What's the essence of old style?

mrbadexample

freyasmum wrote: »

Shouldn't that be... finding a way to use things up after they go past their sell by for the second time, and eliminating as much waste as possible... in your case? :rotfl::p

:shhh: Cake went down very well at work!

valk_scot

The essence of Old Style? Thinking twice about every aspect of your spending and making the most of every pound.

deb68_2

we moved here 9 mths ago its only 13 ,miles from where we were but its totally different i feel like i have come home.I have always tried to make do and mend im now 42 it has always be if i save on this and that i can get my kids things now and then,I would always glue my shoes that needed mending so that my boys have new shoes,I can not sew very well but i do try,but now i have lost a lot of vision in my left eye so sewing takes a lot longer
we can now grow our own veg and fruit we had a strawberry the other day that had rippened it was heaven,we are looking forward to getting all fruit an veg in,we grew that many seeds we gave allot to our neighbours as we did with the wine we made,we want to try and fill a freezer with all we have grown and make bread,i make biscuits,cakes and we cook from scratch,was just the norm for me has taken hubby longer to see that its better for us and will work out cheaper
so too us OS is life being slower simpler happier. and a lot cheaper now oh gets it and sees how much we can save.i open the blind in the kitch and watch the little birds feeding thier babies and the squirell that keeps comming to see us,i could watch for ever but cant as we have to save the veggies from the slugs n snails lol, im in Heaven with the people i love and a place i never want to leave

FatVonD

Sometimes I think I'm not OS at all and then other times I think I'm more OS than I think I am!

I don't grow my own vegetables (pathological fear of caterpillars) and I do sometimes still buy convenience foods but even before making a conscious decision to *try* to be more OS I've always cooked a lot from scratch. My repertoire of stuff to cook isn't as varied as everyone else on here but I've always cooked roasts, toad in the hole, made my own burgers etc and started padding out my spag bol with grated carrots years ago to save money when I gave up work until my son went to school!

I can actually knit very well but don't (though am thinking of trying my hand a knitting for profit) and, while I've never attempted to make clothes I'll usually sew my own draught excluders but that's more because I love fabric designs and have seen a remnant somewhere I couldn't resist that because I'm being OS!

I've been buying charity shop clothes for years but more because I begrudge paying shop prices than because it saves waste and I'll buy second-hand furniture because I prefer the quality and style of seasoned wood than new furniture.

The biggest change I've made is to try to keep costs down by buying value/bogofs/reduced stuff but then I spoil it all by making a late evening run to the (M&S) petrol station for something to nibble while watching TV I've stocked up on baking ingredients so this happens a lot less often now and I'll try to make a jam tart or half a batch of muffins (not efficient use of the cooker I know but I have a range cooker with one of the smaller ovens down the side!) I'm taking packed lunches to work every day now and could cry when I think how much money I've wasted over the years when I didn't!

I think reading the OS forum has just made me think twice before doing or spending anything, I don't always make the OS choice but find I do more often than I would have before

fannyanna

Hello

I really hope I don't annoy any of you with what seems like a really stupid question but as the title says I'm just wondering what the basics of old style moneysaving are.

I guess it's about being self sufficient and doing things yourself. So I guess it's growing and cooking your own foods, making clothes, cleaning rather than paying for a cleaner, learning the basics of DIY to avoid paying a handyman.

What else does everyone do to save money / live the old style way?

Pink.

Hi fannyanna,

There are no stupid questions on this board. For me Old Style means making every penny in my pocket stretch as far as it can using the ways my grandmothers and mother did before me.

These threads will show you what others think:

What's the essence of old style?

WHY are you old style?......

I'll add your thread to the first link later to keep the replies together.

Pink

tru

Yes but then it gets complicated

For example, I would say it's OS to make your own clothes because that's what Granny did. BUT, the only reason she made them is because it was cheaper than buying them. I'm sure she'd have bought them if there were shops like Primark around 50/60/70 years ago :undecided

Ches

OS for me is unpicking the modern ways that have seeped into our lives by consumerism. I married and started running my own home back in the very early 60's and its trying to get back to the way I used to do things then that interest me the most. For instance, food portions were smaller. I always used to cater 1/2lb of meat per person per meal so if buying, for instance, the large 500g packs of mince from the supermarket I divide it up before freezing/cooking. Better still I buy from the local butcher so I can get exactly the amount I need for each recipe. Back then Mr T's was the first self service in our town and inside Mr S we joined large queues at each highly polished wooden counter. Seperate queues for dairy/meat/groceries etc. Housekeeping money was a set amount every week and when it had gone there was no more until the next weekly payday. No hole in the wall to get money out mid week. In fact we were paid cash so had to put money into the bank each week to save for bills etc. I think its also about trying to forget how easy it is to eat out in restaurants or to order take aways. We certainly didn't do that. Home made meals were not only the norm they were the only way. Looking back it seems that we were always trying to save for something or other. No credit cards and HP was scary because if you defaulted they could take the goods back. No CH either but I draw the line at that these days although we may have to keep it turned low with the cost of it escalating.

Ches

Sorry I rambled in the last post but I still forgot to say- DIY wasn't always the way to go even then. The difference then was we didn't decorate or buy new furniture/ clothes unless it was really necessary. Nothng was bought on a whim it had to be planned and saved for. Children had less so there was less mess to tidy and mine, at least, didn't play in the bedrooms so cleaning them was a once a week chore when the beds were changed. Everything was so basic and the highlight of the week was going to Granny's or a favourite Aunt for Sunday tea.

scottishgal_2

Ches wrote: »

OS for me is unpicking the modern ways that have seeped into our lives by consumerism. I married and started running my own home back in the very early 60's and its trying to get back to the way I used to do things then that interest me the most. For instance, food portions were smaller. I always used to cater 1/2lb of meat per person per meal so if buying, for instance, the large 500g packs of mince from the supermarket I divide it up before freezing/cooking. Better still I buy from the local butcher so I can get exactly the amount I need for each recipe. Back then Mr T's was the first self service in our town and inside Mr S we joined large queues at each highly polished wooden counter. Seperate queues for dairy/meat/groceries etc. Housekeeping money was a set amount every week and when it had gone there was no more until the next weekly payday. No hole in the wall to get money out mid week. In fact we were paid cash so had to put money into the bank each week to save for bills etc. I think its also about trying to forget how easy it is to eat out in restaurants or to order take aways. We certainly didn't do that. Home made meals were not only the norm they were the only way. Looking back it seems that we were always trying to save for something or other. No credit cards and HP was scary because if you defaulted they could take the goods back. No CH either but I draw the line at that these days although we may have to keep it turned low with the cost of it escalating.

I enjoyed reading that change days!