If things get tougher?

mardatha

A lot of houses round me dont have mains water --my son lived in one where there was a big electric pump in the spare bedroom (!) and you had to run it for an hour or so a day to draw water from an underground resevoir gathering water from the hill. It was fine and nobody died --although we used to all pretend we had found tadpoles in our tea...:)

wigglebeena

poppyoscar wrote: »

I just don't see where this is going to end. I'm being very ms and i can probably do a bit more even, but there is going to come a point where i can't. what then? i'm kinda starting to worry about all this.

PO xx

Maybe we could start MS swapmeets regionally. Come together in a playing field or disused market and barter and swap stuff, if you've got too many courgettes you swap it for the school running shoes you can't afford for your kid, that another MSEer's kid has grown out of. At least we'd all be clothed and fed!

Only trouble with Freecycle is the no-bartering rule.

wigglebeena

Or maybe all-out communes for those of us who aren't stuck to a property - buy a big old house with a bit of land communally at auction, then all grow beans and potatoes together and keep chickens. Sell eggs and make corn dollies for the local market. Build a wicker man!

Seriously I think I'd be quite happy living communally with mates and it would surely save money through economy of scale (one lot of fuel for everyone's shopping trip, one building to heat, everyone mucking in growing veg more productively and efficiently etc). Maybe not literally with online pals, but if me and RL mates were having trouble I could see myself suggesting it.

I can't understand why families don't do it. In my family and others, I see little old folks living in tiny houses with lots of little separate expenses, when if all my uncles and aunties pooled their resources, they could have one big house (separate room each for privacy, living rooms for company), save money and keep an eye on each other for health and safety. Why don't people do this?

mags50_2

Mrs. Tittlemouse...it's a bit like mardartha said above for us too...we have an old building down the yard, which up until a few weeks ago, housed an old pump from the 1940's which drew water from a bore-hole. The water is then pumped up to a large tank in a back bedroom to be used in the house. We used to have to pump it up in a morning and then keep a look out that we didnt run out during the day. Hubby has modernised it all over the years and now it just fills automatically. We had to replace the old pump a few weeks ago as it was belt driven and we spent half our time putting the belt back on . The water is tested regularly, and touch wood. we haven't had any ill-effects. It definately tastes better than water in the town....the smell of the fluoride hits you before you drink it...the town water that is, not ours!
And like mardartha... we used to tease the kids too to watch out for tadpoles!:rotfl:

Tashja

wigglebeena wrote: »

Maybe we could start MS swapmeets regionally. Come together in a playing field or disused market and barter and swap stuff, if you've got too many courgettes you swap it for the school running shoes you can't afford for your kid, that another MSEer's kid has grown out of. At least we'd all be clothed and fed!

Only trouble with Freecycle is the no-bartering rule.

Ohhhh I love that idea !! :money:

I am also starting to get a bit worried about the situation - DH has just got a good job which is allowing us to get in a better position and actually start doing the essential work on our house (little bit at a time) and now it looks like it is all going to have to stop the work again because we need a cheaper car, etc :rolleyes:

I can see that we are in a bit better position then some people though and I really hope everyone can get through this ((hugs)).

T xx

winniepooh

I'm started to get worried about the whole situation.

Energy prices are high even though we cut down on we we use thanks to all of your tips.

Petrol - well having a disabled child and going to the hospital every week (40 miles) its costing us a fortune.

Car tax - need I say more.

Food prices are ridiculous but thanks again because you've helped me cut my budget back

I just think for the sake of the country and all the familys and children Mr Brown should do the right thing and go :mad: I dont know where but somewhere a long way away

ceridwen

Well I can only comment on what I see in my area - so dont know how applicable it is generally - but:

Whilst I still see loads of people walking down the street smoking, carrying shopping bags from expensive shops, with 2 or more children already (but obviously pregnant again), wearing high-fashion clothing to name just the most obvious signs that they still have a noticeable amount of spare money - then it is going to be very difficult/if not impossible to get the "powers-that-be" to listen to those that are struggling.

Another thing I notice is that supermarkets still have shelves and shelves of "added value" food - things like lemonades, crisps, readymade sandwiches - obviously another sign that plenty of people still have spare money - as otherwise they wouldnt be buying these things. Again - another reason it will be difficult to convince the "powers-that-be" that some people are struggling.

If I got to where I was struggling financially (fingers crossed it wont happen) then I could and would turn round and say:

"Look - no debt, no children, no smoking, no meat-eating, no Sky tv, no designer goods buying, moderate drinker, no car, made the bills as cheap as I possibly can
- AND I STILL CANT MANAGE"

and it would be quite obviously clear that my situation was dire.

So - how many people in that sorta position is there that can turn round and say "Its not me dear Government - I'm doing my bit - Its Govt policy that has put me in this position". If enough people in this sort of situation could turn round and organise themselves to complain they couldnt afford their home fuel bill - then the Government might listen. They wont listen to people who - the next moment - light up a cigarette and then get in a car to "go shopping" as a pastime - fair enough, as most of us O.S.'ers wouldnt listen either if we had just seen that.

mardatha

Mr Brown should do the right thing and go :mad: I dont know where but somewhere a long way away
*************
Well don't send him back home, cos we up here dont WANT him ! lol

mardatha

Ceridwen, one thing that katrina taught me, is that some people don't know any different. To them, that's normal living. Cutting back means not buying so many clothes or one packet less fags a month ! And they wouldn't know proper food if it dropped on them. I think too that a lot of people squander money outwardly, but if you saw inside their homes you would flinch...

Tashja

Mardatha - I agree.

Just the other day one of my friends was complaining that we seemed to always have money and our kids always have new shoes, etc - she was saying all this as we were walking around a supermarket with her buying pre-made Lesagnea, frozen garlic bread, expensive ice-cream and pre-made sandwiches for her kids lunchboxes. Straight after she went on to complain her new HD TV hadn't been delivered yet so she couldn't order her Sky+ installation !!?

We don't have Sky - the thought of paying £30+ on TV was too much to handle when we have so many other bits to do on the house, the last item of clothing I bought for myself was a big cardigan which was £2 in a charity shop, we do have 3 children but treats are few and far between and are usually from family or charity shops - luckily I work in a charity shop so manage to get some good games and videos for the kiddies for very little money.

You will also always have the people who believe the latest gadgets should take prefferance over their mortgage or shopping bill

T xx