hassle !
Oh well.........something to put in my diary........couldn't believe I'd got to the end of January with 3 pages left ! (Unlike last year) Just hoping it goes on that way -providing I avoid gobbling food and trying to talk and the same time and look where I'm going;)

zarazara - Frugal Bay here I come.........providing I don't fall on the way:rotfl:

igaveupnowimback

Hi all, thanks for lovely welcome !

Just posted long-ish reply then hit button and lost it ...

Beautiful poetry ! Thanks - I'm gonna holiday at Frugalbay this year!


Small pleasures - I see them every day - thank goodness, and I always appreciate them

And how lovely to think of ambition like that - definitely food for thought - cheers !

Oh, and I'm another West Coast Scot !

Mary-op - oh my word - hope you have a healthier happy week !

jollymummy

Hello
I've just started reading the original thread and have got onto page 3, so a fair way to go This is very uplifting and I just wanted to say that in my twenties, I was a big earner and over achiever. I worked in sales full time, made good money had a company car and was also doing a part time degree as I always felt there was something more that I needed to achieve. Anyhow, when I was 30 I felt awful and went to see my doctor who said basically you've burnt yourself out and need to examine your life. So with the support of my fab hubby, I resigned, got a part time job, started painting to relax and got on with my thirties. When I was 35 I had my son and blimey, I found what was missing. We are very financially embarrassed but have never been happier. I was able to stay at home with my boy who has just started school. We live simply, and have money worries but feel very content with our lot. I was 40 a few weeks ago and have finally realised for me that true happiness is being content with what I have and I am. I am really going to enjoy reading this great thread.
Hope you haven't all fallen asleep

zarazara

Hello everyone. I dont really know where to post this so I hope here is ok.
I am feeling virtuous. Been food shopping this morning
1.I stuck to the list
2. I bought 3 joints of meat which are cooking now ,I will wait while they cool then slice thinly for sandwiches for work and freeze larger peices for roast dinners. the joints cost £34 in total [ turkey breast, beef,pork.] I aim to make them last 3 months, [4 would be better!]
3. Because total spend came to over a certain amount I got a 10p a litre voucher off petrol so I filled up car saving £2.34 meaning my trip too and from supermarket was for free.
4.got some whoopsied muffins
5.got crumpets half price
6.bought a large bag of cheap oats, aiming to make more porrige which we all like
7.bought 800gms mince which is now cooking in a large pan with chopped onions,lentils and pearl barley. when it cools it will go to make several cheap meals
8. bought a large bag of cat food instead of 3 small boxes
9 . bought washing powder at 14p a wash instead of 26p a wash
10. how was this achieved? a little forward thinking and remembering to take a calculator.
I WILL CUT THE BILLS THIS YEAR

mary-op

zara - well done :T We're doing ok on the food front -OH does the food shopping and is better than me at it.

Poor soul had shock this afternoon when BT man came to repair buzzing noise on the phone - lots of drilling and banging and then says BT will charge us £135 !!:eek: Good job OH was sitting down when that was announced ! After BT man left I couldn't get on this site........panic or what ??? He had to come back and plug something in he'd forgot about..............relief
My mobile network has been off all week -no one can tell me why...........anyway its back on now -I'd had an upgrade and need a degree now to work out how to use it............thank goodness for teenage boys:rotfl:
Trying to work on a very strict budget for birthdays easter and christmas..........I do that while OH takes care of the food dept. so between us we don't do that bad but would like to do better
Keep it up zara :T