What's the essence of old style?

grimelda

I think it probably has something to do with being as self reliant as is possible in this world.

brokenwings

I agree with all that has been posted above but when i sat down and started to type and think about what OS is to me personally, i got strangely emotional and spiritual - kind of suprised me.

OS to me means a sense of achievment - Theres an almost sinful feeling of pride i get when a loaf i baked comes out of the oven all golden and well risen.

It means a new inner peace and sense of simplicity/harmony in my life.

It means more appreciation of the little things and less NEED (translates as want/desire) for decadent unnecessary things.

It means that I am finally becoming all that i admired in my mom and grandma's - sadly none of them lived to see me become OS or they would have been so proud.

It means working harder, sleeping better, spending less, eating better, pushing lighter loaded shopping trollies, dumping less waste and doing my bit to make this a better world for future generations.

( i used to think OS meant nothing more than learning how to knit and how to pickle onions! )

thriftlady_2

brokenwings wrote:

OS to me means a sense of achievment - Theres an almost sinful feeling of pride i get when a loaf i baked comes out of the oven all golden and well risen.

How well I know that feeling.I make bread 3 times a week(9 loaves)and never fail to feel that sense of mother's pride when it comes out of the oven.I get a lot of satisfaction from all my cooking but baking bread beats all.

Rebob

I think it is knowing that you are making as little negative impact on the earth and as much positive impact as possible.

Also, no 1 is giving more of yourself to loved ones with time and effort.

black-saturn

For me it is cooking using the methods they used or would have used in days gone by. Before there were processed and frozen foods and everything had to be made from the raw ingredients as such. Even if I'm cooking something with a modern theme like chicken nuggets I will try and cook them the way they would have done in a bygone era.

RacyRed

For me the essence of OS is thinking about what I do. OS has shown me options I didn't know I had and caused me to think more carefully about the decisions I make.

I no longer do things out of habit and even if I choose not to do something in what I think of as the OS way, I do consider it. I feel more confortable with my choices these days, no matter if they turn out to have been right or wrong.

Dobie

I'd agree with everything said before but if I had to sum it up in one sentence for me it would be;

'it's about buying less and having more'.

thriftlady_2

Dobie wrote:

I'd agree with everything said before but if I had to sum it up in one sentence for me it would be;

'it's about buying less and having more'.

That's reminded me of a quote from the More With Less cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre who could be seen as an OS guru(she sadly died of cancer some years ago).

'There is a way...of wasting less,eating less,and spending less which gives not less but more.'

Becles

For me, it's cutting costs without compromising quality.

eg: I've discovered you get good cleaning results from soda crystals/vinegar/bicarb compared to brand name cleaners, but they cost so much less - result!

But I've also tried a few cheaper shampoos which left my hair a dry and frizzy mess, so I went back to using Pantene. IMO it's not worth saving money, when your appearance suffers, especially as I have to meet clients for work and felt less confident when my hair was messy!

Sweet_Pea_2

Since trying to be more Old Style I have found its not just about cooking and budgeting, it spills over into everything that I do. When I was off work during half term recently, as soon as the kids and I broke up, I heaved a sigh of relief and put my old style slippers on as it were.
For me its about being content with what I have and who I am.
It may be a bit 'old fashioned' compared to my friends hobbies, but I love pottering about at home, knitting sewing, growing and cooking. Now I've discovered Old Style I dont care any more, I enjoy myself instead and feel content and creative and pleased with myself whilst doing it.
Before Old Style I would buy the kids a few things off ebay to save a few pennies, but not tell my friends because they would think I was a bit mean. Now I dont care, just because they have the odd thing off ebay they are quite happy about it, and still smart and well turned out, but my money works for me instead of the other way around.