It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

eandjsmum

Soubrette wrote: »

Try not to waste energy worrying - just do

I see you're a novice gardener - in a few years you'll be an expert gardener (I'm hoping me too )

I'm in the throws of slowly decluttering the house - I am convinced we will be charged individually for our waste in the medium term so I'm trying to get rid of things through a combination of reusing, freecycling and charitying, recycling and dumping whilst it's all relatively inexpensive. If I were megarich I'd be putting in things like solar panels (unfortunately I'm not though ) but the main point is to cut our long term outgoings.

All things that I do have control over.

Although there is a serious undertones to it all, I ignore them as I have no control over them, instead I think it's fun to be more self sufficient and rely less on big companies and the government so it's a bit like a hobby for me. If the big bad never happens, well I've enjoyed life and I'm able to live it how I want anyway. If it does happen, then I'll be more prepared.

My husband works full time and I work part time so I see his job as bringing in the main bulk of the earnings and mine as looking after the main bulk of the savings

Sou

I couldn't agree with you more. At the moment I am Not working but looking for work. DH works full time. I'm looking for work but wonder if I'd be better off working part time rather than full time,
We have managed to make some cut-backs but I worry That these would have to go If I worked full time ( Some of the Jobs that I have applied for have been a hours commute away!). The garden may have to be left to Its own devices. We have managed to make cutbacks by looking for bargains at the market and CS and car-boots. I now find myself worring what will happen if DH looses his job, under the old system we could have paid of the mortgage with his redundancy, (he has been working 30 years). Today I hear that the government is looking at ways of cutting back on redundancy payments. I wonder where all this will lead to. still I must go now as I have jobs to apply for and a garden to dig.

beingfrugal

For all I'm scared about what might happen to our country and the people in it I feel somewhat ok this morning. I've given it a lot of thought over night and feel we need this as a country. The whole contry needs to pull together maybe a bit like a war.. join together in the face of adversity. 'We' need to learn values all over again, too much is wasted, additudes have gotten (on the whole) easy come easy go. Far too much waste and squandering. Too much spare cash flying all over, greed and want.. I hope there is no real misfortune for people, I really do but I can't help feel a country of tightening belts, reusing, making do, being creative will go someway in repairing our British'spirit' and values. We need a governmental advert "times are going to be tough, head on over to MSE Oldstyle, they'll get you through" Underneath in small print.. "If you can afford the internet!"

seabright

Yes, I certainly feel I should be re-tightening my belt. I am pretty frugal at the best of times (IMHO!) but am feeling I should be more carefully again.

Whether it's because I've just come back from holiday, because of the cuts in govt spending or a combination, I don't know.

tessie_bear

weve been trying to spend less...or even just the same in the supermarket where prices are going up a lot imo at the moment....that said i always find the summer holidays very expensive and iv 2 sons going to new schools in sept so thats going to be a dear do

Rikki

I have always been careful but I am always checking and making small changes where I can.

Uniscots97

I'm finding it difficult. Trying to save where I can but have teenager that refuses to cook for themselves or microwave things I pre-make and then moans. Ends up with lots of wasted food. I'm trying my best to save where I can. I think with regard to food shopping I'm going to go back to buying a whole chicken and split it, much cheaper. I also have veg seeds I've been meaning to plant so I need to get my backside in gear.

lilian1977

I'm tightening up even more now as we're expecting our first baby in February and I'm very scared about the budget cuts and what they might mean for us!

The_Thrilla

ceridwen wrote: »

.....well...in best Old Style fashion...tell us what you've got (ie in the larder/freezer/etc) and we'll tell you what to do with it....

Thanks for your concern for me, Ceridwen. I don't think I'll starve. I have rice, flour, honey, potatoes - all the staples. I have jars crammed with pulses of various types. In the freezer a packet of 8 drumsticks turned up, and I still have some fish that predates the Gulf of Mexico blow-up.

beingfrugal wrote:

For all I'm scared about what might happen to our country and the people in it I feel somewhat ok this morning. I've given it a lot of thought over night and feel we need this as a country. The whole contry needs to pull together maybe a bit like a war.. join together in the face of adversity. 'We' need to learn values all over again, too much is wasted, additudes have gotten (on the whole) easy come easy go. Far too much waste and squandering. Too much spare cash flying all over, greed and want.. I hope there is no real misfortune for people, I really do but I can't help feel a country of tightening belts, reusing, making do, being creative will go someway in repairing our British'spirit' and values. We need a governmental advert "times are going to be tough, head on over to MSE Oldstyle, they'll get you through" Underneath in small print.. "If you can afford the internet!"

I would agree with you to an extent. But are some people really up to it today? Let me give you an example from only yesterday (Sunday) What is the most precious resource? Water. What is the resource you would not want to waste? Of course, water. A few years back, in front of a lane of six houses (three either side) a water pipe burst, and there was water all over the pavement, all over the road. It was impossible for a person who lived in any of those six houses to enter or leave that lane without paddling through the puddle. It was like that for over a week, and, living in the same street, I walked through the puddle, and said to myself: "Haven't those deadbeats from I]name of water company[/I done anything yet?" Then I said to myself: "Hey, I'll bet no one's reported it." As soon as I got home, I rang the water company, and I was right. Well, last Thursday, another leak sprang in the same position, different lane. I paddled through it yesterday, and again I wondered if anyone had reported it and said: "If not you, who else?" I got home, rang the water company, and waited, and waited, and waited...until I said: "Oh, well, **** the lot of 'em. I'll stockpile some water, and get some earplugs so I don't have to listen to the neighbours moaning at the standpipe." And that is reality. That is the result of decades of self-indulgence. Someone lying dead on the pavement. Oh, THEY'll mop him up. Flytipping? THEY'll clean it up. Water spilling like oil in the Gulf of Mexico? THEY'll come and fix it.

I originally come from a part of the world where there is no THEY. And you have to do things for yourself. I would have thought that anyone could lift a phone and ring the water company, and, after hanging on for an hour or two, report the leak. You can have faith in your fellow man if you want to, beingfrugal, and good luck to you. But don't be disappointed.

honeybun16

we are tightening our belts as much as possible, our youngest is only four months old and i want to have as much time off as i can, with number 3 we did not look at the money side of things i just took 9 months off and it left us in a really bad state which we are still trying to get out of, with this one we are all very very much aware of the cost of things and all of us are belt tightening where ever possible,

beingfrugal

I'm not sure 'we're' upto it either and I think 'we're' too far gone, developed too much of a selfish and uncaring attitude on the whole but hopefully this way of living, the frugal way will enlighten some people to take a step back and think more carefully, less selfishly. We're not a society of deep rooted selfishness, we've all had grandparents of 'the war' era. Society reflects attitudes and attitudes reflect society - it doesn't have to be this way. I'd ike to have faith in my fellow man, I hope things can change because at the moment I'm not proud to be British and am rather embarrassed of the society I live in. I would love for that to change.

Anyway, just trying to keep my spirits up, trying to think positively