It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

Icemaiden

catznine wrote: »

My favourite read (for giving me courage and inspiration) at the moment are the Nella Last books - Nella Lasts War and Nella Lasts Peace, She really knew how to make a little food go round and showed great courage in difficult times, at least we don't have to contend with bombers overhead!

Anything by Shirley Goode as her books were written during recession years, I have worn my copies out! Also Elizabeth West's books, Hovel in the Hills, Garden in the Hills and Kitchen in the hills - all deal with making the most of a very little. Bernadine Lawrences How to feed a family on £5 a day is very good and another very helpful book from the last recession. Sadly these books are out of print now but can be found in charity shops if you are lucky.

The Penny Pincher book by John and Irma Mustoe is full of moneysaving tips and the revisited version came out quite recently so the library should be able to get you a copy.

Make do and Mend is fab, with lots of sewing and mending advice.

Sufficient by Tom Petherick is the book I am devouring now as we are about to make a large part of our garden over to fruit and veg :j sadly I am getting very excited about that! Our sheds are being moved over the next week and then the rotavator will come in.

Tightwad gazette of course is one of the best.

Hope this helps, I will try to think of more. I have trouble convincing dh that we need to prepare for hard times, he thinks I am over reacting - My goodness I hope he is right! I would rather be prepared though! (((hugs))) to all those who are worrying about their jobs, dd is coming to the end of her 60 days consultation period and hopefully will have another job to go to but possibly a lower income

I'm sure you know but www.shirleygoode.com/ is her blog, also makes fantastic reading.

Ice
x

[Deleted User]

I think the worst thing for me is being out of control so it`s important to at least be in control in my world. Lol, I have put up my white light shield and no poison arrows are going to get in . Just before I change the subject though, I know the problems are global but GB (I mean the pm) has acted as though he is so certain of the solution and to my mind he has acted like a president, so much so that other countries have copied what he has done. I wish we had had Nick Clegg in charge throughout, although I am no fan of his party. That man speaks so much common sense. All I can see that GB has done is pour our billions, soon to be a trillion into a big black hole that has formed over the last 11 years

Well back to normal now, for a while anyway. Talk about make do and mend, I need 2 duvet covers for 2 spare beds and have decided to make them from my enormous stash of £2 a metre pure soft cotton. I`m just off my hands and knees now as the 4 pieces are cut out and ready for me to get enough ooomph to sew them. I just googled for instructions and lo and behold there they were. I am making 4 pillowcases and 2 fitted sheets next

just to say too that I love having a big storecupboard as that puts me very much in charge and for me that is a positive

I constantly think about all the posters and lurkers on here, who are in or nearing dire straits. I have lots of good energy and am sending you some.

andan

Hi guys, i am one of the lurkers coming out of the wood work! i really enjoy this thread and read it every day to see if i can pick up any new tips. Currently i am doing quite a bit and making everything stretch.

Currently i am working on not throwing food away as i felt last year this was one of my biggest culprits, so i am using extra food for meals for the next day and making sure i eat the food i buy instead of picking something else that i fancy.

Gas and elec are kept low, which is a constant battle with the other half! I buy most stuff from charity shops and just make do with things or go without. I grew up not really having anything, so at twenty five i have always just continued the trend and have never really been bothered.

I will take part more in this thread though as i like the community spirit and i think in times like this, its really needed.

Burp_2

This is so worrying to know things haven't even got to their worst yet

My OH is still unemployed ... and has been since October clinging on by our last string this month

I really really hope something turns up soon

andan

Back again already. I think this recession thing hit me quite a bit tonight. I got my tesco delivery tonight and i was surprised by how little i felt i got for the amount i paid, despite buying lots of food that was on offer and cheaper brand stuff.

Can't wait to start growing my own and hopefully this will help. I would like to do a little cooking from scratch but find i don't really have the time, but think if i can do this a bit more often and continue making extra meals, this should help. We don't eat very much meat so can't blame the expense on that!

Sorry burp, i missed your post earlier. It must be very difficult what you are going through and so very worrying. I hope things improve soon for you both.

Patchwork_Quilt

Burp, I'm so sorry. I hope things get better

ceridwen

Primrose wrote: »

Like many others of you, I believe things will continue to get a lot worse. I suspect that in many areas, we are still at the early stages of things unravelling and I'm trying to understand the complexities of it to be better prepared. I also realise that by not going out and spending our hard won savings, we are making the recession worse and possibly causing more jobs in the retail sector to be lost, but as retirees with our working days behind us, we also cannot rebuild our savings once they have gone. I simply cannot understand how the worldwide financial regulatory services have allowed all these highly paid bankers to get into so much debt using our savings and deal in financial instruments they didn't understand. We urgently need harsh regulation to rein in the power of the banks to act in this way in future. It just guts me that we've all been looking on with horror at the way Zimbabwe has been hurtled into bankruptcy by its leader, and we've all been here heading into the same state here.

Quite - certainly the thought has come to my mind re countries with VERY dicey currencies. My next thought then was "but Britain is a relatively civilised, relatively modern EUROPEAN country...so not this one then".....until I thought "but so was Germany in the 1930s......". At that point I decided to stop thinking for the night...and just congratulate myself on having bought a Patiogrow thing for help with growing my veg. out back (ie a 3 level thingie similar to plastic greenhouses, but with its own little plastic trays suitable for salads, etc).

ceridwen

Primrose wrote: »

Mummysaver - regarding the plastic greenhouse you saw in the Argos catalogue. We bought one of the little £15 cheap four shelved ones for germinate veggie seeds etc. It was ideal for the purpose but beware of one thing. They are very lightweight and vulnerable to heavy gusts of wind which seems to get inside them and blow them over like a balloon. . Two years ago a heavy wind blew ours over onto our patio and I lost four shelves full of trays of germinating veggie seeds. Even if you anchor the bottom shelf down with buckets of heavy soil or water (if it's that type of greenhouse) , they can still be vulnerable My OH solved this problem by drilling two heavy bolts into our house wall and we now anchor our greenhouse by threading a strong nylon luggage strap through the bolts and right round the greenhouse. This has worked well and I would recommend anybody considering this type of little greenhouse to first consider where they could anchor it to before buying one, to avoid this kind of disaster.

Thanks for that thought. My PatioGrow thingie I have just sent off for is a rather heavyweight thing I seem to recall - so should imagine it will be okay - better had be at the price it cost:eek: . But would it be possible for you to show us a photo of this - so we can "picture" it better please?

If it helps - this is the thing I've just bought:

www.grogardenproducts.co.uk

I know Mrs M was contemplating buying one of these recently - anyways I then went off for a good think about them myself........As someone said to me "Crikey - with all the stuff you're getting you'll be producing a lot more than you need". Well - better safe than sorry thought me and anyway I'm sure I'd find someone who wanted any surplus.

Yategirl

ceridwen.. i have seen those patio "thingys" in the "flesh" and they do seem quite heavy, I wouldn't think they would blow over easily but I would still be careful with high winds when you have the cover on. I used to have one of the plastic greenhouses - they were very lightweight in comparison - tubular metal poles with mesh shelves and a plastic cover.. mine was in a sheltered spot and weighted down with bricks.. the wind would still throw it round the garden....

mummysaver

Burp - I hope that some good news wings its way towards you soon, and that your oh finds a new job very shortly xx

Andan - welcome! Sounds like you're doing really well already, if you want any tips on food stretching or easy things to cook and prepare then ask away, we all have different ways of doing things as I'm sure you've noticed from reading this thread, and one of them might work for you.

Actually all this food stretching and using up leftovers had me thinking earlier, I can't remember the last time I grabbed a trolley and did a full shop in a supermarket, sure I pick up bits and bobs and bargains when I see them, but an entire week's shopping in one go, nope can't remember the last time! Now shopping the way I do and keeping my cupboards full suits me and the way I cook and budget and the amount of time I have to shop, but I actually quite like having a big trolley with a week's worth of food and bringing it home, I think I must be a bit sad to miss that! Having a trolley full of flour or beans isn't quite the same lol!

Ceridwen - the grow thing looks good, I've seen them advertised in gardening mags, looks fairly substantial and very space saving. Can I ask what you're planning to grow in there? As for growing more than you need I'm sure you'll be able to barter or freeze or preserve excess produce, after all isn't this what people used to do, grow extra to swap and to see them through the winter!